Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside Chapter 1726: Meng Shuyu
Previously on Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside...
Since the beginning of the Great Zhou, there has been cultivated land for defense. There are many benefits to the strategy of cultivated land, especially now, facing off against the Rong bandits and being in extreme grain shortage, this division of land for cultivation must be done immediately, otherwise, during the time of scarcity, people will starve to death.
Therefore, General Xu sent an emergency message spanning eight hundred miles, and issued a military order that wherever they pass, they must provide enduring and fast horses. It was also mentioned in the memorial that there were joyous news, which caused the chief officials of the prefectures to prepare good horses early in excitement.
When the messenger soldiers arrived, they immediately switched to superior fast horses and relayed the message with other energetic messenger soldiers, delivering the joyous news to the Capital in just a month.
With more joyous news reaching the capital, Emperor Jingyuan was greatly pleased, but before he could fully enjoy it, he became furious, and directly smashed a teacup down from the court.
Crash!
The jade teacup fell to the court floor and shattered into countless pieces.
All the ministers were greatly frightened and knelt in unison, shouting, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger."
"Calm my anger? Look at Xu You’s absurd memorial, how do you expect me to calm my anger?!" Emperor Jingyuan’s eyes were blood red. If Xu You were in front of him, he would have devoured him alive.
The ministers looked at each other in dismay, and Minister Ouyang Zhang boldly asked, "Your Majesty, is there anything amiss in General Xu’s memorial?"
Xu You had made great achievements and currently held tens of thousands of soldiers, so Your Majesty, stay calm, don’t act recklessly, lest Xu You rebels against you.
Emperor Jingyuan was still quite satisfied with the Ouyang Family, waving to the Chief Eunuch: "Read it!"
"Yes." The Chief Eunuch hurriedly picked up the memorial and read aloud.
But...
It seemed fine, nothing was amiss, so what was the Emperor angry about?
The people of the Ouyang Family had hearts as intricate as Linglong, and after listening, Ouyang Zhang understood: "Your Majesty, are you annoyed that General Xu did not pursue the victory to retake Longshan Prefecture, Daming Prefecture, and Changhe Prefecture?"
"Nonsense!" Emperor Jingyuan said: "Those are the cities of Great Chu. Having driven away the Rong bandits, it’s only right to seize the opportunity to reclaim the occupied cities. Not pursuing a victory but resting and making peace - does Xu You want to die?!"
Emperor Jingyuan was filled with a desire for killing, especially in dealing with the Rong bandits, he couldn’t control his urge to kill.
Ouyang Zhang frowned at hearing this and advised: "Your Majesty, although the Rong bandits’ Heavenly Khan has fled, he left behind a tribal king. If I’m not mistaken, this tribal king commands a Witch Army. Their soldiers are more formidable than assassins. If we fight them, we will have to sacrifice at least tens of thousands more soldiers... Your Majesty, General Xu’s memorial also mentioned that the youngest soldiers of the Northwest Border Army are no more than ten years old. Observing the minor gives insight to the major, you can see the severe loss of our Great Chu’s military strength..."
"Silence!" Emperor Jingyuan did not want to listen and scolded Ouyang Zhang: "Are you also trying to oppose me?!"
Ouyang Zhang shivered, recalling what his father said: because there hasn’t been a girl sent from the family to the palace, Emperor Jingyuan felt uneasy, suspecting the Ouyang Family of disloyalty, advising him to keep silent when necessary, to avoid bringing misfortune to the Ouyang Family.
However, Ouyang Zhang didn’t heed this, hesitated for a while, then continued loudly: "Your Majesty is the True Dragon Emperor, how dare my humble self oppose Your Majesty? But indeed, our Great Chu’s military suffered greatly and it is only right to recuperate before planning to retake the cities."
He continued: "Your Majesty, you have received the praise of the previous Emperor Jingwu, you understand statecraft more than any minister in the court. After a great war, various issues arise regardless of victory or defeat. It is proper to cease the war and recuperate for more than three years before engaging in battle again!"
Ouyang Zhang’s voice was choked with sobs at the end, his old face full of pleading.
