Chapter 497 Xu Zhenguan Proposes Marriage
The next day, early morning.
Zhao Duan lay on his back with his eyelids open. He habitually touched the side with his right hand, and after confirming that there was no one beside him, he couldn't help but sigh softly.
"When will these hard times end..."
The male dog exerted force with his waist, and Zhao Duan sat up with a somersault. The handsome man in ancient costume had messy long hair hanging down. He stretched out his hand and pulled open the bed curtain. The sunlight poured in from outside, making him squint.
"However, even though I'm alone, it's still more comfortable to sleep in my own bed..."
With a sigh, Zhao Duan rubbed his hair, and was relieved to find that his depressed state caused by visualizing "The World" last night had been lifted.
"Although I have the Azure Lotus to replenish my spirit, crossing this boundary to forcibly visualize the 'human world' clearly puts a certain amount of pressure and burden on me. The time I can stay in that world is also greatly limited...
Well, so, the best thing for me at the moment is to be honest and practice "The Great Dream Scroll".
Besides, although "The Human World" is, to some extent, my home turf, I didn't notice anything special about this picture last night... Is it because I'm not at that level yet and can't comprehend it?"
"However, 'The World' also has strategic value. For example, it may contain books and materials... But let's not talk about whether I can find them and memorize them to bring back. Most of the materials are not suitable for the current era of the Yu State..."
"Also, what I should delve deeper into now is the secret of Old Xu. Perhaps the answer can be found in The Great Dream Scroll."
Zhao Duan used his clear mind to make the above judgment and decided not to delve into the murals on the fourth floor for the time being, but to concentrate on conquering the Pei Niannu data pack from six hundred years ago.
but……
Before that, he had to deal with the trouble caused by the Qingzhou rebels.
…
Zhao Duan got out of bed and quickly finished washing up. When he pushed the door and walked out of the room, it was already bright outside.
In the summer capital, the sun rises very early. My nose twitches and I can smell the familiar aroma of food coming from the cafeteria.
"Aunt, sister, good morning." Zhao Duan stepped into the hall and smiled at his family.
The breakfast was very sumptuous. Eugene Hua smiled as brightly as a flower, rolled up her sleeves, and used her bare hands to stir the spoon and serve him soup and rice.
Zhao Pan, wearing casual home clothes, washed and dressed early and put on makeup. Now she is holding the Pekingese dog and watching Zhao Duan eating buns with a smile.
It seems like the years are peaceful and quiet.
"Why are you looking at me, girl?" Zhao Duan was curious.
Zhao Pan smiled and said, "Brother, you haven't eaten at home for a long time, so I'll take a closer look."
Eugene Hua glared at her and poked her daughter's head with her finger:
"Go wash your hands. All you do is play with the dog all day."
Then he looked at Zhao Duan and sighed softly:
"But it's right to look at it too much. After Dalang and Your Majesty get married, you won't see it anymore."
Zhao Pan was unhappy: "It hasn't even started yet."
Although the scandal between Zhao Duan and the empress had long been known to everyone in the capital, it had never been made public.
Just at this moment, the three of them suddenly heard noisy sounds of music coming from outside the yard, coming from far away and getting closer.
"What's that sound? Is there a happy event in someone's family?" Eugene Hua was very surprised and looked outside curiously.
Given the current turbulent situation, the coup has just been quelled, the Li Party has fallen, and the government and the public are in turmoil. Logically, the people around here are either rich or noble, and they should not hold any weddings at such a sensitive juncture.
Zhao Duan, who had been drinking his soup, raised his head with a slightly odd expression, thinking, "It can't be that fast..."
After a while, the sound of the music grew louder and louder, finally alarming the entire Zhao Mansion. The old housekeeper suddenly rushed into the backyard and shouted:
"People from the palace are coming outside, playing music and carrying flags. Dalang, come out and see."
Someone from the palace? What are you doing here at this time?
Both mother and daughter were stunned and looked at Zhao Duan. Their instinctive reaction was that some reward had come from Zhao Duan.
"Let's go out and take a look." Zhao Duan remained calm, stood up and led the female family members to greet them.
As soon as I walked out of the gate, I saw that the entire street was filled with palace people. Eunuchs were carrying bright yellow dragon flags, some were beating gongs and drums, and some were ringing horns to clear the way. There were also several carriages in the team.
