Prime Minister

Chapter 1211 Crying with joy

Chapter 1211 Crying with joy

The sky was already turning pale.

The Dragon Guards walked up from both sides of the steps and stood solemnly, with their long spears lined up and colliding with each other on the left and right.

The morning breeze blew, causing the officials' robes to flutter slightly.

Wang Gui and Zhang Yue led all the officials to climb the stairs and enter the hall holding tablets to pay homage.

The sky brightened quickly, and the sun rose slowly outside. At this moment, all officials were bathed in golden light. Along the way, one could smell the fragrance of flowers, plants and spices.

When they arrived in front of the hall, they saw that the corridors on the left and right sides of the hall were lit with rows of long-burning candles. When the sedan chair arrived at the Golden Palace, the ceremonial guards covered it with feather fans, and the emperor sat high on the Golden Palace.

After entering the court to pay homage and pay homage, all officials lined up one by one. Purple smoke rose from the two sandalwood incense burners on the golden palace, lingering in front of the emperor.

Wang Gui, with white hair and an old age, slowly walked out of the train.

Wang Gui played at the top of his voice, trying his best to say: "We have lived up to your majesty's trust. Your army is invincible and has recovered Liangzhou on August 11. I, along with all the officials, congratulate your majesty!"

Wang Gui spoke incoherently, but that did not prevent the ministers from saying in unison after he finished speaking: "Your Majesty, we congratulate you!"

The official on the throne was very excited and shouted, "Bring it here!"

At this moment, Deputy Privy Councilor Zeng Xiaokuan handed the victory report and the proclamation to Wang Anli, who was also Deputy Privy Councilor, and then Wang Anli handed them to Privy Councilor Feng Jing.

Feng Jing walked to the front of the stairs and handed it to Shi Deyi.

Finally, Shi Deyi handed it to the official on the throne.

The emperor put the letter aside and read the proclamation. He stood for a moment and finally said, "I have been on the throne for more than ten years since I was appointed by Heaven. At the beginning of my reign, state affairs were difficult. It was almost difficult to take a single step."

"However, I want to see the country's revitalization, the people's well-being, and the country's safety. I have been trembling with fear all the way, fearing that the foundation will be unstable and the fault will be mine. Today, I am completely grateful for the protection of heaven, the dedication of my ministers, and the millions of soldiers who have fought for the country..."

The emperor looked at Zhang Yue and said, "First we recovered Xihe, and finally we got Liangzhou. We will rebuild the cause of Zhongxing and wash away the humiliation of Qingli. I can finally comfort the spirits of our ancestors..."

At this point, the official became a little emotional, choked up, and couldn't continue.

The ministers in the court stood in silence facing the emperor who had lost his composure. Many of the older ministers also silently shed tears with the emperor.

"I...I..." The official tried several times to repeat himself, but finally he couldn't continue.

The ministers' eyes were slightly red, this moment was touching.

Zhang Yue remembered that the emperor was an easily emotional person. He had burst into tears in front of the ministers because of Zheng Xia's picture of refugees.

Another time was the Battle of Yongle City in history. When the battle report reached the court, the emperor burst into tears in front of all the ministers, and the ministers did not dare to look up at him. After that, the emperor retreated to the back court, and he also refused to eat or drink, and kept crying.

The Yongle City extinguished all the emperor's ambitions.

Now the government is also crying.

He also cried in front of all the ministers.

But they were not crying because of the defeat of Yongle City, but crying because of great joy.

Especially when he realized that Liangzhou had been recovered, the emperor finally couldn't help it and burst into tears in front of all the officials.

Zhang Yue remembered how the failure of Yongle City was evaluated in history. He also understood that the tragic defeat of the previous life would not happen again, and a new history was slowly unfolding before his eyes.

This is a new beginning.

The emperor had tried to suppress his emotions before, but in the end, he could no longer control himself. All the officials were in tears, and they wept with the emperor. This was not a performance, but the truth.

People who have not experienced this scene will not understand. As the emperor said, since the Qingli period, when Li Yuanhao whipped them, one battle after another such as Sanjiangkou and Haoshuichuan made the Song Dynasty lose face.

Now that Liangzhou has been recovered, how could the ministers who had suffered humiliation from Li Yuanhao not feel the same pain?

At this moment, Da Song had been holding his temper for too long.

Zhang Yue was calm in his heart. He had long passed the time when he was a student and his emotions were easily volatile. He had been planning the campaign against Liangzhou for many years, from building a stronghold to fighting a stalemate, to clearing the periphery, and finally achieving success in one battle. He no longer cared so much about the gains and losses on the battlefield.

Without a detached mindset to preside over this campaign, it is easy to fall into the same mood of worrying about gains and losses as the officials.

After all, the world belongs to the government. As long as you worry about gains and losses, you are active and cannot achieve the state of inaction. So Zhang Yue sent the government to offer sacrifices, which in a certain reactionary force also saved the Song Dynasty.

The official finally stopped crying and finally finished his speech in three parts.

Finally, Cao Zhongshou, the governor of Guiyi Army, stepped forward.

Cao Zhongshou bowed deeply to the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, I, Cao Zhongshou, congratulate you!"

"I also congratulate Your Majesty on the conquest of the Han state on behalf of the Han people of Liangzhou."

"Let the Han people return to China!"

"Okay!" The official wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes and was extremely happy at this moment.

After that, Cao Zhongshou presented the map of Liangzhou counties. After receiving it, the emperor seemed to see the vast mountains and rivers right in front of him. He said in a loud voice: "How can such a beautiful land fall into the hands of the barbarians?"

Cao Zhongshou said: "Your Majesty, although the pearl may be covered in dust, it will shine again one day."

"Liangzhou fell for a hundred years, but was restored in one day, which means that the cause of rejuvenation can be accomplished."

The emperor was immediately delighted when he heard this.

All officials also said: "The cause of rejuvenation can be accomplished."

The emperor laughed loudly in the hall, and all the ministers changed from their sad expressions to happy expressions.

The emperor said: "You ministers have made great contributions. I am aware of your contributions. The rewards will be bestowed upon you in a few days. I will not forget your contributions in recovering Liangzhou."

The official looked at Zhang Yue at the bottom of the stairs again.

The emperor stood up from the throne, slowly walked down the steps to Zhang Yue, then to Wang Gui, and shook their hands at the same time, saying: "Without the efforts of you two, I would not be where I am today."

Zhang Yue and Wang Gui both bowed and saluted: "We will do our best for the country, even if it means death."

……

After the court was dismissed, the emperor walked into the side hall alone.

But on the wall of the hall, there was a huge detailed map of Xihe Road, and the rest was painted in the fiery red color of the Song Dynasty, except for the piece of Liangzhou in the northwest corner which was white.

The emperor did not ask the eunuchs to do it, but brought the ladder himself, and after filling a brush with cinnabar, he climbed up the ladder step by step.

Finally, the official paused for a moment on the map where Liangzhou was marked, and then smeared cinnabar on the map. In just a moment, the area of ​​Liangzhou became the territory of the Song Dynasty, smeared with blazing cinnabar.

The official looked at the map with great delight. After the escalator was moved away, he stepped back three steps and looked at the new detailed map of Xihe Road, appreciating it as a work of art.

The official looked at it for half an hour before he showed a look of satisfaction.

Finally, the emperor muttered to himself, "First, I will conquer Liangzhou, then I will destroy the Tanguts, and finally I will trample Youyan and drive out the Khitans! I want to do what my ancestors could not do. The prosperous era of Zhongxing is just around the corner."

After a pause, the official said, "I can do it!"

The last sentence of the official revealed his ambition.

(End of this chapter)