Chapter 428 Everything is ready
"In the seventh year of Guanghe, I first entered Luoyang after the Yellow Turban Rebellion was quelled. Counting from now on, it has been more than twelve years."
Twelve years...
From the time when he first came here to today when he ruled over the thirteen states after conquering the Yecheng court, this road seemed invincible, but it was also full of wind, rain and dangers.
If she makes a mistake for even a moment, she might die in this battle for hegemony!
Fortunately, whether it was trying hard to win the trust of Emperor Ling of Han, taking the military power of Bingzhou and Liangzhou into her own hands, conquering the nine states, or finally ascending the throne of the emperor with the accumulated support of the people over the years, or the Battle of Yecheng that marked the finale of the unification of the world, she successfully survived to the end.
No matter whether they are her opponents or allies, no matter whether they can see this grand event with their own eyes, this is different from the coronation ceremony of that year. As a celebration party symbolizing the pacification of the world, it will surely be held under the attention of the public.
It is interesting to say that among the people who guided the people back then was the eunuch Bi Lan, who had skills but was only regarded as an accomplice of the eunuch villain. However, his talent in water control has become a skill that can be displayed between rivers and seas since the dragon bone overturned.
With the acquisition of Yan, Ji and Qingzhou, the repair of the Yellow River water conservancy was about to start in the lower reaches. He happened to be in Luoyang, discussing the reinforcement and dredging of the Shili Water Gate with Fu Shou, and was able to catch up with this celebration.
Among those who came to Luoyang back then was Yuan Shao, a son of a famous family. However, his situation today is very different from what it was back then.
As a prisoner who was still supposed to continue counting, he certainly had no chance to see this scene.
"Unfortunately, we still need to leave people stationed in all directions to prevent any omissions during the half month or one month of preparation for the celebration. It is impossible for everyone to be present." Ren Hong said with some regret.
If everyone were present, one would be able to see how many capable ministers and generals Your Majesty has under his command. It would be a grand scene of everyone gathered together, and it would be a thrilling scene recorded in the writings of historians.
But unfortunately, those who cannot come still cannot come.
For example, Lu Yuan, who had already returned to Liangzhou with Yu Fan and Yu Ji Zuo Ci, was stationed at the border and was about to take charge of the important task of setting up the Protectorate of the Western Regions. Naturally, he could not turn back because of this celebration.
The time wasted going back and forth to the border area, and as war was raging outside the region, no one could be sure whether they would miss the God-given opportunity.
For example, there is Xun You who is currently staying in Youzhou.
Zhuge Liang could come south because of his transfer to Jizhou, but Xun You had to take the responsibility of conveying the news of the pacification of Ji and Qing states to all parts of Youzhou, in order to prevent any small-scale unrest from occurring, which would cause a disaster in Youzhou, which spanned thousands of miles, that would make it impossible to deal with it in time.
The other person who couldn't make it back was probably Jia Xu.
However, for him, there was little need to participate in such crowded occasions. On the contrary, because someone might come up to talk to him, the Governor of Qingzhou, he might be dragged into talking about the old things that were planned for Dong Zhuo in Chang'an City.
It would be better to continue dealing with officials from various counties in Qingzhou and find out their background.
As for those who were able to attend this meeting, the one who performed most outstandingly was probably Lu Bu.
Guo Zhao, who had just been brought by Ren Hong, actually didn't know Lu Bu at first. But on this journey from Yecheng to Luoyang, his smug look was particularly evident, making it impossible for her to pretend not to see it.
She couldn't help but whisper to Ren Hong, "Your Majesty should know that the moon waxes and wanes, but why did you allow General Lu to be so... ostentatious?"
Ren Hong shook his head. "This is your majesty's wisdom. For people like Yang Dezuo, who come from aristocratic families, your majesty should dampen their arrogance and make them calm and steady. For generals like Lu Fengxian, as long as they always remember that there is your majesty, the true leader, above them when they conquer the four directions, they will only stab others as sharp blades. Besides, look, what is he proud of?"
Lu Bu was such a straightforward person that it was obvious that he was not proud of his achievements in the battle to the south to Jizhou. After all, when Gao Shun's troops were defeated in Beiping County, it was Lu Lingju who first took the credit. No matter how you look at it, he had to be considered a loser.
He was proud that he had missed His Majesty's coronation ceremony earlier, and now he finally did not miss this reward ceremony.
