Luo Dong'er's footsteps were brisk, and he flew all the way to Yuehua Palace like a butterfly wearing flowers. The palace servants were amazed to see Luo Shangguan, who could never sit still, walk without shaking, speak without speaking loudly, and smile without showing his teeth.
It is the first time that I have such light steps and spring breeze on my face.
Arriving outside Yuehua Palace, Luo Dong'er paused for a moment to calm down his breathing and expression, and then walked into the palace.
There are yellow silk curtains and cranes burning incense. There is a book desk in the middle and lower part of the dome. On the desk are placed the Four Treasures of the Study and two tall stacks of slips. Xiao Chuo is sitting in the middle, flipping through a memorial, with his dark eyebrows lightly knitted.
Thoughtfully, Dong'er saw her and hurriedly stepped lightly and walked to her side quietly.
Xiao Chuo held the ink pen hanging in her hand, her face was gloomy, and her expression was hesitant. She flicked the ink pen over and over again, unable to write for a long time. After a long while, she suddenly sighed softly, put down the brush, leaned against the throne, and closed her eyes.
Dong'er walked behind the throne and gently kneaded Xiang's shoulders for her. Xiao Chuo moved slightly, then relaxed. After a while, she asked: "When the Song Dynasty returned to the post, did they tell you anything?"
What?"
"He didn't say anything..." Dong'er's face was slightly dizzy and her eyes were bright. She pursed her lips and said softly: "He only said... that the Emperor of Song Dynasty was very concerned about his diplomatic mission this time.
, I hope the empress will make a decision and give an answer soon, so as not to make mistakes during the long journey and delay his return..."
Xiao Chuo curled his lips and said with a half-smile, "Humph, is Zhao Kuangyin so impatient?"
She raised her hand, gently pressed Dong'er's catkin, and sighed softly: "I have read the credentials, but I still have doubts in my heart. Dong'er, what should I do?"
Dong'er hesitated and said: "The Zhao Guan family...did they make any request to embarrass the queen?"
Xiao Chuo sneered: "What can he do to trouble me? My Khitan's troubles never lie in the Central Plains, but in..., but within our court!"
She stood up and walked slowly in the palace: "Taizu died of illness on his way back from the Bohai Kingdom. Emperor Taizong succeeded to the throne. On the way to conquer the Central Plains, he died of illness in the army. The three armies supported Yelu Ruan who accompanied the army as emperor. This was for
Sejong, and then the Queen Mother wanted to make his younger brother Yelu Lihu the emperor, and war broke out in the country. This was the first civil strife in our dynasty. Fortunately, General Yelu Zhiwu mediated through it. The Queen Mother understood the righteousness and recognized Sejong's throne.
Beginning to decide.
When Emperor Shizong helped the Han Kingdom to attack the Zhou Kingdom, he was killed by General Yelu Chage in his sleep with a sword in his tent, and he proclaimed himself emperor. Taizong's eldest son Yelujing and General Yelu Wuzhi led their troops to attack the throne and killed Chage.
When Jing proclaimed himself emperor, he was named Mu Zong. When Mu Zong was emperor, there were frequent rebellions in our dynasty. Xiaomeigu, Yelulou Kingdom, Yelu Dilie, Yeluwan, Yelu Shouyuan, Chu Abu, Yelu Xiyin... they all started to rebel one after another.
, which greatly weakened the strength of our dynasty. At this time, it was the time when Zhao Kuangyin was wearing the yellow robe. If our dynasty was not experiencing frequent civil strife, how would he have the chance to secure the throne and unify the Central Plains?
Mu Zong was mediocre and bloodthirsty, and all his tribes were disloyal. As a result, he was assassinated by a close servant in his tent while on tour, and the imperial court was established. Jinshang focused on Han officials, rectified the administration of officials, reduced punishments, built water conservancy projects, and developed farming. In just two years,
Our dynasty has reappeared in a state of renaissance, and I am indeed a rare wise king. Unfortunately... My dragon body has always been weak. After being assassinated, I was lingering on the bed, sleeping and waking up. I am worried about this..."
Luo Dong'er didn't know the reason for Empress Xiao's emotion, so she carefully prepared her words and said: "Although the emperor is not feeling well, he is fortunate to have a lady among the ladies, with both civil and military skills. He governs the country well. The dynasty is full of civil and military officials, and the people all over the world praise it.
King Qing was so greedy for profit that even though he rebelled, he was quickly expelled. This shows why the empress suddenly felt so emotional."
Xiao Chuo smiled lonely and said quietly: "No matter how good I am, I am still a woman. What the world needs is an emperor. The emperor is the sun, and the queen is the moon. The Lord of Khitan blessed by the eternal life should be a good man, the moon.
...I will never turn into the sun. I am full of abilities, but this female body alone cannot suppress the world."
