Chapter 136
The second day.
Three o'clock in the morning.
Qu Dubian was awakened by Ye Xiaoyuan.
He was so sleepy that his eyes were blurry with tears. He woke up a little after splashing cold water on his face.
The morning court session started between five and six o'clock. Since they lived outside the palace, they had to go to the palace early to wait for the court session to avoid being late.
Ye Xiaoyuan: "Your Highness, which court dress do you choose?"
Qu Duan rubbed his eyes and said, "Yes, the best-looking one."
Without him pointing a finger, Ye Xiaoyuan accurately picked the most fancy set, in red, gold and blue.
Wearing a ponytail when attending court would lead to the censor impeaching him for being indecent in front of the emperor, so for the first time he tied his hair half way down, and wore a small crown on his head that was specially worn by men under the age of 20, which was held in place by a hairpin.
After everything was packed, he carried the small lunch box Xiaoyuan had prepared for him and got on the carriage.
The carriage was also covered with soft blankets and a small pillow that the Fourth Prince had specially sent after the banquet.
When Qu Dubian put it on the pillow, he realized how comfortable the small pillow was to use at this time.
I don’t know how Fourth Brother, who loves to sleep in, managed to adjust his schedule when he just went to court... It’s so miserable.
-
Three or four in the morning.
The imperial city has not yet opened.
Many vendors have set up stalls on both sides of the long corridor bridge outside the palace.
There were people selling steamed buns, soy milk, milk tea, and pies... The air was filled with steam and white mist. The ministers from various ministries parked their carriages outside the Long Corridor Bridge and gathered in groups of three or four after getting off.
Red robes, purple robes, blue robes, officials of different ranks, all sat at the tables in the stalls, waiting for the same ordinary porridge.
There was no shouting and the atmosphere was very harmonious.
There is no trace of the cold and ruthless behavior of the court.
Qu Dubian was carrying his lunch box, sniffing the aroma of meat patties in the air, thinking that if he didn't have to go to court so early, he could still set up a stall here to make some money.
Selling pancakes and hand-pulled pancakes.
The fourth prince waved at him from a distance: "Xiao Qi, here."
Qu Dubian went over to take a look and saw that not only he was there, but also his eldest brother, second brother, fifth brother and sixth brother were there.
Wow, the eldest brother and the second brother can actually sit at the same table?
He placed his lunch box on the table, lifted his clothes, sat down, and sighed.
"I still don't have the experience of attending court. If I had known there were so many delicious foods here, I wouldn't have asked my companion to prepare snacks, and I could have slept a little longer."
The eldest prince smiled and shook his head: "We also prepared food when we first came to court, but later we realized that we didn't need to prepare any."
Qu Watanabe pretended to be angry: "Okay, then why didn't you tell me earlier?"
The second prince raised his eyebrows and said, "Look, all of us brothers have been through this before, and we can't let you get away with it."
"Hey, I finally got your breakfast," the Sixth Prince said impatiently, "Let me have a taste. Last time they tasted mine, but they didn't leave a single piece for me!"
The fifth prince said to Qu Duanbian: "It's an old tradition."
"Come on, come on, try it."
Qu Duanbian's small lunch box was opened. He grabbed two pieces of jam yam cake for himself, and the rest went into the mouths of his brothers.
He looked at the clean plate: "..."
So what?
It's like I haven't eaten anything good.
The Sixth Prince drank a bowl of hot soy milk and said with satisfaction: "What I robbed is indeed very delicious."
Qu Dubian was not full, so he paid extra money to buy a pie.
Just after finishing eating, the palace gate opened and a voice came from inside: "Call all the officials——!"
As soon as the word "coming" came, the lazy atmosphere suddenly disappeared and became serious.
The ministers straightened their clothes and wiped the grease and pie aroma from their mouths. The civil and military officials stood on both sides and entered from the left and right gates instead of the main gate.
The princes and clan members are in the front and can go anywhere, depending on their mood.
