Following the direction pointed by Shu Liang's finger, Yu Qian and Yang Hong looked over.
There was a team in the distance, about two to three hundred people, slowly walking towards the Tumu Fort. The leader was Tao Jin, the chief military officer of Xuanfu, followed by Du Ning, Geng Jiuchou, Li Xian, Zhu Jian and other civil servants. , riding into the wind, clothes flying.
In the center of the procession was a bright yellow carriage.
The Supreme Emperor is here!
Seeing this situation, both Yu Qian and Yang Hong couldn't help but be a little surprised.
The two of them came here because they received the emperor's edict, so of course they knew what happened in Xuan Mansion.
What Shu Liang said in the inner courtyard of the General Military Mansion that day was not all intended to force Zhu Qizhen. Some of it was indeed true.
These are also the emperor’s original words.
"... Two hundred thousand officers and soldiers died in the battle to cover the Emperor's breakout. Although they were unsuccessful in the end, they paid their lives for it."
"Now that the Supreme Emperor has returned to the capital safely, he should give them an explanation and let them know that his sacrifice was not in vain. Only in this way can the spirits of these officers and soldiers rest in peace..."
Therefore, this memorial ceremony is imperative.
If the Supreme Emperor is unwilling to come, Yin Qian, the Minister of War, and Yang Hong, the former Chief Military Officer of the Xuanfu, will preside over it in his stead.
After a while, the team in the distance gradually approached, and the carriage stopped leisurely a hundred paces ahead.
Yu Qian and Yang Hong looked at each other and stepped forward to greet them at the same time. Shu Liang naturally followed closely behind, and the three of them walked towards the car at the same time...
Time goes back to yesterday.
In the inner courtyard of the General Military Mansion.
After seeing off Du Ning and Zhu Jian, Yuan Bin returned to the room, only to find that the Supreme Emperor was sitting on the couch with a lost look on his face.
"His Majesty?"
He called out tentatively, and then saw the Supreme Emperor waving his hand to him and saying.
"Don't worry, I'm fine."
After a brief pause, Zhu Qizhen suddenly sighed, looked at Yuan Bin and Ha Ming and continued.
"The only people I can trust now are you two. Tell me whether I should go to the civil ceremony or not?"
this……
Yuan Bin and Ha Ming looked at each other, hesitantly. They knew in their hearts that the Supreme Emperor actually felt guilty about the civil war.
However, once you go to pay homage, it will inevitably be equivalent to admitting your mistakes, which is also difficult for the Supreme Emperor to accept.
However, as Yuan Bin himself, he still felt that the Supreme Emperor should pay homage to him.
But how to say this requires careful consideration.
So, after hesitating for a moment, Yuan Binfang said cautiously.
"Your Majesty, regardless of victory or defeat, it is customary to pay homage to the fallen soldiers. This is a courtesy for the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country. You have a distinguished status. If you are willing to go to pay homage in person, it will naturally be the honor of these soldiers. If you are not willing, send the generals there. The same goes for substitute sacrifices.”
"However, Xuanfu is not far from Tumubao. If Your Majesty fails to pass by, there may be discussions in the DPRK and China."
"This minister's foolish opinion, please think again, Your Majesty."
Zhu Qizhen's face looked a little ugly, but he did not speak, but showed a trace of thinking.
However, this period of silence was a little too long.
After a moment, Zhu Qizhen turned his head and asked without comment.
"Ha Ming, what do you think?"
As a result, the two of them understood each other, and Ha Ming hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"Although what Yuan Xiaowei said is reasonable, your Majesty's top priority now is to return to the capital as soon as possible. Only in this way can the country be stable and the clan be laid in peace. This is the overall situation. Therefore, even if your Majesty has the heart to commiserate with the soldiers who died in the battle, It's also a small love, so I should give it up temporarily and focus on returning to Beijing."
Although Yuan Bin has been awarded the hereditary command of General Jia Guangwei, in fact, he has risen from a low-level officer to a true aristocrat.
However, they had a life-and-death friendship in Yibei and shared weal and woe. In private, both Zhu Qizhen and Ha Ming maintained their original titles for Yuan Bin.
This sentence can be regarded as a step forward for the Supreme Emperor.
Therefore, Zhu Qizhen followed the logical path.
"Of course I want to pay homage to me. After all, these soldiers all died for me. However, you have also seen that slave Shu Liang pressed hard on me step by step. He even dared to surround the house with troops and force him to do so. Breaking into the palace."
"I'm on the road now, and I can't sing alone. The Holy Mother and many ministers I can trust are in the capital. Only by returning to the capital as soon as possible can we truly settle down. Therefore, the memorial ceremony can only be done after returning to the capital. It’s time to look for opportunities.”
There was no one around at this moment, so Zhu Qizhen spoke with less scruples, and expressed his concerns in a subtle way.
