Chapter 335: Unification of the World
The city of Bianjing had just undergone a peaceful transfer of power. Although there were not many casualties, the situation had changed and the atmosphere of panic continued.
The court officials who went to express their loyalty to Feng'er today could not sleep.
Those who did not express their loyalty were secretly afraid and couldn't sleep. They were hesitating whether to make amends tomorrow and quickly accepted the fate.
The common people also felt this unease and were unable to sleep.
Among them, the atmosphere in Zheng's mansion, which was located in the alley on the east side, was even more tense at the moment.
Almost everyone in the Zheng family had arrived, and at the moment they were all sitting there anxiously, especially the third son of the Zheng family, who looked embarrassed and uneasy.
If you look closely, it is hard not to see that the young woman has a look of fear on her face. She keeps twisting the handkerchief with her fingers and glares at her husband from time to time.
The room was filled with dead silence. Only the young woman could speak impatiently, "Father-in-law, have you really found out everything? Is that Prince Zhao the girl the Zheng family broke off their engagement with? One is Xu Zhenying, the other is Xu Qingying. Apart from their age and surname, everything else is very different—"
Lord Zheng looked as if he had lost his parents. Although he didn't want to admit it, he had to nod, "Yes, it's her. His Royal Highness Prince Zhao was exiled from Bianjing City. His surname is Xu, and his age matches. I also asked someone to make thorough inquiries and confirmed that she is Xu Qingying, who was engaged to my son at the time!"
The young woman's face was filled with despair. She couldn't help but clutch the handrail tightly, suddenly at a loss for words. "I... I... I actually stole His Highness's fiancé. What should I do now?"
Lord Zheng was obviously even more panicked. With the disaster looming, he was filled with fear and regret. "I don't think it would be that bad... Back then... We didn't break off the engagement. We just wanted her to marry as a concubine... It was she who disagreed..."
"Father!" The third son of the Zheng family was sweating profusely. "Why deceive yourself? You and I both know what happened back then. We were planning to cancel the engagement. We insulted Her Highness so much back then. She must be holding a grudge. Who knows, the first thing she'll do when she enters the city is to deal with us! It's over, it's over. Our Zheng family is finished!"
Madam Zheng was so anxious that she reached out to pinch Mr. Zheng: "It's all your fault. You insisted that the Xu family was in decline and we shouldn't have anything to do with them. You rushed to cancel the engagement! If it weren't for you, our son might have been the emperor's husband by now!"
"What's the connection, woman? Stop talking nonsense!"
The couple almost got into a fight.
Zheng Da's daughter-in-law was relatively calm. "Mother-in-law, father-in-law, please stop arguing. It's useless to say more now. I remember that I gave His Highness a lot of silver at that time, right?"
Mr. Zheng's eyes lit up, "Ah, yes, yes."
"Who is the person who handled this matter?"
Master Zheng slapped his thigh and said, "Quick, go get Manager Niu!"
Soon, as everyone in the room waited trembling with fear, the chubby Niu, the shopkeeper, came running in panting. As soon as he entered, he noticed the dead silence in the room and knew something was wrong. Just as he was beginning to think wildly, Master Zheng spoke first: "Niu Zhi, tell me quickly, what did you say and do to His Royal Highness Prince Zhao when the Xu family left Bianjing seven years ago? Don't leave out a single detail."
Niu, the head steward, scratched his head and looked at everyone with a puzzled expression, "What is His Royal Highness Prince Zhao? I've never even met His Royal Highness Prince Zhao. How could I possibly meet such a person?"
"Ouch!" Madam Zheng slapped her thigh, "His Royal Highness Prince Zhao is Xu Qingying!"
"What?"
Niu Zhangshi shuddered in shock, then fell to the ground in fear, "Xu Qingying is His Royal Highness Prince Zhao?"
God——
Seeing the expression on Master Niu's face, Master Zheng's already tense heart tightened even more. "Tell me quickly, what good deeds did you do for His Highness Prince Zhao before he left? We asked you to see the Xu family off. Did you say anything harsh or outrageous that would offend His Highness?"
