Zhao Huan was furious. Jin Cui Lian wasn't particularly beautiful, but she was young and quite pretty. It would have been nice to have her sing some songs in the palace to relieve boredom. Damn, she'd been ruined by that bastard Li Xiaoyi. An emperor couldn't afford to be the one to take over. So Zhao Huan got jealous.
Zhao Huan, full of jealousy, returned to the palace and threw himself on the queen, and then they were silent all night.
The next day, Zhao Huan quickly forgot about the incident. Ever since the audacious Li Gang threatened to break into the palace, Zhao Huan never dared to be late for court again.
The emperor was not very comfortable, especially during the early morning court session, when he had to get up at dawn. For the lazy Zhao Huan, getting up early was the most troublesome thing.
It is not known whether the queen did it on purpose, or whether all the beautiful ones were taken away by the officials who selected them. These palace maids were all plain in appearance, and none of them made Zhao Huan's heart flutter.
After a busy period, Zhao Huan was finally washed and dressed by the palace maids.
In the Purple Palace, all the ministers were waiting when Zhao Huan came in.
Zhao Huan was sleepy and yawned in a very rude manner, then waved his hand.
Cao Dongsheng immediately understood: "The emperor has arrived, and all the ministers are attending the court early!"
In recent days, the most discussed topic in the morning court was the coronation ceremony, but today was a little different. A minister came forward with a soldier.
"Your Majesty, long live the Emperor!"
Zhao Huan, listless and yawning, was jolted awake at the mention of Yue Fei. He looked delightedly at the soldier Lu Pingzhi had brought with him. He saw he was handsome, strong, and possessed a remarkable bearing; he was indeed a truly fine man.
"You are Yue Fei?" Zhao Huan was overjoyed. Lu Pingzhi's journey hadn't been in vain; Yue Fei wouldn't trade him for ten cities.
Yue Fei did not show the restraint that ordinary people would show when meeting the emperor: "That's right, I am!"
"Good! Yue Fei, I've heard that you are fiercely loyal and deeply concerned about your country and its people. Your mother even tattooed the words 'Serve the Country with Loyalty' on your back. Is that true?"
Yue Fei was stunned: "Your Majesty, I don't have any tattoos on my back, but my mother taught me every day."
Now it was Zhao Huan's turn to be stunned. There was no tattoo on Yue Fei's back? Who the hell had spread this history? What a bunch of nonsense.
He coughed and said, "Well, listen. It's because of a mother like this that a tiger like you is born. Now, I will promote Yue Fei to the Grand Marshal of the Hebei Army and recruit soldiers to strengthen the border defense."
Yue Fei was shocked when he heard this. The emperor actually appointed him to such a high position.
With a loud bang, the ministers below were in an uproar. Yue Fei had no achievements, only a small lieutenant. He had rocketed up to the rank of Grand Marshal, and no one was willing to submit.
This time, Li Gang was the first to speak up. He said, "Your Majesty, Wu was promoted for his meritorious service. Although Yue Fei is appreciated by Your Majesty, I'm afraid it's not appropriate for him to take on such a heavy responsibility."
"Your Majesty, this is not in accordance with the ancestral system." Bai Shizhong objected even more.
Li Bangyan also said: "I am afraid it will be difficult for Yue Fei to convince the people to take on this important task."
Seeing everyone's opposition, Lu Pingzhi stood up and shouted, "Who says Yue Fei has no achievements? Yue Fei attacked the enemy camp at night. A letter frightened Wanyan Zonghan into retreating. When the Jin soldiers retreated, he personally led 3,000 cavalrymen in a fierce attack, forcing Wanyan Zonghan to flee in disarray. Such great achievements are unprecedented in history. It's no exaggeration to say that he saved the Song Dynasty from danger."
Zhao Huan was overjoyed when he heard this: "Lu Pingzhi, what do you mean by this?"
Lu Pingzhi immediately perked up. He began to lavish praise on Yue Fei's achievements in Taiyuan. Lu Pingzhi, already a skilled flatterer, now embellished his words with even more gusto. His descriptions of the thrilling moments were terrifying, while his passionate moments stirred the blood. Everyone listened as if they were drinking fine wine, as if they were in danger.
