The death knell reverberated in the sky above Chang An for a long time. The mountains and rivers were covered in white, and the mournful cries shook the heavens.
The Emperor left behind a posthumous edict to confer the title of Crown Prince, and then left for the west.
The posthumous edict said that the Prince of Zhou would be appointed as the Crown Prince, Shan Chao would be given a different surname to assist in the government, and the Empress would be put under house arrest.
The rest would be conferred the title of Duke Ying, and the rewards to civil and military officials.
"Your Majesty — —!"
In the spacious square in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the mourning clothes stretched as far as the eye could see. The mourning cries of the officials shook the heavens. Dai Zhide, Zhang Wenguan, and the others were crying their eyes out.
The Prince of Zhou, Li Xian, knelt in front of the huge coffin. He cried so hard that he almost fainted, but the tears on his face were real.
The Emperor Daxing loved his eldest son the most when he was alive, and obviously did not have much hope for Li Xian. He probably saw a similar side of himself in him: weak and affectionate, gentle and kind.
But this could not be considered a flaw. At least Li Xian's performance of crying without sleep for several days was displayed in front of the officials.
Shan Chao stepped forward and pulled Li Xian up with his strong hands. He said gently, "Your Highness is filial and pious, and the whole world can see it.
But don't be too sad and hurt your body. Drink some ginseng soup. "
Li Xian struggled fiercely and flung his hand away.
"Thank you for your hard work, General … I, I can't drink it." Li Xian reacted in an instant and forced himself to change his expression, "Let's talk about it later."
How could that weak and feeble disguise hide from Shan Chao? But he only glanced at Li Xian and nodded calmly, "Alright." He then clasped his hands and respectfully retreated. No one could find the slightest bit of disrespect.
Li Xian gritted his teeth and turned around. After a while, he could not hold on anymore. He swayed and almost fainted in front of the coffin. He quickly stretched out his hand to the other side.
Wei Xuanzhen, who had been waiting by the side, understood. He quickly stepped forward to support Li Xian and comforted him in a low voice.
Shan Chao stood at the side with a smile, as if he did not see anything.
Two days later, Prince of Zhou ascended the throne in front of Li Xian's memorial tablet. According to the edict, he married Wei Xuanzhen's daughter, Madame Wei, as his empress.
The Emperor's mourning period used the days as a substitute for the months, and he ate vegetarian for a total of 27 days.
Shan Chao stayed in his residence and ate with him for twenty-seven days.
"Aren't you pricking the little Emperor's heart?" Xie Yun picked up a piece of shallot tofu with her chopsticks and dipped it in the prepared sauce. She said, "He was already suspicious of you, this cheap brother. Now he's even more restless …"
Shan Chao looked around and saw that there was no one around. He took out a meat biscuit with soy sauce and stuffed it into Xie Yun's mouth, "Eat your biscuit. Look at how you've been eating so little. Your face has turned green."
Xie Yun was dissatisfied, "I've been with you through thick and thin, yet you're not happy. You've spoiled me." As she spoke, she picked out the meat and ate it.
Perhaps it was because they ate vegetarian during mourning, Shan Chao was still able to hold on. However, Xie Yun was becoming haggard at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Shan Chao loved his wife dearly, so he always secretly hid meat jerky and soy sauce bones for her. Even so, she did not seem to get better.
"The Gao Li survivors are rebelling again." Shan Chao sighed as he tore the meat off the soy sauce bones.
Xie Yun asked sensitively, "The little Emperor wants you to go to war?"
"What else can I do?
I'm stationed in the capital with hundreds of thousands of soldiers. Can he sleep? "
"Don't go!"
Shan Chao asked curiously, "Why? Don't you want to take the military merit that's readily available?"
Xie Yun slammed her chopsticks on the table, "Don't go.
When I die, you can go wherever you want to go. "
Shan Chao was so shocked that he stopped what he was doing. He stared at Xie Yun without saying anything. After a while, he said resentfully, "If you don't want to go, then don't go. You keep talking about death and life all day long … Hmm?
Who was the one who drove me to Qinghai eight years ago? Now you're reluctant to part with your disciple? "
Xie Yun lowered her head and slurped her porridge. She did not answer.
Shan Chao tossed the soy sauce meat he tore into Xie Yun's porridge bowl. As he thought about it, he felt a little happy.
In the past month after they fought their way into Chang An, Xie Yun did not drive him away as easily as before. After so many years, the two of them finally returned to the time when they were together day and night. In this turbulent Daming Palace, there was a sense of mutual dependence.
Xie Yun put a piece of soy sauce meat into Shan Chao's bowl, "You eat too."
"No, I'm here …"
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Xie Yun reprimanded in a low voice, "He's not your father."
