Chapter 138 Xiao Lin: "Your Majesty, I am willing to go on a mission to the Yin Kingdom to do my utmost to expedite..."
Luo Lan felt that Pei Xingshu would only have a chance to become prime minister after Xiao Yu retired. Luo Fu, however, thought that if the two brothers-in-law were to become prime ministers, the brother-in-law would have a better chance than Xiao Yu. This was because the position of prime minister was above the emperor and below all officials. Not only did he need to have the ability to govern, but he also needed to maintain good relations with the emperor and all officials. It didn't mean that all officials had to like him, but at least they couldn't be someone that made them feel annoyed at the sight of the prime minister.
Xiao Yu had no other skills, but to make the emperors find him an eyesore and his colleagues avoid him, it was just a matter of talking a few more words.
Fortunately, Xiao Yu did not necessarily aspire to become prime minister, and Luo Fu did not expect him to reach the highest position. She only hoped that Xiao Yu would not be demoted again, and that he would not suffer another near-beheading ordeal.
Many officials in the capital now look at Luo Fu with admiration. Luo Fu, however, feels no pride in her heroic act of saving her husband. While others may revel in this tale, Luo Fu will never forget the forced subjugation of Xiao Yu, stripped of his official robes and forced to kneel on the execution ground; she will never forget the sharp blade in the executioner's hand, nor the circle of imperial guards trying to pull her away from him. Had she been less fortunate than Xiao Yu, he would now be buried in the earth, and she would be a widow raising two children alone.
Waking up from a familiar nightmare once again, Luo Fu gasped for breath for a moment, then turned around and hugged the man sleeping next to her.
Xiao Yu was awakened by his wife's embrace. In the late spring, he was dressed in thin clothes. His hand unconsciously stroked his wife's shoulders and waist. After a slight pause, Xiao Yu's hand slipped under his wife's clothes.
Luo Fu did not stop them. The couple began in a half-dreaming, half-awake state, gradually becoming more and more awake, sinking into darkness.
Why are you in such a good mood tonight?
After calming down, Xiao Yu whispered teasingly in his wife's ear.
Luo Fu: "...I dreamt again that your head fell off, and it scared me awake."
Xiao Yu: "...Dreams are always the opposite of reality, which means my head is very sturdy, and no one will ever want to cut it off again."
Luo Fu pinched him.
Xiao Yu smiled as he lit the lamp, then brought over the water prepared in the room, serving his wife before tidying himself up.
After all that commotion, the couple were quite energetic. Luo Fu leaned on Xiao Yu's shoulder and chatted for a while. Suddenly, she remembered something interesting she had just heard during the day and asked Xiao Yu, "Is the Emperor really going to observe a full three-year mourning period for the late Emperor?"
Xiao Yu: "Of course, this is His Majesty's filial piety towards the late Emperor. Now that he has spoken, how can he go back on his word?"
Emperors could observe mourning for days instead of years, but if the emperors themselves wished to observe it for longer, the ministers could not necessarily stop them.
Luo Fu laughed and said, "Then some nobles and high-ranking officials and their daughters in the capital will be disappointed. I heard that some young ladies had already started to arrange marriages. Now that the emperor has ascended the throne, he will definitely have to choose an empress at the age of twenty. The parents of those young ladies have started to think that they want to keep their daughters for a while longer. In fact, they just want to see if their daughters have a chance to enter the harem."
Xiao Yu: "Those are all those who don't love their daughters. There are many rules in the royal family. Princesses can still go out and move around, but once the empresses enter the palace, unless they accompany the emperor, they can only stay within the palace walls for the rest of their lives. If they are lucky, they will gain status because of their sons. If they are unlucky, they will have neither favor nor children to rely on, and their situation will be even more miserable."
Luo Fu thought of the late emperor's harem. Empress Dowager Xie was his principal wife, and the late emperor had respected her for over twenty years, yet she almost ended up being deposed. Consort Li, seemingly favored for many years, was actually never truly cared for by the late emperor. The evidence was that before his death, he made so many arrangements, but never considered leaving a way out for Consort Li and her children. As for Consort Lin and Consort Liang, who were less favored, they were even less so; both were not yet thirty years old, yet they would have to remain in the deep palace like Empress Dowager Xie, mourning the late emperor.
"Fortunately, Tuan'er is still young. Otherwise, given how much the Emperor values you, I'm really afraid he might take a liking to Tuan'er," Luo Fu said thankfully.
Emperor Yuanxing was undoubtedly a handsome man, but certainly not a good choice for a son-in-law.
