Chapter 087

Concubine Zhuang did not expect Zhao Youcheng to give such an evaluation of Zhao Youze. In her impression, Zhao Youze was just a quail hiding under the protection of Jiashan, and a blind quail at that, and was far less powerful than Jiashan in fighting.

Even if he had regained his sight, he was still just a dull boy. Apart from the shining title of Yuan Di, he was no match for her son whom she had carefully raised for more than ten years.

Concubine Zhuang then looked at him fiercely, frowned, and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Thinking of what happened yesterday, Zhao Youcheng's expression was not very good, just like a bull spitting fire. He said gloomily: "Yesterday, my father came to the study to test our homework, and he answered very well."

Hearing that it was just a small matter like a test on homework, Concubine Zhuang smiled and comforted her son, "I thought it was nothing big, it's just an exam. Maybe it's just that His Majesty thought he was just a beginner, so the questions he asked were relatively simple. There's nothing to worry about."

"You have been taught by famous teachers since you were young. You should understand how high your father's expectations of you are," Concubine Zhuang said, "Don't underestimate yourself."

Zhao Youcheng pursed his lips. There were some things he couldn't say too much to Concubine Zhuang. But the questions asked by Emperor Zhanghe were not ordinary questions.

Before noon yesterday, Emperor Zhanghe suddenly got excited and came to the upper study room where the princes were studying and asked a question that caught everyone off guard.

"I just received urgent military intelligence from the northwest this morning. The Marquis of Anding, who is stationed in the northwest, reported that the Turkic Yeli Khan is now ready to make a move and intends to invade the border again." Emperor Zhanghe glanced at the people sitting or standing, "Since Emperor Tai|zu, the northwest Turks have always been a major concern for our dynasty. What attitude do you think I should take towards Yeli Khan?"

Among all the princes, starting from Zhao Youcheng, the oldest is only fifteen years old now, which is far from the age to attend court and manage affairs.

Although they had all received an extraordinary education since childhood under the guidance of Imperial Academy lecturers, this was the first time that Emperor Zhanghe discussed military and national affairs with them, so they were all a little stunned for a moment.

Emperor Zhang He called out his name, "Youcheng, you are the elder, you go first."

Zhao Youcheng was relatively calm among everyone. He said "yes" and then spoke slowly.

"I think that the Turks have been causing trouble for many years, just like the Xiongnu who were unyielding in the past. Father should follow the methods of Emperor Wu of Han and attack them forcefully." Zhao Youcheng said forcefully, "Since Emperor Gaozu, the Western Han Dynasty has always pursued a policy of marriage and forbearance for many years. It was not until Emperor Wu of Han conquered the Xiongnu with lightning speed that the Han Dynasty was able to be proud of itself. Grand Marshal Wei Qing led seven expeditions to the Xiongnu, and in one battle with the cavalry generals through the northern desert, he killed 90,000 Xiongnu troops, resulting in the absence of a royal court in the southern desert. In the following years, the Western Han Dynasty was free of border troubles and disasters."

"Our dynasty now has a strong military force, and Marquis Anding is a veteran who has fought many battles with the Turks. Why not take this opportunity to wipe them out in one fell swoop?" Zhao Youcheng bowed and said, "If you succeed, father will be the great ruler of Daliang for a hundred years."

Emperor Zhanghe smiled and did not comment on Zhao Youcheng's statement. He glanced at Zhao Youze, who seemed to be in a daze, and continued to call on him in a slightly depressed tone: "Yuankang, what do you think?"

Zhao Youze had only been in the study for a few months, and he had just regained his sight, so no one expected that Emperor Zhang He would call Zhao Youze. Fortunately, Zhao Youze was stunned for a few seconds and then reacted quickly.

He smiled generously and replied politely, "I think what the eldest brother said makes sense."

Emperor Zhang He's expression did not reveal his joy or anger.

Zhao Youcheng, on the other hand, raised his eyebrows without any ulterior motives, thinking that Zhao Youze was just a fool who was just repeating what others said. However, before he could finish being complacent, Zhao Youze continued, "It's just that you're only half right."

This time, it was Zhao Youcheng's turn to look unhappy and angry, and Zhang Hedi raised his eyebrows. However, he raised his eyebrows out of curiosity.

