Sixty-second dragon scales (six)

Four years after the empress ascended the throne, the prince of the King of Qi fled to the capital at night. The king of Qi refused to send the prince back to the capital. The court was in an uproar. The king of Qi came to sue the crime, but he did not mention that the prince was not allowed to return to the fiefdom without a single word. The empress was furious and the general of the cavalry, Qin Xiao led 100,000 elite troops to attack Qi, kill the prince of the King of Qi, and capture the King of Qi alive.

The empress kept the life of the King of Qi and enclosed him in the imperial tomb. All the rest of the people in the Qi Palace were exiled to escape the crime of beheading.

For a time, the people praised the empress's benevolence and righteousness.

Later, King Jiaodong took the initiative to write a letter to request the acquisition of the vassal states, and took his family to the capital. Due to the recycling of the fiefdom, the empress changed the title of King Jiaodong to King An, and gave him the palace and rewards. King An was so grateful.

After another half a year, the King of Shu also surrendered.

Taking advantage of the defection of the prince of Qi, the empress successfully acquired the vassal states. At this point, all 72 states in the four parts of Wu, Qi, Shu, Jiaodong, Wu, Qi, Shu, and all returned to their territory. The empress divided the 72 states into four "provinces", and sent confidants to station, calling them "commanders."

Among them, the third son of the Grand Marshal Qin Zheng, the second son Qin Ce was the commander of Wu Sheng, the third son Qin Zhan was the commander of Qi Sheng, and the eldest son Qin Xiao was appointed as the general of the cavalry and served the empress. The Qin family was favored by the empress, and countless people were jealous. However, Qin politicians were very strict and never contacted the ministers in the court, nor had in-laws. They were not only loyal to the empress.

Qin Zheng himself did not expect that the empress would trust him so much, and even named himself the Grand Sima on the basis of the general - this is the highest military officer in the Daxian dynasty, and his sons are all valued. Now that the border is stable, Qin Zheng thought that he had to go back to see His Majesty. In any case, he must thank this trust and kindness.

After entering Beijing, he entered the palace to meet the saint without even changing his armor. In the past few years after the empress ascended the throne, the letters between the two never stopped, and even had a lot of fun talks. Linglong was never stingy in expressing her ambitions in the letters. The people in the border areas lived a hard life, so she naturally would not let it go.

The rise of commerce in the Dali dynasties also drove the border economy. The unique milk, cheese, fur, spices and other products in the border are very rare in the Central Plains, and the utensils and seeds, vegetables and fruits in the Central Plains are also rare objects in the border. Merchants have permission and there are also state-owned merchant stations. The lives of the border people are better and better every day. These are all things that Qin Zheng saw.

Even when Emperor Xiaozong was in power, the border never flourished so much!

Qin Zheng was moved by this and wanted to take the initiative to return to Beijing to meet the empress to express his gratitude.

Linglong naturally would not refuse this. She had never seen this Qin Sima. In her memory, Emperor Xiaozong had told her before his death that he had been trustworthy in the court, and Qin Zheng's name was ranked first. Now when he saw this Qin Sima, who was tall and burly, had thick eyebrows and big eyes, and was full of momentum.

Well... Qin Xiao should be like Mrs. Qin.

Qin Zheng was also very surprised at the appearance of the little empress. She is only fifteen years old this year and has two months to go to the end, but she is very beautiful. Even Qin Zheng's age and experience, she was a little breathless when she saw such beauty. However, he had no evil thoughts and was just from his appreciation of beauty. In addition to being beautiful, the emperor's aura of the empress should not be underestimated. At least Qin Zheng was willing to kneel down and bow.

Linglong came to help him in person, and the old and the young met each other and had a good chat. Even Qin Xiao came to see his own father specifically and was ignored.

Now he is responsible for the guards of the palace and the capital, and also supervises the affairs of the prison. He is an indispensable confidant of Linglong. He is very busy on weekdays. He heard that his father came to Beijing specifically, but he didn't expect that Qin Zheng didn't even look at him.

