1446 矛盾之间

Two carriages slowly stopped in front of the Yan Palace. Yan Qingcheng was the first to get off the carriage. She glanced at the carriage that had just stopped opposite, and stood quietly on the steps, waiting patiently. After waiting for a while, she was getting impatient and was about to turn back to the palace when Ye Qing finally jumped off the carriage. Then, I don't know what he told his brother Feng Zhang, before slowly walking towards Yan Qingcheng's side.
Approaching Yan Qingcheng, her expression seemed calm, rendering Ye Qing's ability to read her thoughts and emotions somewhat useless. Thus, he had no choice but to ask, "How is it? Is that old man still angry?"
"What do you think?" Yan Qingcheng said impatiently.
Immediately, Ye Qing took a deep breath and said discontentedly, "Zhao Shichun is too stingy. The affairs of Gu Cheng are Gu Cheng's affairs, and Wuchue's affairs are Wuchue's affairs. How can they be mixed together? If you want, I'll go find him and let him know that although I'm getting older, my fist is still the same as before..." "Will you ever finish?" Yan Qingcheng said impatiently with anger.
"But we can't just stand by and watch as Gu Cheng and Ling Er are separated, can we? When we become their parents, how do we explain it to Gu Cheng?" Ye Qing ignored Yan Qingcheng's cold gaze and face.
Yan Qingcheng sighed helplessly and for a moment did not know how to tell Ye Qing about what happened today. But after being married for many years, they understood each other very well, so she had to patiently say, "As the king of Yan, can't you have a good conversation with the king of Wu? Back in Yangzhou, you always suppressed others and had to compare everything with them..."
"I did that for his own good. If I hadn't restrained him like that, who knows if the royal family at that time would have taken action against him," Ye Qing explained for himself.
Yan Qingcheng rolled her eyes at Ye Qing once again and continued, "Yes, you did it for his own good, but...have you ever thought from his perspective? It was because of you that the present King of Wu was established. Otherwise, he would still be a Duke, right? But do you, Ye Qing, have no other motives? This time...".
Yan Qingcheng paused for a moment, then sighed and said, "Wuque, really, why didn't he inform us about such a big matter? What's the use of only telling Huan Yue? He truly doesn't understand the saying 'parents' order, matchmaker's words.' All he knows is to always hold his books, and now look, he has become a bookworm."
As they walked towards the mansion, Ye Qing listened to Yan Qingcheng's habit of inexplicably deviating from the topic, scratched his head, and continued to inquire, "What about the matter between Gu Cheng and Ling'er? Wasn't that the main reason for your visit to the Wu King's Mansion today?"
"King Wu and his wife neither opposed nor approved, but they accepted the gifts given today, including some that could be considered as betrothal gifts. However... I also sensed the unspoken meaning from King Wu and his wife. They still hope that you can give them a reasonable explanation. The matter between Gu Cheng and Ling Er is naturally not a problem, but the matter between Wu Que and Huan Yue may not be so easy. It seems like King Wu intends to go to the palace and seek justice from the Emperor. In short, you, as the King of Yan, need to provide them with a reasonable explanation."Note: The translation is provided as is and may not be a perfect representation of the original text.
As Ye Qing's expression gradually darkened, Yan Qingcheng stepped back and followed along. The couple walked through the corridor, watching Ye Qing's expression becoming somewhat gloomy. Yan Qingcheng was startled for a moment, wondering if she had spoken too harshly just now.
"Zhao Shichun is narrow-minded and shortsighted," Ye Qing continued with some dissatisfaction. "It seems disrespectful to Zhao Shichun for Wuque to want to marry a woman from the grasslands, but has he ever thought about the fact that the court wants to win over the various tribes' Khans of the grasslands, as well as Dragrel and Chahaitei? Will they not be implicated in this matter? After the Zhao and Song royal families fled together to Lin'an following the calamity of Jingkang, how many were able to do so? Although there has been peace in recent years, and offspring have been born in the royal family, why doesn't Zhao Shichun consider the current situation and see how many suitable women from the royal family are there for marriage? Once those grassland khans request to marry a woman from the royal family, will his daughter be able to escape the scrutiny of the royal family?"
