At dusk, the palace was illuminated with lanterns everywhere, and the mirror-like green and white eaves between the eaves and beams suddenly glowed with orange halos, while the majestic and majestic Yingwu Hall's winding ridges were shadowy in the dark night.
In a waterside pavilion surrounded by water on three sides, a stream of cool air rises from the ice mirror in the corner, dissipating the heat of the summer night. The melted ice water drips into the ceramic pipes, and the ticking sound it makes is clear and sweet.
Xiao Ying had a headache when she looked at all the Yingying Yanyans in the hall, who were all extremely well-educated and each had their own beauty.
Xiao Ying is not a jealous woman. She also knows that the prince's family has few heirs and the Yang family is not happy. Each house needs to have more heirs to help the family inherit and stabilize the country, so she first accepted the decision. The basic, non-threatening Liu Rumei. When she saw that Yang Ji was helpless and struggling in the court, she took the initiative to match up with Pei Shuying, who had a strong background and might threaten her. She hoped to tie up the powerful Pei Ju and Pei Yun through marriage, so as to have a better future. Let Yang Ji have a few talkative helpers in the court.
As for the leaders of the martial arts maids, Murong Xianyue, Xian Yufang, Liu Xu, and Lu Siqi, in fact, like Liu Rumei and Zhang Chuchen who later joined the family, they were not only Yang Ji's indispensable right-hand men, but everyone knew that there were many in the palace. The secrets are not visible to the public, so they cannot be married off.
Xiao Ying had long been mentally prepared for them to become concubines one day, and she did not reject these innocent, loyal, and capable girls. However, any woman must ask for her opinion when she wants to join the family. This is also the most basic right of the head wife and the head of the house. If she does not agree or is more assertive, she has the right to include Pei Shuying. The "sisters" included all rushed out of the house.
But today, Yang Guang inexplicably stuffed him with four orders, which made Xiao Ying very unhappy. Of course, Yang Guang is the emperor and the head of the Yang family after all. He has the right to decide everything about the entire Yang family. Xiao Ying cannot accuse or blame him for violating her authority.
It's just that Yang Guang was the unique and supreme emperor of the Sui Dynasty after all. His every move, word and deed made people think about it, and then he made all kinds of strange and bizarre readings and understandings. And his relationship with Yang Ji And it has been "badmouthed" by others. Therefore, once word spreads about his very unruly and informal behavior today, outsiders will definitely think that this is not a generous gift, but a naked humiliation.
If people make a fuss and rumors fly all over the sky, it will at least make the whole palace look embarrassed and make people laugh for a while, but they have always been shameless and don't care about it; but in more serious terms, it will cause huge damage to Yang Ji and the Wei Wang family. Political troubles.
However, Xiao Ying is, after all, a woman who understands the general situation, understands the importance, and knows how to advance and retreat. Although she is angry, unhappy, and worried, she knows that the deal is done. If the palace does not recognize and accept the gift that Yang Guang canonized, Four decrees without any other intention will definitely cause greater trouble.
Thinking of this, Xiao Ying was almost annoyed to death.
"Sister, not only is the Hou family a daughter given by a saint, but she is also named in the genealogy along with Murong, Xianyu, and Liu. In this case, let's take her into the house. Otherwise, we can't pay tribute to the saint or the clan. Explain it!”….
When it comes to the status ranking of the palace's concubines, Xiao Ying is the well-deserved eldest sister, followed by Pei Shuying, and then Liu Rumei who was the first to become Yang Ji's woman; as for Zhang Chuchen, who is just a concubine, she did not give priority to speak on this occasion. right.
The second eldest child, Pei Shuying, is as talented as Xiao Ying and can also be a good person; when she sees the eldest sister frowning and hesitating, she is worried that she has overlooked something, and she also cares about Murong Xianyue, Xian Yufang and Liu Xu. Feelings, he took Hou Qiaowen, who had not yet arrived, as an example, and told Xiao Ying about the powerful relationship.
Of course Xiao Ying also understood this. She sighed helplessly and had a devastating feeling in her heart:
Anyway, even if the sky falls, the troublemaker will still be there to hold it up; and as a little woman like her, she only needs to take care of the affairs of the house. If she worries so much, isn't she asking for trouble?
As for the ups and downs outside, leave them to him to handle.
She pondered for a moment, looked up at Murong Xianyue, Xian Yufang, and Liuxu, and then said to Pei Shuying meaningfully and pointedly:
"That's alright! Let's welcome her into the house and observe for a while. But let me say something ugly first. If her temperament and moral character are comparable to ours, it's okay; if she is the kind of vicious woman who strives for favors, causes trouble, and is shallow and short-sighted, Then don’t blame me for being rude."
