Farmers of Shu Han

Chapter 1437 Garlic Bird Garlic Bird
Feng Da Sima calculated with his fingers and estimated the age of Lady Yang; it seemed that she was only a few years younger than him.

How old are you?

Anyway, he must be quite old.

At such a young age, how could he be chosen by the Empress?

There's something fishy going on here.

The wife of the right in the family remained completely silent on this matter, not even mentioning it once in the letters she sent home, which speaks volumes.

Of course, it is also possible that the Right Lady thought it was better to have one more concubine in the emperor's harem than one more sister in her own backyard.

So... does the Right Lady believe that Lady Yang has the ability to threaten the backyard?
So, is silence better than a thousand words?
However, since the Right Lady, who was stationed in Chang'an, did not mention this matter, then Grand Marshal Feng could pretend that nothing had happened.

"Your Majesty, do you know that there is indeed a remarkable woman in Shandong? She comes from a prestigious family, possesses the virtue of Jing Jiang, and the learning of Ban Zhao. She is shrewd and resourceful, always speaking the truth. She is good at predicting events and people."

"Her wisdom surpasses that of men. When Cao Pi was made the heir apparent of the pseudo-Wei state, she foresaw that the pseudo-Wei state would not last long. She can truly be called a first-rate woman among virtuous women."

The more A Dou listened, the brighter his eyes became:

"Such a woman exists in this world? Where is she now?"

Ha ha!

Seeing A Dou's appearance, Grand Marshal Feng did not answer immediately, but instead asked a question in return:
"As far as I know, given Yang's age, she shouldn't be considered for the palace. Why was she chosen by the Empress?"

Zhang Xingcai should not have made such a basic mistake.

Those below should not have reported to the Empress without even finding out the other person's age.

This is not carelessness.

Unless someone under her command deliberately opposes the Empress, such a mistake is impossible.

With the Empress's skill, how could anyone sent out possibly betray her in such a matter?
A Dou choked for a moment, then stammered, "So beautiful..."

Grand Marshal Feng nodded slightly: "How beautiful?"

A Dou then said, "I've heard that he's exceptionally talented..."

Grand Marshal Feng nodded slightly again: "Talented and handsome?"

Seeing his brother-in-law's calm expression, A Dou couldn't fathom his thoughts, and for some reason, he felt a little uneasy.

"The Yang family daughter was from a prominent family in Shandong and had a close relationship with the Cai family in Henan. As you know, the Cai father and daughter (Cai Yong and Cai Wenji) were renowned for their literary talent in their early years."

"Moreover, a few years earlier, the Yang family had been sending letters, sending their sons to Chang'an to study, and escorting the Xiahou family, making their intention to serve the country obvious."

"Bringing Lady Yang into the palace would be a perfect opportunity to win over the hearts of the powerful clans in the Central Plains, divide the forces of the Shandong aristocratic families, and weaken the power of the remnants of the false Wei regime. It would achieve several goals at once and would be done in accordance with the prevailing trend."

"If you do not take advantage of what Heaven has given you, you will suffer the consequences; if you do not seize an opportunity when it arises, you will invite disaster upon yourself."

Grand Marshal Feng finally showed a look of surprise, glanced at A Dou, and then suddenly asked:

"Did the Empress say this?"

After speaking at length, A Dou almost choked on his own saliva:

"Is what you're saying correct?"

Grand Marshal Feng glanced at his brother-in-law, but did not answer immediately. Instead, he pondered for a moment.

That's true.

In fact, not only is the statement correct, but Feng Da Sima himself also designed it this way.

Using the Yang family of Shandong as a fulcrum, the powerful families of Shandong were dismantled. Without the support of the powerful families of Shandong, the already dying pseudo-Wei might disintegrate on its own.

Even if the pseudo-Wei regime is resilient, it would still be a good thing if they could be allowed to fall into internal strife and weaken their strength.

The only difference is that Feng intended to use Yang Hu to influence the Yang family, while the Empress wanted to win over the Yang family through a marriage alliance.

Despite being confined to the inner palace and restricted by important officials in the outer court, the fact that the Empress could still think of this aspect made Feng unconsciously retract his previous contempt.

The Empress... truly worthy of being compared to my own fierce daughter. Even with her hands and feet bound, she can still hold a ceremony within a confined space.

