Chapter 355: Eighty-four, Empress

Eighty-four, Empress's Reward

The news of Xunyang Prince Wang Lixian being assassinated and seriously injured was sent back to Luoyang, shocking the court and the public.

Originally, the court was playing a game over the deployment of troops to deal with the rebellions in Lingnan and Hongzhou, with undercurrents surging.

After this news was sent back, it was like pouring oil on fire. The court discussions became increasingly fierce. At the imperial meeting after the staff, the princes and ministers argued enthusiastically.

Some court officials proposed that Xunyang Prince Wang Lixian was suspected of missing Li Gan and having wolfish ambitions, and should be immediately dismissed from his princely title, escorted back to the capital, and strictly imprisoned.

Some court officials refuted, saying that Xunyang Prince Wang Lixian had worked hard for His Majesty to build statues, putting filial piety first. This was Li Zhengyan's scheme to alienate, using Xunyang Prince's former banner and reign title, which was a ghost-like trick. If Xunyang Prince was wrongly imprisoned, it would only fuel Li Zhengyan's rhetoric and increase the rumors and framing against the Empress, which must not be fallen for.

There were also court officials who advised with the latest facts, saying that the rebel accomplice Wang Junzhi acted as a lobbyist to incite the Xunyang Prince, but the Xunyang Prince was loyal and filial to His Majesty and remained unmoved, which led to the rebels being desperate and raiding at night. His Majesty should summon the Xunyang Prince back to the capital to protect him well.

There were also some court officials who held the opinion of agreeing with the Xunyang Prince returning to the capital, but the reason was that Jiangzhou was too dangerous, becoming the front line of the war, and it was necessary to prevent Jiangzhou from falling, leading to the rebels capturing the Xunyang Prince and occupying the righteousness.

Various opinions emerged one after another, hiding different intentions, filling the Luoyang court these few days.

Just when the undercurrents were surging and each held their own opinions,

This evening, after a certain imperial meeting after the staff ended, an imperial decree personally opened by the Emperor was sent out from the Phoenix Pavilion at high speed, flying toward Jiang Nan.

Appointing Xunyang Prince Wang Lixian as the Pacification Ambassador of the Jiang Nan Circuit,

Sitting in Jiangzhou, comforting the scholars and people of Jiang Nan, investigating the hearts of the people in Jiang Nan, and guarding against the rebel army in the southwest,

At the same time, waiting for the arrival of the new Grand General of the Expeditionary Army appointed by the court, assisting in suppressing the rebellion.

In short.

The Xunyang Prince not only did not leave, but also had to assist in suppressing the rebellion, even becoming the nominal master of the expedition to suppress the rebellion.

The court was surprised, and for a time, no one raised any objections.

"Pacification Ambassador of the Jiang Nan Circuit, what kind of official position is this?"

In the Xunyang Prince's mansion, the study in Juxian Garden had been burned, and the crowd moved to a new place, turning to the study where Wang Lixian read, to continue discussing matters.

Not long ago, in the evening, the imperial decree of the court's latest appointment arrived in Xunyang City. Wang Lixian lay on the bed, his face pale, and received the decree.

Late at night, Ouyang Rong came to the Xunyang Prince's mansion, and the crowd gathered in the new study.

Wang Lixian, who had just been rescued by the imperial physician two days ago and was bedridden, was "jumping around" sitting on a grand master's chair, holding a bowl and picking up food, adding a late-night snack.

Although his face and lips were still gray and white, without blood, looking at his appearance of picking up food quickly and his eyes shining, there was no appearance of a patient who had just recovered from a serious illness.

However, this scene could not be seen by palace maids like Miao Zhen. Well, even if they saw it, they probably pretended not to see it.

At this moment, a scroll made of bright yellow silk was spread out on the dining table. Wang Lixian, who was starving, pointed at the imperial decree with his chopsticks while swallowing food, and asked suspiciously.

Li Guoer was concise and answered in four words:

"Stabilize the hearts of the people."

Wang Lixian's face was curious. He looked at Ouyang Rong, who was silent after entering the room, and asked again:

"Oh, is it the same as the position of Jiang Nan Supervisor of Construction who was in charge of building the Donglin Great Buddha before?"

