Chapter 129 Oranges [Bonus Chapter]
Guan Zhiwei snatched the knife from Gao Huan's hand and left the rest to Zhang Xiao. Zhang Xiao would either reorganize and re-incorporate the soldiers who had followed the rebellion or execute them.
She turned to leave, but saw Chen Wen still kneeling there, not daring to move.
She stepped forward and said, "Oh, Minister Chen, you're still kneeling."
Chen Wen said in a serious tone, "Your Majesty, I am unfit for important tasks. I beg Your Majesty to rescind your order. Otherwise, please grant me death."
"My dear minister, I trust you, which is why I said those words. If you dislike them so much, I will take them back." Guan Zhiwei helped him up.
While tidying up Zhifang, she casually asked Chen Wen a question and immediately put him under moral blackmail.
There was no particular purpose in doing this, nor was it because I was afraid of the Chen family's power that I had to do it.
She was just bored in the back and suddenly wanted to do something funny, which was kind of fun.
"Your Majesty, I will do my utmost to assist you." Chen Wen bowed, appearing determined to make a desperate gamble.
Guan Zhiwei didn't understand the deeper meaning of those words at first, but later she realized that this guy wanted to be a loyal subject.
Ministers are divided into two categories: loyal ministers and treacherous ministers.
However, when it comes to the emperor, there's a distinction between pleasant and unpleasant words.
Chen Wen was just giving him a heads-up beforehand, so that his words might not be pleasant.
Guan Zhiwei didn't have many hobbies, except for eating oranges. However, the old man advised her during the morning court session that the King of Wu favored swordsmen, causing many people to suffer wounds; the King of Chu favored slender waists, leading to many starving deaths in the palace. Therefore, those in power should have no particular preferences.
He gave an example: because she loved to eat oranges, people from all over the south would offer them as tribute, often regardless of the cost.
Each region should designate a specific area as a tribute orange orchard.
The finest, perfectly ripe fruits, along with some branches and leaves, were selected and packed into tribute boxes. The finest silks, meticulously crafted stitch by stitch by embroiderers, which filled the wrappings of the oranges, were ruthlessly cut up.
These boxes of oranges will first be transported from the south to the north by waterway.
Then, by land, they relayed the message at breakneck speed, using the express post system that required urgent delivery over 800 li (approximately 400 kilometers) to transport goods day and night without interruption.
The goods were transported north along the Yangtze River, then transferred to land routes, crossed high mountains, entered rivers again, then turned to the Grand Canal, and finally entered Beijing by land. All checkpoints along the way gave priority to passage, and local officials provided assistance.
Working day and night, regardless of cost or consumption, as long as the oranges are delivered fresh and edible.
Guan Zhiwei only needed to sit at the table and say that she wanted to eat oranges, and someone would bring them to her.
She smiled.
This lousy orange isn't sweet enough, it's too sour, and the seeds are huge.
Even at the shop downstairs, six kilograms for ten yuan a day didn't sell.
Her mother has to carry a bag to find the seller to buy these oranges.
During the morning court session, she said helplessly, "I won't eat anymore, I won't eat anymore, I will never eat oranges again."
Gao Huan thought she would be angry, or secretly deal with Chen Wen, and he might have to take the blame again.
But she did nothing; she really stopped eating oranges.
She was so gentle and easy to talk to, it was as if that kind of empty, perverse behavior that needed to be used for amusement had suddenly disappeared.
She's always acting like a human one minute and a ghost the next; maybe she wants to be human again.
Who can say for sure?
Therefore, Chen Wen made a second suggestion, "Your Majesty, please depose the Empress!"
Knowing that you have traveled a long way to return, you are now facing this situation.
He came with a purpose: to recover lost territory for His Majesty and eliminate his father's troops without bloodshed.
Initially, things went very smoothly. He Shitou readily agreed to surrender. However, how to surrender, what kind of treatment to receive, and how to deal with them were all long topics that needed to be discussed slowly.
Gradually, he realized that He Shitou's desire to surrender was not sincere and that he was trying to stall for time.
He had a bad feeling and, together with Wei Fuzhi, acted swiftly and decisively, using his status and strong military power to stage a coup.
Seeing that the situation was hopeless, He Shitou simply knelt on the ground and said, "Young General, I know that the General has made important arrangements. Please wait a little longer!"
Zhi Junyuan and Wei Fuzhi exchanged a glance, and Wei Fuzhi subconsciously gripped the hilt of the knife at his waist.
"General Wei, rest assured."
After saying this, Zhi Junyuan grabbed He Shitou by the collar, pulled him up, and asked with a livid face, "What arrangements?!"
He Shitou refused to speak, only shaking his head repeatedly, asking the young general to wait.
Zhi Junyuan couldn't wait any longer, so he drew his knife and held it to Junyuan's neck.
“Young General, I am not afraid of death. Years ago, my family didn’t even have a single grain of food. My whole family was about to starve to death. It was you, General, who took me into the army and gave me food. Over the years, my whole family has been relying on you to support us. Even if I give my life to you, it doesn’t matter.”
With tears welling up in his eyes, He Shitou earnestly said, "I'm just afraid of ruining the general's important plans, so I dare not die, young general!"
Just when things were at a stalemate, news finally came back.
He Shitou stared intently at Wei Fuzhi, "Young General, kill him quickly! He's a lackey of the court, and he knows you're dead! He was killed by that woman from the court!"
Wei Fuzhi, who had been wary of Zhi Junyuan, immediately drew his sword.
The group of soldiers looked at each other for a moment, unsure of whose side to stand on.
"His Majesty has ordered me to lead the army! His Majesty's order came first, the Empress is of no use!"
The soldiers thought this made sense, so they all drew their swords, but pointed them at Zhi Junyuan.
Those Zhi family soldiers who had initially surrendered because of Zhi Junyuan immediately changed their expressions and drew their swords to confront him.
Zhi Junyuan's mind was in complete turmoil, a jumbled mess. His father was dead, Wei Fuzhi was wary of him, and He Shitou was urging him to quickly kill the court's lackeys. This was like the fuse of a firecracker; once lit, it would explode with a bang.
"Quiet down, all of you!"
He roared and said to Wei Fuzhi, "I am His Majesty's Empress, and I would never betray His Majesty! I need to find out what's going on now, so don't make things worse!"
After hesitating for a long time, Wei Fuzhi sheathed his sword.
Zhi Junyuan turned to He Shitou and asked, word by word, "What exactly happened?"
He Shitou quickly explained Zhi Fang's plan, and finally choked up as he said, "With the death of one of the lovebirds, and the death of the other, General Zhi must have already perished. The plan has failed. You must not return to the capital. We have manpower and supplies, so we have no worries about not having a chance to make a comeback!"
Knowing that Junyuan's mind was in turmoil and his heart was ice-cold, I realized that my father had used me to transfer me away so that he could plot against His Majesty.
How is His Majesty now?
He needs to hurry back to Beijing to check on things!
Zhi Fang was still thinking about his eldest son's comeback, but the eldest son walked right into the trap overnight.
Upon arriving in the capital, he discovered his child was gone, and his father had fallen to his death. His father was killed by Gao Huan, who then had him torn apart by five horses. The court officials wanted to depose the empress, and he was now isolated and helpless in the court.
In one night, he lost everything. He was bewildered; he was perfectly fine when he left.
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