The news from the imperial court quickly reached the Zhu family. When Zhu Yanghong heard the imperial edict, he did not say anything in front of everyone. After he returned to his study and closed the door, he let out a long sigh.
He used to be the commanding general of a region, but now that he was transferred back to the central government, he was like a tiger with broken wings and a coiled dragon in a vat. Everything he did was restricted and he could not do anything. Previously, when Tokyo was besieged, he had spoken to the Imperial Court several times, but the Imperial Court had ignored him. In the end, Zhu Yanghong could only watch as the Imperial Guards failed again and again, missing all their opportunities.
Zhu Yanghong sighed and fell into deep despair. Was it because he misjudged the situation, or because he was afraid of death? Neither was the case. He did everything he could, but the officials who made the decisions did not listen. What else could he do?
Zhu Yanghong planned to fight the Northern Tribes to the death with his own flesh and blood, but he did not expect to hear news from the north. Hsieh Hyun-chen captured the East Elixir King, who had already come out of seclusion, and used him to threaten the Yelv Yan to retreat. When Zhu Yanghong heard Hsieh Hyun-chen's harsh words during the negotiations, he knew that Hsieh Hyun-chen was right, but he still broke out in cold sweat for Hsieh Hyun-chen.
When the birds are gone, the bow is put away, and the hound is cooked. The hero who saved the world may not have a good ending.
In the end, the Yelv Yan retreated. Zhu Yanghong heaved a sigh of relief, but he was even more worried about Hsieh Hyun-chen.
Sure enough, when Zhu Yanghong heard the news, his heart skipped a beat. His premonition came true.
Hsieh Hyun-chen had already taken Zhuozhou and was only a short distance away from Youzhou. This was the closest they had been to reclaiming the Sixteen Prefectures of Youzhou in thirty years. However, the emperor summoned Hsieh Hyun-chen back to the capital at this juncture and demoted the other commanders.
Zhu Yanghong was filled with regret when he heard this. It had been thirty years, a great opportunity to recover the lost territory, but he had missed it just like that.
Zhu Yanghong was unhappy. Seeing this, Zhu Yuqing secretly asked her mother, "Mother, what's wrong with Father these days? Why does his face look so bad?"
Mrs. Zhu shushed her. She quickly looked around and covered Zhu Yuqing's mouth. "You're just a child. Don't worry about these things. Your father is not in a good mood these days. You should behave yourself and don't get involved. "
After Madam Zhu finished speaking, she also let out a long sigh. "At least it will save him some trouble."
Zhu Yuqing didn't know what had happened. Dongjing City was safe now. Why did her parents still look worried? She stopped thinking about it since she could not figure it out. She even leaned on her mother like a little girl and acted like a spoiled child, "Mother, I heard that the imperial court wants to transfer King An back. Since An Wang is back, did An Wang Fei come back as well? "
Mrs. Zhu sighed even more when she heard that familiar name. In fact, it had only been four months, but when she recalled the days when Mu Mingtang was still in Tokyo, it felt like a lifetime had passed.
Mrs. Zhu shook her head and didn't answer her daughter's question. After a while, she whispered as if she was talking to herself, "It's been four months. She followed him all the way to the North. I wonder if the journey was tough and if she's doing well. "
When Mrs. Zhu was talking about Mu Mingtang, Mu Mingtang was also leaning on the couch and listening to the latest news from the maids.
"Princess, I heard that His Royal Highness has already fought his way to Youzhou. When the people of Youzhou heard that His Royal Highness had come, they all rushed to spread the news. However, the Capital was dissatisfied with His Royal Highness' decision. The Emperor sent out twelve golden tokens to summon His Royal Highness back to the Capital. "
Mu Mingtang frowned and asked, "Why is it so urgent? How is he now? "The maid shook her head." I don't know. The news outside changes every day. I only heard it from the guards. "
Before Hsieh Hyun-chen left, he left his most elite and reliable subordinates by Mu Mingtang's side. Now, there were three layers of guards outside the Zhending government office. They changed shifts day and night and checked the entrances and exits. No new faces were allowed to enter the government office. The maids couldn't leave the office at will either. The news they heard was leaked by the guards at the door.
Hsieh Hyun-chen was now far away in Youzhou. Perhaps even the Emperor didn't know about the situation in Youzhou. How could Mu Mingtang hear about it here?
