70 King Yi Returns
◎King Yi has rendered further merit, and there is no more title to bestow.◎
Sima Hong naturally stood beside Qi Gu and bowed slightly to Zhang Tian. "General Zhang, you must be tired from your journey. However, I heard that among Han Zhao's concubines, there seems to be a lady surnamed Yang who is an old acquaintance of yours. I wonder what you plan to do with her?"
Qi Gu and Zhang Jun turned around at the same time, looking at their father/uncle in surprise. Zhang Tian was almost scared to death. "What are you saying, Master Sima? That Yang Ji only knows a little about medicine. I spared her life to treat the wounded soldiers in the army. It can be considered to make the best use of her."
Zhang Jun looked at his father with suspicion. Everything had been peaceful at home these past few days, and he hadn't heard his father mention bringing a concubine back. His mother didn't seem to be acting strangely either.
Wei Xinye clicked his tongue in amazement. He would believe that His Majesty would bring back a beauty or two from the battlefield, but the possibility of his brother Zhang, who was always in a harmonious relationship with his wife, was relatively small.
However, he was the kind of person who loved watching a good show and was always eager for things to get interesting. He said with a torch, "Not bad, Brother Zhang. I didn't expect you to be so serious when you were young, but now that you're old, you've come up with some new tricks!"
"Wei Xin, don't look at me with that lewd look." Zhang Tian laughed and scolded Wei Xin, knowing that he loved to stir up trouble when he had nothing better to do.
Hearing Wei Shu's words, Zhang Jun couldn't help but hesitate and ask, "Father? You..."
"Go away, go away." Zhang Tian looked at the way Wei Xin and his son were looking at him. They really thought he was a lecherous emperor who couldn't resist a beautiful woman on the battlefield.
He wasn't interested in any beauty; it was just a matter of going with the flow.
He coughed twice and explained, "Someone has taken a liking to one of my captains. They're getting married this time, and they've even invited me to their wedding banquet. You can't ruin their reputation."
Zhang Tian glanced at Sima Hong. This time, many things were handled by this young master of the Sima family. He should know the ins and outs best. Why does Sima Xiuyuan seem so cunning?
Zhang Tian naturally had no idea why he had unintentionally offended Sima Hong and was being retaliated against in a small way.
Wei Xin, who had seen through everything long ago, chuckled to himself. His gaze swept over Sima Hong and Qi Gu.
Unexpectedly, the renowned and distinguished young man from the Sima family fell in love with the eldest princess.
No! Wei Xin, a veteran of half a lifetime of military service and equally adept at assisting the emperor in governing the country, immediately considered another possibility: Could it be that the Sima family had already made a decision…? The smile on Wei Xin's face gradually faded. This was for the best…
"King Yi has arrived!"
The loud voice of the eunuch came from outside the door. Qi Gu looked curiously at the door. In her previous life, Prince Yi attempted to rebel, but was suppressed by Sima Hong and her mother. She only knew that there was such a thing, but did not know the details.
Standing over eight feet tall, with thick eyebrows and fierce eyes, the Prince Yi strode in from outside the main hall with an air of dominance over the world.
Prince Yi was brave and skilled in battle, and his military tactics were superb. Compared with his father, the emperor, he was not only younger, but also much more handsome.
As soon as he entered, everyone's attention was drawn to him. He was dressed in military uniform, with a six-foot-long sword at his waist. Standing there, he inspired fear in all who saw him.
Wei Xinxian went up to him, just like he used to do in the military camp, and bumped Yi Wang Jiang Shi's shoulder with his own. "Xinchen, you've really gotten a good deal this time. I'm itching to join you, but it's a pity I can't go to the battlefield with you and Brother Zhang again."
Jiang Shi was only forty years old this year, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, still as dashing as ever. He smiled and said, "Han Zhao is no match for you. There is no need for Brother Wei to take action."
Wei Xin patted Jiang Shi on the shoulder: "Now that you're back, you can finally get some rest. With Han Zhao gone, the other petty villains won't be able to do anything."
King Yi said, "Indeed, we can take a good rest now."