The night is still dark, with sparse stars and a waning moon.
The court officials who had been in harmony in groups of two or three just now were immediately divided into strict ranks, with the red and purple in front and the green at the back, and they entered one after another.
The morning bell on the Meridian Gate Tower rang.
Boom——
The heavy and solemn aftermath lingered in the silent night.
-
Ganji Palace.
Qu Watanabe stood with his fourth brother.
Their positions are very forward, and their movements can be easily spotted by the teacher during class.
After waiting for a long time, Emperor Chongzhao did not come.
Qu Duanbian heard someone whispering.
"Your Majesty, have you overslept?"
"No reckless discussion."
"Keep your voice down. If the censor hears you, he will report you."
“…”
Qu Dubian whispered in his ear: "Your Majesty is often late?"
The fourth prince shrugged: "Very rarely."
As he was speaking, Eunuch Yu came up and said, "Your Majesty is here!"
All the civil and military officials bowed and saluted: "Your Majesty!"
Emperor Chongzhao sat on the dragon throne. He looked down and accurately caught a glimpse of dazzling color. He cleared his throat and said, "Everyone stand up."
Qu Dubian heard Sixth Brother hiss and mutter softly.
"Did Father shave his beard?"
Qu Dubian looked up.
Old Deng still looked the same, except that he looked a little older.
He whispered to the Sixth Prince: "When did he grow a beard?"
The Sixth Prince: "It's been a year, and it still looks good. It was still there yesterday." However, he felt a little younger after shaving his beard.
Although there was a rule that one could not look directly at the emperor, everyone saw him day after day, and after getting to know each other, they would secretly glance at each other. Not only the Sixth Prince noticed, but the other officials also noticed that their Majesty was dressed particularly smartly when he went to court today.
Master Fang glanced at the Seventh Prince who was whispering with his brothers, and then glanced at Emperor Chongzhao.
I sighed inwardly.
However, Emperor Chongzhao’s small changes are not the point; the point is still political affairs.
Emperor Chongzhao said, "Yesterday, the governors of Qingzhou and Jizhou jointly submitted a memorial, asking the court to send someone to suppress the bandits."
"My dear ministers, what do you think?"
Two years ago, the three counties suffered a disaster. Even though the court provided relief, many refugees fled to other states and counties, became bandits, and burned, killed, and looted households and villages.
Qingzhou and Jeju are located at the junction of three counties and are most seriously plagued by banditry. Over the past year and a half, the governors of the two states have sent people to encircle and suppress the bandits many times, but to little avail.
Today, the governors of the two states have finally been unable to bear it any longer and have submitted a joint memorial, which shows that the harm caused by banditry has become quite troublesome.
They are now submitting memorials to the court, intending to pass on the responsibility to those in charge, but the court cannot sit idly by and has to find someone to take over.
Fang Taifu and the other two helped him handle government affairs. They had known for a long time that this matter would be brought up in the court today. Other well-informed officials were also mentally prepared.
If the bandit suppression in the two states is successful, it will be a great military achievement.
To suppress the bandits, they can also draw elite troops from the two states to form a special army to suppress the bandits. Of course, the eldest prince's party and the second prince's party are extremely jealous of this kind of interference in military power.
The two men's followers nominated the people they had already chosen.
"As for commanding troops, the runner-up in the previous military examination, Sir Chu, now the Commandant of the Left, can take on this important task."
"What a joke! How can a mere lieutenant, whose rank is not even as high as that of the local governor, convince the people? It would be better to directly transfer General Zhuge from Yunzhou."
"General Xia was also a lieutenant before he went to the Northern Frontier. In more than a year, how many provocations did he put down in the Northern Frontier? We should give young people more opportunities."
"A general from Yunzhou is going to Qingzhou and Jeju? Isn't this just trampling on the dignity of the two states?"
Those who clamor to the top are all trying to push their own people to the top.
The eldest prince and the second prince were both quiet, as if they were not the ones actually fighting.
