At the gate of Zhang Mansion, two senior brothers, Zhang Jian and Shen Yi, walked out almost side by side. The eldest son Zhang sighed and said, "Grandpa, he is getting older, and his obsessions are getting deeper and deeper. The first two As soon as I got home that day, he called his fathers around and said that after a hundred years, he would have a hanging coffin built for him and he would not be allowed to be buried."
Speaking of this, Zhang Jian sounded a little helpless: "In recent decades, there have been no hanging coffins anywhere..."
He looked at Shen Yi and said softly: "The old man just saw Zi Heng's poems and was touched in his heart. Zi Heng, you don't have to think too much."
Just as Zhang Jing thought.
People of his generation are still obsessed with the north, but when it comes to the second generation Zhang Jian and other third generations, the obsession with the north is not so strong. Zhang Jian said this because he did not want Shen Yi to bear unnecessary pressure. .
After all, the word Northern Expedition...
For Chen Guo now, it is too heavy.
Nowadays, all the civil and military officials in the Manchu Dynasty want to stick to the Huaihe River and stay in a corner. Even if some people clamor for the Northern Expedition, it is just to please the emperor and shout slogans. There are very few who really have this idea.
Even the old Prime Minister Zhang Jing himself... is probably the same.
Although the old man looked like he was eager to return to the north just now, politicians are all complicated.
He is definitely not a simple-minded person who has been able to sit in Zhongshu for so many years as the second prime minister. As an expatriate traveling to the south, it is certain that the old man misses his homeland in his heart. But in the current situation, it is really true that the old man is only thinking about the Northern Expedition. , that would be too childish.
The reason is simple, because Yang Jingzong's faction advocates retreat, then the faction opposing Yang Jingzong must be tougher.
Now, the era of Prime Minister Yang has passed, and His Majesty the Emperor is grabbing the power that originally belonged to the Emperor bit by bit. Hardliners in the court will surely rise slowly.
At this time, the word "Northern Expedition" can be used as a political slogan.
This kind of slogan is no different from Amitabha. It sounds nice to recite, but it is not necessary to do it.
What Lao Xiangguo said just now, implicitly or explicitly, meant that Shen Yi should take the lead in shouting this slogan and be the leader.
The reason why I don't let my eldest grandson shout this slogan is because this slogan is too extreme.
When the little emperor is determined to forge ahead, these hard-liners can certainly have great success in the court, but once they suffer a few defeats, or when the Northern Qi army approaches the city, these hard-liners who take the lead in shouting slogans will be the first to suffer.
Therefore, Lao Xiangguo naturally did not want his grandson to be too extreme.
After all, Confucianism emphasizes the word golden mean, and emphasizes that too much is too little.
However, Zhang Jing's few words were in the clouds, and Shen Yi could only figure it out on his own. As for the true meaning of the old prime minister, I'm afraid no one can figure it out clearly.
Hearing what Zhang Jian said, Shen Yi smiled and said, "Senior brother, don't worry, I won't think too much about it. What should I think about as an eighth-grade official?"
Zhang Jian laughed at himself: "Yes, Zi Heng, you are an eighth-rank official and your brother is a seventh-rank official. Even if we brothers try to break our heads, it will not have any impact on the current situation."
While they were talking, the two of them had already arrived at the main door of Zhangjia. Zhang Jian patted Shen Yi on the shoulder and said with a smile: "There are many guests at home today. I'm afraid I still have work to do, so I won't see you off. This time I'll go back to Jiankang." I will probably stay for a few more days. After I finish taking care of the things at home, I will go find you for a drink."
Shen Yi smiled and nodded: "We're always waiting."
The two of them said goodbye. When Shen Yi was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, senior brother, I heard that the palace is selecting a queen. Is there any news, senior brother?"
"No."
Zhang Jian shook his head honestly and said: "I heard that every household in Jiankang City sent post and portraits, and they were all sent to the Queen Mother's Kunde Palace."
Zhang Jian looked at Shen Yi with a smile and asked, "Why is Ziheng suddenly interested in the queen?"
Shen Yi shook his head quickly and said with a smile: "This is a matter for your big family. I'm just a little curious, so I just asked."
To be honest, Shen Yi doesn't care at all who the queen is.
As long as she's not that Northern Qi princess.
It is unlikely that Princess Qi Ren will become Empress Chen, but there is a high probability that she will become the emperor's concubine. There is a lot of hatred between the two...
Thinking of this, Mr. Shen has a headache...
Women are born to hold grudges, and it would be very difficult if the little emperor fell into a coma in the future and was blown away by Princess Qi Ren, who turned around and wanted to kill her own head.
Fortunately, judging from the current performance of the young emperor, he is a fairly smart and motivated emperor. As long as he is not overtaken by a certain sex critic, he should not be so stupid...
After chatting with Zhang Jian for a few more words, Shen Yi went straight back home. It was already afternoon and there was nothing important at the Di Reporting Department. Shen Yi was too lazy to go anymore and simply lay down at home to sleep.
The worst I can do is go to work tomorrow and tell Sun Jin that I am going to the Hanlin Academy...
………………
While Mr. Shen was sleeping at home, a report from the front line was hurriedly sent to the imperial city, all the way to the palace, and directly to Deqing Hall.
At this time, the great eunuch Gao Ming was waiting in the Deqing Hall. After receiving the report, he did not dare to neglect it and sent it directly to His Majesty the Emperor.
The emperor had just woken up from his nap and was still a little confused. When he heard that it was a report from the front line, he asked someone to get a basin of hot water. While washing his face, he said in a daze: "Read it to me."
Eunuch Gao nodded, opened the battle report and glanced at it briefly, his face changed slightly. After taking a deep breath, he slowly said: "Report on the frontline battle... Yesterday, the first unit of the Huaihe Navy went to Huaiyuan, Guyang area Encountering most of the enemy, General Zhao ordered the nearby Forbidden Army to come to the rescue. The two sides fought fiercely for a day and night in Guyang. The Huaihe Navy suffered more than 1,000 casualties, the Forbidden Army suffered more than 3,000 casualties, and the enemy's damage was unknown..."
Eunuch Gao read this, swallowed his saliva, and said with difficulty: "The third day of July in the seventh year of Hong De..."
His Majesty the Emperor looked calm and said, "Did it come from the Huaihe Navy, or from the Forbidden Army?"
When the frontline war first started in the first half of the year, in order to support the Huaihe Navy, the imperial court sent 30,000 imperial troops northward, along with a thousand internal guards.
Eunuch Gao lowered his head and said in fear: "Your Majesty, it's from the Inner Guard..."
The emperor stretched out his hand but said nothing.
Gao Ming respectfully handed over the battle report with both hands.
The little emperor took the battle report, sat down on the soft couch, read it word by word from beginning to end, and then let out a long breath.
"Fortunately, it was from the Inner Guardian."
His Majesty the Emperor's face was gloomy: "If the Huaihe Navy reported so many casualties, I'm afraid the actual number of dead would be even more."
Eunuch Gao carefully took a look at the emperor's face first, and when he saw that the emperor was not angry, he whispered: "Your Majesty, there are internal guards on the front line, and the Huaihe Navy does not dare to lie about the military situation..."
"Ah…"
His Majesty the Emperor sneered.
"Zhao Lu defeated more than 3,000 of my forbidden troops in one battle. He is truly my loyal minister and good general, and the pillar of the country..."
The young Emperor slowly clenched his fist, clenched the battle report in his hand into a ball of waste paper, and then threw the ball of paper into the corner of Deqing Hall.