Murong Xianyue, Xian Yufang, and Liuxu have been recognized by Xiao Ying, and have obtained the qualifications to enter the palace. After hearing Xiao Ying's words, there was a sudden awe in their hearts.
The eldest lady was nominally talking about the Hou family, but why wasn't she warning them?
If they don't know how to compete for favors and cause trouble, the consequences can be imagined. But the aunt is talking about "the Hou family" after all. As "outsiders watching", they are naturally not in a good position and cannot express their loyalty on behalf of "the Hou family". They can only keep it in mind silently.
"I don't think this woman is!" Pei Shuying also recognized the hidden meaning in her words. She smiled and said to the eldest sister, "The saint and the husband have a deep brotherly love. The saint would not put a shallow and vicious woman into his house."
"I hope so!" Xiao Ying is very familiar with the three new girls, and her character is very reassuring, but there are some ugly things that must be said in advance, otherwise it will be too late. At this time, she saw them all sitting upright. , Listen carefully and know that they understand what you mean.
Just when Xiao Ying was about to change the topic, Qiu Shui came from outside, knelt down and said, "Auntie, Second Niang, Third Niang, madams, the king is back."
Xiao Ying was having a headache when she heard this and smiled sweetly: "Did you bring Mrs. Hou here?"
Qiu Shui was stunned for a moment, then said: "We have never! It is said that the king placed her in the guest room."
"Really?" A faint smile appeared on Xiao Ying's cheek. After many years of getting along, she knew Yang Ji exceptionally well and knew that her husband was a particularly interesting person.
On the battlefield and in the officialdom, he is a resourceful, invincible god of war and wise man; however, when it comes to women, he is a shrinking man. It is said that he has only been to a brothel once in his life, and it ended in a fight; and Liu Rumei, Pei Shuying, Zhang Chuchen and other beautiful beauties were sent to him, and he did not dare to take action; however, the three girls became After his wife, she is very playful and open-minded. ….
However, Yang Ji's move of placing Mr. Hou in the guest room made her happy and extremely sweet. This move seemed very trivial, but in fact, it was because her husband respected and valued her as usual, so he did not get her opinion. At that time, I felt that Hou was an outsider and a guest.
After a while, Yang Ji walked into the waterside pavilion. When he saw all the beauties, his heart skipped a beat and he said solemnly, "Are they all here?"
Originally, he asked Yang Yichen and others to come into the house to discuss matters on the grounds of an urgent matter, so that he could avoid the women's army; they came, but in the end, they hid in a place where he could not find them.
It was obvious that those people were aware of his sinister intentions, so they were unwilling to get involved in this kind of thing. Maybe they were drinking together in a corner, waiting to see his jokes.
He had no choice but to face the difficulties alone. But it doesn't matter, such "little things" can't trouble him Yang Zhengchun.
Xiao Ying stood up to meet her and asked softly: "Mr. Lang, why are you back so late today?"
"I'm busy with official duties, so I can't help it!" Yang Ji sat down with a golden sword and said angrily to Xiao Ying: "I've asked for resignation countless times, but the saint won't let him. He is the emperor, what can I do?"
All of a sudden, Yang Zhengchun was exposed. Now, let alone Xiao Ying, everyone present had sweet smiles on their faces.
They are all good people, and they have been hanging out together for many years. Naturally, they know that Yang Ji is a lazy person who steals. Although he has a real job in Beijing, he has never taken over, so now he is just a freeloader. How can an idle person be so diligent until now?
Seeing this, Yang Ji suddenly woke up and realized that he had committed dogmatism and that Duan Zhengchun's methods could only deceive the silly baby. However, for Daodao who was familiar with him and watching him from the side, this was The routines are simply the funniest and most ridiculous jokes and lies in the world. But what Yang Zhengchun was facing at this moment was a group of swordsmen.
If this is not seeking death, what is it?
"I'm not... exaggerating. There are indeed big things to do." Yang Ji knew that at this time, he could never say "I didn't lie to you" or "I didn't lie" or "You have to believe me." Otherwise, the words "cheating" and "lying" will be imprinted deep in the other party's mind; after that, no matter what you say or how you argue, the other party will subconsciously think of "cheating" and "lying."
This is also one of the taboos that must be paid attention to in the negotiation field; if you are indeed lying, then such extremely sensitive words must not be uttered. It's fine if you are genuine and have what you say, but it makes it more difficult for yourself to tackle the problem.
He was silent for a moment, and then said to Xiao Ying: "If there is no big event, I will not call Yang Yichen, Wei Yunqi, Xue Ju, Yuchi Gong and others into the mansion. There is something I want to tell you."
Xiao Ying saw that Yang Ji's face was solemn and his tone was somewhat solemn. She turned her eyes and winked at Qiu Yue, who was waiting for her. The maids around them all left the waterside pavilion.