Emperor Chongzhao knocked on the table: "Quiet."
"The court is serious, what do you look like?"
All the court officials: "..."
They usually quarrel.
"Besides the one you just mentioned, is there anyone else?"
Emperor Chongzhao thought for a moment. Although the person recommended by the second son was young, he had also shown outstanding performance in the past two years. He was originally one of his preferred candidates.
"If there is no one else, after the court session, summon the left school lieutenant to come to Zichen..."
"His Majesty."
A familiar young voice interrupted him.
Emperor Chongzhao was slightly stunned.
Qu Dubian took a step to the left and bowed: "I also have someone I want to recommend."
The second prince glanced.
The eldest prince's originally held-breath expression relaxed.
Emperor Chongzhao moved his body and leaned forward slightly: "Well, go ahead."
Qu Dubian didn't notice his little move and said what he had prepared: "This is my first time attending court and I haven't taken up my position yet. Today, I heard that Lord Lin and other court officials are worried about the banditry in Qingzhou and Jeju, and I feel worried too."
"Two years ago, I was in Xianghe County and heard about the suffering of the people. Under the natural disaster, they were displaced, and they became kings in the mountains and bandits when they landed. This is not right but... inevitable. This matter was caused by the natural disaster in Xianghe. The person who took over the suppression of the bandits must have personally experienced the suffering of the people who were bandits, and empathize with the people, so that they can use both kindness and force to solve the problem from the root."
Master Fang stroked his beard and said, "Well, I think what His Highness the Seventh Prince said makes sense."
Emperor Chongzhao: "Who do you want to recommend?"
Qu Dubian: "I am willing to go to the two states to wipe out the banditry!"
The ministers were in an uproar.
"this……"
"How can His Majesty the Seventh Prince have any experience in leading troops?"
"Isn't this nonsense?"
"Sixteen years old, just built a mansion..."
"Your appetite is too big..."
Qu Dubian seemed unaware. He knew that if he failed to suppress the bandits this time, and something happened in Northern Xinjiang in the future, he would face even greater resistance if he wanted to go there.
Emperor Chongzhao also began to frown: "Do you know what you are talking about?"
Qu Dubian: "It's not that I haven't made any preparations. As early as when I heard about the banditry in Qingzhou and Jeju, I started preparing two things. If these two items are equipped to our soldiers, then our combat effectiveness will be greatly improved, whether in mountain battles or against northern border cavalry."
Let’s not talk about fighting in the mountains and forests, but what about dealing with the cavalry from the northern border?
Emperor Chongzhao was intrigued by his words: "What is it?"
Qu Dubian smiled slightly and looked at the Minister of Industry: "Please explain, Lord Minister."
Emperor Chongzhao raised his eyebrows slightly.
No wonder this old guy didn't react when Xiaoqi said he wanted to go suppress the bandits. It turned out that he had known that something like this would happen in class today.
The Minister of Works stepped out and said, "According to the Seventh Prince's request, two things were made, both of which are bows and crossbows."
Minister Shu: "Bows and crossbows... our dynasty does have them. Is what the Seventh Prince is talking about different from what we have now?"
"The first one is the Divine Arm Crossbow," said the Minister of Works, "This crossbow is so powerful that it can penetrate armor, and it is effective within a range of 400 meters."
The eldest prince was puzzled when he heard this: "We also have a city defense crossbow with a range of 500 meters. Wouldn't the divine arm crossbow be useless?"
"No. The Divine Arm Crossbow, as its name suggests, is not a large crossbow that requires multiple people to pull. Instead, it is only the size of an adult man's arm, and any soldier with greater strength can be equipped with it!"
Even though he already knew about the Shenbi Crossbow, the Minister of Works was still a little excited when he talked about it now.
"What?!"
Emperor Chongzhao asked solemnly, "Is there any real object?"
Qu Duanbian: "Of course there is. It has been submitted to the Ministry of War, and the officials in the Ministry of War have also implemented it."
