allendalepharm Chapter 1677: Chaos in Jiangnan
Chapter 1677: Chaos in Jiangnan
Chapter 1677: Chaos in Jiangnan
Time flies, and before we know it, it is March, the first year of the Qiande period of the Han Dynasty. The peach blossoms are in full bloom, the willows are green, and the air is filled with the fragrance of flowers.
Ye Family, Backyard Study Room——
Ye Zhen, Marquis of Annan, was wearing a long silk gown. He sat down on a red lacquered wooden armchair in the study, picked up a letter with a light yellow cover, and began to read it with his eyes lowered.
When Ye Zhen looked up, the expression on that resolute and majestic face changed constantly.
Ye Kai was silent for a moment, then looked at Ye Zhen with burning eyes and asked, "Father, what did the King of Wei say in the letter?"
Ye Zhen frowned, and his fierce and flashing tiger eyes seemed to burst out with sharp light. He said: "Recently, the winds and waves in Jiangnan are high and rough, and the King of Wei asked my father to help him calm the chaos."
Ye Kai: “???”
Ye Zhen's face became serious, and he said in a deep voice: "Then do as King Wei said."
If he surrendered to King Wei, he might be able to take a step further in his title and be promoted to Duke.
Ye Kai asked again: "Father, what did the King of Wei say in the letter?"
Ye Zhen did not answer, but directly ordered: "Send someone to the Hao family and tell them that your father wants to meet the head of the Hao family."
Upon hearing this, Ye Kai's face became serious, and he vaguely understood something in his heart. Then, he didn't say anything else.
Ye Zhen calmed down, looked at the servants waiting beside him, and ordered: "Come here, go and call the young lady over."
The servant responded and went to ask Ye Nuan to come over.
After a while, Ye Nuan came into the study from the outer room, bowed to Ye Zhen who was sitting behind the lacquered wooden table, and said, "My daughter greets you, father. I wonder why you called me?"
Ye Zhen nodded and said, "Nuan'er, your father came here to talk to you about maritime trade."
Ye Nuan said in a deep voice: "Now the maritime trade is in full swing. The merchant ships under the Ye Family Chamber of Commerce are sailing in a fleet. It won't be long before they can reach the Jiangnan camp. Father, what do you want to say now?"
Ye Zhen nodded, with a faint smile on his face, and said: "Nuan'er, I heard that you have a good relationship with Wei Wang's concubine Gu Ruoqing?"
Ye Nuan's face showed surprise, and she asked, "Father, why did you suddenly think of asking this?"
Ye Zhen nodded and said, "Nuan'er, you are not young anymore. You can spend more time with Gu Ruoqing in the future."
If the daughter were to be married to King Wei, the marriage between the two families would be the safest.
Ye Nuan's eyes were as bright as water under her slender eyebrows. She was surprised and asked, "Father wants me to go to Shenjing?"
Ye Zhen looked at his daughter intently and said, "Things are not going well in Jiangnan recently. You should go to Shenjing to hide and keep in touch with Gu Ruoqing."
He sent his daughter over this time. With King Wei's extraordinary talent and wisdom, he should understand what he meant.
Ye Nuan felt a little uncomfortable being stared at by her father, and said, "Then I'll clean it up when I get home."
After Ye Nuan turned and left, Ye Zhen was stunned for a moment, and murmured: "If Prince Wei can succeed, my Ye family can follow in his footsteps and soar into the sky."
Since the Chongping period, the Ye family has been in decline, especially marginalized in the military. If this trend continues, it will not be long before the Ye family gradually declines to become a "middle-class" family like the Jia family before them.
But because Ye Zhen had a keen eye for talent and clung to Jia Heng's thigh, he could guarantee his wealth and prosperity for at most a few decades.
If Jia Heng goes one step further, the Ye family can even reach a higher level.
As for whether Jia Heng would fail, the failure experiences of Gao Zhongping and Li Zan have already shown that Jia Heng has completely taken control of the power of the Han Dynasty, and the overall situation is set.
……
……
The Golden Crow rises in the east and the Jade Rabbit sets in the west, and in the blink of an eye three days have passed.
On this day, Ye Zhen, Marquis of Annan, arrived at Huancui Villa as agreed with the Hao family. Led by the people of the Hao family, he walked briskly into the beautifully decorated hall.
Ye Zhen's expression paused slightly, and he looked at Hao Jiru from under his sword-like eyebrows, and said, "Meet Master Hao."
Hao Jiru smiled kindly and eagerly, and said, "Lord Ye is so honored to be here. I am sorry for not welcoming you in person. I hope you will forgive me."
