boyutpedia Chapter 221 Candidates for the Expedition
Chapter 221 Candidates for the Expedition
"She was a formidable woman, originally destined to marry into the Xiongnu, but who would have thought she would hook up with Prince Ningyuan and become his consort. The key point is that she was not only formidable, but also incredibly lucky. Prince Ningyuan was a sickly man, and his wealth wouldn't last many years. Who would have thought that once they got married, his illness would be cured."
Yang Tiezhu was delighted to hear this and asked, "I heard that Princess Ningyuan made a mistake and was sent back to her parents' home by Prince Ningyuan?"
The stall owner waved his hand and lowered his voice, "It wasn't the princess' fault. It was Prince Ningyuan who didn't want the princess to have a son. When the matter was exposed, he made the princess take the blame, saying that she drank it herself. How pitiful."
There's no such thing as an impenetrable wall. Even though Chu Mingzheng admitted to the contraceptive soup incident through Leng Lingfeng, the truth still leaked out. In the eyes of the common people, it's impossible for a woman to not want to have children to consolidate her position, especially a princess.
Sometimes, what people want to believe is the "truth," so as it gets passed around, it becomes what the vendor said.
Yang Tiezhu asked, "Why doesn't Prince Ningyuan like the princess?"
The stall owner said, "Prince Ningyuan's concubine is the empress dowager's granddaughter's niece, and they have been childhood sweethearts. Prince Ningyuan must have wanted the concubine to give birth to his eldest son, so he could use the opportunity to depose the princess and make the concubine his principal concubine."
Yang Tiezhu felt uncomfortable after hearing this. He drank his last sip of tea and rushed to Chengyang Marquis Mansion.
At the gate of the mansion, Uncle Zhong came out in person, met Yang Tiezhu, and apologized, "What a coincidence! The fourth young lady has gone to Xiangguo Temple to chant scriptures for two months. I'm afraid she won't be back for a while."
Yang Tiezhu was puzzled: "Weren't you still at home this afternoon?"
Zhong Bo said, "Yes, who knew that someone from Shoukang Palace would suddenly come and convey an order, asking the Fourth Miss to go to Xiangguo Temple to chant scriptures and pray for blessings. I advise you not to go there. Xiangguo Temple is a state temple, and outsiders are not qualified to enter. You will not be able to see the princess either."
Yang Tiezhu asked, "Who is Shoukang Palace?"
Zhong Bo smiled and said, "The palace where the Queen Mother lives."
Yang Tiezhu didn't dare to ask any more questions and left dejectedly.
Yang Nian'er walked out from behind the door. She left Nianluo's incense shop and booked a room at the inn across the street, intending to stay there for the night. Unexpectedly, she saw her father go to the palace.
Uncle Zhong asked, "Miss Nian'er, why did you ask me to say that?"
"I don't want to cause trouble for my second sister." Yang Nian'er smiled and waved her hand: "Uncle Zhong, please go and do your work. I have to go back. Please help me keep an eye on it. If my second sister wants to come to my place, please send someone to inform me in advance. She has been in conflict with Prince Ningyuan recently. Seeing that both of them are almost recovering, I don't want anything to happen."
Upon hearing that it was related to the harmony between the fourth girl and her husband, Zhong Bo quickly agreed.
That day, Lu Mingyang and Lu Mingyuan waited at Zezhou Residence until midnight before they finally saw Lu Mingze, who had returned late. The night was growing colder, and those returning late were chilled. Lu Mingyuan poured him a cup of hot tea and asked, "Who does the Emperor intend to send to the battle?"
Lu Mingze said, "The Emperor ordered the Marquis of Beian to go to the north to train troops. He will leave in three days."
The two sisters worried all day, but they didn't expect Chu Mingzheng and Lu Mingze to be of any use. It seemed that he still had reservations. Lu Mingyang asked, "What about Pei Mian? The emperor won't even use Pei Mian?"
Apart from his brother and King Ningyuan, the only general who had fought against Jin Yiluo was Pei Mian.
