At the end of the twelfth lunar month, Yujia returned to Beijing.
Going back just in time for the New Year, this battle was won, and the whole country celebrated. Wherever Yu Jia passed, there were cheers all the way.
All the chief officials of Sangyi surrendered, except for one left minister who committed seppuku, the rest had lost their original arrogance and cooperated with the Beili army to count the prisoners and supplies.
Gu Shubai stayed in Taicheng to take charge of the finishing matters after the battle. Although the battle ended in victory, the casualties were heavy during the process, and it would be impossible not to have a general who can hold the scene in charge.
Gu Xiang and Gu Wenqing stayed to help him without any worries, while Gu Huaijiang and others returned to Beijing with Yu Jia. Gu Yi has been thinking about the child in Su Yunyan's womb for a long time, and he doesn't know how big the child has grown since he has been away for a few months.
"The left minister is quite temperamental, but the few officials other than him have no bones at all. Not only did they take the initiative to reveal their military secrets, but they also scrambled to make meritorious deeds."
Gu Wenqing came out of the captive camp, dusted off his body, and informed Gu Shubai about the prisoners.
Gu Shubai nodded and said, "Have you seen the corpse of the left minister?"
"Look, the criss-cross knife cuts like squid."
Gu Wenqing couldn't help shaking her head, "It seems that we wrongly blamed the Sanyi people earlier, and they used this kind of knife technique to slaughter those craftsmen and officials of the Ministry of Industry. It turns out that they are not only cruel to others, but also cruel to themselves. It's just that What kind of national culture can cultivate ministers who will commit seppuku if they lose a battle?"
Gu Shubai smiled, and shook his head helplessly, "Although the Sangyi people learned everything from the mainland of Kyushu, the flowers blooming on the same tree are not the same, let alone Sangyi and Beili?"
Gu Xiang braved the wind and snow and came in from outside the tent, and patted the snow on his body with a smile. Seeing this, Gu Wenqing was surprised and said: "There was no snow when I came here."
Gu Xiang smiled with teeth all over his face, "It just fell, and it's still very big! I think Lai Yufu and the others will soon arrive in the capital, and the snow will not affect their schedule at this time."
Gu Shubai smiled lightly, and Gu Xiang suddenly sighed, "It's just a pity that our family is no longer together during Chinese New Year this year. What kind of strange thing do you think this is? Separation, and reunion last year!"
Gu Wenqing said: "It's just the two of us, we are lonely and widowed. It's a pity that elder brother can't celebrate the New Year with Yufu this year, and we have to separate the two places."
Gu Shubai stood up from behind the case, and walked out of the tent, the sky was full of snow, and after a while, the ground was covered with a thin layer of white.
He couldn't help feeling, "It's snowing, the ground is full of blood, and it needs a heavy snow to wash it off."
Speaking of this, Gu Wenqing and the two couldn't help but sigh with emotion, "Who said it wasn't? After the last battle, I heard that the fishermen in Korea still dare not go out to sea for fishing, for fear of salvaging broken limbs. Ours The fishermen, who often go out to sea in such cold weather, said that if they can salvage some of our soldiers’ corpses, it would be better to send them to the ground for safety.”
Gu Xiangdao: "We want to send back the bodies of these captives and fallen soldiers. The rest is to assist the local officials in rebuilding and comfort the victims after the war. After all, these things are beyond the capabilities of our generals, so we have to do our best."
In this way, in about a month, the army will be able to march back to Beijing.
Gu Shubai said in a deep voice: "The war is over, and our mission as military commanders has also been completed. Then there are a series of problems that the imperial court will face, the treasury is empty, the money is not enough, how to pay for the families of the soldiers who died in battle, and how to rebuild the common people Homeland…”
Thinking of this, he was so tired for Yufu that he wished he could go back to Beijing to help her.
Gu Xiang suddenly shivered, thinking that Gu Yi often shouted cold when he was here, if he was still here now, it would be no wonder that he was so cold that he would crawl under the covers.