A hearty smile appeared on Ye Zhen's rough face, and he said, "Mr. Hao, you are too polite."
After exchanging pleasantries, the two men sat down as host and guest.
Hao Jiru smiled and said, "Marquis Ye is now unemployed at home. Are you adapting well?"
Ye Zhen said: "What's there to adapt to? I have been fighting for half my life, and it's time for me to enjoy a few years of peace and quiet."
Hao Jiru nodded, pretending to be silent, and said, "Lord Ye, I heard that the old subordinates in the Jiangnan camp were living a miserable life. Is this true?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Zhen pretended to be sad and said with emotion: "I feel helpless that my former comrade-in-arms has ended up in poverty."
Hao Jiru said: "Not only the old subordinates, but also no one in the Ye family has the military power now. If this continues, the Ye family will lose its influence."
Upon hearing this, Ye Zhen frowned and pretended not to understand, saying, "I don't know what Master Hao means by this."
Hao Jiru calmed down and spoke passionately, "The King of Wei is now in power, using the emperor to control the princes and purging dissidents. Now the government is corrupt and all the horses are silent. The loyal and upright people in the court and the country are angry but dare not speak out. As a military hero of the Han Dynasty who died with the country, shouldn't Ye Hou be heartbroken?"
Ye Zhen's expression changed slightly, his eyes flickered, and he asked, "Why did Master Hao say that?"
Hao Jiru said in a deep voice: "Lord Ye, the scholars in the south of the Yangtze River have long been in a state of uproar against the King of Wei. As long as the loyal officials and righteous men unite and shout together to attack the King of Wei and support the Han Dynasty, there is still a trend of restoring order."
Ye Zhen frowned and said, "Master Hao, the King of Wei has a large army in the Beijing camp, and the Jiangnan area has his trusted followers in charge of the military power. Once a fight breaks out, the Jiangnan troops will have a hard time resisting them."
Hao Jiru said: "This requires Lord Ye's full support."
Ye Zhen was silent for a moment, then he sighed and said, "Master Hao, please forgive me for being powerless and unable to help you."
Hao Jiru stared at Ye Zhen and whispered: "Marquis Ye is a hero of the time...."
Ye Zhen whispered, "Master Hao, there are not many officers in the army who can listen to me now."
Hao Jiru said: "It is said that Lord Ye still has the honorary title of deputy governor, and some soldiers in the Jiangnan camp still miss the old times. Moreover, after this matter is accomplished, Lord Ye will be promoted to a higher position in the future, and even his name will be recorded in history."
Upon hearing this, Ye Zhen fell into a brief silence.
Seeing this, Hao Jiru quickly struck while the iron was hot and said, "Lord Ye, do you really want to watch the traitors usurp the throne, watch the treacherous king steal the throne, and watch the Ye family sink from now on?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Zhen's originally slack body suddenly straightened up, his tiger eyes gleaming with brilliance, and he said, "Master Hao, please come to the secret room to talk."
Hao Jiru was delighted when he heard this and said, "Lord Ye, please come this way."
With Ye Zhen's help, they have one more support in matters of military power.
……
……
Jiangnan, Jinling, Wu Wang's Residence
The spring rain in the south of the Yangtze River always comes earlier than in the north. The rain and fog are hazy, the lights are bright, and the sounds of stringed instruments float out from the courtyards. The sounds of singing and dancing rise, and it is lively and noisy.
In the spacious hall, one can see teams of dancers in brightly dressed dancing gracefully. Under their pale yellow shawls, their arms are as white as snow, dazzling the eyes.
The King of Wu wore a long gown with a "Shou" character on the front and a blue jeweled crown on his head. He had a fair and smooth face and a short beard under his smooth and silky chin, and looked very elegant.
Below, on the two rows of pearwood chairs on the left and right, sat a group of Jiangnan gentry and royal relatives who came to discuss matters.
Among those present were Prince Consort of Pingyuan, Zhan Fei, and several other royal relatives.
The King of Wu said, "My lords, the King of Wei is extremely ambitious and wants to usurp the Han Dynasty. He is sharpening his sword and may one day target our royal family members."
Zhan Fei was silent for a moment, and then said, "Your Highness, the Prince of Wei now holds great power over the Beijing Camp and the Border Army. It is not easy for us to make any progress."
The King of Wu looked a little proud and said, "It may be possible. The land south of the Yangtze River is now full of loyal officials and righteous men. As long as we raise our voices, they will surely respond."
Zhan Fei said worriedly, "But the King of Wei has his trusted followers in the Jiangnan and Jiangbei camps, who are in charge of the troops. If there is chaos in Jiangnan, it will be like a thunderbolt, and we will have no power to fight back."
