Chapter 429: Washing the Jue and Holding the Cover
Chapter 429: Washing the Jue and Holding the Cover
It's November now, and the lake is already covered with a thin layer of ice.
The ships creaked as they sailed on it.
After stepping onto the island in the middle of the lake, Shao Xun walked around and looked carefully.
"When I was the general in the palace, I never came here." Shao Xun pointed to the obviously renovated palace room and said, "When Emperor Wen of Wei built Jiuhua Terrace, although Wu and Shu were still in existence, the country was thriving. I don't know why the emperor rebuilt Jiuhua Terrace now."
Wang Yan and others were at a loss for words.
Yes, the country is in this state, and you are still building palaces, is that decent?
Uh, it seems that the late emperor also built Guangcheng Palace and supervised the construction of Guangcheng Garden...
"Where is the emperor?" Shao Xun walked into the main hall, had someone bring in a Hu bed, sat down with his horse and sword, and asked.
Important ministers such as Wang Yan, Xun Fan, Liu Tun, Zheng Yu, Xun Zu, and Yu Min all had different expressions on their faces.
After a long while, Wang Yan finally stood up and said, "The emperor has set out from Zhaoyang Palace and is almost at Hualin Garden. During the court meeting this morning, the emperor also said that he wanted to go to Tianyuan Pond to walk in the snow and look for plum blossoms. Maybe he will come here."
"That's great." Shao Xun said no more and asked, "Where are the officers of the Imperial Guard?"
"Except for General Miao Yuan in the palace, I have already ordered him to lead his troops out of the city for training." Wang Yan said.
"The commander is thoughtful." Shao Xun nodded with a smile.
Wang Yan sighed.
There are too many people here, so it's inconvenient for him to ask some questions.
But he also knew that Shao Xun had long been dissatisfied with the emperor and had been accumulating anger for a long time.
Although there were reasons for stopping the distribution of food and fodder this time, he obviously did not want to let it go. He wanted to teach the emperor a lesson so that he would not be targeted in the future.
As for the extent of the lesson, it is unknown, and this is exactly what Wang Yan is worried about - Shao Xun will not tell him everything.
Everyone just waited.
Cai Cheng asked someone to make tea and brought it over.
Shao Xun invited everyone to drink tea together to warm up their bodies. The old Dengs were not polite at all and sat down directly.
It was also at this time that they realized that Shao Xun had not let them sit down?
It's not a question of having seating or not.
When did they become so obedient? When did they become so self-deprecating?
This is subconsciously putting yourself in an inferior position.
Not right.
There were footsteps in the distance.
Shao Xun took a look and saw the guards and palace maids escorting the emperor's carriage. When they got closer, the Silver Spear Army soldiers on guard outside stopped them, and there was a faint sound of quarreling.
But it seems to have no effect.
The killers of the Silver Spear Army have been led by Shao Xun for ten years. Their temperaments are very different from those of the Imperial Guards. Although the pressure from the emperor is great, they will not let anyone go without a military order.
Wang Yan held a tea bowl in his hand and seemed to be sipping it, but his eyes were always on the place where the quarrel was happening.
The Xun brothers lowered their heads and sighed, unable to bear to look any longer.
Liu Tun and Zheng Yu looked at each other and frowned.
Since the Qin and Han Dynasties, although the prestige of the emperor has been declining, why has it come to this?
Fortunately, the quarrel ended quickly.
The emperor got off the carriage and, surrounded by several palace ladies, looked around as if he was really looking for plum blossoms in the snow. Then he "happened" to see Shao Xun, Wang Yan and others, so he "happily" walked over.
Shao Xun's butt finally left the Hu bed and he bowed to the emperor: "Your Majesty, I, Shao Xun, pay my respects to you."
"Your Majesty Wang Yan..." All the ministers also bowed.
"No need to be so polite, my dear ministers." Sima Chi said with his hands in the air.
Cai Cheng brought a Hu bed and placed it opposite Shao Xun.
Sima Chi hesitated.
I didn't want to sit down, but standing seemed even more inappropriate, so I pinched my nose and sat down, saying: "Shao Qing defeated the Xiongnu and saved the city from danger, it's really-"
"Your Majesty!" Shao Xun slammed the tea bowl on the table, interrupting the emperor's words.
Wang Yan and others were startled.
This rude speech seemed to hit them in the heart, making them tremble with fear.
Sima Chi's eyes were filled with anger and a flash of blue appeared on his face.
Being forced to come to Tianyuan Pond today to "walk in the snow to look for plum blossoms" already made him feel extremely humiliated. But this person was so rude that he interrupted him. Was he not trying to hide it at all?
Then he felt a little panic again.
If Shao Xun doesn't want to hide it, then what will happen to him as the emperor? This...
"Your Majesty wears a crown that reaches the sky, a white jade seal hangs from your waist, and a twelve-chapter crown. You speak the law of heaven and rule the world. This is the majesty of the emperor." Shao Xun stood up, put his hands behind his back, and walked slowly in front of the courtiers and the emperor. As he walked, he said, "But if the world falls apart and people's hearts are scattered, if there are troops to support the king but they are not sent, if there are grain to support the capital but they are not delivered, and if you delegate power to your subordinates and appoint private individuals, and watch Luoyang fall into the hands of the enemy to satisfy your own selfish desires, then the majesty of heaven will be completely lost."
