ONE HUNDRED TWENTY ONE
“Marquis Zhenguan has been crowned king.”
Lin Bozhou held the yellow paper letter in his hand, flicked it lightly with his fingertips, and then threw it casually on the table. Lin Bozhou put the tip of his tongue against his teeth and raised an impatient smile.
That’s right, it was written in black and white on the letter that the Marquis of Zhenguan, who led the rebellion in Liaodong, besieged Shanhaiguan, and clamored to purge the court of evil officials, was officially named a royal.
Are you kidding me?!
Rebel and become king?
I wouldn’t even dare to dream something this big.
Meng Huan was stunned: “What are you doing?”
——Isn’t this a retrograde move and encouraging rebellion?
“Yes, it is to encourage rebellion by taking perverse measures. Guess who came up with this bad idea.”
Lin Bozhou picked up the letter again with his fingertips and studied it. “Now that the court’s Lord Cui has left, and my husband has retired, the one in power must be Chen Que, the leader of the Qingliu Party and the second assistant of the cabinet. It is unexpected but reasonable that this old man would do such a thing.”
“Chen Que?”
Meng Huan remembered that he was one of the people who had previously fought with Lin Bozhou.
“Prime Minister Fangcao is a well-known peacemaker. He is gentle and doesn’t like fighting. When something happens, he immediately tries to whitewash the situation. When the Marquis of Zhenguan rebelled, he must have tried to persuade him to surrender. He thought that the Marquis of Zhenguan had a grudge against me and felt unfair, so he made him a king and advised him not to rebel.”
“Another treacherous minister who tolerates evil. Benevolent policies are useful when the world is stable, but now it is a turbulent time. He is still trying to be a goody-goody. What is he doing? He is only making the world even more unstable!”
Meng Huan could feel the disorder in Lin Bozhou’s breath.
“so serious?”
“Of course it’s serious. Previously, only the Marquis of Zhenguan felt unfair, but now that he has been made a king, everyone in the world feels unfair.”
Lin Bozhou wasn’t particularly angry, but rather amused by the stupidity. “So what on earth were they thinking?”
Only two or three months after he left, the court did something stupid that he would never have done in his lifetime as regent. It was hard to imagine how cowardly the court was now, that it could be forced to retreat step by step by the Marquis of Zhenguan, and even offered to confer the title of king as a gesture of goodwill.
What does it mean to be crowned a king? The court approves.
If you rebel and become a king, you will be an easy target and more and more people will rebel.
Meng Huan’s lips moved. He was disappointed with the emperor, but he still felt sorry for such a huge dynasty: “What if the court continues to be in chaos? No one will take care of it?”
Lin Bozhou picked up the novel he had just read.
He flipped through the pages casually with his fingertips, and his mood seemed to have stabilized: “Someone must be in charge.”
“Who cares?”
Meng Huan thought to himself that no one can compare to you.
“When a pack of wolves fight, the wolf king is bound to be born.” Lin Bozhou focused on the novel. “This book is interesting, but Huanhuan didn’t read it smoothly just now. Can I read a passage to you?”
Meng Huan: “?”
But the topic was diverted.
Lin Bozhou held Meng Huan in his arms with one arm. Meng Huan held his wrist and tried to break free but failed. She had no choice but to listen to her husband reading a whole page of a romance action novel in a correct tone with a red face.
It’s a super astringent kind, and I have to demonstrate it to him again.
…………
For the next two months, Meng Huan was busy drawing for Lin Bozhou.
As Lin Bozhou guessed, more and more people were rebelling. From time to time, urgent military intelligence was transmitted to Lin Bozhou, and the imperial court was like a punctured bag, leaking water everywhere.
But the war did not spread to Guzhou, where Lin Bozhou’s army was stationed and the general’s garrison was in place. The people lived and worked in peace and contentment, and the speculators had neither the courage nor the reason to rebel.
Lin Bozhou spends most of his free time with Meng Huan, accompanying him to draw, play chess, and occasionally play cards. They rarely go out to play together.
On this day, we decided to go spring hunting.
Outside the door, Shan Xing, holding the reins, turned back and asked, “My Lord, when will we set off?”
Lin Bozhou strode out of the door, changing his snow-white mourning clothes into hunting clothes. He jumped on his horse and said, “Let’s go.”
In front of him was a majestic and tall horse. Meng Huan stared at it in a daze and was a little afraid to climb up.
Lin Bozhou’s voice sounded from behind: “Or take a carriage?”
“…No.” Meng Huan shook his head. “If you go hunting in a carriage, then hunting will be meaningless.”
He stepped on the stirrups and pulled the reins tight and climbed up with great effort. The horse was too high and his wrists were not strong enough. He looked very weak and his face turned red after he climbed up.
“…”
Lin Bozhou raised the corner of his lips to smile
He handed over a pot of water and said gently, “Drink some.”
Shan Xing smiled and said, “Let’s go early and come back early. In the spring, the wild animals in the deep forests are hungry, and they are still thin after the winter. It is dangerous to stay overnight. But if we don’t go to those deep mountains and old forests and only hunt pheasants in the wild, I’m afraid they will all be in the cage if we go too late.”
“…”
The ridicule was very obvious.
Meng Huan couldn’t help but roll his eyes.
Guzhou is a place where many ethnic groups live together and the people are tough. Lin Bozhou, Shan Xing and the guards of the royal palace have been in Guzhou since they were born. They have been influenced by the Tatar customs of living by following water and grass, and are extremely good at riding and shooting.
Meng Huan obviously had no habit of riding horses and shooting arrows, but he was very interested in it. Lin Bozhou organized a spring hunt similar to that for children and took him to hunt pheasants. Although he could not hunt wild beasts, it was enough for Meng Huan to have fun.
Hunting, wild, chicken.
These tough guys totally look down on me.
Meng Huan borrowed the kettle that Lin Bozhou handed over: “Thank you, husband.”
Lin Bozhou asked gently, “Are you afraid of riding a horse?”
Meng Huan: “Not afraid.”
Reaching out to help him straighten the reins, Lin Bozhou said, “It’s good that you are not afraid. Let’s hunt a few fat ones today and hit him in the face.”
Shan Xing: “Then I will wait for the princess to slap me in the face?”
Meng Huan: “…”
Meng Huan gritted his teeth, unscrewed the kettle and took a sip.
The hill we want to go to is in the east of the city. There is a forest with lush grass and complex mountains, forests, hills and fields, and rich flora and fauna. There is a mountain road in the middle that is the only way to the east, and the terrain is steep.
He originally wanted to gallop out of the city, but he met some ragged people along the way, so the horse had to slow down.
They were holding their children, pushing carts, or just sitting down with their hair and beards disheveled, feeding their children some rice soup.
Four or five miles away, the number of poor people did not decrease at all.
Meng Huan tried his best to look into the distance and found that there were many half-naked people, bringing their families with them, pulling carts towards this side.
Meng Huan was a little surprised: “Are these people from Guzhou?”
It’s rare to see such a miserable situation when I go out of the city. Isn’t Guzhou extremely prosperous under the rule of the royal palace? How can it be considered prosperous if there are so many homeless people? !
Lin Bozhou also frowned.
The matter was a little serious. His eyes were cold and he said, “Mountain Walk.”
“Yes, Your Majesty, I will go and ask.”
Shanxing pulled the reins and jumped off the horse, walked to the old woman holding the child, and whispered something.
After a while, he came back and replied with a strange expression on his face: “Your Highness, these are not the people of Guzhou, but the people of Jincheng. A month ago, the general of Jincheng rebelled, and the soldiers suppressed the rebellion. The people were displaced and had nowhere to escape. When they heard that Your Highness was in Guzhou, they all came to Guzhou to find Your Highness and escape for their lives.”
Meng Huan: “Looking for the prince, are you here to escape?”
Why did you come here to find Lin Bozhou to escape?
Shan Xing showed a look of pity: “There is also a war in Shanhaiguan, and the evildoers in the court are causing chaos. They don’t know where to survive. I heard that the regent who has been in charge of the government for six years is from Guzhou, and Guzhou is now prosperous under the prince’s governance, and the people live and work in peace and contentment. In order to survive, they all came here.”
So that’s how it is.
Meng Huan couldn’t help but feel ripples in his heart.
Unexpectedly, Lin Bozhou did not look for the mountain, but the mountain came to him.
He stayed away from officialdom and retired from politics, but the people regarded him as a wise savior and entrusted their lives to him.
“Waaaaaa, it hurts so much…” A dark-skinned child with blisters on his feet was looking up and crying loudly because of the pain.
His mother held him in her arms and kissed his forehead, her face full of love and joy: “Don’t cry, baby, we have arrived in Guzhou, this is Guzhou governed by the regent. We don’t have to travel any more, we have food to eat and a place to live…”
Both mother and son were starving and skinny, with unkempt hair and dirty faces, but their eyes revealed joy and anticipation for the future.
Inexplicably, a flood of sadness surged up, causing Meng Huan’s nose to ache.
A few steps away from him.
Lin Bozhou’s brows were tightly knitted together, and the knuckles that were holding the reins turned pale blue.
He looked at the refugees in groups, his throat trembled and he looked up at the gloomy sky. Layers of dark shadows were reflected in his eyes. He seemed to be drenched by rain, and his whole body was filled with a gloomy and damp atmosphere.
The horse paced in place, and he pulled the reins and didn’t move forward another step.
Shan Xing’s heart was beating fast: “My Lord, what should I do now?”
Refugees have always been a burden.
