On the third day of the tenth month of the first year of Dazu, Empress Wu Zetian led the court officials to leave Luoyang and head west to Chang 'an. On the twenty-second day of the tenth month, Wu Zetian arrived in Chang 'an, pardoned the world, and changed the year to the first year of Chang' an.
Wu Zetian had ascended to the throne in Luoyang, and now she had moved the capital to Chang 'an. This was not a simple relocation of the capital. Everyone knew that this meant that the empress, who had taken the Tang Empire from her son, was preparing to return it to her son.
After many secret discussions with his trusted subordinates, Wu Sansi had already adjusted the Wu clan's strategy. He no longer coveted the throne, instead choosing to keep a low profile and consolidate the foundation of his power. He often visited Crown Prince Li Xian, inviting him to travel with him and feasting with him. The two families that were once irreconcilable enemies had now become the best in-laws.
In the officialdom, there were no eternal friends or enemies. Whether one was an enemy or a friend did not depend on the relationship between the two parties, but on whether the two parties had common interests. Wu Sansi was close to Li Xian. On the one hand, he wanted to unite the Li family against the second Zhang, and on the other hand, he wanted to maintain the glory of the Wu clan after the transition of imperial power.
After the emperor moved the capital, the military power was divided into three. The South Yamen Imperial Army was handed over to the prime ministers of the Political Affairs Hall. The North Yamen Imperial Army was still controlled by the Wu clan. The Left and Right Yulin Guards, which protected the palace, and the Thousand Horsemen Camp, which was the core of the Yulin Guards, were controlled by the most trusted generals of the emperor. The throne was no longer with him, so Wu Sansi had to change his mind. He was determined to strengthen the power of his relatives and control the princes.
During the days when the empress moved the capital to Chang 'an, the court could be said to be peaceful. The most common thing everyone did was "visit relatives and friends." After the emperor moved the capital to Chang 'an, the officials bought houses and land in Chang' an. The old officials who had moved from Chang 'an to Luoyang with the emperor had old houses in Chang' an, and the new nobles built new houses.
With the change of the location of the houses, the relationship between the nobles seemed to be changing. Some former enemies became friends, and some close friends became enemies. Of course, the reason for this was not the change in the location of their residences. Instead, as the situation became clearer, they had a new choice.
The local powers in Guanzhong also wanted to move. The Emperor had just moved the capital, and it was a great opportunity for them to establish contact with the nobles and important officials who had followed the Emperor to move the capital. Therefore, they frequently made contact with the important officials of the court. After the pain of losing their son gradually subsided, Fan Chuan and Du Jingting also actively took action. Today, they were inviting their old friend, the current Prime Minister of the Zhou Dynasty, Wei Yuanzhong, to tour Quchi.
Yang Fan's family was among the first batch of officials to move to Chang 'an. The house that the Yang family had built by the Longqing Pool had been completed two months ago. It was a small pavilion with windows and rooms connected to each other. Every door was connected to each other. It was extremely elegant and beautiful.
In the spacious courtyard, there was an undulating slope on the west wall of the courtyard. Green water surrounded the slope, and the flowers and trees on the slope were lush. There were several green pines and thousands of bamboo poles. Further inside, there were exotic flowers and rare grasses with fragrance. There was a small temple in the middle. Behind the temple, there was an osmanthus tree. Under the tree, Ning Ke's bones were buried.
Except for Yang Fan who would come to the Four O 'Clock Sacrifice, this small hill had become the favorite place for Yang Sirong and Yang Nianzu to play. Little Ji, Ah Nu's son, often jumped in his mother's arms and wanted to play with his brother and sister on the slope. However, he was too young and could only watch his brother and sister play freely.
Yang Daier was now raised in the Yang family. Except for the people in the inner courtyard, no one knew that Gu Zhuting was five months pregnant. Only when she gave birth in October could it be announced to the public that she had given birth to a pair of twins. At that time, the existence of Yang Daier could be announced. As for showing it to the public, it had to be a little older so that the ages of the two children could be mixed up.
Fortunately, Gu Zhuting was a concubine and Yang Fan was a general. He didn't have a deep relationship with the officials in the imperial court. He didn't want to make a big deal and others wouldn't pay attention to the son and daughter of a concubine in the Yang family.
Now, the Princess Anle's Mansion on the left side of the Yang family's mansion had been completed. The Fifth Prince's Mansion on the right side was just half built.
