The empress still needs to consider and weigh the pros and cons as to how to bestow rewards, so this matter will be put aside for now and discussed later.
What followed were complicated political and military affairs. The atmosphere in the court did not remain happy and optimistic for too long because Li Yi was executed and Xu Zhengye retreated to Jiangning.
Judging from the memorials submitted from various places, the current situation has become increasingly worse.
Although there has not been another disaster as serious as Xu Zhengye for the time being, a thousand-mile dam can be breached by a single ant hole, and the inside of this "dam" is no longer solid and strong, especially after the saint extended his knife to the Pei family, the Changsun family and other aristocratic families.
The backlash from these measures has begun to surface.
People's hearts are shaken, government orders are obstructed...voices of condemnation are endless.
The empress made many countermeasures. She was cautious and diligent, but in this caution she began to become more and more suspicious.
She had to be suspicious.
When Wei Shuyi returned to Beijing yesterday, he told her the inside story that "Li Yi was plotting a rebellion, and someone had sent him a letter to warn him and instigate him. The letter stated clearly that the emperor wanted to replace Li Yi with He Wei as the new commander, so Li Yi was able to set up a trap to kill him in advance."
And Chang Suining's suspicion of Prince Rong's Mansion.
Regardless of whether the mastermind behind this incident is Prince Rong's Mansion, it can be concluded that there is a traitor around her.
When the grain and grass being transported to Shouzhou were robbed by Xu's rebel army, the empress became suspicious, suspecting that someone had leaked the route of the grain and grass transportation.
She tried to investigate and replaced a group of people, but now it seems...she still hasn't been able to find the real suspicious person.
So, she has to continue investigating and searching.
At this moment, the empress looked at the civil and military officials in the court, listened to the divergent voices, and gradually felt that there were few people who could be truly trusted.
The dragon throne she sat on seemed high and mighty, majestic and inviolable, but it was like being placed on ice, on the edge of a cliff. She held the imperial power in her hands, but was also driven by this power. She dared not be careless and did not dare to give real trust to anyone.
This was the supreme power that she was willing to exchange everything she had for, but later she gradually realized that it was more difficult to keep it for a long time than to obtain it.
Because there were too many things to do and the disagreements were too mixed, this morning court session lasted until almost noon, and this has been the norm for the past few months.
Even so, the Emperor of the Holy Ce still summoned all the ministers to the Ganlu Palace to continue discussing matters.
Yao Yi was not kept as there were still many official duties in the Dali Temple that needed him to take care of.
He followed many officials out of the hall and saw that most of them had tired looks on their faces.
Master Chu was of course very tired at his age. At this moment, two civil servants were supporting the old master on his left and right, and there were several other officials accompanying him, caring about his health.
Most of these were disciples of Master Chu, and they all called him Teacher.
"...Teacher, why did you have to argue and get angry with those people over the reward of a girl?"
"Yes, teacher. I am here for you..."
"The spring exam is coming up, and the teacher is already very worried. Why get angry over such a small matter? It's not worth it if you get sick from anger."
"It's OK to confer the title of county lady on a girl from another family. A county lady also has a rank and salary, which can be considered a generous reward..."
Upon hearing this, Master Chu's face darkened, and he shook off the official's support, saying unhappily: "Since being a county lady is so good, then you should take off your official uniform, put on a skirt, and accept this generous reward. When my Dasheng needs a marriage alliance again in the future, remember to be the first one to receive it and kowtow to thank the emperor for his great grace!"
"..." The official was stunned. He opened his mouth and smiled apologetically, "I am a Jinshi, so I should use my talents to serve the country..."
Master Chu was still furious: "Do you know that being a county lady is a humiliation? Is it a waste of talent? You are the only one who can serve the country? Why can't a girl serve the country? She can fight in battles and protect the people of the state. Why don't you kill one and see!"
The official's face flushed red, and he immediately bowed his hands to apologize: "Teacher, please calm down... I was the one who made the mistake."
Those officials who had been scolded by Master Chu in the court, passing by here and seeing this scene, suddenly felt much more balanced.
Although the old tutor had a sharp tongue, he scolded everyone equally.
Master Chu also pushed away the other disciple who was supporting him.
The official looked confused and didn't dare to say a word.
"...Not a single word is pleasing to the ear! It's annoying to hear! Don't follow me!"
Master Chu walked away, leaving a group of students staring at each other in bewilderment, and finally they could only sigh.
A group of people walked together, and the official who had just been scolded said, "The teacher seems to be in a particularly bad mood today... Why do the two words 'County Master' bother the teacher so much?"
He thought about it carefully. The teacher suddenly went crazy in the court today... no, he spoke because he heard the words that the girl from the Chang family would be named the county lady.
Although I don't quite understand the reason, it seems that the word "County Princess" is the key word that triggers the teacher to curse, and it must never be mentioned in the future.
An official said, "The teacher has always valued talent, and I think he truly recognized the talent of this girl from the Chang family... Don't you know that the teacher goes to Dengtai Tower every ten days to see the painting of a tiger walking in the forest?"