Linglong thought Qin Zheng was really an interesting person. He had no airs at all, but was very funny and peaceful. The king and his ministers talked at night. In addition to the already booming border, Qin Zheng also talked about the barbarians with his wife. The empress ascended the throne and the barbarians had been reborn for four years, and they seemed to be making a comeback. The people of the border often reported that their own food or farm tools were stolen. Qin Zheng personally checked it and all the stolen crops and improved farm tools were popularized from the capital.

"I heard that the grassland is fertile and is especially suitable for grazing. The barbarian milk barbecue tastes very good. I wonder if it is true?"

Qin Zheng was stunned for a moment when asked, then nodded: "Your Majesty, this is true. Although the border is strong, the border is a grassland where barbarians have been grazing for generations. They are nomadic people and are born on horseback. However, because of this, they are not stable, so the population has been difficult to grow. Once winter comes, cattle, sheep and horses will freeze to death in large numbers. They do not grow crops, but they have to eat, so they always want to steal ours."

Linglong smiled and said, "Da Sima, one day, I want to taste the whole roasted lamb from the grassland myself. Is it really as delicious as I imagined?"

Qin Zheng also smiled: "I will not be humiliated!"

Qin Zheng always smiled when he left the palace. When he left the palace gate, he passed by a handsome young official wearing an official robe. Qin Zheng bowed and the other party replied, but Qin Zheng didn't take it seriously. When he left the palace gate, he saw another famous black horse next to his horse, which was the eldest son's mount.

The father and son haven't seen each other for a long time, so Qin Zheng has the time to care about the current situation of his eldest son.

Qin Xiao was a steady person and talked about the important things in recent years. Qin Zheng nodded, and the father and son were running side by side. Although there were not many pedestrians on the street, he always controlled the speed of traveling and walked around the avenue.

"Your Majesty is a wise monarch."

Regarding the affirmation from his father, Qin Xiao nodded first and shook his head. Qin Zheng looked at him. What does this mean? However, Qin Xiao didn't say it in detail, so he didn't ask.

He is a very enlightened father.

"When I came, I saw a young official wearing a third-rank official uniform and hurriedly entered the palace. But what did you mention to me in your letter to the inspector Lu You?"

"That's right." Qin Xiao frowned slightly, "Has he entered the palace again?"

Grand Sima thought that the word "典" of the eldest son is used mysteriously!

The sons were not around, but there were always letters between the father and son. Linglong would tell him in the letter that Qin Xiao was not interested in talking, so the father and son would report peace to each other. The only thing Qin Xiao mentioned in the letter was Lord Lu Youlu, who was young and had no military achievements but could become the third-rank inspector. According to Qin Zheng, the eldest son did not seem to like this person.

Qin Xiao said: "Although Lu You is deeply envious, he has great talent in governing the country. In this regard, father, you and I are far inferior to him."

Qin Zheng said: "It is rare to hear such praise from you, which shows that this Lord Lu has real talent and knowledge."

But if this is the case, why did the eldest son show such an expression?

Qin Xiao replied: "I have real talent and knowledge. I have done a lot for Your Majesty in recent years. When the prince of Qi defected to the capital and took me to Qi to suppress the rebellion, he was the one who was working."

It sounds simple but not easy to operate. First of all, the prince of Qi is a talent who is both civil and military. He is the legitimate son trained by the King of Qi and is not a fool who begs on the street. How could he escape from the capital at night just by a few words? He knew that if he did that, the king of Qi would definitely be the target of public criticism, but he still did that - why?

After the prince of Qi returned to his fiefdom, the cunning King of Qi only sent letters to sue the crime, but refused to send the prince back. He even threatened the mines in Qi during his conversation. Why?

The empress was left to Lu You to do this. To be fair, if it were Qin Zheng himself, he felt that he could not do it. He would have no choice but to let him fight and marche and set up formations in blood, but if he wanted him to intrigue with others and plot against each other, Qin Zheng would not do it.