"Lord Chai, is this true?"
Minister of War: "Yes. The Seventh Prince is very considerate. He came to me several times the day before yesterday to confirm that the test results were stable before he dared to report to Your Majesty. However, this item is more expensive than ordinary crossbows, so it can only be equipped to some elite soldiers."
But that's good enough.
Emperor Chongzhao's heart was beating fast: "What about the other one?"
Minister of Works: "The other one is called a composite bow. It is made of ordinary wood, and its range is the same as other bows, within 200 meters, but it is very labor-saving, using half the effort of bows made of the same material, and is more accurate."
In this way, ordinary soldiers who were originally unable to pull the bow and arrow will now be able to do so.
These two weapons directly increased the combat effectiveness of the Great Zhou soldiers in city defense battles and mountain ambushes.
Especially the Shenbi crossbow, which can train an elite infantry. Once the weapon reaches the Northern Frontier, it will definitely inflict great losses on the Northern Frontier cavalry!
"Good!" Emperor Chongzhao was delighted, "Very good!"
The youngest son, who was thought to be late for court today, gave him a big surprise on the first day!
The second prince smiled widely: "This is truly a blessing for our Great Zhou. Congratulations to my father and my seventh brother. I never thought my seventh brother had such talent."
"Too powerful..." The Sixth Prince was shocked.
He remembered that Xiao Qi's performance in the school graduation exam was only slightly better than his. How could he be so amazing that he developed two weapons with twice the power?
Qu Watanabe: "Second brother also knows that I have been practicing martial arts for more than ten years, so I am naturally quite knowledgeable about weapons."
"Xiao Qi, you have done a great job by presenting the weapons! What reward do you want?" asked Emperor Chongzhao.
Qu Dubian's expression darkened and he knelt down to ask for permission.
"I have studied hard for two years and obtained two weapons, all for the purpose of protecting our Great Zhou! I am still young, but I will take the position to court today. I do not ask for any reward. I will go to Qingzhou and Jizhou to suppress the bandits."
"Your Majesty, please grant my approval!"
The Minister of War: "Your Majesty, I think he is very good. The Seventh Prince is ambitious and has good martial arts. Just like the adults who recommended the Left Colonel just now, we should give young people a chance. Isn't the Seventh Prince younger?"
Minister of Industry: "I think so too."
The Second Prince's party who recommended the Left Colonel: "..."
Can this be the same?!
Damn it, both the Ministers of Works and the Minister of War spoke well of the Seventh Prince, so are those two crossbows so important?
The eldest prince was happy that the second prince's candidate was not chosen, but he also didn't want the job to slip away for no reason.
He said, "Father, I feel that my seventh brother is too young and has no experience in leading troops. I need to think twice about this matter."
"Big brother is right. I am also worried about my seventh brother. After all, his health was so poor before." The second prince said with concern.
Qu Watanabe: "Thank you for your concern, my brothers. However, my health has improved over the past year and I am no longer as weak as I was when I was a child. This time I decided to lead the troops after careful consideration."
He raised his head slightly and said: "If Your Majesty is worried, you can send Zuo Tianlang to follow me."
Zuo Tianlang, the leader of the imperial guards, is now semi-retired. He is a close confidant of Emperor Chongzhao and a true member of the imperial party.
Letting him participate in this matter was equivalent to the Seventh Prince placing an eye of the emperor next to him, and everything he did was under the eyes of Emperor Chongzhao.
Similarly, the influence of the eldest prince and the second prince was completely excluded.
The Fourth Prince: "Father, I think we can let Xiao Qi have a try. After all, we still have Commander Zuo."
Emperor Chongzhao tapped lightly on the armrest of the dragon throne with his fingertips.
"After all, you didn't..."
Qu Dubian: "I am willing to sign a military order. If the bandit problem is not eradicated within one year, I will never hold an official position and will not attend court again."
The fifth prince frowned: "Xiao Qi, don't be impulsive."
All the civil and military officials are here, how can the military order be issued just like that?