However, what Mr. Feng thought in his heart was one thing, and what he said was another.

Otherwise, what if that fatso gets excited and releases the Empress back to Weiyang Palace? Wouldn't that just be asking for trouble?
But the man continued to ponder, then glanced at the emperor again, and instead of answering the emperor's question, suddenly asked:
"Your Majesty, let's set aside whether that's right or wrong. I'm just a little puzzled. Given Lady Yang's age... umm... could it be that Your Majesty has unique tastes and prefers older women?"

I've heard that older people are more caring?
Upon hearing this, A Dou's face immediately turned red:
"Nonsense! That's not true! How could I possibly do that!"

Presumably genuinely afraid that Feng would misunderstand, A Dou pointed at Grand Marshal Feng with two fingers joined together, his fingers still trembling slightly.

"Who says that entering the palace means becoming a concubine? Can't she be a lady-in-waiting? Can't she teach the palace servants?"

"Have you not heard of Ban Zhao, the great Ban Zhao? Not only did she continue writing the Book of Han, but the empresses and noble ladies of the harem also treated her with the respect due to a teacher and were taught her knowledge."

"Not to mention that he was invited by the Empress Dowager to participate in court affairs, and wore a gold seal and purple ribbon, just like the Prime Minister."

I know Ban Zhao, but I really didn't know she was this amazing.

But when it comes to words, what has Mr. Feng ever feared in his life?
Grand Marshal Feng said confidently:
"Throughout the four hundred years of our Han Dynasty, how many talented women like Ban Gu have there been? What virtue or ability does that Yang Shi possess that she can be compared to Ban Gu?"

A Dou was not to be outdone:

"Although I cannot compare with the great masters, it is enough to teach the palace women knowledge."

Mr. Feng chuckled:
“Since the beginning of Nanxiang Academy, the palace has invited many female tutors to teach in the palace every year. How can Yang Shi alone compare with the many tutors in the academy?”

A Dou was momentarily speechless. After a long pause, he finally managed to stammer out, "Then... how can that be the same?"

What the Yang family woman could teach, the female teachers at the academy could certainly teach as well.

However, the benefits brought by the Yang family woman could not be brought by the female teachers of the academy.

"Oh, so the Yang family woman is different."

Grand Marshal Feng looked at the emperor with a meaningful expression.

A Dou was stunned. After talking for so long, he still managed to get himself into trouble.

"I do not have."

This fellow is so eloquent and flattering; it's impossible to argue with him.

He angrily flicked his sleeve:
"If I really wanted her to enter the palace, why would I have gone all the way to Luoyang? If I didn't know you had this kind of taste, why would I have bothered to bring it up with you? Do you have any conscience?"

With no one else around, the two brothers were having a private conversation. A Dou, disregarding any imperial decorum, directly stated that Feng was the one with the truly unusual hobbies.

Oh my god!
Which bite is this?
Explain it to me clearly!

"That Yang woman is engaged..."

Damn you!
Grand Marshal Feng couldn't stand this kind of thing, and quickly defended himself:

"Your Majesty, Sima Shi only wants to discuss marriage; he hasn't even formally accepted betrothal gifts yet. How can it be considered an engagement?"

"Look at you, you get all worked up as soon as this is mentioned, and you still say it's not something you like?"

I can't take it anymore, I'm going to punch the Emperor three times!
"Although Lady Yang and Sima Zhao were never engaged, she was engaged to Lady Pei of Hedong in her early years."

Ok?
Ah!
Upon hearing this, Grand Marshal Feng was immediately taken aback, and his clenched fist unconsciously loosened.

What's the big deal?

How come I didn't know about this?

"Don't tell me you don't know about this." Seeing his brother-in-law's expression, A Dou retracted his middle finger, pointed with his index finger, and chuckled, "Among your prized disciples, there is one from the Pei family of Hedong."

Grand Marshal Feng's expression was a mixture of shock and bewilderment:

"Your Majesty, would you believe me if I said I really didn't know?"

“I don’t believe it.” A Dou shook his head. “The Yang family’s daughter is so old and still hasn’t married. With your intelligence, Mingwen, I don’t believe you’ve never thought about why.”

What talents do I possess?

Besides, I've never even met her, so how could I possibly know anything about her?