The two of them looked at each other for a moment. Shan Chao smiled and ate.
The Gao Li rebelled again.
In the fifth year of Xianheng, Xin Luo took in the Gao Juli rebels. Li Jinxing led his troops to attack Mai Xiao Cheng. However, he was defeated by Xin Luo. More than three thousand war horses were seized.
The young emperor was a newly appointed official, and this matter had attracted his attention.
Wei Xuanzhen thus offered a somewhat sinister plan to the New Emperor. In the name of Chang An not being pacified, he ordered Shan Chao to leave the main army in the capital. Then he would lead fifty thousand soldiers and go on an expedition to An Dong.
In this way, as long as he ordered people to go to the frontlines and secretly kill Shan Chao, the army stationed in the capital would have no commander and could be easily subdued. From then on, the foundation of the Emperor's throne would be stable. He would no longer have to worry about an unknown uncle or elder brother coming to steal his rice bowl.
The young Emperor repeatedly praised the plan and praised his future father-in-law for being a pillar of the country.
However, when he came to issue the decree the next day, Shan Chao stubbornly refused, "Lead fifty thousand soldiers?"
The young Emperor said unhappily, "Beloved minister, you think it's too little?"
"Your Majesty," Shan Chao said with a smile, "Li Jinxing stationed two hundred thousand soldiers and defeated Mai Xiao Cheng. Why does Your Majesty think that I can pacify An Dong with fifty thousand soldiers?
Forgive me for being presumptuous, but I am neither the reincarnation of Han Xin nor the reincarnation of Li Guang … "
The Prime Minister of the court, Hao Chujun, suddenly laughed and quickly stopped himself.
"When The Late Emperor was alive, he repeatedly praised you for your ability to fight. Could it be that it was all a lie?"
The young Emperor slammed the table and said angrily, "If there really is an army of a million, even I can easily flatten Xin Luo!
What use do I have for you? "
"There is no need for a million, three hundred thousand is enough.
Just let me lead all the troops stationed in the capital and within a month, I will definitely flatten Xin Luo. "
The young Emperor was silent.
Originally, he wanted Shan Chao to die on the battlefield so that he could smoothly take over the soldiers under his command. If he really defeated Xin Luo, wouldn't he replace him when he returned to the capital?!
"Since Your Majesty still needs to consider, I will come back another day." Shan Chao humbly bowed, turned around, and strode out of the imperial study.
Shan Chao stopped at the top of the magnificent jade steps and welcomed the summer wind that swept through the sky.
Chang An City's blue sky was vast. The golden sunlight shone on the endless white jade square, reflecting the dizzying light.
He narrowed his eyes slightly. After a moment, he sighed without making a sound.
King Zhou ascended the throne in a hurry before his death. He had neither gone through a long and systematic imperial education like his father, nor was he like his eldest brother, who had a group of loyal strategists supporting him.
The Prime Minister group led by Dai Zhide, Hao Chujun, and Zhang Wenguan were all loyal to the East Palace. Even if they wanted to serve the new Emperor, the young Emperor's trust in them was limited. The Empress was not dead and King Ping controlled a large number of troops. The young Emperor was eager to firmly grasp all the decision-making power in his own hands, but there were too many things he could not do.
The war in Xin Luo was complicated. The Gao Li had risen from the ashes, Tufan was ready to make a move, and Tu Jue was preparing their troops.
Emergency reports of the drought in the north and the flood in the Yangtze River arrived in the capital at the same time. Overnight, it was as if the whole country was requesting to open the granaries and distribute grain. Every day, there were no less than hundreds of big and small state affairs.
Shan Chao knew that he did not have the ability to solve all these problems. He looked at the young Emperor's anxious and helpless appearance every day and suddenly thought of Queen Wu.
No matter how she strangled her own daughter and poisoned her two sons, no matter how she schemed to usurp the throne.
The operation of this huge Empire and the complicated and miscellaneous affairs were once on her shoulders alone.
How did his valiant, cold-hearted, and murderous mother manage to rule the country?
"His Majesty summoned the assistant Prime Ministers and wanted to announce to the heavens that he ordered you to go to war. If 50,000 troops can't conquer An Dong, it will be a capital offense. Dai Xiang dragged his sick body and persuaded him to stay."
Zhang Wenguan sighed and said, "Premier Hao, Premier Lai and I tried to dissuade him, but we were all scolded …"
Shan Chao held the green jade teacup with two fingers and gently placed it on the table. He sighed and said, "I'm sorry to have implicated you all."
"General's words are too serious. It's all for the sake of An Dong.
Think about it, if we can't decide the outcome in one battle, why should we sacrifice 50,000 people for no reason?
They are all the people of Tang! "
Shan Chao stood up solemnly and bowed deeply. "General Zhang only cares about the country. I admire you very much."