Hearing Ye Qing's words, Yan Qingcheng suddenly had a realization. After a moment of hesitation, she hurriedly caught up with Ye Qing and tugged at his sleeve. Then, she stood still and asked, "What do you mean by that? Is it not enough for Wujue to marry a woman from the grasslands? Does the royal family also have to marry a woman off to the grasslands?"
"I already refused this matter today at the inn. Wuke was also summoned to the palace today, probably because of this matter. The reason why I am willing, or even actively facilitating Wuke's marriage to a grassland woman, is to silence the mouths of the grassland tribes' leaders and their unreasonable demands. But the Mongolian envoy coming to Beijing, obviously Zhao Shichun hasn't fully seen through it yet, still being overly concerned about his own reputation." Ye Qing said with a gloomy face.
Yan Qingcheng furrowed her brows slightly and looked at Ye Qing seriously, asking, "So you mean, if the marriage between Huan Yue and Wu Que doesn't work out, then there is a possibility that Huan Yue will be married to a Mongolian person? But... with Huan Yue's temperament, how could she be willing to marry and go to the grasslands..."
"It doesn't say that she will definitely marry to the grassland. I have already rejected this matter today. However, if-." Ye Qing explained to Yan Qingcheng.
"There is no 'if' in this matter, and there is no 'however'. No matter what, Huan Yue cannot marry to the grassland. This girl has grown up under my care since childhood. Back in Yangzhou, I had already regarded her as my daughter-in-law. Moreover, she is so well-educated and intelligent. No, let me tell you, no matter what methods you, the Yan King, use, whether it's coercion or showing off your power, this matter is impossible!" Yan Qingcheng spoke firmly in front of Ye Qing. She almost threatened him with more serious words.
Yè Qīng, helpless, glanced at Yàn Qīngchéng and said with some helplessness: "There is no such thing, why take it seriously? Just say that there is a possibility now, for example... If Zhào Shīchún is being reckless, then perhaps the court will first put pressure on him regarding this matter. But in any case, this matter is not as serious as you think. Also, regardless of anything, Huan Yué has not married into your family yet, so don't always assume that she is already your daughter-in-law."
"I'm just being like this, what about it?" Yan Qingcheng refused to back down, straightening her still plump chest, and raised her gradually less delicate chin, fiercely saying, "Let me tell you, Ye Qing, all these years, I have never asked you to do anything, but when it comes to the matter of Huan Yue, you must let me..."
Yan Qingcheng, in her anxiety, was momentarily at a loss for words, not knowing how to express her worry to Ye Qing. Then, in her impatience, she continuously tapped Ye Qing and threatened, "I'm telling you, if you mess up this matter, I won't let you off the hook! If Huan Yue is married off to the grasslands, I...you...if you don't do anything about it, I'll have Yelv Yue lead the army and snatch Huan Yue back!"
"You really...The imperial army is not our family's army. How can Yelv Yue just move it as she wants?" Ye Qing was speechless. She knew long ago that it was a mistake to let Yelv Yue lead the army to the grasslands last year, and now it has come true. Some people have already begun to treat certain large armies as their own."
"I don't care whose you are. If it doesn't work with the Yan King, then I'll go to Zhao Kuo. I refuse to believe that Yanyingcheng doesn't have any face left when coming to the palace, always calling everyone aunt. " After saying this, Yanyingcheng huffed in anger and stomped her foot before walking inside.
As I was about to step through the Moon Gate, suddenly I stopped and turned around to look at Ye Qing. I said, "Ask Wu Que to come back for dinner tonight. I must know his attitude towards this matter."
"He is not available tonight, he needs to have dinner with Li Fengniang in the palace," Ye Qing blurted out almost instinctively.
After saying that, Ye Qing noticed that Bai Chun had appeared next to Yan Qingcheng at some point, and was now looking at Ye Qing coldly.