Their valuables were robbed and they were left homeless. They had nothing except a mouth to feed, a pair of rough hands and a pair of old eyes.
In addition to bringing chaos, they will also steal jobs in peaceful areas, affect the living environment of people in peaceful areas, and at the same time, tens of thousands of big mouths will eat up the money of the government… Dealing with refugees has always been a troublesome thing. Many cities will choose to close their gates and refuse people to enter.
“Let them go?”
Shan Xing was determined to speak for Lin Bozhou and say the words that were hated by others. “The world is in chaos now. The prince is guarding Guzhou and maintaining peace. He is in urgent need of money. Although I understand the difficulties of the people, the prince also has his own difficulties. No matter how big the family business is, it is impossible to support the people. Why not let them go?”
His subtext remained unspoken.
Lin Bozhou wanted to rebel, and to rebel he needed to raise troops, and to raise troops he needed money. Who would give money to the people? Sometimes kindness is stupidity. Once a meat-eater makes a fool of himself and is dragged down, he will be eaten sooner or later without leaving even a bone!
I was happy to go out hunting, but I didn’t expect to face such a thing.
Meng Huan’s throat rolled, and his fingernails dug into his palms, leaving stinging marks.
Shan Xing’s words were harsh, but he didn’t know what to say, so he turned his gaze to Lin Bozhou.
Lin Bozhou’s eyes were slightly gleaming, as if he was thinking. After a moment, he spoke: “Use work instead of relief, and let them build the Great Wall. At the same time, we will encourage them to reclaim wasteland, and the land they reclaim will not be taxed for 20 years.”
Meng Huan’s heart suddenly settled down.
Shan Xing was not unkind or unjust, but he had to consider the overall situation for Lin Bozhou: “There are only a few thousand people at the moment, and the prince can still afford to support them. But if this loophole is opened, can the prince afford to support the people of the world?”
Jincheng is close to Guzhou, and the people who have fled there are still a few. But now the city is in ruins. What should we do when the people who are fighting in other places flee here?
Shan Xing said with great effort: “Your Highness, it is a truth that if you live on money, you will run out of money. It is not easy to make money in this world. I am afraid that even if Guzhou has a strong foundation, it will be eaten away by the country and become penniless…”
“okay.”
Lin Bozhou spoke but without any room for maneuver: “No mistakes.”
This voice made Shan Xing shut up immediately, like a mute, and looked at the people along the way.
Realizing that the atmosphere was silent, Meng Huan tightened the reins around the horse’s neck and said, “Go back. We won’t hunt anymore.”
People are naturally merciless. Tens of thousands of refugees cannot afford to eat right under their noses. Meng Huan is no longer carefree and happy. He feels really sorry for them.
Lin Bozhou did not object: “Then let’s not fight.”
The group rode back to the city in silence.
They walked a short distance before Lin Bozhou turned his head and called out to Shan Xing, who was feeling depressed, “Go back to the city quickly and ask the prefect to do something for you.”
Shan Xing’s eyes began to move rapidly: “What’s the matter?”
“Ask the prefect to write a letter to the court. The letter states that Guzhou has temporarily accepted the refugees from Jincheng.”
Lin Bozhou’s throat moved slowly and his words became clear.
“But the court has to give money to Guzhou.”
ONE HUNDRED TWENTY TWO
Shan Xing’s eyelids twitched suddenly: “What does the prince mean?”
Without saying the rest of the sentence, Lin Bozhou just said, “Go ahead.”
Shan Xing’s face was a mixture of sadness and joy: “Your Majesty is wise!”
After saying this, he wanted to slap himself twice. Would Lin Bozhou still be the one who suffered unilaterally now? !
He pulled the reins of his horse tightly, turned around and ran towards the city gate. He couldn’t wait any longer, and his figure disappeared in the billowing dust.
The spring hunt encountered an emergency, so Shan Xing went back to report the situation first, while Meng Huan and Lin Bozhou turned around and returned to the city.
Meng Huan let out a light breath, a few strands of clean hair fell down to cover the corners of his eyes, and he finally came back to his senses from the sudden incident.
The weather was starting to get hot, so he took out his kettle and took another sip.
Lin Bozhou’s voice rang in my ears: “Are you disappointed?”
“What?” Meng Huan stopped what he was doing.
The horse galloped side by side with him, and Lin Bozhou said in a gentle voice: “I promised to take you hunting, but halfway through the journey, I don’t feel like going back anymore.”
“…”
It turns out he cares about this.
Meng Huan didn’t really feel disappointed, but Lin Bozhou took care of his feelings. He felt warm inside and his almond eyes were bright: “Not disappointed, we can just go again next time!”
Lin Bozhou’s frown did not relax. He tightened the reins and looked thoughtfully at the poor refugees around him.
After a short silence, he suddenly started a conversation after the horse’s hooves paced back and forth: “The hunting ground we are going to today is not the largest and most fertile hunting ground. Wait for a while, and I will take you to the best hunting ground in Dazong to hunt.”
Meng Huan finished drinking the water and tightened the mouth of the kettle. He turned to look at him: “What?”
He didn’t quite understand why Lin Bozhou said this.
To be honest, although Meng Huan was looking forward to hunting, he was just going out for fun. He had a Buddhist personality, so if he couldn’t go today, he could go another day. He didn’t have to get his wish fulfilled.
Instead, the bass voice of Lin Bozhou rang in my ears.
“I’m sorry, Huanhuan. I won’t be leaving the house during this period, and I won’t be able to go hunting with you.”
“…”
Meng Huan’s mind seemed to go blank for a moment.
He looked at Lin Bozhou for a while, swallowed slowly, his lips still wet with water stains, and a sense of confusion arose, as if he was traveling in space: “Why?”
“The people are suffering.”
Lin Bozhou’s breath was a little heavy, “I want to stay in the Buddhist temple and chant sutras to pray for the people of Dazong.”
This answer is easy to understand.
Lin Bozhou was a member of the royal family, and many of his actions had political significance. When the dynasty was in turmoil and disasters were frequent, he stayed at home chanting Buddha and praying for blessings, which was a manifestation of his benevolence and love for the people, and his sharing of suffering with the people. If he chose to be a benevolent ruler supported by the people, at least from now on, he could no longer live a frivolous and dissolute life.
“Oh, so, my husband is very thoughtful.”
Meng Huan understood his purpose and gave him a thumbs up.
But Meng Huan realized that it was not that simple, and looked up to observe Lin Bozhou’s expression.
Lin Bozhou’s eyes and brows revealed a hint of fatigue, and the high spirits he had when he went out were gone. His dark brows were covered with dark clouds, his lips were tightly pursed, and his eyes and brows had a sinister look.
The last time Meng Huan saw him so solemn and upright was when he witnessed the refugees being massacred by Zhu Lizhen in Liaodong. He also had such a stern face. Even if he could control his emotions, his anger and compassion for life and death were difficult to hide.
…Meng Huan felt a little quiet in his heart.
He knew that although Lin Bozhou came to Guzhou, he had not really let go of the large number of people. But now it seemed that he had no chance to return to the court and establish a mission for the people.
Not knowing how to comfort him, Meng Huan nodded and tried to comfort him as much as possible: “Okay, husband, go. You are a prince, and you are also a person blessed by destiny. Maybe if you go to pray, fewer people will suffer.”
Lin Bozhou gently hooked his fingertips: “Okay.”
I led the reins back towards the palace, and the atmosphere was silent all the way.
Arriving at the palace, Lin Bozhou changed back into his plain white robe and hurried towards the Buddhist temple.
“I’ll go with you.” Meng Huan followed behind him.
When You Jin heard that they were halfway back home, he stepped into the threshold and said in a high voice: “Master, why don’t you go hunting? Is the weather bad——”
The voice sounded cheerful and loud in the Buddhist hall. Meng Huan pulled him over, put his hand on his lips and said seriously: “Shh.”
“…” You Jin suddenly didn’t dare to speak.
Meng Huan turned his head and saw Lin Bozhou taking the rosary from the monk. His plain white robe hung very low, his straight back bent slightly, and he lowered his head to listen to something.
After a while, he went to the Buddha’s seat, lifted up his robe sleeves and knelt. His handsome and gloomy face was stained with the dim light of the long-burning lamp. He chanted the Buddha’s name repeatedly, as if he was reciting a panicked but pious poem –
——The letter from the prefect of Guzhou was delivered to the capital ten days later.
Emperor Xuanhe sat on the dragon throne in Wenyuan Pavilion, with a scarf covering his forehead, pale lips, and a sickly look in his eyes as he stared at several busy ministers in the cabinet.
Lin Bozhou had been away from the capital for more than four months. His eyes had become more mature than before, but also more sinister, which made the ministers in the cabinet feel cold on their backs and made their fingers stiff when they picked up the memorials.
Emperor Xuanhe was used to attending court every day and was mentally exhausted: “What important matters are you going to discuss today?”
Chen Que said in a stiff voice: “Your Majesty, here is the military report from General Zhou of Jincheng. The troops of Jincheng were defeated and the army is running short of food and grass. Your Majesty, please send the overdue military pay as soon as possible—”
Emperor Xuanhe’s eyes turned fierce, and his jaws clenched with a clattering sound: “There’s more!”
Chen’s legs trembled, he wiped the sweat off his face and picked up the next letter: “Urgent delivery from Liaodong, the Marquis of Zhenguan has conquered Qiezhou and is already at the foot of Yanshan Mountain.”