Shopkeeper Niu was immediately startled and almost jumped up to deny it, "No! No! Absolutely not—"
He wiped his sweat again, recalling the scene from seven years ago. He hesitated and said, "At that time, I was ordered by the master and mistress to see the Xu family off. I also brought a cart of supplies. His Royal Highness Prince Zhao gave me the letter of cancellation of the engagement. There was no unpleasantness in between."
Mrs. Zheng San was so anxious that she wanted to curse.
You've forced someone to write a letter of withdrawal from the engagement, yet you still expect them not to bear a grudge against you. It's simply ridiculous.
I really hope that His Royal Highness Prince Zhao will not implicate her family because of the Zheng family’s stupid behavior!
Otherwise she would have died unjustly.
Madam Zheng pressed the issue, "Niu Zhi, tell me clearly, have you ever said anything inappropriate or disrespectful to His Highness?"
"No, no!" Niu, the head of the Niu family, was sweating profusely and waved his hands hurriedly. "Madam, I have the heart but not the courage! You don't know that His Royal Highness Prince Zhao was only thirteen years old at the time, but he already had the appearance of a dragon and phoenix. Even in prison, his aura was extraordinary. Although I did have some contempt for him at first, I later realized that His Royal Highness Prince Zhao was not someone to be trifled with. With the intention of canceling the engagement, I tried my best to meet His Royal Highness's material needs. Do you remember when I came back to complain to you that His Royal Highness Prince Zhao was powerful and that no one could underestimate him?"
Madam Zheng frowned slightly, as if searching for that distant memory, "It seems to be the case."
Master Zheng exhaled several times, his mood now slightly calmer. "That should be fine. I heard that Her Royal Highness Prince Zhao is not the kind of person who kills innocent people. We haven't provoked her, so she won't embarrass our small Zheng family. It wasn't just our Zheng family that broke off the engagement with the Xu family back then. I remember that her cousin's engagement was also broken off. Husband and wife are birds of a feather, but they fly away when disaster strikes. Under the circumstances at that time, could she have forced us to marry her? I think His Royal Highness can understand. What's more, if we are worrying about it for no reason here, His Royal Highness may have forgotten us long ago-"
Everyone still looked worried.
However, Old Madam Zheng secretly glared at Lord Zheng several times.
She was angry, and this time she suddenly remembered the Taoist's advice to her son, saying that the third son of Zheng should get married early to ensure a life of wealth and prosperity.
By this calculation, shouldn't all his wealth and glory belong to Xu Qingying?
Madam Zheng San pondered for a moment and said, "Let's try to keep a low profile these days and not let Her Highness remember us. Just as my father-in-law said, Her Highness is so busy with her affairs that she might have forgotten us a long time ago. Let's not get close to her and just stay away."
"That makes sense."
At this point, there is no other way.
The Zheng family sighed and were shrouded in a cloud of worry.
Soon the next day, the clerk outside was heard walking back and forth in the alley announcing that the ban on movement had been lifted and people could walk freely.
There was a lot of noise and clamor as gongs and drums were beating, and countless people were walking towards the west city gate with their families.
The common people removed the bolts from their doors and looked at the crowd outside. Those who hadn't heard the news for a long time pulled people aside and asked, "What's going on? Why are there so many people?"
"Brother, you don't know yet, do you? They say His Royal Highness Prince Zhao has arrived! All the civil and military officials have already set out to the west city gate to welcome him! We're here to watch the fun."
"Ah, what's the fun here? It's better to stay home and stay safe."
"My dear, this is the first female emperor in our history. Don't you see that the girls in the city are going crazy?"
This person seemed to have just noticed that there were many women in Bianjing City today!
Normally these women were kept at home, especially during palace coups, when women were in the most danger as they were powerless, so their families naturally kept a close eye on them.
"What's going on? Could it be that all the women and girls in Bianjing City have gone out?"
"Hey, buddy, did you know that Jinzhou Prefecture has published a picture book of the Twelve Female Generals? It sold out a while ago, before His Royal Highness Prince Zhao even entered the city! Everyone knows that the people of Jinzhou Prefecture are open-minded, and the girls there are even more sturdy. So, Bianjing City has followed suit and no longer restricts the girls. Some smart families have even bought Jinzhou Prefecture's textbooks for their daughters!"
"They say women can also hold official positions in Jinzhou Prefecture. It seems to be true?!"