At this time, people came out from the surrounding mansions and looked over here curiously.
"Master Zhao! Haha, we are sorry for disturbing you by visiting you." The leader of the team was a eunuch with a big smile on his face.
Zhao Duan recognized that this person was the "pen-holding eunuch" in the palace, second only to Sun Lianying and Mo Chou.
He is the servant with the highest status in the palace.
"Father-in-law, what's going on..." Zhao Duan's expression became more and more strange.
The eunuch holding the pen smiled slightly, took out an imperial edict from his sleeve in front of everyone, and unfolded it:
"Zhao Shaobao accepts the order!"
Zhao Duan stood with his hands clasped, and the Zhao family members behind him also bowed their heads skillfully.
The eunuch said loudly:
"I inherit the order of Heaven and carry on the great plan. The way to govern a country is to establish a good family. The bond between husband and wife is the righteousness of heaven and earth. I sincerely offer my respect to our ancestors and support them with sincerity. I value nothing more than what I have, and I will obey Heaven's will... Now, I send an envoy with imperial seals to select with proper ceremony... to accept Mr. Zhao as my son-in-law... I decree this!"
These words are powerful and resonant.
The eunuch who was temporarily appointed as the "deacon" put away the imperial edict, smiled and bowed forward:
"Congratulations, Young Master! Today, we have come to your house to propose marriage under the order of the emperor."
Propose marriage!
It was like a bolt of lightning striking the earth. Immediately, not only the Zhao family, but even the neighbors who came out to watch the excitement had their heads buzzing before they understood what had happened.
The empress proposed marriage and officially announced the prince consort!
From now on, Zhao Duan is the legitimate "Empress's Consort" and "Husband of the Current Emperor".
"Your Majesty...proposing marriage..." Eugene Hua was stunned, then her eyes turned red. She raised her hand to cover her mouth, excited and happy.
Even though she had anticipated this day, she, as the mistress of the Zhao family, still found it difficult to remain calm when she witnessed the royal proposal of marriage and her stepson's impending marriage.
"Proposing marriage... the emperor's son-in-law..."
Zhao Pan was also stunned. He had not expected all this to happen so quickly. He felt a sense of loss in his heart, but then he remembered the unrivaled demeanor of His Majesty, and he lifted his face and forced a smile:
"Congratulations, big brother."
Proposing marriage... Zhao Duan, who had never thought that he would be proposed to by a woman in this life, felt it was strange and had a look of being at a loss whether to laugh or cry on his face.
Last night, Xu Zhenguan proposed to him, but he didn't expect it to happen so soon.
After a little thought, he understood that it was because he was about to lead his troops to war, so Zhenbao wanted to finalize this title in advance to make it easier for him to command the Beijing camp.
"Come here, why don't you send the gift to the mansion?"
The eunuch holding the pen said hurriedly, and immediately, a large group of ceremonial guards behind him beat gongs and drums, taking out gifts from the carriage and sending them into the Zhao Mansion.
"Please look at this, Prince Consort. This is the list of gifts for the marriage proposal. Originally, His Majesty's reception for the bride should have been more grand, but the time was too rushed and the preparations were not in place..." The eunuch handed over a gift list in a flattering manner.
Zhao Duan glanced at the gift list and found:
Two hundred taels of gold, ten thousand taels of silver, one gold tea set, two silver tea sets, two silver basins, one thousand rolls of satin of various colors, twenty fully saddled and bridled horses...
And this kind of gift was only the first round. The emperor’s wedding had “six ceremonies”, and each one was a grand occasion.
"Thank you for your hard work, eunuch. Come here, give you an envelope of silver." Zhao Duan said with a smile.
The latter refused again and again, but finally accepted it reluctantly. The whole Zhao family was in an uproar, and then the neighbors came to visit and congratulate them.
It is conceivable that as the news spread, the Zhao family was filled with guests all day long.
The Zhao family's status will also be further improved, and it will become one of the top families in the capital.
After sending away the eunuch in charge of writing, Zhao Duan entrusted the matter of welcoming the guests to his aunt and sister. He then changed into his official robes, quietly left the house through the back door, and rode his horse straight to the Shenji Camp outside the city.
The news of the empress's return will spread quickly. In order to prevent the Qingzhou army from withdrawing, he dare not delay and will break camp today.
