Wei Ningshuang
This is the Qiankun Kingdom. Since the emperor and empress were out of the palace to handle the case, it was handed over to the imperial concubine Wei Ningshuang and the ministers to handle it together.
Today, Wei Ningshuang sat in Penglai Palace, discussing internal affairs with several important officials. At this moment, a eunuch came to Wei Ningshuang's ear and whispered a few words. Even though the candles and lanterns in the palace were bright and bright, they could not hide Wei Ningshuang's anxiety and worry.
"Concubine Zhen Shu is still missing? It seems she left the palace secretly. Send people to guard the capital and search the surrounding towns for her whereabouts."
After the eunuch left, Chen Feng said, "Noble Concubine Wei, Concubine Zhen Shu's disappearance might be related to an urgent report. The Louhuang Kingdom has dispatched troops, and perhaps the two... tipped off each other."
Du Rufei immediately waved his hand and said, "Don't jump to conclusions. If Your Majesty is worried, I have a suggestion. We might as well expedite the journey of eight hundred miles and have the generals in the front deploy their flags in the woods to bluff the enemy and dissuade them from retreating."
Wei Ningshuang tapped the table with her fingers, her eyes narrowed as she spoke, "Your Majesty has temporarily entrusted the country to me as regent, a sign of your trust in me. If you trust me," she gestured with a wave of her sleeve, "Let the 100-man regiment brought by my family go to war. Send an urgent letter 800 miles away, and have an envoy dispatched from the front to convey my orders. If Lou Huang disregards all rights and disregards right and wrong and launches an attack, Qiankun Nation will mobilize all its national strength to confront him!"
But Yuchi Muyan objected, "Your Majesty, we cannot fight directly. Your Majesty has always supported the principle of using war to support war, in order to reduce the harm done to generals, soldiers, and civilians. Therefore, the best strategy is to first develop the people and then defeat the enemy in one fell swoop."
"Duke Wu, I believe your starting point cannot withstand the opponent's use of leverage."
Yuchi Muyan was puzzled by Du Rufei's words, but Du Rufei explained, "If we send troops, they'll use it as an excuse to embarrass Your Majesty, but it'll also give Your Majesty a chance to make a desperate move. The Twelve Cavalry Route can then march in force to demonstrate their seriousness about the case and force the Louhuang Kingdom to resolve the issue. If we don't send troops, it will become a pretext for Your Majesty to stop the investigation, and it will also lead to the looting of the towns."
Chen Feng said, "How about this? I will lead the troops as a general. Afterwards, all problems will fall on me. The enemy won't be able to cause any trouble."
Du Rufei immediately agreed: "Although it is difficult for the Minister, Your Majesty, I second the motion."
"That's good. If someone takes the lead in taking responsibility, then my father and the people he brings can get an official position. We can also win over people in the court." Thinking of this, Wei Ningshuang agreed.
Then, at this time, a soldier came with the news that Wei's father had committed suicide in prison. Wei Ningshuang stood up and walked out anxiously.
At night, Wei Ningshuang, dressed in mourning, stayed in a temporary mourning hall in the other courtyard.
Ronghua, the personal maidservant of the palace and her mother's family, came to her side and said, "Master, we have found out that it was the Queen who ordered the old man to commit suicide."
Wei Ningshuang clenched her fists and asked, "Have you found the reason?"
Ronghua handed a letter to Wei Ningshuang: "Master, this is what the Queen gave to the old master before she left, asking him to give it to you after her death."
Wei Ningshuang took the letter, opened it and read the contents. After a while, she tore up the paper and then slumped over on the chair with her head in her hands. Ronghua was so scared that he hugged Wei Ningshuang and asked her questions.
Wei Ningshuang said in a voice that was neither angry nor sorrowful, "The Queen said... my father must die. Because my Qing'er has been repeatedly plotted against in the fiefdom, because the civil and military officials have been impeaching my retainers! Because I'm rumored to be a demonic concubine who brings disaster to the country..."
Wei Ningshuang raised her head and looked at Ronghua: "Ronghua, how can we get rid of that prejudice? Rebel and become the empress, and then kill those country folk who speak without restraint?"
Ronghua was so scared that she quickly covered Wei Ningshuang's mouth to stop her, but Wei Ningshuang pushed her hand away, "What am I afraid of? I...no one cares about me at all."