Gu Shubai said with a smile: "Go to the tent soon, carefully caught the wind and cold, Tianshu has already gone back with Yujia."
Speaking of being afraid of patting him on the shoulder, Gu Xiang honestly walked towards the tent, Gu Shubai and the two stood in the snow, discussing the next arrangement...
"Your Majesty, do you know what I miss most in the palace?"
In the middle of the capital, Yao Lan had a nostalgic and happy expression on her face as soon as she returned to the Hall of Eternal Life. She held Fat Five in one hand and Fat Nine in the other, and pressed her nose to their white fur.
Take a deep breath, full of sweet fragrance.
She suddenly felt unbalanced, and patted Fat Jiu's fat buttocks, "One of you is a dog and the other is a fox. You stay in the palace to eat and drink spicy food, but I have been starving and freezing at the beach for so long. Is it fair? ? I still smell like rose petals, don’t you know that my body smells like fish?”
The more I talked, the more unbalanced I felt, I slapped the two on the buttocks and drove them out of the hall to play.
Two cheerful white shadows rolled out of the palace, playing together, rolled into the snow and could no longer tell who was who, the palace guards on duty in the corridor watched and couldn't help but lower their heads and chuckle.
Yu Fu leaned on the couch to read the booklet, and when she heard her words, she couldn't help laughing and said: "You say that, I don't know whether what you miss is the food in the palace, or the warm stove in the palace, or... the rose petals for bathing? "
When Yao Lan heard this, she subconsciously raised her hand and sniffed her sleeve, "After washing it many times, I still feel a fishy smell, no, no, I have to wash it again, so as not to suffocate Your Majesty!"
After saying that, she ran out of the hall, and bumped into something head-on, causing her nose to hurt sharply.
"Hey, who walks without looking at the road!"
She was the first to file a complaint. Tian Yunpo, who was hit by her, had just come in from the snow and was standing on the porch brushing off the snow from his cloak. He hadn't reacted when he was hit, and was scolded inexplicably.
Pointing to his nose, he said in surprise: "Be reasonable, it's clear that you didn't look the way and bumped into me, right? Are you still calling for a thief?"
This is right, it is Yaolan's nature to shout and catch a thief.
It’s fine if someone else falls, it can be seen that it is Tian Yunpo, Yao Lan is not afraid at all, "This is the Palace of Longevity, I am the person from the Palace of Longevity, the thief must not be me, hmph."
After saying that, he ran away in a hurry, leaving Tian Yunpo standing there huffing.
When he stepped into the palace, seeing Yu Fu hastily complained, "The palace servants around Your Majesty are getting more and more unruly."
Yu Fu had heard their quarrel in the hall, and said with a smile: "Yes, I have no way to train, why don't I send it to the Grand Master's residence to train me for me!"
The speaker had no intention of listening, but Tian Yunpo was dreaming, Yu Fu raised his head and looked at him, "Why, do you really want my slaves?"
"no no."
Tian Yunpo covered his mouth with a dry cough, and only then did he talk about serious business, "The shipbuilding workshop of the Ministry of Industry has built a huge ship this time, and the whole department has contributed a lot. Seeing that the old minister of the Ministry of Industry is exhausted, I thought it would be better to let them go." Let them have a good rest for a few days off, and the Ministry of Industry will not be needed for the time being."
Yu Fu waved his hand generously, "Sure. I originally intended that, but too many things were left out, thank you for thinking about it. By the way, how is the progress of the Ministry of Household and Ministry of War to provide compensation to the families of soldiers who died in battle?"
"Seven to eight out of ten. The rest are only people whose identities are temporarily difficult to identify. Also, a large part of the soldiers who died this time were refugees from Dongling. They were either separated from their families, or their families It has been massacred by the insurgents of the year, and no one can find the silver taels of pensions."
Yu Fu nodded, "Let me think about this issue, and we'll talk about it tomorrow morning."
…
In the early morning of the next day, outside the Golden Palace, it was snowing all over the sky, and the incense burner in the palace was warm.
