vrcanaries Chapter 307: Eager to Return Home
Chapter 307: Eager to Return Home
The King of Chu and the King of Xiang served as inspectors. With the special order issued by Luo Wen'an, they spent three months selecting three prefectures far away from Chengdu Prefecture and inspected various government affairs. After returning to Chengdu Prefecture and reporting to Lord Luo, they immediately returned to the capital in the wind and snow.
Eager to return home, the two rode on horseback despite the cold weather and the difficult roads. Fortunately, in the past six months, the two pampered princes who grew up in the deep palace have trained themselves to be strong and able to endure hardships.
After more than half a month, we finally arrived in the capital on the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month.
Seeing the majestic city gate tower in the distance, King Xiang slowed down his horse, and King Chu followed him and slowed down his horse.
"Brother Wang, I've been eager to go home, but now that I'm at the doorstep, I feel a little homesick. My feelings are a little complicated."
"Third brother, I know the knot in your heart. Think about your uncle, the king of Qi, and your brother the king of Wei, and maybe you will understand it better."
"Brother Wang, I want to ask you something that is hidden in my heart. Is the rumor of "axe sound and candle shadow" true?"
There was a trace of pain in the King of Chu's eyes, "It's not groundless."
King Xiang smiled bitterly, "No wonder you avoid the throne like a snake or scorpion."
The King of Chu was feeling heavy-hearted and a little suffocated. The King of Xiang, in turn, tried to persuade his elder brother, who valued friendship and loyalty: "Brother, fortunately Zhao Defang has inherited the character of his uncle, the Emperor, and he also values blood ties. Otherwise, brothers would be killing each other, and the cycle of revenge would never end."
"Let's go! There seems to be someone welcoming us at the city gate. I wonder if it's us two brothers."
There had just been a heavy snowfall in the capital city. A black-covered horse-drawn carriage was parked on the snow at the city gate, with a dozen guards on horseback guarding the carriage.
The King of Chu and the King of Xiang rode closer surrounded by their guards, and a man got off the carriage.
"It's the Regent brother. He is here to pick us up." The gloomy atmosphere in the King of Chu's heart suddenly dissipated.
Regent Zhao Defang was wearing a black cloak and standing tall on the snow, like an indomitable and proudly upright cedar.
Looking at the two people approaching, he smiled warmly and kindly: "My two brothers, you have worked hard on the journey. Let's go back in the carriage together!"
The King of Chu and the King of Xiang dismounted from their horses, greeted their brother, and then got into the warm carriage.
"How is it? Have you gained anything in the past six months?" There was a thoughtful smile in Zhao Defang's deep eyes.
"I have gained a lot. People say that reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles, but I think traveling ten thousand miles is not as good as visiting the land of Western Shu." The King of Chu said the truth while joking.
Regent Zhao Defang smiled and said, "It seems that you two have gained a lot."
"Regent, I have something to ask you in person." Prince Xiang looked directly into the eyes of Regent Zhao Defang and mustered up the courage to ask, "My father suddenly fell ill and fell into a coma. Was it you who did it?"
The King of Chu sighed in his heart but did not scold his third brother.
Regent Zhao Defang looked directly at the Prince of Xiang, who clenched his fists nervously, without any guilt or remorse, "No! The late emperor suddenly fell ill and fell into a coma. It is still a mystery. All the imperial doctors can't find the cause. Even Master Ghost Hand and Doctor Qin can't find the cause. You saw all this with your own eyes."
King Xiang's heart gradually calmed down, he breathed a sigh of relief, and his clenched fists slowly loosened. He said guiltily: "Brother, I was reckless and offended you, please forgive me!"
Regent Zhao Defang smiled indifferently and patted him on the shoulder: "Third brother, this is what a son should do. I won't take it to heart."
Prince Xiang, who had completely resolved the knot in his heart, felt quite guilty that he shouldn't have blindly suspected his brother, the Regent, who had always been upright.
Zhao Defang's face was still as gentle as jade, and he said in his heart: I did it. If I don't avenge my father and brother, I am unworthy of being a son, but I just won't admit it. Li'er said that I am a black-bellied man, and this name is not for nothing.
There was silence in the carriage for a while, and the King of Chu said sincerely: "Brother, I want to go to Shu to be a county magistrate and gain experience there for three years. I beg the emperor and brother to approve it."
Regent Zhao Defang reached out and patted his shoulder, "Yuan Zuo, I have an important task that I want to entrust to the two of you."
