The mountains in the Xifengkou area are steep but not very high. They look similar to the mountain where the Hongfu Temple in the capital is located, so Huayang is really confident that he can climb up by himself.
I had a good night's sleep and was woken up by Chao Yun and Chao Yue in the morning. It was still dark outside.
Chao Yun said: "The Prince Consort is already waiting outside."
Huayang thought that Chen Jingzong did not like romance, but had a special liking for sunrise.
After a quick wash, Huayang changed into a tea-white riding suit, combed his long hair into a men's bun, and wore a white jade crown.
Chao Yun looked at her eldest princess with great pleasure: "With you here, no man dares to say that he is romantic and suave."
Although Chaoyue did not flatter, the look in her eyes when she looked at the eldest princess was full of pride.
Huayang was both pleased and amused: "You should lower your standards, otherwise how can I choose a husband for you?"
Chao Yun immediately said, "Whoever wants to marry can marry, I will follow you for the rest of my life."
What's so good about getting married? The real comfort is to stay with the eldest princess for the rest of your life, with good food and drink, and you don't have to endure anyone's anger.
Chaoyue thought so too and went to serve breakfast.
She lifted the curtain and walked out of the tent. Chen Jingzong came in and saw the princess dressed like this. His eyes almost instinctively swept over her. Finally, he said, "You still need a cloak. It's windy up there."
Chao Yun smiled and said, "The Prince Consort is still very careful."
Chen Jingzong looked at Huayang.
Huayang sat down in front of the low table and was about to pour herself a bowl of warm water when a slender hand reached out and did it for her.
After pouring the cup 70% full, the man said in a serious yet unserious tone, "Princess, please have some."
Huayang finally glared at him.
After breakfast, the two set off.
The military camp was stationed on a flat ground under the Great Wall. A short distance to the north was the entrance to the Great Wall, which was guarded by guards who verified the identities of the princess and her husband and respectfully let them pass.
The road is relatively flat at the beginning, but going up it becomes long stone steps, which are very steep and incomparable to the mountain road near Hongfu Temple.
Chen Jingzong was worried that Huayang might fall accidentally, so he held her hand.
Even so, Huayang's calves were so sore when he climbed to the first beacon tower.
Chen Jingzong looked up and pointed to the highest Zhenyuan Tower and said, "There are still five beacon towers to climb."
Huayang pursed his lips.
Chen Jingzong smiled and stepped back two steps, then turned around and showed her his back.
Emperor Yuanyou is going to climb the Great Wall today. There are two soldiers standing at regular intervals on the wall. They are all guards from the capital.
Although these soldiers were facing the Great Wall with their backs to them, Huayang still didn't want them to see this scene.
"I can still walk," she refused.
Chen Jingzong: "The troops in the exercise are all down there, and it's dark, so they can't see you or me."
Huayang went straight up.
Chen Jingzong had no choice but to follow her, holding her arm with one hand and supporting her back with the other to help her save some energy.
When Huayang was too tired to walk, the two of them rested for a while. Because it was hot, Huayang had already thrown the cloak to Chen Jingzong.
We climbed one beacon tower after another. The fewer beacon towers we climbed, the closer we climbed. The goal was in sight, and it was easier to persist.
But the further it went on, the more Huayang seemed to be leaning on Chen Jingzong, as he was half hugged and half lifted up.
Finally, they reached the Zhenyuan Tower. The guards in the tower left voluntarily. Chen Jingzong held Huayang and came to the east exit. He leaned against the wall, and Huayang leaned against him, panting. In the distance, a red sun was slowly rising from the ground. The morning glow was soft and gorgeous, illuminating the mountains and rivers inside and outside the Great Wall, and also illuminating the winding Wolong Great Wall that stretched to an endless length.
Huayang's heartbeat, like a drum, gradually calmed down, but another kind of pride arose.
Chen Jingzong looked at her rosy face and used his sleeve to wipe away the sweat from her forehead and nose.
There were guards below. Huayang glared at him, then turned and walked into the building.
There was no one here, but Chen Jingzong was not satisfied with just wiping her sweat. He pushed her against the extremely solid city wall that might stand here for a thousand years, and kissed her from the tip of her eyebrows to her collar, and finally to her soft lips.
