Chapter 1067
The Old Master is Getting Impatient
Chapter 1067 The Old Master is Getting Impatient
The night in the capital
It gets dark a little later, but the city is still bustling with activity, so it's not late.
The various neighborhoods and mansions in the capital were also bustling with activity. Many homeowners saw Luo Yunhou's whipping and were furious, especially many officials. How could they not be anxious when their sons were arrested? Among them, the most anxious were Commander He of the Military Command and Commander Zuo.
The two entered through Chongwen Gate at the same time, heading straight for Yangxin Hall. On the path, He Yongxi walked ahead with a gloomy expression, followed by an uneasy Zuo Anhe.
"You, how dare you cause trouble for me at a time like this. What was originally a small matter has been blown out of proportion."
Zuo Anhe gave a wry smile and followed behind, apologizing profusely.
"My lord, I am innocent. It was originally a trivial matter, but my lord, it was about the south, not the city south incident. I thought it would be good to cover it up with this matter. But at the court meeting, several princes didn't even mention it and went to find other places. I originally wanted to release the person, but you know what kind of people they are. They are so self-righteous. I couldn't stand it, so I didn't release the person."
At this point, Zuo Anhe also lost face. Even a lowly servant or steward could speak so rudely; if they released the man, the Military Command would lose all face.
"Then, in the evening, news came that someone had been beaten again,"
I received the news from the government office and left in a hurry, without having time to ask for details. On the way, I heard that the stewards of various prefectures had been beaten, causing quite a stir, which gave me another headache.
"Oh dear, sir, I don't have the guts. I'm only acting according to the law if I don't release the people. As for the beating, those people brought it on themselves. I don't know who shouted, but they actually went to Youlai Restaurant to cause trouble, saying that their young master was imprisoned because of this place. So, they brought their servants and maids to smash things up."
His expression was somewhat strange; his luck was truly unbelievable.
"Who knew that when we arrived at the place, we found the Prince of Jin and the Marquis of Luoyun dining there. We were caught on the spot and whipped. As you know, whipping in the Marquis of Luoyun's army can be deadly. Fortunately, we were only whipped once."
As he walked and talked, he wiped the fine sweat from his forehead. It was no wonder that he had made things worse; he had suffered an undeserved disaster. Zuo Anhe sighed inwardly. After all, the court still had to save face.
"When will you be able to do this? Those people are making too much of a fuss. If we really release them, the court will lose face. Follow them."
The old master, He Yongxi, walked with faltering steps. Zuo Anhe wanted to reach out to help him, but the old master angrily pushed him away, leaving Zuo Anhe to awkwardly follow behind. And so, the two of them, one in front and one behind, arrived at the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
"Eunuch Yun, I request an audience with His Majesty."
Once inside the courtyard, he spoke with Eunuch Yun, who was on duty. Little Yun dared not be negligent; if it weren't for Lord He risking his life and leading his men to stop the unrest in the south of the city, who knows what terrible things might have happened.
"Oh, it's Lord He! If it were you, there would be no need to wait; His Majesty would have already given instructions."
The man with the hoarse voice rose and led Lord He and his companion inside. They stopped in front of the Imperial Study, and the man went in to announce their arrival.
As soon as she entered the study, she saw her godfather instructing that dinner be laid out. The Emperor was drinking porridge. Xiao Yunzi walked up and knelt down.
"Your Majesty, Commander He of the Military Command, along with Zuo Anhe, the Assistant Commander of the Eastern City Military Command, are requesting an audience outside."
Empress Wu sat at the table on the east side, absentmindedly taking a sip of porridge. Upon hearing that He Yongxi had come, she nodded.
"Yeah, I still want to find him. Send the message."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Xiao Yunzi kowtowed, rose, and slowly withdrew, while the Martial Emperor was in no hurry. After taking a sip of porridge, he praised it.
"This craftsmanship is superb. Was it made by Yuqing?"
"Your Majesty, it was personally prepared by the Empress. She simmered it over a low flame for an hour, and even specially found a green bamboo to steam with the crispy pork. The pork has the aroma of the bamboo, making it truly exceptional."
Dai Quan quickly replied, and even moved the already sliced crispy pork forward a bit. The Empress was in a great mood, picked up her chopsticks, took a piece and put it in her mouth. Sure enough, the meat was light in flavor, with a strong bamboo aroma.
Just as he had taken a few more bites, footsteps sounded outside the door. Lord He Yongxi, accompanied by Zuo Anhe, hurriedly entered, knelt down, and offered a shout of praise.
"Your humble servant He Yongxi (Zuo Anhe) pays his respects to Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor!"