Zhao Youze's voice was not loud, but his words were clear and melodious. He said word by word: "My eldest brother said that the Western Han Dynasty did not rise to prominence until the reign of Emperor Wu. This is indeed true."

"But the reason why Emperor Wu of Han was able to achieve unprecedented achievements and become a famous monarch who expanded the territory was because Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing followed the teachings of Huang-Lao and implemented a national policy of recuperation and rest, which enabled Emperor Wu to accumulate sufficient capital for the expedition against the Xiongnu. Even so, after Emperor Wu, during the years of the Zhao and Xuan Restoration, they tried their best to restore and develop the country and stabilize people's livelihood."

"When I was reading Sun Tzu's Art of War, I saw Sun Tzu say, 'When an army of 100,000 is mobilized to march a thousand miles, the cost to the people and the public treasury is a thousand pieces of gold a day. The people at home and abroad are in turmoil, idle on the roads, and unable to do their work, and there are 700,000 families.'"

"It can be seen that the use of force at every turn will cause great losses to the country and profound harm to millions of people."

"If we don't have a strong economic force to back us up, going to war will only lead to loss of money and manpower." Zhao Youze said, "My eldest brother just said, 'If we succeed, father will be the great ruler of Daliang for a hundred years.' I guess my eldest brother didn't dare to say it, but in fact there is another sentence, 'If we fail, father may become like Emperor Yang, and the foundation of our country may be destroyed."

After Zhao Youze finished speaking, everyone in the study, from the princes to the Hanlin lecturers, changed their expressions and looked at Emperor Zhanghe's reaction.

Zhao Youcheng hurriedly argued: "I didn't mean that!"

Only Zhang Hedi's face remained calm. He looked Zhao Youze up and down, and his tone became gentler: "Go on."

Zhao Youze's skin was as white as snow, and after regaining his sight, his eyes became as radiant and lively as his elder sister's.

He was not alarmed, but said calmly: "Brother, don't panic. Yuankang is not saying that your method is wrong. We have been in a stalemate with the Turks for many years, and there must be a war between the two sides. But we cannot start a war rashly, otherwise it will put the people in danger."

"Yeli Khan is young and energetic, and although Anding Hou is mature and prudent, he is still old and incompetent. If a fight really breaks out now, it is hard to predict who will win and who will lose."

After Zhao Youze finished speaking, he saw that Emperor Zhang He was just staring at him, so he had to add: "Father, I have finished speaking."

Emperor Zhang He uttered an unfathomable "hmm", his eyes never leaving Zhao Youze.

In the sunlight, Zhao Youze's eyebrows and eyes were charming, and he was more handsome than all the princes under Emperor Zhanghe. He was not as gentle and strong as Jiashan, nor as heroic as himself. Instead, his facial features were more like those of Empress Pei.

But his wisdom and courage seemed to be something that even Empress Pei did not possess.

Zhang Hedi slowly withdrew his gaze. He realized that he might never have understood this son.

Until the end of the conversation in the upper study, Emperor Zhanghe did not express any joy or anger about the speeches of Zhao Youcheng and Zhao Youze. After leaving the study, he asked Chen Gong to give Zhao Youcheng a piece of pure wolf small regular script and gave Zhao Youze a Qilin Zhen paper.

They were both gifts, and neither was very expensive. But Zhao Youcheng was such a smart man that he immediately compared the two gifts.

Kirin paper, Kirin!

The Qilin is an ancient beast. According to legend, the Qilin is the bloodline of the Yellow Emperor's ancestor, Yinglong. What does Father mean by this? Is it implying that Zhao Youze has the talent of a Qilin? Can he live in the East Palace in the future?

Thinking of this, Zhao Youcheng's face couldn't help but darken a little more.

He tried his best not to think too much about it, and turned away and said, "Let's not talk about this. Shuxian's wedding is scheduled for next month. Has her temper and character improved recently?"

"Madame Dou teaches her every day. When she came to pay her respects yesterday, she was already quite capable." Concubine Zhuang had no idea of ​​her son's psychological process, but she still smiled and said.

Zhao Youcheng also smiled and said reluctantly: "Mother, after Shuxian gets married, I have an idea that I need your cooperation."