Emperor Xuanhe’s expression became even more ferocious, with veins popping out on his neck.
“Jincheng rebelled, and refugees were displaced—”
“Stop chanting!” A manic dragon roar echoed around the beams.
Emperor Xuanhe suddenly grabbed the handkerchief from his forehead and threw it to the ground, then stood up, clenched his fists and roared, “What on earth are you doing? There is no good news? Everywhere you go, there are only rebellions, military failures, and demands for money. Why are you all useless? No one can share my worries! Is this world mine alone?”
The cabinet ministers knelt in panic all over the room, not daring to say anything. They just kowtowed, prostrating themselves, their kowtows were so loud that the skin on their foreheads were broken and blood was oozing out.
“Your Majesty, please forgive me, Your Majesty, please forgive me…”
“I am a humble servant who has failed to do my job well and cannot help Your Majesty. I deserve to die…”
“Don’t kneel! What’s the point of just kneeling and kowtowing? Solve the problem for me!” Emperor Xuanhe’s eyes were burning with fire, and his heart was in a knot. He stared at the pile of letters left on the table, took a breath, and said with all his strength, “If these are all letters announcing death, I don’t want to read any of them. You can handle them yourselves! If there is nothing important, I will leave the court!”
At this time, Chen Que’s weak voice was heard.
“——Your Majesty, this letter is from Guzhou.”
“…Guzhou.” Emperor Xuanhe stopped abruptly, his dead fish-like eyes showing a little gray: “Is it a letter from my brother?”
The ministers exchanged glances. Emperor Xuanhe was irritable in handling government affairs, but he continued to fear the regent in his heart. He wanted to prove to Lin Bozhou that he was a man who worked hard to govern the country, and that he could still govern the court well without Lin Bozhou.
Chen Que: “To reply to your majesty, yes.”
Emperor Xuanhe did not leave. He straightened his back a little, walked to the table, took the letter and glanced at it: “Refugees from Jincheng? Do you want money?”
Chen added: “The Jincheng general rebelled, and the refugees fled to Guzhou. The Guzhou governor carefully accepted the people’s rebellion, but the treasury was empty, so I came to ask Your Majesty to allocate funds to help the victims.”
“…So they want money again.”
Emperor Xuanhe lost interest all of a sudden, his eyes reddened, “The treasury is empty, and the military salaries in many places are in arrears. Where can we get the money to help the victims? Why is my brother… also forcing me?”
His voice became much lower, as if the emperor was suffering infinite pain.
Upon hearing his tone, the cabinet ministers fell silent, waiting quietly for Emperor Xuanhe to vent his depression.
Emperor Xuanhe was not in good health physically and mentally, and was sentimental, but he did not allow others to express his feelings. His thoughts were inconsistent, which made people feel very tired.
Emperor Xuanhe stood there for a long time with red eyes. After losing his sympathy for himself, he felt an inexplicable hostility: “How is Guzhou now?”
“In reply to your Majesty, Guzhou is currently in peace, the people are living in peace, and there is no rebellion.”
Emperor Xuanhe held the memorial tightly, looking somewhat disappointed, but he said, “It is worthy of being the vassal state ruled by my brother.”
He turned his eyes and looked at the ministers with a sinister look: “Compared to my brother, I am really far behind, am I not?”
“…”
Emperor Xuanhe started to go crazy again.
At this time, the silent ministers could no longer remain silent, and they all said: “Your Majesty has just taken power, and the court has too many backlogs of political affairs. Your Majesty has handled them very well…”
“Your Majesty governs with vigor and vigor, while Your Majesty governs with leniency and kindness. They only have different methods, not superiority or inferiority…”
“If the various problems facing the court were not solved when Your Majesty was here, and were delayed until now, leaving it to Your Majesty to solve them, then I think they were the accumulated problems of Your Majesty’s administration…”
“…”
Emperor Xuanhe’s expression became better: “Don’t say nice things, I know what’s going on.”
The cabinet ministers were speechless.
At this time, Emperor Xuanhe finally remembered to ask: “My brother has been in the country for more than four months. What have you been doing during this time?”
The eunuch beside him came forward and took out a letter from his pocket.
Emperor Xuanhe was very happy.
After he came to power, he quickly developed a spy organization and sent spies to Guzhou to spy on Lin Bozhou’s movements anytime and anywhere. This letter records what Lin Bozhou is doing now.
“Stay indoors and observe mourning…” Emperor Xuanhe impatiently turned to the next page, and when he saw that line of words, his expression became gloomy.
“…staying in the temple, burning incense every day, eating vegetarian food and chanting Buddhist scriptures, praying for the people…”
Emperor Xuanhe tore the paper into pieces in extreme anger. His heart was filled with jealousy and he cursed: “This hypocrite is even better at pretending than I am!”
The time passing in the Buddhist temple seems to be very fast, but also very slow.
Meng Huan originally thought that Lin Bozhou was just praying for a few days, but he didn’t expect that he would stay in the Buddhist temple for most of the time, which lasted for almost a month.
But Lin Bozhou was not pure. Previously, people had been sending letters to the palace with news about the current situation. Now, more and more letters were sent. Meng Huan had read a few of them, and most of them were about the victory or defeat of the Marquis of Zhenguan in Yanshan, the Jincheng general’s march to Jizhou, the Huanghuai bandits’ march to Nanjing, and so on.
After reading it, Lin Bozhou put the letter aside, twirling the beads with his fingertips and reciting scriptures in a low voice.
There was another letter on the table.
Meng Huan went into the Buddhist temple to find Lin Bozhou. In the past, Lin Bozhou would always stand under the Buddha’s seat, his white clothes whiter than snow, chanting wholeheartedly.
But after Meng Huan went in, he rarely saw anyone.
The monk walked closer, added oil to the eternal lamp, and then put on a fine silk cover: “Your Highness has something to do in the back hall.”
“Okay.” Meng Huan said, “Then I’ll wait for him.”
Waiting was getting a bit boring, so Meng Huan picked up the letter on the small table and tried to decipher it with difficulty.
“…Zhenguanhou defeated General Anchu of the Left Wing of the Capital Army, and the rebels repeatedly invaded the capital. Xu Tingjian, the general of Jincheng, bypassed Jizhou and entered Xuanhua. He communicated with Zhenguanhou, colluded with him to rebel, and conquered the capital Zhili…”
Meng Huan read it, roughly outlining the routes and context in his mind.
A gentle low voice sounded from behind: “Huan Huan.”
“Husband.” Meng Huan turned around holding the letter, and her eyelids twitched violently.
Lin Bozhou had worn the pure white mourning clothes for more than three months. He changed back into the crimson royal robe with coiled dragons. He stood at the door holding a rosary, with the wide cuffs covering half of his wrists.
Different from the believers who had been guarding the Buddha statue, bowing their heads and chanting scriptures with a piety as devout as Mara for a month, Lin Bozhou’s clothes were as bright red as fire, his eyebrows and eyes were charming and flying, and there was a faint smile at the corners of his lips.
He asked, "Have you been waiting long?”
ONE HUNDRED TWENTY THREE
Meng Huan put down the letter in his hand.
He looked at Lin Bozhou’s flowery royal robes. He hadn’t seen him wear them for a few months. His throat churned slightly: “Husband, why did you change your clothes?”
“You don’t need to observe mourning, nor do you need to stay at home and pray for blessings.” Lin Bozhou walked up to him and gently ruffled his hair. “I have something to do during this period.”
His hair was slightly messed up by him. Meng Huan asked casually and then looked at the letter. He didn’t see it clearly and thought about reading it carefully again.
“What are you busy with?”
Lin Bozhou said: “Call the troops to serve the king.”
Meng Huan’s fingers suddenly clenched the letter paper.
His eyes followed Lin Bozhou. Lin Bozhou’s face was full of joy at this moment, and he was slowly pushing the rosary in his hand, no longer solemn and calm as before when he was worshiping Buddha.
He signaled to his servants: “Go and call Chen An and Shan Xing over.”
After a while, two figures appeared: “Prince.”
“Go to the guard camp this afternoon to count the number of soldiers and check the food and supplies. Make early preparations for the shortages. His Majesty’s imperial decree to come to the king will arrive on a certain day.”
Shan Xing’s clenched fists loosened upon hearing the news: “Has the Marquis of Zhenguan invaded the capital?”
Lin Bozhou nodded.
Shan Xing showed a complicated expression.
Chen An reported the situation: “Earlier, we bought a lot of grain from other counties under the pretext of providing disaster relief for refugees and stored it in warehouses, which can be used by the guards for half a year. The extra soldiers and horses are registered in the general’s mansion, and the guards have also been training early and have never slacked off since returning from Liaodong. The horses are well fed…”
Lin Bozhou nodded: “I will personally check it this afternoon.”
A man was talking in front of a long-burning lamp, thinking about matters related to serving the king.
Meng Huan lowered his head, holding the letter and reading it again.
The letter stated that the Marquis of Zhenguan and the general of Jincheng had invaded the capital, with their swords pointed directly at the capital.
As a subject, Lin Bozhou had the obligation to protect the emperor. When the emperor was in danger, he accepted the imperial edict and sent troops to the capital. This was called serving the king.
“…”
Meng Huan scratched his hair with great effort, making it a little messy.
In the original book… is there a plot to support the king?
That’s not right…isn’t this the ending of the plot line?
No matter how you look at it, Lin Bozhou seems to have been prepared for this. Everything seems to be wrong. It seems that I am the only one who is having fun during this period of time.