"What did you just say? Why did Wuke eat with Lifen Niang in the palace? When did he enter the palace?" Bai Chun questioned, walking towards Ye Qing. As for the other culprit, Yan Qingcheng, she opened her mouth but quickly left with a smile, afraid of being involved later.
When Bai Chun walked slowly towards Ye Qing, Yan Qingcheng ran into the front hall. And at this time, in the hall, Yelv Yue and Zhong Qing had just finished discussing whether it would be more lively to set off some fireworks in the backyard of the mansion during the Lantern Festival, or to go out for a tour.
When Yan Qingcheng entered, the two women almost stood up together, their expressions showing a hint of urgency. They asked in unison, "How is it? Did it work?"
燕倾城微微叹口气，还不忘担忧的看了眼身后不远处月亮门的方向，而后才对钟晴跟耶律月说道：“孤城的事情八九不离十，应该是没问题了。但无缺的事情……刚刚夫君说了，好像还有些复杂。这不，白纯现在正在跟夫君交涉，也不知怎么了，李凤娘也参与进来了，总之跟宗室参与到一起，真是让人头疼。”?耶律月难得的亲自为燕倾城递过来一杯热水，而后在旁边坐下，问道：“吴王是不是因为无缺要娶草原女子一事儿，所以有些意见？”
燕倾城点了点头，微微蹙眉道：“刚刚已经跟夫君说了，妇道人家能做的都已经做了，主要还是要看夫君跟吴王如何谈了。但不管如何，还是希望能够在咱们离开燕京前，能够不单是把孤城的亲事定下来，最好是也把无缺的亲事给定下来才是。”?说道此处的燕倾城，又是微微叹口气，有些担忧的说道：“就是不知道来不来得及，真怕孤城跟无缺的事情还没有定下来，咱们就又得搬家前往辽阳了。”?“我们去辽阳……这件事情怕是不会太快。”耶律月微微沉思着说道。
"Why?" Zhong Qing asked in confusion.
Yelv Yue glanced at Yan Qingcheng and Zhong Qing, silently moving his lips with a hesitant expression. This made Yan Qingcheng and Zhong Qing feel like they had sensed something. After exchanging a glance, Zhong Qing spoke up and asked, "Do you know something that we don't?"
"Is there anything on the grassland that makes Your Majesty worry?" Yan Qingcheng asked again.
Facing the questioning of the two women, Yelv Yue nodded slightly and looked at the worry on their faces. Then, he smiled first and said, "It's not as serious as you think. The situation on the grassland, as well as the arrival of Mongolian envoys to Yanjing, as you know, can be stabilized as long as we sort things out. The reason why I am certain that we won't leave Yanjing soon is because... I guess that my husband has been waiting for the Blooming Flowers Army to return from the grassland. As long as the Blooming Flowers Army hasn't come back from the grassland, we won't leave Yanjing for the time being."
"Although we have a lot of things to take with us when we move to Liaoyang, why do we still have to wait for the Blooming Flower Army to return to Yanjing? Are we afraid of any accidents on our way to Liaoyang?" Yan Qingcheng pondered and asked.
Ye Luyue didn't know how to answer for a moment, while Zhong Qing was lost in thought, lightly biting her lip.
After a long while, Zhong Qing softly said, "Perhaps... while we should not have malicious intentions towards others, we must also guard against others."
"What does it mean?" Yanzhulingcheng frowned and asked.
For so many years, Yanzhulingcheng has been handling all the affairs in the mansion. She has never been as sensitive to the outside world as Zhongqing, Yelu Yue, and Baichun. Therefore, once she mentions some things about the court or some external matters about the Yanwang Mansion, it often touches on Yanzhulingcheng's blind spot.
