Zheng Rong took the letter, slowly opened it, and read it. He was shocked. It turned out that the few words on the letter were written by the current emperor himself, and the seal on the signature was not the imperial seal, but the private seal of the current emperor when he was still the crown prince. Looking back at the envelope, it was indeed carefully framed with bright yellow paper used exclusively in the palace.
Zhongli Kuang seemed to have guessed it almost exactly, and asked without hesitation, "Did the emperor bring a message to the prince?"
"Sir, your guess is correct..." Zheng Rong read the letter of just over a hundred words over and over again, and said, "The emperor wants to summon me to the capital to meet him, saying that there is something important to discuss. This is nothing serious, the emperor can just issue an imperial decree, but why write a letter privately?"
Zhongli Kuang twirled his sparse goatee and said, "Forgive me for being so rebellious. I recently heard that the emperor is a big believer in alchemists and has taken a lot of golden elixirs and red pills. However, his body is getting worse and worse, and I'm afraid it's hard to keep it safe. The conflict between the emperor's eldest son and the second son is now known to everyone. The ministers, the imperial guards and the generals are all attached to each other and are at loggerheads. The emperor is afraid that he will become the second Duke Huan!" Zhongli Kuang swallowed his saliva and continued, "I think that the emperor summoned the prince just to discuss the issue of deposing and enthroning. If the emperor is undecided, he will consult the prince; if the emperor has made up his mind, he will also ask the prince to assist the new emperor with all his strength."
"This... what you said is exactly what I agree with. I just don't know how to reply to the emperor. What advice do you have?" Zheng Rong frowned and said with a breath of cold air.
Zhongli Kuang hesitated for a moment, and continued expressionlessly: "Although the removal and enthronement of the crown prince is a national event, it is also a private matter of the royal family. How can outsiders like us interfere? In my humble opinion, Your Majesty has guarded the northern border and shouldered the responsibility for the safety of the country for ten years. Now that you are fully grown, you can protect yourself. Therefore, no matter who the new king is, as long as Your Majesty restrains his edge and keeps his troops under control, he will be able to maintain his wealth and prosperity."
Prince Zheng nodded his head after hearing these words. He thought about it carefully and said, "Sir, you are right. I have made note of it. But since it is the emperor's order, we cannot delay and should set off as soon as possible." He then ordered his attendants, "Quickly invite Generals Cui and Wei."
Generals Cui Nan and Wei Hu were both selected by Zheng Rong from the army. After more than ten years of fighting, they have become two top-notch generals under Zheng Rong. Cui Nan was awarded the title of General Zhengbei. He was born in a family of generals. He was taciturn, but short in stature, poor in archery and horse riding, but famous for his sharp attacks. Wei Hu was awarded the title of General Zhengdong. He was selected from the ranks. He was outspoken, burly, skilled in martial arts, and famous for his solid defense. With the combination of these two generals with both offensive and defensive capabilities, the King of Youyan could stand firm in the northern frontier where the Turks were rampant.
The two generals received the order to see the prince. As soon as they heard the whole story, General Wei patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, your Majesty, I will guard this place. If the Turks want to set foot in Youyan, we will naturally stop them with soldiers and earth."
Zheng Rong nodded and praised, "Youyan is absolutely safe with General Wei." Then he turned to look at Cui Nan and said, "But General Wei, please cooperate with us."
Cui Nan said nothing, but nodded seriously and promised.
Zheng Rong smiled when he saw this and said, "Then I will go to the capital to see the emperor tomorrow. I will ask Generals Cui and Wei to stay in Youyan to guard against the Turks. Mr. Zhongli will go south with me to the capital."
Youyan Prince Zheng Rong was not extravagant, but as a vassal prince, he still had to show off. Surrounded by flags and canopies, he rode a tall white horse, called up 500 elite guards, and set out from Youyan Palace. It was the time of the trip, which was the end of the curfew, when people went out and merchants welcomed customers. According to the law, the streets must be cleaned when the prince travels, and the people must stay away. Zheng Rong did not want to harass the people, so he avoided the busy streets and took quiet paths. Unexpectedly, as soon as he walked out of the south gate, he saw countless people carrying wine and food to see him off at the city gate. Zheng Rong refused to accept it. He did not expect that the people would not let the ceremonial procession pass. Seeing this, Zheng Rong had to order the chief clerk of the palace to accept the wine and food offered by the people and register them one by one, and then pay for them with the private money of the palace.