When Guo Zhao deliberately slowed down his pace and approached the cavalry led by Lu Bu, he heard him talking to his subordinates, "That year, I saw your majesty and his personal guards returning from the Guyang Pass. Everyone was riding a tall horse with the heads of the Xiu Tuge Hu hanging on their horses. It was truly a majestic sight. I said in front of the crowd that a real man should be able to do such a feat."
"Now that I think about it, I, Lu Bu, really have good vision."
Lu Bu is not King Xiang, and he has no ambition to dominate the world. At most, he is just a peerless weapon that needs bravery greater than himself to subdue it. When he happens to meet a wise leader, he becomes a perfect general.
And under Qiao Yan's command, there are more than just Lu Bu who can be appointed as generals and counselors in such an appropriate manner.
Yang Xiu was obviously one of them, as he could gain Yang Biao's trust and represent the Hongnong Yang family in the court.
Chu Yan and Yao Chang, who are currently making great strides in Yizhou, should also be counted.
Then Ni Heng, who used his abilities to anger his opponents, might be considered half-baked.
…
Another thing is that when this mighty army arrived in Luoyang, Xun Yu, in his capacity as the Inspector of the Imperial Guards, went out of the city to welcome them.
His hesitation during Qiao Yan's successive conquests of Liangzhou and Guanzhong, his step-by-step approach when she was in charge of the government as the Grand Marshal, and his final decision as a model of aristocratic family when Qiao Yan was about to make a further step, all turned into admiration for the emperor at this time.
His talent in governing the country and assisting the king was perhaps not meant to restore the reputation of the Han Dynasty, but to ensure that the people of Dayong would live in peace and prosperity and everything would go smoothly.
When the troops entered the camp in the northern suburbs of Luoyang, many people from Luoyang gathered in the suburban area from Mangshan to Luoyang, and they looked at them with what Xun Yu thought was eager anticipation.
This inevitably reminded Xun Yu that when Yuan Shao sent Zhang He and Xin Pi to attack Mengjin, the people of Luoyang clearly intended to help guard the Luoyang Pass in this unhesitating manner and block Yuan Shao's troops outside.
This straightforward expression of support is far more powerful than the earlier term "Han people" in today's current situation and can strike the heart and lungs more directly.
This is what everyone expects!
Their reaction to the rumors about celestial phenomena last year, their support when Chang'an changed this year, their response when soldiers were called to fight, and their discussions when the prison carts of the Yanzhou noble families passed through the border, all at this moment became the response to his conversation with Qiao Yan, "I'm worried", which came from Qiao Yan's mouth.
It was precisely because she was worried about handing over these people who had finally escaped from suffering into the hands of others that the people under her rule also had such a warm and caring heart towards her.
The weather in October was already a bit chilly, but the sounds that had reached their peak with Qiao Yan's arrival were like a warm wave of air that enveloped the city of Luoyang.
Xun Yu bowed deeply to the triumphant team.
This is the most formal ceremony of submission since the last saying of "wise ruler and loyal ministers".
Luoyang officially became lively due to the intensive preparations for this celebration.
Unfortunately, Liu Xie had already gone to Leping temporarily with his adoptive father at this time. With the "assistance" of Qiao Yan, he was able to continue to play the role of an ordinary young man who was fortunate enough to be appreciated by Yang Xiu and was able to go to the academy. Otherwise, he would not have been able to see how busy his former neighbor was in these days.
Both the North and South Palaces in Luoyang had been burned down before, which was quite unlucky. In fact, it was because the people of Luoyang united to fight the enemy that this place could replace Leping, where Qiao Yan made her fortune, and Chang'an, the capital where she ascended the throne, and become the place for celebration.
Then they certainly can't let this image down any longer.
"Unfortunately, Luoyang City doesn't have the new cement road like Chang'an. Your Majesty's heavy cavalry guard probably can't just walk around the city. It will probably have to be outside the city."
The person who spoke had just muttered this when he was suddenly hit on the head.
"If you don't clean your house properly for this reason, you'll see how you'll explain it to your neighbors."
The man looked around and found that many people who were cleaning the dirt outside the room had their eyes on him.
He quickly raised his hand and explained, "I am wronged, everyone. I was just wondering if there is still a need for help with the various affairs outside the city. Of course, I can't be lazy about the renovation of Luoyang's image. His Majesty also said that winter is approaching, and he was supposed to supervise us to clean up inside and outside to prevent the sudden outbreak of diseases."
