The disaster in Dengzhou attracted the attention of the entire court and even the people of the world. His Majesty made the worst-case plan based on the prediction of the Imperial Astrologer and issued one decree after another. In addition, the two princes Xiao Changyan and Xiao Changgeng went to Dengzhou in person and stayed in Dengzhou to stand with the people, which played a great calming role and the chaos was quelled.
After the people's grievances were settled, at the instruction of His Majesty, word spread in Dengzhou that it would take until August for rain to fall. This made the people of Dengzhou and those suffering from the drought very desperate, but there was nothing they could do despite their despair.
With a series of relief measures from the imperial court, the people who could barely make ends meet gradually accepted the reality and began to feel hopeful. They were looking forward to the early arrival of rain in August.
Although he was concerned about Dengzhou, he could not let it delay other important matters, such as the "small court meeting" every four years.
The "small court meeting" was a joke, but in reality it was a meeting to summon the local vassal states to the capital to see the emperor. The meeting was to report the military and border situations in the local areas. This dynasty was a rare example of attaching equal importance to civil and military affairs. Every year during the Spring Festival, there was a big court meeting, and all nations came to pay tribute. Since the commanders of the border areas could not be easily transferred away, the small court meeting was held every four years, and the local states did not come to the capital together, but took turns to come each time.
Basically, there are several circuits, with the exceptions of Longyou Circuit and Hebei Circuit. Longyou Circuit covers the entire Northwest, and Hebei Circuit covers the entire Northeast, so there are basically many generals in each circuit of these two places. This year, it happened to be the turn of the commanders of all parties in Hebei Circuit to receive the imperial edict and enter Beijing.
The Northwest and Northeast, the two most vast lands, have equally complex folk customs. At one time, the Han children in the two places were less numerous than the children of other races. The difference is that the Northwest has been ruled by the Shen family for decades and has become an ironclad entity, which has become a thorn in the side of Your Majesty.
The Northeast originally belonged to Xiao Changfeng's father. After the old King Xun pacified and unified the country, he chose to retreat while the world was at its peak and handed the Northeast over to your Majesty to govern.
The art of ruling lies in checks and balances.
There were more than ten military governorates and protectorates in Hebei Province alone, the most powerful of which were the Shiwei Military Governorate, the Heishui Military Governorate, the Shanyu Protectorate and the Andong Protectorate.
The power structure here is the most complicated in the entire court, with countless intrigues going on in secret. As long as it doesn't come to the surface, Your Majesty never intervenes to stop it. Compared to the Northeast, a place of bloodshed, Your Majesty obviously doesn't like the Northwest, which is becoming increasingly prosperous and stable.
The two governors and the two protectors-general did not go to the capital alone, but brought with them the younger generation that they valued most, their unmarried children of marriageable age. As they lived far away from the imperial court, they naturally had to find ways to establish marriages in the capital.
Shen Xihe sent someone to arrange their accommodation, so he naturally knew their personnel situation very well.
"Your Majesty intends to marry the third wife of Governor You to Xiaojiu." That day, Xiao Huayong came back from the court meeting and saw Shen Xihe flipping through a travel book that recorded the customs of Hebei Province, so he said casually.
You Ling, the governor of Shiwei.
The Shiwei Military Governor's Office originated from the pacified Shiwei tribe, which was adjacent to the Khitan. It is said that their ancestors were also of Khitan blood. The Shiwei tribe was a place with many ethnic groups and tribes. The people were tougher than those in the northwest. Anyone who could sit firmly in the position of Shiwei Military Governor was by no means an ordinary person.
These people just arrived today, Shen Xihe has not met them yet, and she is not interested in them.