Emperor Chongzhao swallowed back the words he was about to say.
He frowned, "Let me think about it, you go back and wait for news."
Qu Watanabe stood up: "Yes."
After he finished speaking, he stood aside obediently and said nothing more.
Emperor Chongzhao felt a little annoyed when he saw that he didn't even look up after he finished what he was about to say.
The members of the eldest prince and the second prince's party in the court looked at each other and returned to their positions.
The atmosphere was a bit weird for a moment.
Many court officials did not react at all. They had not expected that the mission to suppress bandits that the two princes' parties were fighting for would be intercepted and snatched away by the Seventh Prince on his first day of court.
And they robbed so brutally and ferociously.
Until the end of the court.
Qu Dubian walked to the side of the Minister of War and said, "Thank you, Lord Chai, for speaking for me in the court."
Minister Chai chuckled and said, "What about the detailed drawings of those two weapons?"
Qu Watanabe: "The compound bow can be sent to the Ministry of War, but the divine crossbow cannot."
"Okay! One is fine."
Minister Chai never took sides, spoke up for Qu Dubian, and just wanted to study the blueprints.
Compared with the compound bow, the structure of the crossbow is more complicated. These two things are not the drawings provided by the simulator.
He begged and pleaded for a long time, and got the simulator to open a backdoor for him. In the end, all he got from the lottery was the general structure and rough values of the Shenbi Crossbow. All the details had to be worked out bit by bit in the later stage.
He was more familiar with compound bows, having participated in variety shows in his previous life and played with them at a shooting range, so he remembered the structure.
After seeing off Minister Chai, Qu Dubian slipped away quickly and returned directly to his residence before his royal brothers could surround him.
-
Purple Palace.
Zuo Tianlang stood with his head bowed.
Emperor Chongzhao paced with his hands behind his back, holding a memorial.
Eunuch Yu felt dizzy just watching him walking back and forth.
Emperor Chongzhao: "He insisted on suppressing the bandits and even got two weapons. He persuaded the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of War to speak for him. In the end, he even brought you out and issued a military order."
Zuo Tianlang sighed, "Yes, His Majesty is determined to win." He paused, "However, if the Seventh Prince goes, His Majesty will not have to worry about the dispute between the First Prince and the Second Prince."
Emperor Chongzhao glanced over and said, "You talk too much."
Zuo Tianlang shut up immediately.
Emperor Chongzhao walked for most of the day, and finally sat down at the desk and drank a sip of cold tea.
Eunuch Yu said softly at the right time: "Perhaps, the Seventh Prince wants to prove himself to His Majesty."
With just one sentence, Emperor Chongzhao was dragged back to that evening when he had an argument with his youngest son.
[“I will fight in the northern border. In three or five years, I will give you a stable border.”
"Why do you want to fight? Why should I trust you? You are only fourteen this year and have not yet attended the court. How can you convince the officials in the court who advocate marriage, and how can you suppress the generals on the border!"]
Those words, which were firm but also contained anger and pleading, echoed in his mind from time to time during the past two years.
He manufactured bows and crossbows to suppress the cavalry in the northern border, and issued a military order to suppress bandits as soon as he came to court.
That kid never gave up his plan to go to the Northern Frontier.
Emperor Chongzhao was silent for a moment.
"Then I will grant him the military order and see if he has the ability to do it."
-
That afternoon.
An imperial edict flew to the Seventh Prince's Palace.
The Seventh Prince was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Two States in suppressing bandits, and Zuo Tianlang as his deputy general. They were given one year to eliminate the bandits and were to set out for Qingzhou in three days.
night.
The fifth prince came to see him.
"If you don't make a sound, you'll be amazing. Xiaoqi, on your first day in court, you snatched a piece of meat from your elder and second brothers," he said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "You're so fierce, aren't you afraid that the two of them will team up and beat you up first?"
