The sacred capital of the Han Dynasty, outside the city gate
A flag with the Chinese character "Han" in red silk and black characters fluttered in the wind, making a hunting sound.
Jia Heng raised his eyes to look at Emperor Chongping, caught the expectant look in his eyes, understood the emperor's thoughts, and said loudly: "Your Majesty, the head of the slave chief Taiji has been brought here by the minister, may your Majesty be here to take a look?"
Emperor Chongping thought for a while and said, "I'll see it later when I get to Hanyuan Hall. When I look at this head, it will be clear to me."
Finally, I suppressed the impatience in my heart, and I will watch it with the ministers of the court later. I will have a drink then, well, it should be quite interesting.
As Emperor Chongping spoke, he looked at the Chahar Mongolian Khan Ezhe and asked, "Is this the Chahar Mongolian Khan?"
E Zhe touched his chest with one hand, bowed forward, and said loudly: "E Zhe has met the most noble Emperor of the Han Dynasty."
During the Longzhi period, Ezhe also had a lot of dealings with the kings of Zhao, Zhou and other vassals. He knew that the monarchs of the Central Plains dynasty were very happy with their achievements and most liked the foreign guests to be in uniform. Therefore, he met Emperor Chongping, who was extremely respectful and courteous.
Ezhe's son Agula and his daughter Yaruo also came forward together to salute Emperor Chongping.
Emperor Chongping looked at Ezhe's family, nodded and said: "Ezhe Khan does not need to be polite. Since he has come from afar, he is a guest. As a country of etiquette, I will certainly treat guests who come from afar."
Then, he looked at Yaruo and Agula next to him one by one. The smile on his originally cold face relaxed a little, and he said: "Now that we have arrived in the capital, we can treat it as our own home."
Ezhe calmed down, raised his head, cupped his hands and said, "Ezhe has something to offer to His Majesty, the most noble Emperor."
Emperor Chongping couldn't help but be surprised when he saw that E Zhe was so serious about his matter, and he said, "What is the unknown thing?"
Jia Heng listened on the side, his face moved slightly, and he could vaguely guess what it was.
Ezhe said loudly: "Since the Ming Dynasty, the jade seal passed down to the country has been hidden in the court of the Mongolian Khan. After much thought, Ezhe thought that since it was a thing of the Chinese dynasty, he really did not dare to hide it privately. However, His Majesty the Emperor of the Han Dynasty is now the orthodox destiny. Therefore, I enshrine this thing in front of His Majesty the Emperor for use."
Instead of humiliatingly surrendering to the Jurchens and taking away the imperial seal for the Jurchens, it is better to offer this mascot, the imperial seal, to the emperor of the Han Dynasty, to seek the emperor's favor and reward, and to seek more for Chahar Mongolia. For generous included benefits.
It can be said that this Chahar Mongolian Khan had been associated with King Zhao and other Han clan vassals for a long time, and he had a deep understanding of Han culture.
When Emperor Chongping heard this, his expression was startled at first, and then he felt a surge of ecstasy in his heart, but he kept a calm expression on his face and said, "The jade seal of the country?"
The jade seal of the Chuan Dynasty is a symbol of the authority of the destiny of heaven. Now that it has returned to the Han Dynasty, it should be the bell of destiny and the blessing of Haotian.
It can be said that Emperor Chongping, who inherited the throne as a concubine, would not refuse anything that could enhance the legitimacy of the throne.
Jia Heng secretly said that it was true and looked at E Zhe.
In fact, I had previously thought about whether to ask for it from Ezhe, but in the end I thought about it and decided to give it to Ezhe, because if you want Chahar Mongolia to sincerely contribute to the Han Dynasty, you should treat him with sincerity.
After Ezhe finished presenting the imperial seal, Yaruo and Agula, brother and sister, were holding a wooden brocade box. Yaruo opened the brocade box.
Under the early summer light, the imperial seal shone brightly, like a cloud of colorful smoke, which was quite magnificent and dreamy.
Han Huang, the chief minister of the cabinet, Zhao Mo, the second minister of the cabinet, and others also looked at the imperial seal in the brocade box, staring blankly and looking forward to it.