Mu Mingtang's face was heavy and he couldn't help but put his hand on his lower abdomen. The maids complained, "The Imperial Court is really something. In the past, so many people wanted to reclaim Youzhou, but they never had the chance. Now that His Royal Highness has finally led people into Youzhou, maybe he can reclaim the Sixteen Youyun Prefectures this time. It's fine that the Imperial Court didn't send anyone to help, but they kept calling His Royal Highness back. "
After the maid finished speaking, her companion tugged at her sleeves. She turned and saw Mu Mingtang's expression and didn't dare to say anything more. Mu Mingtang's heart was heavy. Of course, she knew that Hsieh Hyun-chen's conquest of the Sixteen Youyun Prefectures was not random. The Emperor's urgent call for Hsieh Hyun-chen to return to the capital was also not unfounded.
It was because Mu Mingtang knew that she was even more worried. The Youyun Prefectures' location was very important. It was no different from a chokepoint. The Northern Tribes had always attached great importance to this place. After all, the Youyun Prefectures had been occupied by the Northern Tribes for 30 years. Now that Hsieh Hyun-chen had penetrated deep into the Northern Tribes' territory, the Northern Tribes would counterattack if he wasn't careful. With the Northern Tribes outside, Hsieh Hyun-chen's troops weren't peaceful either. Old General Xu and General Chang were after all from the Imperial Court. Once the Emperor accused Hsieh Hyun-chen of treason and ordered Old General Xu to arrest Hsieh Hyun-chen on the spot, wouldn't Hsieh Hyun-chen be attacked from both sides?
The maid saw that Mu Mingtang's expression was not good and knew that she had said something wrong. She tried to persuade her, "Princess, maybe I heard wrongly. His Royal Highness is so powerful, the Heavens help the worthy. Nothing will happen to him. "
Mu Mingtang shook her head and said, "I know. It's okay to say these words today, but you are not allowed to say them in the future. Pass down the order, tell the servants to be careful with their words and actions. They are not allowed to discuss matters of the Imperial Court behind their backs. If someone knowingly breaks the rules, I will not let them off easily. "
"Yes."
Mu Mingtang's face suddenly darkened. The maids were all frightened and didn't dare to speak carelessly. They scattered to do their own things. When the maid from the Prince's Mansion saw Mu Mingtang get up, she hurriedly came over to support her, "Princess, Daoist Priest Li warned you to move slowly. Should this servant help you walk around the room?"
Mu Mingtang nodded, "Okay."
She was now pregnant, so she focused on nurturing the fetus every day and tried to think as little as possible. Fortunately, Mu Mingtang's morning sickness wasn't serious and her appetite was good, so she didn't suffer too much.
Now that she was the only one left in the mansion, she couldn't be careless.
After Mu Mingtang reprimanded the servants that day, the mansion was indeed peaceful for several days. One morning, the young Daoist priest came to check Mu Mingtang's pulse and nodded, "The fetus is stable, so you can stop taking the medicine to prevent miscarriage. After all, medicine is 30% poisonous. You can just eat more nourishing food. "
Mu Mingtang naturally didn't have any objections. The young Daoist priest looked unreliable, but his medical skills were actually very reliable. Mu Mingtang was very glad that they brought the young Daoist priest with them when they left the capital.
Otherwise, if she suddenly became pregnant, where would she find a doctor she could trust?
Mu Mingtang was very satisfied with the young Daoist priest, and the young Daoist priest was also very satisfied with his current life. He followed his new master and didn't have to be exposed to the wind and rain. He didn't have to run outside to see patients. His food and lodging were all covered, and his salary was generous. During the holidays, he also received generous rewards. He only needed to check his pulse a few times a month, and the rest of the time, he would just eat and wait for death. This kind of life without any pursuit was really too beautiful.
Mu Mingtang hurriedly asked the young maidservant to bring over a brush and paper. The young Daoist priest waved the brush and wrote down a few recipes for nourishing food and conveniently mentioned some things to pay attention to when nourishing food. These were things that the maidservant should pay attention to, but Mu Mingtang also listened and carefully noted down the important points in the young Daoist priest's words.
