Chapter 322 The overall situation
Of course, Lü Benzhong knew exactly what Ren Baozhong meant. Wasn't it just to give the emperor a concubine? He thought about it for a long time, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was really possible.
There are three reasons:
First, the emperor did have relatively few concubines. Many people in many places had advised him to take a concubine, from Nanyang to Bianliang, without stopping. It was only after two imperial concubines came to power that the situation became relatively quiet for a while.
And now, first the two imperial concubines are pregnant at the same time, and then the emperor has left the capital. I'm afraid he hasn't had sex with a woman for more than a year... It's not like he was chased around by the Jurchens back then, so he might be a bit too restrained.
The emperor himself should be able to accept an imperial concubine at this time.
Second, as Ren Baozhong hinted, this matter is beneficial to the public.
Although the emperor was intending to integrate the Han and Tibetan people last night and to assimilate the Dangxiang people into Han Chinese, this is a long-term goal after all and will take several generations. In comparison, if the emperor could marry a Dangxiang imperial concubine, it would at least ensure that the people of the Dangxiang tribes would feel a little more at ease.
The third and most important point is.
Although both imperial concubines had children, marrying the Tangut imperial concubine removed the biggest obstacle, but even so, not everyone can afford such a high-return and high-risk thing... To put it bluntly, you have to be shameless enough and have a stable bottom.
And he, Lu Benzhong, is such a person.
Even though he was just a secretary of the Secretariat, he had enough political capital to handle this matter. In other words, there were only a few people in the world who could handle such matters, but he, Lu Haowen's eldest son, was undoubtedly one of them.
Especially now, there are only a few people around the emperor, which makes it convenient for him to take action.
Of course, after thinking for a long time, Lu Benzhong knew clearly that Emperor Zhao was not an easy person to deal with. Just as the emperor said last night, the situation gradually improved, and Emperor Zhao's temper also gradually increased... He, Lu Benzhong, had the capital to take the initiative to talk about this matter, but it was impossible for him to send someone directly to the emperor's bed and make the rice into a cooked meal.
It’s not that I can’t, but that I don’t dare.
"You mean that you want me to take a concubine from the Dangxiang tribe?" In the afternoon, amid the chirping of cicadas, Zhao Jiu, who was playing chess under a tree in casual clothes to escape the heat, did not react at all when he heard this. He was neither angry nor happy, and he did not even raise his head.
Lü Ben was worried, but when the matter came to an end, he dared not hesitate any longer, and immediately took up the jade tablet and said solemnly: "I think if this is done, it will make the Tanguts feel a little more at ease, which is good for both the public and private."
Zhao Jiu nodded, still calm: "There is some truth in that."
Lu Benzhong was overjoyed.
But soon, Emperor Zhao said again: "But there are so many reasonable things in the world... Why should we do everything?"
"Please give me your instructions, sir." Lu Benzhong stood up solemnly.
"What can I tell you?" Zhao Jiu finally raised his head and glanced at the other person, not caring at all. "Everything has its pros and cons, and there are costs and expenses. It also depends on the timing and the situation... playing chess."
Lu Benzhong sat down quickly and made a move instinctively.
Zhao Jiu also continued to lower his head amid the cicadas' chirping. "It's not impossible to take a Tangut concubine, but not everything is good. For example, if Li Ganshun has a daughter, or if we choose a woman from the close Weiming tribe, it would be suitable in terms of status, but aren't we afraid that she will hate me so much that she will assassinate me at night? And if Li Ganshun doesn't have a daughter, and we choose a child from another tribe, which family should we choose? Renduo or Wang? Hengshan or Xingling? Are we afraid that this family will use their power to cause trouble in these two places again, causing trouble again?"
Lu Benzhong seemed to be thinking about something, and he began to feel somewhat suspicious.
"Secondly, I have been patient for a year, and I have been in the military camp for the past six months, without even a eunuch, so that the soldiers can return to their hearts. Seeing that the overall situation is about to be resolved, can't I endure it for a month or two?" Zhao Jiu continued to talk while playing chess. "Besides, you must also have some overall perspective... You know, I can't fight a war, but it is impossible for me to end the war and divide the situation without me. Now that the war in Western Xia is about to end, the next thing is how to force the Jurchens to retreat and subdue the Khitans. Instead, I have to deal with it personally. If you don't come earlier or later, I will not have the time to come now."
Lu Benzhong quickly nodded his head and agreed, but he also quickly added a piece based on his chess instinct.
Zhao Jiu frowned slightly and continued with emotion: "And what you said about the Dangxiang imperial concubine being able to calm people's hearts is actually just a saying. How can a woman who is used as a tribute have such an effect? If you want to calm people's hearts, you might as well focus on the current situation. If you can find a way to cover all the Dangxiang people's residences and prevent them from contacting the Jurchens, and then control Yelu Dashi, so that the Khitans dare not easily involve the Dangxiang people, this place will be truly stable... Don't you think so? Therefore, in my opinion, let's wait until the northwest matter is resolved. If the overall situation can be arranged properly by then, there is no need to care about the Dangxiang people. If things fail and the situation is worrying, it won't hurt to take one in later."
Zhao Guanjia kept talking, and it took a lot of effort for him to place a heavy piece on the chessboard. On the other side, Lu Benzhong nodded quickly, but he was already panicking, and he instinctively moved another piece.
Zhao Jiu frowned even more, and raised his head to look at the sky again. He saw that although the shadows of the trees had moved slightly, the sunlight was no longer dazzling... It was clearly midsummer, but it felt like spring. He felt unhappy, so he lowered his head again and continued playing chess.
On the other hand, Lü Benzhong was denied this matter by the emperor in person, and he felt that he had taken things for granted before; he was also scolded for not knowing the overall situation, which made him even more panicked; combined with his miscalculation of Ren Baozhong yesterday, he was deceived by Ren Baozhong today, and he was afraid that he had been spied on by this extremely shrewd emperor, and his future would become increasingly bleak... Therefore, he became depressed, and played chess absent-mindedly, relying only on his years of experience to make his moves casually.
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