He looked at the piles of letter papers on the table in a daze. Lin Bozhou never left the temple, meditating and chanting sutras. He ignored anything that was handed to him, except opening the letters that were sent to him…
Meng Huan remembered that after Lin Bozhou had unpacked and read the books, he would take a calm breath, close his eyes, and continue to chant Buddhist scriptures under the dim eternal lamp, his snow-white robe drooping like a Buddha’s son.
…Sometimes, Meng Huan felt that Lin Bozhou was waiting for something.
This letter—
Is this what Lin Bozhou has been waiting for? –
Inside the Golden Palace, all the ministers gathered in the court, discussing the matter with nervous expressions.
“Your Majesty, the Dazong’s border defense is more focused on the Nine Frontiers than the interior. After the Zhenguan Marquis attacked Shanhaiguan, he had no obstruction along the way. The rebels are approaching the capital. The Dazong is now in great danger!”
“Zhenguanhou is like a jackal, a tiger or a leopard. If he were to break into the capital and disturb Your Majesty, it would be disastrous! …”
“What should we do? The elite troops of the Beijing Army were drawn to the regiment to resist Zhu Lizhen and suffered heavy casualties. Now the only ones left in the Beijing Army are the old, weak and sick. We have been calling for conscription and training for a long time, so why are the Beijing Army still so old and weak?!”
“If the capital city is ravaged by war, how can we face Emperor Taizong?”
Filled with endless arguments.
All the officials were very shocked. They did not expect that within just half a year, the disaster in Liaodong had already ended, and now the capital was under attack from all sides. The national fortunes of Dazong had actually plummeted.
Emperor Xuanhe sat on the dragon throne, his face ashen. He rolled his eyes and looked at the others: “How could this happen…”
How so?
Emperor Xuanhe couldn’t figure it out.
He was governing the country just like Lin Bozhou. Maybe he was not as diligent as him, maybe he was indeed lazy, but…
But why did the dynasty appear prosperous and powerful in Lin Bozhou’s hands, but when he took it over, he found it was broken and tattered everywhere, and even taking a step forward was extremely difficult?
Is more than half a year really enough for everything to fall apart to this extent?
Emperor Xuanhe’s eyes revealed panic: “Is it really my fault?”
In the court, Luo Feng, the commander of the Beijing Army, stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, this is the deep-seated disease of the Dazong that can no longer be whitewashed. Zhu Lizhen’s invasion of Liaodong exposed the dilapidated Dazong’s guards and the weakness of its military. The collusion of the court’s cronies has led to the court being full of sycophants, and loyal people dare not speak out. There are also redundant royal families, officials’ corruption, natural disasters, and the construction of palaces, which have eaten up the national treasury. All this is not your Majesty’s fault, but the Dazong has long been shaky and can only be barely habitable. It has been severely damaged since Zhu Lizhen’s invasion, and of course it will collapse faster.”
Why couldn’t the knowledgeable people in the court understand that the reason why the Marquis of Zhenguan was able to attack the capital was because he was brave, but because the Dazong had already run out of resources.
But on the other hand, it is indeed Emperor Xuanhe’s responsibility.
In times of crisis, the emperor sitting in the court is just a bluffing, lazy and idle paper tiger who can be bullied by everyone. More and more people will try to seize the pinnacle of power.
——This is just the beginning of the troubled times.
Emperor Xuanhe held the throne tightly, his face tense, and he pulled his hair until it bled: “What good ideas do you have, my dear ministers? If the Lin family’s empire is destroyed, how can I face my ancestors?”
The court fell into a dead silence. Others might have no solution or might not dare to speak.
After a moment.
A certain censor from the Censorate, who was known for his outspokenness and courage, stepped forward slowly and said, “Your Majesty, I heard that the people of Guzhou, where the Prince of Zhong is in charge, are prosperous, and that the court was also in a good order during his regency, which is enough to prove that he has the ability to suppress tigers and wolves. The Prince of Zhong also has tens of thousands of brave guards stationed at the border. Why don’t you summon the Prince of Zhong to the capital to help him solve the imminent disaster?”
Emperor Xuanhe recited slowly: “Zhong Wang, my brother?”
“Yes, the regent of the country of Gang.” In this precarious court, everyone feels safe when hearing Lin Bozhou’s reputation.
“Can the tiger-wolf power of Zhenguan Hou be stronger than Zhu Lizhen? But Zhong Wang can even suppress Zhu Lizhen, so how can a mere Zhenguan Hou Zhong Wang not be able to suppress him?”
Everyone nodded: “Indeed.”
“The King of the Middle does have this ability.”
Emperor Xuanhe’s eyes also lit up slightly, “Yes, if my brother were here, the court would not be in its current state of decline.”
“But…” An expression of hatred and pain flashed across his slightly childish eyes.
However, there cannot be two tigers in one mountain. If Lin Bozhou returns to Beijing, how will he, the emperor, save his dignity?
Emperor Xuanhe rubbed his brows hard, making a scratching sound with his mouth.
At this time, some of the ministers shouted, “Your Majesty, you must not do this! Recently, there have been widespread rumors in the imperial city, saying that the King of the Middle Kingdom is the real dragon. After he left the capital, the evil spirits in the capital could not be suppressed, which led to the capital falling into disaster! Your Majesty, this is clearly a trap set by the King of the Middle Kingdom, who is spreading lies to confuse the people and disturb their hearts! Your Majesty, you must not let the wolf into the house!”
Emperor Xuanhe looked at the minister who was speaking: “Is there such a rumor?!”
“Yes! The people believed it. Now that the rebels are approaching, the people are worshipping the King at home. Where is your Majesty’s dignity?”
Emperor Xuanhe’s face turned pale.
He clenched his teeth, his jaws creaked, and the taste of blood rushed to his lips.
He looked over with sinister eyes: “How brave you are!”
But the censor was not willing to be outdone. He pointed at the minister who was speaking and said in a neither humble nor arrogant tone: “If I remember correctly, you seem to be a follower of the Marquis of Zhenguan? You even sent him a gift on his birthday.”
He turned to Emperor Xuanhe, his eyes sincere, “Your Majesty, I think that the Marquis of Zhenguan knew that the prince could suppress him, and he deliberately spread rumors in the capital to sow discord between your majesty and the prince, so that your majesty would be afraid of the prince and dare not invite him to the capital.”
He knelt down and said, “Your Majesty, please do not fall for this treacherous minister’s scheme! If you do not ask the King of Zhong to come to your aid, and the capital falls, who will be held responsible for disturbing Your Majesty?”
It seems that he is not wrong.
The sinister look in Emperor Xuanhe’s eyes disappeared, and turned into confusion and bewilderment again.
He had a headache. Since he came to power, there were always people saying completely opposite things, but at the same time they all made sense, leaving him completely confused.
Who can distinguish the truth from the falsehood among these people who lie endlessly and survive? Only my brother. My brother, my brother.
Emperor Xuanhe couldn’t help but think of his brother.
What came with it was the leisurely and comfortable life he enjoyed when his elder brother was alive.
When my elder brother was alive, the government was in good order.
…
The censor usually didn’t say much, but today’s words were to the point: “Your Majesty, if the Prince of the Middle Kingdom really had evil ambitions, why didn’t he start a rebellion when Your Majesty was young? When Your Majesty was in power, it was the Prince of the Middle Kingdom who was beside you, personally holding the throne steady for Your Majesty… When Your Majesty was startled by dreams at night, it was the Prince of the Middle Kingdom who was guarding the bed… How can I forget the warmth of the past?”
Emperor Xuanhe was defeated by the softness in his memory. His face was pale, his eyes were wet, and his hands were wearily hidden in the cuffs of his dragon robe.
All the officials in the court saw that Emperor Xuanhe had a weak expression on his face.
“……………………”
One by one, they pursed their lips, frowned, or showed anxiety, disgust, worry, disappointment, or wanted to say something but stopped.
How could an emperor change his mind every day, be so naïve and willful, and always do things based on his mood?
The dynasty of the Dazong Dynasty had run out of luck and gave birth to an evil child.
In the history books, this is clear evidence of inconsistency, weakness and cruelty!
“His Majesty!”
The minister who had just angrily scolded Lin Bozhou fell to his knees and cried bitterly: “Your Majesty! Don’t believe his lies! People’s hearts will change! No wonder they didn’t want to rebel before, but now they don’t want to—”
His crying and grieving expression was very real.
Emperor Xuanhe hesitated for a moment.
But another idea has taken hold.
He slowly straightened his back and said, “How dare you sow discord between me and my brother… Come, beat him on the back!”
The minister’s face was ashen, and he looked at him with fish-like eyes, as if he couldn’t believe it.
He was dragged away and sticks were hitting him like a violent storm. After a while, blood soaked the patch of his official robe and flowed along the brick surface to the ground, which was a shocking sight.
There seemed to be some court officials who wanted to make suggestions in the Golden Palace.
But they were stunned and closed their eyes in fear.
…Even if Your Majesty refuses to listen to advice, you cannot kill court officials in court. What a cruel king you are!
Emperor Xuanhe issued an imperial decree: “Draft an imperial edict to summon my brother to the capital to serve the king.”
He walked up to the courtier who had just been beaten to death and stared at the bloody corpse.
“Why should I kill you? Your head will serve as proof that my brother and I have reconciled.”
Emperor Xuanhe was fifteen years old, and his childish and tired eyes seemed to be falling into madness.
“…”
The censor who strongly recommended Lin Bozhou did not dare to say a word.
