For the emperor's whimsy, everyone in the palace is already in a strange attitude, and there is nothing to stop - the major affairs of the country are in worship and worship. Under the ancestral precept that the harem is not allowed to interfere in politics, whether the emperor is in charge of the expedition or not, it is not something that people in the harem can intervene in, and the things that stop him should be left to the ministers to do. If the harem people open their mouths at will, they may be criticized by the civil officials.

Of course, the truth is this truth, but many times the truth is not the enemy of feelings, the two queens of benevolence and filial piety and sincerity and filial piety are far away from the harem and are not allowed to interfere in politics, and they are also famous, who made them different in that era, and the relationship with their husbands and sons is not the same? Now that the relationship between the Queen Mother and the Emperor is so cold that this is this, how can you speak out? As for the concubine, she said that she was slapped in the face and taught a lesson, so naturally she died down, and there would be no superfluous and useless persuasion.

The only thing that is more worried is the queen and Concubine Chen, the two ladies should have persuaded the emperor in private, and they were also treated coldly because of this, and they may have been reprimanded, so they had to jointly ask the queen mother to come forward to dispel the emperor's absurd thoughts.

Although the relationship between the queen mother and the emperor is cold, and the queen knows this, she has come when she should come, she has never slackened when she should have expressed, and she has never owed anything in terms of etiquette, so the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is still relatively relaxed, and it is not a stiff relationship that cannot open her heart and speak. The queen was preoccupied at this time, and she was also a little sick and rushed to the doctor, and after sitting down for a while, she wiped her tears. "I can't persuade him to come back, it seems that I have already made up my mind that I must go out to fight in person."

Concubine Wan Chen also helped, "It's just that the emperors of all dynasties have experienced blood and fire on the battlefield, and he is no exception...... No matter how the concubine tried to persuade her with the example of the Yuanyuan Alliance, the eldest brother refused to listen. Instead, he thought that the concubine was making ominous words, and scolded the concubine in turn. ”

This analogy was indeed inappropriate, and when the queen heard this, she also lowered her face and glanced at Concubine Wan Chen with some displeasure, but she had a soft personality, but she never scolded anything—this was already a very unpleasant expression.

Concubine Wan Chen glanced at the queen, and seemed to have seen her thoughts, so she further explained, "During the Song Dynasty, Liao sent troops to attack the Song Dynasty, and Emperor Zhenzong was on the front line to supervise the battle, and his morale was high, so he was able to keep the northern Xinjiang from falling, and there was no need to move the capital. Zhenzong took this as a matter of pride, and greatly praised Kou Zhun who advocated this matter and saved half of the Great Song Dynasty. But even so, a few years later, Wang Qinruo was just a few words, saying that Kou Zhun was: the blogger lost all his money, and he ran out of everything, which was called a desperate bet. Since then, Kou Zhun has never been reused in his life, which shows that Zhenzong also deeply believes in this statement. Imagine the merits of using Zhenzong to protect the northern frontier, and then think about the incident of visiting Lanzhou in person at that time, and look at it with all its might. If the city was ruined at that time, what would it do? ”

"Several emperors of this dynasty, although they all have brilliant achievements, but at that time, the northern captivity was weak, and my dynasty was strong, and this appearance was like beating the water dogs. Today's Warat is like a wolf cub that has just grown up, and this hateful knock can also be said to be what he has wanted for many years. The eldest brother grew up in the palace since he was a child, and he has never been on the battlefield, before the first emperor led the army to send troops in the past, I don't know how many places he went to with Emperor Wen's southern expedition and northern war. Concubine Wan Chen talked eloquently, "Whoever sends troops, must first be invincible, but he can drive the expedition in person, but he is not allowed to lose." In ancient times, there has never been a battle that can only be won and not defeated, even the old generals dare not say so, not to mention that even if the eldest brother is wise and martial, he has never really been on the battlefield? ”

She quoted scriptures and classics, her views were practical, her reasoning was clear, and her words completely reflected her level of insight -- the same words, Queen Qian would never be able to say. Xu Xun couldn't help but glance at the Queen Mother, and they both saw what the other party was thinking: At that time, both of them Xu Wanshi could be the queen, but in fact, this view was not wrong...... The Qian family has been the queen for a few years, and compared with the Wan family, there is still a gap in the level.

