met free Chapter 120 Hai Wenqing's Sigh
Chapter 120 Hai Wenqing's Sigh
Chapter 120 Hai Wenqing's Sigh
"Heng'er, how are you?"
Princess Pingning asked with concern when she saw Qi Heng wake up.
Looking at the concern and worry in his mother's eyes, Qi Heng felt a surge of warmth in his heart and said with remorse, "Your son is unfilial, causing Mother worry."
"What are you saying? Take good care of yourself and don't overthink things."
Princess Pingning turned her head and said, "Quickly, bring the medicine over."
Upon hearing this, the maidservant quickly brought over the medicine.
"Slower."
Princess Pingning helped Qi Heng sit up, letting him lean against the headboard, and then took the medicine and fed it to him personally.
The bitter taste of the medicine made Qi Heng frown involuntarily.
"Good medicine tastes bitter, but you look quite well. Drink your medicine and eat something, then wait for the doctor to come and take your pulse," Princess Pingning said with a smile, wiping his mouth with a handkerchief.
"Um."
Qi Heng nodded slightly, his expression somewhat dazed. It seemed that he could only feel this kind of warmth when he was sick.
"What are you thinking about? Drink your medicine quickly," Princess Pingning urged.
Qi Heng then came to his senses and continued taking his medicine.
After taking a few doses of medicine, Qi Heng regained some of his energy, and his drowsy mind cleared up considerably.
Looking to the side, I realized that the maids standing in the room were all from my mother's side.
"Mother, where are Xing'er and the others?" Qi Heng asked in a trembling voice.
Princess Pingning remained unfazed upon hearing this, scooped a spoonful of medicinal soup and brought it to Qi Heng's lips, saying, "The maids in your courtyard are not young anymore. I've arranged marriages for them, and I'll replace a few for you later."
"Mother, it's common for people to get sick. It has nothing to do with Xing'er and the others. Why make things difficult for them?"
Qi Heng's face turned ugly.
Princess Pingning said that she was being arranged to marry because she was getting old, which is a common practice.
However, the replacement of maids is done by experienced maids mentoring new ones; it's impossible to replace them all at once.
No one knows a child better than their mother, and vice versa.
Qi Heng immediately knew that it was because he was sick that his mother was taking her anger out on the maid.
Those maids who were lucky enough to be sold off, and those who were unlucky might have already been beaten to death.
"They're just a few servants, and you dare to talk back to me because of them?" Princess Pingning said coldly.
Qi Heng really wanted to make a scene, but in the end he didn't have the courage.
"Drink your medicine. The doctor should be here soon," Princess Pingning said calmly.
Qi Heng's eyes were lifeless as he allowed Princess Pingning to feed him medicine.
Just then, a maidservant entered and bowed, saying, "Madam, several of the young master's classmates have come to visit him."
"Um?"
Princess Pingning frowned slightly and said, "Go and invite them in."
"yes!"
The maid bowed and withdrew.
"When they come, tell them you're not feeling well, and quickly send them away."
Princess Pingning said as she wiped Qi Heng's mouth.
"Understood," Qi Heng said in a hoarse voice.
Princess Pingning frowned when she saw her son's expression and said, "I'm doing this for your own good. You'll understand later."
Qi Heng didn't say anything upon hearing this. It had always been like this since he was a child. No matter what she did, Princess Pingning always said it was for his own good.
He also said that he's still young and will understand when he grows up.
But now that he has reached the heavens, he still doesn't understand.
Led by a maid, Wang You and his companions arrived at the courtyard where Qi Heng lived.
It was just a noble family; their mansion was very grand. It took about four or five minutes to walk from the gate to the courtyard.
-
As soon as the group entered the courtyard, a graceful and elegant woman came out.
"Thank you for coming to see my Heng'er. Heng'er has caught a cold and is feeling down. I think your presence and conversation will help him feel better," Princess Pingning said with a smile.