Wei Xin said, "By the way, my sister-in-law and nephews are coming to the capital soon. When they arrive, come to my house. I have some good wine. We'll drink until we drop. We'll also invite Qu Zilie. I really don't know what he's doing holed up in those mountains all day. He doesn't eat meat, he doesn't sleep with women. What's the point of his life?"
"Hahaha! Qinghe, you had wine to drink but I didn't call you?" Emperor Jin Yuan laughed as he walked out of the Chu Empress Hall and headed straight for Prince Yi.
Everyone knelt down. Prince Yi stood there, his body slightly bent. Chu Pei took his hand and said, "You've worked hard, my trusted minister. Half of the Great Jin's territory is thanks to you. This time you've also made a contribution in suppressing Han Zhao's rebellion. I don't even know what else I can reward you with."
With the emperor helping him up, Prince Yi naturally stopped kneeling. He straightened his back and said, "Your subject dares not take credit. It is all thanks to Your Majesty's appreciation back then that Jiang Shi is who he is today."
Chu Pei laughed and patted Jiang Shi, who was taller than him, on the shoulder. Looking down at the sword at his waist, Chu Pei said, "This sword, I remember it has been with you for many years."
Jiang Shi gripped his sword tightly and replied, "That's right. It has been with me for thirteen years, and it has been through thick and thin with me all this time."
"It is a fine sword." Chu Pei, dressed in the emperor's robes, stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes lost in memories. "I still remember the Battle of Guanshan. It was extremely dangerous. You, wielding the sword alone, were unstoppable, taking on ten men single-handedly."
"That battle was largely thanks to the Emperor and Empress's planning, which prevented the Prince of Yan's troops from following the original plan; otherwise, we wouldn't have won such a great victory."
"Looking back now, those things are still as vivid as if they happened yesterday. I also miss the days when I fought alongside my brothers," Chu Pei said with emotion.
Prince Yi, Zhang Tian, Wei Xin, Yuan Kuai and others had all fought alongside the Emperor on the battlefield, and were comrades who had shared life and death.
Wei Xin thought about how difficult the battlefield was, how many of his men had died or been wounded, and how few had survived. He also thought about how the people had been displaced along the way. He felt it was better for the world to be at peace.
He interrupted their conversation, saying, "Your Majesty, I still prefer the life I have now. The days on the battlefield were not human to live. When we had to make a long march, I couldn't sleep well. After the battle, the flesh on my legs was worn down to a pulp."
"Hahaha." Chu Pei laughed. Back then, we risked our lives to start this uprising, wasn't it all for this day? He said, "Yes, all the hard work we did back then was for this good life today."
"Alright, everyone, please get up. Today is a welcome dinner for Prince Yi and Marquis Dingyuan, so please don't be shy."
After taking his seat, King Yi asked, "I have heard that the Xiongnu have sent envoys to our Great Jin to establish a marriage alliance?"
Lady Guo's brother, Marquis Huicheng, turned to King Yi with enthusiasm and said, "King Yi, you may not know this, but the Xiongnu have already married our newly appointed princess. Now we and the Xiongnu can live in peace for a while without disturbing each other."
"Oh, really?"
"That's right. Besides, the Xiongnu wouldn't dare to invade easily. After all, with the Empress's iron-casting method, the Xiongnu would have to think twice."
"The method of forging iron? Could it be the legendary method of forging the peerless sword of the King of Yan?"
The Empress glanced at Lady Guo to the side and said to Prince Yi, "That's right. Prince Yi is probably unaware that, while leading troops outside, we finally found the son of the King of Yan and Zhao Ji through Xiu Yuan's efforts. This method of iron casting was obtained from him."
"This is a great blessing for the Great Jin Dynasty," said the Prince of Yi, but Empress Zhang saw a hint of coldness in his eyes.
Today, Guo Yuan's brother is so enthusiastic towards Prince Yi. Could it be that the Guo family intends to seek an alliance with Prince Yi?
The Empress's heart sank at this thought. If Prince Yi were to help the Guo family and support the second prince born to Consort Guo, the consequences would be unimaginable. She hoped he would not be so foolish.
