Gu Ting came to the military camp and asked to see the Duke of Lu.
Mr. Dou personally welcomed him, "General Gu is here! The Marquis was just thinking about you. Why don't you stay home and rest for a few more days? General Gu still has more than ten days of vacation left, right?"
Gu Ting chuckled, "This general has come to pay his respects to my father-in-law!"
The implication is that today's visit is just a private one, not a business matter.
"General Gu, please come in! The capital has sent some new tea. General Gu, please try some!"
"Great! I'm in for a treat today. Let me have some of the Marquis's tea."
Gu Ting was cheerful and seemed to be in a good mood.
He followed Mr. Dou into the signing room.
The Duke of Lu and his son were both present.
"Greetings, Lord Marquis, Lord Earl!"
The father and son were granted the title of marquis and earl respectively, and they had two titles in the same family. It was indeed a flourishing life.
"Gu Ting is here, sit down and have some tea!"
The Duke of Lu greeted him.
Gu Ting thanked him and sat down below.
He didn't know how to read people's expressions, and it was difficult for him to tell whether what an old fox like the Marquis of Lu said was true or false.
But he has his own way.
He went straight to the point, "I came to see the Marquis today because there is something I don't understand."
"What's up?"
"My Lord, could you please tell me what your plan is? Will you continue pursuing Xiliang? Has the imperial court issued any order?"
Mr. Dou was the first to raise an eyebrow. Even outside the door, he'd been talking about visiting his father-in-law. Now, just as he sat down, he was addressing me as superior and asking about official matters. He was really impatient.
Mr. Dou is not in a hurry.
The Duke of Lu was also not in a hurry.
Marquis Lu laughed heartily and pointed at Gu Ting, "You, you're as impatient as ever. Now that you're back, take a good rest at home for a few days and spend time with your wife and children. Xiao Man has complained to me several times, saying that you haven't been home for years and the children don't remember you. This time, I'll make an exception and give you a month's vacation."
Gu Ting looked embarrassed. "To be honest with you, my Lord, I'm used to the life in the military camp. I've been at home for two days, feeling bored and at a loss as to what to do to pass the time. I feel very uncomfortable all over. Why don't you let me go back to the camp to train the soldiers and go back to the city to have dinner with Xiao Man and the children in the evening?"
"What will you do if there are no more wars?" the Duke of Lu asked with a smile. "Sooner or later you'll have to learn to adapt to a balanced life. You can't be as tense as a bow all day long."
Gu Ting looked simple and honest. "I'm used to military life. I'll stay in the military camp all my life."
The Duke of Lu raised his eyebrows and laughed, "Yes, yes, a good man should be tempered in the army. But you are not young anymore, you should give the young men below a chance to gain experience. Go back and rest. A good rest will help you better fight the enemy."
"Should our Northwest Army continue to pursue Xiliang?" Gu Ting asked excitedly.
The Duke of Lu laughed and said, "General Gu shouldn't ask about military secrets, and he can't ask."
"Has the court issued an order?"
"If there is an order involving the entire army, I will make it public."
It didn’t matter that Gu Ting didn’t get an answer.
He stood up and said goodbye without staying any longer.
Mr. Dou looked at the Duke of Lu, and after getting his tacit consent, he chased after him.
"General Gu, General Gu, wait a minute."
Mr. Dou caught up with Gu Ting and asked, "General Gu, would you please do me the honor of having a drink with me?"
"Drinking at this hour?" Gu Ting looked up at the sky. "Mr. Dou, aren't you afraid of military prosecution?"
Mr. Dou laughed heartily. "General Gu is on vacation, and so am I. You can drink anytime during your vacation. Come on, there's a new pub over by the express station. The owner is honest and gives discounts."
…
In the signing room.
Pei Meng sat on the chair with his horse and golden sword, "Father, Gu Ting is the Queen's brother after all. It will be more beneficial for us if he stays in the northwest."
Marquis Lu waved his hand. "You've met and dealt with Queen Gu. What kind of person do you think she is?"
Pei Meng said solemnly: "She is a woman who should not be underestimated."
The Marquis of Lu said expressionlessly, "I know Liu Zhao's abilities perfectly well. Over the years, the couple has been tossing around all sorts of things. What role has Liu Zhao played in all of this?"
Pei Meng frowned, "What does father mean?"
The Marquis of Lu raised an eyebrow and smiled, "It seems that Liu Zhao hasn't taken a concubine in many years, not even a maidservant. After ascending the throne, he didn't hold a selection to expand the harem. Who do you think is the real boss between the emperor and the empress?"
Pei Meng was silent.
The Marquis of Lu continued, "News has arrived from the capital that the Queen Mother hasn't left Weiyang Palace for months, and no one has been allowed to visit her. If it weren't for the imperial physician's assurance that she was recuperating, the Pei family would have suspected she was no longer alive. Meanwhile, Empress Gu used her private funds to build palaces within the palace. Until the palace was completed, she insisted on residing in the Prince of Qin's residence. While Empress Gu lived there, Liu Zhao followed suit, seeing nothing wrong with it. What have you come up with?"
Pei Meng whispered, "This isn't a simple mother-in-law-daughter-in-law conflict, nor is it a simple mother-son conflict."