However, the emperor would never listen to Wan's advice, Xu Xun asked, "After the emperor listened to your words, did he get angry and reprimand you severely?" ”

Soon after Queen Qian entered the palace, she couldn't help crying like tears, although Concubine Wan Chen also had a look of grievance, but she also maintained a calm attitude, after telling the matter, she tentatively paid attention to the expressions of the Queen Mother and Xu Xun, listened to Xu Xun's question, as if she had an understanding, and suddenly exhaled a little frustrated, and replied in a low voice, "Yes, the eldest brother is very angry, and the slave has been making amends for a long time, so that the eldest brother can calm his anger." ”

Queen Qian did not show joy at Concubine Wan Chen's frustration, she also had the same experience, "The daughter-in-law is the same here, just mentioned a few words of worrying about the eldest brother, and was reprimanded by the eldest brother as a woman and has no knowledge." Sister Zhou and Sister Liu in the palace are also the same. ”

After all, they are all the emperor's concubines, and their interests in this matter are the same, and they don't want him to go out on adventures. It's just that Queen Qian and Concubine Wan Chen came over to speak as representatives, Xu Xun glanced at the Queen Mother, and saw that she still didn't mean to speak, so he said, "It seems that Da Lang has already made up his mind." I heard that the DPRK and China were also opposed, but he ignored them...... Even if I waited for something to say, I was afraid that it would be difficult to shake his thoughts. ”

Concubine Wan Chen frowned and said, "Even so, the son of a daughter can't sit down, and this kind of risk is not to be taken." The eldest brother only said that there are hundreds of thousands of elites such as us, and there are only 50,000 soldiers who can fight, which is several times that of the enemy, and there is no reason to be invincible. But it would be nice if the war was so simple, there were also people in the concubine's family who had been in battle, and I had never heard that the winner could be judged by the number of people. If this is the case, the national strength of the Song Dynasty is several times that of Liao, and the population is the same, how can it not even keep the country? This matter should be stopped no matter what, the eldest brother, otherwise, it is good to say that it is good to win, if the eldest brother is defeated, I am afraid that even the country will be shaken, and in the future, I will no longer have the courage to fight against the heavens. ”

Although she didn't say it explicitly, her attitude was already obvious - she was very optimistic about the emperor's ability to lead the army, and felt that his chances of winning after he went out were very low, and Tai was going to lose. What's more, he was already worried about the fate of the dynasty after the emperor's defeat.

After all, she is the daughter of an official eunuch, she has read poetry and books since she was a child, and she is only about twenty years old, and she can already see so far-reaching. Empress Qian, who was the same age, could only cry and echo, and Xu Xun also felt some emotion in his heart: It's a pity that the emperor's eldest son was born to the honest Concubine Zhou......

What is the relationship between Concubine Zhou and the queen, just look at the fact that although she gave birth to the emperor's eldest son, she did not bring her to ask the queen mother today, which can be seen. Speaking of which, Concubine Chen also gave birth to the second son of the emperor, and the queen is willing to bring her, this is a soft and gentle person who doesn't care if the limelight is overshadowed, Concubine Zhou can deal with her like this, it can be seen that she is a person.

She shook her head slightly, and didn't say anything - saying a few words for the Queen Mother was considered to be too much affection, and how to deal with it next was the Queen Mother's own business.

The Queen Mother didn't know what to think, she was silent all the time, Queen Qian and Concubine Wan Chen were almost speechless, so she said, "The ancestor of the national dynasty, the queen concubine is not allowed to interfere in political affairs, I am afraid that you don't know the weight of these words." At that time, the emperor was young, and the Empress Dowager and I did not have a system in the court, so there was a reason. Leading the troops out of battle is a big deal, the emperor's wisdom, as deep as the abyssal sea, must have been calculated early, even if there were occasional small defeats at the beginning, so many generals followed, and there were eunuchs who knew the military to follow the side, are all these people waste? Once things don't go well, the emperor will naturally consult them. Although it is not a victory and a defeat first, there is no reason to worry about the sky. This battle may not be able to win beautifully, but after all, there will not be much of a problem, if there is no chance of victory, even if the cabinet is killed, it will not agree to send troops...... Do you really think this is Wang Zhen's nonsense? Even if it seems to be nonsense, there is a reason behind it, and don't worry too much about the affairs in the court. ”

