Chapter 341 Entering the Imperial Palace
The entry of the large army into the city obviously caused a sensation in the entire city of Bianjing.
I heard early on that people from Jinzhou Prefecture would arrive in the next few days. The news spread among the girls in Bianjing City, saying that Jinzhou Prefecture was full of young talents!
But what excites the girls more is not these young men, but the female soldiers!
There are also twelve female generals!
Before the people from Jinzhou Prefecture arrived, the picture album of the Twelve Female Generals in the city had already sold out. The stories of Xu Yinxi, Zhang Wanjun, and Qiu Ju'niang were all heartbreaking.
Especially Zhang Wanjun, who had only three daughters in her family and had suffered a lot of bullying. She did not hesitate to join the army, daring to be the first in the world, becoming the first batch of female soldiers in Jinzhou Prefecture, and even the first batch of female soldiers in a thousand years of history!
This is really a great honor for the girls!
The women walked out of their homes hand in hand, either going to the second floor, or standing in the shops facing the street, or squeezing into the crowd.
Therefore, as soon as the large army entered the city, all the girls ran out of their homes when they heard the commotion outside. The entire main road was blocked and a small team was needed to clear the way.
Not long after Xu Yinxi approached the city, she noticed that more and more people were coming into the city, surging like a tide, especially women!
However, the second wife of the Xu family, who was sitting in the carriage, heard a "bang bang bang" sound coming from the roof.
Xu Huiming immediately said, "Don't worry, Grandma. It's the women in Bianjing who are throwing flowers at our carriage—"
Grandmother looked out and saw the girls leaning on the railing on the second floor. They were wearing their most beautiful clothes and were dressed up gorgeously. Most of them had flowers in their hands and were competing to throw them into the middle of the road.
Grandmother smiled from ear to ear: "Oh my God, thanks to Sixth Girl, I can enjoy the treatment of a top scholar in this life!"
Miao also poked her head out, looking at those eager smiling faces, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She shook Xu Degui's hand and said with emotion, "Yes, I never thought that I would have the opportunity to return home in glory in this life. The people welcome us like this, which shows that Qingying's ascension to the throne is what the people want—"
The girls upstairs were obviously going crazy with excitement.
Especially the follow-up troops, the heroic appearance of those female soldiers and female doctors aroused uncontrollable screams and cheers in the city of Bianjing.
"Oh my god, is that person in the green gown in the middle of the carriage Qiu Ju Niang?!"
"Yes, yes, it's exactly like the one in the picture album! Oh my goodness, I finally saw the real person... I... I... My grandfather said he would send me to school next month, and in two years I would take the exam to become a female doctor. In the future, I can become a disciple of Dean Qiu—"
"Hurry, hurry, look, isn't that Liu Pan'er?"
"It's her, it's her!"
"Oh my god, look at all that muscle on her body! She could probably beat ten men with one punch!"
"Sisters, if anyone else among the Twelve Female Generals has arrived, keep your eyes open and look. If you see anyone, please call us! We're lucky today, and maybe we'll see all Twelve Female Generals in person!"
"See, see, the girls in Jinzhou are all tall and strong, no wonder they can compete with men. No, the girls in Bianjing City can't fall behind... It's said in the monthly report of Jinzhou Prefecture... Weakness is the aesthetic of a patriarchal society, a kind of deformed beauty. Jinzhou Prefecture advocates that both men and women should be healthy and strong, able to charge, travel long distances, go out to work, and protect themselves and their families-"
"That's right. From ancient times to the present, now is the best time for girls! We should strengthen ourselves! Those of us who want to be soldiers, doctors, or even ladies-in-waiting must all have strong bodies. Why don't the girls in our alley start training from tomorrow... That way, no matter what we want to do, we'll always be one step ahead of others—"
The large army continued to move forward amid the cheers of the people of Bianjing City.
When they arrived at the palace gate, Wang Qiu Shuang and the others naturally led the team.
Although there are many people in this team, it is reasonable to say that resettling these people would be a mess.
But Wang Qiu Shuang showed outstanding organizational skills. She first picked some of her own confidants, and then borrowed some people from the army. She divided them into groups of men and women, and divided them into about a dozen groups.
In this group of men and women, men are needed for physical work, but women are indispensable for meticulous work.
