bookrandom Chapter 1132 No tact at all!
Chapter 1132 No tact at all!
Lin Zhen cursed Du Ruhui a hundred times in his heart, but his face still returned to the expression of a regent.
The arrival of the envoy from the northern desert is indeed a momentous event, a crucial matter that must be properly handled after the great victory of the northern expedition.
This concerns the peace and tranquility of the northern frontier for the next few decades of the Great Qian Dynasty, and cannot be delayed.
He sighed, got off the phoenix couch, and while tidying his somewhat disheveled robes, said to the outside of the hall, "Prime Minister Du, please rise. This matter is not your fault. You go and wait in the Zichen Hall. His Majesty and I will be there shortly."
"Your old minister obeys the decree." Du Ruhui felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He quickly got up from the ground, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and hurriedly retreated.
Inside the hall, Murong Yan looked at Lin Zhen's frustrated expression, which showed his unfulfilled desires but forced him to pretend to be serious, and burst out laughing.
She pulled the blanket down a little, revealing a pair of shimmering phoenix eyes, and gave him a reproachful glare.
"Alright, stop with that sullen face. Anyone who didn't know better would think someone owes you millions of taels of silver. Business is more important."
Lin Zhen turned around, walked to the bedside, leaned down, and kissed her smooth forehead heavily, his voice still carrying a hint of resentment: "I'll remember this debt. I'll settle it with you properly tonight!"
After saying that, he turned around and called the palace servants in to help Murong Yan wash up and change her clothes.
A quarter of an hour later, when Murong Yan reappeared before Lin Zhen, she had already regained her noble and dignified demeanor as the Empress of the Great Qian Dynasty.
She was still wearing the Phoenix Descent dress, but she had covered it again with the black and gold shawl that represented supreme imperial power.
The deep black Suzhou brocade fabric appeared profound and solemn under the bright candlelight in the hall.
The colossal phoenix embroidered with real gold thread perched from her shoulder all the way to the hem of her skirt, its piercing eyes seemingly proclaiming its master's majesty in silence.
As she was about to attend court, her five-zhang-long (approximately 10 meters) long, dark gold Suzhou brocade train was laid out smoothly, like a black and gold tide, stretching from her feet all the way to the entrance of the main hall. Every step she took carried the majestic aura of a ruler descending upon the world.
Lin Zhen also changed into a matching black Qilin prince's robe, which was embroidered with gold thread depicting a Qilin riding on auspicious clouds and roaring to the sky, making it look majestic and extraordinary.
He naturally walked to Murong Yan's side, took her hand, and the two walked side by side toward the Taiji Hall.
Inside the Taiji Hall, civil and military officials had already lined up on both sides, waiting for a long time.
When the eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial announced in a high-pitched voice, "His Majesty has arrived! His Highness has arrived!" all the officials bowed and shouted "Long live the Emperor!"
Lin Zhen and Murong Yan walked side by side up the high imperial steps and slowly sat down on the phoenix chair and the unicorn throne on the Danbi steps.
The trailing robes of the two men intertwined behind them, covering the entire massive imperial steps and creating a magnificent scene of black and gold, exuding supreme majesty and absolute power.
"All of you, rise." Murong Yan's voice was clear and majestic, resounding throughout the entire hall.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"Summon the envoy from the northern desert to the palace!"
With a greeting, a group of more than ten men, dressed in distinctive northern nomadic attire and with rugged appearances, strode into the Taiji Hall under the guidance of officials from the Court of State Ceremonial.
The leader was an exceptionally burly man with a full beard, but his eyes were unusually bright. He was none other than Huhanye, the current leader of the Hunxie King's tribe, one of the most powerful tribes in the northern desert.
He was also the first Northern Desert Prince to stand up and express his willingness to submit to the Great Qian Dynasty after Uvi's death.
As he entered the hall, a complex emotion flashed in his eyes when he saw the excessively young emperor and empress seated high above. There was awe, curiosity, and also a hint of... resentment.
This man, who looked even younger than him, used godlike tactics at Eagle's Beak Cliff and the First Line of Sky to rout their hundreds of thousands of iron cavalry, who were the pride of the Northern Desert, leaving them in ruins and corpses strewn across the battlefield.
This woman, who looked delicate and fragile, as if a gust of wind could blow her away, used swift and decisive methods to hold the rear, uniting the entire Great Qian Empire into one force and providing the strongest support for victory on the front lines.
These two are simply monsters!
Huhanye was filled with mixed emotions, but his expression became even more respectful.
He walked to the center of the main hall, and before Murong Yan and Lin Zhen, he performed a standard Northern Desert kneeling ceremony, pressing his forehead heavily against the cold gold brick floor.
