The spacious and magnificent imperial city had at least tens of thousands of people inside, but outside the Jinxiang Palace it was very empty and even somewhat silent; people did not dare to walk around here casually. The sound of drums coming from the Xuande Gate echoed in the city, making it seem even emptier.
The sun was setting in the west, it was afternoon, and the sound of the drum at this time meant a big event: the emperor was returning from his western tour to the palace.
Fu Jinzhan from the West Hall stood behind the curtain, looking outside from time to time, but she just paced in place and had no intention of going out. From behind, she was raising her hand to touch her hair, and the bright window made her figure a dark shadow; the soft outer robe was a little translucent, and the completely opaque body lines became a very clear outline. Several maids looked from the side and back, and they could also see the obvious plump and round outline of her upper body. The two maids looked at each other at the same time, as if they wanted to say: What a beautiful figure.
Fu Jinzhan would not show too much affection to Guo Shao, especially in the Jinxiang Palace. She had not seen him for several months, and there was no private conversation between them. She still wanted to see Guo Shao. Now that Guo Shao had returned to the palace, she was close to him but could not see him, and she might have to wait for several days. He should first consider the overall situation and decide who to favor first.
Thinking that Guo Shao was about to make out with another woman right under her nose, and that he had brought back a Tangut beauty while Fu Jinzhan herself could not even see her, she suddenly became angry.
She was very upset, but she wouldn't show it because of her personality.
Then she sighed helplessly, thinking: It's all because of my guilty conscience that I feel uncomfortable. Even if I go over there openly, what's wrong with using the excuse of handing over state affairs
But Fu Jinzhan would not do that, because her heart was more delicate and intelligent than that of ordinary women: she never took the initiative to fight for men, nor did she take the initiative to ask for anything, at least she would not show it.
She paced slowly for a few more steps, her eyes cast towards a fish tank quietly placed on a table. Her eyes were a little dazed and absent-minded. A breeze blew in from the window, causing ripples on the surface of the fish tank, and the tranquility was broken.
At this moment, a voice suddenly startled her: His Majesty has arrived
Fu Jinzhan looked surprised, then laughed softly, and quickly put her jade hand to her lips, and those subtle emotions seemed to be exhaled from her mouth. Her cheeks suddenly flushed, and she stopped smiling, pretending to be calm.
After a while, Guo Shao came in. He saluted and said: There has been a war in the south recently and the government affairs are numerous. I have hurried here to ask Queen Duanci about state affairs.
Fu Jinzhan saw him behind the curtain, looking very serious, as if what he said was true. She didn't know what was so funny, and she almost laughed out loud.
Fu Jinzhan said dignifiedly: Your Majesty, please go to the study to discuss matters.
After saying that, he left.
The two of them sat down beside a table at the top of the study, and at first they asked the maids to stay beside them, and they slowly talked about some polite questions. However, they were looking at each other intentionally or unintentionally.
Guo Shao's facial lines are not very angular and he is very ordinary, his skin is also relatively rough, but once you get used to him, you will find him pleasing to the eye. He is tall, strong, friendly and reliable. He is the kind of person who does not look outstanding at first glance, but the more Fu Jinzhan looks at him, the more comfortable she feels, because there is nothing particularly bad about him that would offend people.
The key point is that although this man looks strong and is a warrior, he has a very considerate heart. For example, why did he come to see me at the right time today
Fu Jinzhan's expression was calm, but the look in her eyes showed joy and fascination.
When the two talked about something slightly related to national policy, Fu Jinzhan took the opportunity to dismiss the attendants. A group of attendants left the study and walked to a place where they could not hear their conversation, but the door was still wide open.
As soon as people left, the two fell silent.
Fu Jinzhan finally asked: "Your Majesty, why did you come here to see me first today?" Her tone was very casual, as if she was talking about something insignificant.
Guo Shao answered the question irrelevantly: That Dangxiang princess was a pure marriage of alliance, and I had a lot of trouble to keep her.
Fu Jinzhan smiled and said: My second sister doesn’t care, so I won’t care who you want to enthrone.
Guo Shao observed her face and said: I still need to explain.
Fu Jinzhan did not comment, but in her heart she really wanted Guo Shao to belong to her and her heart was with her, even though the emperor could have many concubines according to the etiquette.
Guo Shao added: We won't be able to keep talking in secret for long. Everything is ready. I will launch another Northern Expedition early next year.
Fu Jinzhan hurriedly advised: "Shao Ge'er, don't be too anxious. Besides, even if we take over Youzhou, can we follow the etiquette system?"
Guo Shao said in a deep voice: Of course.
Fu Jinzhan looked into his eyes with a smile and said nothing.
