Zhang Rulin was very grateful to Wo Lun for speaking up for him. After he retired from the court, he returned to the chancellery and thanked him in person. He also said that he would pay a special visit to him and the eldest princess one day. After hearing this, Wo Lun just smiled indifferently and asked him to improve in the future. yourself, and be aware of other officials around you.
The emperor's birthday banquet was held in a simple manner, and all the money except for wine, meat and other necessities were given to the gathering points of the poor in Beijing to buy clothing and food for the poor. Then he ordered light corvees and low taxes. Those who were willing to develop handicrafts, tea industry, restaurants, shops, and private schools could apply to local officials for orders and receive corresponding welfare money.
For a time, envoys came from the south, west, and east of Beijing. In the places they passed, the people were hardworking in farming and weaving, and the rich were skilled in shops. In particular, Liaoyang Prefecture, Datong Prefecture, and Kaifeng Prefecture were the three places where the country and the dynasty The most prosperous land, the envoys from the Koryo Kingdom, Xixia Kingdom, and Song Dynasty in the opposite direction witnessed the prosperity of the bleak and desolate northern kingdom in their minds, and they were even more impressed by the wisdom of the Jurchens.
When passing through the capital, the scene of people living and working in peace and contentment was the most touching. The envoy sent by Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty said: "The Jurchen style is not what it used to be. The desolate land in the past is already prosperous and incomparable."
The National Chaochen Festival was held more simply than in previous years. When envoys from various countries came to visit, the emperor also greeted them kindly and the envoys were very respectful. Only the envoys of the Southern Song Dynasty secretly mocked him in public at the banquet for his stingy appearance and not as lavish as the Song Dynasty. Although the emperor was angry, his emotions were calmed down by the other envoys present.
When the envoys from various countries left, the emperor personally went to the Qianbu Corridor to express his condolences and see them off. The envoys were full of praise for the country.
Since then, the emperor has attached great importance to Zhang Rulin because of his reputation at the banquet. Not only did he pay more attention to him in the court, but he also prepared to promote him to a higher position. So one spring rainy evening, he summoned Wugu Lunwo Lun to discuss the matter.
As soon as he entered the banquet hall, the emperor was wrapped in silver fox fur and huddled on the couch, with the warmth from the heater spreading around him.
Wo Lun remained silent and went to bow his head. He saw that the emperor was playing with a pair of jade cups at this time. There were several jade cups of different sizes and a pair of jade pots in his hand. The jade cups were green in color and purple in the middle. There are no cracks, variegated colors, or graininess, while the jade pot has a large area of purple jade. Its color is smooth and bright, and you can feel the coldness and coolness of the jade without touching it very close.
Wo Lun straightened up after hearing the order, looked at the jade cup and said, "This jade cup is truly exquisite. It is transparent and has no mottled colors or cracks. The purple color on the pot is definitely rare in the world."
The emperor was pleased and said, "My uncle has good eyesight." He pointed to the cup and said, "This was presented to me by King Yong on my birthday a few days ago. It is said to be a top-quality jade that has been passed down since the establishment of the Jurchen tribe."
After he finished speaking, he sneered and picked up the jade he usually collected to compare: "I think there is no difference. He must have tricked me."
Wo Lun said with a smile, "Purple jade is the most rare. Purple jade with such a large area and no cracks is difficult to find, and difficult to shape and cut. As for your majesty's one, you may wish to take a closer look. There are still some cracks on it. of."
"So, Wulu really gave a priceless treasure?" The emperor sneered.
"Of course!"
"Wulu, hehe, he is still as cowardly as a mouse. I just killed a few incompetent ministers. The people I killed were all secretly going in and out of wine shops, robbing women of the people, and taking corruption and bribes. They also deserve to be killed. , He has made countless achievements, what are you afraid of? He proudly presented this treasure!"
"King Yong has an introverted personality, keeps aloof from the world, and wants to live a stable life. If something like this happens, he will naturally be afraid."
"Hey, let's call him a free-spirited king!" The emperor shook his head sarcastically.
The emperor sneered again: "However, what jade, gold and silver are not as good as what I want in my heart?" He asked tentatively: "Uncle, do you know what I want to get most from Wulu?"
Wo Lun knew what he meant, so he shook his head and pretended not to know, and sighed again after a moment: "No matter what your Majesty wants, before you get it, you have to think about whether the words gain and loss are appropriate."...
It seemed that there was something in the words, and the emperor also understood what he meant, and nodded silently - "I have hurt her once, and I cannot hurt her a second time."
The emperor was stunned for a long time before slowly remembering the serious business of today's summons. Then he slowly waited for someone to bring tea, and then asked about Zhang Rulin's family background.
「
Oh, by the way, this Zhang Rulin is really talented. He won the first prize but he is not impetuous. He is a rare down-to-earth person! He arranged a birthday party for me well, and I plan to promote him. "
After hearing this, he clasped his hands in front of his clothes and murmured to himself - "That's true. This Zhang Rulin works under the old minister. He is very patient and perseverant. It can be seen that he has been raised since childhood. His father Xuan Zheng, his Uncle Xuan Su is also a man of few words and an honest man, so he taught this child such qualities."
"Hey, Zhang Xuansu, I remember that this year the Yellow River burst its banks and the Hebei rebels started to robber, and he was the one who went to pacify it." The emperor fluttered his dark eyelashes, put his hand on his chin, and stroked his beard: "Hiss—you Said, he is Xuan Su’s nephew? Zhang Xuan Zheng’s son, I remember, Zhang Xuan Zheng’s second daughter is Wulu’s second wife, so Zhang Rulin is Wulu’s brother-in-law?”
