Early in the morning of August 5, dust and fog rose in the parade ground northeast of the inner city, and sand flew everywhere. It was called a parade ground, but it was just a large open space of compacted mud, and it was still slippery and muddy when it rained. There was a pasture for horse racing to the north, but at this time of year, the ground was covered with dead grass and looked very desolate.
Guo Shao was ordered to lead hundreds of cavalrymen to enter the parade ground from the southern camp gate and control the eastern fence. At the northeastern gate, Shi Yanchao led the elite cavalrymen from the east and west squads to arrive one after another. Guo Shao looked at the parade ground and saw a forest of soldiers and horses with iron armor and swords and spears, and the square formations were like artificially cultivated forests. He had seen such scenes many times. Generally, it was much better to look at it from the front. If you went to the back of the army, you would find many problems.
The treasury was not able to produce hundreds of thousands of sets of full-body mail armor. Even the imperial guards had less than one-third of the soldiers equipped with the armor allocated by the court, and some of the more affluent families provided their own. These well-dressed soldiers were always in the front during both inspections and battles, and were the most elite. Therefore, on the training ground and on the battlefield, they all looked like a piece of iron armor, which was very imposing. It was generally difficult to see clearly what was too far behind.
But almost every soldier of the Imperial Guards had some armor, because everyone had some military pay, and going into battle was a matter of life and death. Those who were not given armor would find ways to make some breastplates, helmets, and shoulder armor to protect their vital parts; other parts of the body would also have simple hard leather armor plates that did not look so good.
Zhang Yongde and other generals of the Palace Front had already arrived at the front, but Guo Shao's troops, as a guard, did not come forward to talk.
Zhang Yongde was surrounded by a group of heavy cavalry soldiers, wearing a bright red cape on his back, fluttering in the wind, very eye-catching, and several flags around him snapped in the wind. In the gaps between the phalanxes, many horse-riding generals ran out while shouting, gathered around Zhang Yongde, and reported military affairs.
This scene seemed familiar. Guo Shao remembered that a few years ago when he was still a junior general in the Xiaodi Army, the predecessor of this Iron Cavalry Army, he also saw Zhang Yongde's majestic and superior demeanor from afar. But now, Guo Shao was just watching him from the side, and he no longer felt awe.
Rumble, rumble, rumble. At this moment, another burst of dense horse hoof sounds rang out.
Guo Shao turned his head and saw a group of cavalrymen with brand new armor and weapons riding their horses in an orderly manner. Row after row of knights held their heads high and chests puffed out. The soldiers were covered in iron and their gorgeous cloaks were still blowing in the wind. They were the cavalrymen of the Inner Palace Guard. In terms of appearance, the Inner Palace Guards were the best dressed, the most orderly, and they were said to have good looks and family backgrounds. As expected, Guo Shao saw that the general leading the army seemed to be Du Chenggui.
After the cavalry passed by, they saw several large carts full of copper coins rushing in. The soldiers on the parade ground were shocked and started talking about it.
The imperial court is quite rich. Luo Mengzi muttered, I wonder if there is any share for us.
Later, a group of palace maids and eunuchs carrying palace guards came with a large sedan chair. The sedan chair was square and carried by more than a dozen people. It was very spacious and imposing. The palace people were wearing purple round-necked robes, but they were not walking around in skirts.
Zhang Yongde's generals all knelt on one knee in front of the sedan chair and bowed to greet him, but they didn't get up for a long time. Soon, the eunuch Cao Tai rode on his horse and ran towards Guo Shao, who quickly jumped off his horse. Cao Tai said: The Queen Mother has ordered General Guo to escort her.
I accept your order. Guo Shao clasped his fists in response, and called on the cavalrymen around him to deploy to the right side of the ceremonial guard, and ran forward together. When they arrived in front of the sedan chair, Guo Shao dismounted and walked forward, kneeling on one knee with the military officers present, and saluted loudly: I, Guo Shao, am here to see you by your order.
Stand up. The voice inside said at this time.
All the generals got up one after another, and many of them couldn't help but secretly glance at Guo Shao.
At this moment, the eunuch Yang Shiliang sang: "Let the sedan chair down." A dozen big men slowly and steadily lowered the sedan chair. The palace maids on both sides lifted the curtain in front of the sedan chair, and saw a person with his head down, walking out from inside. It was the Empress Dowager Fu Jinzhan.
Her image immediately startled everyone around her. Fu Jinzhan was wearing a gauze fu hat and a purple round-necked official robe. She looked very generous. After taking off her mourning clothes, she didn't even need to wear a veil to cover her. The emperor also often wore official uniforms, and everyone was used to it; it seemed okay for the empress dowager to dress like this now that she was the regent, but it looked very strange.
With a tall and dignified figure, delicate hair on both sides of the hat, and a noble and arrogant temperament, this generous hairstyle makes Fu Jinzhan look more heroic. She has a vague feeling of being full of ambition like a noble family, which immediately makes this vicissitudes of life in the training ground more lively and energetic.
But her skin was smooth and white, her eyes were beautiful, her lips were red, her teeth were white, and her appearance was dignified and decent. Her bright, curved eyes were smiling, and she was somewhat charming.