Concubine Zhuang hurriedly and carefully dismissed everyone and listened attentively.

The mother and son talked in private for a while, and when Zhao Youcheng left Chengqian Palace, his face looked much better than when he came.

Jiashan, who was far away in the princess's residence, naturally had no idea that such a commotion had occurred in the palace. In the morning, Gong Bixing came to check her pulse, and in the afternoon, the news that she was pregnant spread.

First, gifts came from the palace, and then the wives of the princes, dukes, marquises, and earls all sent people to greet her. She had just woken up from her nap when Su Yu came to report that "Madam Pei came in person."

Jiashan knew her aunt would come, but she didn't expect it to be so soon. Pei Yuantang was newly married, and she thought her aunt would be busy teaching the new bride about household affairs.

Jiashan had no choice but to stand up. Before Dancui and others could help her put on her coat, Mrs. Pei had already "broke in".

"Hurry up and lie down," Mrs. Pei's steps were more anxious than ever, but her tone was particularly gentle, "I brought you a lot of medicinal herbs. Your grandfather wanted to come with you, but I persuaded him to stop."

Jiashan's grandfather was Empress Pei's biological father, and he was now about the same age as Old Lady Wen. Although he was not yet old and frail, his body was not strong and he would not leave the house easily.

Jiashan said hurriedly, "Why bother grandpa? When I get better, I will go visit you again."

"Yes," Mrs. Pei smiled and squeezed Jiashan's palm, "That's what I said."

Seeing that Jiashan's face was still rosy, not as weak as the rumors said, she couldn't help but whispered, "I heard that you encountered bandits yesterday and you even bled."

"Are you feeling better now? Is it a big deal?" Mrs. Pei asked concernedly.

Jiashan had never thought that in just one day, this matter had become known to everyone. He could not help but sigh, "It's nothing serious. This morning, the imperial physician Gong came to check my pulse and told me to relax and rest for a few more days."

After hearing that it was Gong Bixing who asked for the pulse, Madam Pei finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She said with a half-smile, half-scold tone, "You too. Now that you're married, you should know what's going on. I heard from Su Yu that your period has been late for nearly ten days this month. Don't you think about it at all? You won't understand until you see your period."

"You are always said to be smart, but I never thought you would be so foolish in such an important matter," Mrs. Pei said, stroking her chest. "Fortunately, there was no danger."

Jiashan was a little embarrassed. She couldn't tell Mrs. Pei directly because she hadn't gotten pregnant in her previous life and thought she was infertile.

However, in her previous life, she had not given birth to a child for eight years. How come after she married Zhan Yue, the Goddess of Childbirth became enlightened so quickly?

There was a slight chill in Jiashan's eyes.

She lowered her head and acted like a little girl, saying, "Aunt is right. I know everything. I will be careful next time."

"Except for Madam Zheng, all the other ladies in your house are virgins." Jiashan was her nephew, so Madam Pei didn't care about being shy and said bluntly, "I brought Madam Yuan here specially to let her stay and take care of you, so that you won't make mistakes again."

Mrs. Pei was sincere, and Jiashan couldn't refuse, so she smiled and said, "Okay."

While they were talking, Su Yu came in with a bow and said to Jia Shan and Madam Pei, "Princess, the steward of the Qin Wang Mansion is here. The Qin Wang's wife heard that you are pregnant, so she sent a pinewood screen with pomegranates carved on it. Take a look. Do you want to accept it?"

Pomegranate, is it wishing her many children and good fortune?

Jiashan's smile remained unchanged, but he said calmly: "Since it is the Qin Wangfei's intention, then accept it. Send someone to report to the steward and tell him that I am not well yet. I will come to thank his wife another day."

"Yes." Su Yu took the order and left.

Mrs. Pei did not notice Jiashan's change of mood, and said without doubt: "The Princess of Qin is indeed a caring person. No wonder everyone in the capital praises her kindness."

Jiashan narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze was cold and stern.

Just as I was about to ask my aunt about the matter of the Princess of Qin, I heard a clear and cheerful voice coming from outside the door -

"Sister!"

Jiashan and Mrs. Pei couldn't help but narrow their eyes at the same time.