Ronghua took a step back and said, "Your Majesty chose me as your Imperial Concubine. Was it just a momentary gesture? How about learning more about Your Majesty's situation?"
"I can't understand it! We're already married, and we've wholeheartedly supported the Qiankun Kingdom's royal family, yet he still banished my Qing'er to a vassal state. In name, he's a vassal king, but in reality, it's no different from being executed. Qing'er is only ten years old!"
Wei Ningshuang cried, hugging herself and lowering her head. "I don't understand why Qing'er and the retainers were saved only after my father died? I also don't understand what His Majesty and the Queen are thinking!"
Ronghua remained calm and said, "Master, why don't you get to know His Majesty better?"
Wei Ningshuang hesitated for a long time before she said, "Don't I understand enough?"
On the other side, Yin Banluo followed the team to the capital of Louhuang Kingdom - Fengze City.
At this moment, Li Lin in the Louhuang Palace learned that the other emperor Xiao Hong had sent troops to attack because the Qiankun army was at the gates of the city. Li Lin and his party came to the banquet hall, and the two emperors did their best to show their respect and shook hands with each other.
Xiao Hong's hand rested on Li Lin's shoulder, his fingers rubbing against it. When he released his hand, he smiled wryly, "Since Your Majesty has arrived, I'd like to ask, are you bringing a massive army with you? Are you worried that I won't be able to host a welcoming banquet in Fengze City?"
"There's no need for a welcoming banquet. I simply want to ask, Your Majesty, how did Lan Xixi become the lonely soul who 'fell into the water' at your Louhuang Mansion? Your country can't even answer who she met before her death. Is this Louhuang's 'clean judiciary'?"
Xiao Hong picked up the wine cup held by a servant beside him and paused in mid-air: "She's just a common woman, Your Majesty, why bother to hold her so tightly? If I've offended you in any way, how about I drink with you?"
Chen Yun quickly grabbed the wine jug from the side and said, "Your Majesty has always upheld the principle that harmony brings prosperity to our two countries. I have explained the reasons for my visit today, and I hope Your Majesty will be frank with me. Therefore, I will drink first as a token of my respect."
Then Chen Yun put his sleeves behind his back and drank from the spout of the kettle. Everyone was surprised.
When they finished drinking, everyone present applauded.
But for Xiao Xingchen, the prince of Louhuang Kingdom, this was just an impromptu trick.
Xiao Xingchen's expression changed, and he said maliciously, "The Queen has thrown away her proper etiquette like this. How shameless of the royal family!" He glanced at Yin Banluo and said, "I am tired of being here. Young lady, why don't you come with me to the Imperial Garden and show me what makes the beauties of Qiankun Country different?"
Yin Banluo clenched the palm-leaf fan tightly in her hands, her nails digging into her flesh. Although she held power, her status was ultimately a shackle in such situations, and she could only lower her eyes and endure.
Xiao Xingchen's rudeness offended Li Lin. He pointed at Xiao Xingchen and said, "A village woman, huh?"
Chen Yun scolded: "You little kid is messing around."
Louhuang Crown Princess Mu Ya hurried forward and knelt. "Why should women interfere in the affairs of two countries? Men are responsible for external affairs, while women are responsible for internal affairs. I haven't been with the Queen for a long time. Why don't we women go to the back hall to rest?"
Chen Yun raised his hand to stop Mu Ya from coming over. "Are women from Louhuang only able to embroider in the back palace? Last year, I opened a canal to divert water, and Concubine De led troops to clean up local corruption. If you say you're interfering, and leaving women trapped in the inner chambers, you're missing out on half the country!"
Yin Banluo looked at Chen Yun's straight back, and suddenly remembered that the Queen had used the self-deprecating phrase "hen crowing at dawn" to refuse to attend the court meeting. Now she remained motionless, and her throat felt blocked.
Mu Ya said, "How dare you disrespect a woman from your own country? I just wanted to be with the Queen, but you slandered me instead. You must apologize!"
"Your Majesty! I am the Empress of Qiankun Country, yet you allow your Crown Princess to speak without restraint? Where is your self-cultivation?"
Xiao Hong was obviously unhappy with Mu Ya's interruption, so he said, "Come here, take the Crown Princess away and give her thirty slaps in the face."