Zheng Rong and his group of more than 500 people set out from the south gate of Guangyang City, the capital of Youyan, heading west. After entering the Hetao, they took a boat down the river. It was an easy journey. After drifting downstream for less than half a month, a magnificent city finally appeared before everyone. This was Luoyang, the capital of the Han Dynasty.
Luoyang is located in the center of the country, protected by Tongguan and Dasanguan in the east and west. It has a crisscrossing water system and the benefit of water transport, and has received contributions from domestic wealth. After thousands of years of operation, the city not only covers a large area, but also has a perfect structure. It is the place where the royal aura of the Han Dynasty gathered for 200 years.
Luoyang Dongyang Gate is the first of the twelve gates. The building is tall and exquisite, especially the two giant dragons on the gate, shining with golden light, showing the royal style. The two gems on the dragon heads reflected the sunlight, emitting a dazzling brilliance, which made Prince Zheng unable to open his eyes. Zheng Rong closed his eyes slightly, and countless complex expressions flashed across his face in an instant. He took a long breath and sighed to the military advisor Zhong Likuang beside him: "It has been fifteen years since I left Beijing when I was thirty years old. Things have really changed and time has passed!"
Zhongli Kuang squeezed out a sentence from his mouth: "Leaving the city may not be a disaster, and entering the city may not be a blessing. I hope the prince will be careful."
Zheng Rong was bored, so he signaled the team to move forward. After walking a few steps, an official from the imperial court was already waiting on the road to greet them. Zheng Rong was a direct descendant of the royal family, a military marshal, and a frontier official. Naturally, he was higher than all the other officials, so he sat on his horse without moving. The official was very sensible. He walked in front of Zheng Rong's horse, bowed deeply, and said, "I am Shi Liangzhi, the current Minister of Rites, and I am here to welcome the prince by order."
Zheng Rong was a little surprised when he heard this. Normally, the Ministry of Rites would send a Shizhong to welcome and see off foreign vassals. Since he was in a high position, a Shilang would be enough. However, the one who welcomed him this time was the Shangshu, who was in charge of the Ministry of Rites. This showed how much favor the current emperor had for him. After thinking about this, Zheng Rong quickly rolled off the saddle and said in return, "I am just a foreign vassal. Why do you have to welcome me personally?" Only then did he look up at the Shangshu in front of him. He saw that he was only in his thirties, and it was extremely rare for him to be the Shangshu.
"Your Highness has resisted the Turks for more than ten years, and the world knows it. It is an honor for this humble official to come and greet you. Moreover, it is the emperor's order, how dare this humble official disobey?" After some pleasantries, Minister Shi finally got to the point and said, "This humble official has an imperial decree, and Your Highness needs to accept it."
Zheng Rong nodded and said, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Your Excellency the Minister."
Shi Liangzhi asked for the imperial edict and was about to read it, but he saw the Prince of Youyan standing straight in front of him, with no intention of kneeling. He couldn't help but feel a little confused, thinking that he didn't explain it clearly, so he held up the imperial edict in his hand and repeated it: "Here is the imperial edict, why doesn't Prince of Youyan bow?"
"This... It's not that I'm disrespectful to the emperor, but the emperor has ordered me not to bow when I see the emperor. With the emperor's order in front of me, I dare not disobey." Zheng Rong explained.
Shi Liangzhi was still not satisfied and asked several old officials around him to confirm that it was true before he opened the imperial edict and read it out again. The content of the imperial edict was nothing new, it just comforted Zheng Rong for his hard journey and granted him the right to ride a horse in the Forbidden City. After reading the imperial edict, Shi Liangzhi took the opportunity to whisper to Zheng Rong: "The emperor misses the prince so much that he has asked me to bring the prince to the palace to see him immediately."
Zheng Rong was hesitant, so he quietly turned his head to look at Zhong Li Kuang behind him. Seeing him nod slightly, he felt a little relieved and said to the Minister of Rites, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Lord Minister, to lead the way."