Behind Yang Fan's mansion, there was also a big construction going on. The mansion of Madam Zheng, the mother of Wan 'er, was built there. The gate of the mansion faced the other side. The back gardens of the two families were only separated by a wall. When the mansion was completed, a corner door was cut in the wall. The two families could come and go freely. As long as Wan 'er returned to the mansion, she could easily go in and out of the Yang family's mansion to meet her lover and visit her beloved daughter.
On the green slope, there was a small pentagonal pavilion. The pavilion was hidden among the green pines and cypresses, with a corner of the eaves faintly visible. There were pine and cypress trees, exotic flowers and plants on the slope. In the golden October, the trees were lush, fruits were abundant, flowers were in full bloom, and the fragrance was overwhelming.
In the middle of the pavilion, there were two cups of tea. Yang Fan and Princess Taiping sat opposite each other, smiling and whispering.
Among the flowers, there was the childish voice of a boy occasionally. It was Yang Sirong and Yang Nianzu. They often played in the forest under the care of Third Sister and Taomei. Yang Fan was a little laissez-faire to his son. Although he was very strict in his studies, he usually didn't treat him like a son of an official family or a noble son.
At such a young age, Yang Nianzu was already mischievous. He also learned martial arts from his mother and concubine. Compared to the younger Yang Fan, he was more agile. From time to time, he would climb up a tree like an unruly wild monkey.
Yang Sirong was also led astray by her younger brother. If Taomei and Third Sister were not paying attention, she would tuck up her red skirt and use her hands and feet to quickly climb up the tree. By the time Taomei and Third Sister were looking around blankly and calling out 'little lady', she was already sitting on a tree branch. She casually plucked pears and crabapple from her side. She used her red skirt to wipe them and started eating.
Princess Taiping took a sip of the glistening yellow tea and said sweetly, "You don't say. The way you eat it, when you taste it carefully, it really has a special taste."
Yang Fan said with a smile, "I also learned this from others. At first, drinking tea only refreshed my mind, but now I am somewhat addicted."
Next to the stone table was a small red clay stove with a teapot on it. Yang Fan sifted a cup of tea for Princess Taiping and said, "Zhang Yizhi is preparing to present the Pearl of Three Teachings to the Emperor as a congratulatory gift for the Emperor's relocation of the capital. This is an important matter of culture and education. The Emperor will certainly reward them. According to the previous agreement, you should join forces with the Wu family and persuade the Emperor to confer them the title of King. "
Princess Taiping stretched out her slender fingers and gently placed them on the edge of the green jade-like cup. She looked at him with her charming phoenix eyes and said, "Do you know how powerful the Second Zhang family is now? They are becoming more and more powerful. If the Empress pushes the boat with the current and really confer them the title of King, then the Second Zhang family will be the next Jun Wang family after the Wu family. At that time, the Second Zhang family will be even more famous. "
Yang Fan shook his head and said, "No, the Emperor will not agree."
Princess Taiping slightly raised her beautiful eyebrows and teased, "Oh? That is my mother. It seems that you know her better than I do. "
Yang Fan smiled and said, "Of course. Speaking of which, your mother is my mother-in-law. As a son-in-law, if I don't figure out my mother-in-law's temperament and character, how can I please her precious daughter? "
Princess Taiping blushed and said coquettishly, "Glib tongue, are you asking for a beating?"
Taiping lifted her leg and pretended to kick, but Yang Fan took advantage of the situation by opening and closing his legs. Taiping felt slightly embarrassed and looked around anxiously. She said softly, "Let go of me quickly. It will be embarrassing if your precious son sees it."
Yang Fan smiled and said, "The table is covering, he can't see it." As he said this, he clamped his legs even tighter and touched her round thighs even more intensely. Yang Fan's fingertips had just touched the tender flesh on the inside of her thighs when Taiping slapped it away. She blushed and said, "Then tell me, why would the Empress not agree?"
Yang Fan no longer teased her, he withdrew his hand and purposely brought it close to his nose to sniff, putting on a lecherous look. In return, Taiping rolled her eyes charmingly. Only then did she say, "Did you notice, it is true that the speed of the two Zhang's promotion is unparalleled, but the two of them almost never held any real important positions."
Princess Taiping gently turned the teacup and listened carefully.