The times were good. Ever since Xu Zhenying entered the city, female soldiers had also been arriving one after another. They were quite different from the girls in Bianjing. They seemed to have no regard for the distinction between men and women. They wore the same clothes and hairstyles as men, and carried swords at their waists like men, allowing them to enter and leave the barracks freely.
At first, people in Bianjing City thought that these girls were just for show, used to decorate the city, but they didn't know that they were actually used for patrol and maintenance!
Not to mention, the people of Bianjing City have now become accustomed to having female soldiers.
Especially the girls, they feel close to the female soldiers when they see them, and they are not afraid like they did when they saw the soldiers in the past. They also like to ask the female soldiers for help when they have any problems.
That's why Wang Qiu Shuang dared to make such a distribution boldly.
These dozen or so groups of people got the reception list early on. According to different specifications, groups like the third branch of the Xu family would not even have a turn as Wang Qiu Shuang, and could only be received by Feng Er, Qian Zhenniang and others.
As for her, she could only reluctantly take charge of receiving new rich families like Lu Fei and Zhou Bo.
Although Jinzhou Prefecture has an open atmosphere and there is less intrigue in the officialdom, there is a strict dividing line between identity, position, and circle no matter where you go.
Relatives like your Highness, such as the main figures of the fourth branch of the Xu family, are naturally the most noble and honorable.
Secondly, there are the ministers of various departments, such as Qian Zhenniang, Feng'er, Fang Xun, Mo Jinchun, Zhao Qiaonian, Ming Xiaoshuang and others, who are considered to be first-class upstarts.
Next in line were people like Zhang Wanjun, Wang Sanniang, Lu Fei, Chang Zizai, etc., who were a little lower in rank, but they were still people that the entire Bianjing city flocked to visit.
Therefore, the most important thing in the entire reception work is who receives these nobles of different levels. The people from Bianjing City must also be people with equivalent official positions to receive them, so as not to humiliate the other party.
Wang Qiu Shuang had only had these wicked thoughts in the harem before, and she never expected that the tricks and ideas in the harem could also be used in the former dynasty.
Therefore, this harem does have something in common with the previous dynasty.
However, everything in Bianjing City had not been sorted out yet, so everyone in the Xu family, including relatives, Qian Zhenniang and Feng'er, stayed directly in the palace.
When Xu Zhenying made the final decision on this matter, Wang Qiu Shuang was terrified. The inner court of the imperial palace has always had a strict hierarchy, and no outsiders except the royal family can stay overnight.
She had thought that this incident would inevitably cause an uproar in the court, and that there would even be a scene where officials from the Ministry of Rites would shout "Rites and music are collapsing" and make bloody protests in the Baohua Hall. However, this time the court was quiet and peaceful, and the officials from the Ministry of Rites seemed to be collectively deaf and blind and did not say a word.
Only then did Wang Qiu Shuang come to her senses.
This is the Xin Dynasty, not the Great Zhou Dynasty.
The emperor of the Zhou Dynasty might be manipulated by the civil and military officials, but how many people could withstand the methods and combined punches of His Majesty King Zhao?
Over the past month, many officials in Bianjing City have been persuaded to resign. In addition, with the recent assessment results about to come out, all the officials are trying their best to show themselves.
Not to mention that the large group of people from Jinzhou Prefecture are coming with great momentum, and none of them are easy to deal with. They are all waiting for the old officials in Bianjing City to make mistakes and be kicked out, so that they can make room for them.
The old ministers are so busy every day that they don’t have time to care about etiquette.
Therefore, when a bunch of outsiders moved into the palace this time, the court officials all chose to remain silent in tacit understanding.
The Xu family was led by the palace maids as they walked and looked around, taking in the scenery along the main route in a cursory manner.
Although my grandmother was old and had been traveling all the way, she was in high spirits at the moment. It was not enough for her to just walk along the main corridor, she even pulled the palace maid who was leading the way and asked her to take her for a good tour around the palace.
Grandmother clutched her chest, her face flushed, her eyes flickering. "Oh, my life has been worth it! I even live in the imperial palace! Girl, do you know that this is all thanks to our sixth girl?"
The palace maid was trembling with fear at first, thinking that all the members of the Xu family had made their fortunes by rebelling, and she was afraid that they were either rude in their words and deeds, or were used to being local tyrants and had arrogant and domineering personalities.
Unexpectedly, all the Xu family members had kind faces and spoke politely. Even though the future royal grandmother spoke in a loud voice, she was surprisingly kind and easy to get along with.
