When Cao Bin met Zhang, they could not see clearly due to the curtain. As they asked each other questions about her well-being, Zhang's voice was choked with sobs.
At first, Cao Bin thought it was the joy and emotion of a long-lost family reunion. But then he thought again, although Concubine Zhang was his mother's sister, they had rarely met before, so there was really no deep family affection between them; she did not have the love and care of an elder, because Zhang was younger than Cao Bin.
Perhaps her sadness stems from the sadness of palace life. Even if one is well-dressed and well-fed, it is not easy to be happy in the deep palace.
Cao Bin felt sympathy, but it was useless. So he saved time to think about his own affairs and advised: The previous dynasty is gone, the current emperor has been very kind to our family, the queen treats the aunt well, the aunt must not let the queen down.
Meeting in Jinxiang Hall, there were spies everywhere, Cao Bin doubted that there was any secrecy in the conversation. So he spoke in a rather obscure way, hoping that Zhang could understand that since Zhang now had a place in the royal family and could see the emperor and empress, she should stop thinking about the past and focus more on the present and seize the opportunity now.
Cao Bin hoped that Zhang could find an opportunity to speak well of his nephew, especially in the selection of the Duke. This was a mutually supportive relationship. If Cao Bin had a position in the outer court, Zhang would also have more weight in the palace; conversely, if Zhang had good relations with Empress Fu and others in the palace, it would also promote Cao Bin's relationship with the royal family.
At this time, Zhang's voice was no longer choked, and her tone became very calm: "I am a person who knows how to repay kindness. I heard that my nephew is going to the south, and you should also do your best to serve the government. I have no children, and your son is like my own son. I hope you can make new achievements and bring glory to our family, so that I can be proud of my nephew in the palace."
When Cao Bin heard this, he breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that Zhang would understand if he just gently woke her up.
He also filially advised his aunt to take care of herself. After the two of them gave each other some advice, Cao Bin took his leave.
After leaving Daqing Gate, Cao Bin met the Privy Councilor Wang Pu at an intersection and hurriedly went up to greet him politely. Wang Pu bowed casually and said: All the qualified generals in the Imperial Guards have been conferred the title of Duke. Now the position of Duke of the Protectorate belongs to General Cao. As long as he returns to the capital from Jiaozhi, everything will fall into place.
Cao Bin did not expect Wang Pu to be so direct. He was a little caught off guard and hurriedly said modestly: General Xiang, the commander of the Zhen'an Army, is both loyal and brave, and his seniority is older than mine.
Wang Pu sneered and said: Wang Pu has a good relationship with Xiang Gong, and he wants to help Xiang Gong; General Cao also seems to have come to prominence because of Xiang Gong's recommendation, and you seem to be quite grateful when you say that.
Cao Bin said: During the battle to attack Shu, I followed General Xiang Jie to attack the north, and I was appreciated by General Xiang Jie during the battle to break Jianmen, so I recommended him to the emperor.
Wang Pu said indifferently: However, the emperor and the court have always valued real military merits and achievements. Xiang Gong does not have many great achievements to show for himself. If the emperor only relies on old friendship, it will be difficult to convince the people.
After hearing this, Cao Bin said: General Yang, the commander of the Hedong Army, is brave and resourceful. He has guarded the border for the country for many years. Not long ago, he lured the Liao army into Yanmen and won a great victory, which greatly weakened the national strength of the Liao Kingdom and made extraordinary achievements.
Wang Pu said bluntly: Yang Ye was a surrendered general, and he was the main contributor to the siege of Yanmen, but the credit cannot be attributed to him alone. Moreover, Yang Ye's military achievements were slightly inferior to Cao Marshal's great achievements in presiding over the military system of the Wei army and destroying Jiaozhi of the Southern Han.
In addition to Yang Ye, Dong Zunhui also made great contributions in the siege of Yanmen; Dong Zunhui also made extraordinary contributions during the Northern Expedition to Youyun. However, Cao Bin thought about it and decided not to mention Dong Zunhui, after all, he was too young, and his uncle Gao Huaide was a duke. If he became a duke again, it would seem too prominent and powerful.
Cao Bin immediately changed his words and said: Thank you, Envoy Wang, for your kind words.
Wang Pu waved his hands and said: "I am just telling the truth. General Cao is sure to win, as long as we can handle the Jiaozhi issue well."
After he said that, he added: I have to go back to the yamen to report for duty, General Cao, see you later.
Goodbye. Cao Bin bowed.
At Zhang Jiankui's home in Tokyo, Yu Liang came to the door and said: Congratulations!
Zhang Jiankui stroked his black beard and wondered: What is the matter with Deputy Commander Yu's congratulations
Yu Liang pulled Zhang Jiankui to the wall anxiously and mysteriously, and whispered: Commander Zhang was specifically appointed by Lord Cao Bin, and it is obvious that he appreciates and respects him. Lord Cao will definitely confer the title of Duke of the State this time, so how can he treat General Zhang badly
Zhang Jiankui laughed and said: You are just a deputy commander, you don't even know who the court wants to confer the title of Duke.
Yu Liangdao: Who else can take the position of the Duke of the Protectorate except Lord Cao
Zhang Jiankui pondered for a moment and said: Let's go inside and have a few drinks.
Yu Liang hurriedly clasped his fists and said: General Zhang has invited me, and I will respectfully obey your command.
