Chapter 449: Conversation and Arrival in the Capital [Thank you

Early in the second month,

Great Zhou Imperial Palace,

The sky was dotted with stars,

The silver moon was like a hook,

Sparse moonlight shone on the glazed tiles on the roof of the palace, reflecting a slight shimmer.

"Kua~ Kua"

Imperial palace guards were patrolling inside the palace holding lanterns.

Inside the Empress's sleeping palace,

Zhao Fang was sleeping soundly on the bed, with the little princess sleeping beside him.

The Emperor sat on a chair by the table with an ugly expression, looking at the memorials, ignoring the Empress beside him.

The Empress, however, walked behind the Emperor with a smile on her face: "Your Majesty, you have been working hard all day. Let this concubine give you a massage."

"No need!"

The Emperor turned around, dodged the Empress's palm, and continued to focus on reading the memorials by the candlelight.

The Emperor heard the Empress beside him take a deep breath and then let it out long.

"Your Majesty, Fang'er is still young and has been sleeping in his own palace for many days. Today, it was just that he missed this concubine and his sister Yue'er too much, which is why he slept in this palace. Please don't be angry!"

"If he can't even endure loneliness, then how can he be an Emperor in the future?!"

The Emperor frowned, threw the memorial on the table, and looked at the Empress with his beard blowing and eyes wide.

The Empress blinked repeatedly: "Yes, yes, Your Majesty is right! It is this concubine's fault! I shouldn't have relaxed the training for him just because I doted on Fang'er!"

"Hmph!"

The Emperor glared at the Empress proudly, his expression softening a lot.

As she spoke, the Empress placed her fingers beside the Emperor's temples and massaged them slowly.

"Hu~"

The Emperor closed his eyes and let out a breath comfortably.

"By the way, the Imperial City Department reported today that a relative of Zhao Zongquan from Yuzhou has come to the capital and went to find the First Madam of the Liang family of Yongchang Hou Fu?"

The Empress's fingers massaging the Emperor did not stop for a moment: "Yes, they sent me a post in the afternoon. It is the Zou family, the maiden family of the brother of Zhao Zongquan's wife, the Shen family! They didn't find a good residence when they came to the capital this month, so they found First Madam Wu of the Liang family."

The Emperor nodded: "I remember that Zhao Zongquan's brother-in-law joined the army?"

The Empress thought for a while and didn't speak, and the Emperor didn't urge her.

After a while, the Empress said: "Your Majesty is right. This concubine remembers that it seems to be called Shen Congxing, and he went to Guizhou in the south. It was also when Fang'er came that this concubine received First Madam Wu's post, saying that she went to find Marquis Yongyi Fu."

The Emperor's fingers moved on the table, and his brows furrowed slightly.

The Empress's fingers moved to the Emperor's furrowed brows and gently smoothed them: "Your Majesty, the Xu Hou's wife also sent someone to ask this concubine. Do you think she should be allowed to help?"

The Emperor's furrowed brows, whether it was because of the Empress's stroking or because he relaxed them himself, were no longer furrowed: "That child Zhao Zongquan has always been honest and generous! Whether it is himself or the maiden family of his birth mother, they have no foundation or power. Among that branch, he is considered a concubine-born!"

"There are countless clan members whose status is higher than his. Do I have to guard against the maiden family of his brother-in-law's wife? Send a message to the Xu family, help if you can!"

"Hmm!"

"Marquis Tuoxi will probably be able to return to the capital by the end of the month. I want to invite him to the palace for a chat. It will be a family banquet, and you and Fang'er will have to trouble yourselves with the wine and dishes."

"This concubine is honored."

The palace became quiet,

Only the sound of the Emperor sighing comfortably from the massage could be heard from time to time.

"Your Majesty, there are also noble wives from the Cao family's relatives and old acquaintances who entered the palace to inquire with this concubine about the possibility of starting a war in the north. What do you think?"

"Hmph!"

The Emperor gave a light snort.

"Are they seeing that the Cao family, the Xu family, and the Zhang family are eating meat in the Northwest, and they also want to take a bite at Northern Liao?"

The Empress said softly: "They are all families of military merit, and only by starting a war can they be promoted."

The Emperor shook his head, while the Empress's fingers seemed to be stuck to the Emperor's head,

"Recovering Bai Gao was only so smooth because of the right time, the right place, and the right people. If they want to take action against Northern Liao, let them first see how many children in their families can go to the front line to fight."

"The Tianwu Army that Xu Hou managed so well in the past two years, look at what it has become now!"

As he spoke, the Emperor's breathing became rapid.