…
…
Outside the city, the Shenjiying camp is stationed.
Before daybreak, the soldiers in the barracks had already broken camp, lined up, and prepared to set off.
When Zhao Duan arrived, he saw flags fluttering, infantrymen in large numbers, and spears like a forest.
A group of familiar military officers, all in armor, were waiting in the morning light.
"General Zhao!"
When they saw a horse approaching from afar, the eyes of familiar people such as Shi Meng, the commander of the Shenji Camp, Chen Gui, the chief officer of the Firearms Bureau, and Tang Ping, the "young master" wearing silver armor and looking heroic, all lit up.
They all came forward to greet him.
"Welcome General Zhao back to camp!"
"I heard about the incident in the city yesterday, but unfortunately I was tied up in military duties and couldn't go into the city. I finally got to see it today."
"I haven't seen you for a few months. The general is even more heroic than before!"
Everyone was very excited.
Zhao Duan reined in his horse and stopped, examining the faces one by one with a smile. When he saw Shi Meng, who looked rough and burly, but was actually a man of great talent, he bowed and said:
"Commander Shi, long time no see."
Turning his head, he met the young master Tang Ping's sparkling, fighting eyes and said with a smile:
"What? Young Master, do you still want to show me your power?"
Tang Ping's face flushed red from the teasing. The Duke's son said sincerely:
"I heard that the general has advanced to the worldly realm and even escorted His Majesty all the way from Jianning Prefecture, breaking through layers of rebel obstructions. Tang Ping is deeply convinced. Today, I only wish to follow the general, wipe out the rebels, and restore peace to Dayu!"
The other generals also spoke excitedly, rubbing their hands in anticipation, as if they couldn't wait to go to the battlefield.
Shi Meng laughed and said:
"Yesterday, after the Young Master ordered Chen Gui to bring back the news, the entire Shenji Battalion broke camp overnight. Now, all we need is a single order to set out and defeat the enemy!"
These generals are so frustrated!
In the Beijing camp, twelve imperial guards were stationed inside the city, while the three camps of Three Thousand, Five Armies, and Divine Machine were stationed outside the city.
After the rebel king rose up in arms, Dayu's "God of War" Xue Shence took away the "Three Thousand Camps" and headed south to Linfeng Road to stop the rebels.
The Fifth Army Camp dispatched troops to the east of the capital, on the border of Qingzhou, to stop the Qingzhou rebels.
Only the Shenjiying remained motionless, staying behind to prevent chaos in the capital.
This made Shi Meng and others extremely uncomfortable. As military officers, they only looked forward to fighting, making achievements, and killing the enemy in battle.
Now, Zhao Duan has returned, and with a command that he will lead them to destroy the Qingzhou army, how can they not be excited?
"Very good, where is the firearm?" Zhao Duan nodded with satisfaction and looked at Chen Gui.
The skinny Chen Gui stroked his beard proudly and pointed to the back of the team, where there was a long line of supply carts protected by the army. Each cart was covered with waterproof cloth and was bulging.
"General, all the new firearms are on it. This time, we're bringing a thousand muskets, twenty divine cannons, and a number of thunder bombs, fire crows, and so on..."
Chen Gui talked eloquently, and this craftsman was more excited than a group of officers at this moment.
The news of the new firearms was top secret in the imperial court, and even the military officials of the Privy Council were unable to find out.
Over the past year, the entire Shenji Camp has been working behind closed doors to manufacture firearms. Even the "Three Thousand" and "Five Armies" Battalions, which belong to the Beijing Camp, only know that the Shenji Camp is tinkering with firearms, and have no idea of the specific progress.
Moreover, those people's impression of firearms still remains from the time of Zhao Duan's military exercise.
Little did people know that after a year of hard work and transformation, today's firearms are no longer the same as those used in the original military exercises.
"Very good, very good," Zhao Duan smiled, reached into his arms, took out a "troop mobilization order" that the empress ordered the Xiuwenguan to issue to him last night, and threw it to Shi Meng.
This military order stated that Zhao Duan was appointed as the temporary governor, responsible for suppressing the rebellion.
To mobilize troops for war, the necessary procedures must be followed, otherwise he, a third-rank military officer, would not be able to mobilize a single soldier.