"That's right. Didn't you notice that there was a woman working as a clerk a few days ago? Just wait and see, the situation has changed, and women are going to have to ride on the men's shoulders and act in a more powerful way—"
The people rushed to the West City Gate like a tide, and the civil and military officials were woken up early in the morning. They were first scolded by Minister Xu in the court, and then they set out for the West City Gate together.
In such a short period of time, the West City Gate has been completely transformed.
The city walls were covered with the flags of Jinzhou Prefecture, which were blood red with a few bright yellow stars in the middle, making them very eye-catching from afar. At this moment, a piece of red stretched across the city wall, giving off a festive feeling.
The entrance was cleaned early and even a red carpet was laid out, and the surrounding roads were also under martial law.
Civil and military officials wore full court robes and stood on both sides of the city wall.
Now Xu Zhenying has not entered the city yet, and Minister Xu is nowhere to be seen, so they can only whisper to each other.
"Alas, I heard that the Queen Mother was recaptured and is now in prison. However, the body of the retired Emperor is nowhere to be found."
"I wonder how His Highness will deal with the former Queen and the Crown Prince?"
"Eternal Empress! From now on, we'll all be subordinate to women. I heard that His Highness hasn't even thoroughly studied the Four Books and Five Classics, let alone the liberal arts. Look at the textbooks sent from Jinzhou Prefecture. They've practically abandoned Confucianism and Taoism, incorporating the best of Legalism, Taoism, and Mohism, all for practicality. I wonder what the world will become."
"The Zhou Dynasty has been crumbling for decades. Now the world is changing. You still have the heart to worry about these things. Why don't you think about whether there is a place for you and me to stay when His Highness enters the city?"
One person protested, "Why? Could it be that Her Highness wants to depose us all? How will the government function then? How will she take over Bianjing? How will the world not be in chaos?"
Someone else sneered, "At this point, you still can't see the situation clearly. Lord Liao, you only enjoy drinking and visiting prostitutes, and rarely understand the situation in Jinzhou Prefecture. I'm reminding you for the sake of our colleagues. The last monthly report of Jinzhou Prefecture mentioned that the overall literacy rate there has reached 50%. In other words, five out of ten people can read. In your position, anyone who can read can do the job. His Highness has no shortage of talented people. I advise you not to follow the example of Prime Minister Han and his gang, pretending to be good and waiting for a good price, otherwise you will end up with nothing."
"You!" The official in the green robe turned pale with anger. "I want to see how she can manage such a huge country if she doesn't respect Confucianism and establishes her own doctrine!"
Some people immediately distanced themselves from this person, "Lord Liao, have you forgotten that before His Royal Highness Prince Zhao came to Bianjing, he already controlled two-thirds of the Great Zhou Dynasty's territory. Not only was it run efficiently, but it was even profitable, with a full treasury and a strong army. Our Bianjing City is only three prefectures. If it weren't for the advantage of occupying a key position for the Son of Heaven, His Royal Highness Prince Zhao might not even be interested in it."
The man replied sarcastically, "Sir Li, His Highness hasn't even entered the city yet. You'd better keep your loyalty."
Someone who had been daydreaming the entire time suddenly said, "Why hasn't Minister Xu appeared yet? Sigh, it seems General Bai isn't here either—"
At this moment, outside the South City Gate, a Qingwei carriage surrounded by hundreds of people slowly approached.
In the carriage, Qian Zhenniang couldn't help fanning herself and complaining, "Oh my God, how did Bianjing become like this?"
Zhou Houfang lifted the green curtain and asked with a smile, "What happened to Bianjing City?"
"Quickly lower the green curtain! The carriage is so dusty!" Qian Zhenniang said, seeming to be disgusted. "In my memory, this Bianjing City was the most prosperous place in the world. How did it become like this?"
Qu Min smiled and said, "Minister Qian, you're probably used to living in Jinzhou Prefecture. The roads there are all cement, and there's not a speck of dust when you run. It's not like the roads in Bianjing City, which are not only bumpy but also incredibly dusty when you ride a horse."