Grand Marshal Feng spoke with righteous indignation and stern words:

"Your Majesty, I have always prioritized state affairs. How could I indulge in matters of the heart? Besides, I have never even met that woman from the Yang family. How could I possibly have the mind to think about such trivial things?"

"No, no!" A Dou shook his head. "The fact that Lady Yang is still unmarried at such a young age is indeed quite related to you, Mingwen."

"Now that she has feelings for you, if you reciprocate those feelings, bringing her into your household would be a wonderful thing."

"Speaking of which, the imperial court granted you three concubine positions, but for so many years you've only had two. Those who know you say you're acting in the public interest, but you don't really need to save the court this little bit of money..."

The concubines appointed by the imperial court were far superior to the concubines privately taken in by powerful and wealthy families.

She was a concubine officially recognized by the imperial court and supported by government funds allocated from the treasury for Grand Marshal Feng.

While concubines taken in privately can be given away at will, the concubines in Grand Marshal Feng's household are registered and recorded by the government. Once they are chosen, they cannot be replaced without the court's consent.

Not to mention the concubines of powerful and wealthy families, even the principal wives, if they did not have an imperial title, might not be as good as the concubines of Grand Marshal Feng.

Giving Yang's daughter such a position is very suitable for winning over the Yang family of Shandong.

If the target is too high, it will easily lead the Yang family to have unrealistic fantasies, which will not be conducive to suppressing the Shandong aristocratic families.

Moreover, neither Yongliang Group nor even Shudi Group may be willing to accept this.

If the price is too low, Yang might not be willing.

According to the Empress's analysis, the fact that Lady Yang openly expressed her affection for Mr. Feng was likely due to the advance payment for her indenture offered by Lady Yang of Shandong.

However, Mr. Feng has been leading troops in battles outside for more than a year, and his external brain and intelligence secretary, Madam You, has not said a word about this matter.

At that moment, he couldn't possibly have thought of that.

Upon hearing A Dou's words, he immediately became anxious: "Your Majesty, you can't say things like that. I've never met that Yang woman before. What does it have to do with me whether she gets married or not?"

A Dou's expression became somewhat subtle:
"Mingwen, don't be anxious, let me explain slowly."

“It is true that Yang’s daughter was engaged to Pei’s family in Hedong in her early years, and even the betrothal gifts were exchanged. I’m not lying to you about this.”

"But later, as you know, Mingwen, a riot by the settlers occurred in Hedong back then."

Upon hearing this, Grand Marshal Feng's eyes widened in shock: ...

"After the riot, the direct descendants of the Pei family were almost wiped out, and the betrothed of the Yang woman also disappeared in the riot, neither alive nor dead."

Oh, needless to say, he was most likely hanged from some tree by the roadside, and afterwards either dumped in a mass grave or gnawed by wild beasts and birds until only his skeleton remained.

"This Yang family girl, before she could even get married, became a widow. A few years ago, Sima Shi sent someone to propose marriage, but Yang family didn't agree, which is why she hasn't gotten married yet."

Feng Da Sima probably had been staring for too long and his eyes were a little dry, so he blinked.

Huh?
What is the Pei family of Hedong?
What is this Hedong Tuntian riot?

This sounds somewhat familiar...

But wasn't I fishing by the river at the time?

This Yang woman became a widow because of the disaster in Hedong. What does that have to do with me, Feng, fishing? Does she expect me to take responsibility?

However... on the other hand, was Lady Yang really engaged?
Seeing the change in Feng Lianjin's expression, A Dou was overjoyed, thinking that the other party was finally interested:

“Explicit text…”

Unexpectedly, Mr. Feng said:

"Isn't it a good thing that you didn't accept Sima Shi's marriage proposal? Otherwise, wouldn't the widow at the door become a real widow?"

After saying that, he looked thoughtful. "Speaking of which, the Yang family's refusal to marry into the Sima family back then was indeed a wise decision."

Then, seemingly casually, he glanced at the emperor:
"The woman surnamed Yang had a close relationship with the woman who once said that the pseudo-Wei state would not last long. The woman surnamed Yang refused to marry Sima Shi, which may have been influenced by this woman."

"Oh?" Upon hearing this, A Dou suddenly remembered what they had initially been discussing, and his attention was immediately diverted. "Right, Mingwen still hasn't said who that woman is?"