It was at this time,
The two then appeared calm. The Empress nodded, picked up the bowl of porridge in her hand, drank the last mouthful, and then put it down.
"Well, you two have come at the right time. The capital will need the Military Command to keep a close watch on things these next few days. You may rise."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
After the two stood up, He Yongxi cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.
"Your Majesty, the safety of the capital is a matter of the court's reputation, how could this old minister dare to be indifferent? Yesterday, the south of the city was cleaned up, and Marquis Luoyun and the princes tested each other, each suffering losses."
Marquis Luoyun returned to the capital with the loss of over three hundred cavalrymen from the left wing of the Imperial Guard. The princes, especially the Prince of Han, lost approximately seven thousand of their elite troops.
These were not just empty words from him. They were actually counted by the military commander when he personally cleaned up the battlefield and buried the people. The key point is that all the people were buried not far from the Jingguan (a mound of corpses) of the Taiping Rebellion, which made the passersby tremble with fear and caused a great deal of yin energy to rise.
"What? Such heavy losses! Marquis Luo Yun rushed back to the capital, exhausted and with insufficient troops and armor, yet he still managed to achieve such great results?"
The Emperor Wu looked on with disbelief. The soldiers left behind at the post station had long been thoroughly investigated by the Imperial City Guard. They were all heavily armored elites, comparable to the Imperial Guard. With more than 10,000 men left outside the city, how could the Emperor Wu sleep soundly? But as soon as Marquis Luo Yun returned, he directly slaughtered these men. It was truly a case of silver spears and wax heads.
"Your Majesty, I am unaware of this. Marquis Luoyun's cavalry tactics are elegant, and he possesses armor-piercing weapons. He is well-versed in military formations. I have heard that in the Battle of Anyang Mountain, Marquis Luoyun personally led 30,000 iron cavalry in a charge, directly breaking through the Taiping Sect's right-wing reinforcements and causing the collapse of the Taiping Sect's main force. I suppose this is not difficult to understand."
"Not difficult" is true from the perspective of Marquis Luoyun. For the Military Command, these troops might be enough to wipe them out. Besides, Marquis Luoyun has a considerable number of soldiers, including ten ballistae. Any later in trying to stop them, and the cavalry would have charged.
Hearing He Yongxi's explanation, the Martial Emperor smiled helplessly. He understood the art of battle formations, but he didn't know how to use them effectively. However, he also knew that even the most elite battle formations had weaknesses, and these weaknesses were the battles in which famous generals made their names. Marquis Luoyun was one of the best at this, so it wouldn't be difficult for him. Fortunately, there were still Imperial Guards accompanying him.
"Alright, let's not talk about that for now. What brings you here tonight?"
"Your Majesty, I have come today to plead guilty. Last night, students from the Imperial Academy went to a celebratory banquet and got into a quarrel with students from the Qinglian Academy at the Qinghu Youlai Restaurant. It escalated into a fight, and they were all taken back to the yamen by my men. This angered the various prefectures, and their men blocked the entrance to the yamen."
They almost completely avoided the main issue, focusing on the incident of blocking the entrance to the government office, while the rest was done by Marquis Luo Yun, which was beyond their control.
Upon hearing that the government office gates were to be blocked, the Emperor's face darkened instantly.
"I have always heard that some civil and military officials in the capital are arrogant, but I always thought it was just a rumor. I never expected that when a member of your family made a mistake, you couldn't wait even a day and blocked the gate of the yamen. What are you doing? This is a slap in the face of the court. Zuo Anhe, lock him up for a few days as he should, so that they will learn their lesson. If anyone dares to block the gate of the yamen again, they will all be locked up as well."
My heart was already restless, and now I was entangled in many matters in the capital, so how could I care about these things? Little did I know that so many trivial matters would befall me.
"Yes, Your Majesty. I obey your decree. The people who were blocking the gate today went to Youlai Restaurant to cause trouble for them. Unexpectedly, they ran into Prince Jin and Marquis Luoyun dining there. They were caught on the spot and were whipped by Marquis Luoyun. Now, the people in front of the gate have long been frightened and gone back."
After receiving his orders, Zuo Anhe reluctantly recounted the events: many people from various households had been beaten; those unaware of the situation might have assumed it was the Military Affairs Department that had instigated it.
"Hmph, they deserved to be beaten. A mere servant, yet they dare to be so arrogant. Perfect. Since Marquis Luoyun and the others... well, let Prince Bei Jing and Prince Dong Ping jointly reprimand these people and lock them up for a few days. How they should be locked up is up to them to discuss. But they must also remember that punishment is punishment, and the person should be treated as if nothing happened."
Following the Emperor's instructions, the two nodded repeatedly.