A quarter of an hour later, the two returned to the Great Wall outside.
The north of the city was a wasteland, not the green grassland that Huayang had imagined.
Chen Jingzong pointed to the distance and said, "In the past, the area within a thousand miles outside was your territory, including the northeastern region currently occupied by the Later Jin, which is also the territory of our dynasty."
Huayang knew his own territory better than he did, and he knew better how these territories outside the Great Wall that were conquered by their ancestors were lost step by step.
She supported herself on the city wall with both hands, and Chen Jingzong suddenly covered her left hand.
Huayang looked over here.
Chen Jingzong looked into the distance and said to her, "When I become an old man, I may have helped your family take back all the territory outside."
The morning light illuminated his young and handsome face, and the autumn wind from the north whistled, as if mocking the young man's arrogance.
In Huayang's eyes, he was not as convincing as General Qin, but General Qin was already in his fifties and was about to get old, while Chen Jingzong was still very young, and being young meant there were endless possibilities.
Feeling the warmth of his palm, Hua Yang said, "If that day comes, even if you get darker than the soil below, I won't despise you."
.
Huayang was very interested in the construction of the city wall and started chatting with a soldier on it.
The sunlight gradually became warmer, and Emperor Yuanyou and his entourage finally began to climb below. Huayang looked at his brother who was wearing a bright yellow dragon robe from time to time.
Emperor Yuanyou has been practicing martial arts in recent years. The 15-year-old emperor is tall and has long legs, so he doesn't look tired. He even has enough strength to support Elder Chen beside him.
Chen Jingzong suddenly leaned close to Huayang's ear and said, "Look, what's so good about being a civil servant?"
Hua Yang glanced at him and said, "Go downstairs and answer it."
Chen Jingzong: "Who to pick up?"
Huayang: "It's up to you."
When Emperor Yuanyou and others arrived at the first beacon tower to take a short rest, Chen Jingzong had already arrived and saluted Emperor Yuanyou first.
Emperor Yuanyou laughed and asked, "Why did you come down?"
Chen Jingzong: "The princess is kind-hearted and worried that the elders would not be able to climb, so she ordered me to come and help them."
Emperor Yuanyou looked at Chen Tingjian with a smile. If Chen Jingzong said at this time that he was here to welcome him, Emperor Yuanyou would be unhappy.
Chen Tingjian looked at his son unhappily. He really owed this kid in his previous life. He didn't even get a single nice word from him.
Who would have thought that after Chen Jingzong stood up, he actually came to the side of Lu Gelao, the oldest person in the cabinet, and said, "When you climb up later, you don't have to be polite to the younger generation."
Mr. Lu: …
Chen Tingjian: …
He Qingxian suddenly laughed out loud, and Emperor Yuanyou shook his head helplessly.
Everyone continued to set off. Chen Jingzong really stayed beside Lu Ge Lao, taking care of him as he had done with Hua Yang. It was not until he saw Emperor Yuan You trying to help his old man that Chen Jingzong reluctantly walked over and said, "Your Majesty, please don't get tired. Let me do it."
Emperor Yuanyou wanted to ease the relationship between the father and son, so he let go of their hold.
Chen Tingjian glanced at the fourth brother who had grown taller than him, pursed his lips and said nothing.
Considering Chen Tingjian's age, he still had enough strength to climb the first two beacon towers, but the following sections were steeper than the last. Not only Chen Tingjian, but the other three cabinet ministers were also supported by the military officers who were traveling with them. Only He Qingxian kept his back straight, and although he was also panting, he always followed Emperor Yuanyou.
Emperor Yuanyou praised: "Mr. He is in good health, not inferior to young people."
He Qingxian smiled and said, "Your Majesty is surrounded by old scholars like Chen Ge Lao, so he finds it strange. In fact, those old men and women who have been farming all year round can climb such mountains faster than me, but they use all their energy to take care of the crops and rarely have the leisure to climb high and look far."
Old scholar Chen Tingjian:…
Chen Jingzong looked at the old man who had been polite to him at first but now had half of his body weight on him, and agreed, "Indeed, my grandmother was stronger than the Prime Minister when she was over fifty."
Chen Tingjian was angry and hurt. His eyes were red when he thought about his mother whom he didn't even get to see for the last time. However, because he walked to the front, only a few people including Emperor Yuanyou saw him.
