The recent Xuanfu City is indeed very lively.
In the past few days, high officials who were rarely seen frequently appeared at the gate of the city. They were blocked for most of the day and were not allowed to go out or enter, which made the common people curse.
However, there is also an advantage. It is said that the Supreme Emperor has come back and is stationed at the General Military Mansion.
Many merchants heard the news and arrived in Xuanfu City with large quantities of goods, ranging from all kinds of cloth and clothing to jewelry and goldware.
It made Xuanfu City more prosperous than just a little bit.
Today, the city gate was sealed again, but it seemed that the situation was not as big as last time.
However, there are also many high-ranking officials waiting to greet them early.
At three o'clock in the morning, the north wind is howling. It seems that the weather is getting colder. I'm afraid it won't be long before snow falls in Xuanfu.
Rubbing his stiff hands, Li Xian turned around and asked, "Master Du, Uncle Zong and Marquis Ren, when did they say they would arrive?"
After the memorial ceremony at Tumu Fort, Yu Qian and Yang Hong both left one after another.
The two of them came here for this matter. Now that the festival is over, Yu Qian has returned to Datong and continues to "investigate" his case. As for Yang Hong, he has set off back to the capital.
On the contrary, Du Ning, Li Xian, Zhu Jian and others were either members of the mission or came to welcome the restoration, so of course they stayed in Xuan Mansion.
Speaking of which, these days, the elders are worried about their hair turning gray.
After the ceremony, the Supreme Emperor kept his word and never left the General Military Mansion. The officials who went to ask for an audience also all disappeared.
This made Tao Jin and Geng Jiuchou, who wanted to send their ancestor away as soon as possible, very depressed.
After waiting and hoping for a long time, I finally felt relieved when I received news from the imperial court, which once again sent Hu Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites and Ning Yuanhou Renli to greet me.
After all, the Supreme Emperor has not yet returned to the capital, and Xuanfu is still a border town. Ministers like Labor Hu Hu, who traveled across mountains and rivers to come here in person, have already given the Supreme Emperor enough face.
It’s better to let the emperor go there in person...
Du Ning also looked a little anxious. He raised his head and glanced at the sky and said, "It's about this time. Let's wait a little longer."
Before he finished speaking, a group of carriages and horses slowly appeared in the distance, with ceremonial plaques and flags held high, all indicating the identity of the visitor.
After a while, the team slowly stopped in front of the city gate.
Du Ning and others immediately breathed a sigh of relief and hurried forward to meet them.
"I've met Uncle Zong, and I've met Marquis Ren!"
Hu Hui was a civil servant, so he naturally rode a carriage. As for Ren Li, he was a military commander. It was not an unexpected thing to come on horseback. However, what no one expected was that the old marquis was wearing armor and wielding a sword.
Come!
This surprised a group of elders present, and they couldn't help but think of Yang Hong who was also wearing armor and wielding a sword during the civil ceremony.
Could it be that it is fashionable to wear armor in the capital recently?
But Ren Li had a cold face and didn't speak. They didn't ask too many questions. On the other hand, Mr. Hu, although he was tired from traveling all the way, still maintained a kind smile and returned the greeting politely.
"The matter is urgent, so I won't greet you all anymore. Once we escort the Supreme Emperor back to the capital, we will get drunk together."
After saying that, Hu Hui solemnly looked on his face and asked.
"Master Du, where is the Supreme Emperor now? Lead me over."
So, Du Ning nodded, led the people to get out of the way, Hu Hui got on the carriage again, and the group rushed to the General Military Mansion.
Today's General Military Mansion is still guarded by Jinyi guards, but it is naturally very different from the original besieged manor. With the communication between Tao Jin and Geng Jiuchou, Shu Liang did not ignore good and bad, and restored the original plan.
Security arrangements.
Of course, nominally speaking, Eunuch Shu is here to be responsible for the protection of the Supreme Emperor, so it is naturally impossible for him to leave.
During the period when Emperor Du was away from home, although the security arrangement returned to normal, Eunuch Shu stayed at the gate every day.
He did not stop the people coming in and out, and the officials who paid greetings, but every time they were watched by Eunuch Shu and walked into the General Military Mansion, everyone always felt a little cold on their backs.
Today was no exception. Shu Liang did not go to the city gate to greet him, but facing important ministers such as Hu Hui, he did not dare to neglect and stood outside the General Military Mansion to greet him early.
Under the gaze of everyone, Mr. Hu looked very arrogant. He nodded lightly to Shu Liang and ordered someone to go and pass the news.
Shu Liang didn't have any special performance. After all, in addition to being crazy, he was also a measured person. He knew who should not be offended.
In order to avoid "misunderstandings", Shu Liang did not step into the inner courtyard, and all communication matters were handled by the mission's guards.
A group of people were waiting outside the General Military Mansion, especially Du Ning and others, whose faces were still very nervous. They were afraid that the Supreme Emperor would show his temper again and not even give Hu Hui and others face, so they really had no choice.
Fortunately, this time the Supreme Emperor did not avoid it.