She sighed, and then said: "Shizong, Mu Zong, Brother Yelucha, who is not the bravest figure in the three armies, and some people have rebelled and usurped the throne. Now I am sick and weak, how can others not covet the throne?"
Dong'er's eyes flashed and he said hesitantly: "Prince Qing's rebellion has been thwarted, why should I be too worried?"
Xiao Chuo smiled faintly: "Does internal and external troubles not stop there?"
She paused, pointed to the pile of memorials, and said: "Well, Shiwei (Mongolia) said that last year there were frequent natural disasters, the country was poor and the people were poor, and this year's tribute was really not available. He prayed for our emperor's forgiveness, but in fact it was just
Seeing that I have been too busy taking care of myself, I have lost my courtesy and docility. But in the current situation, can I not be 'forgiving'?
She sneered and said: "The Jurchens acted in a positive and negative way. They just sent envoys to pay tribute a year ago and declared themselves vassals to our court. Now they have sent people to attack our border tribes, plunder cattle and sheep, and kidnap their children. Just like my border tribes went to rob
Just like they plundered the Song Dynasty, the Jurchens also came to raid our grassland. The rich are always robbed by the poor. However, if there is no civil strife in our country, the country is strong, and the soldiers and horses are strong, will they... dare?"
Xiao Chuo's voice became even more tired and lazy: "King Qing failed in his rebellion and fled all the way to the west. Now he has escaped into Hengshan. He captured Yinzhou with lightning speed and took the city to defend himself. The Tubo and Huihe tribes met him
After destroying his family's feud, he became very close to him. King Qing obtained countless grain, grass, wealth and silk in the city, and he also relied on the favorable location and people. Yelvxiu Ge went on an expedition, but he had neither reinforcements nor food and grass. I was worried and ordered him to be ordered.
Return to the army. Once King Qing gets a foothold in Yinzhou, it will be very difficult to attack him. He is from the Taizong lineage and has the ability to instigate various tribes in our dynasty. This is a serious problem for our dynasty...
"
Dong'er meditated for a moment and said in deep thought: "Dong'er once heard the empress talk about the general trend of the world. She once said that Yinzhou...is the territory of the Li family of Xiazhou, right? King Qing occupied Yinzhou, how could the Li family of Xiazhou be willing to give up? Maybe?
... No need for the empress to take action, Xiazhou Li will deal with him."
Xiao Chuo smiled brightly: "The Li family in Xiazhou? Things are different now. In the past two years, the Li family in Xiazhou has been troubled by internal and external troubles. I will carefully analyze the news sent back by the detective horse. The situation in the northwest is so weird now. There must be something behind the scenes.
There is a black hand that is trying to take advantage of the Li family in Xiazhou."
There was a hint of thoughtfulness in her charming eyes, and she said: "Every time Li Guangrui tried his best to negotiate peace with Tubo and Uighur, there would always be such and such changes that made the peace talks impossible. It's really weird. Among the eight parts of the party,
Except for the Tuoba clan, the reactions of the other tribes are also very strange. In the current situation, the Li clan of Xiazhou is beyond the reach of Yinzhou, and King Qing has definitely taken advantage of this."
Speaking of this, Xiao Chuo smiled bitterly and said: "At this time, the Song Kingdom actually wants to attack the Han Kingdom. Although the Han Kingdom has only a few cities left and a sparse population, it is nothing more than a piece of chicken ribs to me, but the Han Kingdom has no influence on us.
We are always respectful when paying tribute. If our court refuses to help us, then Shiwei, Jurchen, Dongmo, Oranggai, Jujiasi, and Nianbage will see it and lose their fear and respect for our court.
Heart. If our dynasty sends troops to aid the Han Dynasty, it will inevitably go to war with the Song Dynasty. With our dynasty’s current situation, we may not have a chance of winning if we go on an expedition. If the Song Dynasty continues to support King Qing because of this, it will be dangerous..."
Seeing the queen who was similar in age to herself but working hard on military affairs all day long, Dong'er felt sympathy in her heart. But now that she has ascended the throne of the queen, she can never look back. Who can help her with this heavy burden?
What about sharing?
Xiao Chuo vented for a while and calmed down: "Zhao Kuangyin is determined to win the Han Kingdom, but I... now have no reason to protect the Han Kingdom. The chess piece of the Han Kingdom must be discarded, but our court
Your dignity must be as thorough as possible. Dong'er, come here, I have something to tell you."
"Yes," Dong'er quickly came closer, and Xiao Chuo gave her instructions. Dong'er was startled at first, and then nodded frequently.
Just when Xiao Chuo was halfway through speaking, a chamberlain appeared at the door and said softly: "Your Majesty, Lord Yelu Sanming wants to see you."