“虽然我也只是猜测，但我觉得恐怕离真相不会太远。”钟晴轻咬着嘴唇，若有所思的继续说道：“夫君自从朝廷迁都到燕京后，便一直在做着一些让步，从而使得朝廷可以逐渐的有效的掌控北地各路州府，但各路大军这些年来，一直都是掌握在夫君手里。但这两年能够明显感觉到，夫君在北地各路大军的一些决策上，也已经开始慢慢放权，慢慢往朝廷以及兵部方面倾斜。”?“可以说，是夫君的一步一步的退让，这才有了今日大宋朝和谐盛世的景象，但我们也不应该忘记，当初夫君在各地州府的权利转移上，就曾经让……谢深甫钻了空子，从而使得朝堂之上乌烟瘴气，各州各府也被牵连其中出现了一阵子的动荡。而这些还只是各地的吏治，都会出现这般动荡，所以也可以想象一下，在大军权利的转移上，恐怕也不见得就会绝对的一帆风顺，肯定也会出现各种各样的意外，甚至是在权利转移中，出现类似于谢深甫这般的武将。因此，我猜想，夫君虽然嘴上不说，但心里一定也在为此做着些准备。”?“朝廷是朝廷，圣上是圣上，虽然赵扩跟圣上是同一个人，可很多时候出现在咱们府里的赵扩，不一定就是朝堂上的圣上。”看着燕倾城跟耶律月眨动着长长的睫毛，钟晴有些尴尬的摇了摇头，随即继续说道：“虽然有些绕嘴，但我想说的是，有些事情或许在发生后，其实并非是赵扩的本意，但确实是符合身为君王的赵扩的利益。圣上或许不会这么做，但不代表朝堂之上的一些臣子，不会主动为君分忧。”?“你的意思是说，夫君如今在燕京等种花家军回来，就是为了以防我们在前往辽阳的途中出现意外？而这些意外，或许不是赵扩的意思，甚至不会是李凤娘的意思，但却是最为符合皇家宗室利益的举动？”耶律月微微皱眉问道。
Zhong Qing lightly nodded, still gently moving her lips as she said, "Actually, if you want to judge whether my husband really thinks this way or not, just ask Bai Chun or call Zhao Pan to ask. Then, you might be able to guess my husband's true intention."
"Who would dare to move my husband? Who has the courage to do so? If Zhao Kuo no longer supports him from behind, I really can't think of anyone who would dare to confront my husband." Yelu Yue frowned and said.
"No one believed that Xie Shenfu would have the audacity to openly oppose my husband back then, did they? Even if he had Li Fengniang's support at that time, other officials would probably not dare to openly oppose my husband, would they? But then again, in the court and officialdom, there are always some people whose eyes are clouded by power and fame, who are willing to take risks that may implicate their whole family, and do unimaginably foolish things. Isn't that right?" Zhong Qing said indifferently.
Yelv Yue, unconsciously influenced by Zhong Qing, also lightly bit her red lips and suddenly said, "No, they've really crossed the line this time, daring to bully my husband. You go find Bai Chun, sister, you send someone to bring Zhao Pan'er here, and I'll leave the city immediately to break through the enemy camp...".
Yelü Yue is indeed worthy of the reputation of Yelü Tieyi in the military. In a short period of time, the consecutive actions he has taken are obviously quite majestic, showing the demeanor of commanding thousands of troops and horses on the battlefield.
However, today's decisive and resolute approach has brought laughter from Zhong Qing and a hurriedly pulled sleeve from Ye Lu Yue, who said with a smile, "You are really swift and decisive, making such a big fuss. Won't it attract attention from the entire city? Besides, this is just my guess. If we want to figure it out, don't we still have to discuss it with Bai Chun and Pan Er?"
"They hold information about the movements of various armies and even have the nickname 'Ministry of Foot Soldiers' in the streets..." Zhong Qing said, but suddenly her expression changed. She grabbed Ye Lvyue's hand tightly, causing Ye Lvyue to be surprised as she looked down at her hand being squeezed by Zhong Qing, and couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"
"Ministry of War!" Zhongqing suddenly said, "Yes, it's the Ministry of War. If there is a possibility of an accident on our way to Liaoyang, it must be related to the Ministry of War. It seems that various armies have already unified their stance with the Ministry of War."
"So... only Bai Chun and Zhao Pan'er know about it?!" Ye Luyue asked in astonishment.