Finally, when the court was dismissed, he wrote a letter and had it sent to Guzhou urgently.
Then, the letter was held in a pair of pale hands by the young man in the Buddhist temple.
Lin Bozhou opened the letter, read it, then silently lit it and threw it into the incense burner, watching it turn into ashes in the smoke.
Under the ever-burning lamp, Buddhist chants are heard.
Lin Bozhou chanted softly: “Amitabha.”
It is late spring in Guzhou.
When the carriage returned to Guzhou, it was raining and snowing heavily.
When the carriage left Guzhou, the sun was shining brightly and birds were singing and dancing in the shade of the green trees.
Meng Huan jumped onto the carriage with a small bundle tied to his body. The board was shaking and he was not standing steadily. He cried out “Ah!” and his buttocks were immediately held by a pair of hands.
“Slow down.” Lin Bozhou put his hand on his waist.
Meng Huan felt a heat behind his ears and turned around.
Lin Bozhou changed into the heroic Feiyu uniform of a military officer, with his sleeves tied tightly, a black bow and arrow slung over his back, a long sword slung across his waist, his tall figure slightly sideways, presenting a tense offensive posture.
He was about to lead the army, and there was a heavy murderous look between his long dark brows.
“Why are you so fierce?”
Meng Huan thought Lin Bozhou was impatient with him and was stunned for a moment.
Lin Bozhou had originally moved his gaze away, but turned his head and gently glanced at his eyes: “Not fierce. Sit still, be good.”
“…”
The familiar tone returned.
But his voice was very low, and General Guzhou was standing not far away from him.
Meng Huan pursed his lips and sat back in the carriage.
Lin Bozhou pressed the hilt of the long sword with one hand, his vision blurred through his eyelashes, listened to a few words from General Guzhou, then strode to the front of the team with his long legs.
Lin Bozhou was talking to the general, the commander-in-chief and other generals with his face half turned away, the lines of his profile calm and steady.
Meng Huanhui sat back in the carriage, his eyes moving, still a little dazed.
He couldn’t understand this plot line.
He was like a person on vacation who was suddenly called to work overtime.
Meng Huan blinked and looked out the window. He saw many people from Guzhou standing on both sides of the road to see them off. Among them were refugees who had just settled down. They were holding their children and their families. They were looking at the army. Some of them were holding rice wine, while others were holding wreaths made of flowers and wiping their tears.
Meng Huan’s heart was inexplicably touched: “They are…?”
You Jin sighed: “The people’s hearts are made of flesh and blood.”
With the pillow resting on the back of his head, Meng Huan turned his gaze towards him.
“Your Highness previously helped the refugees and built up their homes, and they were grateful. Now going to the king’s defense is an act of loyalty and righteousness. These are all here to see your Highness off.”
Lin Bozhou’s reputation has improved a lot. Previously, he was a traitor that the clerks wrote furiously to denounce. They accused Lin Bozhou of holding the young emperor hostage and monopolizing power, of being cruel in his power over the court, and of changing the rules in violation of the laws of our ancestors…
But now it is different. Lin Bozhou’s reputation is like the sun and the moon hanging high in the sky, clear and bright.
Meng Huan’s dark eyes turned: “These should have belonged to my husband.”
“It’s never too late to come. They had a misunderstanding about the prince before, thinking that he was ambitious, but that’s not the case at all,” You Jin said with a look of relief, “The prince is loyal to the clan without any deviation. I have watched the prince grow up, and I don’t understand his character, do I?”
“…”
Meng Huan raised his eyes to meet You Jin’s solemn face.
Logically, Meng Huan should have agreed, but for some reason, he did not nod his head.
The image of Lin Bozhou leaning against the threshold of the Buddhist temple flashed through his mind, his royal robes stained with crimson in the dusty light, and a faint smile on the corners of his lips.
Meng Huan’s throat rolled and he pursed his lips.
He looked out the window.
This mighty army of 100,000 raised dust on the ground that stretched for dozens of miles. They galloped towards the capital city with the momentum of impatient, hungry and thriving tigers and wolves.
Logically speaking, the atmosphere when going to war should be depressing.
But this army, like a long-confined beast released from a cage, bared its fangs and claws, ran wildly in excitement, and marched towards the bloodthirsty battlefield with high morale…
Meng Huan’s eyelids twitched.
ONE HUNDRED TWENTY FOUR
“There is a curfew at night, don’t walk around.”
“It’s been hard traveling lately, but it will be easy once we get to the capital.”
“It’s better to fight with the prince. With the prince, we can enjoy the good life. It’s not like before with Liaodong, where we couldn’t even have a good meal and were suspected by others.”
“This is not just my opinion, my brothers all think so…”
The army set up camp on the road. When it got dark, Meng Huan waited in the tent for Lin Bozhou for a long time but he didn’t come back, so he just sat down and chatted with the soldiers.
“Hahaha, since we have won the first prize in this campaign, shouldn’t we give him a title?”
Meng Huan couldn’t help but laugh as he listened. Behind him, he heard the sound of footsteps.
“Husband.”
Lin Bozhou was surrounded by a group of people, his eyes were tinged with drunkenness, and he held Meng Huan’s hand: “It’s so late, why don’t you go to bed?”
Meng Huan: “I’ll wait for you to come back.”
Lin Bozhou walked into the tent with a smile: “I met up with the Jizhou general, had a meal with him, drank a few more glasses of wine, and came back late, so Huanhuan was kept waiting for a long time.”
Meng Huan knew that during wars, he would occasionally have to meet and greet generals. He shook his head and said, “It’s OK. I don’t know if you are drunk or not.”
The generals wore extremely thick clothes during the day, which made them sweat all over.
“Let me help you take off your clothes.”
Meng Huan reached out to unbutton Lin Bozhou’s collar and lapels. His fingers were white and he had just peeled the clothes to the neck, revealing the shoulders and neck behind the neck, when Meng Huan was suddenly held by his waist and hugged into his arms.
Lin Bozhou’s hands were hot, rubbing his waist.
“We’ve been marching fast these days. Are you used to the roads?” he said in a low voice.
Meng Huan felt his touch make her bones itch, and she shook her head: “I’m used to it. Husband… don’t move.”
He said seriously, “Let me undress you first.”
“Yeah.” Lin Bozhou seemed to be listening but not quite.
“Don’t move – ah –“ The next word was said, and Meng Huan was picked up by his waist. He walked a few steps to the couch and sat down, then held him in his arms.
“Take it off.” Lin Bozhou said two simple words.
“…”
Like a big boss.
If it weren’t for the fact that he ate and drank his food, Meng Huan wouldn’t care whether he lived or died qaq.
Meng Huan sat on his lap and gently took off his clothes. He could clearly feel that Lin Bozhou was in a good mood. While he was taking off his clothes, Lin Bozhou’s hands were pinching his lower back.
As long as he joined the army, among a group of men, Lin Bozhou’s temperament would become much more aggressive. Meng Huan took off his clothes, and Lin Bozhou kissed him, and the hot breath fell on his ears.
Meng Huan finally took off his clothes, his hands were sore from exhaustion, and he was stunned for a moment: “It seems that you are going to the capital to serve the king, so there is no need to take me with you. I will just wait for you to come back in Guzhou.”
Lin Bozhou leaned against his forehead and laughed: “Don’t you want to leave Guzhou?”
Meng Huan: “Are you leaving?”
Her dark, bright eyes looked at him, her chin pointed, as if she had a lot to say.
Lin Bozhou lowered his eyes and rolled his Adam’s apple. Sometimes he felt that Meng Huan understood, and sometimes he felt that he didn’t understand.
“Can’t bear to leave?” he asked.
I have been in Guzhou for several months now, and I have had enough fun. Meng Huan has no hometown, so he can go anywhere.
After thinking for a while, Meng Huan said, “I’ll go wherever you go.”
“Okay.” Lin Bozhou smiled and pinched his cheek, “Let’s go to a lively place that Huanhuan likes.”
Lin Bozhou’s lips, which smelled of alcohol, were pressed against his. Meng Huan shook his head and was about to say “It smells bad”, but he was licked gently by the tip of the tongue against his upper palate. The tip of the tongue slipped in wetly and coolly and gently touched his lips, and the smell of alcohol seemed to be not so strong.
A dim lamp was on in the tent. Lin Bozhou had taken off his coat while lying on the couch. Meng Huan held him in his arms, tilted his head, put his hands on the back of his head and kissed him hard.
Meng Huan let him kiss him, and he pricked up his ears alertly to look outside the tent, while Lin Bozhou’s words flashed vaguely in his mind.
…a lively place.
Meng Huan gently grasped Lin Bozhou’s clothes with his fingers –
What follows is a continuous journey.
The Beijing army was weak, and after Shanhaiguan was captured, most of the city gates in the interior had disadvantages such as scattered troops and small and weak forces. Fortunately, they were in the capital area and had some combat effectiveness. By the time Lin Bozhou’s army arrived, Zhenguanhou had not yet entered the capital, but had already entered Tongzhou.
The news shocked the whole country.
Tongzhou is outside the imperial city. If no one can stop it and the imperial city is breached, the emperor will probably flee to Xijing, or the dynasty will be replaced directly!
Therefore, after Lin Bozhou met with the commander-in-chief of the Beijing Army, Luo Feng, he did not take a moment to breathe and sent out his troops to fight against the troops of Marquis Zhenguan.
The weather is getting warmer, approaching early summer.
Meng Huan was wearing thin clothes. He stood on the mountain, tiptoeing and looking down the mountain.