You basically don't have to listen to the nonsense in the front, the focus is on the information in the back: the queen mother is not optimistic about the emperor, thinking that she will lose at the beginning, but she is optimistic that the battle situation will not be too erosive after all. After all, it was not long after the rise of Warat, but the country was a strong soldier here, and there were many expert counselors, after the emperor failed once, his spirit was frustrated, and his brain would be sober, and when the time came, it would be very simple to let the experts take action, and it would be very simple to clean up Warat.

This layer of meaning is more clear, and adults in the normal court can understand it, and the more obscure is the second meaning: this time the emperor is very stubborn, not to support Wang Zhen, but Wang Zhen to open his eyes for him. Including raising hundreds of thousands of troops to deal with Warat, it is not that Warat is worthy of so many people.

It's nothing more than a few years of pro-government, the prestige has not been established, the prestige is not high, and it is difficult to control the ministers, so it is just to borrow the blood of Warat to establish his authority. When he returns to the dynasty with a great victory, his prestige will inevitably rise, and at that time, he will still be worried that he will not be able to overwhelm the cabinet and the ministers?

Any political action is purposeful and meaningful. If the emperor just wanted to go out on a whim, then he wouldn't be so stubborn. It is precisely because of the overall plan that no one can be allowed to talk about it, whether it is a beloved wife and concubine, or an adoptive mother and concubine, unless he is given a simpler way to brush up his reputation, otherwise this battle will definitely have to be conquered by himself, and there is no discussion at all.

The queen didn't seem to understand, but she still begged for a few words before she stopped in disappointment. However, Concubine Wan Chen seems to have understood a lot, her beautiful eyes are flowing, and there is a faint look of deep thought, but she no longer pleads.

The next day, she came down privately to see Xu Xun.

"The concubine has always been famous in the palace for her outspokenness." After the opening greetings, Concubine Wan Chen also got straight to the point. "The concubine is also undecided now, so I came here to ask for advice...... Niangniang thinks that the eldest brother's calculation is somewhat certain? ”

After all, she is thoughtful and bright, and she deserves the title of Concubine Chen.

Looking at Concubine Wan Chen's eyes as bright as the morning star, Xu Xun couldn't help but sigh slightly, and suddenly, she understood the mentality of many people when Emperor Zhang wanted to change the empress twenty years ago. - Seeing through the despicable aspects of the Queen Mother's plan, why is she the only one? It's just that most people, like her now, have lost their youthful vigor to tell everything, and they have long lost the confidence to insist on their own opinions.

The current situation is even several times worse than back then, but what kind of mood does she still have in the mood of injustice? The current person will not take her opinion seriously...... The man who listened to her, and was angry because of her words, was long gone.

The loss of the mandarin duck and the broken wings of the wild goose are the worst things in the world, even if they were not painful at the time - after the pain of the collapse of the earth at that time, the wounds left behind will never really heal, it seems to be forgotten, and even they think they have forgotten, that person's voice and smile have long been blurred by time, and only an occasional pain in the scene can make people understand that the original blood has never stopped flowing.

"Not at all." She suppressed her feelings and said frankly, "Like you, I don't think he has the talent and experience to be a commander. If he leads the battle, it will surely be lost. ”

"In that case—" Concubine Wan Chen raised her eyebrows and made an inquiring look.

"In fact, I don't understand this truth," Xu Xundao, "The Queen Mother also understands, and even the ministers understand." But if he is not allowed to go, the first one will not be able to do it, and the second, he will not be at ease. ”

Only by letting the emperor go, and clearly knowing his shortcomings in the actual operation, can he know how naïve his plan is. Only then can he be willing to leave things to experts to do -- he is a general in military affairs, and he is naturally a cabinet minister in literary affairs. It may be with this thought in mind that the cabinet did not oppose it to the end, and finally gave in and agreed to the pro-levy.