Yu Fugao sat on the head and came from the Palace of Longevity in a sedan chair, but he was not used to the warmth in the palace, so he simply took off his cloak.
She arranged today's important political affairs on the imperial case one by one, and picked up the top memorial, "Yesterday, the grand master said that there are some unidentified soldiers, and those who have lost their family members, who cannot issue the court's pension." I thought about it, the cemetery built in the outskirts of Beijing was originally used for the soldiers who died in battle to be buried in the ground, and those soldiers who could not find their families should be buried here, and the money from the pensions will go to the national treasury."
Minister of the Ministry of War said: "Your Majesty, what if the family members of these people are found again?"
Yu Fu said: "Of course the compensation money will be paid. If their families want to bury their bodies, they can leave them in the cemetery if they don't want to. By the way, on the first day of this year, the family temple and ancestors will be sacrificed. I will go to the mausoleum with me to pay homage to these fallen soldiers. Without them, there would be no peace now."
Naturally, the ministers couldn't refuse. As a ruler, she had to go there in person, let alone their ministers
The Minister of Rites said: "Your Majesty, speaking of this, there are only five days left until New Year's Eve. This year's New Year's Eve palace banquet, I don't know..."
Yu Fu said: "The national treasury is empty, not to mention the death and injury of so many soldiers, it is the time when the whole country mourns. This year not only the New Year's Eve palace banquet will be simplified, but also the layout of the palace and the streets and alleys of the capital. There is no need to set off fireworks. , I heard the sound of artillery."
As soon as this remark came out, all the ministers couldn't help but sigh.
The Minister of Rites said: "Yes, I will give you an order, and everything will be done according to Your Majesty's wishes."
He just stepped back when Xue Rou, Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, stood up again, "Your Majesty, spring will soon begin after the Chinese New Year. I don't know how to collect taxes in the new year. What is your Majesty's decision?"
It was only then that Yu Fu remembered that the quickest solution to the emptiness of the national treasury was to make a fuss about taxes.
Taxes have always been adjusted in times of state-owned disasters, no wonder Xue Rou raised this issue.
She said: "In the previous war between Xikun and Dongling, the national treasury was full, and the tax was not adjusted. This time the war with Sangyi has shaken the foundation of the country. What do you think about the taxation?"
A stone stirred up thousands of waves, and as soon as she finished speaking, an argument broke out underneath.
"Returning to Your Majesty, I think that Your Majesty has always loved the people like a son, and that increasing the taxation of the people is not beneficial to the people's livelihood, and it is better to keep it normal."
"Lord Liu's words are wrong! If the national treasury is empty, the country will be uneasy, and if the country is uneasy, the people will be uneasy. If taxes are not increased, how will this vacancy be filled?"
"Throughout the ages, only tyrants have paid heavy taxes. Your Majesty is a wise king. How can this be done?"
Yu Fu rubbed his ears, stood up while supporting the edge of the imperial case, supported his waist with the other hand, and started to walk slowly.
It was suddenly quiet down here.
Yu Fu raised her head and saw that the officials were no longer discussing but just staring at her blankly, she couldn't help but said: "I'm listening, you lovers, please continue talking. I just feel that my back is sore and it's okay to walk around."
What surprised all the ministers was not that she got up and walked around, but that she came out from behind the court case, her swollen abdomen had clear lines, clearly she looked like she was six or seven months pregnant.
This... how is this possible
Didn't the child be abandoned by Yu Jia before her conquest
After autumn, she always wore heavy clothes, and today the charcoal fire in the hall was warming up, so everyone discovered this problem.
Even Tian Yunpo looked at her in surprise, "Your Majesty, could it be that the dragon fetus is still there?"
Yufu walked around thinking about the issue of taxation, and only realized after hearing what Tian Yunpo said, it turned out that the officials were surprised by the fetus in her womb.
She rubbed her upper abdomen with one hand, and nodded gently, "Before the expedition, I was in poor health, and I planned to give up. But after thinking about it, I will talk about it when my body is really unable to support it. I don't want to go to Taicheng. After going to Taicheng, I can still be stable." Wait, this kid is probably very talented, since he can keep him, I have no intention of abandoning him."