Emperor Chongping was shocked and his face paused slightly.
As a disciple of Confucianism, no one who is a disciple of Confucianism is not curious about the jade seal of the state.
At this time, Dai Quan came forward and carefully held out the imperial seal. The fair face under the high crown with tied hair was full of a prosperous smile. He bowed and said, "Your Majesty."
"The jade seal of the state is an auspicious thing. Since Wang Mang usurped the Han Dynasty, one corner was missing. Later, it was filled with gold. The seven corners are jade and the knot is a dragon. There is no doubt that it is the jade seal of the state." Yao Yu raised his eyebrows. His eyes were excited and he said to his colleagues beside him.
At this moment, Emperor Chongping also held up the Jade Seal of the Kingdom and looked at it carefully. Under the two thin eyebrows, there was a touch of excitement in his eyes, and he said loudly: "This Jade Seal of the Kingdom of China is ours in the history of the Chinese Dynasty." According to legend, now that we have returned to the Central Plains, it can be seen that God has blessed the Han Dynasty and orthodoxy is in the Han Dynasty!"
As the saying goes, the more something is lacking, the more emphasis is placed on it.
Ezhe was overjoyed when he saw the Emperor of the Han Dynasty's face was overjoyed. He gradually calmed down and said, "Your Majesty, I wanted to present this jade seal to Your Majesty for a long time, but it has been delayed until today. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me." .”
When Emperor Chongping heard this, he looked at Ezhe and said in a gentle tone: "What crime did Khan Ezhe have?"
With that said, he handed the jade seal in his hand to Dai Quan who was standing aside, and immediately put down the brocade box again. Dai Quan held the brocade box in his hands, not daring to make any mistakes.
Emperor Chongping said: "I have prepared a reception banquet in Xihe Palace to welcome the meritorious generals. All generals will go to the palace garden to talk about it."
Jia Heng, Xie Zaiyi and other generals, as well as E Zhe and others, all said yes.
As the musicians from the Taiyue Department began to play the "Order of Triumph", from outside Shenjing City to the roots of the Imperial City, a jubilant atmosphere enveloped the entire street and spread towards the huge Shenjing City.
In the 108th square of Shenjing City, the streets and alleys were empty of people. They stood on the streets and houses, opened the windows, and looked at the neatly lined up cavalry of the Han Dynasty’s cavalry below.
A few months ago, the scene of the Han soldiers and horses rushing to fight in the capital was still vivid in my mind. Now that I see the victorious troops returning to the court again, I can't help but feel as if it was yesterday.
At this moment, Jia Heng was still holding the reins, driving the imperial chariot, carrying Emperor Chongping towards the palace. The courtiers and generals behind him all boarded the carriage, mounted their horses, and headed towards Anshun Gate.
On the rows of houses on both sides of the street, diners and princes and grandsons looked eagerly at the mighty Beijing cavalry below. Their eyes of reverence and yearning fell on the face of the young man in python suit riding on the horse.
"Is that Marquis Yongning? He is really handsome and handsome." At this moment, some people were talking.
A young scholar said: "I heard that the palace plans to let both the princess and the princess betrothed to him. I really envy others."
Emperor Chongping sat on the chariot and asked Jia Heng, who was holding the reins to drive the chariot, "Why did Ziyu delay returning to the capital without his teacher?"
Jia Heng pondered and said: "Your Majesty, although the bandits have retreated, the border defense preparations from Jizhen to Xuanfu are related to the subsequent strategic stalemate between our Han Dynasty and the Jurchens. I have to stay in the capital for a while, and I have to ask your Majesty for orders. Check Jiubian, and Tianjin Guard’s navy must also be rebuilt to contain the Jurchen army through waterways.”
After hearing this, Emperor Chongping looked at the young man with complicated eyes, and a warm current surged in his heart.
What is a pure heart? That's it.
Although he returned to Beijing with great achievements, he was neither arrogant nor impetuous and remained the same.
Emperor Chongping's expression was silent and he didn't say anything else. He just looked at the young man's tall and straight figure in concentration.