Not long after, Yuan Bin walked out of the inner courtyard and said.
"Uncle Da Zong, Marquis Ren, General Tao, and Eunuch Shu, the Supreme Emperor has summoned us!"
The elders looked at each other, a little surprised. Summoning Hu Hui and Ren Li was a normal thing, but what was the purpose of summoning Tao Jin and Shu Liang together?
The people present were all people with long experience in officialdom. From such details, one could roughly guess what the Supreme Emperor was thinking.
Then, everyone looked at Shu Liang.
But what is surprising is that the Admiral of Dongchang did not have any special reaction. He still had the same fake smile on his face, and with a wave of his right hand, he politely signaled the others to go ahead.
Hu Bi, Ren Li, Tao Jin, and Shu Liang followed Yuan Bin into the inner courtyard and arrived outside the Supreme Emperor's room. Ha Ming was waiting outside the door.
Outside the door, Yuan Bin asked everyone to wait, and then Ha Ming went in to report.
Regarding such complicated "etiquette", neither Hu Hui nor Ren Li, nor Tao Jin nor Shu Liang showed the slightest impatience.
Since you are here to invite someone, you naturally have to put on airs.
Ha Ming came out to summon him again, and everyone finally saw the Supreme Emperor.
He was still wearing a plain robe, but his expression looked a bit tired and haggard. He sat behind the case, straightened up, and watched them bow.
"I'm waiting to see you, the Supreme Emperor!"
Relatively speaking, Tao Jin and Shu Liang were relatively calm. After all, after experiencing such fierce confrontations, other times they met, they felt it was a small scene.
However, Hu Hui and Ren Li were much more excited.
Although Ren Li was wearing a military uniform, he still knelt down neatly and said.
"Your Majesty, my late arrival has made Your Majesty suffer. Ever since the civil war, I have been thinking about Your Majesty's safety day and night. Now that I see His Majesty return safely, it is indeed a blessing for the country and the people."
After saying that, Lord Ren kowtowed three times on the ground. Just listening to it made him feel pain.
Seeing this situation, Zhu Qizhen was also a little surprised.
To be honest, his relationship with Ren Li was not close. Although Ren Li followed Jiang Gui, Marquis of Dingxi, to defeat Adai Khan, which made him very happy and rewarded him with the title of Ning Yuanbo, but that was more.
Looking at Jiang Gui's face.
After all, for Zhu Qizhen at that time, he had better choices. Those from noble families, whether they were well-established, had military exploits, or had qualifications, he would choose.
Even though Ren Li had outstanding military exploits, he was not particularly outstanding.
As for later, Ren Li was deployed to various places to suppress rebellions, and he spent very little time in the capital, let alone being in the Sacred Heart.
Therefore, Ren Li's performance now not only surprised Zhu Qizhen, but also made him feel moved.
Sure enough, in the imperial court, there are still those who are loyal to the emperor!
"Ren Qing, you don't have to be like this. Although I am trapped in the north, I will eventually return to the court. There is no need to mention the past. Please get up."
For the first time, Zhu Qizhen's tone became gentle.
So, Ren Li kowtowed again, stood up and stood with his sword in hand, saying.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I am here to be entrusted by the Holy Mother to protect Your Majesty and prevent young people from showing off their evil power again."
When he said this, he glanced at Shu Liang next to him.
At this time, Zhu Qizhen nodded repeatedly and said: "Okay, okay, okay. When I see the Holy Mother in the future, I will definitely pay tribute to Ren Qing."
For a while, the monarch and his ministers got along well with each other, and the atmosphere was harmonious.
However, in this atmosphere, a burst of sobs that were trying to be suppressed suddenly sounded.
Everyone followed the sound, but saw that the person who made the sound was none other than Mr. Hu Hui, who prostrated himself on the ground after entering, but kept his head down and remained silent.
As if feeling everyone's gaze, the great uncle raised his head slightly, and everyone saw clearly that tears were already streaming down his old face.
Seeing this situation, Zhu Qizhen looked a little hesitant and subconsciously stretched out his hand.
"Mr. Hu..."
Compared with Ren Li, the relationship between Zhu Qizhen and Hu Hui is obviously closer and their friendship is deeper.
As the only one of the five auxiliary ministers left by the late emperor who is still alive today, Hu Hui is like an elder to Zhu Qizhen.
To say that I have watched him grow up is not an exaggeration.
Therefore, seeing Hu Hui like this, Zhu Qizhen even felt a little uneasy and didn't know what to do for a while.
Fortunately, Hu Xi didn't need him to do anything. The old man wiped his eyes with his sleeve and tried hard to stop his tears, but he still said intermittently with a bit of sobs.
"Your Majesty, don't worry. I'm fine. However, after a year, I saw Tianyan again. I thought of the late Emperor's sincere advice to me when he was dying. I couldn't help but have mixed feelings in my heart. I couldn't restrain myself for a moment. I offended the Supreme Emperor.
.”
Speaking of the late emperor, Zhu Qizhen couldn't help but feel a hint of shame on his face and said.
