The Imperial City of Kashu • Yuanwu Palace

If it weren't for the chaos caused by the cold, all the ministers should be in their respective homes at this moment, guarding the fire, and enjoying the family fun of their children and grandchildren around their knees. However, the emperor was in a hurry, and who dared to complain.

Not only did they not dare to complain, but they didn't even dare to say a word. The emperor is worried about the border, it is the time of prosperity, there are two blind ones, at this time, the wind and cold in the western city of Beijing, the disputes between the doctors in the east and other trivial matters, provoked the emperor's anger, and the people who scolded him held their breath and did not dare to speak indiscriminately.

At this time, only the Marquis of Li dared to stand up and say that he asked the emperor to take back the holy decree of the five princes to lead the troops to the south.

According to the old practice of the emperor since the founding of the country, the great intention was established at the beginning, and the foundation was unstable, and the monarch and ministers should always be diligent and conscientious. Therefore, although the Yuanwu Hall is the hall of deliberations, it is not allowed to provide ice to cool down in summer, and it is not allowed to make a fire to keep warm in winter. In order to make the officials sober-minded and think carefully.

At this moment, the temperature in the temple has dropped to freezing.

"Then according to what the Marquis of Lihou said..."After a long time, the emperor spoke, and his voice was not angry and arrogant in this quiet hall. The fifth son of the emperor is not suitable to lead the army, who will be elected? ”

"Your Majesty, this time away from the cold and chaos, the indifferent people's planning is far more meticulous and thorough than we predicted in advance." Hou Ye bowed his body and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "I should send generals with experience in leading troops to go on the expedition, instead of letting the young Fifth Highness go to test and make meritorious contributions!" ”

"What Lihou said is reasonable." The emperor's voice was as cold and hard as the lacquered gold relief dragon pattern pillar in this hall, "But also in this Yuanwu Palace, someone recently said that Prince Huan would send troops to quell the chaos. I remember that you tried your best to stop it, saying that although Wei'er is a general, he is only a prince in the end. In the future, he will be regarded as a general, so that he will have a lot of military achievements, and he is afraid of causing turmoil in the East Palace, and hundreds of officials will have different opinions. You have two speeches in the past few days, but how do you tell me to choose? ”

"Your Majesty is angry. The old minister did say something a few days ago. It's just that at that time, the minister, like His Majesty, didn't know that Nanmo was menacing this time. If they are bluffing, then our dynasty only needs to send a person of noble status - even if it is not the fifth prince, it is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and the old minister will never say anything! Hou Ye said word by word, "On that day, someone said that Prince Huan would send troops, but the old minister objected, and the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Criminal Affairs sent the prince and the fifth highness to send troops, but the old minister did not say no, this is the reason." ”

Lihou bowed down again, and then slowly got up. He is already over seventy years old, and now he is standing under the court, still like the strength of the wind, standing strongly, without half of the waist and hunchback, rickety and old.

"The old minister begged His Majesty today to take back the order of the Fifth Highness to send troops. But it is not a contradiction, but asks His Majesty to send Prince Huan to send troops. "Master Hou's voice is like a bell, like a divine weapon striking each other." The old minister asks for a decree, please make the old minister the general of Zhennan, and give me 30,000 soldiers of the Praetorian Guard. ”

As soon as this remark came out, everyone was shocked. Even the emperor was no longer angry, and only stared at the old and determined face of the Marquis of Li.

"Lihou..."The emperor's voice weakened a little, "You are too old, how can you stand the hardships of leading troops to fight-"

"—Your Majesty is too worried. Although the old minister is an old man, he is also strong-hearted. In the past, if it weren't for the peace talks between the old ministers and the Moguo, how could there be a peaceful and prosperous era in the north today! The Praetorian Guards have always been kept in Lifu, and who can lead them more qualified than the old ministers! Hou Ye said loudly, "Your Majesty! The prince's status is noble and cannot be lost, Prince Huan's military achievements have to be taboo, and His Royal Highness is young and ignorant and does not understand the art of war. At present, the only one who can deter the indifferent people is the old minister, and please Your Majesty, the quasi-old minister! ”

Hou Ye's deep voice echoed in this vast Yuanwu Palace, but it never dissipated for a long time. It's like his tragic determination, which shakes the heartstrings and makes people unable to calm down for a long time.

——

I knew that the final decision of the imperial court was to send the Marquis to lead the Praetorian Guards south on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and it was too late to do anything.

I begged the palace for a long time, but he didn't agree to my request to send the marquis out of the customs. And when I went to Lifu again, Master Hou also refused my visit on the grounds that the army was about to go out soon, and the house was in turmoil. In desperation, I had no choice but to ask for help from Wen Zhao, who was traveling with me, to take care of the elderly Hou Ye for me.

After all, he is equivalent to taking down this murderous disaster for Gong Han.

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Hou Ye put on the armor that he had not worn for decades, and took Wen Zhao and 30,000 Praetorian Guard soldiers into the palace to resign, and then walked out of the gate of Kazhou in the cheers of the people. And I was confined in the palace by the palace, and it was not until the time of the unit that I came to the sedan chair and took me into the palace to go to the Lantern Festival reunion banquet.