In my ears, I could hear Zhu Dong’s analysis of the current situation.
“Zhenguanhou used the pretext of ‘clearing the court of officials’. He took away the military pay that the court had sent to Liaodong, recruited some of the defeated Zhuli Zhenren, and burned, killed, looted, and seized the people’s property along the way. Now he has reached the capital and will not stop until Your Majesty executes the prince.”
The coalition forces of Zheng Lin Bozhou and the Beijing Army stationed at the foot of the mountain had captured Tongzhou City. In order to recapture Tongzhou City, the coalition forces had placed siege equipment, ladders, battering rams, watchtowers, trench bridges, and three-bed bows and crossbows under the city, preparing to launch a charge.
“How come the Liaodong military pay was taken away by Marquis Zhenguan?” Meng Huan’s expression was complicated. He had suffered a lot in order to avoid drawing the seal and had to negotiate with An Chui.
Zhu Dong looked at him solemnly: “When His Majesty issued an order to take away the prince’s military power.”
“…”
Meng Huan was stunned, and memories suddenly came to his mind.
At that time, Emperor Xuanhe saw that Lin Bozhou was staying in Liaodong with hundreds of thousands of troops and was worried that he would rebel and attack the capital. So when the war was most critical, he sent a eunuch to supervise the army. He pretended to obey the orders but secretly joined forces with the ambitious Marquis Zhenguan. When Lin Bozhou’s troops were killing the enemy outside the city, he used despicable tricks to take his life and seize his power.
Who would have thought that the command of the army was given to Zhenguan Hou, a man with real ill intentions. Seeing that Lin Bozhou had turned the tables and he was about to lose power, he decided to go all out and start a rebellion.
I see……
People are displaced, the country is about to fall apart, compatriots are killing each other…
Meng Huan muttered to himself, “Your Majesty is the culprit.”
He placed his hand lightly on his chest and looked down.
“Knock knock knock—”
The sound of horse hooves.
Among the huge army, Lin Bozhou rode a tall horse and stepped out of the army. He was dressed in armor and walked out from the crowd, looking at the Tongzhou tower occupied by the Marquis of Zhengguan.
Marquis Zhenguan arranged several routes to attack the capital, Tongzhou being one of them, and also the most dangerous one at present. Lin Bozhou led tens of thousands of troops to intercept the rebels and prepare to retake the city.
“Your Highness is the commander-in-chief, all right,” said Zhu Dong.
Meng Huan: “What’s good?”
“It’s good for the commander. He doesn’t have to listen to fools, and he won’t be controlled by anyone. No one can blame him except the emperor. This is of course good.”
On the other hand, it also means that the command of Guzhou’s 100,000 troops is in Lin Bozhou’s hands.
Meng Huan’s eyes were fixed on Lin Bozhou at the foot of the mountain. Although he was very small, he could tell that it was Lin Bozhou.
The Marquis of Zhenguan was in Tongzhou, and Lin Bozhou was here to stop him. The Marquis of Zhenguan was only one step away from the imperial city, which meant that Lin Bozhou was also only one step away from the imperial city.
If… This thought suddenly popped up in Meng Huan’s mind. If Lin Bozhou also rebelled… Wouldn’t he be just one step away from the throne?
Meng Huan let out a soft sigh, hugged his head and slowly squatted down.
…He has a headache.
He knew Lin Bozhou’s character and didn’t want to speculate about him.
But……
When Meng Huan frowned, he suddenly heard a loud and penetrating horn sound, followed by a few loud “bang bang bang!” noises. The catapult on the ground started to work, and the long, winding pole swayed, throwing huge stones heavily onto the city wall.
“Bang, bang, bang—”
“Bang, bang, bang—”
“what happened?”
Meng Huan’s scalp went numb from the sound.
He could no longer stand and squatted on the stone, with waves of dizziness rising in his head.
Zhu Dong’s excited voice was in my ears: “The coalition forces have begun to retake the city!”
Meng Huan looked towards the battlefield.
Rather than calling it a coalition army, it is more like Guzhou’s army. The Beijing army had been exhausted during the time when Lin Bozhou entered the capital. Now only the Guzhou army maintained sufficient combat effectiveness. They operated their equipment to advance forward. Amidst the volcanic sea of fire, billowing smoke and dust, and rain of arrows, the soldiers began to move forward with weapons that were extremely harmful.
The first thing to do is to cross the moat. Soldiers push the trench bridge, escorted by armored vehicles, to block some of the arrows. But whenever their bodies are exposed, they will be pierced by the overwhelming arrows, and they will stop moving forward due to pain or death. When someone is injured or dies, the person behind them will quickly take their place and continue to push the armored vehicles and trench bridge forward.
But pushing the trench bridge to the edge of the moat is not the end. The wood will be hit by the oiled rockets, and the trench bridge will burn and be abandoned, or the bridge and the people will fall into the moat and be pierced by the barricades and spikes below…
Meng Huan took a deep breath and looked at the scene at the foot of the mountain.
There were constant roars, smoke and shouts like thunder.
The dead soldiers fell, but others continued to take their places.
“…” Meng Huan’s eyes were moist and his throat was rolling.
Killing one’s own clan.
The culprit of this battle…is Emperor Xuanhe’s stupidity.
Is Lin Bozhou serving him?
…
Meng Huan shook his head vigorously.
Zhu Dongxian was still watching with excitement, then slowly he knelt on the stone and let out a cry mixed with grief and anger.
This was an extremely tense battle. Both the enemy and our side realized that the main decisive battle would take place here, and they invested enormous amounts of force. The battlefield was like a terrifying meat grinder.
…In the moat, corpses gradually piled up.
There was flames all over the sky at the foot of the mountain. The battle never stopped, from early morning to dusk.
Sound the horn and temporarily withdraw the troops.
“Master, would you like some water?”
You Jin’s voice finally brought Meng Huan back to his senses.
His lips were dry. He had not eaten or drunk much water for the whole day. He stood anxiously on the top of the mountain, watching through a telescope. He hoped to win quickly and end the battle quickly. Lin Bozhou was just like him, not distracted at all, and fully focused on commanding the battle.
This is a head-on confrontation. Behind the scenes, the Guzhou Army will cut off the rebels’ logistical supply. Then they will only need to slowly consume them, and the capture of Tongzhou City will be just around the corner.
Meng Huan: “Let’s go down the mountain.”
He rode his horse to the foot of the mountain to rest at night, but he could not be careless. The enemy might take advantage of the Guzhou soldiers’ tiredness and lack of defense at night to raid the camp.
Meng Huan passed by the camp and saw wounded soldiers being carried back one after another. They were just as expected, with broken limbs, arrows in their bodies, and wailing everywhere. The wounds gave off a rotting smell.
Meng Huan looked at it with tears in his eyes for a while, hating himself for not bringing any golden fingers. He knew that these thoughts were useless, so he turned around and strode towards the camp where Lin Bozhou was.
“The King of Zhong, please accept the order!” a sharp voice said.
Meng Huan stopped.
This is the voice of the eunuch.
In front of the central army tent, the eunuch stood facing south, and Lin Bozhou had just retreated from the battlefield. His hair and face were covered with dried blood, and his armor and robe were stained. The horsewhip he held in one hand was hitting his palm in suppression as he stared at the eunuch.
Chen An lowered his head and said gently, “Please forgive me, sir. The prince was shot in the leg just now and cannot kneel down.”
The eunuch was frightened by the bloody murderous aura that filled Lin Bozhou’s body, and he quickly read out the most important part of the imperial edict in a weak voice:
“——After you conquer Tongzhou, please ask the King of Zhong to withdraw his troops from Tongzhou. The city is the boundary and no one is allowed to cross it!”
Lin Bozhou clenched his teeth lightly, and a mouthful of bloody saliva seemed to roll out of his throat, which he spat onto the ground.
“spit!”
Then he raised his hand to signal the guest to leave, looking annoyed.
He turned around and strode towards the central military tent. His tall figure disappeared and he didn’t look like he had any leg illness at all.
The eunuch stood there with a pale face.
Chen An smiled again and nodded in response: “Yes, my prince heard it.”
ONE HUNDRED TWENTY FIVE
Meng Huan followed him into the tent.
Lin Bozhou took off his clothes and lowered his head to drink a bowl of tea, his brows and eyes looking tired.
Meng Huan poured him another half bowl, his heart beating faster and faster.
“What does that eunuch mean?”
“What he meant was that he was afraid that my husband would rebel and seize the throne,” Lin Bozhou closed his eyes. “Being afraid of the army coming to support the king has existed since ancient times. We want to help them, but we are also afraid that they will cross the Chu River and Han River and become a wolf in the house. It is very difficult to strike a balance between the two. Your Majesty is afraid of my husband, but…”
Lin Bozhou took a sip of tea and stopped talking.
If Lin Bozhou knew etiquette, he would withdraw from Tongzhou.
If……
On second thought, Meng Huan didn’t know how to get involved in this topic.
While he was distracted, his attention was drawn to Lin Bozhou’s face.
Lin Bozhou had not eaten during the whole day of the siege and only drank a few sips of water. There were traces of dust under his eyes and on the bridge of his nose, and blood on his lips. If you got close to his chest, you could smell a strong smell of rust covered with smoke and dust.
“Are you hungry, husband?” Meng Huan stretched out her fingers and gently stroked his face.
“I’m hungry.” The skin he touched was covered with dust. Lin Bozhou grabbed his hand and put it to his ear and kissed him, “Have you eaten?”