Although Zheng Rong could ride into the city with a swagger after receiving the imperial edict, he changed his mind and thought that it was uncertain whether this trip to Luoyang would be a good or bad one, so it was better to be cautious. He said to Shi Liangzhi: "Since I received the imperial edict, I have been rushing to Luoyang day and night without delaying for a moment, and finally I did not miss the time. Unfortunately, I have been away from Luoyang for more than ten years, and I miss the cultural relics in the capital very much. Therefore, I would like to walk into the palace with the Minister to enjoy the scenery of Luoyang."
Shi Liangzhi thought about what he wanted to say, and nodded without hesitation. Zheng Rong then took the reins and walked towards the palace with the Minister of Rites. The entourage also set up the prince's guard of honor and followed behind the two of them at a leisurely pace.
Luoyang is symmetrical, and the imperial city is located on the central axis, which is the Huangdao Street connecting the east and west gates. When the princes came to Beijing, the court had already made preparations. They had cleared the streets in advance and excluded all the outsiders, waiting for the Prince of Youyan to come. When Zheng Rong was young, he liked to visit incognito, stroll through the streets, and inquire about the people's sentiments. Seeing this situation, he felt bored, but he could do nothing about it, so he talked to Shi Liangzhi beside him about the situation in the court. After several conversations, Zheng Rong found that in the short period of more than ten years, most of the elders in the court were gone, and only Yang Yuanzhi, a senior official of three dynasties, was still the prime minister. He couldn't help but sigh and asked, "I wonder if Prime Minister Yang is in good health?"
"Venerable Yang is in good health and spirits, but he is a little ignorant of the current situation."
Shi Liangzhi's words were rather ignorant, which made Youyan King Zheng Rong somewhat dissatisfied. He coldly spat out four words: "Why do you think so?"
"The current eldest prince is gifted, kind-hearted, modest and prudent, and on good terms with officials. He is truly worthy of being entrusted with the responsibility of governing the country..." Shi Liangzhi began to talk about the eldest prince's merits, including stories of officials being seriously ill and visited by the eldest prince with the imperial physician, officials' relatives being investigated for breaking the law and the eldest prince coming forward to guarantee them, and officials being asked for rewards during spring and autumn sacrifices. Minister Shi talked about everything from the beginning to the end, and finally added: "Prime Minister Yang is trying to protect himself, and he is so distant with the eldest prince that he seems to be sitting on the fence."
Zheng Rong patiently listened to him finish speaking, then said: "Prime Minister Yang is a prime minister of two dynasties and a veteran minister of three dynasties. He has worked hard and made great contributions, and he is the head of all officials. If you have any opinions or suggestions, you can express them in person. But Lord Shi is now discussing the pillars of the court in front of the foreign vassal. Isn't this a violation of the court etiquette? Moreover, there is a difference between the palace and the government, and it is a taboo for officials from the six ministries to make friends with the prince. Prime Minister Yang is mature and thoughtful for the country, and he is good at himself. Not only can you not understand, but you are slandering him privately. What is your intention? I am a foreign vassal, and I should not interfere in the government affairs of the court. However, seeing that Lord Shangshu is young and promising, and has a bright future, I can't bear to see you make a mistake and regret it for the rest of your life, so I said a few more words, and I hope you will think twice."
Zheng Rong's words were full of meaning and his tone was very blunt, which made the young Shangshu speechless. The atmosphere suddenly became awkward. Fortunately, the group had arrived at the palace gate. Shi Liangzhi took the opportunity to say goodbye: "We have arrived at the palace gate. I will say goodbye to you, Your Majesty." After saying that, he did not bother to choose a gift and left.
Before Lord Shi had gone far, someone from the palace came to greet him. Zheng Rong looked up and saw that it was the eunuch chief steward Wang Zhonghai. Wang Zhonghai had been a tutor to the previous emperor, so he was an acquaintance to Zheng Rong, who had grown up in the palace. Wang Zhonghai was over sixty years old, and looked dark, thin, and withered, but his steps were quite brisk. He walked quickly to Zheng Rong, and with his knees softened, he bowed and said, "Prince Youyan, how are you? Hehehehehe, this old servant is here to greet you."
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PS. Luoyang was one of the most important cities in ancient China, and was known as the ancient capital of 11 dynasties. However, with the deterioration of the ecological environment in the Yellow River Basin and the loss of the river area buffer by the Central Plains regime, Luoyang gradually declined. This was one of the trends in history. (To be continued)