Guo Shao looked up and said calmly: We can take back the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, so why do we still need to use the name of the Great Zhou
Fu Jinzhan was stunned
She hadn't thought about this, and after a while of thinking, Guo Shao seemed to be right. After he ascended the throne for a few years, his prestige and position were stable. Who would be too fiercely opposed to the Fu family and some nobles? They had already consolidated their status in the dynasty, and the name of the country had nothing to do with them. The civil and military officials who gradually gained real power in the dynasty, after a few years of bribery and adaptation, would not resist fiercely. In addition, with enough achievements and prestige, there were few people who were willing to stand up and oppose this.
If the Great Zhou Dynasty fell, it would be unethical for the emperor of the new dynasty to marry the empress of the previous dynasty. If Taizu did not approve of starting a new dynasty, it would be equivalent to two families.
Guo Shao said softly: In this world, as long as you are strong enough, there are few things that cannot be done. It's just a matter of whether you are willing to think of a way.
Fu Jinzhan said in a trembling voice: Shao Ge'er, I am already this age, but a woman. Why do you have to do such a big thing for me? In fact, you don't have to marry me.
Guo Shao did not answer.
Fu Jinzhan's heart was beating fast and hard. She could hear her own heartbeat, like the ripples on the calm lake. She said softly in a soothing voice: There are so many people in the world. It's not difficult to find someone younger and prettier than me.
Guo Shao sighed, and murmured in a voice as if he was confessing: I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been through so much, but I’ve felt like I’ve grown old lately; the things I wanted so much before, I no longer have any interest in them.
Fu Jinzhan smiled and spoke with a slightly coquettish tone: I don’t believe it. The First Emperor was much older than you when he unified the world, but he still built the Afang Palace and collected so many beauties.
Guo Shao said: Even if they look like celestial beings, they are still good. Why should I share everything with them
Fu Jinzhan said calmly: If you love me, I will agree.
Guo Shao stretched out his hand and made a meaningless gesture, then pondered: The problem is, it is not easy for us to get to this point, and the person who is willing to risk his life to help me is not someone else. Well, I can't explain it clearly, but that's what I mean.
He went on to say: Anyway, life and death are determined by fate. If one day I were to let go and be willing to leave everything I have to someone else, that person would definitely be Jinzhan.
Fu Jinzhan immediately frowned and said: "You have a son, so what use is it for a woman like me to take over the throne?"
Guo Shao said again: Please wait a little longer, I don’t believe that we can’t take Youzhou.
Fu Jinzhan didn't say anything, she was a little absent-minded. She felt that she and Guo Shao had completely broken away from the relationship between men and women, even if they were husband and wife; they were a bit like relatives, but relatives like fathers and brothers were not so close.
Perhaps, he had gone too far. She had been hinting to Guo Shao that she was the only one in the world who was the best and most sincere to him. Over time, Guo Shao had already reached the point of superstition.
Thinking of this, Fu Jinzhan rolled her eyes at him and said: "You must not let these words be heard by the ministers, otherwise people will think that you are unreliable and that you are too likely to let personal interests interfere with public interests."
Guo Shao smiled and said: Therefore, the most stable and reliable power cannot be decided by one person. It needs the decision of many people to avoid extremes.
Fu Jinzhan was thoughtful after listening to this. Sometimes she also felt that Guo Shao was a strange person and some of the things he said were very weird, but when she thought about it, they seemed to make sense.
She added: "I still want to advise you that national affairs are not a joke after all, and don't be too influenced by personal feelings. This year we found the best opportunity to take the enemy by surprise. Even if we tried our best, we couldn't conquer Youzhou. It's only been a year, will there be much difference?"
When Guo Shao heard this, a hint of sadness appeared on his face.
Anyway, the risk is getting bigger and bigger. The current expenditure has far exceeded the fiscal revenue. Conquering countries like Southern Han can still plunder some resources to compensate for military expenses; but another northern expedition is economically unprofitable.
If we go north again, the scale of the war will probably increase to more than 500,000 people, and the time will probably be longer. The cost will be astronomical.
If the war is not won and the national treasury is emptied and taxation is increased, no one can predict what the consequences will be.
In addition to resource consumption, there is also the issue of combat effectiveness of soldiers. Cao Bin's rural army camp must be fair in rewarding merits this time, so as to at least gain the trust of the soldiers, so the examination of merits and demerits must be careful and cautious. Guo Shao has not learned modern management, but he understands that organizational management is a very important part. He can only rely on the most ancient method: clear rewards and punishments.
At this time, the rear had been stabilized and the conditions for the Northern Expedition were becoming more and more mature. However, Guo Shao felt that the pressure was increasing. He thought about various things and his face showed fatigue.
Shao Ge'er. A gentle voice brought him back to his senses.
Hmm, he looked up at Fu Jinzhan. Her gaze was like a warm little hand caressing his face, making him feel very comfortable and close. She whispered: Seeing you like this, my heart aches.
Guo Shao said nothing, thinking: Fu Jinzhan is still the best and most sincere to me.