"Yes, Your Majesty. The Military Affairs Office should be sealed off immediately. No visits are allowed. All food, drink and supplies should be provided by the soldiers. A doctor should accompany them. They should be fine for a few days."
He Yongxi thought about it and concluded that this was the safest approach and would prevent any major problems. However, if the Prince of Beijing and the Prince of Dongping were to come, this matter...
"Your Majesty, this matter has been taken over by the Military Command. I heard that Prince Bei Jing and Prince Dong Ping will be attending a banquet at the Court of State Ceremonies. Since this matter is under the jurisdiction of the Military Command, I think it would be better to let those three princes take over this matter. That would be good."
After stammering for a while, the Empress smiled.
"You're just a bit too thoughtful. As for the Court of State Ceremonial, the princes are hosting a banquet for me. That's fine; those who are capable should do more. Let them handle the reprimands." "Thank you, Your Majesty."
He Yongxi was overjoyed. He had been thinking about how to get in touch with the three princes, and now the opportunity had come. Only Zuo Anhe behind him was somewhat confused. What was his master doing? Was he asking him to choose sides?
Dai Quan's eyes flickered as he looked at He Yongxi suspiciously. Only the Empress smiled; only he understood the situation. The three princes still needed some experience.
"Alright, report to the three of them if anything happens, and also ask Marquis Luoyun to keep an eye on them. I've heard that some households have quite a few wicked servants."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I understand. No matter how wicked the servant is, if I find out, I will kill him without hesitation. Your Majesty should rest early. I will take my leave."
He Yongxi had already thought things through in his mind, so he decided to go back and make some preparations.
"Go, I won't keep you any longer."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Before Zuo Anhe could react, the old man pulled him out. Once they were gone, the Empress put down her chopsticks, feeling somewhat relieved.
"Have the Imperial City Guards keep an eye on things. Tomorrow, the three princes will host a banquet for them. Have the people who will be seated at the banquet been decided?"
"Your Majesty, the Prince of Jin has invited the Marquis of Luoyun, the Marquis of Xiangyang, the Marquis of Yining, and others. The Prince of Wei and the Prince of Chu have also sent invitations to several of their respective earls. The Prince of Beijing and the Prince of Dongping are also accompanying them."
Dai Quan stood honestly beside Empress Wu and answered that the Honglu Temple had also been taken over by the Imperial City Guard, and the Minister of the Honglu Temple had already reported all expenses.
"That's good. Let them go. I'm tired. I'm going back to the Warm Pavilion."
"Yes, Your Majesty. Guards, prepare to depart."
"My lord, my lord, you're back!"
After having eaten and drunk their fill at the Marquis of Luoyun's residence, Zhang Jinyu, Prince Jin, and Feng Yongwen parted ways at the street corner and hurriedly returned to their residence.
Everyone says that the sounds of string and wind instruments are pleasing to the ear, but unfortunately, the Marquis's residence is utterly silent. The occasional liveliness always comes from the West Garden.
"Yes, you're back. How's everything at the manor?"
Upon hearing the Marquis's question, the gatekeepers and other staff members hurriedly replied.
"My lord, everything is fine at the manor, except that quite a few people have come to deliver visiting cards, wishing to host a banquet for you."
Zhang Jinyu stopped in her tracks, noticing that so many people were already trying to test her abilities after only a day's return. Their actions were remarkably swift. She continued, "..."
"Do you have a visiting card from the Marquis of Xiangyang?"
"Yes, my lord. Moreover, the people from the Marquis of Xiangyang’s residence have sent word that there will be a banquet at the Honglu Temple tomorrow, and the Marquis will be waiting for you at the south entrance of Qinghu Lake. They said they will go with you."
The gatekeeper quickly replied, "This is the crucial point. The Marquis of Xiangyang now holds a key position. Although he has returned to the capital, he remains the commander-in-chief as long as he remains in command."
"Hmm, I've taken note of this. I'll return all visiting cards, no matter who they are. Did Madam leave the manor today?"
"Reporting to Your Excellency, the lady has not left the manor,"
"That's good."
Nodding, Zhang Jinyu led his troops into the mansion. He first told Ning Bian and the others to go back and rest, while he headed straight for the East Garden. However, the palace lanterns in the main hall had already been extinguished, presumably because the madam had gone to sleep. He stopped and turned to head towards the West Garden.
It's unknown whether the people Yang Hanyu trained in Xiyuan during that time were of interest to her.
As soon as we approached the courtyard,
He could hear the sounds of string and wind instruments coming from the main hall of the courtyard. A smile played on his lips as he walked towards the courtyard gate. However, as soon as he reached the gate, his path was blocked. The once spacious courtyard gate was now covered with a door. He tried to push it, but it wouldn't budge. A strange look appeared on his face, so he knocked on the door.