Zhong Qing remained silent, shaking her head with a serious and contemplative expression on her face. As for Yan Qingcheng, she didn't say a word. Although she understood what they had just said, she felt overwhelmed and found it difficult to systematically connect the dots or grasp the crucial pros and cons involved in their conversation.
As the two sat face to face in Ye Qing's study, he held a secret letter from Bai Chun in his hand.
While Ye Qing calmly read the letter, Bai Chun calmly said, "Although it doesn't prove much, it already shows that the Ministry of War has extended its influence too far during your retreat. In addition, the grasslands are now in decline, which has resulted in some military leaders, who see no hope of advancing further through military exploits, unconsciously plotting their own future. Since the court has few battles to fight now, their chances of promotion through military achievements have become ever more elusive. Therefore, utilizing the Ministry of War and the court as their route for promotion has become the only opportunity for some."
“不过眼下还没办法判断出来，这些人在立场或者是动机上的变化，是不是会给各路大军的军心造成一定的影响。但可以肯定的是，随着大军权利的转移，这一趋势还会继续蔓延，也就代表着北地各路大军对于朝廷以及兵部的态度，渐渐可以得以统一，从而也会加快你在军中的边缘化。种花家军、破阵营，以及渝关守军眼下还是铁板一块，但燕云十六州等地方，军中已经有将领在倾斜向兵部跟朝廷了。”?“虞允文、辛弃疾、李横，历仲方、刘克师等人，也都给了密信过来，他们也开始有些担忧，你若是加快放权的计划的话，恐怕会造成一定的动荡。所以他们的意思是，还希望你能够缓一缓，或者是慢一些，让权利的转移更加平稳一些。”
"No one knows what will happen in the future, but one thing is certain: if there is a mistake in this matter, all your hard work in the northern region for so many years will be in vain. Obviously, this is not what Yu Yunwen, Xin Qiji, and others want to see. They do not want to see the rift between Liaoyang Prefecture, with the chief An East Protectorate, and Anxi and Anbei, and the imperial court, to be widened one day."
Looking at Ye Qing put down the thick sealed letter in his hand, Bai Chun finally said, "Therefore...the Seedling Flower Army must return to Yanjing before we can leave for Liaoyang. This is not just my wish, but also the opinions of Yu Yunwen, Liu Keshi, and others."
"Who is the most vocal person in the Ministry of War?" Ye Qing asked Bai Chun with a smile.
"No matter who is the most vocal, the current situation is a dilemma for you. Of course, you can suppress him, but what's next? How will you continue to transfer power? What will the court's attitude be? How will Zhao Kuo and Li Fengniang think? Most importantly, the effect of suppressing retaliation, or even building momentum in the military, may backfire, only causing your plan to leave Yanjing to fail and come to nothing," Bai Chun imitated Ye Qing's gesture, shrugged and said.
"I haven't thought about giving up halfway. In every era, there are talented people emerging and replacing the old. But no matter what, be it the Yan prince or the two words 'Ye Qing,' they will still hold some influence in the North for at least ten years. So let's follow their suggestions and slow down the plan of transferring power. As for the Ministry of War, what should we do if someone pushes for it...?" Ye Qing asked Bai Chun.
“这就是我接下来要进宫的事情了，她李凤娘答应也好，不答应也罢，到最后她都得必须妥协，甚至包括赵扩，都需要在这件事情上拿出一个明确的态度来。若不然的话……大不了一拍两散，他们就继续回临安坐他们的半壁江山去。”白纯鲜有的态度跟语气都是如此强硬，当然，恐怕是也跟李凤娘把叶无缺召到宫里吃饭有关。
As for this matter, Ye Qing naturally doesn't want to get involved. After all, he has been slowly delegating power even in the affairs of the various armies in the North. As we are discussing now, almost everything is done according to the opinions of Yu Yunwen and others. This is also a sign that Ye Qing wants to delegate power. However, it makes Yu Yunwen, Liu Keshi, and others feel somewhat uneasy, and this is the real interest group.
Just like when you become a king, not everything can be based on your willpower. Often, the interests of the interest groups behind you are the biggest constraints on you, but they are also the most loyal group of people to you.