When Jia Heng drove the imperial chariot carrying Emperor Chongping into the palace from Anshun Gate, the noisy crowd on the street still refused to disperse. Strings of firecrackers hung on the street were lit, and the sound of crackling sounded. Soon the sound spread throughout the entire Shenjing City.
In the teahouses and restaurants in Shenjing City, almost all of the three religions, traders, and pawns were talking about the triumphant return of Marquis Yongning and the great victory.
The majestic and magnificent Xihe Palace has been decorated with lights and colorful decorations. A banquet has been set up in a spacious and luxurious hall, and eunuchs and female officials are constantly coming and going.
Emperor Chongping and Jia Heng walked up the stone steps, talking as they walked.
Emperor Chongping said: "Zi Yu, after this battle, the Jurchens should not dare to go south to plunder easily again, right?"
Jia Heng said: "As I said in my previous report, the nine northern border defense lines need to be rebuilt. Previously, whether it was Jizhen, Xuanhua, or Datong, there were some omissions in the border passes and forts, and they need to be reorganized."
Emperor Chongping nodded and said: "I have read the memorial before, and every word of what Ziyu said in the memorial is exquisite. It can be said that it explains the key points of the sluggish side affairs."
It can be said that the renaissance of the Han Dynasty was brought about by this young man in front of him.
Jia Heng said loudly: "Actually, Your Majesty also knows that there are many evils in border affairs, but in the past he suppressed them and kept silent. Now, fortunately, we have defeated the Jurchens outside the Great Wall. This is just the time to wipe away the old malaise, get rid of the old evils, and revive the border affairs."
Now, he actually needs to hide his clumsiness, otherwise one day the emperor will be enlightened and feel that his successor cannot control him, and what awaits him will be the suspicion between the emperor and his ministers, with a beginning and an end.
Emperor Chongping nodded and said: "What Zi Yu said is correct. When we were in the study room of the Daming Palace in the past, Zi Yu once mentioned to me that a great victory could be used to eliminate the long-standing shortcomings in the country's affairs. I still remember this very clearly."
Jia Heng said in a low voice: "Your Majesty, I think we can deal with the shortcomings in internal affairs slowly. The most urgent task is to rectify the northern border troops and clarify the military and military affairs of the provinces."
The current Emperor Chongping seemed to have just bought a hammer. Looking at Chen Han who had founded the country for a hundred years, he felt that there were nails everywhere and he had to hit it twice.
He can actually understand this mentality of gearing up and going big.
Many monarchs are not afraid of your mediocrity and inaction, but are afraid of your ambition. This is often the beginning of a country's tragedy.
If you can do it without messing around or messing around, you will have grasped the key to governing the country.
Emperor Chongping nodded slightly and said with emotion: "Ruling a big country is like cooking a small dish. It is not advisable to do it too hastily. It needs to be done slowly."
The monarch and his ministers casually talked about the government affairs and entered the main hall of Xihe Palace together.
It was nearly noon, and the warm early summer breeze blew through the bells hanging on both sides of the roof in front of the temple, and the crisp and clear tinkling sounds gradually started to sound.
Then, the officials of the Han Dynasty arrived one after another in carriages and sedan chairs, and lined up in court on the white marble square. Under the guidance of Yushi Jiuyi, they slowly entered the hall according to official rank and order.
At this moment, the ministers and the meritorious generals of the Beijing camp entered side by side.
Under the guidance of the inner prison, the civil and military ministers of the Han Dynasty sat behind several cases and looked at the young man in python suit standing in front of the emperor. Some people felt a ball of jealousy burning in their hearts.
Jia Heng caught the eyes of some young courtiers, their expressions were as calm as the abyss, but their minds were slightly awe-inspiring.
The so-called behavior is higher than others, people will not do it. If the trees are beautiful in the forest, the wind will destroy them.
If Emperor Chongping did this intentionally, it was not necessarily the case. Most of the time, he was naturally close to him in his heart.
But even so, some people have different thoughts.
Thinking of this, Jia Heng frowned slightly, and a suspicion arose in his mind.
I'm afraid that in the next one or two years, other than facing the war against the Donglu, it may not be his turn to lead troops in ordinary wars.
