Chapter 211 Seals
After Zhao Youchen entered the palace and inspected the Imperial Guards, he went to Chengde Palace.
It was already afternoon.
Xiao Qing had just finished his meal and was painting in the warm pavilion.
She was in a rare good mood today, and with her brush tip dipped in ink, she carefully laid out the outline of green hills and clear waters.
When Zhao Youchen requested an audience, Xiao Qing was halfway through painting, so he put down his brush.
Seeing Zhao Youchen walk in, she waved with a smile, "General Zhao, it's just in time to come and see what I painted today, isn't it beautiful?"
This is an unfinished landscape painting.
Zhao Youchen had loved playing with weapons since he was a child, and most of the books he read were about military strategy. He didn't have a very good appreciation for paintings like this, so he blushed slightly in embarrassment.
Xiao Qing didn't care about any of that. She asked again, "How's the painting?"
Zhao Youchen could only nod and agree. As for why it was okay, he couldn't quite explain it.
Xiao Qing smiled and stopped making things difficult for him.
But this interruption caused her interest to wane, and she realized that the landscape painting would never be completed.
"Is something wrong with General Zhao?" she wondered, guessing it might be related to his uncle.
Zhao Youchen didn't beat around the bush.
"Uncle noticed."
Xiao Qing laughed and said, "I never intended to hide this from him anyway. If he figured it out, so be it."
Zhao Youchen hesitated for a moment.
"Did your uncle ask you to pass on a message? Please speak freely."
Zhao Youchen then said, "My uncle asked about the training of troops, and said that His Majesty promised him that he would give him someone skilled in training troops."
Xiao Qing remembered.
Yes, that's true. She originally had her eye on Mr. Wu.
However, Mr. Wu said that he was a member of the Fu family and that he was no longer in Nanhua.
Fu Mingyi's attitude was ambiguous, and he didn't seem to agree much.
As a result, she really didn't have a good candidate.
Thinking about it this way, Xiao Qing frowned.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. My uncle was just saying that; there's no need to take it seriously." Zhao Youchen sensed her unease.
Xiao Qing said seriously, "Of course we have to take it seriously, but the choice of this person..."
Zhao Youchen understood; it seemed His Majesty was having a hard time finding a suitable person.
But does the Grand Tutor not have any either?
Or perhaps the Grand Tutor and His Majesty have different opinions on this matter.
Xiao Qing said, "It just so happens that the Grand Tutor is coming to the palace today, let me ask him..."
A thought suddenly struck her. "General Zhao, what do you think about incorporating these people into the Imperial Guard?"
Zhao Youchen was startled. What kind of logic was this?
Xiao Qing waved his hand: "There's no need to be so formal, or set up a separate army. Well, for now, let's leave the training to the camp outside Nanhua City."
Zhao Youchen asked, puzzled, "Why not stay in Feng County?"
Xiao Qing recalled the people she had seen in Phoenix Perch Gorge and confessed, "Those people..."
Just then, Mingxiu said from outside, "Your Majesty, the Grand Tutor has arrived."
Xiao Qing quickly invited him in, and the three of them began to discuss things in the warm pavilion.
Upon hearing Xiao Qing's idea, Fu Mingyi smiled and said, "This humble subject had the same thought yesterday. It seems that although Governor Zhao has a keen eye for talent, he is also quite overwhelmed when it comes to training matters."
He looked at Zhao Youchen, "General Zhao, do you have any thoughts?"
Zhao Youchen shook his head, deciding to take it one step at a time.
He also began to feel that these people probably wouldn't go to the battlefield.
Who exactly did Uncle contact?
After Zhao Youchen left, Fu Mingyi and Xiao Qing talked about this matter.
Xiao Qing said, "I originally thought that Mr. Wu could go instead."
Fu Mingyi asked, "What are Your Majesty's plans regarding these people?"
Xiao Qing thought for a moment, "I examined them carefully last time. Some of them are indeed not suitable for the battlefield, but they possess unique skills and can be considered as... people with special skills."
"If they were incorporated into the army, it would improve the army's combat effectiveness, but it seems that the strengths of these people could not be fully utilized. That's why I agreed to General Zhao's request to find a suitable person to train the troops."
Fu Mingyi said, "Yesterday I also inquired about the situation of these people. What does Your Majesty think of General Zhao?"
Xiao Qing was stunned.
"Zhao Youchen?"
Fu Mingyi nodded.
"I just discussed this matter with Zhao Jun. Zhao Jun commands the Imperial Guards, but it doesn't seem quite right for these people to be incorporated into the Imperial Guards."
She still prefers Mr. Wu to train these people.
Fu Mingyi said, "His Majesty once gifted General Zhao a piece of ancient jade."
Xiao Qing nodded, not understanding why he brought this up at this time.
"Does Your Majesty know the history of Feng County?"
Xiao Qing shook her head.
"I originally intended to discuss this matter after Your Majesty's wedding, but since Your Majesty has brought it up, I will explain it to you in detail."
Xiao Qing felt that there seemed to be something fishy about this.
Fu Mingyi remained silent for a while.
"Although the capital of the Great Xiao Dynasty was north of the Xiao River, and the founding emperor did indeed rise to power in the north, few people know that the founding emperor's birthplace, according to the current distribution of prefectures and counties, was actually in Feng County."
Xiao Qing raised an eyebrow. "This matter is never mentioned in the 'Chronicles of the Great Xiao Dynasty'."
Fu Mingyi nodded, "Not many people know about this matter. I only heard about it by chance."
He paused for a moment, then said, "I had a feeling when I was at Fengqi Gorge. After returning, I looked at the changes in Feng County since the founding of the Great Xiao Dynasty and found some inspiration."
"What inspiration?"
“The original Feng County looked like a reclining lion on the map, and Fengqi Gorge was like the tail coiled under the lion’s body.”
Xiao Qing had a vague feeling that something was hidden here.
"Yesterday, I questioned Governor Zhao in detail. Most of the people he recruited were found by himself, and they all possess one or two special abilities that ordinary people cannot achieve. Has Your Majesty considered why these people appeared in Yingzhou and Feng County, and not in other prefectures or counties?"
Xiao Qing composed himself. "Because the poll tax in Yingzhou is lower?"
Fu Mingyi shook his head. "Of course there are reasons for that, but it's not just Yingzhou south of Xiaoshui that has a lighter tax burden."
"What does the Grand Tutor know?"
Fu Mingyi moved a little closer.
"Your Majesty, when you read the 'Records of the Great Xiao,' do you remember that when Emperor Taizu was conquering the country, he initially only had three private armies by his side? Later, they were gradually dispersed and incorporated into the army. After the army grew stronger, it marched south, and Emperor Taizu was able to recover the north and south of the Xiao River and establish the Great Xiao dynasty."
Xiao Qing remembered.
There is such a passage, but it is only mentioned briefly and not described in detail.
How could Fu Mingyi know so much?
"Although the Zhao family is not among the most prestigious clans, the Zhao surname was bestowed upon Feng County by the founding emperor. Has Your Majesty noticed that there are quite a few people with the surname Zhao in Feng County?"
He smiled and said, "It is indeed a coincidence. His Majesty casually gifted a piece of jade, which turned out to have a deep connection with Feng County."
"Does the Grand Tutor mean that the jade refers to Feng County?"
"The Three Armies meet, and the Great Xiao is established. The Three Armies are the Lion, the Tiger, and the Wolf. I am fortunate to know that there are two ancient jade pieces from the founding of the nation, which are actually seals of authority."
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