Qian Zhenniang sighed, "I was just wondering how much money this construction would cost. We spent so much effort to come to Bianjing City, but we didn't expect that we were here to help with poverty alleviation—"
During the whole process, Xu Zhenying in the carriage did not participate. She sat in the corner as usual, with one hand supporting her chin, a pencil in her hand, looking at the scenery passing by outside.
Zhou Houfang noticed with his sharp eyes that there was a tree diagram drawn on the paper, and some departments were written on it.
She felt a little nervous.
They had already captured the city of Bianjing, and Xu Zhenying was about to ascend to the supreme throne, but there did not seem to be much joy on Xu Zhenying's face.
Compared to the enthusiasm and excitement of others when they received the military report sent by Feng'er, Xu Zhenying seemed a little too indifferent and calm.
Xu Zhenying seems to be detached from this world, not happy with things or sad with himself.
Qian Zhenniang naturally leaned over to take a look. "Your Highness is improving the administrative structure?"
Xu Zhenying stretched and hummed, "Now that we've taken over Bianjing City, we'll soon be unified. This means our population will increase exponentially. We must quickly establish and improve the responsibilities and functions of each department."
Zhou Houfang said, "Your Highness, Bianjing City is only three prefectures. Can't we continue to use the same system as before, Jinzhou Prefecture?"
"That's unlikely. Although Bianjing only has three prefectures, we've expanded too quickly. The four seas have just been unified, and the north and south are only nominally under our jurisdiction. But in terms of actual governance, our experience is still stuck in the days of Jinzhou Prefecture. Ultimately, we didn't have a transition period, going directly from the six prefectures of Jinzhou Prefecture to the entire country. The population under our management has increased dozens of times, and the details still need to be finalized."
The excited atmosphere in the carriage disappeared in an instant.
Elder Lin, who was sitting next to the coachman, smiled proudly upon hearing this. "Your Highness is only nineteen this year. There will be plenty of time to slowly establish this foundation. Now that our hegemony has been established, it is a great joyous occasion. Just let these little guys enjoy themselves for a while."
Xu Zhenying seemed to have just noticed the dejected faces of the people in the carriage. She gave a wry smile and quickly collected the things on the table. "It's my fault, it's my fault. Elder Lin is right. We have initially achieved unification of the world, which is a commendable achievement. Let's put aside these headaches for now and focus on enjoying the flowers and applause."
After Xu Zhenying's words, cheers immediately broke out from the crowd.
Liu Dazhuang, Zhao Qiaonian, and the others who were riding with the team were also very excited. Zhao Qiaonian even rode over and asked, "Your Highness, how about we have a celebration banquet tonight? Can we drink?"
Liu Dazhuang immediately said, "At this critical moment, we must remain vigilant. We can eat, but we should hold off on drinking. After all, Zhou Mian still has remnants of power that have not been eliminated, and not all civil and military officials have returned to their faith. The road ahead is long and arduous."
Xu Zhenying, however, relaxed: "Limit the amount, just a few drinks. People in key positions are still prohibited from drinking."
An even louder cheer immediately erupted from the crowd.
"That's right. On the wedding night, when your name is on the list of successful candidates, you should enjoy the good times in life to the fullest!" Old Lin shouted, and everyone agreed. This team finally had the joy and excitement of a victorious army.
Elder Lin turned around and said, "Your Highness, we entered through the South Gate and deliberately bypassed the civil and military officials to greet us. Isn't that a bit too willful?"
Xu Zhenying smiled, "I asked Ming Xiaoshuang to go on my behalf. He's been so bored these past few days, I want him to get some publicity."
"Hey, someone is coming!" Someone in the team shouted. Everyone looked out and found that a team of nearly a hundred people were riding horses and galloping towards them.
Qian Zhenniang shouted with joy: "Feng'er! Feng'er——"
"Sister Zhenniang!"
Qian Zhenniang couldn't wait to jump off the carriage. The two ran towards each other and then hugged each other tightly.
Xu Zhenying also waved at Xu Huiming and said with a smile, "Brother, long time no see!"
Xu Huiming was also filled with excitement. He looked at the fully grown girl before him, feeling a mixture of emotions. The word "sister" nearly came to his lips, but he managed to hold it back and instead said respectfully, "Your Highness."
From then on, there was only the empress, and no younger sister.
Members of the royal family should observe etiquette even more strictly.