Marquis Lu nodded, "This was a power struggle between the Queen Mother and the Empress. The Empress clearly won, and the Queen Mother was completely defeated, unable to even fight back. The Queen Mother insisted on staying in Weiyang Palace and refused to move out. The Empress went all out and started a massive construction project in the harem. This is a slap in the face!"
As a son, what did Liu Zhao do? He confined the Queen Mother to her house, clearly and firmly standing on the Queen's side. As Liu Zhao's biological mother, the Queen Mother couldn't even win a simple mother-in-law-daughter-in-law dispute. She was incompetent! She was just lucky to marry Emperor Chengzong Wende and give birth to Liu Zhao.
The Duke of Lu always looked down on Queen Mother Pei.
In his eyes, Queen Mother Pei was a foolish woman who had no idea how to play to her strengths and only did things that would draw criticism.
Even as the Empress Dowager, she still hadn't learned the ropes of palace fighting. It was all because Emperor Chengzong Wende was too indulgent towards her, causing her to miss out on the crucial lessons of survival in the cracks.
Emperor Chengzong Wende did not love Empress Dowager Pei, nor did he pamper her, but he respected her and indulged her. He gave Empress Dowager Pei enough face and did not interfere in her affairs.
As a result, over the years, Empress Dowager Pei developed the character of having the final say when Emperor Chengzong Wende was not around.
I have long forgotten the feeling of compromise and have thrown all the conspiracies and plots into the chamber pot.
One force can defeat ten skills!
When she was in the palace, she was the princess. She was the most powerful of all the women, so if she was not satisfied, she could just slap her, no need to use tricks.
In the palace, she was the queen, and she was also the most powerful. If she disliked any of the concubines, she would punish them slightly or severely, and Emperor Chengzong Wende would not interfere.
Being the Empress Dowager was even more extraordinary. She was the most powerful woman in the world. The emperor was her son, and nothing could restrain her.
As a result, I miscalculated!
Liu Zhao, this rogue emperor, is much more fierce than his father. He starts fighting at the slightest disagreement!
infamy?
Curse as you like!
He doesn't care at all.
"As soon as Liu Zhao ascended the throne, he confined the Queen Mother to her quarters for the Queen. Where do you think he got the confidence from?" Marquis Lu asked with a smile.
Pei Meng frowned and said, "Queen?"
Marquis Lu nodded heavily. "It's obvious that of the two, the Empress is the one who controls everything. I would rather offend that scoundrel Liu Zhao than Empress Gu."
Pei Meng frowned, "Father, do you think too highly of the Empress?"
Marquis Lu took a sip of his tea. "Is it serious? During those years when we were trading with Xiliang, didn't you see anything? It's obvious that the Empress had anticipated everything more than a decade ago and started planning for war, even sending that bald donkey, Wuwang, early on."
Things seem chaotic, but when you put them together step by step, you'll find that everything is part of her plan. I'm not exaggerating when I say that even this war was part of her calculations."
At this point, the Duke of Lu smiled coldly, "Xiliang's sudden military action must have been due to the contribution of Wuwang. I heard that a mutiny occurred in Xiliang and the prince supported by Wuwang won. I have to admire the ability of that bald donkey Wuwang.
I underestimated him, but the Empress didn't. Instead, she greatly valued him, placing him in the most appropriate position to do what he excels at. How many people in the world can match her ability to know people and assign them to positions, to dare to think and act? If that scoundrel Liu Zhao had this ability, I would tear his head off and kick it like a ball. Now, do you still think I'm overestimating the Empress?"
Pei Meng took a deep breath, "Could it be that the Great Zhou will have a female emperor? Then we can legitimately..."
"Stop dreaming!" Duke Lu interrupted Pei Meng's delusion.
"Looking at the Empress's emphasis on and cultivation of His Royal Highness the First Prince, it's clear that he's the only one who can be crowned the heir. And the best thing about Empress Gu is that she possesses all the conditions and resources to become emperor, yet she's not greedy or ruthless, always leaving a way out. She leaves a way out for others, and for herself. With her current influence and popularity, she's not emperor, but she's better than an emperor, and she can even leave a good name behind. It's much better than just becoming emperor directly."
"How can there be such a person in the world who has the conditions to become emperor but refuses to do so?" Pei Meng didn't understand.
Marquis Lu laughed. "Look at what she's done over the years. She doesn't want that position, but to change the world! She wants a major transformation. Any change will inevitably face a fierce backlash, and whoever becomes emperor will bear the pressure. Liu Zhao being emperor is much better than her becoming emperor herself. The pressure is on Liu Zhao, and she only needs to hide behind the scenes and implement her plan step by step to support the eldest prince. This is the smart way to do it."
"Liu Zhao is willing?"
"Why wouldn't he be willing? He'll create a prosperous era that will last for eternity. If he succeeds, he'll be a famous ruler through the ages. Just ask, who could refuse?"
A famous king of all ages!
Pei Meng's heart was beating fast.
He then asked, "If Liu Zhao becomes a famous emperor, then wouldn't our Northwest Army be destined to become his stepping stone? Father, what should we do?"
Marquis Lu took out a letter from the secret compartment and said, "This is a letter from the Queen to me."
"The Empress actually wrote a letter to Father?"
Duke Lu smiled. The white envelope on the table was like a hot potato, and he didn't dare to touch it easily.
He said to Pei Meng, "On my behalf, go to the capital and escort Gu Ting and Xiao Man back to the capital."
"What?"
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