"The Princess Consort's current diet is mainly light and well-cooked. Don't eat anything spicy or disgusting. Calm your mind and nourish your qi, and don't worry or strain yourself. You can use black female chicken soup to warm up your body. Catch a black female chicken and cook it with poria cocos, donkey-hide gelatin, ginseng, and chicken broth. In addition, supplement it with atractylodes macrocephala, peony … … "
Mu Mingtang was jotting down each item when a maidservant hurriedly walked in from outside and stopped at the door. She looked at her somewhat anxiously: "Princess Consort."
Mu Mingtang's expression became serious. She knew that something big had happened. Her expression didn't change as she said: "I'll have to trouble the young Daoist priest. Follow the Daoist priest to get the medicine. If the Daoist priest has any instructions, write it down first and come back to tell me. Hidden Fragrance, personally send the Daoist priest out. "
Hidden Fragrance understood and wrapped a red packet for the young Daoist priest. She personally led the young Daoist priest out the door. After they left, Mu Mingtang's expression changed and she asked: "What happened?"
"Princess Consort, the latest news came. The Emperor said that the Prince privately mobilized troops, disobeyed the imperial edict, and intended to rebel. Right now, he has stripped the title of An Wang and summoned all the troops under the heavens to suppress him."
Mu Mingtang heard this and sighed. In the end, it still came. She asked: "What's going on outside?"
"The guards are firmly guarding outside the walls. Not even a fly can think of getting close. Princess Consort, please don't worry. "
Mu Mingtang was more or less relieved and asked: "When was this news? When did the Emperor give the order to strip the title?"
The maidservant thought for a moment and said: "This servant remembers. The messenger said it was on the fifteenth."
"The fifteenth." Mu Mingtang said unhurriedly, "It happened eight days ago. Presumably, he also received the news. "
Mu Mingtang expected that the outside world wouldn't be peaceful recently. She didn't expect that everything would come faster than she imagined.
At the end of the month, Mu Mingtang suddenly received news that Hsieh Hyun-chen was wholeheartedly trying to reclaim his homeland. However, the imperial court viewed him as a rebel and was bitterly disappointed. He was forced into a corner and could only raise the flag of rebellion and go on a punitive expedition against the immoral emperor.
At the same time, there was a rumor that came out of nowhere that Hsieh Hyun-chen had fallen ill a few years ago. It wasn't a real illness, but someone had plotted against him.
In the second year of the founding era, Hsieh Hyun-chen suddenly went crazy on his way back to the imperial court. It was also said that he was killed by a traitor. At that time, Hsieh Hyun-chen's main tent was filled with blood. Other than Hsieh Hyun-chen, no one was left alive. Everyone naturally thought that Hsieh Hyun-chen was the one who killed the traitor. But now, they suddenly found an eyewitness who said that Hsieh Hyun-chen had indeed lost control at that time. However, he wasn't the one who killed the traitor.
The people in the main tent were killed by someone else. When outsiders arrived, their eyes were filled with blood. Only Hsieh Hyun-chen was unconscious in a pool of blood. The outsiders had a strong first impression and thought that everything was done by Hsieh Hyun-chen. However, all the insiders were dead. Hsieh Hyun-chen was also unconscious. No one could identify the real culprit. Just like that, the truth was buried.
At the same time, there were people who said that the late emperor's sudden death was because they found something fishy about Hsieh Hyun-chen's death. The late emperor found something fishy and summoned his younger brother, Xie Rui, to the palace for a discussion. He asked Xie Rui to find out who the mastermind behind the assassination was. In the end, the late emperor passed away on the same day.
At this point, it was clear who all of this was directed at. The world was in an uproar. They were so shocked by this turn of events that they didn't know how to react. Since ancient times, the three cardinal principles of heaven and earth, the emperor and his ministers, father and son, were the orthodox rules of etiquette. Even if Hsieh Hyun-chen was forced to rebel, it was still a rebellion and he would be reviled by the world. However, if Xie Rui's succession to the throne was improper and he was suspected of murdering the late emperor, then Xie Rui was the one who plotted the rebellion.
When the emperor heard this, he naturally angrily denounced it as "nonsense." However, Hsieh Hyun-chen pressed on step by step and threw out a lot of evidence. For example, the emperor murdered Hsieh Hyun-chen's godly doctor, persecuted Hsieh Hyun-chen's trusted aides for many years, and most importantly, on the day Xie Yi died, someone heard screaming in the palace. Then, Xie Rui rushed out of the palace in a hurry with bloodstains on his clothes.