Wo Lun nodded sincerely and didn't think much about it.
The emperor felt a little apprehensive at this time, and kept repeating: "Wulu's relatives, Wulu's relatives."
Wo Lun knew what the emperor was thinking. It was just that the power of the people around Wanyan Yong had gradually grown over the years. His concubines were from the Zhang family, his brother was a member of the Xingbu Lang, his uncle Zhang Xuansu was the transfer envoy to Tokyo, and he also had an uncle. Zhang Hao is currently the Prime Minister of the Zuo; the other concubine is from the San family, and his brother is the Minister of War; the main wife is from the Wulinda family, a hereditary Meng'an Mouke, and several of her brothers are important officials in the court; the Li family At this end, the biggest backer is the prime minister's nest, followed by the Jiangmen Jiagu family.
The emperor also thought about this, and suddenly realized that unknowingly, most of the ministers in his court were close relatives of Wan Yanyong.
Based on this, the emperor showed no sign of fear, only Yi Qinghe smiled with a hidden secret: "Come on! Let's consider it next time when he performs well! He is only in his early twenties, young people should practice hard before rewarding him."
After that, he ordered Wo Lun to retreat, and he took one of the jade cups and went to the Queen's Longwei Palace.
When he went in, he saw the queen and the prince there. They were reading around the stove. They were angry and scolded the palace people, and ordered the palace people to take the prince back to the East Palace. He was not allowed to stay in the queen's palace for a long time except to say hello in the morning and evening.
The queen knew that the emperor was on guard against her, fearing that she would interfere with the prince's growth and teach him to be more devoted to his mother. She also feared that if the prince succeeded to the throne, she would interfere in the government affairs through the relationship between mother and son. But the queen doesn't have the heart of an ordinary mother, but she was born in this imperial family, and she can't do anything about it.
The queen watched the prince being taken away, sat there quietly, and then stood up to say hello.
After a long time, the emperor turned around, smiled, and told her to stand up. He pulled her to sit on the chair.
"Queen, look, this is the treasure Wulu presented to me a few days ago!" He placed the jade cup on the table arrogantly.
"Excellent item! King Yong is gentle and kind, and does not like gold and jade. He dedicated this treasure to His Majesty. Didn't Your Majesty reward him with anything else?"
The emperor stood up with his arms crossed, walked around and stayed by the flower table, as if thoughtful: "What reward? Do you also think he is afraid of me, afraid of me?"
He turned around and saw the queen nodding.
"He has been an official for more than ten years and has never been negligent. He dare not go beyond the orders of the imperial court. Not to mention that he is afraid of Your Majesty. He respects you sincerely."
"What does that Qingya thing mean? He knew clearly that I liked Qingya so much at that time, yet he dared to touch her."
The queen didn't know whether the emperor's fear of King Yong was for public or private reasons, but she silently saw millions of sorrows and regrets in his eyes, and a little red quietly crept into the corners of his eyes. .
"Your Majesty, you know the situation at that time. King Hun granted the marriage, and the Li family was under tremendous pressure. And Mrs. Li delayed marrying because of you. What would be the consequences? Mr. Li did have it, but it is not the same here. I had no choice but to make this decision."
When Wan Yanliang thought about the past, his heart felt like it was being stabbed, so he turned away and never mentioned it again.
"That's all, it's been so many years, so I won't mention it anymore!"
He paused again - "Over the years, the people around Wanyanyong seem to have become more powerful. People from the Zhang family, Pusan family, and Li family account for half of my court. Queen, you say he is sincere and sincere." , then I want to see him, I want to see the real him, I want his most precious
Let’s see if he gives us something!”
"A small piece of gold and jade is nothing. I want the woman he loves most to be my concubine!" After he finished speaking, a cold light flashed in his eyes.
The queen couldn't help but tremble and watched the emperor strode out. She stood stunned in front of the window, looking at the dense dark clouds in the sky in the distance, and said with a sneer to the little servant girl who was serving tea:
"The day has finally come, and Mrs. Li has entered the palace. Then I don't have to look forward to the light in this long night."
The emperor would always recall the past these days, the days when he and Qingya watched the sunset together in the south of the city. While correcting memorials, he would also see the sachet embroidered with wild geese hanging on the shelf.
"Goose is a loyal bird!"
As he put down his pen, there was a mark between his thumbs where he had been wearing a thumb ring for a long time.
"The more I think about it, the more I feel hatred, and the more I hate Wan Yanyong. But what can I do? If a woman with such a backbone like her is forced to return to me, it will be destroyed. If she can still go back, she can still go back. In the past, I would not have been so reckless and would have tried every means to keep her by my side."
The guard Qi Shili spoke bluntly, took down the sachet, and presented it with both hands: "If you can't change the past, then cherish the present. Madam Li is also a woman now. Although she has not married your majesty, she and King Yong are also Treating each other as guests and living a normal life, isn't this what His Majesty desires?"
"If one day, His Majesty brings her back, all the good things may be broken. Since there are regrets no matter what choice you make, it is better to choose the one that is most comfortable and not sad."
The emperor was stunned for a long time, then raised his hand to take back the sachet, nodded, ordered Qishili to retreat, sat alone, and murmured to himself for a long time.
"Wanyanyong, the Pusan family, the Wulinda family, the Zhang family, and the Li family, this momentum is not small!"
"With such great power, how can I rest assured? Unless you are really afraid of me and loyal to me."
In the middle of the night, without making any sound, he suddenly summoned someone to pass on his message - "Come here and tell me my message. Ask the Queen to send someone to Jinan Mansion and order Yongguo's concubine Wu Linda to enter the palace to serve her."
