The old east wind comes to dream

The 26th New Year of Tianshun is destined to be deserted.

Prince Yu's mansion was not too extravagant, and everyone just followed the old routine and passed the New Year's Eve in a calm manner.After dawn, the new year comes quietly.

King Yu handed over a lot of affairs in Prince Yu's mansion to Qu's management.Now, Huamanlou has already found out her details, and handed it over to Gu Zizhan and Chu Lan for review.This Qu family was sent in by the bureaucrats from the Jiangbei side, and his family background is also innocent. Because of his outstanding appearance, he was adopted/taught by officials since he was a child, specifically to please the superior officials.Seeing her so exquisite now, and being so favored by King Yu, it can be seen that those people have put in a lot of effort.

Gu Qing was supposed to win the crown this year, and then he had to see his wife, so Qu's mentioned this matter to King Yu at the family banquet.King Yu had always disliked Gu Qing, and he didn't care much about major life events like him, so he directly handed over to Qu Shi to handle them.Gu Zizhan glanced at Chu Lan, and Chu Lan knew that she was dissatisfied.It's just that the parents have always been in charge of this kind of matter, and Princess Yu has passed away long ago, so it's really hard for them to intervene openly, but no matter what, they will never see Lu Qing being wronged.

Gu Hong still looks so gloomy in front of King Yu now, which disturbs King Yu quite a bit, and he also starts to turn a blind eye to him.Gu Zizhan treated Gu Hong as usual, and would check his homework for him from time to time, and bring some things that children like.But for some reason, Gu Hong no longer eats sweet-scented osmanthus cake.But fortunately, his attitude towards Gu Zizhan has gradually changed, and he has gotten closer to him a lot, returning to the way he was when he was a child.

Gu Zizhan and Chu Lan went through several rounds of rectification, and a few servants in the courtyard who had ulterior motives were removed, and life gradually returned to calm.

There was only one thing that gave them some headaches.Chu Lan's birthday is in the first month of the month, and she will be 25 years old, which is really not young in Dazhao.But now, they have been married for a long time but have no children, and the rumors outside have also begun to spread.

But in Chu Lan's view, these are all trivial matters, only Gu Zizhan's body makes her worry about it.Although Gu Che hadn't appeared again now, and the red mole on the end of Gu Zizhan's eyebrow had faded back, but because of this, she couldn't help but think of the two together.She once wrote another letter to Daoist Yuan Hui, but she didn't mention Gu Che again in the letter. For some reason, she felt a little wary in her heart, and dared not trust anyone, even Daoist Yuan Hui. No exception.Suddenly, thinking of a place, Chu Lan secretly thought, it seems necessary, to go there once.Some things, after all, you have to find out by yourself, so you can feel at ease.

But before they could get distracted and think about it, there was another disturbance in the court.

Before the opening of the office on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, on the tenth day of the first lunar month, Emperor Tianshun held a grand court meeting in advance.Because at this moment, the war in the northern border is imminent and has to be resolved.

Taking advantage of the Jokhang New Year, the Rong people invaded again, and they have already conquered several cities.More than a dozen battle reports from the Nine Edge Cavalry Guards were like snowflakes, wrapped in the cold wind, and one by one was smashed towards the capital.

On this day's grand meeting, Emperor Tianshun ordered that all the ministers must come up with the rules and regulations to solve the urgent need at the moment.

Nowadays, the people's livelihood is difficult. If it weren't for the brutal methods of the Rong people, who treat the outsiders as livestock, I'm afraid many people would go to the enemy.Even so, there have been civil uprisings in many state capitals.Internal and external troubles have stained Tianshun's 26-year spring with blood.

Therefore, someone proposed to negotiate peace with the Rong people.

I just didn't expect that the first person to stand up to oppose it would be Chu Taifu, who stood at the head of the civil servants.