Especially since the grandmother started asking them all kinds of questions right from the start, she felt sorry for them for being sold into the palace at such a young age, and even said that she would send them all back home.
Gradually, the palace maids were no longer afraid of them, but instead worked more diligently and enthusiastically.
At this moment, the grandmother took the little palace maid's hand and told the story of Xu Zhenying's exile, which made the palace maids stunned.
Miao was helpless. "Oh, Mom is really...she talks about everything wherever she goes! Why does she tell everyone everything?"
Although her tone was somewhat accusatory, Miao's voice was tinged with laughter.
Xu Degui said, "Let mother show off a little. She knows her limits and never says things she shouldn't."
Xu Huiming also smiled and said, "Our Xu family is now soaring high. Grandmother is very happy for His Highness."
Miao hadn't seen Xu Zhenying yet, so she asked Xu Huiming, "Where's your sister?"
"She's in Baohua Hall discussing matters, right? Maybe she'll be here soon?"
Miao tugged at Xu Huiming's sleeve again: "Does she really intend to dismiss all the civil and military officials in Bianjing?"
Xu Huimin gestured for silence and lowered her voice, "Mother, these old ministers aren't very obedient and incompetent, and their doctrines don't suit our national conditions. From what I've observed, His Highness has set such strict standards for the assessment this time, surely intentionally making things difficult for them."
"Aren't you afraid of the old ministers making trouble?"
"A scholar's rebellion will fail in three years. Furthermore, the entire imperial city's military power is now firmly in the hands of His Highness. This is why His Highness targeted the civil officials first but spared the military commanders. Once this period of stability has passed, we can make a decision based on everyone's performance."
Miao covered her chest and said, "Hey, your sister is very sensible. We can't help you with these things. Only you can help your sister."
Xu Huiming smiled bitterly, "Mom, at this time, I absolutely cannot stand out."
"Why is that? You are from the third branch of our Xu family! And you are a son!"
"Mother, our family is no longer what it used to be. His Highness will soon ascend the throne as a woman. Right now, Elder Lin and the other ministers are most wary of me. Firstly, because I'm the third son, and secondly, because I'm a man. My current status is awkward, so it's better to stay still than to move."
Miao's mind suddenly came to her senses, and then her expression changed slightly, as if she had just realized the bitterness behind her son's smile.
yes.
They are no longer the same as they were before!
Now they have replaced the Zhou family and become the masters of this land. Xu Zhenying will become the emperor, and all of them are royal relatives!
This involves the struggle for the throne. No wonder she always felt that Xu Huiming was somewhat marginalized during the reception today.
If you think about it more carefully, there was something fishy about these things from the very beginning.
For example, when he first arrived in Lan County, Xu Zhenying insisted on letting Xu Huiming stay busy on the business road despite the opposition of others.
For example, Xu Huiming has never served in the military.
For example, Xu Huiming is always watched by Feng'er, who is loyal to Xu Zhenying.
For example, Xu Huiming was never able to gain a foothold in Jinzhou Prefecture, and he gradually drifted away from the veterans of the Xu family's political team and became unclose.
For example, Xu Huiming’s confidants are always limited to the one or two hundred people around him.
This time Miao figured out what was going on. It turned out that she and Xu Degui were still thinking about the deep brotherly love between Xu Zhenying and Xu Huiming, but Xu Zhenying had been on guard against Xu Huiming early on!
Miao suddenly felt a chill on her back.
Even though this was her own daughter, even though she knew that this daughter came from another world, Miao couldn't help but feel cold all over.
Yes, how could she forget that Xu Zhenying is the emperor now!
She could no longer simply regard Xu Zhenying as her own daughter!
The most ruthless is the imperial family——
She nervously tugged at Xu Huiming, her chest heaving. "Son, you're right. It's better to be still than to move. Just find a reason to resign from your duties and become an ordinary, idle prince. You don't know how miserable Jiang Yongkang's fate was. He went from being a general to a commoner, but at least he managed to save his life. Your sister is a loyal person, but she's also ruthless. Since Old Lin and the others have already had a grudge against you, they can only let you down... Son, don't go against your sister. It's been tough for her these past few years."
Xu Huiming listened to Miao's somewhat confusing words and smiled, "Mother, what are you thinking about? I am naturally loyal to His Highness, and I have long since let these things go. Mother, that position is not something that ordinary people can hold. His Highness's intelligence, talent, and methods are far superior to mine, and I have never even considered it. It's just that I have no intention of being a thief, but I always feel that I am being targeted as a thief. It really feels a bit unfair."
