Chapter 53 Military Order
Zhen Rui finally realized that Queen Mother Chi was clearly favoring Princess Mingyue.
It was because of this favoritism that Princess Mingyue dared to be so arrogant. Not only did she torture Xie Qinjian severely, but she also dared to lose face for him and refused to let in all the people he sent to deliver gifts.
Now he even dares to collude with Zhao Yuzhang and openly challenge him.
It's so abominable!
Zhao Mingyue was of course well aware of how much Zhen Rui would hate her if she did this, but she didn't care at all.
Ever since the last trial, when she and Zhen Ruicai had a tit-for-tat confrontation in Tianji Hall, she had realized that offending this man would lead to revenge.
But she has her mother's protection, so she is not afraid.
But there was one thing Zhao Mingyue couldn't understand. Why did her mother oppose it just because of Zhen Rui, and not pardon her aunt?
Her father is already dead. Even if her aunt is pardoned directly, Zhen Rui is just a minister and there is nothing he can do, right?
As for those officials, I don’t think they dare to have any opinions. Even if they are dissatisfied, they dare not say it and can only keep it in their hearts.
Therefore, there is no need to find reasons to shut them up, unless A Niang just doesn't want to forgive Aunt.
Although Zhao Mingyue thought so in her heart, she didn't dare to really question Chi Li. She frowned and racked her brains. What reason could she give to make Zhen Ruicai unable to say anything against it?
Unfortunately, she was not good at this and her head hurt, but she still couldn't figure it out.
It would be great if Master Xue were here.
Zhen Ruicai saw Zhao Mingyue frowning and remaining silent, and felt secretly proud in his heart. It seemed that Princess Mingyue was just relying on the favor of Queen Mother Chi to pretend to be strong, and actually she had no ability.
But then again, how capable can a teenage girl be?
Zhao Yuzhang wanted to rely on her to turn things around, but he chose the wrong person.
Zhen Rui was about to speak, shattering Zhao Yuzhang's delusions, when Zhao Mingyue suddenly glared at him and said crisply, "My mother asked me to recruit female soldiers. I've already recruited a thousand, but right now, no one is qualified for the position of general. I want Aunt Zhaoqing to lead the Golden Crow Guard and train the new recruits!"
Zhen Rui was stunned for a moment, then loudly retorted, "I disagree! Princess Zhaoqing has no idea how to lead troops in battle. She was able to defend Tangzhou City by sheer luck. Asking her to train new soldiers is simply child's play!"
Zhao Mingyue said angrily: "That's better than a deserter like you!"
Zhen Rui's face flushed. "What deserter? Princess Mingyue, you are slandering me. Princess, you don't know anything about war. I won't argue with you."
He turned to look at Chi Li, who was sitting at the head of the table. "Your Majesty, these recruits cost the imperial court money. After spending this money, we should see results, right? Are you letting Princess Zhaoqing train these female soldiers? Do you want them to learn some fancy moves?"
Zhao Mingyue was so angry at his words that she clenched her fists and tried her best to endure it without hitting him in the face.
Zhao Yuzhang was looking at Qian Qian behind Zhen Ruicai, wondering if it was possible to dodge his defense and kill Zhen Ruicai.
It’s a pity that weapons cannot be brought into the temple, otherwise she would have taken action long ago.
Chi Luo glanced at the three people in the hall and rolled her eyes in her heart. None of them was easy to deal with.
Zhen Ruicai is not difficult to deal with, but it will be troublesome to get the military power into your hands. It is impossible not to borrow Zhao Yuzhang's sharp weapon.
But a sharp blade can easily hurt people, and Zhao Yuzhang has the same cold temper as her, which is not something that everyone can control. Only Zhao Mingyue can move her with family affection.
Zhao Mingyue is indeed becoming more and more opinionated, and her temper is also getting worse. In this case, it would be better to leave this difficult problem to her.
Chi Qi was calculating in her mind, but her face still had that cold expression that showed no emotion.
She looked at Zhen Ruicai, "Doctor Zhen mean to disband the Golden Crow Guard if we don't see results from the training?"