Grand Tutor Chu seemed to be quite old too, he took a step forward, interrupted the man and said: "I have just established the country for two dynasties, it is just the rising sun, and I am a hundred times stronger than the Rong people, how can I belittle myself! Besides, the Rong people are not Teacher of Righteousness, it is not a joke for me to occupy morality and surrender without fighting! According to the old minister, those who are good at talking and negotiating peace can be punished!"

As soon as his words came out, the hall was naturally full, and no one dared to speak.

Afterwards, I heard him speak slowly: "However, in the current situation, the top priority is to relieve the victims and appease the hearts of the people."

Looking at Emperor Tianshun, Chu Taifu said: "Your Majesty, I think that the presence of cavalry guards stationed on the nine sides is enough to deter the Rong people. The previous defeats are just the loss of underestimating the enemy before the battle. Besides, the Rong people are not There is absolutely no capital for a long-term war with me, Dazhao. Given time, our soldiers will definitely defeat the invaders! Therefore, I believe that the chaos in the northern border is not a problem."

The conversation changed, and he said again: "And the Nine Sides Xiaoqiguard has been operating in the northern border for a long time, and has a great reputation. The Xiaoqiguard can directly supervise the county magistrates to open warehouses for disaster relief, and use the military power to appease the people. If we go to mobilize the defenders from all over the country, I'm afraid it will not only waste money, but also cause unrest among the people and increase the burden on the people."

Ma Guangyao, Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, is Taifu Chu's disciple. Hearing what Taifu Chu said, he immediately stepped forward and said: "Your Majesty, what the Tutor said is very true. Every state on the nine sides has granaries. Why don't you Allocate food nearby, and help the people survive the disaster first.”

However, as soon as he finished speaking, he heard a rough voice laughing and said: "Ma Shangshu said it lightly! The soldiers of the Nine Frontiers in the northern border have not been paid for three months. They have been fighting against the Rong people for years, but they still use the same weapons. Tianshun distributed it for ten years, and now it has been more than ten years, you do the math, how can they resist foreign aggression and appease the people at the same time!"

The person who spoke was Zhang Tianbao, the servant of the Ministry of War. He was born in the army. Although he has joined the Ministry of War and become a half-civilian official, the blood in his bones is still there.He flicked his sleeves fiercely and scolded, "What a joke!"

As soon as Zhang Tianbao had finished speaking, his superior officer, Li Weijie, Minister of the Ministry of War, also said: "It is true. It is already difficult for the knights to defend the city. Besides, the northern border has always been barren, and there are only heavy troops at the key passes. Farther away, the city walls It is dilapidated, and it is impossible to resist. In previous years, the harvest in the northern border was better, and there was still room to build city defenses, but this year it has snowed since the autumn harvest, and the prefecture and county granaries are mostly empty. If the imperial court does not send reinforcements now, I am afraid that even Yuncheng, Even Youcheng can’t be guarded firmly.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a servant named Tan Sixian from the household department retorted. "Your Ministry of War is in charge of weapons and city defense. Now that bandits and bandits are coming to your door, it's too late for Li Shangshu and Zhang Shilang to talk about this!"

This annoyed Zhang Tianbao, he was furious immediately, and scolded: "If it wasn't for your household department withholding money and not paying it, why would our military department do this! Tan Shilang, you have the nerve to say it! You have money to distribute new official robes, How come there is no money to add weapons to the soldiers!"

Tan Sixian also became annoyed, and said with a sneer, "Is your official robe missing from your servant Zhang? If you really have backbone, take off this official robe on you!"

Zhang Tianbao took a step forward and said angrily, "You—"

At this moment, the prince suddenly spoke.

"What a system!"

This scolding was not loud, but the sharpness contained in it made the hall suddenly silent.

The prince stood up slowly, first saluted Emperor Tianshun, and then looked down at the two blushing and thick-necked people.Coughing a few times, he opened his mouth coldly: "The disputes between courts and courts are all state affairs. It's just that you are yelling and gearing up like a street bully, but you still remember that this is a grand court meeting, but you still have the emperor You and Gu put it in your eyes?"

