Tiger Guards

Chapter 661 Matters in the Rear
Zhao Ji has been secretly traveling westward from Pingyang for fifteen days, enough for four round trips in terms of the correspondence and official documents between Pingyang and Jinyang.

Jinyang, within the temporary palace that was originally the residence of the Marquis of Jinyang, which was rebuilt and expanded.

Empress Fu Shou held a letter from Pingyang, which had traveled between Jinyang and Pingyang seven times.

If it were bamboo slips, they would be continuously added as the two parties asked and answered questions back and forth, eventually forming a very large bundle of bamboo slips.

But the conversation between her and Zhao Ji was like folding paper, which could convey a greater amount of meaning through words.

Even so, the origami book had been updated twice, and it felt quite thick in her hand.

At this moment, she patiently studied the recent changes in handwriting, already suspecting that the tone of the person opposite her was not as concise and straightforward as Zhao Ji's.

After having doubts, she compared each character of the handwriting and finally confirmed that Zhao Ji was not in Pingyang.

The battle situation in Liangzhou, Guandong, and other places was a secret, and it was customary not to discuss it among officials or ordinary people.

Under the information blockade, the officials and people of Jinyang could only judge the war situation through letters to their families at the front.

The Empress's military situation is also being kept secret... Besides, there has never been a precedent of the front lines reporting military intelligence and battle conditions to the rear every day.

Such behavior would increase the risk of military intelligence leaks, causing morale and economic instability in the rear.

As to the situation in Liangzhou, the Jinyang side was not sure of the specifics, because Grand Tutor Zhao was not present and was simply letting the surrendered generals lead the troops into battle, so everyone lacked confidence.

If one of the four great generals—Xu Huang, Zhang Liao, Zhao Yun, and Gan Ning—were to be in charge of the Liangzhou campaign, public opinion in Jinyang would be much more optimistic.

However, in terms of authorization, the real person in charge in Liangzhou is actually the military supervisor Ma Chao, a young man with an official rank of 600 shi, who is currently supervising Zhang He, Zhang Xiu, Zhu Ling, Yang Qiu and other veteran generals who have been in the army since the suppression of the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

Based on her conversations with Pingyang, Fu Shou deduced that Zhao Ji was not in Pingyang, and a nameless worry crept into her heart.

It wasn't that they were worried about Zhao Ji's safety, but rather about potential trouble in Jinyang.

However, Zhao Yan must have known about such a confidential matter.

At this moment, Fu Shou was worried about the leak of documents around Zhao Yan. If military intelligence were leaked to people like Yuan Shao, Sun Ce, Liu Bei, and Liu Biao, Fu Shou wouldn't really have anything to worry about.

The fear is that someone inside might take the opportunity to cause trouble. As long as Zhao Yan is safe and healthy, even if others suspect that Zhao Ji is not in Pingyang, they will not dare to make a move or test him.

These people, convinced that Zhao Ji was not in Pingyang, became incredibly audacious and might do anything.

Fu Shou's expression was calm, but since becoming regent, she had participated in court affairs and held the power of life and death within the palace. In just a few months, her temperament had changed drastically. She had lost the longing and resilience she had before, and now her temperament was profound, as if she could encompass and digest all things.

After a moment's thought, Fu Shou looked at the three replies from 'Zhao Ji' in the latter half of Zhou Zhang's text with disdain, then turned to the female official and said, "Summon the Commandant of the Imperial Guards."

"only."

The female official bowed her head and slightly bent her knees. After bowing, she stood up and took small steps back about six or seven steps before turning around and walking quickly.

Fu Shou also changed into a formal suit, left the side hall, walked through the corridor, and came to the colder main hall.

She rarely used the main hall, except when the heating system was activated in advance for the five-day court assembly.

Inside the main hall, Fu Shou, wearing a sable fur cloak, waited quietly behind the curtain.

The female official stepped in and said, "Your Majesty, the Commandant of the Imperial Guards is waiting outside the hall."

"pass."

Fu Shou nodded slightly, and another female official beside her began to sing loudly.