Emperor Yuanyou winked at Chen Jingzong. It was okay to be angry occasionally, but what if he got really angry and something bad happened
Chen Jingzong stopped talking.
As soon as he entered Zhenyuan Tower, Chen Tingjian immediately shook off his son's hand and stood next to Emperor Yuanyou.
The faces of several ministers were flushed with fatigue. Huayang was surprised and praised when he saw that his brother was in good spirits.
Emperor Yuanyou smiled and asked, "Sister, did you catch the sunrise this morning?"
Huayang: "Well, it's magnificent and gorgeous. Your Majesty and the other ministers can try it some other day."
He Qingxian looked at Chen Tingjian teasingly: "If Lord Chen is interested, I will definitely accompany you."
Chen Tingjian pretended not to hear.
Emperor Yuanyou called Qin Yuantang to his side and continued to inquire about the construction of the Great Wall. Qin Yuantang answered fluently and introduced to everyone what barrier walls, supporting walls, horse-blocking walls, etc. were.
When the agreed time for the exercise came, everyone stopped talking, and Qin Yuantang asked Emperor Yuanyou to light the wolf smoke himself as a signal.
The north wind blew up the smoke of war, and the "enemy troops" outside the city, pretending to be foreigners, rode their war horses into the city gate below with great momentum.
Drums and trumpets sounded in the city at once, and the "defenders" were divided into several teams. One team quickly climbed up the city wall to defend as if walking on flat ground, one team rushed to the city gate to meet the enemy, one team ambushed and supported, and more troops held their positions.
The enemy cavalry charged forward, but soon encountered the chariot camp of the defenders. The chariots lined up in a row were like a moving city wall. Wherever the chariot camp passed, the cavalry fled in panic, while the defenders' infantry quickly pursued them under the cover of the chariot camp.
Although it was an exercise, the border troops of Jizhen seemed to be really on the battlefield. The enemy tried their best and the defenders also fought bravely.
Emperor Yuanyou was so overwhelmed with emotion that he held on to the city wall in front of him with both hands.
Suddenly, Qi Jin's voice complimenting Qin Yuantang came from behind: "I have long heard that the Qin family army has strict military discipline and is brave and good at fighting. After seeing it today, it is indeed well-deserved."
Even though the two armies were fighting fiercely below, Qi Jin's voice still spread over a distance, at least Huayang, who was standing on the left side of Emperor Yuanyou, heard it.
She continued to look down calmly, and saw out of the corner of her eye that her brother was looking straight ahead, but the corners of his lips were slightly pursed.
Behind him, Qin Yuantang immediately responded: "What Qin family, Li family? I am only serving the emperor, and these 100,000 soldiers are also soldiers of the court."
Qi Jin realized that he had said something wrong and apologized.
However, the appearance of the "Qin Army" somewhat solidified the atmosphere around them.
Hua Yang suddenly pointed in a direction and asked, "Who is that young general in silver armor?"
Emperor Yuanyou followed his sister's gaze and saw the silver-armored general riding a warhorse out of the city gate and fighting with his spear among the fleeing "enemy troops". Four or five enemy soldiers surrounded him, but they were all shot out of their weapons by him. He looked very heroic.
It would be fine if he was just an excellent marksman, but he was also handsome. No wonder he attracted my sister's attention.
Emperor Yuanyou: "That is General Qin's eldest son, Qin Ji."
Huayang was surprised and said, "It turned out to be him."
Emperor Yuanyou: "Sister, have you heard of his reputation?"
Huayang: "When we first arrived, wasn't the Prince Consort injured by him? There was a long blood clot on his back. I was a little angry at the time. Today, after witnessing the might of Young Master Qin with my own eyes, I feel that the Prince Consort's defeat was not unfair."
Emperor Yuanyou clarified on behalf of his brother-in-law: "The prince consort did not lose, the two fought in a tie."
Hua Yang: "But he was injured like that, it's obvious that he's not as skilled as others."
As she spoke, she continued to follow Qin Ji closely.
Emperor Yuanyou: …
He looked at the prince consort with sympathy.
Chen Jingzong's face turned pale, but all the fierceness in his eyes was directed at Qin Ji below.
(End of this chapter)