Chapter 58 New Position "Brother Emperor, don't you think I'm pitiful?"...
Prince Rui's request to increase the number of imperial guards caused a sensation in the court. Supporters and opponents gathered together and argued endlessly. After several days of stalemate, the emperor finally agreed.
From then on, the Beichensi was established in the capital, and a new imperial guard was formed, different from the Jinyuwei, to be in charge of patrolling the capital and guarding the four city gates. It was called the Xuanlin Guard.
As to who should be in charge of this guard, the court officials naturally discussed it. After King Rui directly recommended the son of the Marquis of Xuanbei as the commander, the objections gradually subsided.
After all, in terms of merit and background, there is no more suitable candidate. Even if there is another party trying to compete, they have to consider whether their own people are important enough to match.
After that meeting, although Yu Qing agreed to Prince Rui's request, she thought it might not go so smoothly with the Emperor.
After all, the prince had recommended her to an important position in the Golden Feather Guard a few years ago, and at that time she had aroused the emperor's suspicion and probing.
This time the emperor didn't say anything, which surprised Yu Qing.
It is said that he now lingers in the harem, and often asks wizards and alchemists about the way to immortality. Occasionally, he invites the Ninth Prince to the palace to lecture on Buddhist scriptures, and he is like a hands-off boss.
Maybe after a serious illness in the past few months, he has become more open-minded and has changed his temperament.
.
Soon after, the imperial edict came down and Yu Qing became the commander of Xuanlin Guard. The Marquis's Mansion was crowded with people. Before the guard was formed, the treasury of the mansion was filled with gifts.
"This has taken away half of the Golden Feather Guard's responsibilities. I'm sure you'll be very busy. I'm sure there will be many people who dislike you and want to make things difficult for you," said the Fifth Prince Xie Tingchen when he came to visit. "If you need any help, please let me know. Given our relationship, there's no need to be polite."
Xie Tingchen has made a lot of progress in the past two years. I heard that he has done a good job in several political affairs.
He looked calmer and more mature than before, with more lines between his eyebrows.
Yu Qing said: "I'm okay here for now, I can handle it."
Xie Tingchen paused: "...Well, that's good."
Yu Qing changed the subject: "However, if Your Highness has anyone who can be used, please give me a list and I will choose one later. There are indeed many positions that are vacant right now and there are no candidates for the time being."
Xie Tingchen smiled and said, "Of course."
Yu Qing also smiled faintly, chatted for a while, and then sent him out of the house.
She had anticipated the current situation. With the sudden emergence of the Xuanlin Guard, all factions were bound to be eager to take part in it.
There is a complex interplay of power within the Golden Feather Guards. At least 30% of the soldiers are young masters, all of whom are from aristocratic families. The higher the official position, the more prominent their background.
Now that the Golden Feather Guard has been weakened, of course they have to turn their attention to her.
She wasn't so powerful that she could reject everyone. This position was different from her previous one, and sometimes she had to go with the flow. A lone tree can't stand alone, so turning a blind eye would help her avoid making too many enemies.
Therefore, she did not reject Xie Tingchen. There were many people who had the same thoughts as him, and she included them as appropriate.
At least on the surface everything is acceptable. Any adjustments and arrangements in the future are all her business and no one else has the right to interfere.
·
Yu Qing felt a little tired after patiently dealing with various parties these days. He played with snowballs in Huaifeng Pavilion for a while before he felt better.
"I really want to take it to Beichensi," she said.
Qiying couldn't help but smile, and then said, "Is military affairs really that difficult?"
"It's not difficult, but it's tiring." Yu Qing complained.
Beichen Division was just established and there were too many things to take care of. She had to go out early and come back late for half a month and had no time to take care of her family.
During this period, Prince Rui came to see her once again. She thought he was discussing some important matters, but he told her that a Princess Siyang was very fond of her, and her mother, the Princess, did not mind that she had been married before. He came to inquire about Yu Qing's opinion - this gave her a headache, and at the same time she was puzzled. This was not the first time that Prince Rui had done this. He was busy with all kinds of affairs, but he still had the leisure to be a matchmaker. It really is true that having many skills is always a waste.
Commanding the Imperial Guards is quite different from being in the barracks before. Most of the time he spends at work, and the tasks he has to handle are more complicated and tedious.
If there was a pretty little thing beside her, she would feel more at ease and could even play with it - of course, she was just thinking about it. No general would bring his own puppy with him when he went to the government office.
When she was in the Cavalry Battalion, she often traveled back and forth between the imperial court, the suburbs of the capital, and the marquis's mansion. Sometimes she would spend nearly an hour on the road every day, but she did not feel tired.