Concubine Wan Chen didn't look surprised, obviously she had already thought of this possibility, and only said, "Could it be ...... Can't you tell the truth to your eldest brother...... To put it well, the eldest brother may not be unforgiving......"

"I know what you're trying to ask." Xu Xun said, "Yes, I used to tell the truth, and Emperor Zhang...... Presumably, you also heard about the past, so you praised me for having a reputation for being outspoken. ”

She couldn't help but smile to herself, "However, people are different. Emperor Zhang listened to it, so I said, what is the current Dalang...... I can only say that if you want to learn from what I did that day, don't think that it will definitely be the result of that day. ”

She said through Concubine Wan Chen's thoughts, but Concubine Wan Chen didn't look surprised, but said, "Ah, Niangniang can see it." ”

After pondering for a while, Fang asked, "Then, when Niangniang acted that day, she had already calculated that the emperor would definitely value Niangniang's morality because of this?" ”

Many things are said to be beautiful legends in later generations, as if Xu Xun spoke out for Empress Hu, which will definitely make Emperor Zhang not angry but happy, and 'the more important it will be from now on'. Only those who lived in the court would constantly think about the story of that year and ask their own questions.

Xu Xun shook his head and said, "When I spoke back then, I was determined to die...... I didn't think that I would be safe and sound in the end. ”

"Then why is that Niangniang-" Concubine Wan Chen was a little puzzled.

"Without it, it's just a pleasure." Xu Xun said, "At that time, I felt that I had to do it - it was as simple as that. ”

"I see." Concubine Wan Chen showed a look of relief, "As Wen Chenggong said: how can you be as good as you want, but you want to be worthy of your heart." ”

She also smiled, gave Xu Xun another salute, and got up to say goodbye.

Han Nushi, who has been serving on the side, is also a little curious, "I don't know what step Concubine Chen will take, so she can be regarded as worthy of her heart." ”

"What do you think?" Xu Xun asked rhetorically.

Han Nushi pondered for a moment, "I will come to ask you, in the eyes of the slave, it is already worthy of my heart." ”

"yes, but she doesn't know how she thinks she can count it." Xu Xun also sighed, "Everyone has their own thoughts, and this is worthy of their hearts, and what their hearts are are are also strange, who can say clearly." It's me, at my age, I feel that I am worthy of my heart now, but if I was young, I was afraid that even if I knew that it would not help, then I would have to say it to be willing. ”

"Maybe it's true." Han Nushi was half-joking--somewhat hopeful, "After all, Concubine Chen is like a harem, just like Concubine Sun Guifei was like a harem back then......"

The same is outstanding everywhere, favoring the harem, if you really want to care, you also have the great hope of being made a queen. If the harem woman can interfere in the government affairs, she must have such a concubine to be qualified.

Xu Xun shook his head, "I can't say it." There is a huge difference between the emperor and the great man, you don't understand this. ”

"But what's the difference?" Han Nushi is also a little curious.

"There were many people in the heart of the emperor, and the harem was stormy back then, not because he loved too little, but because he loved too much." Xu Xun sighed softly. "The emperor has only himself in his heart, and the harem is peaceful, not because he loves enough, but because he loves no one...... In his heart, the most important person is always himself. He can only see himself forever, how can such a person listen to what others say about him? Most of Wan's also knows that if she tries to persuade her, she is afraid that she will lose a lot of affection...... It's up to her to be worthy of her heart when she takes it. ”

Within a few days, news came out of the palace - Concubine Wan Chen was punished for thinking about it behind closed doors for three months because she angered the emperor. Of course, compared to Xu Xun's practice of being directly sent to Nannei at that time, this kind of disposal can be regarded as light.

Even Concubine Wan Chen is treated like this, no one in the palace dares to persuade her, and the courtiers have already died...... In this way, the emperor embarked smoothly on the journey to success, taking most of the elite around the capital with him to realize his dream of being famous outside the country.

In hindsight, his dream was not fulfilled for twenty days.

The author has something to say: The motive for the Tumubao incident in history is definitely not what I interpreted, I can be regarded as beautifying Yingzong, and the truth may be even more stupid, more illogical and worse