After speaking for a long time, he finally finished. All the ministers praised him and no one raised any objection.
Zhao Huan was even more delighted: "General Yue is truly a man of both wisdom and courage. If you hadn't scared off Wanyan Zonghan, the Zhong family army would have been in danger. It's no exaggeration to say that you saved the Song Dynasty."
"Your Majesty!" Yue Fei bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the position of Grand Marshal is too important for a humble person to take on. I apologize for not being able to obey your order."
Zhao Huan was very surprised. He was offered a high position but he refused it?
"Your Majesty, if I want to gain fame and honor, it is through my own ability, not your mercy."
Zhao Huan understood that this was another tough guy. Yue Fei did not want to cause gossip and wanted to make achievements with his own ability.
Zhao Huan sighed and said, "Yue Fei has made great contributions in defending Taiyuan. He is promoted to the post of envoy to Shanxi, commanding Yuanshuo, Daizhou, and pacifying the counties. I allow him to recruit his own troops."
Yue Fei then knelt down to express his gratitude: "Yue Fei thanks the Lord for His great grace!"
"Congratulations, General Yue! Congratulations!"
"Congratulations, General Yue!"
The ministers congratulated him, and soon Yue Fei was sent to Shanxi to recruit soldiers and secure the Yellow River defenses. He shared the hardships with his soldiers, clearly distinguished between rewards and punishments, and treated the people with the utmost integrity. They became known as the Yue Family Army.
As the coronation ceremony on the eighth day of the first lunar month drew near, the palace was bustling with activity. However, Zhao Huan could no longer sit still. One day, he invited Cao Dongsheng, Zhan Yunpeng, and Li Gang to sneak out of the palace and go to Fanlou for a drink and music.
As usual, the waiter greeted them like the God of Wealth, and they were still in the same place. The only difference was that the father and daughter who sang the song were no longer there. I guess they won the lawsuit and Li Xiaoyi married Jin Cuilian.
Zhao Huan and his companions were drinking and listening to Zhan Yunpeng discussing his experiences in Jianghu. Zhao Huan was so engrossed in his conversation that he suddenly heard a burst of scolding outside Fanlou and the faint sound of an old man crying out in pain.
Zhao Huan listened attentively: "This voice sounds like Jin Lao Er. Youwei, go out and take a look."
Cao Dongsheng stood up and left. After a while, Cao Dongsheng brought in a man with a gloomy face. It was none other than Jin Laoer.
Jin Laoer was in rags and disheveled clothes, and he was holding a broken bowl in his hand, probably for begging.
Zhao Huan was very surprised: "Jin Laoer, I asked you to go to the Kaifeng prefect to sue Li Xiaoyi. Why are you dressed like this now? Where is Jin Cuilian?"
Li Gang standing next to him was confused and wondered how the emperor knew this person.
Jin Lao Er fell to his knees with a plop, tears streaming down his face: "Sir, please make the decision for me!"
Zhao Huan and Li Gang looked at each other, both feeling surprised.
Zhao Huan asked: "What's going on?"
Jin Laoer cried for a while before slowly recounting his story: "I think this gentleman has an extraordinary bearing and must be an official in the court. I took the gentleman's letter to the Kaifeng prefect. Xu Bingzhe was very enthusiastic after reading the letter and agreed to make the decision on my behalf. The next day, Mr. Li from the prime minister's mansion came to the inn to propose marriage. I and my daughter were very happy. We thought that although my daughter would be a concubine, at least she would have someone to rely on. My father and I were full of joy and waited for Mr. Li to choose a date for the wedding. Who knew that night my daughter was murdered by a villain and died."
"What?" Zhao Huan and Zhan Yunpeng were shocked.
Zhao Huan was secretly horrified. He had been concerned about his own reputation that day. The letter had been sent to Xu Bingzhe in Li Gang's name, and Xu Bingzhe hadn't dared to disrespect Li Gang. He hadn't expected these people to be so audacious, to disregard Li Gang and to actually kill Jin Cui Lian.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com