In Linglong's words, the Qin family's father and son cannot survive in a palace drama.

Therefore, she gave Qin Xiao a high trust and could send him to do anything, but she could not do it to Lu You. Lu You could only be her knife, while Qin Xiao could become a loyal dog guarding her when she was sleeping soundly.

However, Qin Xiao disliked Lu You. The empress was about to be in the palace, but Lu You entered the palace to seek a meeting more and more times. I wonder if it was Qin Xiao's illusion, but he always felt that... Lu You had an inappropriate thought about the empress.

Qin Zheng's face turned dark: "How old is this Lord Lu!"

Lu You happens to be three years older than Qin Xiao. Qin Xiao is twenty-four this year, and Lu You is twenty-seven, just one round older than the empress!

"Lu You is so ambitious that he has to be careful," said Qin Xiao.

Qin Zheng asked him: "Have you ever talked about this to Your Majesty?"

Qin Xiao shook his head: "This is just my son's idea, and it's not certain. My son doesn't want to be such a quarrel."

Qin Zheng nodded and said, "Even so, you should pay more attention. Your Majesty is a wise ruler. If you indulge in love with your children, it would be bad. She is young, so she will not be deceived."

This is purely from an older perspective. After all, the empress that Qin Zheng saw was smart, innocent and cute, and she gave birth to a pair of excellent eyes. When she smiled, she seemed to have stars shining. Qin Zheng had no daughter and did not dare to treat the empress as her daughter, but she felt happy when she looked at it.

Qin Xiao:...

Everyone in the world has been deceived, and neither will the empress.

At first, he thought the same as his father thought, thinking that the empress was easily deceived when she was young. It was not until countless lessons learned from her blood and tears that Qin Xiao realized that Lu You could only be considered second in terms of scruples.

Linglong is very busy recently, and the four-year autumn examination is about to begin. This is also her first scientific examination for the emperor and empress. In order to please her, the people below dare not make any mistakes and demand perfection in everything.

However, there were no advanced scanning instruments in this era. The students had to search their bodies before entering the venue. The sky gradually became cold. It was said that one autumn rain was colder, and ten autumn rains had to wear cotton. It can be seen that it was cold after the rain in late autumn. The capital of the Dali Dynasty was northerly, which was even colder. However, the students who came to the exam were not allowed to wear cotton coats because they were afraid that they would do their tricks in the cotton coats. So, they pinched so much cotton bit by bit and tear them apart to check it out. Therefore, the students were wearing single clothes without mezzanines.

This single dress is not frozen even if you wear seven or eight pieces. The examination environment is also very bad. There are about 1,300 candidates participating in the autumn examination this year. They are all small compartments built in the open air. The ceiling above will be clattered when the wind blows. The exam will take seven days and seven nights. All the food, drink, defecation and urination are all inside. Those with slightly worse body bones will be killed after taking the exam!

The age difference between the exams is huge, some of them are in their teenagers and some are in their teens, and they all hope to have a good future from this imperial examination.

Once every four years, many people come to the capital from thousands of miles away. They spend money on the road, including pens, ink, paper and inkstone. Which one does not need money? How many families can afford it? If they fail the exam, they will have to wait for another four years!

Some people who failed the exam in previous years and have the experience this year. They have all the experiences. They have to wear single-layer clothes, one piece of clothing, and one piece of food should be brought easily. The jerky sold in the shopping mall is very good. Hand stoves cannot be brought in. The four treasures of the study must be inspected layer by layer, and the quilt will be provided in the examination room. Then you have to pray that the weather will not change, preferably the sky is clear, and the other is not to get sick. If you are sick, then it will be in vain!

But as soon as I entered the exam room this year, everyone was shocked.

This small compartment is simply not too good than previous years!

Not only does the wind not leak, but there is no sound! There is no sound when the wind blows, so you can answer the questions with peace of mind!

In addition, the quilts provided in previous years are everywhere. Although the quilts this year are not new, they are washed clean and smelled the smell that has just been sunburned! Then there are even charcoal basins provided in the aisle!