Muya was helpless, while Chen Yun succeeded without being arrogant. Muya had no choice but to bow and leave.
Li Lin put his arm around Yin Banluo's waist and said in a resounding voice, "Concubine Yin De is my beloved concubine. The Yin family is well-known throughout the Three Kingdoms. She can be tougher than anyone else. There is no need to belittle herself. She will not tolerate anyone insulting her."
Yin Banluo raised her head suddenly, her eyes burning with heat. All the years of focusing on her career seemed to be blown away by these few words, and her eyes became full of affection.
Xiao Xingchen stepped forward and said, "Speaking of which, your country recently killed Bai Ma and formed an alliance with Tufan Country, and even paid three carts of tribute. What a generous gesture! Could it be that Qiankun Country has become so poor that it has to rely on currying favor with smaller countries to survive?"
He turned to Chen Yun and said, "I heard that your harem has been in turmoil recently. Even the palace maids dared to hide forbidden items. Is this the power of the Empress? Since you have so many problems, I am willing to send all the generals of the Eastern Palace to clean up the court for Your Majesty and the Empress. You only need to deliver 10,000 dan of grain every month as compensation."
"He underestimates me. Although it is a very attractive request. But if I agree, it will prove that I am incompetent in managing the harem." Thinking of this, Chen Yun sneered and raised his hand to stop Li Lin who was about to speak.
"I have an idea. Forming an alliance with Fan is to jointly combat the threat of sandstorms and allow the people of both countries to recover and thrive. Nations should also consider the people's well-being, and not dwell on military repression. Tribute is a means of mutual assistance. If the Crown Prince doesn't understand the art of diplomacy, he should read The Strategies of All Nations. As for the harem... dictating from someone who has no chance of knowing the truth is unconvincing. I hope the Crown Prince will focus more on national law and not even suppress cases involving human lives."
Xiao Xingchen choked, then clapped his hands. Several eunuchs came up carrying several brocade boxes. "These are our country's newly made repeating crossbows, water-powered spinning wheels, and even glass mirrors that can reflect people's reflections. Does your country have any of these?"
Chen Ying took out a telescope and said, "This is the Sky Eye. It can see objects within a kilometer." Then Chen Ying turned the telescope away and said, "The other side is a magnifying glass. If you have difficulty seeing clearly due to old age, you can use it to see clearly. The above principle uses the refraction of light. When the mirror is concave, the refracted light is diffused, and the focus of the scene is pulled back. When the mirror is convex, the refracted light is concentrated, and the focus of the scene is pulled closer."
The smugness on Xiao Xingchen's face froze completely, and for the first time he looked at the queen whom he despised seriously.
Li Lin spoke at the right time, bringing the topic back on track: "Xiao Hong, I have brought the army here, firstly to seek an explanation for Lan Xixi's matter, and secondly, to restore the Silk Road."
"Li Lin, I can promise you to restore the Silk Road if you are willing to open water transportation and the four provinces of Lingnan."
"I can promise you to pay the customs duties and pass through."
"Okay! In that case, I'll collect information about the Lan family. There's no point in everyone standing here making things unpleasant. Why don't you go and rest first?"
"certainly."
A soldier came in and said, "Your Majesty! We've received word that the Qiankun Kingdom has sent a team to meet the one we sent."
Xiao Xingchen looked at Li Lin: "Is their regent really not afraid that their emperor will be in danger?"
"This is the responsibility of the people of Qiankun." Li Lin applauded slightly. "I admire the actions of the Regent, Concubine Wei Ningshuang. I am also looking forward to your Majesty's preparations for the Lan Xixi incident."
After saying that, Li Lin and his group left.
This is the Penglai Palace of Qiankun Kingdom, where officials are discussing government affairs.
"So what's wrong with Inugami and Shi Huiri from the East returning to their homeland? Qiankun Country's food has never been used to support idle people. But they have already been fed too much. So they must leave."
Chen Feng said, "Noble Concubine, if you leave, His Majesty's plan to control the East Asian country will be ruined. These people are the hostages that hold other countries back!"
"Are you questioning me?" Chen Feng didn't dare to say anything. Wei Ningshuang said, "Let me tell you, it's time for them to leave. We must first show magnanimity and then send troops to conduct exercises in our country's waters to demonstrate our national power. Through these exercises, we will show them that we can treat others with courtesy, but we can also conquer the world."