"This woman is Xin, the aunt of the Yang family. The Yang family's mother, Cai, died early, and she was raised and educated by her aunt, Xin."

(Yang Huiyu's birth mother was Cai Wenji's younger sister, Cai Zhenji. Cai Zhenji and Xin Xianying married the two Yang brothers respectively.)
"When Lady Xin learned that Cao Pi had been made the heir apparent of the pseudo-Wei state, she predicted that the pseudo-Wei state would not last long."

"Under the influence of Lady Xin, Lady Yang's talent and intelligence caught the Empress's eye, which can be considered as a legacy of her aunt."

"The Xin family?"

A Dou frowned, feeling that the name sounded familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before.
“The Xin family of Longyou.” Seeing A Dou’s thoughtful expression, Grand Marshal Feng took the initiative to explain, “A few years ago, Yang Shuzi, the nephew of the Xin family’s daughter, came to Chang’an under the pretext of delivering a letter to the Xin family of Longyou.”

The Xin clan of Yingchuan was a branch of the Xin clan of Longyou, but after the establishment of the pseudo-Wei dynasty, its influence far surpassed that of the Xin clan of Longyou.

Even so, the Xin clan of Yingchuan had no intention of starting a new lineage to rival Longyou, and frequently sent their descendants back to Longyou to pay homage to their ancestors.

Since the Han Dynasty recovered Longyou, travel between Yingchuan and Longyou has become less convenient, but even so, the two sides still exchanged letters frequently.

Xin Xianying married into the Yang family, and the Yang and Xin families became very close due to their marriage alliance.

Back then, Yang Shuzi stayed in Chang'an under the pretext of delivering a letter to the Xin family of Longyou, and even met Feng Da Sima once.

This is why Mr. Feng chose Ms. Yang.

As the first place to be recovered by the Prime Minister's Northern Expedition, the Li family of Longyou was much more proactive than the Yang family of today, having already pledged allegiance to the Han Dynasty.

Xin's case was far too late.

In addition, there were connections in Yingchuan, and later, Zhao Guang, acting on orders from Feng, carried out a bloody massacre of powerful clans in Liangzhou.

The Xin family of Longyou has always kept a low profile.

For Mr. Feng, the Xin family of Longyou was a force to be reckoned with.

With the Yang family as a fulcrum, how could the Xin family of Yingchuan possibly turn the world upside down?

The Yang family also had a marriage alliance with the Cai family of Henan.

With the Yang, Xin, and Cai families under control, the entire Central Plains and Shandong can be directly targeted without much restraint—there's no need for too many model projects.

The rest should be killed, buried, or exiled.

It's normal for powerful families to intermarry. Some people want to escape this calamity through these three families... It doesn't matter, since I, Feng, don't need to step in anyway.

There are plenty of people who want to grow cotton who will rush to take the lead.

Whoever wins in a dogfight gets a bone as a reward—it's all the same whether it's cotton or not.
The most important thing is who plants it, who harvests it, who processes it, and who sells it.

"Xin's daughter? Yang's daughter's aunt?"

A Dou's brows furrowed even more. He could barely accept the age of Lady Yang, but Lady Xin...

"Isn't she too old?"

Mr. Feng's eyes widened:
"No way? Your Majesty, your taste is a bit too extreme! Do you really intend to bring Lady Xin into the palace?"

That's an old lady who's almost sixty!
In fact, the moment A Dou uttered those words unconsciously, he immediately realized he was in trouble and quickly pointed at Feng:
"You, you, you... Don't talk nonsense! Don't tell anyone!"

"Hahaha……"

Seeing A Dou's pathetic state, Feng disregarded the proper etiquette between ruler and subject and laughed without any restraint.

"Don't laugh!"

"Okay, okay, I won't laugh, hahaha..."

"If you laugh at me again, I'll go back and betroth the Yang family's daughter to you!"

"Ha... Your Majesty, this matter isn't up to me to decide, is it? We should at least ask the General Who Guards the East first?"

A concubine who is both beautiful and talented, even if she is a bit older, Mr. Feng wouldn't mind, after all, she is betrothed... ptooey! Cross that out.

After all, if the goal is to use the Yang family to deal with the powerful families of Shandong, Yang Hu alone might not be enough to convince them to pledge allegiance.

For old aristocratic families, marriage alliances are the tradition.

