Chapter 226: Phoenix Seal as Engagement
Yan Jiu said meaningfully: "If your majesty does this, people in the world will think that Yan is deeply trusted by your majesty."
Gu Changxiao put down the wine cup, looked at the snow outside the palace, and said in a deep voice: "So what?"
Yan Jiu raised his eyebrows and said, "Don't forget that you once spread the rumor that you were 'inhumane' and you have been suppressing the memorials from all officials to forbid the mention of taking a concubine."
But you kept me in the palace late at night and asked me to go back to the border town with you... You are not afraid of rumors spreading, but I am!
But this was just a joke. Yan Jiu knew very well why Gu Changxiao insisted on taking him away.
He doesn't trust himself.
He was worried that he would have close contact with Miss Ling if he was left in the border town, so he specially ordered himself to go to Chang'an to attend the coronation ceremony.
If he stayed in Chang'an, he was worried that he would secretly win over those powerful people. With his help, even with Han Xing here, he could still split the world! So Gu Changxiao wanted to take him back to the border city. He was afraid that he would not be allowed to leave Yanzhou City for many years to come. Those who His Majesty was worried about had been killed or dismissed.
The only person he had no reason to kill was the head of the Yan family, himself, who had made great contributions to the emperor in the eyes of the people of the world. He would not kill him, but he was still worried.
Yan Jiu picked up the wine cup and looked up at the gray night sky. There were no stars or moon, and it was lonely, just like his heart.
Who in the world could have imagined that the emperor, who was both talented in literature and military strategy, and he, the head of a centuries-old aristocratic family, both had their destinies changed because of a woman.
Miss Ling, I don't even have the qualifications to call you 'Sui Sui', but His Majesty regards me as a powerful enemy.
But it’s okay this way. As long as I exist, as long as Your Majesty is afraid of me, then Your Majesty will cherish you even more.
Miss Ling, do you know how much I regret? I regret that trip to Northern Xinjiang. I had so many opportunities to express my feelings to you, but I didn't do it.
What I regret even more is that night at the Northern Frontier Royal Court, Your Majesty climbed up the mountain wall of the shrine, while I could only watch from the bottom of the mountain.
If I also climb up, will I still have a chance to win your heart? Looking at the cup, Yan Jiu smiled. Since he became the head of the family, he has not drunk a drop of wine, only tea.
But now he felt that he would drink regularly for the rest of his life. Only the drunken and euphoric feeling could help him get out of his regret.
With a "clang", the wine cup in Yan Jiu's hand fell to the ground. He had already fallen asleep, leaning lazily against the pillar.
Gu Changxiao's mouth twitched slightly, with a look of contempt. He had heard that Yan Jiulang only drank tea and not alcohol. It turned out that he fell unconscious after just one glass!
He even falls down after having a drink with me. How embarrassing.
Gu Changxiao took off his cloak and threw it over him to cover him. If he got sick from a cold, it would be a good excuse for him not to go with him.
It was not until Gu Changxiao had finished drinking that he called the palace servants over: "Help Master Yan go down to rest."
The palace servants looked at Yan Jiulang covered in the dragon robe, and they were shocked, afraid, and envious. The head of the Yan family was really the only one who was favored by His Majesty!
Even if he gets drunk in front of His Majesty, he will not be scolded for being impolite in the palace, and His Majesty will personally cover him with a dragon robe.
There is no one else in the world who can share such a kind of love with you!
Think about all the powerful people that Your Majesty killed after he ascended the throne. If they saw this scene, they would surely be so jealous that their eyes would turn red.
It turns out that His Majesty is not a cold-blooded tyrant who has no sympathy for his subjects. It's just that his favorite subjects are General Han and the head of the Yan family.
If Yan Jiu knew that he would be criticized by the palace people about his relationship with Gu Changxiao, and that this matter would most likely spread throughout the world, because as long as the emperor does not order to keep it secret, anything he does will easily be spread.
Think about how Emperor Wu of Han scratched his head with Lady Li’s hairpin, and from then on, people all over the world loved to wear jade hairpins.
If word got out that His Majesty put on a dragon robe to keep the drunk Yan family warm late at night, Yan Jiu would probably regret it to bits and would never drink again in his life.
I wonder what Miss Ling from the border town would think when she heard this rumor?
Of course Jin Sui would laugh wildly, and even secretly write short stories about emperors and powerful officials for evil fun, hehehe...
Three days later, Gu Changxiao officially set out to return to the border town. Er, the history books say it is called the City of Infinite Strength. This shows that one must be careful when naming.
The reason why it was three days later was because Yan Jiu strongly requested it, and he had a firm attitude that he would not leave unless Your Majesty agreed.
Because three days later was Twelve Niang's return home day, he didn't want his sister to return to the Yan family without a master. It was said that it was unlucky and the bride would be bullied by her in-laws.
Gu Changxiao wanted to say, who in Han Xing's family could bully Twelve Mother? Ever since your sister met Han Xing, she has had a minor tic every three days and a major tic every five days.
