Chapter 262: A wise concubine, adjust the direction
On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, with the bright moon in the sky, Emperor Liu was walking in the inner city of Youzhou. He called together his concubines and children, and held a family banquet, where they drank wine, ate cakes and admired the moon. Among the accompanying ministers, Li Ye was the only one in the family.
My maternal relatives didn’t scream either.
Celebrate reunion together during the festival. This is a festival of the Heavenly Family. Compared with previous years, it is less solemn and solemn, but it adds a rare warmth.
Within the royal family, since the death of the Queen Mother, the word warmth has become further and further away. However, the atmosphere at this Mid-Autumn Festival family dinner was quite warm, and the family was quite happy.
The brothers and sisters Liu Xu also performed a dance song they had compiled together before. Liu Xu and the seventh brother Liu Hui played, sisters Liu Jia and Liu Jian chanted, and Liu Xi and the fifth brother Liu Yun led others.
Brothers and sisters sing and dance...
Such a harmonious scene is not easy to come by, and it will only become more rare in the future. However, such a scene is still flawed. There are still some concubines and princes in Luoyang who cannot accompany them, so it is not a reunion.
There are still three princes still on the battlefield...
Emperor Liu's feelings were also slightly complicated. He was happy and cheerful, but also missed his sons. He drank some wine and remained tipsy. He went to Concubine Zhe that night, as Empress Fu reminded her.
It was late at night, and there seemed to be a thin layer of mist between the sky and the earth, making the moonlight shining in the courtyard less bright. The bedroom was quiet, and the warm candlelight dissipated the autumn cold. Emperor Liu sat beside the couch,
He soaked his feet as a habit, but now he was serving his virtuous concubine Zhe Niangzi.
As one of the early wives of Emperor Liu, Lady Zhe had been with him for more than twenty years. She was also the concubine who gave birth to the most children, four sons and one daughter, a total of five.
Although Emperor Liu has rarely favored him over the years, his feelings have not faded too much. The passage of time has allowed the feelings to settle. Up to now, in Emperor Liu's mind, there are only Empress Fu, Concubine Gao and Concubine Zhe.
The status cannot be shaken. Even Concubine Hui Xiaofu and Concubine Shu Dazhou cannot be compared with each other. As for the other concubines, there is no need to talk about relationships, only physical pleasure and enjoyment...
Naturally enjoying Lady Zhe's service, Emperor Liu looked at her with a somewhat soft gaze. Lady Zhe was almost forty years old, her beauty was no longer beautiful, she was getting old, and her body was a little out of shape, because
Due to proper maintenance, she still has the charm of a noble lady, but it is difficult to describe it with words such as glamorous and beautiful. What's more, among Emperor Liu's concubines, Concubine Zhe is not the most stunning type.
Of course, Emperor Liu didn't dislike her because of this. Even he himself was no longer as handsome and handsome as he was when he was young. He had become greasy, so why should he be harsh on Concubine Zhe who had reached her age?
Emperor Liu would never lack a beautiful face and an alluring body, so they seemed less important. On the contrary, feelings were what he valued more.
"Don't the officials think I'm old?" Noticing that Emperor Liu was staring at his background, Lady Zhe suddenly raised her head and asked generously.
"How could it be? Her youth is still there, she is dignified and generous, and she is still a beauty of a generation!" Emperor Liu immediately came back to his senses, shook his head and said, "Is it possible that someone is chewing their tongue again?"
Hearing this, Madam Zhe smiled and replied: "I am old when I am old, why do I need others to comment? There is no need for officials to comfort me!"
In this regard, Concubine Zhe was obviously more open-minded than Concubine Gao. As the lights flashed, Emperor Liu's bright eyes reflected the figure of Concubine Zhe. He didn't know what Concubine Zhe was like in the original history.
A person, as his concubine, after so many years, is indeed not as legendary as in the novel, but at least she deserves the word "virtuous" in her title.
"At the banquet just now, I saw that you were feeling disgusted. You must be missing Liu Fang!" Emperor Liu said softly.
Although Mrs. Zhe had always shown generous support for Liu Fang's expedition, and rarely expressed any sympathy on weekdays, her mother was worried after her son traveled thousands of miles. Liu Fang was still going to a dangerous battlefield, and he was venturing into Mobei, which is like a dragon's pond and a tiger's den.
How can we not miss you? The more we celebrate the reunion, the more missing people are worth remembering and the stronger our feelings.
