Chapter 144

Jiang Yanyi could sense that Feng Shuo hated the imperial city and the dragon chair in the Golden Palace. Perhaps what he wanted to do most when he was young was to take the Grand Empress

Dowager away from that cannibalistic place. But now that it has come to this, whether to accept the court's surrender conditions or to fight to the death and overturn the world completely in this time of internal and external troubles, the final decision still needs to be discussed with the counselors.

Seeing that the great event is about to be accomplished, most of Feng Shuo's civil officials and military generals are unwilling to accept

it. Instead, the various princes who had previously formed an alliance with Feng Shuo stood by and watched - the court sent envoys to draw up a big cake, and whether it is Feng Shuo or the young emperor who is about to ascend the throne, who will eventually dominate this country, will not be able to do without their benefits.

When the young emperor ascended the throne, the whole court was supported by the Grand Princess, a woman. Wouldn't it be wonderful if they could undermine the imperial power?

After Feng Shuo seized the throne, he would naturally reward them according to their merits, but facing a king who was good at fighting, who among

the civil and military officials in the court would not have to be submissive? Therefore, the various princes were allies with Feng Shuo on the surface, but when discussing whether to accept the court's rewards, they used the righteousness of the country as a shield to persuade Feng Shuo to surrender.

Feng Shuo's group of conspirators headed by Chi Qing were not freeloaders. How could they just do what the court wanted? They said that the court would send troops to resist the foreign enemies first, and then settle the private accounts after recovering the lost territory.

The court naturally disagreed. Feng Shuo's subordinates were familiar with inciting the people and creating public pressure. Nursery rhymes and doggerel that criticized the court for only fighting among itself and doing nothing when foreign enemies invaded spread from Hengzhou to the capital, and the people's anger was aroused to the extreme.

Even when officials in the capital went out, the people on the street would throw donkey dung eggs into their sedan chairs and curse them.

Those who were originally loyal to the court were some foolish ministers. The king and the people were the scale in their hearts. Now that the country has fallen, the court is unwilling to send troops, which inevitably makes them disappointed.

Now Feng Shiyan is sick and bedridden, and cannot go to court at all. The ministers kneel in front of the palace gate for a whole day but cannot see the emperor.

As the saying goes, "Civil officials die for remonstration, and military officials die for fighting." Several civil officials with strong personalities knocked their heads in front of the palace gate, but they only waited for the eldest princess. How could they not be disheartened?

At one time, civil officials and military generals who cared about the world wrote letters to resign. There were not many people who could be used in the court, and this move was no different from adding insult to injury.

The court was forced to do nothing and finally sent 10,000 cavalry to Hengzhou to fight against foreign enemies.

The various princes did not expect that it was the court that was forced to bow its head first. At this point, they had no choice but to follow suit.

With the help of all parties, the Hengzhou defenders who had resisted the war in Minghan Kingdom for several months were finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

Unknowingly, autumn has arrived.

After surviving the unbearable heat, Jiang Yanyi liked the cool autumn in the south.

Nowadays, she is very good at needlework. When she has free time, she can sit in the courtyard covered with ginkgo leaves for several hours in the afternoon, making clothes with some embroiderers and classmates from the palace.

Huo Jianjia ran in excitedly holding several gift boxes, "My boss, Mrs. An asked someone to bring us something!"

Jiang Yanyi just finished sewing the last stitch. She twisted a knot, bit off the thread, raised her head and said with a smile: " The days go by so fast, it seems like it was yesterday that I left Xizhou, but these few months have gone by."

Chen Yu helped to take the clothes Jiang Yanyi had made. It was a dark robe, and you could tell it belonged to a man just by looking at the style.

She pursed her lips and smiled secretly: "Yes, you have been making this robe for the prince for more than half a month."

Jiang Yanyi pretended to hit her, "You greedy girl!"

Chenyu quickly smiled and dodged, saying words of begging: "Good master, I know I am wrong, please forgive me this time."

Jiang Yanyi glared at her helplessly, and got up to see the things sent by Madam An Shao.

Several tightly packed gift boxes were piled on the stone table.

Jiang Yanyi first read the letter written by Madam An Shao to her, and sighed: "She is thoughtful to send so many things from a long distance."