Of course, the biggest reason why he said this was, on the one hand, because Yuan Bin and Ha Ming had a feeling of adversity with him, and he did not want them to feel bad about him because of this. After all, Zhu Qizhen himself knew in his heart that emotions should be more important than reasons. , he should go to pay homage.
On the other hand, it's because, as he said himself, he really has no one available. The only people he can truly trust now are Yuan Bin and Ha Ming.
So Yuan Bin and Ha Ming kowtowed together and said.
"Your Majesty is wise."
Zhu Qizhen waved his hand, but the look of worry on his face did not diminish at all, and even seemed to be inexplicably uneasy.
After a moment of silence, he suddenly asked Yuan Bin.
"Yuan Bin, last time you came to Beijing, you said you had met the emperor. In your opinion, what kind of person is the emperor?"
This was obviously even harder to answer, Yuan Bin said with a trace of cold sweat on his face.
"Your Majesty, it is disrespectful for a minister to discuss the emperor. How dare I talk nonsense about the emperor..."
Zhu Qizhen was already upset at the moment. Hearing this, he became angry and scolded.
"If I ask you to say it, just say it. There is no one else here, so what are you afraid of?"
After Yuan Bin finished speaking, he felt regretful in his heart, knowing that he had said the wrong thing.
You know, although it is said that the throne has been determined, the Supreme Emperor has never been able to adapt to this change. Therefore, they are usually very careful in this kind of matter, but he accidentally touched the Supreme Emperor's heart just now. That thorn.
At this moment, Yuan Bin did not dare to hesitate any longer and pondered for a moment, considering the words.
"Your Majesty, when I was in the capital, I only met... and the emperor twice. Once was at the Fengtian Palace. At that time, the case of the envoy was to be tried. I was confused and was regarded as a witness. Later, Once, it was at Wuying Hall, where several important ministers and the Holy Mother were present. The minister and Lord Zhu reported the situation in Wala, and finally agreed to send an envoy to Wala to meet him."
Yuan Bin has said these things in detail before, and he mentions them again now, firstly to set the stage, and secondly to organize the words.
At this point, Yuan Bin paused for a moment, secretly raised his head and glanced at the Emperor's face, and then said.
"In my opinion, this person has a decisive character and versatile methods. At that time, Zhang Fu, Xu Bin and other adults above Tingju had several opportunities to overturn the situation with the help of the British Duke's power, but they all failed They were resolved one by one, and even in the end, Zhang Fu and other adults had no choice but to use the minister to break the situation and take the blame. However, this road was also blocked by the emperor. At that time, I felt that Zhang Fu and the others Every step your Lord takes is foreseen in advance, which shows the emperor’s plan.”
"In addition, in the Wuying Palace, the Emperor seemed to be respectful to the Holy Mother, but in fact, I could see that the ministers were careful with their words when speaking, and the Holy Mother had to deliberately give in. Therefore, I feel that, Today’s court situation… is almost under the control of the emperor.”
Zhu Qizhen sneered, but didn't say much. He just said.
"As expected, he is my good brother, only for one year, ha..."
Yuan Bin and Ha Ming looked at each other, and in tacit agreement did not speak, but quietly exited the room. They knew in their hearts that at this time, the Supreme Emperor did not need anyone else to be present.
However, not long after they walked out of the door, Li Xian walked in with a complicated expression. After hesitating for a moment, he said.
"General Yuan, this is just sent by the Ministry of Rites. The court's detailed instructions for welcoming the Supreme Emperor. I would like to trouble General Yuan to forward it."
It will take some time for the mission's guards to be transferred over. Even if they are transferred over, Zhu Qizhen is not completely assured of them. Therefore, from this time on, Yuan Bin and Ha Ming are guarding the door day and night.
Yuan Bin asked while taking the Yi Zhu from Li Xian's hand.
"Didn't you send one before? Why, the Ministry of Rites has made new changes?"
Li Xian nodded, showing an indescribable expression and said.
"There are indeed some detailed adjustments. General Yuan, I still have some things to do, so I can't stay longer. Please be sure to forward this note to the Supreme Emperor."
Say it, Li Xian turned around and left, as if he was afraid that if he stayed for a moment longer, he would not be able to leave.
Yuan Bin frowned, instinctively feeling that something was wrong.
Although he didn't know Li Xian before, he also knew that he had accompanied the Supreme Emperor in the Northern Expedition, and he should be regarded as a close minister of the Supreme Emperor.
Moreover, when they were outside Datong City, Li Xian was the most excited to see the Supreme Emperor. Yuan Bin still vividly remembers that scene.
Therefore, Li Xian should not be the kind of person who is afraid of avoiding the Supreme Emperor.
It was just a ritual note. He could send it in by himself. The Supreme Emperor would probably not refuse to summon him. But now, Li Xian looked like he was avoiding something...
Shaking his head, Yuan Bin looked at the note in his hand, turned around and entered the room.