Shi Meng quickly took it, unfolded it and took a look. After confirming that it was correct, he smiled:
"Since that's the case, Shi and the others will follow your lead on this trip."
"Hey, this is..." Suddenly, Tang Ping, who had good eyesight, noticed that when Zhao Duan took the order to mobilize troops, he "accidentally" revealed half of the imperial edict.
"Oh. This, I just received it this morning." Zhao Duan smiled nonchalantly and casually threw the imperial edict to Tang Ping:
"Young Master is curious, just take it and have a look."
After saying this, he turned his horse around and headed towards the front of the army.
Tang Ping took it doubtfully and unfolded the balled-up silk imperial edict. Then his eyes widened and his expression became dull.
Looking up, he saw Shi Meng and other officers looking at him suspiciously. Tang Ping silently handed the imperial edict to the general beside him.
After reading it, the military officer's pupils trembled, and then he silently handed it to the third person.
After a while, everyone took turns to look at the imperial edict of "proposing marriage" and could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. Chen Gui said enviously:
"Your Excellency is very lucky."
Shi Meng folded the imperial edict respectfully and said:
"From now on, Zhao Shaobao's orders will be His Majesty's orders."
If the troop mobilization order only gave Zhao Duan the title of commander-in-chief, and the real commander in name was still Shi Meng, then this imperial edict would truly make the entire Shenji Camp understand who was the boss.
At this time, the voice of Zhao Duan, who was far away, came: "Speed is of the essence in war, let's march."
Soon, the army in the suburbs set out to the east. Considering that the Qingzhou army was not far from the capital, the Shenji Camp traveled at full speed and would arrive at the latest tomorrow.
…
Imperial Palace.
In the imperial study, Xu Zhenguan was dressed in white, with long black hair like a waterfall.
She stood quietly at the door of the study, looking towards the suburbs.
"Your Majesty, the marriage proposal has been delivered to the Zhao residence. The ministers have also entered the palace and are waiting in the side hall."
The eunuch holding the pen walked over in small steps, stopped in the corridor, and bowed his head to report.
Today is the first official court meeting held by the empress after she returned to the palace. Due to the Li Party’s coup, all government offices were busy and closed too late.
Therefore, the empress postponed the time of court session today.
And this court meeting undoubtedly has a lot of things for her to deal with. The border of Qingzhou is a battlefield, and today's court meeting is also a battlefield without the smoke of gunpowder.
"Do you think that the Shenji Battalion, combined with the Five Army Battalions, can quickly put down the rebellion and prevent the Qingzhou Army from escaping back to the Qingzhou Road?"
Xu Zhenguan suddenly asked.
The eunuch Bingbi was stunned for a moment. He did not expect His Majesty to ask him this question. He said without hesitation:
"Qingzhou has few soldiers, and King Heng is ambitious but lacks talent. With only the 15th Battalion, we can undoubtedly defeat the Qingzhou army. If we add the Shenji Battalion, there will naturally be no suspense. We will definitely win the battle."
This is not flattery, but a common belief in the court.
No one thought that the Qingzhou soldiers could really threaten the capital. The ministers were only worried that Prince Heng would see the situation was not good and run away too fast. Once he retreated to Qingzhou Road, it would take too much time to fight again.
And now, what the court lacks is time.
"Yes," Xu Zhenguan nodded, "Get ready to go to court."
She turned around and led a large group of palace servants towards the Golden Palace.
However, just when they were halfway there and approaching the Meridian Gate Square.
Suddenly, in the empty, blood-stained square, a "messenger" with a scarlet chess piece stuck on his back came running towards them!
From afar, seeing the empress about to enter the throne room, the messenger rushed forward, knelt on the ground in panic, and shouted:
"Urgent report from the Fifth Army Battalion! The Qingzhou rebels initiated the battle yesterday. The two armies clashed, and the Fifth Army Battalion was... severely defeated!! Now the defense line is in jeopardy. We beg the court to send troops and provide immediate support!"
The empress was stunned.
…
…
The border of Qingzhou Road.
The five military camps of the imperial court were shrouded in dark clouds.
In the central army tent, Yuan Feng, the commander of the Fifth Army Camp, who was about forty years old and had a square face, sat in the tent with a gloomy and ugly expression, looking around at the generals.
(End of this chapter)
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