Li Guoer shook her head and answered crisply:

"Not at all."

First looking at Ouyang Rong, who nodded in approval, she was spirited and radiant:

"Although the Pacification Ambassador of the Jiang Nan Circuit does not have the military and political power of the Grand General of the Expeditionary Army and is not responsible for specific rebellion suppression, this title is much larger. This is an important position set up temporarily, which could only be held by people with prestige in the past.

"Now that the enemy is at the door, it is not an empty and constant position. Father is really going to comfort the scholars and people of Jiang Nan and assist in suppressing the rebellion, which is not without reality.

"Previously holding the position of Jiang Nan Supervisor of Construction was just a name, at most managing the statue-building matters in Jiangzhou.

"However, now, holding the position of Pacification Ambassador of the Jiang Nan Circuit is different. Father can use the name of pacification to question or even summon the officials of various counties in the Jiang Nan Circuit, and can also rightfully contact the nobles and scholars of Jiang Nan...

"After all, this is also part of comforting the local area. The court cannot argue, and Grandmother will also tacitly approve.

"And officials of various counties in the Jiang Nan Circuit, if they have the heart, can come to Xunyang City to pay respects to Father and report some rebellion suppression matters or suggestions. This is called rightfully."

Wang Lixian opened his eyes wide and was surprised: "Is this really Mother Emperor's meaning?"

Li Guoer, Xie Lingjiang, Wei Mei, and others smiled.

Ouyang Rong put down his teacup and nodded gently:

"Roughly what happened that night, His Majesty should be clear. Uncle has passed the test smoothly and even handed in a good answer sheet. At least His Majesty should be quite satisfied.

"So this... Pacification Ambassador's official position is the reward for Uncle passing the test."

He turned his head:

"The Princess's analysis just now is correct. It is indeed not an empty position. You can brush up on prestige and presence.

"After all, Uncle has been demoted to Jiangzhou for more than ten years and has been away from the Great Zhou officialdom for a long time. Many officials who miss Li Gan want to get close to Uncle, but have no way. One is fear of His Majesty's suspicion, and the other is worry about being reported and labeled.

"So before this, even if Uncle re-established the Xunyang Prince's mansion, there were only some failed officials in Xunyang City who dared to show favor, and the remaining ones who defected were mostly common scholars and guests without official status...

"This time, it is an opportunity to pass the trust and ability test of that Majesty, and the imprisonment is naturally lifted by more than half, almost reaching the loose degree of activity of that Xiang Prince in the capital, allowing some officials and forces to lean over."

"So that's how it is."

Wang Lixian suddenly realized, and he smiled happily: "Thanks to Tanlang, Mother Emperor is finally at ease with this Prince."

Ouyang Rong shook his head calmly:

"Not all my credit. His Majesty also has selfish intentions. Letting Uncle continue to stay on the front line of Jiangzhou and also adding an important position of Pacification Ambassador.

"This move can not only divide the legitimacy of Li Zhengyan and others' restoration of Li Gan and stabilize the hearts of the scholars and soldiers in Jiang Nan, but also send a clear signal to the civil and military officials and the scholars and people of the world.

"Uncle is now officially in the game. The Xunyang Prince's mansion without imprisonment restrictions is considered to have the power to set up a mountain, no longer a simple pawn, but a chess player.

"Uncle, be prepared. Next, there should be quite a few 'loyal ministers of Li Gan' who defect through various channels. Of course, secret attacks and traps will not be less. You need to treat them cautiously. The matters of Wang Junzhi and Yue Ziang are the lessons of the past."

"Definitely, definitely." Wang Lixian and his son nodded earnestly.

Ouyang Rong sighed lightly again:

"This official position is not obtained for nothing. The rebel army is about to attack Jiangzhou. Xunyang City is not safe. If it cannot hold and falls into enemy hands, Uncle's current position will become a burden instead.

"Uncle taking it is considered officially splitting with Li Zhengyan and the others, but not taking it is even more inappropriate... That Majesty is really playing the Emperor's art clearly."

Wang Lixian was used to finding joy in suffering, and laughed: "No matter, with Tanlang here, everyone works together, no fear."