"What's so serious?" Xiao Ying asked softly, picking up a teacup with her delicate hands and pouring a cup of tea for Yang Ji. ….
"There have been huge changes in the world situation. I no longer need to accompany the Northern Patrol; but what the Saint asked me to do is of course also a very important part of the Northern Patrol." Yang Ji took the tea cup and took a sip. He looked at the people present The seven fairies said slowly: "This is because the Goguryeo army gathered at the border between the two countries, and they put on a posture of fighting if we can't negotiate. The saint asked me to go to the northeast to clear out the Goguryeo army that had infiltrated into the country and annihilate the Goguryeo army. Gather the effective forces in Liaodong to provide security for the meeting between the saint and Gao Yuan."
The smile on Xiao Ying's face froze, her heart sank, and she said hurriedly: "Mr. Lang, I know that the saint's purpose of this northern tour is to demonstrate to the foreign races in the north, so that they will not dare to harbor dissent, so this trip will lead three people More than 100,000 elite troops. With so many troops, can we not guarantee the safety of the saints?"
"Although our army has many officers and soldiers, supplies in the Northeast are scarce and transportation is unfavorable. In addition, the three counties of Mozhou, Raolezhou, and Liaodong were acquired not long ago, and the people's hearts are not yet attached, so the rear area is not stable. On the other hand, Goguryeo's troops are not strong enough. Weaker than our army, and they have been operating in Liaodong for hundreds of years. There are sufficient weapons, equipment, food and grass supplies there, and they are better prepared." Yang Ji smiled and continued: "From the comparison of these data, our army is indeed We are at a disadvantage; however, wars are constantly changing, and a general’s adaptability will be tested during a duel. The side with more supplies may not have the last laugh.”
Xiao Ying also knew this. After hearing this, she felt a little relieved. She thought about it and asked, "Then, how many troops will the saint give you?"
"The total number of troops is less than 100,000. The available troops should be 50,000 or 60,000." Seeing that their faces changed, Yang Ji quickly comforted them: "Actually, this kind of war in which weakness shows strength is what I am good at. Besides, in addition to my troops, I also have the Xi clan, Sumo Mohe and other servants to assist me in the battle. You don’t have to worry at all."
After a pause, he explained: "In my opinion, the more troops and materials the opponent has, it means that the opponent has more places to defend and more flaws to expose, and naturally there are more places that I can use and conquer. Already."
The girls thought about this carefully and felt relieved. After all, in most of the battles Yang Ji fought in the past, he used less to attack more, and used the weak to attack the strong; and in the end, every time, he defeated the enemy with the force of the autumn wind sweeping away the fallen leaves, and won the final victory.
Thinking of this, Xiao Ying asked: "Does your husband have any arrangements for family matters?"
"This is also one of the important things I want to remind you." Yang Ji lowered his voice and said in a deep voice: "This time the northern patrol, our army will use all its elite troops. We and I are worried that someone will take the opportunity to cause chaos, so the saint asked Yang Xiong to , Yang Da stayed in Daxing and Luoyang respectively. However, Goguryeo's imminent move has made the situation more complicated and confusing. If a war breaks out between the two sides in Liaodong and the war is unresolved, what we are worried about is very likely to happen. "
"Because the opponent is the Sui Dynasty, the first one to bear the brunt must be our royal family and our family."
It is precisely because of the unexpected existence of Yang Ji that the most serious tension in the Sui Dynasty seems to be more than ten years earlier than in history; he himself feels that the Sui Dynasty now seems to have jumped from the Great Cause in three years to the first in history. secondary
Goguryeo period. Therefore, his worries are by no means unfounded. ….
The difference is that Yang Guang is now very popular and prestigious.
After hearing his words, Xiao Ying and other women were stunned: they knew that although the various policies currently implemented by the imperial court were beneficial to the country and the people, they were at the expense of serious damage to the aristocratic families. Therefore, the royal family and the aristocratic families had a very different relationship. Sharp conflicts of interest; especially the conflicts with the Guanlong nobles, which are almost irreconcilable.
In the process of the violent growth of contradictions and conflicts, Yang Ji played a ruthless role in fueling the flames and adding fuel to the fire. If someone really rebels under the banner of "Qingjun punishes Chao Cuo", then the first to be unlucky will not be the same. There is no doubt that this is their home.
Xiao Ying stared blankly for a long time. She suddenly took Yang Ji's hand in panic and asked, "Mr. Lang, if this is really the case, what should we do?"
Yang Ji sighed in his heart, held her in his arms, and said: "In a few days, I will lead the troops first; after that, the saint will lead the team to leave Guanzhong. You wait until the saint leaves Beijing and return to Zhangye immediately to avoid the storm. center."