What's more, he is a man, and his identity is easy to arouse suspicion.
Xu Zhenying looked Xu Huiming up and down for a long time before saying, "Brother has become thinner and darker. You and Feng'er have worked hard traveling outside these years."
"It's all my responsibility. Are my parents okay? When will they arrive in Beijing?"
"All good, all good. Mei Xiao is almost graduating from the intermediate class and is preparing for the civil servant examination, but she's not yet at the required age. So I'm asking her to read more, whether it's Jinzhou Prefecture textbooks or books from the Great Zhou Dynasty. I'm also planning to let her travel and study to broaden her horizons. My parents are both in Jinzhou Prefecture. They've retired early and spend their days playing with cats and dogs, but they've always missed you. I've sent them a letter, and they'll be leaving Jinzhou Prefecture soon. According to the distance, they should arrive in about a month."
Feng Er and Zhen Niang hadn't seen each other for several years, so naturally they had a lot to talk about. However, because there were other people present, they only exchanged a few words. Feng Er couldn't wait to walk up to Xu Zhenying. Seeing Xu Zhenying, her eyes reddened, "Your Highness——"
Xu Zhenying touched her head through the green curtain and said, "Good girl, I'm sorry for putting you through this."
Feng Er shook her head, "Feng Er is not wronged."
"I was terrified reading your military report. You were so bold that you dared to launch a coup alone in the imperial palace. Thanks to you, a bloody war was avoided. Feng'er, not only me, but every soldier in Jinzhou Prefecture is grateful to you. You and your brother should be credited with the greatest merit in this Northern Expedition!"
Feng'er blushed slightly. Minister Xu, who had been domineering in Bianjing City for several days, was as shy as a young girl when he saw Xu Zhenying.
"It was all I had to do. I had no other thoughts at the time. I just thought that we had come this far and were only one step away from success. There was no way I was going to retreat. Even if I had to die in Bianjing City, I would find a way to get His Highness into the city."
"Don't take such a risk next time. You are obviously more valuable than a few cities."
At this moment, Xu Zhenying seemed to see the dozen people standing behind Feng'er. The leader, General Bai, had already noticed Xu Zhenying. There was no doubt that the person in the carriage with green curtains must be His Royal Highness Prince Zhao.
General Bai has seen countless people, so he naturally has a pair of sharp eyes and can tell at a glance who is the leader of this team.
Although he knew that His Royal Highness Prince Zhao was young, he still couldn't hide his shock when he saw that young face.
Too young.
She was a very young woman, with skin that wasn't very fair, but very healthy. One could tell at a glance that she must have been out and about all year round. She had two shallow dimples on her lips, and although she was always smiling, she gave off an inexplicable sense of majesty, making people afraid to approach.
Especially those eyes, which were majestic without being angry, dark as the sea, and rich and restrained.
Is this the big shot in Jinzhou Prefecture?
It's really not easy.
Seeing Xu Zhenying looking over, General Bai and the officials behind him all bowed and said, "Greetings to His Majesty Prince Zhao."
Xu Huiming said, "Your Highness, these are the people who helped us during the palace coup that day. They were the first group to move towards Jinzhou Prefecture. This is General Bai."
Xu Zhenying couldn't help but look at General Bai again.
Xu Zhenying didn't get off the carriage the entire time, giving people a feeling of being superior, but she was surprisingly friendly. "General Bai, General Bai went through the west gate, you two missed it."
General Bai smiled proudly and said, "What's so good about my boy? I came here specially to pick up Your Highness."
"Have all the civil and military officials arrived?"
General Bai paused and could only speak the truth: "Prime Minister Han and the officials from the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Personnel, and the Ministry of War did not show up."
Xu Zhenying nodded, but said nothing more. He simply said to the dozen or so adults, "Thank you for your hard work. I really don't want to hear your hypocritical praises of me, nor do I want to trouble you to rack your brains to flatter me. That's why I chose to quietly enter the city through the South Gate. I didn't expect you to trouble yourself by traveling so far to pick me up."
If they had known that the official atmosphere in Jinzhou Prefecture was direct and rude, now these people finally knew where the source was.
This prince... speaks too directly...
Direct to the point of being embarrassing.
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