Every day when I return home, I am full of joy. The horse trots all the way, and even the sound of its hooves is light.
Now that I'm back from Beichensi, I don't feel relaxed at all. I just feel bored. When I feel like it, I practice swordplay or stroll around the garden. When I don't feel like it, I just sit in the house.
"Am I not getting any younger?" she thought to herself. "I don't have the energy I used to have."
Once you get busy, the days go by quickly.
When I first returned to Beijing, the courtyard was full of bare branches. Later, new buds gradually grew out. Now when I open the window to look, I can see that the courtyard is full of lush branches and leaves.
She suddenly realized that her wedding to Qingjia would be coming soon.
Three years ago, she crossed the nine palaces to bring her Qingjia to her side. The events of that night were still vivid in her mind: Qingjia's wedding dress was so gorgeous, the phoenix crown on her head so dazzling, and when she opened her feather fan, her beautiful face was revealed.
When drinking the wedding wine, the princess' sleeves were filled with fragrance.
Late at night, she poked her head out from the bed curtains like a little deer and asked Yu Qing softly if he had slept well.
If only... I could go back to that day.
She would definitely hug Qingjia tightly, hold her face in her hands, and kiss her forehead again, just like the last time they met.
Yu Qing sighed. Qiying asked, "Are you still worried about the affairs of the court?" Yu Qing shook his head.
"I miss the princess a little bit," Yu Qing said, "Next time I have a day off, let's go to the imperial mausoleum to see her again."
·
Xuanwu Street in the imperial city is adjacent to the imperial palace. Only high-ranking officials and royal relatives are allowed to live here, so the defense of this area is particularly important.
One evening, Yu Qing personally led people to inspect and finalize the formation, stationing and route of the guards in this area. When he was about to leave, he accidentally noticed an inconspicuous carriage that did not take the main road and flashed past at the bend. Yu Qing squinted his eyes, rode forward and followed for a distance, and saw that the carriage finally stopped at the side door of Prince Jing's Mansion.
Someone got off the carriage stealthily and was led in by the servants of the palace.
“…”
She recognized the man as Chen Wenhua, whom she had met not long ago, so she understood and looked away.
The Chen family has really set their sights on this young prince.
I don’t know what benefits were promised to Xie Jing, but it seems that Xie Jing has already had a lot of dealings with them... Yu Qing pursed her lips helplessly, thinking that Xie Jing was indeed a bit naive and didn’t understand the depth of the water in the capital.
·
Inside Prince Jing’s Mansion.
"Your Highness, this is undoubtedly the best choice for you." Chen Wenhua said.
Xie Jing put down the teacup and looked at him with a smile.
"Not necessarily," Xie Jing said slowly, "With or without your family's help, I can find a good position. I'm not sure how you can help me."
Chen Wenhua smiled modestly.
"Your Highness, you are undoubtedly a noble and precious person now, but without your mother's family to rely on, you will inevitably suffer in the future," he explained. "Look at the Fifth Prince. He owes his current position to the Imperial Concubine and the Zhongwu Marquisate. Look at the Sixth Prince. Without his uncle's help, how could he have managed the Ministry of Personnel so efficiently? In my opinion, they were all inferior to you, yet now they are ranked ahead of you. It is truly a pity."
He thought he had figured out Xie Jing's temperament: a young man with a touch of cleverness, but not a lot of scheming. Now that he was in favor, he was a bit frivolous and ambitious.
"Mother's family..." Xie Jing said, "But, I heard that the Empress is not favored by the Emperor and hasn't left the palace for a long time. It seems that she is no better than the other Empresses."
"Your Majesty is ill, and Your Majesty is merely praying for His Majesty's well-being. How can you say you are not favored by the Emperor?" Chen Wenhua said, "Your Majesty is the mother of the nation. No matter how favored the other concubines are, they cannot surpass the Empress."
"Isn't Concubine Rong assisting in the harem now?" Xie Jing said, "The last time I went to the palace to see my father, Concubine Rong summoned me to her palace, saying that we were quite compatible. Now I am also unsure of what to do."
Concubine Rong may not really have the intention of adopting Prince Jing as her adopted son. The other party probably said this to test their sincerity.
Chen Wenhua said sternly, "Your Highness, Concubine Rong has the Second Prince as her child. She's only trying to win you over to give him more support. How could she truly care about you? Furthermore, her family was confiscated and prosecuted over ten years ago, leaving them scattered. How much help can she possibly offer you? The Empress can certainly offer more than anyone else. Your Highness, please consider this carefully."
