In the sixth month of the thirteenth year of Hongzheng's reign, the imperial court sent the royal historian Fan Jie to the southwestern fiefdom to read the imperial decree on the reduction of the feudal rule. The king of the southwestern part of the country was not convinced and wrote a letter of defense.
In July, the King of Southwest China beheaded the court envoy and made himself King, shocking the court! Emperor Hongzheng then decided to send troops to pacify the southwest!
"I heard my Duke of State say that the southwest land is treacherous, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and now that the Southwest King is quite cunning and makes good use of strange troops, it's very difficult to deal with." Mrs. Duke Maoguo quietly said to the Empress.
Following Empress Wu looked at the pomegranate flowers in full bloom in front of her and frowned slightly, "This time, the Emperor is going to deploy 100,000 troops, so I'm afraid it's not a good idea to let King Cheng go."
"Southwest that sleepy place, to win the war is not easy," Mrs. Duke Maoguo carefully recalled her husband's explanation of the words, "the withdrawal of the matter of the clan once started, I'm afraid that the three clans have to be withdrawn, and so on the fight against the king of huainan and then let the fourth prince to go, Jiangnan is flat, as long as the soldiers and horses enough to be able to attack. "
The Empress sniffed and nodded slightly.
Mrs. Maoguo Duke secretly relieved, southwest of the land is easy to defend and difficult to attack, the war will not know to which years to go, their own daughter has been fixed with the fourth prince, if just married husband on the expedition, is not to keep the widow, and so the fourth prince has long been old, and then licked a few side consorts of high origin, even if in the future when the queen days are not good.
"There is one more thing that my concubine does not know whether to speak or not." Duchess Maoguo clenched her hands together, somewhat hesitant.
"There are no outsiders here, so what is there to say inappropriately." The Empress raised her hand and picked a bright red pomegranate flower, the corner of her lips hooked up a cold smile, back then, she was also this careful to serve Empress Yuan, saying everything is "I have a matter I don't know when to speak or not to speak", but because of wearing a pomegranate flower, it was pointed out that it was against the system, and Empress Yuan punished her to kneel in front of the Feng Yi Palace for an hour on a day of three ambient temperatures!
"I heard that the month before last, King Cheng sent the fourth prince a royal concubine," Mrs. Maoguo Duchess carefully glanced at the Empress's expression, saw that she was not angry and then went on to say, "Originally, these things should not be in the hands of the concubine, but next month the fourth prince will be married, and there are rumors in the capital that the fourth prince is very much in favor of that woman today. ."
This news also do not know how to leak, anyway, the North Marquis wife is aware of, everyone said that the fourth prince is not married to the concubine, explicitly and implicitly sarcastic her daughter married to the fourth prince's house is not a good life. Now that the original because of the election of the prince consort of the face of the woman, and a very happy expression mixed in the ducal women, straight to the Duke of Maoguo Mrs. angry to two did not eat the meal.
"There is this?" The Empress crushed the pomegranate flowers in her hands and took the silk handkerchief in the hands of the palace maid and wiped her hands, "Turn around and call Jing Yu to ask about it, don't worry, the Palace will not let the Royal Consort be aggrieved."
July's weather was already hot, Jing Shao was sweating profusely after practicing with his sword for a while, took off his wet clothes in three or two tries, ran naked under a tree, took the wet cloth towel in Zhi Ruoxi's hand and wiped his face, then sat down next to his own princess.
"The sun is poisonous, don't practice." Mu Hanzhang, who was sitting on the rattan bed to cool off, handed him a piece of watermelon.
Jing Shao nibbled the watermelon in his hand in three or two strokes before he felt cooler: "This watermelon tastes icy cold, it's really soothing."
"Your Highness had the slave girl town it in the well early in the morning." Miaoxi smiled, replacing a plate of freshly cut ones on a small table.
Yunzhu replaced the fan with a larger one and fanned hard behind the two.
"I was just practicing my sword when it suddenly occurred to me that Father sent Fan Jie, surely on purpose." Jing Shao ate another piece of watermelon.
"How can I see that?" Mu Hanzhang leaned against the back of the couch and turned a page of the booklet in his hand.
"Fan Jie that person will not talk around the corner, father early disliked his share of the book sour gas, not moving to blood splash Pan Longzhu to a dead admonition, is to take him nothing to do." Think of the Southwest King that treacherous villain will be Fan Jie shivering with anger, Jing Shao can not help but stifle laughter.
Mu Hanzhang glanced at the king who didn't mourn for the loyal martyrs in the slightest, and helplessly shook his head, "This time, dying for his country, it's also a fulfillment of Lord Fan's wish to remain famous for the rest of eternity."
Jing Shao ate three pieces of watermelon, wiped his hands, and leaned backward against his own princess, looking at the dots of daylight leaking down from the treetops and the cool breeze, only feeling drowsy.
"What did father keep you for today?" The large head on his body was just resting on the small of his back, and his long breath kept spraying on his lower abdomen, Mu Hanzhang uncomfortably moved his body so that Jing Shao was resting on his lap, and waved his hand for the maids and Yunzhu to back off.
"Hmph, talking about getting me another concubine! The stepchildren still really want to have the nerve to make me marry her niece!" Jing Shao coldly grunted in dissatisfaction, the stepchildren just couldn't stand the fact that he had given Yan Ji to Jing Yu, and now they were going to marry off the commoner daughter of Yong Chang Bo to disgust him.