Xiao Chuo frowned slightly and gave some urgent instructions to Dong'er. Dong'er retreated as ordered. Xiao Chuo returned to the case and sat upright. In an instant, she regained her energetic and majestic demeanor. She picked up the imperial pen and wrote,
While browsing the memorial, he said in a low voice: "Master Xuan Sanming comes to see you."
There are now three direct royal families in Khitan that are eligible to inherit the throne, originating from Taizong, Shizong and Li Hu. The current emperor Yelvxian is the son of Shizong, King Qing is from the Taizong lineage, and Yelu Sanming is from the Lihu lineage. Now King Qing
He rebelled and fled to the northwest. The imperial court relied heavily on the Li Hu faction. Yelu Sanming, as the representative of the Li Hu faction, has also been extremely active recently.
Yelu Sanming entered the palace. When he saw Xiao Chuo, he saluted with a smile and said: "Your Majesty is really diligent in her duties. Are you reviewing the memorials?"
Xiao Chuo put down his ink pen and forced a smile: "Master Sanming is here. Come and take a seat. Master Sanming is here. What's the matter?"
Yelu Sanming frowned, showing a worried look, and sighed: "Alas, it's not about the affairs of the court. Madam, people's hearts are now unstable, and the government and the public are uneasy. As an important minister of the court, Sanming is very worried."
Xiao Chuo frowned slightly and said: "Rebellion has been driven away, and Shangjing has returned to its former prosperity. Why haven't I heard about any fluctuations in people's hearts and uneasiness in the government and the public?"
Yelu Sanming said: "Others naturally dare not tell these things to the empress. Nowadays... folk rumors say that the emperor has passed away and he has no heir. The heroine has not mourned in secret. The Xiao family intends to usurp the imperial power. Many people are loyal to the court.
The tribesmen are also panic-stricken, and from time to time they secretly send people to the capital to inquire. If this situation continues, it will cause disaster."
Xiao Chuoyu's face turned cold, and she said coldly: "The emperor is right there, doesn't Master Sanming know? Yesterday, the emperor felt more comfortable, and he was helped out to bask in the sun in the yard..."
Yelu Sanming said with a smile on his face: "Yes, yes, of course I know this, but the problem is that the people in Beijing and the leaders of various tribes cannot trust them. We can't invite them all in and let them come to see them."
Are you going to see the emperor?"
Xiao Chuo said calmly: "What is pure will become clear by itself, and what is turbid will become turbid by itself. Rumors will go away by themselves over time. Where can I be afraid of them?"
Yelu Sanming smiled slyly: "That's what you said, but King Qing was out and happened to use this to cause trouble. He said that he was trying to protect the Yelv family. This kind of words really confused the people and attracted many tribes to defect to him. If this continues,
It’s very worrying. All the ministers in the court are extremely worried, and as a member of the Yelu royal family, Sanming has trouble sleeping and eating.”
He secretly glanced at Xiao Chuo, twirled his beard, and said slowly and calmly: "Sanming discussed with several princes and ministers, and felt that the first priority is to appease the people. If the people's hearts are stable, the army will be calm, and only then can the crusade against rebellion be successful.
In order to appease the people, we must put down the false rumors between the government and the public. I am willing to adopt the dog to the emperor and the queen. After all, he is also my direct royal family. There is a prince in the court. What kind of country does not have a young master? Xiao family
Usurping power, all rumors will naturally be self-defeating."
"Make his son the prince? If this proposal comes true, I'm afraid the emperor will die, and even I will not be able to escape..." Xiao Chuo sneered, but he said that he had discussed it with several princes and ministers... This
Who are these princes and ministers? Xiao Chuo was surprised and said in a deep voice: "The emperor is in his prime, why should he worry about having no children? At this time, if he adopts the prince in a hurry, it will arouse the doubts and uneasiness of the people in the world. The reason is clear.
Don’t you understand, sir?”
Yelu Sanming's face darkened, and he said coldly: "I am dedicated to the country and the court, but am I so jealous of the queen? If the emperor can recover and the queen gives birth to a son early, that would be the best, but... Your Majesty
If one day does not recover, if one day the crown prince is not born, if one day the government and the public will not be able to live in peace, one day King Qing will be insecure, people's minds will change over time, and when troubles come to the capital again, I am afraid they will not be calmed down as easily as this time. Three clear words
That’s it, farewell!”
Yelu Sanming sneered and walked away.
Xiao Chuo was livid as he watched him retreat arrogantly, and his delicate body trembled with anger: "In this situation, we are almost forced into the palace. As a woman, I rely on the support of the royal family and the Xiao family so that the government can carry out the government smoothly. If the Chinese government
Wu Guo has a different heart..."