Yang Fan said, "Zhang Changzong once went to Yanzhou and Chang 'an as an imperial envoy, but these were all temporary missions. Just like when Xue Huaiyi led the army to suppress the Turks, even though he led more than a hundred thousand soldiers, it was also a temporary mission. Once the war was over, he immediately removed his military power."
Princess Taiping raised the teacup and thoughtfully took a sip.
Yang Fan said, "In the reign of the Empress, on average, there are five Prime Ministers in a year. The Great Zhou Dynasty's Prime Ministers change even more frequently. Since ancient times, there has never been a second Prime Minister. The Empress frequently changes the Prime Minister. Admittedly, it is the result of the fierce struggle between the various factions in the court, but it is also the Empress' intention to use this method to firmly grasp power in her own hands.
So far, among the royal family and relatives, only Wu Chengsi has held the position of Prime Minister for a short period of time. Other than him, there is no one else. Although the Second Zhang is favored, he has never had the chance to hold the position of Prime Minister. It can be seen that although the Empress is old, some things are still very clear. She knows that if the Second Zhang is allowed to interfere with the court too much, it will be a disaster for the court and for themselves. "
Princess Taiping said, "Su Weiwei and Ji Xu have now returned to the capital after the Second Zhang's intercession and resumed their important positions. Through the compilation of the 'Pearl of the Three Sects', Zhang Yizhi has also recruited a large number of scholars and celebrities under his banner. Among them, Zhang Shuo, Li Jiao and the others are all important officials of the court. Li Chongxiu and Yang Zaisi have long attached themselves to the Second Zhang. Now, the Wei family's Wei Chengqing and Wei Sili are also close to the Second Zhang. Among them, there are already five people with the status of Prime Minister. Although the Second Zhang has never become Prime Minister, they have such great power. Shouldn't we be vigilant? "
Yang Fan said, "They are in the ascendant of the Emperor's favor. Naturally, there will be people who want to curry favor with them. Just like Xue Huaiyi in the past. Didn't Liang Wang, Wei Wang and many other Prime Ministers do their utmost to curry favor with them? But can the relationship between them be considered a stable political alliance? Moreover, the Second Zhang does not understand the art of politics at all. He is unable to truly grasp these powers in his hands. When the wind and the current are smooth sailing, they can still be useful to these people. But once the situation turns against them, these people will definitely scatter like birds and beasts. "
"Moreover, other than political power, the most important thing is military power. On this point, the Empress is even more cautious and never allows the Second Zhang to touch it. Obviously, the Empress wants them to walk the path of meritorious officials. If she bestows the title of King on them this time, there will be no more rewards or titles. What will happen in the future? Therefore, you don't have to worry at all. "
Princess Taiping was convinced. But she said, "Your mouth can even make the dead come alive. Forget it. Whatever you say, we'll do it. Who asked me to be your woman?"
Yang Fan said with a smile, "My formidable ability is not just my mouth. I have something on me that can turn the living into the 'dead'."
"Oh?"
Princess Taiping raised her eyes in surprise. She heard Yang Fan say with a mischievous smile, "Even if they are not dead, they can make Miss Ling Yue cry 'I'm going to die, I'm going to die!'"
Princess Taiping's pretty face turned red. She spat, "You're going to die! What nonsense are you talking about?" After saying this, her face turned even redder.
Yang Fan leaned forward slightly and said gently, "Don't leave today."
Princess Taiping looked at him with a smile that was not a smile. She said, "I won't leave. Do you have a place for me to stay?"
Yang Fan said, "Yes! I built a red building in Sefang Garden. There is a specially made bed upstairs. The bed is extraordinarily big and sturdy. It can withstand torment. "
Even though Princess Taiping was usually generous, she blushed at his words. However, her neat white teeth gently bit her plump and sexy red lips. Her charming eyes looked at Yang Fan with watery eyes. She did not say anything. It was obvious that she acquiesced to Yang Fan's request.
Right at this moment, a strange cry was heard from afar. "Aiyo! What is this … Ah! You little beast! "
Yang Fan was startled. He said in surprise, "Wu Yizong?"
Then there was the sound of a child's laughter. There was also a woman who repeatedly said, "Sorry, sorry!"
Yang Fan said hoarsely, "It's Nianzu and Third Sister. You wait here. I'll go take a look. "After saying that, he flew away toward the source of the sound.
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