Sima Chi's face instantly became red.
There are some things that everyone understands, but it is hard to hear them when they are said so bluntly. "The battle of Xin'an was a defeat for the king's army. If the Xiongnu moved south from Henei and threatened Luoyang, the king and his ministers would all be captured by the enemy."
"When we reach Pingyang, will Liu Cong still care about our friendship? Will your Majesty's wife and children be safe? If you are humiliated by the bandits, what can your Majesty do?"
After a few questions, Sima Chi's face was already redder than ever.
He wanted to reprimand him, but when he met Shao Xun's gaze, his courage instantly disappeared and he was unable to say anything.
"I am fighting hard in Hebei, but the imperial court has stopped sending food and grass." Shao Xun continued, "If we are unfortunately defeated and the whole army is wiped out, Your Majesty, please think about whether there are any troops nearby who can help you?"
"Your Majesty, are you still able to wear the crown on your head and the white jade seal on your waist?"
"In my opinion, the matter of washing the cups, changing clothes and holding blankets will not be far away."
“Shut up!” Sima Chi stood up suddenly, glared at Shao Xun, and said, “You…you…”
It was so ugly! Wang Yan and the others were all shocked.
Pouring wine for Liu Cong, washing cups, and holding the toilet lid when using the toilet - for ordinary people to do these things, it was very menial, usually they were slaves of lower status, and it was simply unimaginable for the emperor to do such things.
Shao Xun looked at Sima Chi's broken defense, shook his head and laughed, saying: "Your Majesty, please think about it carefully. This is all I have to say."
After that, he looked at Wang Yan, Xun Fan and others and said, "You are all talented people in the world. I believe you have heard a lot about Liu Cong's character. The important matters of the court all depend on you."
After saying that, he sighed deeply and left.
After he left, the Silver Spear Army soldiers scattered around the Tianyuan Pond responded with commands, gathered one after another, and left in a line.
Even though Shao Xun was gone, they remained meticulous, wearing armor, holding spears, and moving their arms and legs seriously, disappearing in the wind and snow.
"Bang!" The emperor slammed the table hard, and the tea splashed everywhere.
Seeing that the important ministers did not react, he sneered twice and turned away.
The palace maid hurriedly followed and held an umbrella for the emperor.
Sima Chi pushed him away, did not even sit in the carriage, and walked angrily in front.
The snow was getting heavier, and Sima Chi was getting angrier.
This is a humiliation today, right? A naked humiliation, right?
In the decades of the Jin Dynasty, has there ever been a minister who humiliated his king like this?
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and he almost fell.
I don't know how long I walked, but when I arrived at Hualin Garden, I saw Queen Liang Lanbi holding a fur coat, holding an umbrella in the snow, and running towards me with one foot deep and one foot shallow.
"Your Majesty!" When she saw Sima Chi, Liang Lanbi wiped her tears, walked over holding an umbrella, and said, "Please take care of yourself."
When Sima Chi heard the words "take care of yourself", he almost jumped up as if he was stung by a wasp.
His eyes were red, he pushed the queen away and left.
The queen fell down and sat down in the snow, then hurriedly stood up and chased after Sima Chi, saying, "Your Majesty, please do not get angry. Anger will hurt your body."
"Do you need to pity me?" Sima Chi's mind was full of thoughts like "washing the wine cup and holding the lid". He felt extremely aggrieved, so he took out his anger on the queen.
"Your Majesty..." Liang Lanbi said anxiously with tears in her eyes, "When Your Majesty was in the vassal state, I married into the palace. Over the years, I have not asked for much honor, but only wished Your Majesty good health and harmony in the family. The world has fallen apart to this point, and it is beyond human power to save it. Why does Your Majesty have to get angry about this and hurt your body? Even if it is Your Majesty... Your Majesty... I am willing to stay by your side forever, and I will never regret it in this life."
Sima Chi sneered again, "Shao Xun wants me to serve wine, wash cups, change clothes and hold blankets. At that time, even if you are the queen, how can you protect yourself?"
"Mr. Chen has always been sensible and would never do this," Liang Lanbi advised.
"How do you know?"
"I have always been on good terms with Madam Yu of Xuchang, so perhaps I can ask for her help."
It would have been fine if Liang Lanbi hadn't mentioned this, but once she did, Sima Chi became even more furious. He scolded her, "I asked you before, but you kept denying it. Yu Wenjun is a noble woman, and Shao Xun is rebellious, so it's no wonder they got together. Did you have a private correspondence with Yu Wenjun? It's good to find a way out for yourself early, very good."
After saying that, he left angrily.
Liang Lanbi was stunned as if struck by lightning, and then her tears flowed like pearls from a broken string, and she couldn't stop them.
She knelt softly in the snow, her eyes full of despair and disbelief.
Looking for a way out? She smiled sadly, but it was uglier than crying.
The palace maid quickly helped her up.
Like a puppet, she allowed the palace servants to support her and got on the carriage in a daze.
Sima Chi over there had disappeared in the wind and snow.
But the cold wind calmed him down a little.
This calmness makes people a little scared.
He hesitated again and again, and finally sighed dejectedly.
Shao Xun is now a powerful figure. He can't touch him at all and even has to please him.
Perhaps, we can only wait until Shao Xun relaxes his vigilance.
(End of this chapter)