"Your Majesty, don't be angry! They are all families of long-standing nobility, and their internal expenses are huge, so they always have to think of some ways!"

"So they set their minds on my Imperial Guards? If it weren't for their high seniority, I would have long ago..."

The Empress began to knead the Emperor's shoulders with force.

"Your Majesty, those are only a few. Other families of military merit are still quite good! Recovering Bai Gao has greatly expanded Great Zhou's territory! Your Majesty should think more about this month's metropolitan examination and select more talents for Great Zhou!"

Hearing the Empress mention the expansion of territory, the Emperor's mood improved a lot.

Turning his head to look at Zhao Fang on the bed behind the curtains, the Emperor's lips curled up.

The next day,

At the Yin hour (four o'clock in the morning)

At this time, Xu Zaijing had just gotten up and was preparing to practice martial arts,

In the Imperial Palace,

The Emperor had already been dressed in his robes by the Empress.

After walking out of the Empress's sleeping palace,

The Emperor boarded the imperial carriage and hurried to the palace where the morning court was held.

Arriving at the back hall of the palace,

The Emperor sat on a chair and slowly drank the tea soup to wake up his spirit.

"Your Majesty, Chief Zhao has arrived!"

"Let him in."

Before long, Zhao Zilong, with white hair, entered the back hall: "This old subject has seen Your Majesty."

"Hmm, today, have the Imperial City Department send more officials and soldiers to Quyuan Street."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

"Zilong, you said that I asked the Xu family to help Zhao Zongquan's relative from Yuzhou, this matter..."

Looking at the Emperor's hesitant appearance, Zhao Zilong cupped his hands: "Your Majesty, this matter is naturally safe."

After the Emperor drank a mouthful of tea soup: "Oh? Then tell me."

Zhao Zilong cupped his hands: "Your Majesty, Xu Hou's father was adopted. In previous years, Marquis Yongyi Fu had already declined somewhat. If it weren't for Your Majesty's great trust in Xu Hou, and the help from the Sun family and the Cao family, the Xu family might have just..."

The Emperor held the warm and comfortable teacup, felt the temperature of the teacup, and gave a comfortable "Hmm": "Continue."

"This subject will say something presumptuous: the Imperial Prince might be more intimate with the Xu family's Fifth Young Master than with the Imperial clan..."

"Hmph!"

The Emperor didn't know what he thought of, gave a huff of displeasure, and said: "Continue!"

"The Xu family has no reason to have any disloyalty, and Your Majesty's decision is not inappropriate at all."

The Emperor put down the teacup, leaned back on the chair, and looked at the roof of the hall above his head, his gaze seeming to pierce through the roof to see the starry sky outside the hall.

Then the Emperor said to himself: "Speaking of which, this kid Jing Ge'er does have some divinity in him!"

The candles made of whale oil were very bright after being lit,

Zhao Zilong looked at the brick seams of the floor tiles under the candlelight, lowered his head, and bowed: "Your Majesty is right. This subject also didn't expect that the reckless Marquis Xiangyang would have two sons."

"Hahahaha, that old rascal!"

Marquis Xiangyang was the Emperor's die-hard loyalist, capable of blocking knives and guns for the Emperor with his body.

After the Emperor finished laughing, he stood up: "Let's go, follow me to the morning court!"

Actually, Zhao Zilong's meaning was very clear,

The current Emperor had ascended the throne for decades, and his reputation for benevolence and righteousness had spread for decades.

Not to mention a noble title like the Xu family, even the Great Zhou clan, unless they encountered a life-and-death situation and were forced, would not rebel.

Even if someone rebelled, what good would it do for the Xu family to follow? Could they have more glory and wealth than following the current Emperor and Zhao Fang?

If they made such a choice, it would be like throwing away delicious delicacies like roasted duck and crystal elbow to pick up shit to eat.

Time flew by,

It was already mid-second month,

This morning,

Xu Zaijing, Qi Heng, Gu Tingye, Changbai, and others in the school were not in Jiying Lane,

But had come to the outside of the examination hall for this year's metropolitan examination together with the candidates staying at the Sheng family.

Scholar Zhuang also got up very early today,

The old man stood near the examination hall with his hands behind his back, looking at the scene in front of the examination hall with deep emotion in his eyes, as if he had thought of the day he stepped into the examination hall decades ago.

The Great Zhou candidates participating in this metropolitan examination included teenagers of the same age as Xu Zaijing, as well as white-haired old men like Scholar Zhuang, but more were young people.