Mu Hanzhang's hand with the book paused, "So what did you say?"
"I told ...... you," Jing Shao realized that he had been switched, so he rolled over in dissatisfaction, put his face against Jun Qing's belly, and deliberately rubbed the tip of his nose there, "I only like men, and nowadays I'm not interested in female Can't bring myself to be interested."
"Hmmm ......" the feeling of rubbing through the fabric was rather clearer, Mu Hanzhang hummed lightly and ducked back, "How can you say that? Father should be angry."
"It's better than letting them stuff me with women." Jing Shao nastily chased after him and lightly pressed Little Junqing with the side of his face.
Mu Hanzhang frowned and moved that big head with both hands, moving it to a jade pillow on the side, beautifully called heat!
Jing Shao grimaced in dissatisfaction and jumped up to take the lance at the side and practiced again.
Mu hanzhang looked at so hard Jing Shao, gradually convergence of the smile. Father a few days ago, alone summoned Jing Shao, expedition to the southwest of this matter basically has been non-Jing Shao, just, the expedition is imminent, he these days, but not the slightest bit of parting sadness. Perhaps, leaving home to fight for Jing Shao has been a common meal, but see him a heart only think about the appearance of war, the heart still can't help but feel sad.
"Your Highness, Your Highness, there are people from the palace." Duo Fu hurriedly ran into the garden.
"What man?" Jing Shao withdrew the silver spear in his hand.
"It's Duo Lu from Empress Dowager's palace." Duo Fu dissatisfied wrinkled his bun face, he and Duo Lu were in the same batch to enter the palace, when he followed Empress Yuan as the chief administrator, Duo Lu was just a small eunuch in Shufei's palace, now that Shufei became the successor empress, that kid dared to put up a fight even when he saw him.
"Invite him in." Mu Hanzhang handed his coat to Jing Shao, and soon, a thin eunuch walked in, saluting both of them, but with a look of arrogance that could not be concealed.
Jing Shao frowned, "The eunuch has come, but is there something wrong with the mother?"
"Empress Dowager's decree, declaring that Princess Cheng will immediately go to Feng Yi Palace." Duolu's slightly shrill voice was quite difficult to hear in the ears.
"This hour?" Jing Shao frowned, it was just after noon, did the Empress not need to take a nap? Calling Jun Qing in such a hurry was definitely not a good thing.
Mu Hanzhang pursed his lips, because he is a man, married after the Empress has never called him into the palace, today Jing Shao just rejected the Yongchang Bo commoner daughter as a side room, the Empress called him into the palace in a hurry, must want to start from him here, or perhaps just can't be angry enough to want to take the air out of him. "I change clothes will come, eunuch wait a moment."
"Wait!" Jing Shao pulled back Mu Hanzhang, who was going to change into his court dress, and looked coldly at the empty-handed Duolu, "Did Mother say what it was about?"
"This slave girl doesn't dare to inquire," Duolu knew that King Cheng was a tough opponent, so he softened his tone and said, "The Empress only declared the Wangfei, so she must be just chatting with the Wangfei about her family, Your Highness doesn't need to worry."
Jing Shao does not believe that the Empress declared Jun Qing at this time is to talk about family life, but the Empress decree to summon, and did not explicitly say what it is for, can not be blatantly disobeyed, turn around and follow their own Wangfei into the house, take out the Prince of the court dress began to change: "I'm with you to go together."
"How do you enter the palace at this hour?" Mu hanzhang busy stop his movement, he is going to Feng Yi Palace, without being declared, if it is the morning and evening to go to pay respects to the mother and the queen is still reasonable, this hour Jing Shao into the palace, I am afraid that it is going to cause trouble, "Don't worry about it, there is something I can cope with it myself." Nadolu specially emphasized the meaning of only declaring Cheng Wangfei alone, that is, not allowing Jing Shao to follow.
Jing Shao watched coldly as his own consort followed Duolu on the carriage from the palace, and pulled Miao Ruoxi to say, "You go with the consort, and once something happens, go to the South Study to find me immediately!" Miao Ruoxi was a palace maid, familiar with the roads of the palace and resourceful.
Hearing this, Miao Xi nodded heavily and quickly followed.
South study is the place where the underage imperial sons read, is also this hour Jing Shao can only hang out. Hongzheng emperor has always attached importance to filial piety and fraternal duty, also encourage them to these adult prince have time to teach younger brother, just the emperor heart is really difficult to measure, they if they go to the diligence, and there is a suspicion of pulling these brothers, so the four of them out of the palace to build a house after they are seldom to go to the South Study Room.
Once the carriage was far away, Jing Shao mounted Xiao Hei and followed from afar, waiting for the carriage to actually enter the palace gates before turning his horse's head and going in through another side door.
"Your Highness, why have you entered the palace at this hour?" Xiao Qian, the commander of the guards who came to inspect his post, saw Jing Shao and came forward to greet him. Xiao Qian was a distant relative of Marquis Dingnan's family and had some friendship with Jing Shao.
"Xiao Qian!" Jing Shao put his arm around Commander Xiao's neck and pulled him aside, stuffing him with an egg-sized gold pirogue, "In a moment, if a maid runs out of Feng Yi Palace towards the South Study, please give a favor, I'll take the blame for anything that happens."
Xiao Qian was still a little hesitant, heard the last sentence will put down the heart, put the brave into his arms: "The king rest assured, a small matter." The palace maid in the palace walk is common, if not the nobles in the palace account, but also did not stop the reason not to go.