Zhang Wenguan hurriedly stood up and helped him up. "You can't do this. You can't do this!"
Ever since they found out that the person in front of them was a legitimate Imperial Prince, the attitudes of the Prime Ministers towards Shan Chao had become much more ambiguous.
Especially now that the little Emperor was wholeheartedly supporting his own relatives, he didn't treat the Prime Ministers with respect. The Prime Ministers and Shan Chao had a common enemy and gradually formed a natural alliance.
"Wei Xuanzhen allowed his slaves to occupy the land of the temple. When the monks reported this to the Emperor, the Emperor said, 'Darling Wei is the Emperor's father-in-law. How can he not have a few mu of land?' Thus, the Emperor personally granted Wei Xuanzhen 500 mu of good irrigated land."
Zhang Wenguan looked up to the sky and heaved a long sigh. He almost couldn't even smile bitterly. "Back then, the former Emperor rewarded Prime Minister Dai with only twenty mu of land. What virtue and ability did Wei Xuanzhen have to be able to suppress him by twenty-five times?"
Shan Chao sighed and shook his head.
"Nowadays, when it comes to matters of state, big or small, we ask Wei Xuanzhen for everything. There are often mistakes in his decisions.
But as long as we old officials mention it, the Emperor will become very impatient. It's as if we are deliberately slandering him … "
Zhang Wenguan shook his head again and again in self-mockery. Shan Chao gently advised, "You are all very experienced in scheming for the country.
Unfortunately, the Emperor is still young. Sometimes he won't listen. There's nothing we can do about it. "
"There's a drought in the north and a flood in the south. The people's livelihood, the treasury, and the soldiers on the frontlines, how can we afford to waste time like this?!" Zhang Wenguan bitterly lamented, but he couldn't say another word.
Shan Chao comforted the Prime Minister for a long time, as he often did in this period of time. They discussed some trivial matters of the imperial court and improved their relationship. Then, he stood up and bid farewell.
Zhang Wenguan didn't dare to delay. He personally saw Shan Chao out of the gate and watched as his carriage gradually disappeared into the distance.
Although his power and status were not what it used to be, his servants and carriages were very low-key. They didn't pass through the crowded streets. They deliberately took a detour and went to the more remote streets to avoid disturbing the market and pedestrians.
Zhang Wenguan stood in a daze for a long time. He suddenly remembered what Dai Xiang had said to him in private a few days ago.
If the late Emperor hadn't appointed Prince Zhou but this one, what would have happened?
He shook his head and dispelled this thought. Disappointed and frustrated, he returned to his residence.
However, Zhang Wenguan was wrong. Shan Chao took a detour not because he was afraid of disturbing traffic, but because he suddenly remembered that there was a new chef at the Drunken Immortal Restaurant who made delicious rose cakes. He wanted to bring two boxes for Xie Yun to try.
If Zhang Wenguan knew about this, he would probably spit out a mouthful of blood.
Shan Chao was the kind of person who would want to give his wife a share of anything good. He personally carried the rose, jasmine, chrysanthemum, and cherry pastries back home. When he entered the house, he asked, "Is Commander Xie here today?"
The housekeeper already knew, so he smiled and said, "Commander Xie is drinking tea in the garden. She is waiting for you to come back for a meeting!" Shan Chao didn't say anything else and went to present the pastries to the housekeeper.
For the past month, Xie Yun had been "meeting" in the Shan residence every day. She even had meetings at night.
The two of them ate from the same bowl, slept on the same bed, and went out to play in the same car during their break. They were like a newly married couple who were deeply in love with each other. If it wasn't for the little Emperor's suspicions that were constantly hanging over his head like a sharp blade, Dan Chao would have already indulged in this kind of life and wouldn't think about what would happen next.
He strode through the corridor like a young man who was in love for the first time. He didn't even wait to walk down the steps to the garden. He directly jumped over the railing and shouted, "Xie Yun!"
Xie Yun was half lying on the bamboo bed. Facing the beautiful flowers in the garden, she lazily dozed off.
She actually fell asleep in the middle of the day.
Shan Chao put down the pastries and went to make tea. When he came back, he saw that her face was slightly red from sleep. He couldn't help but love her more and more. He couldn't help but reach out and pinch the tip of her nose.
"Hmm …" Xie Yun turned her head away uncomfortably.
Shan Chao smiled and said, "It's noon. Get up and eat before you sleep." As he said that, he reached out to hold her hand again. But right after that, he made a sound of surprise.
Xie Yun's face was bright red. Her hands were hot, but her breath was cold.
Shan Chao became suspicious. He put his hand on her forehead to check her temperature. It was boiling hot.
— — She had a fever.