The charcoal burns in the charcoal pots, which are colorless and odorless, and are very warm.

The most important thing is that the examination room will be awarded twice a day for free! Meat and vegetables are combined with fish and meat, and they will feel warm after eating, and the candidates are excited to answer questions!

Before the exam started, the invigilator said a few words. After hearing this, the candidates learned that the changes this year were His Majesty’s will, saying that they were the pillars of the country in the future and should be treated well. The candidates were moved to tears, and they all had ambitions and vowed to serve His Majesty!

Qin Zheng was not in a hurry to leave Beijing, and was sent to supervise. Lu You was also sent. This was the first time Qin Zheng talked to Lu You seriously.

Lu You is undoubtedly a person who is well versed in words. He is in moderation and talks. Even when Qin Zheng learned from his eldest son that Lu You seemed to have inappropriate thoughts about the little empress, he couldn't help but sigh that this son is really not a person in the pool.

While he was observing Lu You, Lu You was also observing him.

In recent years, Lu You has worked hard for the little empress. Only he himself knows what he is thinking, but no one else knows.

He has great ambitions, and most people cannot swallow them.

But on his ambition, Qin Zheng was undoubtedly a mountain that could not be crossed in front of him.

When Emperor Xiaozong passed away, the situation in the court was tense, and the empress ascended the throne, there was only Hu Xiuhe around her, but Hu Xiuhe was just a eunuch. It was a good skill to serve the master. How could she understand government affairs? Lu You felt that his opportunity had come.

Unfortunately, the little empress was not as simple and stupid as he expected. When she stabbed the King of Wu to death with her own hands in front of the ministers, Lu You swore that he saw the smile on the little empress’s face!

She enjoyed the pleasure of killing.

Lu You was so excited that his scalp was numb. It must be very interesting to steal her country from such a person, right?

That would be a huge challenge.

However, what disappointed Lu You was that the empress did not trust him and even sent a letter to Qin Zheng behind his back. Qin Xiao entered the capital and immediately became a celebrity around the empress. With the Qin army on his side, Lu You originally wanted to provoke the war with the dissatisfaction of several vassal kings, but he never thought that the three ambitious people shrank their heads in a coward manner.

On the contrary, I didn't take advantage of it and got a lot of fishy behavior.

In the following years, the empress's performance exceeded everyone's expectations. Not to mention the deceased Emperor Xiaozong, even the founding ancestor of the Dali Kingdom, I am afraid that it is not as good as her!

The world is stable and the world is peaceful. Most people who rebel in peace in peacetime have poor brains. Lu You is not as stupid as King Qi. He yearns for the power to control everything. Since he cannot get it through the way he originally planned, he can change his path.

The little empress has grown up.

The fifteen-year-old girl was just when she first fell in love. Lu You gradually changed from "wanting to getting the world" to "wanting to conquer the empress".

What kind of scenery will the face that is always high and high when it is shy and love? He really wants to take a look.

However, Qin Xiao seemed to have seen something, and always made trouble in the scenery. Linglong accepted Lu You's show of kindness, and was unceremonious and had an ambition with him without letting him take advantage of it. Whenever Lu You felt that he was special to the empress, Linglong would make him realize that he was not a unique one. What he had, Hu Xiuhe and Qin Xiao, also. When Lu You felt that he was defeated, Linglong gave him some hope just right, just like hanging a carrot in front of a mule, saying that he couldn't eat it. In this way, Lu You would only work harder for her.

Lu You may never dream that he was twenty-seven years old, no match for the little empress in terms of men and women. Who is the little empress? He is a master who never touches his body in the flowers!

She has flirted with more men and women than Lu You!

As the autumn examination came to an end, the empress and the day of the hairpin came, and all the officials in the court began to get ready. However, before that, Linglong and Empress Dowager Ren'an discussed to release the palace servants over 25 years old out of the palace to marry themselves.
To be continued...