Lu Mingze shook his head. "Your Highness and I didn't dare to ask for the order. Captain Pei even tried, but His Majesty rejected it on the spot. Not to mention the deputy general, he didn't even approve the position of vanguard."
Although Pei Mian was the deputy general of King Ningyuan, that was a few years ago. Now he is the teacher of King Guangcheng. The emperor is too shallow to allow him to be a vanguard.
Surrounded by fierce tigers, what he was most worried about was that his own wild horse would break free from the reins and become uncontrollable.
Lu Mingyuan asked, "How are the deputy generals and the troops?"
"He's just a close confidant of Marquis Bei'an." Lu Mingze was too lazy to say anything and sighed, "It's human nature for a general to want to use his own confidants. The important thing is that Your Majesty actually dispatched the troops from Qingzhou to prepare for Japanese invasion. The troops are good at naval warfare and they don't know anything about horseback archery. Isn't this ridiculous!"
However, the troops skilled in cavalry and archery were all adjacent to the Xiongnu, and it was also the battlefield. The emperor must have been worried that the Marquis of Bei'an would build up his own power and gain power.
But now that things have come to this, we can only look forward. Lu Mingyuan said, "Jin Yiluo won't start a war before the New Year, so there's still time to train the troops. The important thing is to hold the line from Ningwu Pass to Yanmen Pass. As long as the city is not taken, everything will be fine."
Lu Mingze said angrily, "Sister, why do you care what he does? He'll behave himself if he loses and runs away in fear."
"Aze!" Lu Mingyuan scolded, "How can you say that? He's not the only one. They are all soldiers from Dasheng."
How could Lu Mingze not know these principles? Otherwise, he wouldn't have faced the arrogance and humiliation of the Marquis of Bei'an and humbly explained them for two hours. But it seemed that the Marquis of Bei'an didn't listen.
Now, I just complain a few words to my relatives.
Lu Mingze drank a cup of tea and calmed down his anger. "Sister, you don't have to worry too much. His Majesty asked the Ministry of Revenue to prepare a lot of gifts for Jin Yiluo's succession to the throne. Maybe there won't be a fight for a while."
The emperor naturally did not want to see a war. Besides worrying about losing military power and weakening imperial authority, he also worried about his reputation. Peace through marriages could only last a year; if war broke out again, the emperor's marriage policy would become a laughing stock.
But Jin Yiluo's ambition cannot be appeased by mere money. It is just drinking poison to quench thirst and will only cause greater harm.
At this time, Lu Mingyang interrupted: "Can Princess Jinghe come back?"
Although they had only been together for a few days, Jinghe's face often appeared in his dreams, especially the look in her eyes before she left. Every time he thought of it, he felt sad.
Lu Mingze said, "That depends on what the Xiongnu means, but it's clear that the Emperor doesn't want Princess Jinghe to come back."
The Xiongnu would not be sent back for no reason, there must be an exchange of interests. In the eyes of the emperor, a woman is not worth exchanging for any interests.
Because of Jin Yiluo's sudden succession to the throne, the entire imperial city was like a fully drawn bow, and the Eight Colonels' Battalion's drills became increasingly frequent. However, for the people of the capital, it didn't make much difference.
After all, no matter how much the war spreads, it will not reach the capital.
Yang Tiezhu got up early in the morning, washed his face, and strolled in the yard in high spirits.
The large courtyard on the second floor, with its high-raised eaves and gleaming furniture, and the backyard with its rockery, flowing water, and white jade bridge, is a beauty beyond compare.
After looking back and forth three times, Yang Tiezhu rubbed his hands and walked into the Nianluo Fragrant Drink Shop in front. There were four shop assistants in the shop, two men and two women.
Thinking of his daughter's words yesterday, Yang Tiezhu asked, "Does this house belong to my daughter?"
The guy nodded but said nothing.
Although Yang Tiezhu had never done business before, he knew that only men could buy and sell houses and do business. He reaffirmed, "In the capital, women can also buy houses?"