“have eaten.”
Lin Bozhou’s eyes seemed tired: “Then I will use some for myself.”
He picked up the chopsticks and also picked up the pot of wine next to it.
Every order from the commander-in-chief determines the life and death of hundreds of people. Watching the soldiers die is extremely stressful. Lin Bozhou poured a glass of wine and drank it.
The wine tastes spicy. He has a high alcohol tolerance, but he rarely drinks on normal days.
I only had a few drinks and didn’t want to get drunk and mess up things.
When he put down the wine glass, the clear smell of alcohol overflowed from his lips.
“Husband…”
Seeing the frosty blue in Lin Bozhou’s eyes, Meng Huan’s mind moved slightly, and he reached out to touch his face. The young man’s fingers were slender, and his white fingertips pinched Lin Bozhou’s chin.
Lin Bozhou was a little surprised. He curled his lips and smiled at him with drunken eyes: “What happened to Huanhuan today?”
The scene I saw at the top of the mountain floated through my mind.
Floating over the generals who died in a hundred battles, the warriors who returned after ten years, floating over the rain of blood and corpses, floating over the slaughter and fighting in the bright flames, floating over the fallen trench bridges and ladders rolling in flames…
Meng Huan shook his head: “I just feel sorry for you and you all.”
His voice was gentle, his eyes were bright, and his tone was pure when he said this. Lin Bozhou covered his lips and coughed softly, then stood up: “It’s time to go to bed. Beware of the enemy’s attack on the camp at night. They will launch a second round of attacks at Chou time.”
“Yeah.” Meng Huan placed her fingers under his neck, “I’ll help you take off your clothes.”
Meng Huan was very well behaved and knew that Lin Bozhou was tired.
He didn’t have much to do in the army, so he could help Lin Bozhou with some small things. As soon as he finished saying this, Meng Huan was held in his arms by Lin Bozhou, who pinched his jaw and kissed him.
“…”
The action was a bit rough. Meng Huan was stunned for two seconds, then he turned his ears away and remained motionless like a rabbit.
Lin Bozhou is usually rational, but he will become a little crazy when he is under a lot of pressure.
The lips parted, with silver threads entangled.
Lin Bozhou lowered his eyes to look at him, and asked in a probing voice: “Is it okay?”
The man’s hand was on the belt around Meng Huan’s waist.
Meng Huan swallowed lightly and just as he nodded, the belt was untied and he was carried onto the couch.
“Husband, please be gentle…”
Meng Huan reminded weakly.
Perhaps it was the alcohol that drove him, or perhaps it was the cruelty of the imperial edict he had just witnessed, Lin Bozhou bit Meng Huan’s lower lip, sucked on his plump lip beads, and kissed his pink lips until they were red and swollen.
Meng Huan knew that he was under a lot of pressure, and sometimes he would vent it on himself when he couldn’t find an outlet. He curled his paws, grasped his collar, and frowned in grievance.
The wet kiss reached the ear and neck.
Lin Bozhou’s voice rang out: “I just treated the eunuch who announced the decree badly. The eunuch went back to the palace to pass on the message. As long as he reported it, Your Majesty would be able to guess my intention.”
The tingling pleasure spread from the tailbone to the spine, and Meng Huan wrapped his arms around Lin Bozhou.
“What is the purpose?”
The kiss came again.
Lifting aside the drooping black hair, Lin Bozhou’s dark eyes met Meng Huan’s, and his field of vision was like a mist –
He was a man who was thorough and patient, and would rather spend a long time building momentum and laying the groundwork, just to make sure that the decisive battle was foolproof. From the time he had the idea until now, he had never told anyone about this matter in person.
He kissed Meng Huan’s earlobe: “Huan Huan.”
Now, he wanted to tell Meng Huan.
Meng Huan’s mind suddenly cleared up, and he swallowed hard, realizing something: “Husband.”
Lin Bozhou leaned gently into his ear and said, “I’ll tell you a secret.”
The man’s voice sounded dangerous, as if from hell. Meng Huan was so kissed that he couldn’t breathe. He kicked his fair feet in the quilt: “What, what?”
Respond to his moment of silence.
Outside the tent came the sound of the night watchman’s beat, which seemed very far away and yet very close.
Meng Huan’s mind had just become clear when he heard Lin Bozhou’s bass voice clearly within reach.
Every word is pronounced clearly, reaching straight into the eardrum.
“My Huanhuan is going to be the queen.” –
It was early in the morning, just as the sky was getting light.
Lin Bozhou left the camp early in the morning to attack the city.
Meng Huan sat on the commander’s couch and shook his head. The servant’s voice rang out beside him: “Master, are you awake? It’s time to wash up.”
“good.”
Meng Huan put his feet into his shoes, took a few steps, and then paused.
The intimate words spoken in bed last night flooded into my mind.
——My Huanhuan is going to be the queen.
Meng Huan paused, and a voice came from behind him: “Master?”
His heart skipped a beat. He turned around, his face full of a look of having his secret exposed: “What?”
The servant handed the hot towel to Meng Huan.
“…Thank you.” Meng Huan’s tense back relaxed. He covered his face with a hot handkerchief and recalled the past briefly in his mind.
What Lin Bozhou said.
After entering this worldview, Meng Huan understood why so many people fought for their own interests and died for their honor, and understood Lin Bozhou’s loyalty to the emperor to accept the praise of the people and the court. To this day, he also understands Lin Bozhou’s dissatisfaction with Emperor Xuanhe and everything he did to serve the emperor and rebel.
He fought in Liaodong with fine clothes and galloping horses but did not have a good ending. He fled for his life blindly in the snow. He was full of military achievements but nearly died at the hands of a traitor…
How can I not be disappointed with this court?
The people were displaced, suffered hardships, and even killed each other. How could they not be disappointed with this emperor?
Meng Huan’s hand gently pressed on his pounding chest.
He originally thought that the story ended in Lin Bozhou’s country.
Not really.
Meng Huan also vaguely realized that Lin Bozhou’s choice was a major matter and a secret that could not be told to anyone.
“Master, are you still going to the top of the mountain to watch the battle?” You Jin’s voice sounded from behind, “Tongzhou City is about to be captured.”
“What?” Meng Huan quickly put down the handkerchief and said, “Let’s go.”
“Master, this is a telescope.”
The view from the top of the mountain is wide, and Meng Huan took the telescope handed to him by You Jin.
Last night, the grain and military supply line of Zhenguanhou to Tongzhou was cut off, and the weapons in the city were used up. Now what is being thrown at the city are not stones, but corpses.
The soldiers who were blocked outside the moat yesterday also crossed the moat and advanced forward today. They carried ladders to the city wall and began to climb up the city.
——After Lin Bozhou recaptures Tongzhou and eliminates the worry of Marquis Zhenguan, will he use it as a base to launch an offensive against the imperial city?
It seemed like something was coagulating in Meng Huan’s blood.
That rubbish original novel made Lin Bozhou blind since childhood and suffer from the pain of blindness from time to time, made him work diligently in the capital for six years but was scolded, made him blindly chase someone and fall off his horse and be trampled to bleed, made him destroy the Zhulizhen clan and be stabbed in the back by court officials at the peak of his glory, made him a slave and a servant of the royal family, and became a stepping stone for a bastard who had an affair with a foreign race to become emperor.
…He gave everything, but was betrayed and tortured.
Meng Huan doesn’t understand power struggles, but he knows that a person who works hard for the people should not be trampled upon by hypocritical and selfish people.
I stared intently at the foot of the mountain, my eyes felt sore and my fingers trembled.
Finally, there was nothing left to fall from the tower.
A brave guard turned over and climbed up the parapet, kicked down the rebels defending the city with his legs, stood firmly, drew out his long sword and slashed at the rebels –
Soon after, more and more guards climbed up the city wall and fought with the rebels.
There was a “crunch” sound.
The city gate burst open.
Meng Huan’s scalp went numb, and his tense and swollen mood finally exploded, and his whole body relaxed.
He was sweating profusely, and he lifted up his skirt and ran towards the foot of the mountain: “We have taken it back! Tongzhou has been taken back! I want to congratulate my husband!”
You Jin couldn’t help but smile bitterly and followed behind him: “Master, run slower!”
“I can’t slow down, I’m so happy!”
Meng Huan’s throat was boiling with heat, and his heart was surging with uncontrollable ripples.
He was originally a person who could not stand the sight of life and death, but he knew that there can be no construction without destruction. Only when Lin Bozhou rebuilt a brand new court could he avoid more people from dying, dying from the chronic poison of mediocrity, dying from the exploitation of court officials and the emperor’s heavy taxes.
He was filled with joy and ran to the foot of the mountain, stepping on the stones on the road.
“Master, what’s in front?” You Jin’s voice suddenly stopped.
Meng Huan was led by him to slow down his pace and raise his eyes.
“…Who are they?”
They are a group of Jinyiwei.
He was dressed in gorgeous clothes, riding a horse with bright clothes, a long sword on his waist and a badge in his hand.
They were dressed in gorgeous clothes and stood out where they were.
Right in front of them stood four or five eunuchs, two in red and three in blue. The eunuchs rolled up their sleeves and hurried toward the top of the mountain.
The Embroidered Uniform Guards and eunuchs were all the emperor’s confidants, and this scene clearly showed that something important was going to be done.
Meng Huan couldn’t help but wonder: “Why did they appear in this barren mountain?”
You Jin vaguely realized that something was wrong: “Master, let’s get out of the way.”