"Sir, please hurry up. To this day, I know that I was wrong. At the beginning, I should not have insisted on going my own way and insisted on the Northern Expedition. As a result... I failed to live up to the expectations of the late emperor..."
The atmosphere was a little gloomy for a moment. At this moment, Hu Hao finally stopped sobbing, raised his hand tremblingly, like a gentle elder, waved his hand gently and said.
"It's all over. It'll be good if you come back. It'll be good if you come back..."
As he spoke, Hu Hui leaned on the ground, staggered up with difficulty, took out several letters from his sleeves, and said.
"The Supreme Emperor and the old ministers came here and brought the Holy Mother, Queen Duanjing, and the emperor's family letter. The Holy Mother and Queen Duanjing were very happy when they heard that the Supreme Emperor had arrived at the Xuan Mansion. They would ask where they were driving several times a day.
, they are all looking forward to your early return to Beijing for reunion!"
After hearing this, Zhu Qizhen's expression was complicated, full of longing and expectation, but at the same time, he gradually regained his composure.
Immediately, Yuan Bin handed several letters in Hu Hui's hand to Zhu Qizhen's case.
Looking at several letters with different signatures in front of him, Zhu Qizhen hesitated for a moment, then opened the letter from Empress Dowager Sun and read it carefully.
After a moment, Zhu Qizhen put down the letter, but his eyes fell on Ren Li. After a moment, Fang asked meaningfully.
"Ren Qing, I am currently short of someone who can take charge of the bodyguards. I wonder if you, the Marquis, would be overqualified and underused?"
The letter written by Empress Dowager Sun was very ordinary. It contained a lot of gossip about everyday things. On the contrary, it did not mention much about the serious matter of urging her to return to the capital. She only said one sentence, asking Zhu Qizhen to grasp the situation as soon as possible.
Back to Beijing for reunion.
However, these seemingly nagging gossips are basically matters of the inner palace. The only thing involving the outer court is related to Ren Li.
In her letter, Empress Dowager Sun mentioned the incident of Uncle Huichang being deprived of his title. At the same time, she seemingly casually mentioned that at that time, Ren Li could only argue with reason, which made her feel very comforted.
Just this sentence is enough for Zhu Qizhen!
As expected, upon hearing this, Ren Li immediately gave a military salute and said with determination.
"It is my honor to share your Majesty's worries. I am willing to listen to your Majesty's instructions at any time."
Zhu Qizhen felt at ease, nodded and said.
"Okay, in that case, from today on, all the security responsibilities around me will be handed over to Ren Hou. Eunuch Shu, you don't have to take care of it anymore!"
This was said with great confidence, and Zhu Qizhen even looked forward to it. Shu Liang looked furious, or in other words, he refused arrogantly.
But, neither.
Shu Liang's face was very calm and he said.
"Since the Supreme Emperor has an order, the ministers will naturally obey the order. From tomorrow, the ministers will withdraw all their hands and hand over the responsibility of peripheral security to the Marquis."
The punch hit the cotton, making Zhu Qizhen feel a little uncomfortable.
However, at this moment, it was hard for him to say anything else.
So, I quickly opened the second letter.
This one belongs to Queen Qian!
Compared with Empress Dowager Sun's plainness, Empress Qian's letter is long and full of care and longing.
Reading the letter slowly, a rare gentle smile appeared on Zhu Qizhen's face.
At the same time, almost as he was holding him to read the letter, Hu Hui waved, and the attendants behind him brought up two boxes and opened the lids. Inside were pieces of thick winter clothes and shoes, with fine stitches, one stitch at a time.
They all seem to embody the owner’s hard work.
Hu Hu said: "Your Majesty, this is Empress Duanjing, who asked me to bring winter clothes to your majesty. The empress said that it is bitterly cold outside the Great Wall, and the weather in Xuanfu is also very cold. Please take care of your health. She is in the palace.
Day and night, I look forward to seeing you again."
Looking at these clothes and hats, Zhu Qizhen's eyes had a faint glimmer of water.
He folded the letter carefully and put it back into the envelope. After thinking about it, he placed it directly on his heart. Then, with a hint of contradiction on his face, he hesitated and asked in a low voice.
"Sir, how is the queen...how is she?"
Logically speaking, Hu Hui is a minister of the outer court and Queen Qian is a concubine of the inner palace, so this question is not appropriate.
However, neither Zhu Qizhen nor Hu Xi felt it was inappropriate.
Again, Hu Xi is like an elder to Zhu Qizhen.
Hu Hui's expression was a little complicated. He opened his mouth and then stopped talking. He repeated this again and again before he opened his mouth and said.
"Why does the Supreme Emperor need to ask this?"
As he said that, Hu Hui cast his eyes on the box of clothes, sighed and said.
"These stitches and threads are all the work of the empress. How much deep love and kindness there is in it, the Supreme Emperor knows better than the old minister."
"Ask me, old minister, how is my empress..."
"My old minister has only one sentence, and it is the same sentence. Your Majesty, she has been praying in the palace day and night, looking forward to seeing you again soon."
"Your Majesty, please go back with me..."
This chapter has been completed!