Ouyang Rong smiled helplessly.

Just then, two peeled clean white pears were handed to him.

Two different jade hands.

Looking up, one was handed by Junior Sister, and one was handed by Li Guoer.

Both women were looking at him, not looking at each other.

I don't know if it was a coincidence.

Ouyang Rong retracted his gaze calmly.

He didn't choose one of the two, nodded, took both white pears, turned his head, and handed them to Wang Lixian and Li Fusu respectively.

Wang Lixian and his son were stunned for a moment, and each took the pear.

"Uh, thank you, Younger Sister."

"Thank you, Niece."

Wang Lixian and Li Fusu thanked the two women respectively.

Ouyang Rong acted like a dog-legged person, acting as a transfer, as if he didn't love eating pears.

"..." Xie Lingjiang, Li Guoer.

Wei Mei smiled, also peeled a pear, and handed it to Ouyang Rong with a smile.

He took it this time.

This made the two women, who were squinting and preparing to peel another pear to hand over, purse their lips and give up.

Xie Lingjiang glanced at Li Guoer, whose pretty face was calm, retracted her gaze, changed the subject, and snorted lightly:

"Now Wang Lengran should have no way to deal with our Prince's mansion."

Ouyang Rong nodded:

"Prince, just wait. In less than two days, Wang Lengran will come to visit in person. From now on, the Prince is his direct superior. After all, Jiangzhou also belongs to the Jiang Nan Circuit, right? The Pacification Ambassador must properly pacify him."

The crowd couldn't help laughing. Li Fusu patted the table:

"Before, I couldn't protect myself, so I couldn't manage him. Now that I can manage him, other things can be ignored for now, but this fellow must open the opening, welcome back Tanlang, release the authority of the Jiangzhou Hall, let Tanlang participate in the defense, and also, military and political matters must be released."

The crowd in the study agreed one after another.

Ouyang Rong let out a long breath:

"This matter is actually simple. The general trend and His Majesty's attitude are there. Wang Lengran can't stop it. He is not stupid, just bad, it can be seen."

Looking at the indignant Wang Lixian and his son, Ouyang Rong had to nod and say slowly:

"How about this, let's sing a double act tomorrow..."

The crowd discussed together, and a short while later, their eyes lit up.

Just then, Wei Mei suddenly said:

"A letter came from the Xiang Prince's mansion in Luoyang."

"What letter." Ouyang Rong asked.

Wang Lixian hesitated, took out two letters from his sleeve, handed one to Ouyang Rong, and held one in his hand:

"Imperial Younger Brother said that he was not imprisoned, and he only learned about what happened that night later. Someone impersonated his name to deceive us into leaving the city.

"Imperial Younger Brother also said that he never expected Guo Yu, Meng Shouguang, and others to defect to the Wei clan. This was his and the Xiang Prince's mansion's negligence, and he was extremely guilty. So this time, at the imperial meeting after the staff, he and the Master tried their best to speak for this Prince..."

Xie Lingjiang interrupted directly and asked:

"What about the jade token? That Hetian jade token was given to Uncle and him by the former Crown Prince of Great Gan. Shouldn't it be carried on the body?"

"Mm, this Xiang Prince of ours also explained."

Ouyang Rong put down the letter paper, pointed at it, and smiled:

"August 8th, the birthday banquet of Princess Changle, Xiang Prince met Liang Prince Wei Sixing. Although the Xiang Prince's mansion and the Wei Prince's mansion were at odds, the relationship on the surface was not torn apart.

"After three rounds of wine, Liang Prince took the initiative to chat with the Xiang Prince, as if releasing goodwill. Although the Prince was still wary, he couldn't refuse Liang Prince's face, drank a few cups, and Liang Prince took the initiative to propose to clear up past grievances and exchange tokens, specifically asking for the jade token at the Xiang Prince's waist. He didn't think much at the time, so he exchanged it.

"After waking up, the Xiang Prince thought more and more that something was wrong, worried about being impersonated, so the next day he publicly announced that he had given a Hetian jade token to Liang Prince, and also wrote letters to remind all parties, including the Prince, specifically clarifying this matter.

"But I didn't expect that this jade token would come to Jiangzhou so quickly, especially with the defection of Guo Yu and others."