Xiao Yu said confidently, "It's no use if he takes a liking to me if I don't want to."
Luo Fu: "...Look how arrogant you are. Even the late emperor didn't speak to the current emperor with such arrogance."
Xiao Yu: "...In short, if you visit the Empress Dowager in the palace again in the future, don't bring Tuan'er with you."
Luo Fu nodded.
Cheng'er was only seven years old. By the time Emperor Yuanxing lifted his mourning period, she would be ten. By then, Emperor Yuanxing would have already chosen an empress, and might even have chosen several concubines. The noble and high-ranking families in the capital had many beautiful and virtuous young ladies. If Emperor Yuanxing were to select concubines from among the officials and commoners of the country, he would see even more beauties. Therefore, Xiao Yu was not worried that Emperor Yuanxing would covet his daughter.
As a teacher and subject, Xiao Yu was more concerned about whether Emperor Yuanxing was diligent in his duties, whether he had gradually become lazy and indulged in pleasure because there was no longer the previous emperor to keep him in check, or even whether he had any cruel thoughts because of the small mistakes made by the palace servants or the ministers in the court.
After observing for half a year, Xiao Yu was pleased to find that Emperor Yuanxing still maintained the diligence he had when he was the crown prince. In addition to reviewing memorials and handling government affairs, Emperor Yuanxing would still set aside an hour every day to listen to the Grand Secretaries lecture him. When he had free time, he would either go to the Ministry of Agriculture to see if there were any methods to improve grain varieties or good strategies for raising poultry and livestock, or go to the Arsenal to inspect the techniques of weapon forging. He would also often take a troop of Imperial Guards on horseback to the three major capital garrisons to watch the soldiers train.
Xiao Yu was unsure how long the young Emperor Yuanxing could maintain this diligence and studiousness, but the fact that Emperor Yuanxing had the ambition to strengthen and enrich the country was a good start.
Just after the Mid-Autumn Festival, Li Chong, the general of Jizhou, delivered a piece of good news: Emperor Yin Fu of Yin, who had successfully resisted three northern expeditions by two emperors of the Great Zhou Dynasty, had passed away due to overwork at the young age of fifty-two!
Emperor Yuanxing had Li Chong's good news read aloud at the court meeting. All the civil and military officials were quite relieved, because after the news of the late emperor's death reached the Yin Kingdom, the Yin emperor actually pretended to offer a distant sacrifice to the late emperor and sent people to spread the news throughout Liaozhou. This caused the people of Liaozhou to celebrate and say that the emperor of the Great Zhou had been punished.
Marquis Liang Bizheng of Pingnan was the first to step forward and petition Emperor Yuanxing to send troops to attack Yin, offering himself as the vanguard!
The military officers were all eager to try, and even the civil officials echoed their sentiments.
Emperor Yuanxing, standing high above, clearly saw the various expressions of his civil and military officials. After the ministers had finished their private discussions, Emperor Yuanxing raised his hand to signal them to be quiet and said, "Conquering Liaozhou and unifying the world was the long-cherished wish of Emperor Gaozu and the late Emperor, and it is also the lifelong ambition I made when I ascended the throne. However, the northern expedition against Yin is too long and the supply of food is difficult. Yin also has the natural barrier of the Liao River. These are two major problems that still exist after Yin Fu's death. Moreover, Yin Fu has just passed away, and the people of Liaozhou are in the midst of grief over the loss of their ruler. If the Great Zhou sends troops at this time, it will only arouse their anger and morale, which will be even more detrimental to the Great Zhou."
The civil officials, including Liu Baoxiu, Xu Lian, Xiao Yu, and Pei Xingshu, were the first to praise the emperor's wisdom.
Liang Bizheng, who was already 68 years old and increasingly impatient, couldn't help but ask, "When does Your Majesty plan to launch the Northern Expedition?"
Emperor Yuanxing's expression darkened slightly, as if he disliked Liang Bizheng's aggressive tone: "When the opportune moment arrives, I will make my own decision."
Every emperor has a different temperament. Liang Bizheng spoke frankly in front of Emperor Gaozu, but he had already restrained himself in front of the late emperor. How could he dare to be presumptuous in front of the new emperor with whom he had no personal relationship?
Seeing Liang Bizheng retreat with his head down, Emperor Yuanxing turned to discuss other state affairs.