Then, he could see with his naked eyes that the Emperor's hand holding the Yi Note began to tremble uncontrollably, his face turned red, he slapped the table, slammed the tea cup to the ground, making a crisp sound, and became furious. .
"Reverse, rebel, these bastards from the Ministry of Rites, how dare they bully me like this? Is Hu Ying dead? There are also the cabinet, Wang Ao, and Yu Shiyue. I treat them well, but now, they are forcing me like this. , It’s really the opposite!”
Although Yuan Bin didn't know what happened, he finally understood why Li Xian was unwilling to deliver the note himself.
"Your Majesty, calm down, it's important to take care of your dragon body!"
Immediately kneeling on the ground, Yuan Bin secretly picked up the note. At a glance, he knew what the "detailed adjustments" Li Xian meant.
As early as when he first arrived in Datong, the Ministry of Rites sent a note of etiquette, which included a list of ministers from various places to greet him, the Emperor's itinerary, as well as various matters such as the etiquette of greetings in various places and the palace.
In addition, it also describes in detail the specific procedures for the emperor to greet him in the suburbs after returning to the capital, offering sacrifices to heaven, offering sacrifices to the ancestral temple, and paying homage to the Holy Mother and Queen Mother.
At that time, the Supreme Emperor was quite satisfied.
The year-long stay in a bitter cold place like Yibei made Zhu Qizhen pay more attention to etiquette and regarded it as a symbol of status.
Apart from anything else, at least the fact that the emperor welcomed him in the suburbs shows that he, the supreme emperor, is still the king of hundreds of officials and the father of all people. Even the current emperor has to go out of the city to welcome him in person.
Except for offering sacrifices to the Taimiao...
After all, he had lost the battle and went to see his ancestor's memorial tablet. Zhu Qizhen still felt a little guilty.
However, the Ministry of Etiquette also stated in the rite notes that greetings in the suburbs, offering sacrifices to heaven, and offering sacrifices to temples are a complete set of rituals. If any one is missing, it is not in line with the etiquette system.
Either the entire ritual process has to be carried out, or the Emperor can simply be transported to Dong'an Gate in a sedan chair, and then enter the Nangong Palace after the ministers have met.
Compared with the latter, of course Zhu Qizhen still prefers grand ceremonies.
Therefore, this small dissatisfaction was suppressed.
Anyway, what we are facing is the ancestral tablet, not the ancestor himself, so there is nothing to be afraid of...
However, this set of rituals is extremely complicated and has many details, so it is inevitable that it will be revised and added one after another. For example, the one just sent by the Ministry of Rites has added two important documents.
One is a sacrificial text when offering sacrifices to the Taimiao Temple, and the other is a draft of the imperial edict that was given to the ministers after entering the Fengtian Temple.
Yuan Bin browsed so quickly and saw several extremely dazzling words.
"... God punished me, and I was detained as a prisoner... I was repeatedly blessed by the Holy Mother, the empress dowager, and the emperor's sage brother. They sent people to welcome them... I humiliated the country and mourned the teacher, and defiled the ancestral temple... Now it belongs to the ancestral temple... In the dynasty, I have no face to see my ancestors in the ancestral temple..."
This is a sacrificial text, and the following edict is crude and unkind.
"...I was ignorant and was misled by the powerful and traitors, so I was trapped in the imperial court... I tried to write a letter to my brother, the throne of the Zen Emperor, and the sacred weapon of the canon, and ordered it to be worshiped by the clan... Now that I have returned to the capital, major events are unpredictable, and the state affairs , my brother Weiyier..."
Yuan Bin was frightened to see these words, and he knelt on the ground, not daring to say a word.
This was more than just a slap in the face of the Supreme Emperor. He was clearly being hit again and again, almost to the point of being trampled on the ground.
And more importantly, since this ceremonial note was sent in the name of the Ministry of Rites, it shows that it is not only the intention of the emperor, but also the intention of the civil and military officials.
In other words, there is no room for modification!
This is the biggest reason why the Supreme Emperor is so angry.
The room became quiet, except for the sound of Zhu Qizhen's heavy breathing, which was particularly obvious.
Yuan Bin knelt on the ground, not daring to move.
I don't know how long it took, but the room became completely quiet. With his head lowered, Yuan Bin could feel how gloomy the Emperor's eyes were.
He felt that he could not go on like this, and was thinking about how to persuade him, when he heard the voice of the Supreme Emperor.
"Yuan Bin, go and inform Du Ning, Zhu Jian and others that I will go to the earthen fort tomorrow to pay homage to the fallen soldiers."
This sentence was said very calmly, but Yuan Bin could feel the violent emotions hidden underneath the calmness.
Yuan Bin raised his head and opened his mouth, but before he could ask a question, he saw the Supreme Emperor sneer.
"Don't they just want to embarrass me? So it doesn't matter if I do what they want. The clay figurine is still very angry. I want to see if he can handle some things!"
