As the breath of the New Year is getting closer and closer, the land of Guanzhong is gradually shrouded in a wonderful atmosphere of war.

The army participating in the battle had already set out, and the grain, grass, and baggage required by the army were sent out of the pass one step ahead of the troops, and as time went by, they still sent out of Hangu in a steady stream;

As for the people who stayed in Guanzhong, they were busy with the taxes and taxes after the autumn harvest, as well as the collection of winter materials for the family, while waiting for the distant Yandong to come with good news as soon as possible.

——For the Han family, this battle is actually very special!

More than 30 years ago, the Great Qin Ruishi under the command of the First Emperor Yingzheng swept through the six countries and unified the world, in fact, it was only a war of unification within China;

Nearly 20 years ago, the First Emperor died in the sand dunes, and the Great Qin Sheji was suddenly overwhelmed, and the world rose up against Qin, in the final analysis, it was still an internal war of resistance.

Including later, the 'Chu-Han hegemony' between Liu Bang, the king of the Han Dynasty, and Xiang Yu, the king of Chu, and the rebellion of the princes with different surnames in the Kwantung region one after another after after the establishment of the Han family, in the final analysis, it was still in the Central Plains, fighting a civil war between the Chinese nation vs the Chinese nation; in essence, it was still an internal unification war.

Even seven years ago, Emperor Taizu Gao Liu Bang drove a personal expedition and hunted Pingcheng with the Xiongnu Shan Yu Maodun Hui, which still cannot be regarded as a 'foreign war' in the absolute sense, but a war of self-defense.

- Because the battlefield of the first battle of the Han-Hun Pingcheng was always on the territory of the Han dynasty from beginning to end.

Combined with all these things, carefully pursued, the last time the Chinese army opened the border and took the initiative to launch a foreign war, it was after Qin unified the world, Qin generals Ren Huan and Zhao Tuo led hundreds of thousands of Qin soldiers to conquer the land of Lingnan Baiyue.

In this way, the last time the Chinese troops fought outside the national border was nearly 30 years ago······

For the current generation of the Han family, fighting out of the border has never been experienced at all, and has only heard what their fathers and ancestors have mentioned.

On the topic of 'foreign warfare', the attitude of the vast majority of Han people is actually a bit complicated.

In a certain respect, the people of the Han Dynasty hated the Huns, and the heinous sins committed in the north of the Han Dynasty were hated to be swept by a sword!

But on the other hand, the unique homeland plot of the Chinese nation also made the Han people irrepressible to retain a trace of instinctive fear and hesitation for the world outside the border gates.

There is no other reason: for the Chinese nation, what is more terrible than death is often burying bones in a foreign land;

What is more terrible than burying bones in a foreign land is burying bones in a foreign land, and even if you die, your soul will not find a way home······

Against this background, a war to conquer Korea, which seemed to be no difficulty, and no one even worried about its failure, undoubtedly made people all over the world hang their hearts a little and pay close attention to the outcome of the war.

It is also in this atmosphere of anticipation that the figure of Liu Ying, the son of heaven, finally appeared in the long-lost Jiaofang Hall of Weiyang Palace······

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"It's been a while since I entered the palace, Yan'er is still at ease in the pepper room?"

Asked in a gentle tone, Liu Ying sat down with a light smile and looked at the wife who was wearing a bright red queen dress and a phoenix crown on her head: Zhang Yan.

In the spring of this year, the crown ceremony was officially held, and after the pro-government of the dynasty with the support of the Empress Dowager Lu Pheasant, the wedding of the Son of Heaven was also completed in the summer season.

Since then, Zhang Ao, the former commander of the horse commander Xuanping Marquis, has become the ruler of the dynasty;

The half-sister of Liu Ying, the son of heaven, that is, Liu Le, the princess of Luyuan, also became Liu Ying's mother-in-law.

For such a confused relationship, although Liu Ying is still a little abrupt, she can be regarded as reluctantly accepting the reality.

- No matter how outrageous my sister became her mother-in-law, it is not outrageous that Liu Ying married her nine-year-old niece at the age of seventeen······

Since she couldn't stop this from happening, Liu Ying could only force herself to face it calmly, and do her best to protect Zhang Yan and maintain her unique innocence and innocence.

With Liu Ying's inquiry, everyone in the hall only turned sideways with festive faces, looking at Zhang Yan's childish, snow-white, and soft face that people didn't dare to look at directly.

As if feeling this warm gaze, Zhang Yan finally lowered her head shyly, and said in a voice like a mosquito: "Your Majesty cares, the child is in the palace, everything is fine······"

Listening to Zhang Yan say this sentence 'everything is fine' in a meek, peaceful, and slightly childish tone, Liu Ying's face couldn't help but have a stiff color.