"Greetings, Your Highness!" Wang You and the other two quickly bowed.
"No need for such formalities."
Princess Pingning smiled and said, "You may go in. I will have someone bring some refreshments."
After Princess Pingning finished speaking, she left, and Wang You and the other two entered the bedroom under the guidance of a maid.
Judging from Princess Pingning's demeanor just now, she was incredibly approachable.
"Yuanruo, when I heard you were sick, I asked my older brother and cousin to come and see you."
1
As soon as he entered the bedroom, Sheng Changfeng stepped forward and asked with concern, "Are you feeling any better?"
"Thank you for your concern, I'm much better now."
Qi Heng looked at Sheng Changbai and Wang You and said, "Thank you for coming to see me."
"Don't mention it."
Sheng Changbai said, "We are all classmates, so it is only right that we visit each other."
When Wang You saw Qi Heng looking at him, he asked, "Are you alright?"
He seemed to be concerned, but only Qi Heng understood his meaning.
Qi Heng shook his head slightly and said, "It's nothing. This illness has made me understand some things."
"If that's the case, then that's a good thing," Wang You said with a smile.
"Cousin, what kind of riddle are you and Yuan Ruo playing?" Sheng Changfeng asked, puzzled.
"It's nothing, I'm just concerned about Yuan Ruo's health," Wang You said, shaking his head.
"I didn't go to school today. What did Scholar Zhuang teach?" Qi Heng asked, changing the subject.
"You're still sick, so don't worry about these things. I have some notes; I'll show them to you when you're better."
""
Sheng Changbai said.
"Mm." Qi Heng nodded.
The three chatted for a while, and then Princess Pingning walked in. The three quickly stood up and bowed.
"No need for formalities."
Princess Pingning smiled and said, "Heng'er is still not well, let him rest first. You all come to the outer room and have some tea and snacks."
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness, but it's getting late and we still have lessons to do, so we'll take our leave now," Sheng Changbai said, bowing.
Princess Pingning pretended to ask them to stay a few more times, then personally escorted them to the gate of the courtyard and had a maid escort them out of the mansion.
Watching them leave, Princess Pingning turned to her nanny, Chu, and asked, "Didn't you say so?"
"It's not that the young master is studying at the Sheng family's place; he's been studying diligently and there's been nothing unusual about him," replied Granny Chu.
"snort!"
Princess Pingning snorted coldly: "When Heng'er came back yesterday, I felt something was wrong. He said it was because he hadn't written the article well and felt a little guilty, but I didn't think much of it."
But now that I think about it carefully, his dejected appearance yesterday was definitely not because he didn't write the article well.
The fact that several young men came to see him means it has nothing to do with them. Therefore, it must be related to the three young ladies of the Sheng family.
"Really?"
Granny Chu exclaimed in surprise, "If it's related to the three young ladies of the Sheng family, it's impossible that she wouldn't know."
"Those young ladies of the Sheng family are almost of marriageable age, yet they're still studying with men from other families. Don't you understand what they're up to?"
Princess Pingning sneered, "As for Buwei, he grew up with Heng'er, so it's not unusual for him to cover for Heng'er."
"Then this servant will go and interrogate her again thoroughly," said Granny Chu.
"No need."
Princess Pingning shook her head and said, "Buwei is the closest to Heng'er. The imperial examination will be held after the New Year. If we make a move against him now, it will definitely affect Heng'er."
Once Heng'er recovers, I'll go to the Sheng family.
As for not doing it, we'll deal with him after the imperial examinations are over! Princess Pingning sneered.
"Everyone says Princess Pingning is strict with rules, but she seems quite kind to me."
"After leaving the Duke of Qi's mansion, Sheng Changfeng said."
Sheng Changbai ignored him and looked at Wang You, saying, "It's getting late, we'll head back now."
"Okay, see you at school tomorrow." Wang You nodded.
After parting ways with Sheng Changbai and the others, Wang You took a carriage home.