"Lang Jun, we can take refuge in Zhangye, but what should Lang Jun do? Will the saint take you..." Pei Shuying next to her was so nervous that her whole body started to tremble.
Pei Shuying and Xiao Ying have innate learning advantages compared to women like Liu Rumei and Zhang Chuchen who came from poor backgrounds. Moreover, Pei Shuying not only likes to read history books, but also received teachings and guidance from Pei Ju, so she is very familiar with the historical fact and process of "The Qing Dynasty punished Chao Cuo".
Chao Cuo was well versed in Confucianism and Legalism and had profound knowledge. He was highly valued and favored by Emperors Wen and Jing. He was also Emperor Jing's imperial mentor. In order to consolidate the great cause of the Han Dynasty for a long time, he wrote the "Eliminating Fans Policy" in the third year of Emperor Qianyuan of Emperor Jing. However, this move aroused strong opposition from the seven Liu clan princes and kings surnamed Liu, including King Liu Bi of Wu, King Liu Wu of Chu, King Liu Sui of Zhao, King Liu Pi of Jinan, King Liu Xian of Zichuan, King Liu Ang of Jiaoxi, and King Liu Xiongqu of Jiaodong. The famous "Seven Kings Rebellion" was launched in the name of "Qing Jun side, punishing Chao Cuo".
Not long after Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty came to the throne, he was pitifully weak in terms of personal prestige, strength, and control over the world; in the face of the menacing coalition of seven kings, he could not command many troops at all. So Prime Minister Tao Qing, Lieutenant Chen Jia, and Court Lieutenant Zhang Ou, under Yuan Ang's suggestion, jointly impeached Chao Cuo in the name of "dead ministers' courtesy, treason and injustice", and proposed that Chao Cuo be executed.
Due to various pressures, Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty approved this proposal and had Chao Cuo "killed in court" and his family was also confiscated and exterminated.
Chao Cuo ended up like this just by submitting the "Policy for Eliminating Fandom", and it is not an exaggeration to say that Yang Ji did so many offending things. If the incident of "Qing Jun side-killing Yang Ji" happened and the war was not conducive to the court, Pei Shuying was very worried that Yang Guang would be forced to kill Yang Ji in half due to various pressures.
"It doesn't matter to me. The key is you. As long as you are safe, I will be fine." In order to reassure them, and seeing people close to him everywhere, Yang Ji whispered to them: "As for what may happen, In fact, the saint has been fully prepared for the turmoil. Now, in addition to the prince and Yang Da who stayed in Xijing, and Yang Xiong who stayed in Dongjing, he also issued orders to the governors of various states to prepare for war. And our Liangzhou army is even more prepared If there is someone who is ignorant of current affairs and seeks death, the Liangzhou Army and the garrisons in Longxi, Pingliang, Tianshui and other places will march eastward, and Fufeng Governor Qian Shixiong will also open the Great Shock Pass and Anyi Pass. Let the army enter the pass and assist the prince and Yang Da to suppress the rebellion. In addition, there are various preparations."
"With these arrangements, even if there is real turmoil, it will calm down soon, and you don't have to worry about ***. However, only very, very few people know about this kind of thing and this kind of arrangement. You must not tell anyone Outsiders have revealed it, do you understand?"
"I understand!" The girls responded solemnly, and their tense heartstrings relaxed.
Xiao Ying calmed down quickly. She broke out of her husband's arms and said, "Lang Jun, Aniang and the others are still in Luoyang. We need to inform them to get ready!"
Yang Ji also considered this matter, nodded when he heard the words, and told Liuxu: "When daylight breaks, you will send an eagle letter to Luoyang, asking them to enter the pass to meet up, and evacuate to Zhangye with the princess and others."
"Here!" Liuxu answered with her hands raised, just as she was waiting
When she went to prepare, Yang Ji stopped her again.
Yang Ji looked at Murong Xianyue, Xian Yufang, and Liuxu one by one, smiled and promised: "I have always regarded you as the closest and most reliable relatives after we have been together for so many years. From now on, we are a real family. .”
This is telling them that you will be my Yang Ji's women from now on. When the three extremely strong girls heard this, they actually shed tears.
Seeing this, Xiao Ying sighed secretly in her heart, and saw Yang Ji arranging household affairs properly, and asked softly: "Lang Jun, are you leaving?"
"Exactly!" Yang Ji nodded and said to them: "I still have many things to discuss with Yang Yichen and the others. You should go and rest first!"
It is not advisable to stay here for a long time at this time and it is best to leave.
The girls responded: "Here!"
Seeing the guy walking away, Xiao Ying couldn't help but shook her head: When it comes to women, she is still so evil-minded but not courageous, she even looks worried for him! .
Bihai Siyun