"Your Majesty has brought back troops from Guanzhong this time, so there is no need for you to worry about the situation outside the city." The neighbor laughed.
It's not just the construction involved in these celebrations that they don't have to worry about.
Grain from Guanzhong and meat from the north were being transported to Luoyang in a still stable manner.
The good harvest brought by the weather this year has left a lot of savings after deducting the expenses of the march, which is enough to support the one-year tax reduction initiative that Qiao Yan intends to implement next year.
Although this order will probably be read out in January next year instead of now, the entry of tens of thousands of troops into the capital has not caused any disruption to people's lives, and food prices have not risen as a result. For them, this should be considered good news.
There was even a new batch of cotton that arrived in Luoyang just in time with these troops due to the autumn harvest, allowing them to buy winter clothes before winter at still relatively low prices.
The man looked down and saw his child touching his new clothes. He asked him, "Dad, will there be fireworks and artillery as mentioned in the newspapers at the Luoyang celebration?"
I think so.
Only the people in Chang'an city had the opportunity to see it, while people from other places could only see it from other people's descriptions and paintings.
Now it was their turn to meet.
Seeing her father nod, she asked again: "Will the sparks in the sky fall on the new clothes?"
"How could that be?" She had just asked this question when she heard a female general passing by reply to her, "Your Majesty wants to protect the people, so of course the fireworks should be set off around people."
The child nodded, not quite understanding.
But she didn't quite understand why the female official who was traveling with the female general turned pale when she heard these words, and why she could hear several raised-pitched conversations as they walked away.
"Can you please stop leading a child astray..." Huang Yueying held her forehead helplessly, "What if she really believes what you said about the fireworks moving out of the way of the crowd and ends up getting close to them, and causing some safety issues? That would be a huge problem."
Don’t underestimate children’s curiosity!
Lu Lingju replied seriously, "You are worrying too much. We obeyed His Majesty's military orders. We did this when we broke through the enemy camp, and we still did this when we were guarding the safety of this celebration. If this child really gets close enough to get hurt, then we'd better stop as soon as possible."
"Besides, did you see that child touching her new clothes while asking questions?" Her originally absent-minded eyes now showed a bit of reminiscence of the past. Although it was only a fleeting look, Huang Yueying felt that it was not her fault. "Don't worry, she won't get too close."
"Instead of worrying about this, you might as well think about whether the fireworks in Luoyang City can be more impressive than those in Chang'an City at that time, and whether the textile machines can be improved or expanded to give them another piece of clothing to replace, right?"
Huang Yueying was about to praise Lu Lingju for her great growth in the past few years, but she suddenly changed the subject, "But when you mentioned clothes, I remembered a question. At this ceremony, will Your Majesty wear armor or the emperor's crown?"
Huang Yueying: "...Why did you suddenly think of this?"
Lu Lingju replied, "Your Majesty said so. This is a reward for the meritorious service in the war to pacify Ji and Qing states. Your Majesty is still the commander-in-chief. She has been wearing armor since Chang'an called for the troops to go out. It is not wrong for her to wear it today."
"But this is a celebration to announce the reunification of the four seas. It seems more appropriate to wear the emperor's crown and robes?"
"How about a crown with twelve tassels on your head and armor on your body?"
Huang Yueying had nothing to say.
She tried hard not to lose control of her expression and asked, "Do you think this looks good?"
She dared to guarantee that if Lu Lingju dared to make this proposal in front of Qiao Yan, she would probably be beaten...
Anyway, Your Majesty has his own plans, so there is no need to ask about this matter at this time.
But who knows, perhaps, such foolish behavior may be favored by His Majesty?
Huang Yueying thought for a moment and decided not to comment on it.
Anyway, what kind of clothes to wear to hold this celebration is not the focus of this Luoyang meeting.
She thought of what His Majesty had entrusted to the Ministry of Works two months ago, and a smile flashed across her face.
It was a particularly special "war record".
She could not choose to make achievements in domestic affairs like Xun Yu and Zhuge Liang, to work on strategy like Guo Jia and Sima Yi, to fight on the battlefield like Zhao Yun and Lu Lingju, to stay in the border areas like Lu Yuan and Wang Yi, or to control the media of cultural dissemination like Zhao Ji.
But she can also use her mind and hands to engrave her name on it, and that is the meaning of her being here today.
Too--
The significance of this Luoyang Merit Celebration!
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