"Everyone, this is you in three years! Only by studying hard can you cross this dragon gate and transform from a carp into a dragon!"

"With the slightest slack, it will be another three years! Three years, how many three years do you have!"

Xu Zaijing and the others bowed and said in unison: "We will strictly follow the Scholar's teachings!"

Scholar Zhuang nodded with his hands behind his back.

After all the candidates entered the examination hall, Scholar Zhuang led the crowd toward the Sheng family.

When walking from the examination hall to Jiying Lane,

Scholar Zhuang's carriage was in front,

Zai Zhang, Gu Tingye, and a few others were in the middle,

Xu Zaijing and Changbai were riding horses, chatting behind about the knowledge exchanged with several metropolitan examination candidates in the past few days.

Listening to Changbai's understanding of knowledge, Xu Zaijing nodded continuously.

The sky gradually brightened,

The number of commoners on the streets of Bianjing increased.

When Xu Zaijing turned his head to look around after chatting, he was stunned for a moment.

Then Xu Zaijing patted Changbai on the shoulder, pointed to a group of people behind them hanging a small flag with the word 'Sheng' on the carriage, and said: "Changbai, is that the Sheng family's main branch's carriage team?"

Changbai was stunned, looked back, and said hesitantly: "I go to Youyang rarely..."

At this time, someone in the carriage team lifted the curtain at the front of the carriage and looked out.

Xu Zaijing had excellent eyesight and vaguely saw a little girl with lively eyes, looking a bit mischievous.

Just as the little girl took a look, an older girl pushed her hand away and hurriedly put down the curtain in a panic.

Seeing Xu Zaijing stunned, Changbai said: "Jing Ge'er, what's wrong?"

Xu Zaijing smiled, and the appearance of the older girl he just saw was still in his mind!

Hmm... she looked very much like the singer Zhang Hanyun in his memory, but a younger version.

Thus, Xu Zaijing knew that this group of people was really the carriage team of the main branch from Youyang.

The two girls in the carriage were the sisters Shulan and Pinlan.

Thinking of this, Xu Zaijing said: "I seem to have just seen Uncle Sheng Wei, let's go over and ask!"

Changbai nodded hurriedly.

Ahead,

Scholar Zhuang sat in the carriage with his eyes closed,

A voice came from outside the carriage:

"Scholar, it looks like there might be relatives of the Sheng family from afar behind us, this student and Changbai will go over to welcome them!"

"Hmm! Go, don't delay too long!"

After Xu Zaijing responded, he turned his horse's head and walked toward the back with Changbai.

"Whoa~"

The carriage horses of the Sheng family's main branch were pulled to a stop by the coachman.

Pinlan, who was looking out with her sister Shulan in the carriage, was almost shaken over.

The little girl frowned and lifted the curtain again to look forward: "Why did it stop?"

At this time, a voice came: "May I ask if this is the carriage team of the Sheng family's main branch from Youyang?"

Hearing this, Pinlan and Shulan looked at each other.

Pinlan stood up, supported the carriage wall, leaned out her head, and said: "Sister, it looks like a noble young man riding a tall horse, and the kid next to him looks a bit familiar!"

Shulan, who had the demeanor of a lady, struggled for a while, then stood up and looked forward before saying: "That is the eldest son of the second branch, Changbai brother!"

"Ah? So it's a relative!"

Saying this, Pinlan continued to lean out her head: "Then who is the noble young man next to Changbai brother? He looks even more heroic than the mount of the Zhang family sister who runs the horse polo field in Youyang!"

Shulan was older and had heard Old Madam Sheng and First Madam Li chat a lot, so she said hesitantly: "Perhaps it's a noble disciple studying at the Sheng family!"

"Oh! No wonder!"

As the sisters talked, seeing the carriage in front start to move, the two hurriedly sat down in the carriage.

Jiying Lane,

At the gate of the Sheng family,

Sheng Hong stood outside the threshold:

"Mother, you should go back, this son is here, that's enough!"

Old Madam was supported by the two mamas, Fang and Cui, and leaned out to look at the street corner from time to time.

Hearing Sheng Hong's words, she waved her hand: "I haven't seen your aunt for many years, and I can't sit still in the inner courtyard because I'm worried. I'd better wait here!"

Sheng Hong nodded: "Yes, Mother!"

The sky brightened,

Sunlight shone on the ground of the lane that had been sprinkled with water,

Wang Ruofu stood not far from Old Madam and also looked out: "Mother, they are here, I see a carriage team coming!"

"Oh!"

Old Madam took a step forward and looked in the direction Wang Ruofu said.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 450 =====