Xiao Chuo felt a chill in his heart: "Am I going to be like Shizong, Mu Zong, and Brother Yelucha, who was beheaded in my sleep tent with a knife?"
Although he was inside the palace and surrounded by heavy guards, Xiao Chuo suddenly felt as if he was walking on thin ice or facing an abyss, and his fingertips became cold...
The Khitan state banquet was held in a felt tent, in accordance with the traditional customs of the Khitan people. Queen Xiao Chuo was on top, Shangguan Luo Dong'er was waiting on the side, King Yelu Sanming of De, Prime Minister of the North Mansion, and the same political minister Ping Zhang Shishi Fang and Qian
When returning to the court, Privy Councilor Guo Xi of the Southern Court reported on his duties. These important figures personally accompanied him and entertained him. Ink Heng, a member of Liao Tong's minister, was also among them.
Luo Kedi, Scimitar Xiaoliu and Tieniu were inexplicably promoted again. Yesterday evening, the Queen suddenly issued an edict to promote Luo Kedi to the rank of commander of the capital, and Scimitar Xiaoliu and Tieniu as commanders, in charge of the palace guards.
, they were originally one of the generals responsible for the safety of the capital, and in an instant they became the commanders of the guards responsible for the safety of the imperial city. Although the scope of their duties was reduced, their real power was greatly enhanced. Now the inner city guards of the imperial city are in charge of Shangguan Luo Dong'er.
The eight commanders of the outer city guards were originally members of the royal family, but now three new dignitaries from Luo Kedi have joined them.
During the banquet, Empress Xiao returned the national gift, including a collar of snow jade mink fur, a collar of fiery red fox fur, a pot of northern pearls, and ten horses.
In the room, two ministers Guo Xi and Guo Xi were soliciting wine. Yang Hao had to restrain his mind and chatted and laughed happily with them. Occasionally, he noticed a pair of beautiful eyes focused on him. He raised his head slightly and saw Dong'er looking at him shyly.
The couple expresses affection with each other's eyebrows. Although they are restrained, they still enjoy it.
Of course, he did not forget about the business. While the wine was in full swing, Yang Hao raised a toast to the charming Queen, and said: "Yesterday, the foreign minister presented the certificate of credence. Queen, I wish you a bright future."
Make a decision. If this happens, I believe that the friendship between our two neighbors will become even closer. Looking to the eternal blessings of heaven, our two countries will surely enjoy the blessing of peace forever."
In front of the crowd, Empress Xiao was radiant and beautiful, without any signs of weakness and fatigue as she was in the palace. Listening to Yang Hao's words of peace, she thought about what Zhao Kuangyin said in his book: "Hedong rebels against fate and should be held accountable.
If the Northern Dynasty does not help, then the friendship will remain the same; otherwise, there will only be war!" He couldn't help but sneer in his heart, but with a smile on his face, he said sweetly: "Your envoy has come from afar, and even though he has taken responsibility for the country, why should he return in a hurry? He might as well be in my presence
I will stay in Beijing for a few more days. The capital will be an undefended city for your envoy. You can come and see the scenery everywhere. After the revision of the credentials is completed, I will escort your envoy back to the country without any delay.
It’s time.”
"So, thank you very much, Queen."
Yang Hao said, glanced at Dong'er, and thought to himself: "I can come and see the scenery in Beijing without any precautions? I just want to go to one place, and I just want to see one wonderful thing. I don't know what the Queen is planning to do.
Can you come and go as you please?"
As soon as Dong'er saw his eyes, she knew that this guy had evil intentions. She was angry, funny, and extremely sweet at the same time. Thinking of Yang Hao's arms and the boundless wind and moon on top of the Ding family's granary, her heart was filled with excitement, and she quickly
Holding a large glass of wine and taking a long sip, I suddenly felt hot in my stomach, my eyes and ears were hot, and I felt even more beautiful like a pink peach blossom.
The newly promoted commander of the capital, Luo Kedi, was leisurely strolling in the imperial city, smiling brightly, and the lines on his face that originally looked cold due to his big beard were softened. Because beside him was a girl in a plain shirt.
Beautiful and charming, with bright eyes and white teeth.
Ding Yuluo's beautiful eyes turned and asked curiously: "Why are there so many felt tents in the palace?"
Luo Kedi said with a bright smile: "This is the custom of the Khitan people. Some princes and ministers come to Beijing for an audience and are not used to living in Han people's houses, so they use this felt tent. Moreover, the Khitan people are a horse race, and the emperor also
Don’t be unfamiliar with riding, shooting, and nomadic riding. We set up felt tents in the palace so that the princes and princesses can get to know each other since they were young..."
"Brother Luo Si, who is this woman?"
A girl in Han attire with thick eyebrows and big eyes suddenly appeared among the peach blossoms. She stared at Ding Yuluo jealously and asked bitterly.