Zhen Ruicai was a man of quick thinking, not as cautious as Li Mian. He continued, "Of course. Just ask the twelve imperial guards, which one isn't a crack team of elite soldiers and generals? But now, the Golden Crow Guards are all weak and delicate women, truly undermining the prestige of our Darong Dynasty."
Chi Li raised the corner of her mouth. "Envoy Zhen has been in charge of military affairs for many years. I believe he is very good at training soldiers. If that's the case, then I'll do as you say."
Zhen Rui was delighted, but before the smile could even spread across his face, Empress Dowager Chi continued, "Next March, envoys from various countries will be visiting the court. I plan to hold a military parade at Mingfeng Terrace to showcase our military might. You will be the commander-in-chief of the parade. Let the Imperial Guards compete. The winners will be generously rewarded, and the losers will be dismissed."
Zhen Ruicai was extremely surprised, his pupils trembled, "W-what?"
Let the Golden Crow Guard compete with the Imperial Guards? Is Queen Mother Chi kidding me? Even with a simple thought, it's clear that the Golden Crow Guard can't win.
Chi Li stared at him, her tone meaningful, "Why? You don't want to be the commander-in-chief of the parade?"
Zhen Ruicai's heart trembled, how could he dare to refuse to do it? "Your Majesty, I obey your command."
Chi Yan nodded nonchalantly and looked at Princess Zhaoqing, "Where is Zhao Yuzhang? Do you dare to take on this important task?"
Zhao Yuzhang hesitated and did not answer immediately.
She hadn't led troops for five years, and she didn't know the strength of the imperial guards, let alone the quality of the new recruits of the Golden Crow Guard.
I am completely in the dark, and even a god wouldn't dare to make this guarantee.
But before she could figure it out, Zhao Mingyue excitedly shook her hand and shouted, "Of course I dare. With Auntie here, our Golden Crow Guards simply can't lose. We're bound to take first place!"
Chi Li smiled. "Okay, since Mingyue has promised me this, if you lose, I will only hold you responsible."
She stood up and said, "Then it's settled. You can go do what you need to do."
After saying this, he walked slowly into the back hall without caring about the reactions of the people in the hall.
"Farewell, Your Majesty." Everyone knelt down and watched her disappear behind the curtain in the left aisle before slowly standing up.
Zhao Mingyue took Zhao Yuzhang's hand, her face full of joy, "That's great, Aunt Zhaoqing, we can train together from now on."
Zhao Yuzhang looked at her bright smile, and the anger he had felt at her acting on her own instantly dissipated, replaced by a feeling of being touched.
After all, if Zhao Mingyue hadn't tried her best to speak for her in front of Empress Dowager Chi, she wouldn't have been able to leave the princess's mansion.
The corners of his mouth lifted unconsciously, and just as he was about to say something, he heard a sneer from the front, "Princess Zhaoqing, you don't really think you can lead a decent army in just a few months, right? Don't be ridiculous, you Jinwu Guards, participating in the military parade is just asking for trouble!"
Zhao Yuzhang looked up and saw that it was indeed Zhen Ruicai. His eyes instantly turned cold and he sneered, "You are bringing shame upon yourself. Are you talking about yourself?"
Zhao Mingyue immediately agreed, "Exactly. With a deserter like you as the commander, all your subordinates must be deserters."
"You--!" Zhen Ruicai was so angry that his blood boiled and his hands couldn't help shaking.
Just as he was about to retort, Qian Qian stopped him and whispered, "Sir, Princess Mingyue is favored by Queen Mother Chi. There's no need for us to argue with her."
Zhen Ruicai pushed him away, looked at Zhao Yuzhang coldly, turned around and walked out of the hall.
Qian Qian bowed, then took his leave and followed him out.
Zhen Ruicai returned to the duty room. Thinking about how he was so angry and dared not say a word at the hands of Princess Mingyue in the hall just now, he was so angry that he quickly pulled out the knife hanging on the wall and chopped it down at the table.
With a loud bang, the table split in half and all the books on the table fell to the ground.
Qian Qian walked in later and was startled. He looked up and saw Zhen Ruicai staring at him with bloodshot eyes.
"Qian Qian, why do you think we should obey the orders of that woman, Queen Mother Chi?"
Qian Qian quickly turned around and closed the door, then walked to the window and looked carefully. Seeing that there was no one there, he breathed a sigh of relief.