The King of Wu was silent for a moment, and then said, "There are some soldiers and generals in the Jiangnan and Jiangbei camps who are also from the south. They may not be very loyal to the King of Wei. If we explain the righteousness to them, they may be able to turn against the king."
Zhan Fei was obviously not so optimistic and said, "Your Majesty, if there is no capable general to handle this matter, the efficiency of accomplishing this matter will be even lower."
King Wu was silent for a moment, his eyes deep, and he whispered: "Don't worry about this, the Ye family has agreed to cooperate."
Zhan Fei frowned and said loudly: "My Lord, is this reliable?"
"However, the head of the Ye family wants to see me." A look of certainty appeared on King Wu's fair and elegant face.
Zhan Fei nodded and whispered, "If that's the case, then it's almost certain."
When the King of Wu heard this, his eyes looked deep and he also nodded.
At this moment, a servant came in from outside the corridor, his eyes flickered, and he reported: "Your Majesty, the eldest son of the Hao family is here."
Upon hearing this, the King of Wu was overjoyed and said, "Invite me quickly."
Not long after, Hao Huaizhen, the son of Hao Jiru, entered the hall, escorted by several servants, looked at King Wu, and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty."
King Wu's eyes flickered under his thick eyebrows, and he whispered, "Mr. Hao, please stand up quickly. Someone, please take a seat."
As he spoke, the servant could be seen putting the stool aside and then stepping aside.
Hao Huaizhen said: "Your Majesty, my father asked me to tell you that everything is ready now, except for the east wind."
King Wu said, "Okay, I am waiting for Master Hao to say this now."
Hao Huaizhen nodded and said, "Your Majesty, the Ye family has already contacted the old subordinates in the Jiangnan camp. Many generals are dissatisfied with the Prince of Wei's tyranny in the court and plan to join the holy cause."
King Wu was silent for a moment, his eyes were deep, and he whispered: "This matter needs to be carefully prepared. I want to see Lord Ye."
Hao Huaizhen said: "Don't worry, Your Majesty, this is as it should be. Marquis Ye also wants to discuss it with Your Majesty in person."
King Wu paused for a moment, and looked at the young man in the python robe with a twinkling gaze, and said, "And what is the banner for this major event?"
Hao Huaizhen said: "According to my father's intention, the banner he raised was to support the Han Dynasty, expel the treacherous and evil, and make the disloyal and unjust people like the King of Wei cut themselves off from the world."
Upon hearing this, the King of Wu raised his sword-like eyebrows, his eyes were deep, and he said: "Mr. Hao is right. The King of Wei is now acting just like Cao Mang. We should send troops to attack him and follow the will of heaven."
Hao Huaizhen said: "Father means that we should respect the Eighth Prince in the Shenjing Palace as the emperor from afar and not recognize the fake emperor established by Wei Ni."
The King of Wu looked at him with a burning gaze, and said in a deep voice, "It is just what I want to do to launch a war under a pretext."
Hao Huaizhen was silent for a moment, and whispered: "However, at that time, it will still depend on the prince and the royal relatives to organize soldiers and take over the city defense."
King Wu said: "That is as it should be."
Hao Huaizheng then discussed the details of the uprising with King Wu and others until it was getting dark and the lights were coming on. Only then did he leave King Wu's palace under the cover of darkness.
……
……
Godly City, Ningguo Mansion
At this moment, Jia Heng was sitting in the extremely spacious study, holding a book in his hand, his eyes skimming over the words on the pages.
At this moment, Chen Xiao walked quickly into the study room from the outer room, looked at the young man in the python robe, and said, "It's a letter from Jiangnan sent by carrier pigeon, please take a good look at it."
When Jia Heng heard this, he was surprised for a moment, then he quickly started reading. Then, his calm and resolute face suddenly became gloomy.
Chen Xiao said: "Those people in Jiangnan have already started to take action."
Jia Heng said: "Let Jinyifu keep a close eye on the movements of Prince Wu's Mansion and Hao's Residence."
Chen Xiao was extremely worried and asked, "What about the Jiangnan camp? What if Ye Zhen really does what he pretends to be?"
Jia Heng shook his head and said in a deep voice: "No, but we have to be on guard. Let Cai Quan take some soldiers to Jiangnan and be ready to take over the Jiangnan camp at any time."
Chen Xiao nodded in agreement, and then said nothing more.
Jia Heng's face turned serious, and he said, "When a new emperor ascends the throne, there is always blood and rain. When Emperor Chongping ascended the throne, he set up a series of large-scale prisons in Jiangnan. Now that the new emperor has ascended the throne, how can he not kill people to establish his authority?"