With the Dragon Throne far from the ministers below the court, Emperor Jingyuan could not see Ouyang Zhang’s expression clearly, but he wasn’t deaf. Only Ouyang Zhang dared to risk his life to advise, while the other ministers were like dead, and that was the difference!
Mai Cong spoke: "Your Majesty, Minister Ouyang speaks rightly. Recuperation is crucial for our Great Chu now. Moreover, the Rong bandits are suffering from the disaster of the poisonous insects they’ve raised, and they have no insect attractant to use. If we wait a few years, many of the Rong bandits will die. Then, when we fight again, we will regain the cities more easily than we would now... Fighting with exhausted troops and horses brings more harm than good."
Mai Cong, extremely shrewd, after saying these words, knelt with his forehead touching the ground, displaying a pious and respectful demeanor, then said nothing more.
With Ouyang Zhang and Mai Cong leading, other ministers gradually said: "I agree."
Then, expressing their own opinions, they spoke of the benefits of recuperation before attacking.
Emperor Jingyuan was quite annoyed by them and angrily said: "Silence!"
He massaged his aching forehead: "This matter is set aside for now, I have my considerations."
Then discussed matters like tax, local farming affairs, flood prevention in the south due to heavy rains, controlling poisonous insects, and imitating the Rong tribe’s anti-parasitic medicine.
The discussion went on until the sun was high before Emperor Jingyuan dismissed the court.
Ouyang Zhang was not able to leave, being summoned to Mingwei Palace.
Accompanying him were Mai Cong, several cabinet ministers, and the ministers of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue.
Emperor Jingyuan summoned them individually, wanting to ask if they had any effective strategies to both attack the Rong bandits and recuperate for the stability of Great Chu.
Unfortunately, there were none.
They weren’t immortals, how could they come up with a strategy that is perfect in every way?
But the cabinet ministers didn’t want to anger Emperor Jingyuan, so they spoke seemingly flawless words.
Emperor Jingyuan became angry, smashing things again, and returned to the harem in rage.
Originally intending to sit in the Palace of Princess Consort Yi for a while, to see his young son and the obedient Princess Consort Yi, to ease his violent temper, he instead encountered someone who disgusted him.
"Princess Consort Yu, why are you here?!" Emperor Jingyuan’s face was filled with undisguisable anger, and his eyes showed a murderous intent.
Princess Consort Yu was so frightened she knelt down, trembling, she said: "The concubine greets Your Majesty. The concubine is here to..."
"Silence!" Emperor Jingyuan, upon hearing her self-identification as a concubine, felt nauseated.
Back when he eliminated Duke Wei’s lineage, he was concerned about the relationship between the families of Duke Ying and Duke Wei, suspecting Duke Ying’s Family might know something, and thus took Meng Shuyu into the palace.
But Meng Shuyu did not receive favor after entering the palace.
He harbored extreme aversion towards Meng Shuyu. She was betrothed to Wei Erlang, the three letters and six etiquettes were almost complete, essentially making her Wei Erlang’s wife, not someone he wished to favor.
But Meng Shuyu had become anxious recently, not only currying favor with the Empress Dowager, seeking favor and hoping to become pregnant, she also had come to Princess Consort Yi’s place.
Heh, she wanted to bear a dragon seed. Meng Shuyu, considering it was her second marriage, was a lowly woman unfit!
"Get out, return to your palace and read scriptures properly, don’t come out without reason, lest you bring disaster to the Meng Family!" Emperor Jingyuan abruptly ordered her away.
Meng Shuyu was so frightened she nearly fainted. Pale and trembling, she bowed her head and was supported out by a palace maid.
Upon leaving the gates of Princess Consort Yi’s palace, Meng Shuyu’s tears began to fall.
Why?
Why did the Emperor neglect her so?
Also her sister... She died in childbirth, one corpse with two lives, the family heard the news, that the stillborn child was a little prince.
The family reacted as if the sky was falling. She heard her mother crying, saying: "It was a little prince, his own son, how could he have the heart?!"
At that moment she understood - her sister’s and her child’s deaths were caused by Emperor Jingyuan.
He had cast away her sister, and the son her sister had borne for him.