Now it seems that Qi Heng has figured it out. The truth or falsehood doesn't matter. At least he won't bother Minglan anymore.
When Princess Jiacheng takes a liking to Qi Heng later, the Qi family will not refuse the marriage.
In a way, he had helped Qi Heng, since as long as the Prince of Yong successfully ascended the throne, he would be the one to succeed him.
Qi Heng was ill for three days, but when he returned to the school, there was no apparent problem on his face.
He chatted and laughed with Wang You and the others, and responded with a smile to Mo Lan's concern.
Moreover, you can tell from his eyes that he has matured a lot compared to before.
However, Sanlan did not come to the school on the second day after Qi Heng returned.
During class, Zhuang Xuejiu said that it was because Sanlan was too old and would no longer be coming to school.
But Wang You knew that wasn't the reason; Princess Pingning had visited the Sheng family the day before.
Wang You glanced at Qi Heng and saw his ugly expression and suppressed anger in his eyes, so he guessed what had happened.
A few days passed quickly, and before we knew it, it was time for another day off.
Early in the morning, Wang You ate breakfast and then took a car to the Hai family's house.
Over the years, Wang You has frequently visited, and the gatekeeper has invited him in without even giving him permission.
"Young Master Wang, the master is in the study."
The gatekeeper then had someone lead Wang You to the Intermediate People's Court.
When Wang You arrived at Hai Wenqing's study, he saw Hai Wenqing wielding his brush and ink.
He didn't make a sound to disturb him, but stood aside and watched. Only after Hai Wenqing finished writing did he clap his hands and say, "Teacher's handwriting has improved a lot again. I don't know when I will be able to write such good handwriting."
Stop flattering me.
Haiwen gave him a disapproving look and put the brush into the brush washer to clean it.
"Is something troubling you, teacher?" Wang You asked.
He knew Hai Wenqing's habits. Although it wasn't early morning, it was still morning, and Hai Wenqing wouldn't be practicing calligraphy so early in the morning.
Hai Wenqing only practices calligraphy to relieve his distress when he is feeling troubled.
"It's no harm in telling you; it won't be long before the news spreads."
Hai Wenqing said, "A major change has occurred in Western Xia. The Xia ruler has eliminated the powerful minister Meicang Epang and officially seized power."
O
"What?"
Wang You asked in surprise, "If I remember correctly, the current ruler of Xia is only fourteen years old, isn't he?"
"That's right!"
Hai Wenqing sighed, "To eliminate a powerful minister who has controlled the court for more than ten years at the age of fourteen is unprecedented in history. This person will surely become a formidable enemy of the Song Dynasty."
"That's really impressive," Wang You couldn't help but exclaim.
Many people have a misconception that the Western Xia was a formally independent country.
That's not wrong, but nominally, the Western Xia Dynasty wasn't really one.
Previously, the Western Xia had been playing both sides between the Song and Liao dynasties, accepting investiture from both countries.
Before Western Xia established itself as independent, it was nominally a subject of the Song Dynasty.
Of course, this is only in name; they neither obey orders nor proclamations.
More than 20 years ago, the Western Xia showed signs of independence. When the Song Dynasty realized this, its officials requested that they send troops to punish them.
After all, Western Xia was nominally a subject of the Song Dynasty at the time, so it was impossible for the Song Dynasty to have no reaction at all.
Therefore, the emperor, at the request of his officials, sent troops to attack the Western Xia.
This battle lasted three years. Although the Song Dynasty suffered heavy losses, it can be said that both sides were severely damaged.
The Western Xia had only about two million people and was a weak nation. Let alone fighting a war, even a three-year stalemate would have been too much for the Western Xia to sustain.
Then another event occurred: the Liao Kingdom, citing the Zhou Dynasty's capture of several cities from the Liao Kingdom, stationed troops on the border to demand the return of those cities.