All the ministers were overjoyed when they heard the words, and they forgot all about taxation. There is nothing more exciting than the dragon fetus.
She walked around the imperial case, looked at the minister below with joy on her face, and hurriedly said: "Okay, let's continue talking about taxes."
There was a moment of silence below, and after the minister who had been talking loudly just now was interrupted, he couldn't remember what he was going to say just now.
Seeing this, Yu Fu said, "I thought that the tax should be increased."
Some ministers who opposed heavy taxes wanted to say something, but Yu Fu continued: "But it's not an unconditional increase. In the end, it's to fill the treasury. The war has caused too much consumption, and the common people should understand. If the court promises to increase the tax by four After three years, on the basis of the 40% reduction, the tax will be reduced by 20%. Does this make it easier for people to accept?"
All the ministers felt quite reasonable when they heard the words.
Some people are also worried, "Your Majesty, if the treasury is still insufficient in three years' time, reducing taxes will make the treasury as poor as it is now?"
Yu Fu looked at Xue Rou, who stepped forward and said: "Your Majesty, according to my observation of the household records, three years is enough for Bei Li to recuperate and the treasury will gradually fill up. After three years, the tax will be reduced, and there won't be too much trouble." big impact."
All the ministers were overwhelmed when they heard the words, Yu Fu nodded, "Okay, then according to this meaning, the Imperial Academy drafted a decree to see. As for the specific increase or decrease, the Ministry of Households will report to me after discussion. The only important thing is One point, the people must not be unable to pay taxes for these three years, otherwise it will be meaningless to them to talk about what will happen after three years."
Xue Rou cupped her hands and said: "Yes, please rest assured, Your Majesty. Your Majesty has been lightly paying taxes for the past few years since he became the throne. The people of Beili are already rich, and they will never fail to pay the taxes for these three years."
"That's good."
…
The news of the early court spread quickly, and the members of the Gu family were very surprised when they heard the news.
They set off together with Yufu, but they didn't even notice that the fetus in Yufu's womb was still there. It turned out that she hadn't abandoned this child!
"Taicheng is too cold, Yufu is wrapped up like rice dumplings every time he goes out, how can we tell?"
When Gu Jiuge defended in this way, Yin Jizhen gave him a light hammer, "You men are just careless. I'm afraid you're all focused on fighting, so how can you care about Yufu's stomach? If I were there, You must be able to see it!"
Gu Jiuge smiled apologetically, "Since I married my wife, I have been focusing on her. How can I pay attention to other women? Even if it is Yufu, I can't take a closer look."
This flattery was well done, knowing that it was flattery, Yin Jiqian still laughed.
Gu Hanmo said: "I led the Yulin Army to protect Yujia, but I was close to Yufu, but I didn't pay attention to her stomach... No wonder Tianshu boiled medicine for Yufu every day in Taicheng, and the taste of the medicine was different two or three times a day. It's a pity I don’t understand pharmacology, otherwise I would know it’s an anti-tocopherol.”
Gu Yi also said: "Yeah, Yu Fu's hair was cut a lot shorter, and the hair was full of blood. Presumably because she was pregnant with a child, she was worried that her hair had absorbed too much blood, so she cut it short for the child's sake, right? I just said, how can Yufu cut her hair if she is in good shape? Whether it is Dongling or Beili, women can't cut their hair easily!"
"OK OK."
Su Yunyan came up from behind with a big belly, "What's the use of you talking about it now, why did you go earlier? Second sister-in-law is right, you men are just careless, if we had known about it earlier."
Gu Yi was about to defend himself and his elder brother, when he suddenly saw Gu Huaijiang walking out in a hurry, and Qi Zhou followed behind him step by step.
He hurriedly went out and called Qi Zhou, "Where is father going in such a hurry?"
"Where else can I go?"
Qi Zhou bowed his hands to the sky, "Naturally, I went to the palace to see His Majesty!"