Miao patted his back and said, "You're a smart child. It's good that you've learned to let go of things early. Don't worry, as long as your mother is here, she will never let you suffer any injustice."
The mother and son were speechless for a moment.
It was Miao who broke the silence first. "My son has been out for many years. He's twenty-two now. Has he ever taken a fancy to any girl out there?"
Miao smiled and said, "When your father was your age, you were already born."
Xu Huiming subconsciously flashed through the mind of that familiar figure, and then he couldn't help but recall the determination and calmness on Feng'er's face that night.
My heart suddenly ached.
Then he smiled bitterly, "Mom, what happened back then with Dad? It's completely different now. Look at the younger generations of our Xu family, except for Lezhi, Anping, and the two cousins from the first house, the others haven't started families yet. Don't worry, Mom. Your son is still young. Wait until things in Bianjing City are sorted out in the next one or two years, and until the wars in the east and west have completely subsided, then I'll ask you to help me find a marriage."
Seeing that her son couldn't be persuaded, Miao knew that he was stubborn, so she gave up and sighed, "You two, brother and sister, are really more stubborn than each other. Well, you two are both independent-minded, and now is a good time to start a career. As a mother, I won't be in a hurry. But if you find a girl you like, please tell me!"
Xu Huiming had no choice but to agree.
Unfortunately, the girl he liked didn't like him.
The entire team of tens of thousands of people was quickly settled under the organization of Wang Qiu Shuang.
As for the Lian family, they did not move into the house bought by the Lian family.
Firstly, they had never lived in a palace, so naturally they could not help but feel a little uncomfortable. They thought of staying there for a few days so that their descendants could talk about it in the future.
Secondly, most of the core members live in the palace. If His Royal Highness Prince Zhao suddenly wants to call everyone to a meeting, they can walk faster.
The originally deserted palace was suddenly filled with people from Jinzhou Prefecture and became as lively as a vegetable market.
All the palace maids and eunuchs were requisitioned. According to the pre-assigned palaces and lists, the palace maids and eunuchs wore clothes of uniform color, and even used local materials. They tied red silk on their wrists to show their identity and prevent being mistaken for someone else.
These palace maids and eunuchs all turned into waiters, working busy and orderly.
Although the imperial palace had held large banquets in the past, where they entertained civil and military officials, an event like this, hosting tens of thousands of people and borrowing servants from various palaces, would undoubtedly test the organizer's coordination and communication skills.
Wang Qiu Shuang had never held such a large-scale event. Although she had no official rank now and was temporarily acting as Feng Er's secretary, she had one foot in the officialdom after all, so she had to make up her mind to do a good job in today's reception.
She could only shamelessly ask Empress Yuan Chun for advice.
Although Empress Yuan Chun also came from a small family, she had experienced countless banquets during Zhou Zhong's reign. In addition, the people from Jinzhou Prefecture entered the palace and made it very lively, which made her feel a little uncomfortable.
Wang Qiu Shuang came to ask her for advice, but she was busy with other things and had no time to dwell on trivial matters.
Empress Yuan Chun even used the excuse of this reception to find out the identities of the various gods who came from Jinzhou Prefecture.
When the night was quiet, Empress Yuan Chun couldn't help but sigh. No wonder Xu Zhenying was so popular. Look at the people under her. Not only are they all young and energetic, but nearly 40% of them are women.
These girls were either doctors, generals, or female officials. They were all heroic, generous, confident, and lived a brilliant life. The arrival of the girls from Jinzhou Prefecture even made the oppressive atmosphere of the entire Bianjing city become fresh.
It is no wonder that Xu Zhenying vigorously promotes women to go out and work.
Only when women have a say can more people support her regime.
After all, as long as Xu Zhenying is in power, half of the people in the world, that is, the girls, will definitely loyally support her regime and be devoted to her.
Because only by following Xu Zhenying can the girls survive.
It was not until this moment that Yuan Chun realized how completely the Zhou family had lost.
She also vaguely understood in her heart that when Xu Zhenying gave her two choices, she was being a little mean-spirited.
Xu Zhenying is indeed an upright person.
She was indeed a wise and benevolent monarch who had never appeared in history.
Empress Yuan Chun's busy work made her forget all the fears she had felt in the past few days, and she became much more cheerful.
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