Although the Song Dynasty was established on the foundation of the Zhou Dynasty, the Liao Dynasty had absolutely no basis for demanding anything from the Song Dynasty.
The Song Dynasty knew that it was just an excuse, but at that time, it had been fighting the Western Xia for three years and the national treasury was empty.
Later, the emperor ordered Fan Da Xiangong and others to formulate new laws, which was also for this reason.
Left with no other choice, they had to negotiate peace with the Liao Dynasty. In the end, they doubled the annual tribute they had originally paid to the Liao Dynasty and changed it to a separate payment, which finally made the Liao Dynasty withdraw its troops.
Although the Treaty of Chanyuan was a disgrace, Emperor Zhenzong still had his pride, so it was nominally a gift to the Liao Dynasty.
The Liao Dynasty's actions completely tore away the fig leaf from the Song Dynasty.
At that time, neither the nation's strength nor the situation supported continuing the war with Western Xia, so the Song Dynasty had no choice but to take the initiative to propose peace talks.
The final peace agreement was that Western Xia would not claim the title of emperor, and the Song Dynasty would exchange annual tributes of silver and silk for nominal vassalage, providing Western Xia with 150,000 bolts of silk, 70,000 taels of silver, and 30,000 catties of tea each year.
Of course, this is still the public knowledge.
Even after the war ended, the Western Xia still considered themselves emperors, but they did not formally perform the Heaven-worship ceremony and ascend the throne.
Thirteen years ago, the emperor of Western Xia died. The current emperor of Western Xia is only eight months old and is still in his swaddling clothes. He was put on the throne by his uncle, Meicang Epang.
The real power in Western Xia was also held by his birth mother and the siblings, Mezang Epang and Mezang Epang.
Mezang Epang seized complete control of the Western Xia through various means, becoming the true ruler of Western Xia.
Historically, there have been many instances of emperors eliminating powerful ministers to regain their power.
The most famous example is Emperor Kangxi's removal of Oboi.
However, Emperor Kangxi was already fifteen years old when he eliminated Oboi. Moreover, Oboi could only be considered a powerful minister, but he had not yet reached the point of having absolute power.
The emperor's ability to eliminate powerful ministers has no necessary relation to the size of his country.
In terms of difficulty, they are actually the same.
However, when Kangxi ascended the throne, he had several regents.
When the young emperor of Western Xia ascended the throne, he had only been on the throne for eight months, and power fell directly into the hands of his uncle.
Many people think that eliminating powerful ministers is not difficult; all they need to do is lure them into the palace and take them down.
But the reason why powerful ministers can become powerful ministers is because they have a large number of supporters.
The most difficult thing to get rid of a powerful minister is not the minister himself, but the many supporters behind him.
Those supporters were unsure whether the emperor would purge them after seizing power.
Even if the emperor promised the best, no one dared to gamble.
The most difficult part is actually how to maintain power after eliminating powerful ministers.
The ultimate result of not allowing this was that the emperor killed the powerful minister, and the powerful minister's son or supporters killed the emperor.
The young emperor of Western Xia was only fourteen years old, yet he was able to eliminate his uncle who controlled the court and stabilize the situation, which shows how capable he was.
No wonder Hai Wenqing called him the great enemy of the Song Dynasty.
"I and some officials submitted a memorial suggesting that we should take advantage of the instability within Western Xia and send troops to attack Western Xia."
Even if we cannot destroy Western Xia, we can still weaken its strength by capturing some cities.
"But most officials, led by Grand Chancellor Han, disagree, and the Emperor is also very hesitant about sending troops," Hai Wenqing sighed.
Wang You didn't know how to comfort Hai Wenqing for a moment.
For the Song Dynasty, this was indeed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
At this time, the Western Xia emperor had just eliminated the powerful minister, and the internal situation was not yet purged, which was a time of great anxiety among the people.
If the Song Dynasty were to send troops, some people might simply defect to the Song Dynasty.
>