After taking a towel and wiping Emperor Liu's feet, Madam Zhe still nodded in response and sighed: "How can I not worry about it? I don't know what is going on with Shiro in Mobei now? What's his situation like?"
"Perhaps Liu Fang and we have just admired the same bright moon in the sky together!" Emperor Liu said warmly, tucking his legs into the quilt and pulling Lady Zhe to sit together.
"I hope so!" Sensing the relief in Emperor Liu's words, Madam Zhe suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, raised her head and smiled and said: "It's not just my son who fights for the country through life and death, I only treat him as the world's
Like all mothers who send their children to the battlefield, they silently wish and pray for them!"
Listening to his words, Emperor Liu was slightly reserved, but then his expression showed a touch of respect. He grabbed Madam Zhe's hand and said seriously: "The love for one's son is ordinary, but among all the mothers in the world, who can understand the righteousness so deeply?
How many people are there?”
Caressing his hand, Emperor Liu softened his tone again and said warmly: "It is already the Mid-Autumn Festival. According to the Privy Council's analysis of the military aircraft, the two armies in Mobei, Hexi and Yulin, where they have stayed for a long time, should have been planning their divisions. Perhaps they are already in
On the way back. If they can break through the dangers and go north and achieve victory, they will definitely be able to return safely!"
"I hope it will be as the official said!" Lady Zhe responded.
"Will do!"
...
In fact, at the beginning of the Liaodong War, when the Northeastern Han Army entered a period of rest and the war situation stabilized, Emperor Liu's attention shifted away from Liaodong for the first time and began to devote more attention and energy to other fronts.
For a long time, compared with the vigorous and bloody battlefield in Liaodong, the progress of the Han army in other directions has always felt tepid.
However, looking back and looking carefully, we can see that other battlefields are not so plain. The two Han armies that attacked the northern part of the Great Wall need no further elaboration on their generosity and arduousness. Liu Tinghan's side went north several times, although they achieved great successes.
Not many, but they have been entangled with the Liao army, fighting wits and courage, and effectively containing the Liao army in the Shangjing area.
As for Guo Jinjun, 10,000 Han troops advanced on foot and cavalry into the Western Regions, and the surprise they brought was even more surprising. As early as two months ago, all the land in the original Xizhou Uighur towns south of the Tianshan Mountains that was occupied by the Liao Kingdom had been occupied by Guo Jinjun.
Captured.
Today, only a few thousand remnants of the Liao army in the Western Regions are left to retreat northward. Under the leadership of Yelu Dilie and Yelusha, they are guarding Luntai and Beiting in the north.
The Khan Kingdom took advantage of the situation and sent troops to march eastward. Guo Jin had already led his troops northward and completely destroyed them.
Yes, today's Western Region is in a mess again, but with the Liao army retreating, the leading roles in this land are the Han Dynasty and the Black Khanate.
Moreover, the situation is not so optimistic. Guo Jin is facing enemies from both sides. The troops of the Black Khanate are coming even more fiercely. They have already captured the Yanqi area that they had not been able to capture from the Liao army before, and they continue to advance eastward with a direct frontline.
Refers to Gaochang.
As for Guo Jin, due to lack of strength in his hands, he had to focus his main energy on dealing with the threat from the Black Khan's army. Although there were many servant armies from the Western Regions that surrendered to the Han, they were really not of much use and they had to be cautious in fighting smooth battles.
, let alone resisting the enemy against the wind.
If Lu Duoxun hadn't actively raised support in Hexi, Guo Jin might not have been able to support it, and it would have been dangerous to hold Gaochangdu, especially when there were thousands of Liao troops in the north who were still dead and not dead.
In contrast, the truly tepid army belongs to Wang Yanchao's army and the Xi tribe. They have been fighting in the mountains for several months. They have suffered some casualties and spent a lot of money on food and ammunition, but they have only captured two cities.
After Yelvxian transferred Gao Xun and led his army southward and stationed at Prince Xi's Mansion, the war came to a standstill again.
However, just as Zhao Kuangyin commented, Wang Yanchao may have difficulty making progress, but at least he is not in danger of defeat.
Regarding the other fronts, Emperor Liu has no more demands for the time being. If the current situation can be maintained, it is not unacceptable.
If you want to adjust the overall situation of the Northern Expedition, you may have to go to Liaodong. Now, including the civilians, there are still nearly 400,000 people. It is worth considering whether it is necessary to continue to maintain such a large army.