Madam An Shao received a lot of supplements during her pregnancy. She was worried that Jiang Yanyi would be exhausted in Hengzhou, so she brought her a lot of supplements. Seeing that the Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching, she also sent a box of moon cakes.

Jiang Yanyi opened the mooncake box, and the alluring fragrance wafted out.

The golden and lightly glossy crust was printed with auspicious patterns of happiness and happiness, and some were printed with peonies or lotus flowers.

In this war-torn land, looking at such a box of mooncakes, I was inexplicably moved.

Jiang Yanyi thought of the three sisters of the Chu family and the old lady Chu who were far away in Xizhou, Chu Chengmao who stayed in Yuzhou, and Chu Yangui who followed Chu Changping to Beijing, and his heart was filled with mixed feelings.

It was probably difficult for their family to get together this year.

Jiang Yanyi put away the sadness in his heart and made a decision quickly: "Jianjia, go and call Yang Xiu."

Huo Jianjia quickly called Yang Xiu, and Jiang Yanyi told him: "Go to the cargo ship over there of the Liu family and let them transport some flour to Hengzhou."

"Not enough food and grass in the barracks?" This was Yang Xiu's first reaction.

Jiang Yanyi laughed and shook his head: "Mid-Autumn Festival is coming, I want to bring the women of Hengzhou City to make some moon cakes for the soldiers."

Sometimes people are so strange. The more difficult it is to reunite, the more they yearn for reunion.

Yang Xiu had been in the military camp with Chu Changping before, and knew that there were basically no solar terms in the military camp. Don't expect these when fighting. Just being alive should be enough. But not having the conditions to celebrate the festival doesn't mean you don't want to celebrate it.

Leading the people of Hengzhou to make mooncakes for the soldiers during the Mid-Autumn Festival can be regarded as unity between the military and the people, which can definitely boost morale.

Yang Xiu went down to buy flour without saying a word.

Chen Yu sighed, "Boss, you are really kind-hearted. Why don't you just let Huotouying make mooncakes by themselves? Why do you need to pay for it yourself?"

Jiang Yanyi tapped her forehead and said, "There are not only soldiers under the prince in the Hengzhou camp now, but also the power of the court and various princes. The prince is the host. If he gives mooncakes to his own soldiers but not to the allied forces, it will be bad for his reputation. We, the people of Hengzhou, raise funds to make mooncakes ourselves. , give it to the soldiers in Hengzhou, and no one can say anything wrong. "

Chenyu touched her forehead and smiled embarrassedly: "The boss is still thoughtful."

Jiang Yanyi glanced at the blue sky and said: "I don't know how Yangui is doing with his uncle in the capital. I don't know if he has written to Xizhou since I arrived in Hengzhou. I will ask the prince where he lived first. If there is time, I would like to make some moon cakes and ask someone to take them to him and his uncle. "

Capital.

The once most prosperous capital is now desolate under the shadow of war.

Most of the shops along the street are closed, and there are few pedestrians on the street. Ragged beggars huddle in the corners, their eyes tired and numb. Occasionally, soldiers patrolling the city pass by, and some sounds can be heard in the silent streets.

Chu Yangui sat on the top floor of a teahouse along the street, looking through the half-open window at the sedan chair surrounded by the imperial guards passing by on the street, with mockery on his lips and the fierce hatred in his eyes like the weeds that can never be burned, waiting for the wind to blow and cover the whole field again.

"My mother must have been in so much pain when she died, how is he still alive and well?" Chu Yangui was smiling, but there was a chill in his ink-black eyes.

The sedan chair escorted by the imperial guards stopped at a mansion. On the plaque in front of the mansion gate were printed the huge characters "Jiang Mansion".

Minister Jiang came out of the sedan chair. He was much thinner than before. Both his hair and beard were obviously gray, but his complexion was good and his body was neat. He didn't look like he had suffered.

He bowed to the leading imperial guard and said, "Thank you, sir, for sending me back to the mansion."

"You're too polite, sir. I will return to the palace to report now." The leading imperial guard bowed to Minister Jiang on horseback and left with his men.

Minister Jiang stood there and watched them go away. When he was about to enter the mansion, he seemed to notice something and looked at the teahouse that had been closed for a long time not far away, but the doors and windows of the teahouse were tightly closed, and there was nothing unusual.