Everyone involuntarily bowed down and saluted her with respect and admiration, and the eunuchs hurriedly spread purple silk on the ground. Only then did Fu Jinzhan straighten her neck and calmly walked down from the sedan chair. Although she was wearing a robe made of dark material, she looked clean and flawless, even the soles of her shoes were spotless; she was the most powerful person in the Great Zhou Dynasty, so such a grand ceremony did not seem excessive to her at all.
While the eunuchs were kneeling on the ground and spreading the carpet, she walked to the yellow umbrella used by the emperor on the high platform and knelt down on the couch placed on it. She stood still in the wind facing the army of more than ten thousand people. The people around her were like green leaves, setting off her demeanor and temperament.
Fu Jinzhan was so outstanding that thousands of people looked at her sideways, leaving only the wind. People's attention was on her, even though she said nothing except "stand up." Even if she was not the queen mother, she would still be the focus of everyone's attention. She was beautiful, strong, domineering and unrestrained.
Eunuch Yang Shiliang bowed his head and stepped forward with his back bent. Fu Jinzhan glanced at him and said something softly.
At this time, Yang Shiliang stepped forward and said loudly: "The Queen Mother has decreed that all the generals of the Iron Cavalry Army and above should come forward to listen to the instructions."
A row of cavalrymen rode into the army formation and shouted again. Soon, many generals rode out and gathered in front of the ceremonial procession, a total of one or two hundred people. People dismounted and lined up in front.
Everyone was looking at the copper coins on the cart next to them and talking about it. Although the wind blew up the smoke, they were in a good mood. They had been rewarded before, and it was not bad these days. They didn't have to travel to fight and they got rewards. It was not a big deal to just stand here for a while to give face to the superior.
But soon the discussion suddenly stopped.
Fu Jinzhan waved her hand, and a man with handcuffs and leg shackles was brought out from a carriage. It was Zhao Pu. Many generals of the Iron Cavalry had seen this man, or at least he looked familiar. The situation seemed to be getting a little bad.
Everyone remained silent for a while. Guo Shao returned to the front of his personal cavalry and watched the show with interest.
Zhao Pu walked up to the stage with his ankle chains hanging down, and the sound of the chains dragging on the ground became more miserable. At this moment, an eunuch came forward and pulled out a yellow dress from his bundle, and suddenly shook it in front of him, and the brightly colored dragon robe suddenly appeared in the eyes of the generals and the army. Everyone was in an uproar.
The eunuch Zhao Pu asked sternly, "Is this thing seized from you?"
Zhao Pu nodded helplessly. The eunuch shouted: "Speak, Zhao Pu had to say: Yes, the things Zhao Kuangyin entrusted to me for safekeeping were unfortunately confiscated." The eunuch said again: "That day, Zhao Kuangyin failed and fled in a hurry. He was chased by soldiers. Was this thing confiscated in public?"
Yes. Zhao Pu's voice said.
Guo Shao looked carefully and saw that Zhang Yongde's face looked very ugly.
The eunuch on the stage said loudly: Zhao Kuangyin and others formed a clique for personal gain and cultivated their own followers. When they learned that the late emperor was seriously ill, they planned to rebel and usurp the throne early on. Is that true or not? Zhao Pu said again: Yes.
After the eunuch asked, he hung the dragon robe on a wooden frame and tied it with a rope because of the strong wind. For a moment, the robe fluttered in public like a flag. The two hundred generals and thousands of soldiers present stared at the thing in amazement.
A eunuch on horseback immediately rode to the front of the army. A tall and strong man from the row of cavalry that had passed by stretched his neck and loudly shouted out the simple and direct question and answer just now.
At this moment, Fu Jinzhan sneered, looked at the two hundred generals gathered under the stage, and said: Zhao Kuangyin was just a small general in Kaifeng Prefecture Ma Zhi before; the late emperor trusted him and promoted him to the commander of the palace for several years. The grace of recognition and trust is not small; the grace of the royal family to the Zhao family is not small.
Her voice was calm and composed, with a slow and pleasant rhythm. Everyone listened silently.
At this point, she raised her eyebrows and her face suddenly turned cold: "But how did Zhao Kuangyin and others repay the kindness of the late emperor? Now let the world see what Zhao Kuangyin and his party have done.
The common people know that a drop of kindness will be repaid with a spring, and sparrows will also repay their parents. Zhao Kuangyin's party has ulterior motives and repays kindness with enmity. If the late emperor knew about this, how sad he would be. Fu Jinzhan sighed, "I am very disappointed to learn about this."
After saying that, he glanced at Cao Tai.
Everyone present stood there in shock, watching the scene on the stage without a word. Cao Tai waved his hand, and a group of heavily armored cavalry rushed out from both sides, running behind him and blocking the backs of the generals. The generals suddenly became noisy and turned their heads to look at the surrounding scene. Du Chenggui led several rows of dismounted knights to line up and block in front of Fu Jinzhan's umbrella.
At this time, Cao Tai came forward with a roll of silk and unfolded it slightly, saying: "Those whose names are called out by the family, please stand up. Don't be afraid to take responsibility for what you have done.
Li Yaozu, Second Commander of the First Army of the Left Wing of the Iron Cavalry
The audience looked at each other in bewilderment. Cao Tai turned around and said: Please ask Zhang Jiandian to ask your subordinates to go up and identify the person.
Just as he finished speaking, a general was suddenly pushed aside, staggered out of the queue, and stood there in panic.