The corners of King Jing's eyes were slightly raised, as if he was examining him.
Even though the other party didn't give him any sense of oppression, he still felt a chill down his spine. He didn't know why he sensed a hint of danger.
"...Alright," Xie Jing said slowly after a long pause, "I haven't paid my respects to the Empress yet. Next time I enter the palace, I'll go to the Central Palace to pay my respects to the Empress. Thank you for your trouble."
Chen Wenhua smiled and said, "No worries, no worries. Thank you, Your Highness, for listening to me."
The servants sent the Chen family away, and Xie Jing rolled his eyes.
"I want to take a bath," he said. "I am all covered with bad luck."
.
Most of the people in Prince Jing's Mansion were sent by Xie Tingzhao, so he could use them with confidence. However, he was also always thinking about Qiu Lian and Dong Li.
After he faked his death, they left the mansion under the pretext of guarding the tomb and stayed in a safe place. They had originally planned to wait for him to return and bring them both with them, but later learned that Yu Qingchu had gone looking for them. Fearing that they would reveal their identity, they had no choice but to follow Yu Qingchu.
It was not convenient to communicate in the Marquis's Mansion, so she sent a message not long ago, telling him not to worry, that both of them were doing well.
Xie Jing was relatively relieved about the Xuanbei Marquis' Mansion. It would not be a big deal for the two of them to stay there for the time being.
"... Let's stay in the Marquis' Mansion for now and avoid unnecessary complications," Xie Jing thought to himself, "Well, maybe I can ask them to help me find out..."
Except for court meetings, he and Yu Qing rarely saw each other.
Even though they were in the same hall, they were quite far apart, and he was really anxious.
King Jing changed his mind and decided to ask his brother for help.
·
"The six ministries of civil servants, household officials, rites, soldiers, punishments, and labor are not enough for you to choose from?" King Rui said, "Choose again!"
Xie Jing began to participate in politics at the emperor's instruction. Xie Tingzhao originally planned to pave the way for him, but who knew that he insisted on going to Beichensi.
This is not good, that is not good, the six departments seem to be useless. Xie Tingzhao raised his hand to stop: "Stop, you know why you want to go to Beichensi. I don't even want to tell you."
“…”
Xie Jing was speechless, looking at Xie Tingzhao dimly, thinking, since you know, why don't you let me go?
Xie Tingzhao said cruelly: "It's useless for you to look at me any more."
"...Yeah." Xie Jing frowned.
Xie Tingzhao reviewed several memorials, while Xie Jing remained quietly nearby. After a long moment, he couldn't help but look up, only to see Xie Jing with his eyes downcast, silent. He read another document, but Xie Jing remained motionless.
“…”
Prince Rui walked over helplessly and said, "Let's go to the Ministry of Revenue. I'll let Wen Xu take you with me. He's very talented and thoughtful. You won't go wrong if you follow him. What do you think?"
Xie Jing said gloomily, "I'll listen to my royal brother."
Xie Tingzhao thought to himself, this younger brother is really spoiled.
"You go first. If you're not satisfied, I'll change it for you," Xie Tingzhao said. "Don't look so sad."
"I'm not dissatisfied," Xie Jing said sadly, "I'm just not very happy. In the past, I was helpless in the palace, helpless, and helpless. For so many years, there was not a moment that I didn't walk on thin ice. Now that I have finally made it through, I can't even be satisfied. Brother Huang, don't you think I'm pitiful?"
Xie Tingzhao: “…”
Xie Jing looked up, his eyes moist.
Xie Tingzhao was defeated and said, "Okay, okay, I'll let you go. Okay! I'll go back and tell Yu Qing that you should report to Beichensi in a few days."
Xie Jing smiled.
"Then please don't regret it, my royal brother." His Royal Highness Prince Jing emphasized.
Xie Tingzhao gritted his teeth and said, "I will keep my word."
Xie Jing happily said, "Okay."
He immediately brightened up and floated out of the hall leisurely.
"Xie Jing!" Xie Tingzhao suddenly called him again.
"What's wrong?" Xie Jing turned around, wondering if Prince Rui had any other instructions.
Xie Tingzhao took a deep breath and finally asked the question that had been on his mind for a long time -
"Let me ask you," Prince Rui said slowly, "if Brother Tianhuang and Yu Qing fell into the river at the same time, who would you save first?"
Xie Jing: “……?”
Xie Tingzhao narrowed his eyes and looked at him suspiciously.
Xie Jing: “…”
"I won't save anyone," Xie Jing said sincerely, offering water. "If I really fall into the river, you'd better find a way to save me first, otherwise I will die quickly."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