- Taking a niece as a wife, although it is also a little unacceptable, but combined with the background of the times and political considerations, Liu Ying can still convince herself.

But Zhang Yan is ······ age

"Whew~"

"If I put it in 2,000 years, I will be a pervert in the script and the drama······

With a wry smile in her heart, Liu Ying sighed lightly, and immediately raised her head and looked at the familiar Jiaofang Palace.

Most of the palaces in Changle and Weiyang are different, and the Jiaofang Palace, located in Weiyang Palace, presents a striking and not dazzling warm color.

This is because the walls of the entire pepper hall are made of pepper powder and mud and painted together;

As for why Sichuan pepper is used as a coating material for the wall, there are many opinions.

Some people say that it is because of the many seeds of peppercorns, and the walls of the queen's residence are smeared with peppercorns, taking a homophonic beauty of 'many sons';

Some people also say that it is because of the unique fragrance of Sichuan pepper, which can effectively prevent insects at the same time, play a certain degree of warmth, and is more practical.

As for the truth, in fact, even Liu Ying doesn't know, only knows the origin of the name 'Jiaofang Palace', which is the pepper that paints the entire palace and exudes a faint fragrance at all times.

For this Jiaofang Palace, Liu Ying's memory also stayed after the defeat of the former emperor Liu Bang Pengcheng, first kicked Liu Ying off the carriage on the way to escape, and then under the pressure of Zhou Luhou Lu Ze, Liu Ying was appointed as the crown prince;

After that, the strategic situation of Chu and Han changed drastically, and Liu Ying was also sent back to Chang'an by the former emperor Liu Bang, just in time for the completion of this Jiaofang Palace.

From then on, until the death of the former emperor Liu Bang three years ago, Liu Ying's entire juvenile years were basically spent in this Jiaofang Palace.

For this palace, Liu Ying has many memories that may or may not be good;

For example, in the first few years, his mother Lu Pheasant was still a prisoner in Xiangying, and this huge Jiaofang Hall was only inhabited by Liu Ying, who was the crown prince;

When Lu Pheasant returned, it was the Han family, and the crown prince Liu Ying and the queen Lu Pheasant lived together in this Jiaofang Palace;

After a few more years, the seventh Liu Chang was carried to Lu Pheasant, and Liu Ying was also sent to the palace: Phoenix Palace.

And Lu Pheasant made up for Liu Chang's regrets of missing most of Liu Ying's childhood.

Later, the first emperor died, and the queen Lu Pheasant became the Empress Dowager Lu and moved to Changle Palace; The crown prince Liu Ying became the son of heaven and moved to the Xuanshu Hall of Weiyang Palace.

It wasn't until this summer, after a lapse of several years, that this Jiaofang Palace, which belonged to the Empress of the Han Dynasty, finally ushered in a new owner.

And at this moment, when Liu Ying came to the Jiaofang Hall again and looked at the extremely familiar palace walls, he didn't feel the reassuring pepper fragrance that had been.

——In just a few years, many things have changed beyond recognition······

"It's past noon, it's not early, can Your Majesty want to stay overnight in the pepper room?"

While thinking about it, a cautious, cautious, and clearly expectant inquiry sounded, which finally provoked Liu Ying to come back from his thoughts.

After reflecting the content of this question, Liu Ying only raised her head with a strange face and looked at the middle-aged palace maid who opened her mouth to ask questions.

"It's just after noon······"

"It's not early?"

Full of doubts, Liu Ying raised her head and looked around, and when she saw the complex emotions composed of expectation, apprehension, and even a little hesitation in the eyes of everyone in the hall, Liu Ying finally reacted: noon has passed, why does it mean that 'it is not early'······

"Uh······"

"Ahem."

"Let's all stand down."

"I am the queen, I have something important to discuss."

With a stiff expression, the topic was forcibly diverted, Liu Ying even adjusted her sitting posture a little uneasily, and subconsciously moved her eyes to the ceiling, and 'admired' the decoration style in the Jiaofang Palace.

Hearing Liu Ying's words, even though the palace maids and eunuchs still had doubts, they had to withdraw from the Jiaofang Hall in three steps and one turn;

The middle-aged palace maid who asked questions before did not even leave directly after exiting the Jiaofang Palace, but stopped three or five steps outside the hall gate openly, pinched her fingers with uneasiness, and turned around to look at the hall from time to time.

In the hall, seeing the palace maid behaving like this, Liu Ying only smiled bitterly and shook her head.

This can't be blamed on the old palace maid for 'not respecting the emperor's order', if you want to blame, you can only blame Liu Ying herself.