After the court session ended, Emperor Yuanxing summoned several important civil and military officials, including Liang Bizheng, to the imperial study. Once everyone was present, Emperor Yuanxing glanced at Xiao Yu and said, "I remember that Minister Xiao once said that Yin Fu's three sons were all mediocre. Now that the throne of Yin Kingdom is changing hands, I would like to ask you all to pool your wisdom and efforts to see if there is a good strategy to subdue the enemy without fighting."
When Liang Bizheng met the young emperor's reassuring gaze, he felt relieved and said with sincere admiration, "So Your Majesty had another brilliant plan. I was foolish and only knew how to fight and kill."
Emperor Yuanxing laughed and said, "I also received guidance from Minister Xiao."
Everyone looked at Xiao Yu.
Xiao Yu humbly nodded slightly to Emperor Yuanxing.
Without saying anything else, the Left Chancellor Liu Baoxiu said, "Does Your Majesty mean that we can try to sow discord among the three princes of Yin, causing them to fight amongst themselves, so that Great Zhou can then reap the benefits?"
Emperor Yuanxing had this intention. Taking Liaozhou was only the first step; winning over the hearts and minds of the people of Liaozhou was the key. Otherwise, even if the Great Zhou conquered Liaozhou by force today, the people of Liaozhou would still rise up in rebellion for the overthrow of the country in a while. Only by letting the Yin family of the royal family kill each other and bring about their own destruction could the hatred of the people of Liaozhou towards the Great Zhou royal family be reduced.
To sow discord among the princes of Yin, one must understand the character of the three men, and this...
Xiao Yu, who had personally visited Liaozhou and later served as the Chief Secretary of Jizhou for almost a year, finally spoke up, saying succinctly: "I have heard that the Crown Prince of Yin is power-hungry and dislikes the Second Prince and the Third Prince holding important positions. The Second Prince is greedy for wealth and the Third Prince is greedy for fame. Your Majesty may send an envoy to Yin to offer condolences and take the opportunity to sow discord among the three princes."
Envoys sent to other countries must be skilled in rhetoric, and Xiao Yu was also eloquent, but he was good at advising the monarch. Not to mention his reputation for virtue, as soon as he opened his mouth, the new emperor and the two princes of Yin would be on guard against him.
Just as Pei Xingshu was about to step forward, a military officer strode out and said in a gentle voice that was distinctly different from the other officers, "Your Majesty, I am willing to go on a mission to the Yin Kingdom to do my utmost to facilitate this matter."
Pei Xingshu knew without even looking that the man was none other than his father-in-law, Xiao Lin.
Beside him, several high-ranking officials chuckled. If Xiao Yu, with his otherworldly demeanor, was unsuitable for the role of an envoy who needed to flatter the three princes of Yin to sow discord, then Xiao Lin, with his naturally treacherous appearance, was perfect for it. Just standing there, he looked like a villain who would betray the Great Zhou Emperor for his own selfish gain.
There were too many people laughing, so Xiao Lin only glared at the one who was laughing the loudest.
Emperor Yuanxing also thought Xiao Lin was suitable, but if the Yin royal family discovered Xiao Lin's plan to sow discord, Xiao Lin would very likely lose his life in Yin.
Emperor Yuanxing subconsciously looked at his teacher, who outwardly treated everyone equally but inwardly still held him in high esteem.
Xiao Yu exchanged a deep look with his elder brother, recognizing his brother's ambition. Xiao Yu then addressed Emperor Yuanxing, saying, "I also recommend Xiao Lin to be sent as an envoy to the Yin Kingdom."
Since the gentleman was willing to give up his position, Emperor Yuanxing agreed to Xiao Lin's self-recommendation.
After leaving the Imperial Study, Xiao Yu and Pei Xingshu walked side by side with Xiao Lin, one on each side.
Pei Xingshu: "Seeing how you brothers have made great achievements in the outside world, while I have remained in the capital for so many years with no notable achievements, I am truly ashamed."
Xiao Lin: "I haven't even set off yet, so it's best if you don't say such things too soon."
Xiao Yu then asked with some concern, "Second Brother, do you have any plans?"
Xiao Lin smiled, looking very confident: "Of course, just wait patiently."
The two civil officials: "..."
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Author's Note: Actually, I initially set the third dynasty's storyline to be the least prominent. Since everyone likes the third dynasty, I've been thinking deeply about it for the past two days, trying to find a storyline that can be stretched out, but there really isn't one, unless I write the third dynasty in a crazy way. But I don't think everyone would want to see such a storyline, so I'm starting to wrap things up. We're not deliberately making it longer just for the sake of making it longer.
Love you all, here are 100 little red envelopes, see you tomorrow~
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