Chapter 176 Triumph
"Mom, aunt, Huihui, sit here!" Su Lanzhang called out loudly, pointing to the seat by the window.
"This is a good seat." Su Zhao praised, subconsciously looking at the people around her, and then walked over and sat down. However, she seemed quite uneasy and looked out the window from time to time.
It wasn't just her; several of the people accompanying her were like this, and even the guests at the next table were like this.
Su Lanzhang said cheerfully, "Of course. I found out the day my second brother would be back, and I booked this place five days in advance. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to book it today."
Su Huihui couldn't stand his smug look and laughed at him, "Did you decide this? It was Ah Rong who decided it."
Su Lanzhang was unhappy and said, "If I hadn't reminded you, Brother Rong wouldn't have thought of this."
Seeing her children about to quarrel again, Aunt Bai quickly interrupted them: "Alright, stop arguing. We don't know when Erlang will come in. There's no sign of him right now."
If today was not the day of the Great Zhou's triumphant return, Aunt Bai, who usually refused to even step out of the door, would not have followed them out to join in the fun. Naturally, she was eager to see the triumphant team at this moment.
Su Lanzhang chuckled, glanced down, and said, "It should be soon. His Majesty has sent Grand Tutor Zhang out of the city to welcome him."
Su Zhao was most concerned about her son. She couldn't help but look at him again and again, sighing and saying, "I wonder if Feng'er has become thinner or darker. Yunzhou is bitterly cold, and he must have suffered a lot."
Aunt Bai quickly comforted him, "Erlang is a man with a plan in mind. Besides, he is a civil official and doesn't need to go to the front lines."
After hearing this, Su Zhaoshi also said, "Fortunately, our Great Zhou won in the end. A few days ago, the Fourth Prince was captured, Yunzhou City was captured, and the entire delegation was annihilated. I don't know whether these news are true or not, but they scared me to death."
Naturally, the specific news about Yunzhou would not be told to the common people, but the few words that came out were very scary, especially the rumor some time ago that the envoy group was ambushed by the Xianbei after leaving the city and the entire army was wiped out.
When this news reached the capital, not only was the emperor furious, but the people were also worried.
When Su Zhao heard the news, she collapsed and became ill due to anger. If it weren't for Aunt Bai and Su Huihui looking after the family, chaos would have happened soon.
The disease came on with great force, and in the end Su Lanzhang had to shamelessly find Prince Rong's mansion and ask the palace to ask for an imperial physician to come back, which saved Su Zhao's life.
Su Zhaoshi's gradual recovery was closely related to the subsequent news of the return of the delegation and the great victory of the Great Zhou.
"Our second young master is a blessed man. Old people often say that those who survive a great disaster will have good fortune in the future. Madam, you can just wait to enjoy the blessing of your son." Aunt Bai said with a smile.
Su Zhaoshi's spirits had returned and she said with a smile, "I don't seek comfort. As long as Feng'er is well, I have nothing else to ask for in this life."
Aunt Bai glanced at her two children and could understand Su Zhao's thoughts very well. She felt the same way. As long as Lan Zhang and Hui Hui were safe and sound, she would be satisfied.
"Here it comes!" Suddenly there was a cry of surprise.
Su Zhao suddenly stood up and rushed to the window, with half of her body sticking out.
At the city gate, a group of people were seen slowly walking in. They were riding on fine horses and wearing light armor. The flags flying in the air and the triumphal music playing showed the might of this triumphant team.
The onlookers cheered one after another. If it weren't for the dignity, they would have stepped forward to touch it and share in the joy.
"Look, isn't that my second brother riding the horse in front?" Su Lanzhang shouted loudly.
"Feng'er!" Su Zhao couldn't help but shout. Even though she knew that the people below would not be able to hear her at such a distance, she still covered her mouth and tears fell.
Prince Cheng rode his horse in the front, and on his left and right were He Jun and Su Fengzhang. The Fourth Prince's injury had not yet healed and he had lost an ear, so he simply hid in the back of the carriage and didn't want to see anyone.
The fourth prince hid himself and didn't want to see anyone. Song Wei was convicted and escorted to the capital, so Prince Cheng naturally became the leader.
But at this moment, he had a sarcastic smile on his face, and the cheers from the side couldn't make him smile: "Master Su, do you think these people know that they are thanking the wrong person?"
The ones who followed them back to the capital were actually the 100,000 troops that Song Wei and the Fourth Prince had brought to Yunzhou. In fact, these 100,000 troops did not play any role in this war except for following the Fourth Prince and causing a big trouble.
It was the Zhenbei Army that fought bloody battles to defend Yunzhou City, and the Zhenbei Army could not leave Yunzhou. This time, General Meng Kun did not return to Beijing, and only a deputy general accompanied him.
As a result, the person who really made the contribution is still in the bitter and cold frontier, while those who just made a cameo appearance won cheers.
Su Fengzhang said, "My Lord, this thank you is for you."