No one could deny it any longer. "If there are no other objections, let's withdraw from the court!"
After all the generals left the court, Wei Ningshuang breathed a sigh of relief.
Suddenly, they heard the sound of footsteps outside the palace. Ronghua whispered back, "It's Aunt Liu from the Shanggong Bureau. She said she brought a letter to the king."
Wei Ningshuang looked at it, then said with satisfaction: "As I expected, Qing'er's people can no longer hold back. When my people arrive, those who are trying to harm the king will naturally fall."
Aunt Liu was about to leave when Wei Ningshuang tried to stop her. "Wait a minute, Aunt Liu. I have something to ask you. How does the Queen usually govern you?"
"To answer Concubine Wei, in short, she clearly distinguishes between rewards and punishments, and is moderate in her leniency. She even personally arranges for imperial physicians to treat sick female officials free of charge."
"In your opinion, does the Queen have any complaints against us concubines?"
Aunt Liu thought for a moment, then replied, "I just remembered what the Queen did to the Imperial Concubine."
"The Empress has never shown any resentment towards the harem. On the contrary... Ah! Last autumn, the Empress ordered this servant to secretly investigate the case of impeachment against your retainer. I wonder if you still remember the impeachment incident last year?"
Wei Ningshuang's thoughts were immersed in her past: "Then suddenly no one pursued the matter. Could it be that..."
Seeing Wei Ningshuang's hesitant expression, Aunt Liu smiled slightly and said, "It was the Empress's handling that prevented the impeachment from continuing. Your Majesty has a calligraphy and painting pavilion called Listening to the Rain Pavilion. Has the Imperial Concubine seen the items contained therein?"
"Not really."
"Your Highness, I don't know the secrets of the imperial concubines, but have you ever witnessed or heard the Empress sending loyal ministers to support the king, delivering medicine to the Imperial Concubine's palace, or organizing a group in a nearby town to bring benefits to the Imperial Concubine's family? Your Highness should know! I envy you so much! If I could have such home-like treatment, I would be so happy!"
Wei Ningshuang suddenly remembered the things she had neglected in the past, and recalled the time when she was the Crown Princess of Yanyou Kingdom, and was divorced by Xuanyuan Haonan in public, and was beaten by Xuanyuan Haonan in the snow. And the insecurity she felt when she was falsely accused of being a scourge to the country, and suddenly felt a little tearful.
But her status and pride didn't allow her to be too obvious, so she asked, "So what's the connection with Tingyu Pavilion?"
"The Queen said, we're all women, so why make things difficult for them? Everyone in the royal family lives on the edge of a knife. She has the talent to govern the country, and shouldn't be crushed by rumors. It was then that the imperial edict was drafted many times in Tingyu Pavilion before it was officially implemented to every Shang Gong. This stopped the rumors of a wicked concubine causing trouble for the country."
Wei Ningshuang stood up immediately: "Let's go, I want to go to Tingyu Pavilion."
When she arrived at Tingyu Pavilion, although the floor was littered with papers, she found the imperial edict on one of the pages. She sat down by the window of Tingyu Pavilion, listening to the heavy rain, as Ronghua approached.
"Ronghua, I lost to the Queen."
"Or maybe the master has lost to Your Majesty?" Then he presented the letter in his hand.
The letter reads:
Ningshuang writes to me personally: Your virtue is evident to all. I fear you may be bothered by your remarriage, and although we are husband and wife, our hearts are not yet connected, so I dare not criticize you harshly. Undercurrents are brewing in the capital, and loyal servants cannot secure a stable life. I sent you away, fearing you would resent me, but you have not complained. If you wish, I will offer my heartfelt surrender. The position of Imperial Concubine is not based on power or beauty, but on virtue. The bright moon in the sky is always surrounded by countless stars. You are the brightest and most beautiful of that bright moon. Every time I leave, I cannot help but look back, often seeing you smiling brightly behind the branches in the garden. I love this smile alone, and I wish it will remain forever, bringing me peace and freedom from worry.
The letter stops abruptly here, and the ink smudges, as if there is hesitation when writing.
Wei Ningshuang covered her chest with her hands, but her tears could not stop flowing like the rain behind her.
"Ronghua, I feel like... I'm feeling the beginnings of love again. I... I really want to say a lot to Your Majesty!"
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