"Master, what are you looking at?" The housekeeper of the Jiang family looked much more haggard. It was obvious that the Jiang family had not had an easy time in the capital for more than half a year.

After Minister Jiang was imprisoned, the servants in the mansion were all sent away, leaving only him.

Minister Jiang shook his head and walked into the gate. Seeing the dead leaves all over the ground and the cold and gray courtyard, he looked a little sad for a while.

People always regret something when they lose something.

When his children were around, he felt that they were noisy and never had a good face towards the two children who were spoiled by Madam Jiang. There was someone in his heart, and when he looked at Madam Jiang again, he found that she was flawed in every way. She was not gentle, considerate, or good at speaking. She got a headache when she read books. He and Madam Jiang had never had a common language in his life.

But now he felt that maybe it was not as bad as he thought, but he could never go back.

While he was feeling nostalgic, Chu Yangui had already left the inn and got on the carriage back home.

Probably because he had not seen the sun for many years, Chu Yangui's face was always pale and sick. It was just the beginning of autumn, and when he went out, Chu Zhong had already put a thin blanket on his knees.

"Earlier, Concubine Xi asked the emperor to release Jiang Jing'an from prison, but the Grand Princess was in control of the government at the time and was unwilling to fulfill Concubine Xi's wish. Now that there is no one else available in the court, Jiang Jing'an was released." Chu Zhong told Chu Yangui the news from the palace.

Chu Yangui twisted the string of rosewood beads in his hand, and the anger in his eyebrows was well hidden under his gentle and elegant demeanor, "The love between father and daughter is really deep and touching."

The corners of his lips were curved, but there was not much smile in his eyes: "The people on the prince's side just want to use the power of the previous dynasty to defeat Feng Shi Yan. I don't want to see the father and daughter in trouble. Anyway, Feng Shiyan doesn't have a few days left to live. I want to find a way to let him know that the poison in his body is all thanks to his concubine Xi. It's funny if a dog bites a dog, isn't it? "

Chu Zhong felt a chill rise up his back as he looked at the young man in front of him who was twirling his beads and smiling.

That string of Buddhist beads was given to him by Master Abbot when Chu Yangui set up a memorial tablet for his biological mother in Huguo Temple. The abbot said that Chu Yangui had a noble aura and would be a great man in the future, but unfortunately he had too much hostility, so he gave him this string of Buddhist beads, hoping to dissolve his hostility.

Chu Zhong didn't know whether the hostility had subsided after wearing the beads for some time, but he knew that the boy's methods were getting more and more ruthless, and he had some of the momentum of the young King of Liaoning.

Chu Zhong said, "You said that these subordinates should be deployed, but the Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching. Are you going to visit the Third Master?"

Chu Yangui did not answer directly, but changed the subject by asking, "Has there been any reply from Xizhou?"

The carriage jolted a bit, and Chu Zhong reflexively wanted to help Chu Yangui stabilize his body, but he saw that he had stabilized himself by supporting himself with the wall of the carriage. Under his wide robe, his arms, which had been practicing sword for several months, had tendons and muscles stretched out when he exerted force, which was not at all "weak".

Chu Zhong was stunned for a moment before he remembered to answer the question he had just asked: "The young lady has gone to Hengzhou to transport medicinal materials. She should not have received the letter you wrote."

Chu Yangui nodded lightly, her expression not easy to express joy or anger. After a moment, she said: "Sister is still the same. When she likes someone, she will be open-hearted and don't care what kind of situation she will end up in..." Chu Zhong

hesitated and said: "How can the young master of the Lu family be compared with the King of Liaoning? The King of Liaoning is a hero. The young lady has never suffered any grievances in Hengzhou. When the third master learned that the young lady was going to Hengzhou, he sent someone to check on her secretly early in the morning. The King of Liaoning sent people to protect the young lady strictly. The young lady's trip to the south this time is also very popular among the people. The people say that she is a heroine."

Only then did the corners of Chu Yangui's mouth have a clear curve.

He is willing to bear all the filthiness in this world by himself, and he only hopes that his sister will be happy and worry-free in this life.

He twirled the beads on his hand one by one and murmured: "Sister's wedding is not far away. My uncle is busy with the war and may not have time to prepare. I have to prepare a decent dowry for sister."

He will kill the damned people one by one so that they can die before sister's wedding to avoid bad luck.