Wang Lixian waved the letter paper in his hand, his face complex:

"This was sent one day after that night. Looking at the date of this letter, Imperial Younger Brother did indeed notify this Prince at the first time, but Guo Yu and others were faster, arriving one day early... The Wei clan is too cunning, Imperial Younger Brother was also tricked."

Ouyang Rong suddenly smiled: "Uncle, actually I am the First Emperor."

"Ah?"

Xie Lingjiang, Li Guoer, Li Dalang, and others were stunned, their tone suspicious.

But there was a fool who really believed it.

"Tanlang is not a reincarnation?" Wang Lixian was shocked.

"..." Ouyang Rong.

You really dare to believe it.

Ouyang Rong's mouth twitched, and he didn't know whether he should thank this kind of trust.

However, thinking that this world does have mythical power, and there are quite a few alchemists inciting immortality and reincarnation and flying ascension.

Or rather, there are still quite a few people who fear ghosts and gods and eat this set.

Ouyang Rong looked at Wang Lixian and did not say much for the time being.

The imperial family's affairs are complicated, and it is not the time yet...

The next day, morning.

Wang Lengran really came to visit Wang Lixian, and discussed with this new Pacification Ambassador of the Jiang Nan Circuit about resisting the rebel army...

The Pacification Ambassador of the Jiang Nan Circuit is equivalent to the nominal superior of various prefectures in the Jiang Nan Circuit, naturally a head higher, possessing the right to suggest.

At this moment, the Xunyang Prince's mansion is in Jiangzhou. In terms of official duties, the affairs of Jiangzhou are no longer decided by the Magistrate alone, but must be requested from the Pacification Ambassador of the Jiang Nan Circuit, Wang Lixian.

Wang Lixian, who got the plan from the crowd last night, smiled faintly, leisurely put down the teacup, raised his eyelids, and looked at Magistrate Wang. The latter immediately smiled brightly, his butt sticking to the stool, only sitting on half...

Immediately, under the deliberate knocking and beating of Wang Lixian, Wang Lengran smiled brighter than a flower, strongly requesting the Prince to release Chief Clerk Ouyang, and not let him be busy with Buddha matters.

Wang Lengran was sincere, reiterating that the Jiangzhou Hall needed Chief Clerk Ouyang. If Lianghan does not come out, what will the common people do? Xunyang Prince nodded reluctantly, finally welcoming Chief Clerk Ouyang back to the Jiangzhou Hall, and everyone was happy...

Ouyang Rong returned to the Jiangzhou Hall and clearly felt that after the Xunyang Prince gained power, the officials' attitude toward him, who was suspected of being "Tanlang" of the Xunyang Prince's mansion, became enthusiastic and flattering, and official business progressed surprisingly smoothly.

Sure enough, having someone above makes things easy.

With the establishment of the Pacification Ambassador of the Jiang Nan Circuit, the formation of the expeditionary army followed a series of "talismans" similar to red-headed documents issued by the Luoyang court, proceeding rapidly.

The Great Zhou Dynasty still uses the Fubing system. The Zhechong Prefectures are the main source of troops. The expeditionary army is provided by various Zhechong Prefectures.

The Jiang Nan Circuit, which has been peaceful for a long time, only has six Zhechong Prefectures. Except for the Jiang Nan Circuit's Fourth and Fifth Zhechong Prefectures that fell with Hongzhou, and the Third Zhechong Prefecture owned by Jiangzhou itself.

Yangzhou and other heavy prefectures that own the remaining three Zhechong Prefectures all responded quickly and were the first to be conscripted.

During this period, the first batch of small reinforcements arrived in Jiangzhou one after another, as the vanguard reserve of the expeditionary army.

Ouyang Rong had only returned to the Jiangzhou Hall for two days when news came from the front line that the Hongzhou rebel army had entered the hinterland of Jiangzhou, the Yan Bing pass had been taken, and several counties had surrendered to the wind. The armies of Cai Qin and Zhu Lingxu were breaking through like bamboo.

Ouyang Rong had no time to gloat over Wang Lengran's frustration, focused his energy, and threw himself into the defense.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 358 =====