"Speaking of which, this girl from the Chang family is indeed extraordinary. She is famous in the capital for her literary talent, and she is also good at fighting and beheading bandit leaders on the battlefield..." Someone sighed, "She is indeed an extraordinary talent."
The official who had been silent just now seemed to suddenly understand something after hearing this.
He suddenly sighed: "There was once such a talented person..."
Everyone looked at him, not knowing who he was talking about.
The official sighed again: "Your Highness, the former Crown Prince."
That's the teacher's favorite student.
Perhaps the teacher is missing his students.
The teacher is old and has a quick temper. Even if he misses you, he won’t say it, but will just vent his anger.
"Your Highness, the late Crown Prince..." Several officials sighed, "God is jealous of great talents..."
If the Crown Prince had not died early and had legitimately inherited the throne, how could the current situation be like this? The Grand Tutor loved talents, but he was very picky. Many talented people were mediocre in his eyes. His love for talents, which had nowhere to go, was all given to that student.
The more love you have, the more unwilling you are.
From then on, the Grand Tutor's temperament became more and more erratic.
…
"…You are willing to be a puppet for others and die in vain. All the books you read have gone into a dog's stomach! It's all in vain!"
Sitting on the official sedan chair, the moody Tutor Chu suddenly cursed inside the sedan chair.
No one responded to him.
But if she were there, she would definitely retort shamelessly and seriously - Yes, I am a dog student and you are a dog teacher.
He can still imagine how annoying the student looked when he talked back.
He would definitely hit her with a book, and she would definitely hide. If she couldn't hide, she would pull his beard when he was asleep next time, and even said she would catch lice for him and fix his appearance... What kind of lice would grow in a beard! The sedan was very quiet. Master Chu's old figure was thin and straight. He tilted his head slightly, his vision gradually blurred, and he was still cursing, but his voice was hoarse: "I taught you in vain..."
If you can't even take care of him in his old age, what kind of student are you! ...
The official sedan chair sent Master Chu back to the Ministry of Rites, but he didn't stay there for long before he came out again.
It’s not about leaving early, but about asking for leave.
The reasons for asking for leave are well known to everyone - after arguing with others in the morning until exhausted, feeling dizzy and having a sore throat, one needs to go home and rest.
However, when the official sedan was halfway there, the old tutor suddenly changed his mind and did not return home, but went to Dengtai Tower.
Dengtai Tower was unusually lively. Tutor Chu asked someone and found out that it was the students of the Imperial College who were having a party. Cui Liulang was the host and was telling a story about the girl from the Chang family who had killed the enemy.
I also heard that many other scholars were there, such as Mr. Song, Mr. Tan...
Master Chu had no choice but to wave his hands in annoyance and have the curtain of the sedan lowered: "Return home!"
The Spring Examination was about to begin. As the chief examiner, if he got together with these successful candidates, he would be in trouble if someone with ulterior motives used him to write articles.
He is not afraid of trouble, but these scholars cannot afford it.
The same goes for the Imperial College. It’s just the New Year, and the officials haven’t had their holiday yet. The students should study harder, so why take a holiday?
He couldn't even read the paintings! Thinking of this, and thinking of the girl who didn't draw a single picture for him in the end, he felt depressed again.
"You are not trustworthy!" Master Chu blurted out, "They are exactly the same!"
After he finished speaking, he was suddenly stunned.
They are all the same, breaking their promises.
The painting is similar, and the personality is more and more similar the more I look at it.
Nowadays, even going to the battlefield to kill the enemy is...
"How can they be so similar..." Master Chu muttered absentmindedly, "It's really strange."
…
In just a few days, the Chang family girl's achievement had been confirmed by the imperial court, and the news became even more sensational.
As New Year's Eve was approaching, the imperial court wanted to calm the people's hearts, so it tacitly allowed the rumor that "a new general was coming to the world" to spread among the people.
On this day, the Grand Tutor was taking a rest at home. He heard that his children and grandchildren were going to burn incense and pray for blessings, asking the gods and Buddhas to bless them with peace in the coming year and for the war to end soon, and they invited him to go with them.
Master Chu frowned and said, "No, no."
What's the point of praying to God for such a thing? Since the gods see all beings as equal, why would they favor one person over another? The gods don't care whether there is war or not.
The only ones who can save the world are people on earth, not people in heaven.
There must be some foolish people in the world who would rather sacrifice themselves than save the world from the tiger's mouth or from the water and fire again and again.
A younger generation boldly advised: "Grandpa, it's the New Year, just treat it as a good omen..."
Master Chu was about to say "no" again, but when the words came to his lips, a nightmare from last night suddenly flashed through his mind.
Perhaps he was thinking about something every day, but these few days, he would always dream about the dangerous scene of that girl on the battlefield...
Seeing him frown, the younger generation laughed dryly and did not dare to persuade him anymore: "Since grandfather does not want to go out, then..."
"Who said I don't want to go out?" Master Chu glared at him and said, "Let's go."
The young man was stunned for a moment... He actually persuaded his grandfather? This miraculous event must be recorded in the family history! ...
The Chu family went to Dayun Temple.
Master Chu and his family burned incense in the main hall, then went alone to find Wu Jue to discuss Buddhism with him.