The Empress said, "Indeed, Heaven has blessed our Great Jin. First, we found the method of iron casting, then the Xiongnu came to ask for a marriage alliance, which was also resolved smoothly. Now, my elder brother and Xinchen, you have completely wiped out Han Zhao. If the food crisis can be resolved next year, then Great Jin can be considered completely secure."
"This is all thanks to His Majesty and the Empress," said Prince Yi.
Looking at the respectful attitude of the Prince of Yi now, Qi Gu couldn't believe that he would rebel in a few years. In her previous life, she didn't care about these things, but now she thought that the Prince of Yi's rebellious intentions were not sudden.
For example, the sword at his waist. Although he was made a king and his father allowed him to "enter the court without bowing, pay homage without naming his name, and wear a sword and shoes in the palace," no one has ever really taken this statement seriously.
King Yi had made outstanding contributions, but he did not know how to restrain himself. Perhaps he thought that all of these were his due.
Qi Gu looked at her father and mother, whose expressions showed no abnormality whatsoever. Did her father really not care at all? Perhaps he could not care before he sat on the dragon throne, but after he sat on that position, he could not not care.
Qi Gu asked her cousin sitting next to her, "The Prince of Yi has won a great victory this time, so his reward must be quite high, right?"
Zhang Jun looked at his cousin. Did she really grow up in the countryside? How come her political sensitivity was even higher than his?
He whispered in Qi Gu's ear, "Father has been troubled by this matter at home these past few days. The title of Prince Yi is already the highest among all the meritorious officials. Even Father is only a marquis, but Prince Yi was granted the title of king despite being of a different gender. This shows how great his merits are."
However... there were others with similar achievements, such as Uncle Wei and Uncle Qu, but both of them were only granted the title of Marquis. Uncle Qu even retired from politics after the country was pacified.
Only the title of Prince Yi. Father had mentioned that the bestowal of titles upon him had given Uncle a headache, but ultimately, on Uncle Qu's advice, Uncle bestowed upon him the title of Prince Yi.
Now that Prince Yi has made new contributions, there is no more to be rewarded. Father has been going to the palace a lot these days to discuss the bestowal of titles and honors upon Prince Yi with Aunt and Uncle.
Zhang Jun didn't say anything more to Qi Gu.
Zhang Jun didn't say it explicitly, but Qi Gu had already guessed. She couldn't help but look at Sima Hong. In her previous life, her mother and he had devised a plan to kill Prince Yi. In that life, they were able to quell Prince Yi's rebellion. In this life, he still had the memories of his previous life, so it would be natural for him to quell the rebellion again.
Just then, Sima Hong was also looking at her, or rather, at her cousin beside her. Seeing that she was looking at him, he gave her a reassuring smile.
Does this person have eyes in the back of their head? Qi Gu quickly turned her gaze away.
The second princess noticed their appearance.
As the sounds of wind and string instruments filled the air, dancers gracefully began to move, and for a moment, the atmosphere was one of peace and prosperity, with fine wine and delicacies flowing in and out, creating a joyful and harmonious ambiance.
After several rounds of drinks, the emperor and empress departed, leaving the ministers to continue enjoying the banquet.
After the Emperor and Empress left, people came and went in an endless stream to the seats of Prince Yi and Marquis Dingyuan. Today's banquet was for the two meritorious officials who had made new contributions.
One of them was the Marquis of Dingyuan and a member of the imperial family, making him extremely popular. The other was the first non-royal king since the founding of the Great Jin Dynasty, so it goes without saying how many people would flock to him.
The palace maids brought out the fine wine, and the palace was brightly lit. Under the influence of the wine, people's minds gradually became lost in the flickering lights.
[Author's Note]
The holiday is over, everyone cheer up! [laughing and crying emoji] Let's work hard and earn money! When you're not working or studying, relax by reading a novel, hehe~
Then I'm planning to start a modern novel next to refresh my mind. The first book I've decided on is "Third-Rate Actor". I'll post the synopsis today. Welcome everyone to bookmark and support me. I expect to finish this one in November. Once that's done, I'll start "Third-Rate Actor" without any break in the middle. I wrote two chapters during the National Day holiday. I feel like my inspiration has exploded. [Sunglasses] I can't finish writing it. I simply can't finish writing it!
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