When Chen Xiao heard this, a thoughtful look appeared on his face.
Jia Heng asked, "What's the situation with the Sichuan chieftain?"
Chen Xiao was silent for a moment, and then whispered, "More than half of the chieftains agreed to go to Shenjing to be conferred a title, and there were four other families who instigated their clan members to rebel, and they were already suppressed by Xie Zaiyi's troops."
Jia Heng said: "Let Jia Yun stay in Chengdu Prefecture and cooperate with Marquis Zhongjing to take charge of Sichuan. After that, the Beijing Camp will return on a chosen day. Now the Beijing Camp needs to have all the troops ready to deter the villains inside and outside the city."
Chen Xiao nodded.
After Chen Xiao left, Jia Heng came to the window and looked at the overlapping and flickering rockery in the courtyard, his eyes blank.
After Jiangnan had made up its mind, the biggest stumbling block to the Han Dynasty's development was mostly removed.
All that remained was to follow the routine, govern the Han Empire, cultivate party members, and use steam engines to bring this ancient empire into the era of the Industrial Revolution.
After a while, Jia Heng walked towards Longcui Temple without saying anything else.
Grand View Garden, Cuicui Temple
Miaoyu was talking with Xing Xiuyan at this moment. At this moment, not far away, Xing Xiuyan was hugging Jia Fu, and both of them had happy looks on their faces.
Miaoyu Daiqing raised her eyebrows, her beautiful eyes flickered, and asked, "You really didn't get your monthly letter this month?"
Xing Xiuyan's snow-white face was flushed with red. Her bright eyes flickered under her emerald eyebrows, and she said softly, "I think it has been postponed a lot recently."
Miaoyu said softly, "I'll find a doctor to help you later."
Xing Xiuyan hummed softly, her fair and flawless face flushed red as she lowered her head slightly.
Just then, the maid Susu entered the hall and whispered, "Miss, the prince is here."
After a while, the young man in the python costume, who was as tall and straight as a pine tree, walked around a brocade screen with mountains and rivers and whispered, "Miaoyu, Xiuyan."
Miaoyu's voice was filled with inexplicable joy. She stared at the young man in the python robe and said, "You came at the right time. Xiuyan seems to be pregnant."
"Got it?" Jia Heng looked surprised, but he couldn't help but feel happy in his heart. Then he stared at Xing Xiuyan's face that seemed to be out of the clouds.
Xing Xiuyan met the gaze of the young man in the python robe, and when she lowered her eyes, there seemed to be some shyness and joy hidden in her heart.
Jia Heng walked closer, took Xing Xiuyan's slender hand, looked at her intently, and said, "Xiuyan, are you really pregnant?"
Xing Xiuyan felt a mixture of shyness and joy, and said softly, "I'm just suspicious because I didn't have my period this month."
When Jia Heng heard this, he looked at Xing Xiuyan with eyes like dew, gently took Xing Xiuyan's slender hand, and asked, "Have you seen the imperial physician?"
Xing Xiuyan said with a hint of shyness in her voice, "Not yet."
Jia Heng nodded, and without saying anything else, he took Xing Xiuyan's slender hand, held her in his arms, and said, "You must take good care of yourself these days."
Xing Xiuyan hummed softly and nestled her head in the arms of the young man in the python costume.
"Daddy, what about me?"
At this moment, Jia Mo came over from the side, with a faint smile on her rosy face, and her voice was sweet and tender.
Jia Heng turned his head to look at Jia Mo, chuckled, hugged Jia Mo, and said, "Momo, let daddy see you."
As he spoke, he looked at Jia Mo who was standing nearby, stretched out a hand, and pinched the little girl's rosy face.
"Daddy, don't pinch me." Jia Mo pouted her red lips, and her eyes, like black grapes, seemed a little unhappy.
Sometimes children may not like adults pinching their cheeks.
Jia Heng smiled and joked, "Momo is not very happy."
But the little girl came closer, and with a "paji", she put her soft lips close to the young man and kissed Jia Heng on both cheeks. The action was quite intimate.
Jia Heng: "..."
"This girl is so cunning." Xing Xiuyan smiled and said softly.
Jia Heng smiled kindly and said, "This girl doesn't look young anymore."
Miaoyu said unhappily, "You just realized your daughter has grown so big?"
He doesn't usually come to care about me.
Jia Heng smiled and asked curiously, "Where is my son?"
Miaoyu said softly, "I am letting Mammy feed me now."
Jia Heng nodded and said, "Bring it over to me later so I can have a look."
Miaoyu responded softly and didn't say anything else.
……
……
(End of this chapter)