Qu Duanbian said calmly: "If you want to rob something, you must be prepared to be targeted and think about how to escape unscathed. Didn't I bring Commander Zuo here?"
As a true member of the emperor's party, everything he does is open and honest. Even if he has plans, 70% of them have been stopped by Zuo Tianlang.
The Fifth Prince: "However, isn't your military order too rash? The problem that the two states haven't solved is so difficult. It may take two or three years to suppress the bandits. If you only have one year and it doesn't work, it's hard to say when you come back."
Qu Dubian took a sip of warm water.
"fine."
If he couldn't even do this, how could he lead the army to the northern border? He might as well take back what he said two years ago, forget about his elder sister and the weeping noble lady Guo, forget about the feeling of powerlessness when he couldn't grasp anything, cut off his heart and lungs, and live a life of idleness and free food.
The Fifth Prince: "You can rest assured about the Second Prince. Although I don't know his specific movements, but... he should overthrow the eldest brother. He has been preparing for this for two years."
Qu Watanabe: "That's what you said? This kind of information should be top secret."
The Fifth Prince: "It's okay if the Second Prince can't hear me."
"It's better to be cautious."
Since ancient times, it has been difficult to be a traitor.
"I just want to tell you this," the Fifth Prince looked at him and said, "Brother has the ability to help you."
"The marriage that no one could have stopped two years ago has become a regret in your heart. The fourth brother and I have seen your changes. Don't take everything on yourself. The fourth brother and I are here for you."
Qu Dubian poured him a glass of water and burst out laughing: "These words were taught to you by your fourth brother, right?"
The fifth prince said awkwardly: "You can even hear that?"
Qu Watanabe: "Okay, we brothers are not suitable for such sentimental words. We will find you if there is any problem."
-
As the news of His Majesty sending gifts and the Seventh Prince being appointed as the commander-in-chief of the two states' bandit suppression spread one after another, a large number of scholars would gather outside Qu Duanbian's mansion every day.
They held up their self-recommendation letters, hoping to meet the Seventh Prince, show their talents, and become his staff.
In an instant, the stone lions outside the Seventh Prince's Mansion were rubbed so smooth that they were extremely smooth. The gatekeeper was surrounded by this group of people with his eyes wide open, and he felt like he had no desire to live.
Soon, the Seventh Prince asked someone to bring out a rack with a huge wooden board hung on it: "Those who love math and those who love growing vegetables, please leave your names here. When I return from suppressing the bandits, I will prepare a welcome for you."
"Count?"
“Growing vegetables?”
A group of scholars in Confucian robes and blue shirts stood dumbfounded in front of the Seventh Prince's mansion.
The Seventh Prince, whom they had been trying to meet, had already left the capital half a day in advance with Zuo Tianlang.
The Ministry of Industry is expediting the production of a batch of composite bows, which will be delivered to Qingzhou in one or two months.
Their entourage consists of 200 people. When they arrive at the destination, they will form a special bandit-suppression army depending on the situation. This bandit-suppression army will have a maximum of 2,000 or 3,000 people, and will all be under the command of Qu Watanabe.
Since they would be away for quite a while, Qu Dubian took Ye Xiaoyuan with him.
He can't live without Ye Banban in his daily life!
Riding on the horse, Zuo Tianlang said: "Advance during the day and rest at night. Qingzhou is expected to arrive in seven days."
Qu Watanabe: "Well, there's no rush."
After leaving the capital, they were stopped.
The man was wearing a veil and a green veil covering his face, so his face could not be seen clearly. Zuo Tianlang frowned: "Who are you?"
The whip tapped his palm lightly, Qu Dubian looked him up and down, understood, and then teased: "Young Master, do you need me to dismount and lift your veil?"
We are so familiar with each other, why are you still keeping it mysterious?
The visitor snorted and chuckled, then took off his veil.
It’s really Xi Zixing.
He smiled and bowed: "Congratulations, Your Highness, on being promoted to the commander-in-chief of the two states. Perhaps, you need a dog-headed military advisor?"
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