He closed the window, walked up to Zhen Ruicai, and whispered, "Sir, are you crazy? You are talking nonsense in broad daylight."
Zhen Ruicai put down his knife, sat down on the chair, and said through gritted teeth, "I just can't stand Queen Mother Chi's condescending attitude. How can she, a woman, give orders to the ministers? And Princess Mingyue actually dared to point at my nose and curse me. It's simply abominable!"
Qian Qian sighed, "Fortunately, I was the one who heard this. If it were someone else, you would have been taken to the Yiluansi to keep your nephew company."
At this point, he became puzzled. "It's strange, why did Xie Qinjian suddenly change his words?"
Zhen Rui sneered, "I fed him a health pill and lied to him that it was poison, so he naturally didn't dare to tell the truth. But you reminded me that keeping this man alive is a hidden danger. Send someone to get rid of him and don't leave him alive."
Qian Qian felt a chill in his heart when he saw how cold and ruthless he was to his nephew. But then he thought that Xie Qinjian was too incompetent and there was no need for him to sympathize with such a waste.
So he nodded and said, "Yes."
————
On the other hand, Zhao Mingyue invited Zhao Yuzhang to her palace, held a banquet to entertain him, and sent someone to invite Xue Qi to join him.
Although the two had not seen each other for many years and were not very close before, after this meal, they talked and laughed, and their relationship became much more familiar.
Zhao Mingyue asked Zhao Yuzhang about his defense of Tangzhou City. Seeing that she wanted to hear, Zhao Yuzhang picked up a few thrilling things and told them.
After listening to her, Zhao Mingyue stared at her with shining eyes, looking extremely admiring.
Zhao Yuzhang couldn't stand her, so he had to change the subject and asked her if she had practiced archery and how long she had been practicing. Zhao Mingyue answered one by one and then said, "This is all because my mother asked me to practice."
"It seems that Empress Dowager Chi values you very much." Zhao Yuzhang looked thoughtful.
Zhao Mingyue nodded vigorously, "Yes, my mother is very kind to me! And Master Xue was also found for me by my mother. Master Xue is well-versed in history and knows everything."
Xue Qi stood up, toasted Zhao Yuzhang, and said with a smile, "I have long heard of Princess Zhaoqing's great name. Seeing her today, I can see that she truly has the demeanor of a great general."
Zhao Yuzhang picked up the wine glass, drank it all in one gulp, shook his head and said, "That's just too much flattery."
Xue Qi said gently, "I've heard that Princess, you signed a military order with Queen Mother Chi to lead the Golden Crow Guard to victory at the military parade. Princess Zhaoqing is the only one in the world who has such courage."
Zhao Yuzhang was startled and looked up at Xue Qi. Only then did he realize that she had a kind face and gave people a feeling of being both friendly and sincere. He immediately felt a liking for her.
She is worthy of being Mingyue’s teacher. Mingyue’s current character is probably due to her teaching.
Thinking of this, Zhao Yuzhang also offered Xue Qi a glass of wine in return.
After the meal, the two had a great conversation.
After dinner, Zhao Mingyue asked Zhao Yuzhang to sit for a while before sending her away and returning to the princess's mansion to take care of chores.
Watching Zhao Yuzhang's receding figure, Zhao Mingyue couldn't help but ask, "Master Xue, tell me, why is it that Aunt is such a good person, but Mother refuses to pardon her and forces her to sign a military order?"
Xue Qi's expression was calm, but his eyes gradually took on a dark color. "Perhaps, it's because Princess Zhaoqing is a sharp blade, a terrifying blade that no one can control."
Zhao Mingyue was at a loss, "Master, I don't understand."
Xue Qi turned to look at Zhao Mingyue and said slowly, "Princess Zhaoqing is someone who only obeys her own orders. Therefore, even if Your Majesty pardons her, she will not completely obey Your Majesty because of this favor. Your Majesty asked you to plead for her because you want Princess Zhaoqing to feel indebted to you, so that she will be loyal to you."
Zhao Mingyue slowly opened her eyes. This was the real reason why her mother asked her to find a reason to pardon her aunt?
But why? She didn't need her aunt's loyalty.
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