"Furthermore, the official robes you are wearing are the symbols of my Dazhao court! I dare not ask people to take off the official robes casually, Tan Shilang, what you said just now is a bit presumptuous."

What he said hit people's hearts so directly that no one in the hall dared to speak again.Tan Sixian's face was ashen-colored, and he fell to his knees with a plop, shaking like chaff.

Pausing for a moment, the prince glanced down, and said: "Today's disaster is the main cause, and war is also caused by it. Both are serious troubles." Looking at Emperor Tianshun again, the prince said loudly, "Father, my son thinks that the disease It should not be underestimated in Yunli. If there is no food in the northern border, it will be deployed from where there is food. When the soldiers are tired, they will rush to help from various places. There is no contradiction between the two."

Emperor Tianshun nodded, motioning for him to continue.

The prince coughed a few more times, and continued: "The matter of mobilizing grain and grass can be done first. Whenever there is a natural disaster, I am most afraid of being oppressed by corrupt officials, so it is better to go with Yushitai and Dali Temple. Jiangnan and Jiangbei are my Dazhao granaries. If Jiangnan is a little farther away, grain will be transported from Jiangbei to the northern border first. At the same time, the Ministry of Households will reissue the arrears of military pay, first to appease the soldiers of the Xiaoqi guards, so that the northern border will lose less cities, and then from Zhenyuan, Dingyuan, The Pingyuan Army mobilizes sergeants to rush to the north to reassure the people."

"The distribution of the military pay should also go with Yushitai and Dali Temple to show the justice of the court. It must go directly to the northern border!"

Emperor Tianshun stroked his beard and frowned in thought.

Seeing this, Ma Guangyao, Minister of the Household Department, couldn't help but said: "What Your Highness said is indeed a good strategy. However, the tax money collected by the Household Department this year is not much, I'm afraid it will be difficult to support."

The crown prince smiled faintly, "Six of them come from the household department, and the rest, I think, can be paid from within. If it is not enough, the East Palace will start to save money and take away all the orphan's salary from today, and it will definitely not disappoint the soldiers. The people suffer!"

After the prince finished speaking, he looked at Emperor Tianshun.

Without waiting for Emperor Tianshun to answer, King Fu suddenly burst out laughing, "Okay! The prince has such a heart, and this king admires it! As the head of the clan, this king is willing to take the lead in donating 500 taels of silver and 100 taels of gold to the people and soldiers." , Add a few more cold clothes!"

After King Fu finished speaking, Emperor Tianshun's brows immediately relaxed.He has already seen that for today's matter, the crown prince must have made a plan in advance with King Fu, and with King Fu taking the lead, no matter the clan or the officials, they have to donate some money.This plan is very good!He looked at the crown prince, approving in his heart, the crown prince he had poured his heart and soul into, had finally grown up now.

Emperor Tianshun immediately agreed, and praised King Fu greatly, promising to reduce or exempt his fief's taxes for the next five years.

Seeing this, most of the ministers had no choice but to donate their own pockets and donate silver taels according to their grades.Some of the rest did not donate, there were a few stubborn and honest officials, and there were also some speculators who wanted to be clean and honest.Although Emperor Tianshun didn't say anything, he still remembered these people in his heart.

King Yu had a dark face, and after King Fu, he donated 300 million taels.His status is second only to King Fu, and if he does too little, he will only be laughed at.

After going back, it is needless to say how angry King Yu was, but after that night, most of the decorations in the study were replaced.

After coming down to court, when Gu Zizhan was leaving the palace gate, he passed by Jing Zhaoyin Fifth Ming.

The fifth inscription is over sixty, and it won't be long before it's time to beg for bones and become an official.Gu Zizhan was in a trance for a while, he didn't expect that Fifth Ming's current situation was really hit by Xing Kang's words!In the past few years, Emperor Tianshun reprimanded him many times, and he really lost his original trust.

Thinking of Xing Kang, Gu Zizhan felt that he had a deep mind, and he had an extremely precise grasp of the emperor's mind.This person's purpose is probably more terrifying than they thought.