For no other reason than to slow down the speed of his meritorious service and promotion, he also wanted to change the people to fight.
Emperor Chongping looked at the ministers in the palace, was silent for a moment, and said: "Everyone, please sit down, Yao Qing, and read the edict."
Yao Yu, who used to be the minister of the Ministry of Rites and is now the minister of the Ministry of Personnel, was once a noble minister who presided over various national ceremonies. He had a dignified appearance and a clear voice. At this moment, he took the brocade box containing the imperial edict scroll from the eunuch.
Yao Yu held the imperial edict, unfolded the silk and read: "The emperor is destined by heaven, and he said: Since I inherited the destiny, the country's military affairs have been weak, the northern barbarians are raging, and the foreign countries are showing off their evil. Every spring and autumn, the Eastern captives invade Yanzhao and rob them. When they plundered the common people, the old and young were frightened and did not know where to go, and the women and children howled and could not sleep peacefully... In the first month of the 16th year of Chongping, Yongning Hou Jia Heng, the Minister of Military Aircraft, the Prince's Taibao and the Secretary of the Ministry of War, rushed to the army with his troops and died in the battle. Seven thousand bandits were wiped out, and the slave chieftains were killed in Ping'an Prefecture in World War II. This intimidated the barbarians, brought peace to all directions, and relieved the troubles of the bandits... Specially promoted the first-class Yongning Marquis to the third-class Duke of Wei, and the third generation of this branch. , give me the elixir book and the iron certificate, and express my admiration for this."
After hearing this, Jia Heng's face became solemn, he stood up from his seat, raised his hands towards Emperor Chongping who was sitting upright, and said: "I thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness. Long live, long live, long live."
At this moment, all the officials in the palace couldn't help but look at Jia Heng who bowed down and took the imperial edict with both hands, with complicated expressions on their faces.
He is already a third-class Duke of Guards at a young age, and he must be the number one since the founding of the country!
After Jia Heng took over the imperial edict, Yao Yu took another imperial edict, remained silent for a moment, and began to recite: "The emperor is destined to be carried by heaven, and the edict says: I am entrusted with the empress dowager's kind edict..."
This imperial edict was naturally a marriage edict. The general idea was to marry Princess Xianning and Princess Qinghe to Jia Heng through the method of dual marriage, as a model for the world to have dual marriage.
Jia Heng was kneeling on the floor in the hall, listening quietly to the recited imperial edict, and raised his hands towards Emperor Chongping and said: "I thank you for your grace, long live your holy lord."
To this day, with this imperial edict, he, Xianning and Chanyue are legally married.
All the powerful officials in the palace looked at the young Duke with envy.
The young hero was married to the emperor's daughter and the daughter of the clan, and was the head of both the Ning and Rong palaces. This is a story that will last forever.
Jia Heng received the imperial edict from Yao Yu, sat down again, and faced the various gazes of the Han ministers with a calm expression.
Then came the imperial edict to knight Xie Zaiyi, because it was the earl who conferred it alone. When Yao Yu read the three words: "First-class Zhongqin Bo...", the figure of Xie Zaiyi, who was kneeling on the ground while pushing the gold mountain and overturning the jade pillar, was dramatic. Shocked, he took a deep breath to suppress his turbulent emotions.
He bowed his hands and said, "I thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness. Long live Your Majesty!"
When he kowtowed in gratitude, the seven-foot-tall man's voice was choked with sobs.
I vaguely remember that when he was an ordinary gatekeeper outside Shenjing City, if he hadn't followed Duke Wei, he would still be penniless, how could he be granted the title of wife and son today?
Then Yao Yu recited the imperial edict of Pang Shili and other meritorious generals. In short, everyone was knighted. The generals present thanked the saint, and for a while, shouts of long live were heard in the Xihe Palace.
The civil servants in the palace looked on with cold eyes, their hearts filled with a thick layer of gloom.
Zhao Mo put down the tea cup in his hand, his eyes flashed coldly, thinking, after today, the power of martial arts will greatly increase, and Jia Dang will become more powerful!