But before they could talk about Buddhism, as soon as the two met, Master Chu saw the monk and said with a smile: "You are finally here. There is something I have been waiting for you for a long time."
When Master Chu was puzzled, Wu Jue turned around, took out a painting box, handed it to him, and explained that this was what Chang Suining had instructed him to do when he left Beijing.
Master Chu's eyelids jumped, and he almost cursed: "...Why did you give it to me now?"
This person was his student's former aide. According to seniority and qualifications, he could just slap the other person on the head!
Wu Jue said innocently: "I am a poor monk who has been entrusted with a task, and I must be loyal to the person who entrusted me with it... At the beginning, I thought that I would pass it on when the Grand Tutor came to burn incense..."
Master Chu: "What if I never come to burn incense in my lifetime?"
Facing the old master's anger, Wu Jue was not panicked at all, and even had a mysterious look on his face: "Aren't you here? This is the guidance of opportunity."
After hearing this, Master Chu stopped arguing and left angrily holding the painting.
Wu Jue breathed a sigh of relief.
He admitted that he was a forgetful person... It was only when he met the old man just now that he suddenly remembered the painting.
Fortunately, there is the mysterious Buddhist Dharma to protect him and open his wisdom. It is truly Amitabha.
Wu Jue chanted a Buddhist prayer, clasped his hands together, faced the half-open window, looked towards the south, and prayed in a low voice: "May the gods and Buddhas protect Your Highness and put an end to the chaos as soon as possible."
He never felt jealous that Qiao Yang's family received the letter from His Highness.
You must know that only those who don't know the truth need your Highness's letter to explain, and he and your Highness are close friends, they have a tacit understanding, what other letters do they need? ...
As soon as Master Chu got on the carriage back home, he couldn't wait to open the painting box.
He unfolded the painting, but when it was only halfway unfolded, he suddenly paused.
Then, the old man unfolded the painting even faster, and soon the painting appeared before his eyes exactly as it was.
It is a picture of secluded mountains, bamboos and rocks.
When he went to Dengtai Tower to ask for a painting that day, he said that he wanted a painting with bamboo and rocks to hang on the head of his bed to relax his mind.
Firstly, he loved bamboo and stone very much, and secondly...his student was best at painting plum, orchid, bamboo and stone, and his personal style was very distinctive.
At that time, he saw that the tiger painting by the girl was so similar to his student, so he subconsciously wanted to see if the girl also painted bamboo and rocks, how similar would they be? Now, he finally saw it.
Master Chu opened his eyes wide in disbelief, and his hand holding the scroll trembled slightly.
How could this be?
He began to frantically examine the painting and the details in it, trying to determine whether it was possible to copy it.
After a long while, there was no result.
A huge amount of doubt and confusion filled his chest, and his ears were buzzing, making him feel panicked and confused for no reason.
The old man suddenly opened the heavy winter curtains and shouted, "Stop!"
A cold wind blew outside the car, mixed with snow particles that had just started to fall.
The driver hurriedly reined in his horse and asked, "Master?"
Seeing this, several other carriages also stopped, and the younger generations of the Chu family got off and surrounded them.
"Grandfather, what's wrong with you?"
"Father, are you feeling unwell?"
Looking at those pairs of nervous eyes, it took Master Chu a long time to regain a sense of reality, but he looked through them to the distant south.
"I'm fine..." He explained to his children and grandchildren, then lowered the curtains and said, "Let's continue on our journey."
He sat back and picked up the painting again. His fingertips were clearly cold, but the painting in his hands felt extremely hot.
He has never believed in ghosts and gods. If others mentioned them to him, he would certainly sneer and feel disdainful and annoyed.
But at this moment, he suddenly prayed that ghosts and gods existed in this world.
Even if this was enough to cause the entire path he had followed throughout his life to completely collapse, he was willing to pray for it, hoping that the gods and ghosts in heaven would be able to open their eyes… He would kneel and kowtow to whoever could return his students to him!
If only his students could be returned to him! …
The snow in the capital stopped and then fell again until New Year's Eve.
The snow in the north has stopped, but the snow and ice are still piled up everywhere.
In this icy and snowy world, there was a man on horseback leading a team back and dismounting outside the Anbei Protectorate.
"The Grand Admiral is back!"
Following the announcement, personal soldiers and officials came one after another to welcome the young man who had been away for half a month to personally inspect the defenses in various places.
Accompanied by everyone, the young man walked towards the Protectorate and asked, "Has there been any news from the south?"
This was the first sentence he spoke after he dismounted.
Spare me, my preview went wrong! Xiao Cui didn't have time to read the letter... This chapter should be the Taifu looking at the painting, Xiao Cui asking about the letter! The protagonists recently are Taifu and his friends, tomorrow we will switch back to Ningning's military camp for the New Year (I will definitely not go wrong this time!)
In order to make up for the mistake in the preview, I recommend a book of ancient Chinese novels written by a friend, "Gui Men Rong Xu" by Qin Xi. Although it is an ancient Chinese novel, the heroine is independent and sober, and the number of words is sufficient. If you like it, you can go and buy it (づ￣3￣)づ╭
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