After several attempts, there was no response. He then switched hands and pounded on the door, which finally produced a sound. A woman in palace attire carefully opened the door, and upon seeing the Marquis, her face lit up with joy, and she called out.
"The Marquis has arrived. The master is enjoying tea inside."
"It's so late, why bother with tea?"
He stepped inside with suspicion, only to find that the lush grass in the courtyard had disappeared, leaving only a few ordinary trees planted among them. The courtyard was somewhat enclosed, and by the light of the lanterns under the eaves, it looked like a frame with a wooden frame inside, forming the character "困" (trapped).
"Reporting to the Marquis, during the days you were away, the mistress obtained some dance music from the palace and asked us to practice it. The dance moves that have been mastered are something the mistress enjoys watching."
The woman in palace attire responded, and just as she called out, the noise inside the room caused Huo'er to peek out. Upon seeing the Marquis walking towards the main hall, she was overjoyed and called out.
"Master, Master, the Marquis has arrived."
Instantly, the music inside the room ceased. Yang Hanyu quickly rose, donned a cloak to conceal her alluring charm, and stood at the door to greet them. Her delicate face, tinged with a beautiful blush, and her flowing hair exuded an air of unparalleled independence.
Upon seeing this, Zhang Jinyu felt a warmth in her heart.
"It's so late, why are you still indoors enjoying tea?"
"My lord, you flatter me. I was merely watching them practice their dance. This tea was just to moisten my throat. You have been away for over a month, and your fame has spread far and wide, causing the Taiping Sect and the White Lotus Sect to bow down in submission. I wonder if you have captured those vixens yet."
Pouting, she replied, thinking of the enchanting women of the White Lotus Sect. Who in the martial arts world didn't know them? If one could see them, it would be a rare thing. Zhang Jinyu, however, found it somewhat puzzling. Some rumors in the martial arts world had been spread and distorted, making the White Lotus Sect seem mysterious. These so-called enchanting women were just women who knew some martial arts.
"Who told you all this? The affairs of the martial world are nothing more than seeking revenge and having nothing better to do. The White Lotus Sect has indeed captured quite a few vixens, and about 20,000 women surrendered in Runan City. I don't know if they are the ones you mentioned. Come on, let's go in and see the dances you've put on."
"Ah, oh, please come in, sir."
Yang Hanyu was somewhat taken aback as the doorway opened. They had actually captured them; a total of 20,000 women had surrendered. Could it be that the White Lotus Sect had done this on purpose? She wanted to ask more, but her husband had already entered the inner hall.
As soon as I walked in,
With screens obscuring the view, some parts were unclear. But after going around the screens, the space opened up dramatically, revealing a completely transformed flower hall. The partitions that had previously separated the rooms had all been removed, expanding the overall area of the hall. On the north side, a main seat had been set up, featuring a large, slightly elevated soft couch, with six seats on each side, all of which were Han Dynasty kneeling couches.
Looking at the center, the spacious ground was slightly recessed, forming a pool. Sheer screens surrounded it for privacy. The room was filled with a fragrant aroma, and about twenty women in palace attire served at the side. Another ten, dressed in long skirts, waited quietly in the pool.
There is also a screen on the west side, which blocks some of the women playing music. It is decorated like some of the palace halls. Although it is not so magnificent, it still has a sense of the immortals and spirits.
As for the decorations, a glance up revealed that, illuminated by the palace lanterns, the wall hangings were brightly colored, some even crafted directly from gold—such extravagance! Suddenly, I thought of the income of the Youlai Inn in the capital, and it all made sense.
"My lord, what do you think? I arranged all of this myself. These women were also part of the dowry sent by the palace. If you like them, my lord..."
Yang Hanyu blushed, her face as delicate as a drop of water. Zhang Jinyu immediately understood: everyone said that King Zhou of Shang had a wine pool and meat forest, but too much wine harmed the mind, and too much meat harmed the body; only women could nourish the body.
"You all go down."
"Yes, my lord,"
The maidservant inside understood and bowed before leaving, leaving Yang Hanyu alone.
"What's wrong, my lord?"
"I'd like to see the lady perform a solo dance."
Zhang Jinyu reached out and pulled the woman into his arms. She let out a soft "hmm," her body seemingly boneless, barely able to stand. Glancing at the soft couch in the main hall, Zhang Jinyu smiled, then looked at the woman in his arms and walked towards it.
"Today we will not go to the bedroom, but will only try out the lady's dance here."
"what"
(End of this chapter)