Prince Cheng raised his eyebrows slightly. This time, the emperor not only sent all civil and military officials out of the city to welcome him, but also made such a big fuss. It was obvious that he intended to use this triumph to cover up all the previous shadows.
This was also the emperor's usual tactic. Every time something bad happened, he would find a good thing to cover it up. If there was no good thing, he would make one up.
Prince Cheng also understood his father, the Emperor, and whispered, "Lord Su, when you see His Majesty later, just listen to what he says and don't mention anything else."
Although Su Fengzhang didn't understand why he said that, he still nodded and agreed.
One after another, the fine horses came all the way to the palace gate, and the riders dismounted one after another.
After not seeing him for a few months, Grand Tutor Zhang looked even older. It was obvious that he was exhausted during these months, and his eyes had become dim.
However, the emperor asked Grand Tutor Zhang to come forward, and the meaning behind this is thought-provoking. After all, this person has always been a member of the prince's party.
"Prince Cheng, Prince Xi, General Ma, and my lords, His Majesty has already prepared a banquet in the palace to reward the army. Please follow me." Grand Tutor Zhang said, but his eyes were very complicated when he looked at them.
Who knew that at this moment, the Fourth Prince suddenly jumped down from the carriage. He still had a bandage on his ear and his face was extremely gloomy, especially the look he gave Master Zhang was like poison in his eyes.
After getting off the car, the Fourth Prince didn't even look at anyone else and walked straight into the palace. He was the emperor's most beloved prince, and no one dared to stop him at this time.
Master Zhang thought to himself that something was not right and quickly called out, "Fourth Prince, please join the generals for the banquet."
The Fourth Prince turned around and snorted coldly, sneering, "This prince has important matters to report to His Majesty, and there is no time to delay."
After saying that, he left a group of people behind and went into the palace by himself. The others present knew that this person must have gone to the palace first to file a complaint to the emperor. Everyone knew that the fourth prince was loved by the emperor.
Grand Tutor Zhang's face became even uglier. When the military supplies and food incident happened before, the emperor was furious with the prince in the palace. However, due to the face of the Great Zhou and the dire situation of the war between the two countries at that time, the matter was suppressed first.
But there is no wall that is impenetrable. Everyone in the court knows that the prince did not hesitate to tamper with military supplies in order to hinder his own brother, so that the prince's already bad reputation has been further damaged.
This was even more so among the people, where there were even songs cursing the prince that spread among the common people.
The prince was imprisoned in the Eastern Palace. Although the emperor did not order any punishment for the time being, it did not mean that the matter could be glossed over. Even Grand Tutor Zhang, a staunch supporter of the prince's faction, was very dissatisfied with the prince's actions.
Sometimes, even Grand Tutor Zhang began to doubt whether it was right or wrong for him to support the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince was the eldest son, but he did not have the bearing of a wise ruler, and was even worse than the current emperor.
"Master Zhang, since Fourth Brother is busy, we don't need to wait for him." Prince Cheng said calmly.
"Please follow me." Grand Tutor Zhang said this, but he sighed in his heart.
The Fourth Prince lost his face, an ear, and even the chance to become emperor. How could he let it go? Now that the triumphant army has returned, it is time to thoroughly investigate the matter.
After several months, the palace of the Great Zhou was still as magnificent as ever, with majesty in its splendor and oppression in its majesty. There seemed to be no change at all. The only difference was probably that the palace servants and eunuchs were becoming more cautious when walking around.
The palace banquet was held in the Xuanhua Hall. When everyone entered, they saw tables and delicious food already set out, and even court musicians and dancers waiting in the back.
This is more like their father's style. No matter what time, the demeanor of a great power must always be maintained.
Prince Cheng sat in the lower right seat. Seeing this, Grand Tutor Zhang reminded him, "Prince Cheng, you should sit there."
Prince Cheng laughed and said, "Grandmaster Zhang, you're joking. That should be the position of the Crown Prince, or Fourth Brother."
Grand Tutor Zhang's expression changed slightly. He didn't know whether the Fifth Prince did it on purpose or he really didn't know that the Crown Prince was in confinement. He probably wouldn't attend the normal banquet today.
After saying this, Prince Cheng patted the seat beside him and said with a smile, "Master Su, please sit next to me."
"My Lord, this might not be a good idea, right?" Su Fengzhang said. According to his official rank, his position should be at the back.
Prince Cheng said, "You are the hero of this triumphant return, so why not? Besides, my father will surely be pleased to see you later. Come and sit here."
He Jun laughed heartily upon seeing this, stroking his chin without further ado, and sat down directly beside them, saying, "Don't worry, Lord Su, His Majesty will surely be pleased to see you."
Su Fengzhang asked in a low voice: "If the Crown Prince or the Fourth Prince showed up, or if there were other princes present, wouldn't it be the same?"
Prince Cheng turned his head and smiled at him, saying, "Don't worry, none of them will come."
The emperor has more than just these few princes. Logically speaking, why wouldn't any of them come to such a banquet? Su Fengzhang was suspicious, and soon realized that Prince Cheng was the one who truly understood the emperor!
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