——Since the five major weddings in the summer and May, and symbolically stayed in the Jiaofang Palace for one night that night, in the next few months, Liu Ying did not say that she stayed in the Jiaofang Palace, but the number of times she came to the Jiaofang Palace to visit Zhang Yan was also a handful!

Externally, Liu Ying can whitewash the peace, saying, 'State affairs are busy, and the war is imminent, so there is no time to take care of anything else';

In front of her mother Lu Pheasant, Liu Ying can also prevaricate this matter for the time being.

But being able to deceive the outside world and stabilize Lu Pheasant does not mean that Liu Ying can make these palace maids and eunuchs who share the same honor and disgrace with Zhang Yan and share life and death at ease.

- It's been nearly four months since the wedding, but Your Majesty hasn't even touched the queen's hand?

This matter, let alone in the palace, even if it spreads outside the palace, it is absolutely appalling!

This is also in the palace, although the palace maids and eunuchs love to chew their tongues, they always spare their lives and dare not talk nonsense;

If this spreads outside the palace, in the ears of those broken mouths in the streets and alleys, there may be some kind of 'palace secrets'!

What 'I don't like the Queen Mother today', or 'not fully developed', this is still light!

No matter how serious it is, it is the appearance of 'not doing it today (ju)', and even 'good dragon yang fetish', Liu Ying will not feel strange at all!

And this matter, for others, may be just a talk of bragging before and after dinner; But for the palace maids and eunuchs who are attached to Zhang Yan in the Jiaofang Palace, it is a major event related to the future and even the life of the family!

Therefore, although Liu Ying felt that it was inappropriate for the palace maid to ask 'Does Your Majesty want to stay overnight', she was not angry.

To be precise, Liu Ying came to Jiaofang Hall today for this problem.

"Hmmm······"

"Yan'er has been in the palace for several months, Sister Yu and Xuanping Hou, should you be a little worried?"

seemed to ask a random question, and then turned his head sideways, Liu Ying saw Zhang Yan's face clearly, and it was already full of deep horror!

Seeing Zhang Yan's face, the guilt in Liu Ying's heart only deepened, so she subconsciously lifted her butt and sat away from Zhang Yan.

I don't know if it was Liu Ying's subconscious move that made the nine-year-old queen Zhang Yan feel a little more at ease, but I saw Zhang Yan raise her head cautiously, and stared at Liu Ying pitifully for a long time before covering her chin with a handkerchief in her hand and squirming her head.

Seeing that Zhang Yan seemed to have calmed down, Liu Ying still didn't dare to make drastic movements, so she only slowly got up from the couch and took two steps forward.

"Summoning the servant into the palace to prepare."

With a full sense of anger, he let out a household number, and when Chun Tuo outside the palace gate took the order, Liu Ying turned around with a light smile, but he still didn't dare to approach his niece with a frightened face.

"Just today, there is not much official business between the DPRK and China, and I have time to spare."

"I'll accompany Yan'er home and visit my father and mother, okay?"

As she spoke, Liu Ying did not forget to smile and raise her head outside the door of the hall: "I have already prepared the required salute." ”

"Yan'er will change her clothes for a while, and when the servant arrives, I will go home with Yan'er."

After saying that, Liu Ying turned around with a light smile, strode to the outside of the hall, and smiled at the palace maid.

"The queen wants to change her clothes and travel."

With just one word, I saw that the middle-aged palace maid was stunned for a moment, and then hurried to Liu Ying with a happy face, and then trotted back to Zhang Yan's side and helped Zhang Yan to the dormitory.

From the overflowing joy of the palace maid, it is not difficult for Liu Ying to guess: The palace maid, I am afraid that she mistakenly thinks that Liu Ying is taking Zhang Yan out to play.

It's a pity: Zhang Yan's age is still a very long way from being taken out of the palace by Liu Ying to 'play'······

"Your Majesty."

"The slave has sent someone to invite the servant into the palace, and the armor soldiers accompanying the guards are also ready to go."

"I just don't know where to go on this trip?"

Hearing Chun Tuo's question, Liu Ying only raised her head as usual, looked into the distance, and let out a long sigh leisurely.

"Shangguanli, Xuanping Marquis Mansion."

With a slightly embarrassed tone, Liu Ying took a bitter step and slowly walked down the long steps.

- As a eunuch order, there is nothing wrong with Chuntuo asking about Liu Ying's movements in advance.

Because the emperor travels, he needs to clear the roads in advance and prepare the destination in advance.

It's just that today, Liu Ying went to the Xuanping Marquis Mansion, but she didn't accompany her niece Zhang Yan to visit her parents at her parents' house······

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