Meng Huan nodded and was about to walk towards the side path, but who knew that a young eunuch who was following the group of people raised his hand and pointed at Meng Huan.
“Eunuch, he is the Princess of the Middle King.”
“…”
Meng Huan’s eyes turned sharply.
The eunuch’s target was indeed him. He stepped forward with a gentle look in his eyes, “Is it Her Royal Highness the Princess? I have His Majesty’s order.”
“…”
Meng Huan’s agitated mood slowly cooled down, and he began to feel a little doubtful. He looked at him to confirm: “Your Majesty’s order? Your Majesty’s order to me?”
The eunuch confirmed: “Yes, this is the instruction given by His Majesty to the princess.”
What was the decree issued by Emperor Xuanhe to himself?
The political situation has always been controlled by Lin Bozhou. He is not familiar with Emperor Xuanhe, so what oral orders can he issue?
Especially……
It was last night, when Lin Bozhou’s army stopped in front of the imperial city, that Lin Bozhou told himself that he wanted to rebel.
Meng Huan’s political sensitivity was average, but he realized something was wrong at this moment. This group of people was most likely coming for him. He stood still and looked back at the palace guards.
He came to the mountain to watch the battle, and the number of people he protected was limited, with only a guard team of more than ten people. At this time, the guards discovered that Meng Huan was intercepted by the Jinyiwei and ran towards this side.
“Princess, wait a minute!”
The eunuch noticed the guards coming and his expression became nervous: “Princess, please accept the order quickly!”
Meng Huan didn’t move at all.
The eunuch could no longer care about that, and read directly: “Convey the order of His Majesty: My brother is fighting outside the city, and the rebels are as fierce as wolves and tigers. I am afraid that my sister-in-law will be harmed, so I will take her to the palace first. When my brother has pacified the rebels and withdrawn from Tongzhou without any worries about her life, I will take her out of the palace. I decree this.”
Meng Huan pondered the oral instruction: “Your Majesty wants to take me to the palace?”
Father-in-law: “Yes, princess.”
You Jin’s expression suddenly changed: “Your Majesty’s order, we have to obey, but please let the princess go back to the camp to inform the prince first, so that the prince will not worry, and take a few soft clothes.”
Meng Huan also nodded: “Yes, I will tell my husband first.”
It’s okay only if Lin Bozhou says it’s okay.
“We have already passed the oral order to the prince, and he will know it sooner or later. Time is running out, His Majesty is still waiting, and the palace has everything,” the eunuch ignored You Jin and urged, “Princess, please?”
They were too anxious to take themselves away.
The more anxious Meng Huan became, the more he knew there was a problem. He looked back vigilantly and slowly moved forward. The guards were still some distance away, so he could only try to delay them.
Meng Huan shook her head vigorously: “No, I have to meet my husband first. My husband will be worried about me.”
The eunuch’s expression changed slightly. Although his smile was gentle, his eyes were filled with murderous intent. “The princess has difficulty walking. Please help me, gentlemen.”
“When did my legs become inconvenient?”
As Meng Huan finished speaking, the Jinyiwei came forward and grabbed his shoulders, lifted him up, and carried him forward.
The kung fu’s finger bones were hard, and the force was so strong that it almost cut into the flesh. The pain was so severe that it seemed as if his arm was broken. Meng Huan took a breath and burst into anger.
“Let go, who are you?!!!”
“Let me go! Let me go! What does it mean to be violent in public! Let me go!!!”
You Jin’s face turned pale as he understood: “This is your Majesty… Your Majesty is so cruel. The prince is fighting the rebels in Tongzhou to recapture the lost city. Your Majesty doesn’t trust the prince and actually wants to take the princess into the palace as a hostage! What a cruel heart…! Hurry up and inform the prince! Hurry!!”
Meng Huan immediately understood the purpose of this group of people.
Some time ago, Lin Bozhou had some disputes with the governor of the Beijing Army over military power. Lin Bozhou was unwilling to hand over power and he wanted to command these 100,000 troops personally.
Emperor Xuanhe was afraid of inviting a wolf into the house. He wanted to use Lin Bozhou to defeat the rebels, but he was afraid that Lin Bozhou would rebel. His move was to use his own life to threaten Lin Bozhou not to act rashly.
…No wonder Emperor Xuanhe suddenly found me…No wonder he wanted to take me into the palace.
I am the best tool to threaten Lin Bozhou.
Meng Huan was picked up and thrown into the carriage. His knees hit the wooden board hard, and the pain made his throat gasp.
I felt dizzy and heard the sound of the whip hitting the horse’s butt hard.
“drive!”
The Jinyiwei urged their horses on in a hurry and galloped towards the imperial city.
Meng Huan leaned out of the window and looked at the guards chasing him frantically: “Save me! Save me!!”
The guards quickened their pace of pursuit, and several Jinyiwei changed direction, intercepted the enemy on the spot, drew out their long swords, and started to kill them on the spot.
Amid the flashing of swords and sabers, Meng Huan’s heart was beating wildly in his chest and cold sweat was running down his cheeks.
Why was it me? Why was I kidnapped to threaten Lin Bozhou? Lin Bozhou had almost no weaknesses, except for himself. He had no children, and could not send a hostage to the palace. He only had his beloved wife, and everyone knew it. Emperor Xuanhe knew that Meng Huan was his only weakness, and wanted to use Meng Huan to threaten him…
If he was caught in the palace, he would have a hold on Lin Bozhou’s vital point.
Did the army that came to support the king have a good end?
Did Lin Bozhou succeed?
Even…can Lin Bozhou have a good ending?
——Cannot be brought into the palace.
Meng Huan leaned against the window of the carriage, his throat trembling slightly, and tried his best to look at the pursuers behind him. The number of the guards was too small in comparison. After a chase, the number of people riding horses became fewer and fewer, and they were left far behind.
Meng Huan took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure, and looked at everything around him.
He wants to escape… He has to escape…
It was getting close to evening and dark clouds were covering the sky.
At the end of the sky, there were suddenly bursts of sharp and long neighing of horses.
“Oh——”
Meng Huan’s eyes turned. On the forked road, the sleeves of the bright red royal robe were fluttering, and people and horses were galloping over. Behind them were hundreds of thousands of galloping horses, which made a loud noise on the ground and raised thick smoke and dust.
In the smoke and dust, Lin Bozhou loosened the reins with his fingers, pulled out an arrow from behind, and shot the Jinyiwei who was riding the horse, and the man rolled to the ground.
“How dare you, the rebel! How dare you kidnap the princess!”
“Traitor! Stop the carriage immediately! Put down the princess and I will spare your life!”
Lin Bozhou, is Lin Bozhou’s man.
When he received the news, he came to rescue himself immediately.
Meng Huan’s eyes were moist and she shouted, “Husband! Save me! Save me!”
I can’t live any longer…
Seeing the pursuers getting closer and closer, the eunuch hurriedly discussed with the Jinyiwei beside him: “Not good, the Zhongwang is chasing us with his men! If we are caught up and can’t bring the people into the palace, you and I will both be beheaded!”
“What do you think we should do?”
“Tie up the man, seal the carriage, whip the horses to run wildly, and you and I will fight to the death if we block the road. There are people ahead to help us. If we can delay a little, we can send him to the imperial city!” The other party gritted his teeth, “We must send him to the palace!”
The Jinyiwei rushed towards the carriage.
The curtain suddenly opened, revealing a strange face.
…This group of people all wanted to use me to threaten Lin Bozhou.
Meng Huan refused to let him have his wish.
In front of us is a steep hillside, with a tall and steep mountain on one side and a slope with dense vegetation on the other. When people stand up in the carriage, they will feel shaky and dizzy.
Meng Huan glanced at the hostage eunuch.
He felt as if he had never been so brave.
The other party’s pupils suddenly contracted: “Don’t—”
Meng Huan grabbed the door of the carriage with both hands, and with all his strength, he jumped off the carriage as it swayed and sped away.
“Boom——”
After the whooshing gust of wind, the body fell heavily to the ground.
It wasn’t as painful as he had expected, but it was painful nonetheless. Meng Huan rolled down the hillside along the loess. After he managed to stand up, his ankle was in severe pain, but he strode towards Lin Bozhou.
The horses of Lin Bozhou and his companions were already very close, and they dismounted one after another to provide support.
Lin Bozhou almost jumped off the horse, staggering. When he saw Meng Huan jumping off the carriage, he cried out in extreme pain: “Huanhuan…”
Meng Huan ran forward desperately.
Perhaps due to the sudden shock and excessive pain, he no longer felt any pain. His mind was hazy, but he felt some strange and happy emotions.
…He came to this strange world accidentally. He had nothing, no relatives, and no one to rely on.
It’s been a whole year, and maybe in the future, until I die of old age and illness.
The only warmth he wanted to get close to was Lin Bozhou’s arms.
“Lin Bozhou…”
Meng Huan gritted his teeth, used up his last bit of strength and lunged forward, then darkness surged before his eyes.
Before he lost consciousness, Meng Huan felt a pair of warm and strong arms. Lin Bozhou, whom he had called, hugged his waist and held him tightly in his arms.
YOU ARE READING
Transmigrated as the Regent's Runaway Wife
RomanceTitle: 穿成摄政王的侍爱逃妻 Author: 若星若辰 The regent of the Grand Clan, Lin Bozhou, appears to be bright and clear on the surface, but is so dirty and disgusting in his back. A great traitor should be punished by everyone. On this day, a sedan chair carried Me...