"Huhanye, a traitor from the northern desert, pays his respects to His Majesty the Great Khan of the Great Qian! He pays his respects to His Highness the Regent of the Great Qian! Long live His Majesty! Long live His Highness!"
The group of envoys from the northern desert behind him also knelt down and shouted in broken Chinese.
"Please rise, Your Highness Huhanye," Murong Yan said calmly, her voice revealing neither joy nor anger.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Huhanye stood up, took out a map made of sheepskin and a letter of surrender with gold lettering from his bosom, and held them high above his head.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness! The former Khan of the Northern Desert, Uwei, acted perversely and disrespectfully, arbitrarily provoking war, causing immense suffering to the people of the Northern Desert. He deserves to die a thousand deaths! Now that Uwei has been executed, all the tribes of the Northern Desert wish to submit to the Great Qian forever, and to acknowledge His Majesty as the sole Heavenly Khan of our Northern Desert grasslands! This is the surrender document and map of the grasslands jointly presented by the thirty-six tribes of the Northern Desert! From this day forward, the land of the Northern Desert belongs to the Great Qian! The people of the Northern Desert belong to His Majesty! We are willing to serve His Majesty, herding horses and guarding the borders, forever protecting the northern frontier!"
His words were powerful and resounding throughout the entire Taiji Hall!
Upon hearing these words, all the civil and military officials in the court were so excited that their faces turned red!
Expand territory!
What an extraordinary feat!
Since ancient times, the war between the Central Plains dynasties and the northern grasslands has lasted for over a thousand years.
They won more often than they lost, but never before had any dynasty been able to make the entire northern grasslands willingly bow down and submit to them like they do today!
This is a glorious achievement worthy of being recorded in history!
Everyone's gaze instinctively turned to the young couple on the steps.
His eyes were filled with fervent worship and awe.
They knew that an unprecedented golden age belonging to the Great Qian Dynasty had begun!
A satisfied smile appeared on Murong Yan's face.
She glanced at Lin Zhen beside her, and Lin Zhen nodded slightly to her.
She then said, "Your Highness Huhanye and all the envoys, thank you for your kindness. I am very pleased that you have repented and turned away from darkness to light."
"By imperial decree! From this day forward, Huhanye is hereby conferred the title of 'King of Anbei' of our Great Qian Dynasty, a hereditary title! The other tribal leaders will also receive their own rewards! I will also establish a trade market in the Yanran Protectorate, allowing free trade between the northern deserts and our Central Plains! I hope that from this day forward, we Han people and our brothers on the grasslands can turn swords into plowshares and share in peace!"
Upon receiving this decree, Huhanye and the others were overjoyed!
They had thought that even if they weren't punished, they would at least be severely reprimanded.
Unexpectedly, the empress not only did not punish them for their previous crimes, but also bestowed such generous rewards upon them!
Not only were they granted the title of king, but they were also permitted to open trade markets!
This is an incredible blessing for the resource-scarce grasslands of northern Mongolia!
"Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you, Your Highness!" Huhanxie and the others knelt down again, kowtowing frantically.
This time, they were completely and utterly convinced.
After dealing with the matters in the northern desert, Murong Yan turned her gaze to the civil and military officials of His Highness.
"My beloved ministers, the northern border is now pacified, and the south is at peace. However, the national treasury is empty, and many things await reconstruction. The time to come is to test our abilities as rulers and ministers. I hope that you will all work together with me and the Prince, with one heart and one mind, to devote yourselves to establishing a foundation for the eternal peace of our Great Qian Dynasty!"
"Your Majesty, we obey! We are willing to serve Your Majesty and the Prince with utmost loyalty, even unto death!" The entire court responded in unison, their voices resounding throughout the land.
However, at this very moment when the emperor and his ministers were of one mind and the atmosphere was extremely enthusiastic.
An untimely, shrill voice suddenly came from outside the hall.
"Your Majesty! Minister of Rites Kong Yingda requests an audience outside the palace!"
Kong Yingda?
Upon hearing this name, the entire Taiji Hall fell silent instantly.
A strange expression appeared on everyone's face.
Kong Yingda is Kong Zhiqian's uncle and the current head of the Kong family. Ever since Kong Zhiqian plotted a rebellion in Jiangnan and was eventually imprisoned in the imperial prison by Lin Zhen's order, this Minister of Rites has been claiming illness at home and has not attended court for almost a month.
Everyone thought he was terrified and was prepared to be a coward for the rest of his life.
Unexpectedly, he would take the initiative to come and see me at this critical juncture.
What does he want to do?
Lin Zhen and Murong Yan exchanged a glance, their brows furrowing slightly.