Although all this didn't point to the emperor, it was enough to make people daydream. Hsieh Hyun-chen officially raised the flag of rebellion. He raised the flag of bringing order to the chaos and avenging the late emperor. He stood as an equal to Dongjing.
As soon as his flag was raised, people immediately came from afar to join him. For many years, the emperor guarded against Hsieh Hyun-chen like he was guarding against a thief. Naturally, he couldn't place Hsieh Hyun-chen's former subordinates in a secret place. Ma Chong and the others were scattered all over the place. When Hsieh Hyun-chen led his troops north, they had a mission and couldn't leave their posts. Now that Hsieh Hyun-chen officially established his own faction, his former subordinates all brought their troops to join him.
When the emperor heard that one general after another had rebelled, he was so angry that he cursed Hsieh Hyun-chen for distorting the truth and confusing the public for the sake of rebellion. His intentions should be punished. Rebels and traitors were punished by everyone. The emperor announced to the world that Hsieh Hyun-chen was condemned. Those who dared to support Hsieh Hyun-chen, or those who continued to have dealings with him, were all treated as traitors and punished.
However, the court's reprimand became stricter with each passing day. More and more people sneaked to the north. In the end, the court had no choice but to build boats to prevent the common people from crossing the river. However, this situation became more and more serious. When the common people saw that the river was going to be sealed, they even brought their families to the north of the Yellow River.
Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize a boat. An imperial court that didn't protect the common people would not be recognized by the common people. The emperor said that Hsieh Hyun-chen was rebelling, while Hsieh Hyun-chen said that the emperor's succession to the throne was improper. In the eyes of the common people, these two people were the same. Both of them had some problems. However, these two people's performances during the war were poles apart.
Hsieh Hyun-chen had never lost a battle. He led his troops to chase away the invaders and didn't give up an inch of land. On the other hand, the emperor repeatedly compromised and gave up land to Hsieh Hyun-chen. When Hsieh Hyun-chen led his troops to reclaim the lost land, the emperor was afraid that Hsieh Hyun-chen had too much power. He ignored the country's interests and hurriedly summoned Hsieh Hyun-chen back to the capital.
Anyone would be bitterly disappointed to see such a degree of manipulation of power.
Even Old General Xu and the others had no choice but to submit to Hsieh Hyun-chen. They finally realized that they had all been tricked by Hsieh Hyun-chen. However, what could they do? At this point, even if Old General Xu wanted to draw a clear line, outsiders wouldn't believe him.
They had attacked the Sixteen Prefectures of the Serene Cloud with Hsieh Hyun-chen. No matter what they thought, in the eyes of the imperial court and the common people, they were in cahoots with Hsieh Hyun-chen. If Old General Xu suddenly drew a clear line and severely offended Hsieh Hyun-chen, the imperial court might not appreciate their kindness. Since that was the case, they might as well take a gamble with Hsieh Hyun-chen.
After all, Hsieh Hyun-chen was the first son of the previous emperor. How could a rebellion by the first son of the previous emperor be called a rebellion? It was called upholding the orthodoxy.
The rebellion caused a huge commotion. Hsieh Hyun-chen took advantage of this momentum and attacked New Prefecture in one fell swoop. As of now, nine of the Sixteen Prefectures of the Serene Cloud were in their hands. As long as they took back the westernmost Yunzhou and Shuo Prefecture, the Sixteen Prefectures of the Serene Cloud would return to the Central Plains.
With New Prefecture recovered, everyone who participated in the attack was jubilant. Although they still carried the title of a rebel, their merits and demerits were reflected in the hearts of the people. Just by the fact that Hsieh Hyun-chen had defeated the Northern Tribes and subdued the Serene Cloud Prefectures, it was enough to make them work for him willingly.
The cowardly and deformed imperial court in the distance was truly not worth it.
That night, everyone was jubilant. They held a celebratory feast on the spot. As the commander-in-chief, Hsieh Hyun-chen was also dragged to the feast. At the feast, there were people performing a dance. The woman in the lead had a graceful figure and a face as beautiful as a flower. As soon as she appeared, she attracted the eyes of many men.
However, the beauty only had Hsieh Hyun-chen in her heart. During the dance, she constantly threw flirtatious glances at the highest point.
Everyone understood and tactfully dispersed. They no longer had any ideas about this woman.
Hsieh Hyun-chen, who was sitting at the head of the table, suddenly said, "Oh."
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