Seeing that the imperial edict had been conveyed, Emperor Chongping no longer suppressed his thoughts at this time, and said: "The slave chief was killed in Ping'an Prefecture in the first battle. The slave chief was beheaded by Emperor Taiji, and his head was brought back by Duke Wei. Please tell me. Look carefully."
Hearing this, Jia Heng raised his hands and saluted Emperor Chongping, then raised his eyes and winked at Jia Fang.
Jia Fang cupped her hands towards Jia Heng, then took a beautifully patterned brocade box from the palace guard, and then slowly held it and handed it to the emperor.
Seeing this, Dai Quan hurriedly left the imperial palace, took the brocade box, then turned back and headed towards Emperor Chongping.
With the help of two internal prisoners, Dai Quan opened the brocade box containing the head.
Because Huang Taiji's head was to be presented in the palace, the brocade box was filled with spices in advance to cover up the rotten smell, but even so, there was still a faint rotten smell lingering in all directions.
Emperor Chongping saw the head made of salt in the brocade box. Upon closer inspection, the eyebrows, eyes, facial features, beard and hair were lifelike.
Emperor Chongping's eyes were excited and he said with emotion: "Unexpectedly, today I can see the head of the captive chief again in front of the steps. God bless you!"
How many years have passed, since the fall of Liaodong in the 27th year of Longzhi, I have not been so proud and happy!
"Dai Quan, pass the head of the captive chief to all the ministers for inspection." Emperor Chongping said loudly as he glanced at the ministers of the Han Dynasty below.
At this moment, the officials of the Han Dynasty were also a little curious. Many of them had never seen the Jurchen King.
Dai Quan said as he was ordered, then he quickly approached the imperial court, took a brocade box, and walked towards the courtiers sitting in the palace.
Han Huang, the chief minister of the cabinet, first looked at Huang Taiji's head, studied it for a moment, and sighed secretly in his heart.
This Huang Taiji can be regarded as a hero of his generation, but to end up with his head missing, it has to be said that the mystery of fate is mysterious.
When time comes, heaven and earth all work together to transport heroes without freedom.
After Han Huang finished reading, cabinet minister Zhao Mo also looked at Huang Taiji's head with a bit of shock in his eyes, and then waved his hand.
In this way, Dai Quan and the two inner eunuchs displayed Huang Taiji's head in front of the civil and military ministers in the palace.
With the heads in front of them, some middle-aged civil servants frowned, with fear on their faces, and cursed secretly, it was really a disgrace to the scene.
But some generals and young censors looked excited and felt their chests filled with pride.
The resurgence of the Han Dynasty has appeared!
As for the older civil servants, looking at the head, they had even more mixed emotions.
For example, Wang Shu, the Minister of Dali Temple, who witnessed the fall of Liaodong during the Longzhi period and the shock to China, looked around at the officials on the left and right and said: "The loss of Liaodong shook the country. Although Liaodong has not been taken back, the slave chiefs have been crowned and the barbarians have retreated. This is enough comfort." Tens of thousands of heroes from the Beijing camp died in the battle in Liaodong."
Several other people also agreed.
Jia Heng sat down behind a table, his face as calm as a deep, and others could not see any complacency at all.
Han Huang's eyes flashed, he picked up the wine glass and took a sip, a thoughtful face reflected in the wine.
In other words, I can see the old fox flavor of Yuanting Yuezhi in Jia Heng.
The Prince of Nan'an County glanced coldly at the young man in python suit, and couldn't help but tighten his grip on the wine glass in his hand.
After hearing this, Emperor Chongping turned to look at Dai Quan and said, "Dai Quan, let's have a banquet."
Dai Quan accepted the order with his hands raised, and immediately shouted in a high-pitched voice: "Let's have a banquet!"
At this point, today's triumphal banquet has officially begun, and the generals in the palace are sitting at attention.
After a while, the sound of rituals and music started loudly in the palace, and then the palace maids holding dishes came in from the outside one by one and put down the dishes with dishes in their hands.
Accompanied by the sounds of silk and bamboo orchestral music, groups of palace maids in bright clothes danced gracefully on the dance floor, dancing gracefully like swans with their necks raised high.
(End of chapter)