This banquet was no more than the number of people on the Halloween, and it was set up in the emperor's daily study palace. At the end of the year, a cold wave poured into Kaju in the north, bringing a menacing epidemic. In just a few days, more than 1,000 people in Beijing have been infected, and the patients are all weak in their limbs, coughing, and in severe cases, they have fever and difficulty breathing. And if there are patches of red herpes on the body, it is terminally ill and unable to return to heaven.

just said goodbye to the Hou Ye, and the emperor was not in high spirits. During the banquet, people frequently reported that the members of various households in Beijing were infected with the epidemic, and everyone became more and more depressed and palpitated. After Concubine Li and the other harem concubines returned to the palace, the atmosphere became more and more gloomy, and it was almost suffocating people's chests.

"When I heard about this epidemic, my sister-in-law first found out." Gong Hao broke the silence and made a polite and respectful face, "If you hadn't found out that the body was inappropriate, and asked the girl to ask her to do an inspection in time, we are afraid that we wouldn't have found out so early!" ”

Today, I was dizzy because of Hou Ye Nanzheng's anger, and I was clearing my throat in a low voice, listening to Gong Hao talking to me, I wanted to reply, and I didn't want to get stuck in my throat for a while, so I coughed again and again.

"The bride has seen the body of the sick?" The emperor frowned, and his voice sank a little. "You come from a civilian background, and you don't know taboos. Don't get contaminated with these in the future, don't talk about bad luck, so as not to get sick. ”

When I heard that the emperor was displeased, my heart was anxious, and my face was red with cough and tears. I saw a worried look on the face of the palace banner next seat, and when I was panicking, I heard the palace curtain smile to the emperor and said, "Father's teachings have been recorded." The father and emperor were relieved that as soon as the epidemic came out, the prince's mansion of the sons and daughters burned mugwort and smoked vinegar to strictly prevent people from entering and leaving. Up to now, no one in the house has developed a disease, and it is very safe. ”

"It is precisely the current time when the epidemic is spreading in Beijing, and it is not peaceful. Erchen didn't dare to slack off, and he had already asked his subordinates to be on strict guard. I eased my cough, so as not to notice Gong Wan's expression, so I turned to Gong Wan and smiled, "It's that the Fourth Highness should be careful." You don't often go back to the palace of the county, but often run around the palace of the prince of Huan and the forbidden palace. But you have to be very careful, lest you bring illness to the palace or the palace. ”

"Sister-in-law is too worried." Gong Wei hurriedly said, "As soon as the epidemic comes out, my mansion will be on guard like the prince's mansion, and the fourth brother will definitely not be half wrong with me." And all the way back to the palace, the sedan chair was covered thickly, and before entering the palace gate, ginger soy soup was splashed, and there would be no threat to the palace. ”

"Although there is a precaution every time you move, not moving is the best precaution." The emperor glanced at the palace hoist, "Although the fifth child is not successful, he is also honest in the palace." If your third brother has nothing else to do, you will not run to Prince Huan's mansion in the future, and it is good to stay in the palace and teach your fifth brother more truths. ”

The emperor's words were neither light nor serious, but Gong Yu was already frightened, and hurriedly stood up and pulled out a smiling face: "The father taught the emperor a ......"

"What the fourth brother knows is just some Danqing calligraphy, wild history and miscellaneous poems, what can he teach the fifth brother." Gong Wei also smiled and said, "But in the Erchen Mansion, the Erchen can talk to the fourth brother about agricultural and mulberry taxes and military strategies, which can be regarded as beneficial to him." ”

"He is neither a monarch nor a prince, what are you teaching him to do with this?" The emperor put the wine cup on the shelf, and he was already angry, "Everyone has different talents and different identities, do you think the fourth child is the material for learning the national policy?" ”

As soon as these words came out, everyone was so shocked that they knelt on the ground. The emperor's words couldn't be more obvious, obviously using the palace as an excuse to condemn the palace curtain for acting on behalf of the prince, but he has the ambition of the world.

"Father's anger!" Gong Wei's voice trembled, and a line of sweat had been forced out of his forehead, "Erchen didn't mean this, Erchen ......"

"-Father, that's not what the third brother meant." But he listened to the palace banner for the palace curtain and said, "If the father and emperor accuse his sons of being useless, naturally there is nothing wrong with it." If the father accuses the fourth brother of not doing his job, the fourth brother should also admit his mistake. But the third brother is diligent and intelligent, loyal to his father and the country, if he is also at fault, his sons and ministers really have no place to stand! ”

"You know for yourself." The emperor sneered, and then breathed a sigh of relief, as if his anger had subsided slightly, "It's a good Lantern Festival, it's just that there is no rest outside, and everyone in the palace is not angry...... Arise, prince of the prince, and kneel down like you. ”

"The fifth brother respects his father and respects his brother, and he also has a filial piety word..."The palace curtain smiled beside him, "Father, although our brothers are not yet successful, but in the end they are all filial piety to you, you-Lian'er beware!" ”

Gong Wei screamed, and hurriedly picked me up for a while, and I was about to fall to the ground after I got up. Everyone was shocked, and when I saw that Gong Wan was about to rush over to support me, my heart was in turmoil, so I coughed a few times in the arms of Gong Wei again.

"What's going on?"

"Sister-in-law... Sister-in-law, she-"

I saw Gong Hao pointing at my arm covering his mouth and nose with a frightened expression, and everyone's eyes looked in the direction of his finger. But I saw that my wide cuffs had been lifted and slid down an inch, and my white wrists, which were exposed, seemed to give birth to a terrible red blister.

"Lian'er... This! ”

"It's an epidemic!"

I almost subconsciously looked at Miyahata, and on his face, I saw an indescribable shock and horror on my own face.