It's strange that Han Xing actually fell in love with the woman who once beat him!
Well, he could fall in love with a woman who once disguised herself as a man, stripped off his clothes, took his badge, and pretended to be himself to do so many sensational things... Well, it was normal for Han Xing to fall in love with Twelve Niang.
Gu Changxiao used these three days to hold a sacrifice at the imperial mausoleum and officially announced the relocation of the capital. Some dignitaries stayed in Chang'an to guard the imperial mausoleum.
But most of them had to move their capitals to border towns. Chang'an served as the capital for a thousand years, the center of culture, commerce, strategy, and politics, with an outskirts of Chang'an that was hundreds of miles away.
Every inch of this thick land is soaked with the blood of soldiers and civilians, and also flows with the rouge fragrance of palace ladies, the sweat of Guanzhong men, and the tears of Guanzhong women...
This was once the dream capital of people all over the world, but due to an invasion by the Hu people and a war to suppress the legitimate heir, it withdrew from the historical stage of the Han Dynasty.
Gu Changxiao also gave the remaining dignitaries an important task. This task was requested by Jinsui. Although he did not understand the deep meaning, he knew that the requests made by Jinsui were always correct.
So the order from Gu Changxiao was very important, that is, to plant trees. That's right, when the dignitaries who stayed behind heard this order, they were all stunned.
Planting trees? What is this? Your Majesty is moving the capital, but you want us to plant trees in Chang'an?
Is this a humiliation to us? Gu Changxiao felt that they would not understand even if he explained it clearly, so he asked the Imperial Observatory to explain it.
Because of the large-scale construction projects in successive dynasties, the ancient trees in the Qinling Mountains have become increasingly scarce, the green plants have decreased, the Yellow River has become increasingly desertified, and the land has become increasingly barren. If this continues, Guanzhong will sooner or later become like the area outside Yumen Pass, with fewer arable fields and more frequent natural disasters...
As expected, the powerful and wealthy didn’t understand and still felt that Your Majesty was humiliating them.
What about the serious desertification of the Yellow River? The land has become barren? The excessive felling of ancient trees? What does it have to do with us? Until the Imperial Astronomical Observatory summarized it in another way: "The feng shui of Chang'an was destroyed by the invasion of the Hu people. Only by planting more trees can the feng shui be restored and the Great Xia Dynasty continue."
Well, now it's much easier to understand. It's a place with beautiful scenery, so we should plant trees!
The powerful and nobles now not only did not think that Your Majesty was humiliating them, but were very pleased. Your Majesty attached importance to the Imperial Observatory, which meant that he respected the will of heaven, and that was good!
I am really afraid that Your Majesty will become a tyrant who does not believe in God, and their lives will become even more difficult in the future.
After Jinsui of Border Town learned about this, he quietly left a note in his diary, "Friends in the future, I started to plant more trees to prevent desertification a thousand years in advance!" The return banquet for Twelve Niang and Han Xing should have been a lunch or dinner, but the Yan family held a breakfast banquet because they were going to set off with His Majesty at noon.
Twelve Niang's eyes were filled with tears. The last time she left home was to go to the northern border, but the situation was different. After getting married, the home where she had lived for more than ten years became her parents' home.
She said to Yan Jiulang reluctantly: "Brother, you must come to Chang'an to see me more often."
Yan Jiu didn't touch her head like he used to. His sister's hair was now tied up like a woman's, and it would be impossible for him to touch her head like he did when they were little.
He just hummed softly: "After the New Year, I will ask your second brother to come and see you."
The implication is that he cannot come. Judging from the look on His Majesty's face, it is impossible for him to agree to come to Chang'an.
He looked at Han Xing and said nothing, but Han Xing understood and immediately said, "Don't worry, big brother. I will protect Twelve Lady and will never let her suffer any grievances."
Yan Jiu motioned Han Xing to follow him to the study, and took out a key and gave it to him: "This is the key to the entrance of the Yan family's tunnel. If necessary, send Twelve Lady in."
Twelve Niang might not have felt it, but Han Xing and Yan Jiu both understood what His Majesty would face if he went to the border town and stayed in Chang'an.
Those powerful and wealthy people who are ready to make moves, those nobles who are unwilling to give in, and since Your Majesty has spared the life of Prince Yu's son, they will definitely cause trouble secretly.
It's funny to say that, looking through history books, the more powerful the dynasty, the more likely it is to have treason and rebellion.
This is because when the dynasty is powerful, the nobles, gentry, and powerful people will also be powerful. When they become powerful enough, they will turn their eyes to the dragon throne, feeling that they are also qualified to sit on it.
Just like the princes in the Han Dynasty loved to rebel, and the sons-in-law in the Tang Dynasty loved to plot treason...
To be honest, your vision is too narrow. Why do you always focus on the inside? Look outside! If you use the military force of the rebellion to expand our territory, our territory can be even larger.
Han Xing, Shi Er Niang and Yan Jiu went to see Gu Changxiao together. The first two of them, together with the dignitaries and officials of Chang'an, saw His Majesty off.