Familiarity gives people peace of mind.

The fact that Yang's daughter, as the legitimate daughter of the Yang family, became a concubine for Feng shows considerable sincerity.

By the standards of traditional aristocratic families, this was already considered shameless and humiliating.

Of course, given Grand Marshal Feng's current status and prestige, it's not shameful for Lady Yang to be humble. Many people would love to ask for an opportunity to be humble, but they can't find a way.

However, when A Dou heard his brother-in-law mention the General Who Guards the East, the imperial aura he had managed to muster immediately dissipated.

Despite being a mediocre ruler, Liu Shan (A Dou) had the potential to become the last emperor to revive the Han dynasty, and his greatest strength was his self-awareness.

Given General Zhen Dong's temperament, if she disagrees but he insists on forcibly granting the marriage, he might end up being forced to withdraw the imperial decree.

Garlic bird, garlic bird, anyway, I've already conveyed my message.

The rest depends on whether Yang can seize the opportunity.

The Empress was quite concerned about the cotton fields in Shandong, hoping that the Imperial Household Department could gain more benefits from the cotton fields through this opportunity.

If you can’t…

It doesn't matter. In any case, the royal family can't be left out of this kind of thing. It's just a matter of how much.

Liu Shan (A Dou) served as a passive emperor for so many years; while he might not excel in many other areas, his mindset was unmatched by most. Once he understood this, he stopped striving for things.
"Then let's talk about the Xin family."

Jokes aside, serious matters cannot be joked about; Grand Marshal Feng's face was serious:
"If Lady Yang is capable of teaching the palace maids, then Lady Xin will have even less of a problem."

"In my opinion, Weiyang Palace does indeed need a prudent elder to guide the palace staff."

The Empress Dowager had passed away several years ago, and the Empress resided in the Gui Palace. Although she was the head of the six palaces, due to historical reasons, she was inevitably somewhat powerless over the Weiyang Palace.

Unfortunately, Liu Shan was a scumbag who only cared about having fun and was irresponsible, so the harem of Weiyang Palace was inevitably a bit chaotic—chaotic in the sense of palace intrigue.

Of course, this wasn't Feng coveting the harem or trying to uncover palace secrets; it was something the Right Lady, who still held the title of a female official in the palace, casually mentioned to him.

Before marrying Mr. Feng, the Right Lady had always been the person in charge of the inner court outside the palace.

Although she is now known as Madam Feng, her influence within the inner court is still considerable.

In addition, as the Empress's sister, it's perfectly normal for her to know some palace gossip.

Logically speaking, as a subject, Feng should not have interfered in the affairs of the inner palace; this was a grave taboo.

But... well, what can you do when the big man is such an oddball?
The palace and the government are one entity, have you ever heard of that?

Most importantly, the fact that the Right Lady was able to reveal these things to him was also the Empress's intention.
To put it bluntly, the chaos in the harem of Weiyang Palace was partly due to Feng's influence, so he took this opportunity to send Xin Xianying, a woman of great wisdom from the Three Kingdoms period, into the palace.

Given Xin Xianying's background and intelligence, as well as her status as a female tutor in the palace, I believe she can manage the situation.

At the same time, Feng also indirectly expressed his attitude to the Empress:

Weiyang Palace forbids you from returning.

As for whether Xin Xianying would side with the Empress after entering the palace, Mr. Feng was not worried at all:
If you're not afraid of your whole family dying, then I'm naturally not afraid of you kneeling and licking the Empress's boots.

A Dou was mediocre, but not stupid. Hearing this, I already felt that something was not right.

He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he closed it.

The relationship between the brother-in-law and the Empress is very complicated, very complicated indeed, and it's best not to interfere.

In matters like those at Weiyang Palace, the fighting is fierce and relentless, with neither side willing to yield an inch.

However, the Crown Prince and the eldest daughter of the Feng family both tacitly agreed to it.

They also had a very good understanding when dealing with powerful and influential families.

One side attacked, the other side pulled; in the end, the Xinghan Society and the Imperial Household Department divided the lion's share.

Garlic bird! Garlic bird!

Let's not talk about birds anymore, let's continue talking about the Xin family.

"It is rare to see such praise for a woman in a clear and explicit manner. I would like to meet the woman and see if she truly deserves such praise."