"What important task is it?" King Xiang's eyes were full of anticipation.
"Next March, I will lead my army to the north to retake the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun. The area has been ruled by the Khitans for many years, but the Han people make up the majority of the people there. After retaking the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, I want to implement the new policies of Western Shu there and make it a test site."
King Xiang slapped his thigh excitedly, "Very good! When implementing the new policy in Western Shu, we must also consider the interests of the aristocratic families and local tyrants. In the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, the local tyrants are only Khitan nobles and a few traitors. We can kill them all and get to work!"
Hearing the roughness of the common man in King Xiang's words, Zhao Defang almost laughed out loud, but quickly covered it up and praised him, "The third brother is really smart and sharp-eyed. He saw the essence of the problem. It's worth the trip!"
The King of Chu also smiled and praised his third brother, "Third brother is smart and clever. When he was an inspector in Shu, he was good at finding problems and often came up with wonderful and surprising ideas. Lord Luo Wen'an also praised him highly."
Being praised by his two brilliant brothers, King Xiang was very happy but said modestly: "No, no, compared to your broad vision and brilliant talents, I am just a little smart. I still need your constant guidance and instruction."
After a long conversation, the three brothers who were connected by blood became closer to each other. Prince Xiang, who had a sense of estrangement in his heart, also felt a real sense of closeness to his brother the Regent from the bottom of his heart.
The carriage drove directly into the palace. After exchanging a few polite words with the little emperor, the King of Chu and the King of Xiang went together to visit their mother and concubines in the harem.
In Empress Dowager Mingde's Shuning Palace, the two princes were startled by the large glass mirror in the bedroom. Empress Dowager Mingde came out from the inner room and explained with a smile: "This is called a glass mirror. It is a new gadget invented by the Regent Princess. Someone sent two glass mirrors, one large and one small, to this palace. When they were first placed here, anyone who walked in front of them would be startled."
The two brothers hurriedly paid their respects to their mother, renewing their farewell greetings and talking about the wonderful and beautiful scenery outside, and then went together to pay their respects to their mother again.
When they arrived at Shouning Palace, the two brothers entered and knelt down to pay homage to their mother.
Concubine Li's eyes were filled with tears, and she said in a choked voice, "My son, please get up soon. I have missed you so much in the past six months. I miss you day and night and am worried about you!"
When the King of Xiang saw his mother's haggard face and how thin she looked, he could not help but feel sad. "When a son travels a thousand miles, his mother worries about him. I am unfilial and have caused her to worry."
The King of Chu consoled her gently, "Mother, don't be sad. My third brother and I have been traveling abroad for half a year. We have gained a lot of knowledge and broadened our horizons. You should be relieved and happy."
Concubine Li Taixian had no affection for her eldest son, whom she never got close to. She said coldly, "He didn't enjoy the prosperity of the capital, but went to the remote land of Western Shu, where he stayed for half a year in a den of rebels in a poor and barren land. Which mother wouldn't be worried?"
King Xiang gave a bitter smile, it was useless to talk if we were not on the same page!
Looking around the room, he wanted to change the subject and asked, "Mother, where did you put the large glass mirror that Queen Mother placed in the main hall?"
This sentence stirred up a hornet's nest. Concubine Li burst into tears, crying miserably, sadly, aggrieved and wronged, "Heng'er, you don't know, that hateful and stupid princess is about to trample me into the dirt and bully me to death.
Not only did she not let me buy a share in the glass mirror she made, but she was also too stingy to give me one when I shamelessly asked for a small glass mirror to go in a dressing box.
But not only did she show filial piety to the Empress Dowager and Empress Dowager Zhaoning, she also gave Princess Yongqing two glass mirrors, one large and one small, and she also gave two glass mirrors, one large and one small, to several other concubines in the palace, and she refused to give even a small one to me.
Isn't this intentional treatment of me and bullying me?"
"Mother, the Emperor's sister-in-law has always been generous and magnanimous, why didn't she give you a glass mirror?"
Concubine Li cried angrily, "Isn't it just that I scolded her a few times, and the dog slaves were traitors and talkative, and the news reached the ears of the silly princess, so she deliberately used this as an excuse to bully me?"
The brothers King Chu and King Xiang looked at each other, smiled bitterly and shook their heads. My mother was still the arrogant and extravagant person she was when she was the most favored concubine in the harem and was worshipped by thousands of people!