Chapter 282 Military Affairs in the North
For the next three months, Beijing was constantly busy.
Emperor Xiao Jing and Empress Xu were buried.
Consort Xian was also posthumously honored as Empress Xiaohui and was buried in the imperial mausoleum along with Emperor Xiaojing.
Then came the coronation ceremony of the seventh prince.
After offering sacrifices at the Imperial Ancestral Temple and informing Heaven and Earth, the seventh prince officially ascended the throne.
His reign title was Wu Xi, and he was known as Emperor Xiao Wu.
Thus began the reign of the longest-reigning and most accomplished emperor in the history of Dayu, which lasted for sixty-five years.
Under his leadership, the Great Yu region also entered an unprecedented golden age...
Later generations called it the Wu Xi Prosperity...
......
A month after Emperor Xiao Wu ascended the throne, he bestowed upon Shangguan Jin the title of Lady of the State of Wei, a title of super rank, exempting her from kneeling before the emperor.
Marquis Changsheng was granted the title of Duke Changsheng, but continued to command the Weiyuan Army.
Prime Minister Xu was granted the title of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince and was given the salary of a first-class duke.
The eldest son of Prime Minister Xu entered the Ministry of Justice and served as its Vice Minister.
As for the others...
Emperor Xiao Wu had not yet decided what title to bestow.
What surprised everyone the most was that Lord Shangguan suddenly resigned from his post and went home to enjoy his retirement.
Lord Shangguan was promoted two ranks and appointed Minister of Personnel.
Lord Shangguan's eldest son entered the Censorate from the Hanlin Academy and served as the Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate.
Also, there is General Huangfu Ruolang, the third son of Marquis Changsheng, who is temporarily serving as the commander of the Imperial Guards.
Chang Shenggong repeatedly assured that as long as Huangfu Ruolang stayed in the capital for three years and formed a completely loyal imperial guard, he would immediately request to be transferred back to the north.
But in private, Changsheng Gong complained to his wife.
“Useless San’er, can’t even find a wife, he’s nothing like me.”
Leave him in the capital and you can find him a good match. It doesn't matter what kind of family he comes from, as long as the girl likes him, that's fine.
We'd even be willing to give more in betrothal gifts.
Now, Lady Huangfu thought about it and realized it made sense. He was already so old; other men his age already had several wives and concubines...
"Mother, the Seventh Prince really became emperor? What a pity!"
"He can't come with us to the north," sighed Huangfu Ruoxi, the youngest daughter of Changsheng Gong.
Lady Huangfu...
"Alright! You're not allowed to say these things outside anymore."
"The Seventh Prince is now His Majesty, the Emperor's son. You mustn't say those things in front of His Majesty!" Lady Changsheng instructed.
Huangfu Ruoxi still felt it was a bit of a pity.
Sigh, now that I'm emperor, we can no longer eat barbecue and ride horses together...
Lady Huangfu breathed a sigh of relief.
Without Emperor Xiao Jing watching over her, she could secretly pick up the matter of her youngest daughter's marriage...
......
Similarly, the siblings, Qianli Hua and Wanli, who are also late in spring, have been having a bit of a loss for appetite these past few days.
“Brother, you said the Seventh Prince has become emperor, so should we close this teahouse?” Hua Wanli asked.
"Why close the teahouse when business is so good?" Lian Qianli was a little confused.
Hua Wanli rolled her eyes at him.
"Mother said that what we do should not be related to the imperial court."
People outside are saying that the Seventh Prince has a share in our teahouse, and now the Seventh Prince…”
Seeing Hua Wanli like this, Lian Qianli couldn't help but tap her on the head.
What do you mean by "getting involved is bad"?
The moment you stepped into Madam Shen's residence, we became entangled with the imperial court.
Okay, stop thinking about it.
What it was like before, it will be like in the future.
"At worst... at worst, this teahouse can become a base for the Seventh Prince... no, for the imperial family to observe the people's conditions!"
Hua Wanli thought about it and realized it might not be a bad idea.
They've managed to latch onto the emperor's coattails; something most people would beg for.
Although this emperor is a little young, only fifteen years old.
But even the smallest imperial family is still an imperial family. No matter what, if they encounter someone who doesn't know their place in the world, they won't be left with nowhere to turn!
"Brother, you're right. At worst, we can just treat it as a place for the imperial family to stay!"
"Alright, I'm not talking to you anymore. I need to get ready to go on a mission." Hua Wanli said, turning to leave.
Upon seeing her, Lian Qianli quickly stopped Hua Wanli.
"What exactly is going on between you and General Huangfu?" Lian Qianli asked.
"It's nothing! It's just that I wanted to sleep with someone but couldn't."
As Hua Wanli spoke, she leaped and flashed behind Lian Qianli.
Thousands of miles...
What do you mean by "wanted to sleep but couldn't"? Who wanted to sleep...?
"Wanli..."
Lian Qianli wanted to ask Hua Wanli a few more questions, but suddenly heard a rapid sound of horses' hooves coming from the street outside.
He peeked out.
A fast horse galloped swiftly towards the palace.
The rider's clothing was clearly that of a military uniform from the north.
......
"Northern military affairs! Get out of the way immediately!"
The rider shouted as he galloped toward the palace.
When he arrived at the palace gate, he flipped himself off the horse.
"An urgent memorial from the north, please report it immediately," the man said hastily.
Upon hearing this, the soldiers guarding the palace gates immediately sent someone in to report.
Before an incense stick could burn, dozens of eunuchs hurriedly left the palace gates, rushing towards the residences of various important officials in the capital...
Half an hour later, Prime Minister Xu and Duke Changsheng led all the civil and military officials to gather at the Hall of Diligent Governance.
The young and inexperienced Emperor Xiao Wu handed the memorials from the north to Prime Minister Xu and Duke Changsheng.
"The deputy commander of the Weiyuan Army submitted an urgent memorial stating that the Northern Hu army has been mobilized, intending to invade Dayu while the court is unstable after the new emperor's ascension to the throne." Changsheng Gong knew what was going on after just one glance at the memorial.
When Prime Minister Xu took the memorial and read it, his brows furrowed.
Is another war about to break out?
Over the past three months, the Ministry of Revenue has been spending money like water on several funerals and the expenses of the new emperor's enthronement ceremony.
There's a war going on now...
We're a bit strapped for cash!
"Your Majesty, although the national treasury is empty, this old minister will do everything in his power to help the Weiyuan Army win this battle," Prime Minister Xu declared first.
Emperor Xiao Wu nodded, just about to ask how much military pay Duke Changsheng needed.
Chang Sheng Gong smiled.
"Your Majesty, whether this war can even break out is another matter."
This old minister begs Your Majesty's permission that I may depart for the north tomorrow.
"Does the Duke of Changsheng mean that this war might not even break out?" Emperor Xiaowu asked.
Chang Shenggong nodded.
"So what if the Northern Hu mobilized troops?"
This old minister dares to say that this war will not break out for at least a year.
However, just in case, this old minister still requests Your Majesty's permission to return to the north. "As Changsheng Gong said this, he knelt down.
Emperor Xiao Wu glanced at Duke Changsheng and immediately said, "Granted!"
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