Gu Changxiao looked at their faces, and the more he looked, the more he felt that the corners of their mouths were forced to suppress their smiles.
He sneered in his heart, humph, are you just looking forward to my leaving? Wait, if you can't do your job well, I can still issue a killing order in the border town! He told Han Xing: "I will leave Huo Zian to you. With the Tiqi he leads, he will be able to keep a close eye on these people.
Let go, don't be afraid of any trouble. As long as the border is safe and the people are well, I don't care about anything else."
Han Xing hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured. I will definitely protect Chang'an City!"
Gu Changxiao patted his shoulder and said, "I know you are reluctant to leave Border Town. Don't worry, in three years at most, as long as Chang'an is peaceful, I will let you return to Border Town."
Wei Yingniang and Li Linfeng were also left behind. They were taken to live in Hanxing Mansion because little Yingniang had to guard her parents' graves and would go to the border town after the three-year mourning period.
Twelve Niang was very happy. At least her family had two acquaintances in the border town. Although they were still children, they had experienced a lot and had precocious personalities, so they could chat with Twelve Niang.
It was a coincidence that it hadn't snowed in the northern border since Gu Changxiao set out. And Jinsui finally opened up the road between the border town and the sixteen states of Yan, and officially welcomed His Majesty back to the capital.
Although the speed of the forced march was slowed down by the wind and snow, due to the large number of post stations along the way and sufficient preparations, they still arrived at the border town before the New Year.
Yan Jiu almost vomited from riding the horse, and he swore that he would never travel with Gu Changxiao again.
Gu Changxiao left the team transporting supplies far behind, but he asked someone to take a package with him and go to the border town with him.
Yan Jiu was not curious at all about what it was because he could guess.
Jin Sui never guessed that she, Cheng Yu, Li Heng and all the officials were in Yanzhou City to welcome Gu Changxiao.
When she saw there was a bundle on Gu Changxiao's horse, she thought it was an important thing like the imperial seal.
When all the officials knelt to welcome His Majesty, Jin Sui did not kneel, but performed the female etiquette.
Gu Changxiao did something that he had envied Heihu for before, which was to pull his beloved onto the horse's back and gallop away in front of millions of people.
He actually did that.
In front of all the officials, he pulled the dazed Jinsui onto the horse's back and held her tightly.
He said to all the officials: "Stand up and return to the capital!"
And he himself, with Jinsui, galloped forward.
"Where is Taoist Ling?"
Jin Sui said loudly: "In the Taoist temple."
The wind was so strong that she felt a chill when she spoke, so she pulled up her scarf to protect her nose.
"Gu Chang...Your Majesty, what are you going to do?"
Really, I waited in the wind for so long, but this reunion was completely different from what I imagined.
Besides, you have already ascended the throne and become the emperor, why are you acting more frivolously than before? If Liuyun were here, he would say that I led you astray. I swear to God, I am much more stable now.
If you don't believe me, just look: I only cut off one finger among the hundreds of officials sent to the border town.
Soon, Gu Changxiao and his personal guards arrived at the Taoist temple.
Grandpa Ling didn't go to greet the emperor today, and was still wondering when the emperor would arrive? But he came directly to his door.
Grandpa Ling hurriedly called Jin'an and the Taoists to greet Gu Changxiao.
Gu Changxiao dismounted and helped Grandpa Ling up, and took the bag off the horse's back, which contained the Empress's phoenix seal and auspicious clothes.
He said solemnly: "Master Ling, I came here today to use the Phoenix Seal as a betrothal gift to ask for Sui Sui to be my mistress.
Please ask the Taoist priest to personally choose an auspicious day for me to marry Sui Sui."
Jin Sui let out an "ah" and looked at Gu Changxiao with her mouth half open. Grandpa Ling looked confused, and she was also confused.
No, you ran back to the border town so quickly, and you wanted to get married before you even attended the morning court! How much do you want to get married?
"Yes, can I say something?" Jin Sui raised his hand.
Gu Changxiao turned and looked at her: "Sui Sui, I can't wait any longer. I know we agreed that we can only get married after we destroy the Japanese.
However, I want to give you a legitimate identity to stay by my side, I want to give you the best of everything, and I want to protect the world with you side by side.
Shall we get married? Don't worry, I will build a navy, destroy the Japanese, and pacify the world."
Looking at his sincere eyes and his thin cheeks, Jin Sui felt her heart trembling. In her two lifetimes, she had never felt so valued by someone.
She really couldn't say no. Just like Gu Changxiao said, only by becoming the queen would she be qualified to stand shoulder to shoulder with the emperor and do what she wanted.
"Okay, I'm willing to marry you." Jin Sui faced Gu Changxiao's expectant gaze and said this firmly.
Just here, Cheng Yu came over with some officials.
Gu Changxiao took Jin Sui's hand, raised it high, and announced to all the officials: "Today I ask to marry Miss Ling as my queen. I hereby decree that the Ministry of Rites immediately prepare for the wedding ceremony between me and the queen!"
(End of this chapter)
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