Chapter 271 Summoning the Prince of Qin back to the capital
In the imperial palace of the capital, Concubine Li Xian peeled a grape and put it into the emperor's mouth, smiling and saying, "Your Majesty, these grapes have been in the ice cellar for more than half a year, and they are still quite fresh. The people in the Ministry of Internal Affairs have really put a lot of thought into it."
The emperor ate the sweet and sour grapes and frowned slightly, "Concubine Xian, the Princess of Qin who is studying etiquette in Yayan Pavilion has been regular these days. "Is it proper?"
Concubine Li Xian put down the grapes in her hand and giggled, "That silly princess! She is just a piece of rotten mud that can't be pasted on the wall. After learning the palace etiquette for so many days, she still acts silly from time to time.
Yesterday I sent Aunt Liu to check on her. She actually dozed off from the stool while learning the sitting posture. Queen Song was so angry that her face turned red. She flicked her sleeves and went back to the temple to chant. "
The emperor narrowed his eyes slightly, and couldn't help but smiled and shook his head after listening, "No wonder people say that geniuses are idiots in some aspects. This silly princess is good at all kinds of novel things. She is a genius in medicine, but she is an idiot like a child in her words and deeds. It's really fate!"
Concubine Li Xian curled her lips, "The silly princess is worse than a child. Look at the princes and princesses in our palace. Which one of them didn't know how to behave properly, have noble manners, and be reserved and polite when they were young?" The emperor
opened his eyes and smiled slightly, boasting to himself, "That's my dragon son and dragon daughter. Of course, they are all smart and dignified since childhood."
: "Yes! It's all because of your noble bloodline, Your Majesty, that was passed on to them." After flattering him sympathetically, Concubine Li Xian continued, "Your Majesty, when it comes to intelligence, the princes and princesses are all good, but when it comes to being upright and prudent, the third prince Heng'er is the one who follows you the most."
The emperor's face froze!
"Concubine Xian, you should suppress this thought in the future. I don't plan to appoint a prince now!"
Concubine Li Xian was shocked and quickly said with a smile: "I didn't mean that. I just praised the emperor's son. Mothers in the world want their children to be good, so they can't help but praise their children. I said it nonsense. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
How could the emperor not understand Concubine Li Xian's thoughts? He also understood that which mother would not want her own son to inherit the throne, so that the mother can be honored by her son. Moreover
, after the eldest son went crazy and was placed under house arrest, the second and fourth sons were gone. Among the princes who could inherit the throne, the third son was the most suitable.
But now he is in good health and in the prime of his life, and he cannot bear to hear that someone has been plotting against him.
After hearing Concubine Li Xian admit her mistakes and make amends, the emperor's expression softened. He reached out and patted the back of her hand, "My beloved concubine, you should know that now my favorite child is Heng'er, and my favorite concubine is you. As long as you and your son behave yourself and don't make trouble, I will not let you down."
The emperor was giving a definite answer. Concubine Li Xian, who was reassured, immediately stood up and knelt on the ground in surprise to express her gratitude, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your favor to me and Heng'er. We, mother and son, will behave ourselves and make Your Majesty worry-free!" The emperor
pulled Concubine Li Xian up with satisfaction, and was about to say a few more words of favor to Wen Chun when he heard Wang Jien's voice ringing outside.
: "Reporting to the emperor, there is urgent military information from Shu and the border. The chief envoy Chu and the Minister of War Ding are waiting to see the emperor in the study."
The emperor immediately let go of Concubine Li Xian and stood up to walk out.
"Farewell, Your Majesty!..."
The emperor ignored Concubine Li Xian and the palace maids and eunuchs who were kneeling to see him off, and hurried to the Chuigong Palace. He had a bad feeling in his heart. Urgent military information came from Shu and the border. Shu was taken so quickly? There was war at the border again?
When the emperor saw the solemn expressions of the chief envoy Chu Zhaofu and the Minister of War Ding Conghui who were kneeling to greet him, his heart "skipped". It didn't seem to be good news that would be surprising.
: "My two beloved ministers, please stand up and take your seats." The emperor said, and went straight to sit behind the desk.
: "Tell me! What is the urgent military situation?" The emperor asked without looking at the military report on the desk.
Chu Zhaofu opened his mouth to report: "Your Majesty! Pan Mei, the commander of the rebellion suppression army in Western Shu, has urgently reported from 800 miles away that General Li Mo, the Golden Eagle Archer, led 20,000 elite troops to bypass the Yinping trail and attack Jiangyou Pass but failed, and the entire army was wiped out. Commander Pan Mei led 40,000 troops to attack Jianmen Pass, lost 10,000 soldiers, but failed to achieve success!
The Dangxiang people at the western border are in turmoil, and the Liao army at Yanmen Pass in the north wants to counterattack and seize the pass. The Dangxiang people and the Khitans are conspiring to echo each other and jointly invade our Great Song!"
The words of the Chief Secret Envoy Chu Zhaofu were like three heavy hammers, hitting the emperor's heart one by one!
: "How could this be? The Western Shu rebels are just a mob. The 60,000 troops led by Pan Mei and Li Mo to suppress the rebellion are all elite. How could they...?" The emperor was heartbroken and frightened, and could not say anything.
Minister Ding said in a deep voice: "Pan Mei asked the court to send troops for support. General Liu at the western border and the father and son of the Yang family at Yanmen Pass said that they could hold out for the time being."
"Send troops for support? It's just to suppress the rebellion in Shu. Half of the 60,000 elite troops were lost in a few days. How did Pan Mei fight this battle? Where can I send troops to support him!" The emperor was instantly furious.
Minister Ding suggested calmly, "Your Majesty, calm down. It seems that we made a wrong prediction. The Western Shu rebels are very powerful. The imperial guards in the capital can be dispatched to 20,000 people as reinforcements, but I think that the chief general to lead the army to suppress the rebellion must be His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin."
Chu Zhaofu also spoke up and agreed, "I also think that in the face of the easy-to-defend and difficult-to-attack terrain of Shu and the strong combat power of the rebels, if we want to quickly suppress the rebellion and guard against the invasion of the Dang Xiang people and the Khitan people, His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin must be the chief general to win."
The emperor was furious!
Prince of Qin, Prince of Qin, can't the war of the Song Dynasty be replaced by Prince of Qin Zhao Defang? How can I let him go to Western Shu to make extraordinary achievements and win the hearts of the army!
I picked up a memorial thrown on the desk. This memorial from the King of Qin requesting to transfer the troops back to the capital was not approved yesterday.
Now, the army of Western Shu suffered heavy losses in suppressing the rebellion. The western border and the northern Yanmen Pass were invaded by the Dang Xiang people and the Khitan people. If the King of Qin, who has a large number of troops in Yizhou, has any more thoughts, what will happen?
"The commander of the 20,000 troops to support Shu will be the cavalry commander Wei Ji, and he will be dispatched out of the capital immediately.
Zhao Defang, the King of Qin, will be transferred back to the capital with Mo Yunqi, and wait for orders."
The emperor's will has been decided, and the secret envoys Chu Zhaofu and Ding Shangshu can no longer say anything, so they can only bow and accept the order.