The two entered the hall, ordered a few dishes, and talked while drinking. Yu Liang raised his head and finished a glass of wine, then bowed and said: I heard from my brothers who served in the Guangnan Guard that the southern barbarians in Jiaozhou are just a bunch of uncivilized savages. In the past, the Han army traveled by land, and the mountains were high and the forests were deep, which was a bit difficult; but this time Cao Gong attacked from the sea, and the Red River Basin in Jiaozhou is flat, what can the Jiaozhou soldiers do to resist the Daxu army
Zhang Jiankui nodded and said: That makes sense. Among our group of military generals, Deputy Commander Yu is considered a knowledgeable man, and his knowledge is not completely useless.
Yu Liang smiled and said, "You are so flattering. In my opinion, Lord Cao was sent to Jiaozhou to collect military merits. When he is made a Duke, he will be more popular."
Yu Liang picked up the wine pot and poured wine for Zhang Jiankui in a flattering manner: "General Zhang, when you go south this time, can you take me with you?"
Zhang Jiankui said: I am a general of the imperial army, and General Yu belongs to the guards. I am afraid it will be difficult to deal with this time.
Yu Liang said anxiously: "Lord Cao values General Zhang, and he wants General Zhang to go and build the fort. Anyway, he will be guarding the fort, and the guards can still be used." He thought for a while and said, "General Zhang is now in this position, and it is useless if there is no one around him to check for omissions and make up for shortcomings, remind him and give him advice."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Jiankui said: I will try my best to arrange it.
Yu Liang had a very pleasant conversation at Zhang Jiankui's house and did not leave until late in the evening.
When he left Zhang's house and led the horse past Hongying's residence, he suddenly heard someone speaking with a Hedong accent beside the carriage outside the door. He couldn't help but take a closer look at the carriage. Although the color was not very bright, the wood was of high quality. Yu Liang almost concluded that Yang Ye had come to Beijing and was staying at Hongying's residence.
Although Yu Liang and Hong Ying no longer have much contact, they once had a romance. Seeing this scene, he felt mixed emotions.
He had no choice but to leave the place quietly.
Night is falling, and the day is coming to an end. But for some palace ladies, this is just the beginning.
In the Wansui Hall, Guo Shao sat on a yellow rosewood couch with mixed feelings. Nearly a hundred women stood in front of him, all wearing very transparent clothes, and also waiting for the emperor's visit with mixed expressions.
A while ago, two officials successively submitted memorials, saying that they were concerned about the country and the people, and that the emperor should not favor one person over another, and that the royal family should have more princes to stabilize the country. They also suggested that the court should continue to use the Tang Dynasty system and increase the number of concubines.
Guo Shao did have only two princes, and he came from a small family with almost no royal family. In the face of the danger to the country, the emperor's personal feelings and preferences were obviously irrelevant. The two queens could not refute such a memorial, so they had to let the emperor choose 81 imperial wives. So there was the current situation.
Guo Shao is now going to temporarily select nine people from so many people to sleep with him tonight, and these nine people will be named among the eighty-one imperial wives.
He was a little dazzled. After the Five Dynasties, during the Daxu Dynasty, the customs and clothing of the people gradually became more reserved than in the Tang Dynasty. There were few people wearing such Luo skirts in the folk, but the palace was completely different from the folk. Especially in the current occasion, the palace people tried to expose more and be more seductive. Most of them wore open collar linings, and no one wore stand-up collars or cross-collared clothes. The outer dresses were mostly made of silk gauze.
Guo Shao watched and saw that the women in the row in front of him had blushing faces, looking embarrassed to be dressed like that in public, but they would steal glances at Guo Shao from time to time, their eyes full of anticipation.
As agreed before, Guo Shao could only choose nine people tonight. Seeing how they all looked very expectant, Guo Shao felt a little troubled. He habitually didn't want to see others disappointed.
Guo Shaogang sat here, and like the women, he felt a little embarrassed. But he quickly calmed down. How could the emperor act like he had never seen the world in front of others
He stood up and just as he walked down, a woman in front of him immediately knelt down and cried out: Your Majesty
Soon everyone followed suit and took the opportunity to salute, hoping to get Guo Shao's attention. When everyone was half-crouching, only one woman stood straight, blushing and looking at Guo Shao. If Guo Shao wanted to stand out, he had to be different. This person took a different approach and did the opposite.
People who know how to fight for what they want at least have independent personalities. They are not boring playthings, and they are also quite smart and well-behaved.
Guo Shao pointed at the two men and said: Come here, both of you.
The two of them blushed and said: Thank you, Your Majesty.
For a moment, some people looked at them quietly, casting contemptuous and disgusted eyes on them. They all held their breath, waiting for the remaining opportunity.
However, Guo Shao took a few steps and had roughly looked at everyone. Most of them hadn't reacted yet, so Guo Shao pointed at some people without stopping. Soon there were nine people.
At this time, the eunuch Wang Zhong came in and said: Everyone else, please follow me.
The women walked out silently with their heads down, feeling lost and regretful.
Guo Shao returned to the imperial bed, took a deep breath, and said calmly: Come here, all of you.
Nine women responded and came over carefully. Some of them blushed like pig livers, and some were so nervous and embarrassed that they couldn't walk steadily. These women were all young girls who had never experienced sex, and most of them couldn't keep calm when it came to the real thing.