The female official who was announcing the news turned to face the palace gate and loudly announced, "Summon Dai Lie, the Commandant of the Imperial Guards, to enter the palace."

Four palace servants on either side of the hall also relayed the message in unison. This time, Dai Lie, dressed in a crimson military robe, wearing a pheasant feather crown and a long sword at his waist, stepped in and said, "Your subject Dai Lie greets Your Majesty. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings."

"Please sit closer, my dear minister."

As Fu Shou spoke, the female official beside her called out loudly, "Give me a seat and take ten steps forward."

"Your Majesty, I thank you for the seat." As Dai Lie kowtowed again, two palace servants with swords carried a low couch from one side, around the pillars. After setting the couch in place, the servants left, and Dai Lie stepped forward and sat down. He did not dare to sit on the whole couch, but only on the edge of it.

He rested his hands on his lap, head bowed as if listening intently.

Then Fu Shou said through the curtain, "I have recently been corresponding with the Grand Tutor and intend to hunt on the east bank of the Fen River next March. The guards of Changqiu Palace shall immediately begin training with four meals a day. I will inform the Grand Tutor of this matter, and you shall carry it out immediately."

"only."

Dai Lie answered calmly. As a native of Guangling who followed Zhang Hong north to join the Zhao family, Dai Lie knew far too many things he shouldn't have known.

Zhao Ji wouldn't hide it from him. When the Empress Dowager found a reason to put the palace guards into a state of combat readiness, he naturally wouldn't object or argue.

Jinyang is only so big; if the guards of Changqiu Palace make any move, Zhao Yan will know about it immediately.

It's just entering a state of combat readiness, not suddenly ordering him to secretly arrest someone, so this order is not difficult at all.

Even if the Changqiu Palace guards are put into a state of combat readiness again, in the end they will still have to obey the orders of the Zhao family.
Therefore, Dai Lie readily agreed without giving any thought to anything outside of Changqiu Palace.

After sending Dai Lie away, Fu Shou remained silent and, accompanied by female officials and guards, went to see Consort Zhao in the attached small palace courtyard.

Now that Consort Zhao is ill and unable to go out, Fu Shou can only see her in the small palace.

Despite being called a palace, it was nothing more than a residence covering six acres.

Consort Zhao, who was pregnant, could only greet Fu Shou in the warm side hall and sit at the head of the table, while she stood to the side, looking reserved and somewhat uneasy: "What brings the Empress here?"

"I've been feeling rather bored lately. You and Zhao Shu are quite close, so you could invite her to the palace to keep you company during the New Year's Eve."

Beneath Fu Shou's sable fur coat was a fitted plain white robe. As she spoke, she glanced at Consort Zhao's swollen belly, then whispered, "I hope this child will be raised by Zhao Shu, and from now on, it will be considered her child."

Upon hearing this, Consort Zhao's expression changed slightly. Fu Shou continued, "I can make the decision to give this child to you as an adopted son to carry on the Zhao family line."

Consort Zhao's biological father and brothers all died during the eastward migration; Zhao Rui and Zhao Fan were merely close relatives of the same clan.

Upon hearing the Empress's words, Consort Zhao calmed down, raised her hand to her chest, opened her mouth to breathe softly, and asked, "Is this the matter that the Empress wants to ask of Zhao Shu?"

"Yes, we need her help with this. It just so happens that she's pregnant, so we can just say it's twins."

Fu Shou, finding it too hot, stood up and said, "I also have some private matters to entrust to her. Please send someone to invite her quickly."

"only."

Consort Zhao quickly agreed, wishing that Fu Shou would leave as soon as possible.

In fact, she was not the only one who became pregnant. The other female officials and palace maids had already been taken away by Zhao Yan and taken in for support.

Although the Empress did not obstruct or sabotage, well... neither the Empress nor Consort Zhao treated the ordinary palace servants or female officials as human beings. Only each other were competitors of equal caliber.

When Fu Shou returned to her Changqiu Palace, Dai Lie had already informed Zhao Yan of the news.

Dai Lie dared not hesitate for the slightest regarding such military-related mobilizations.

While implementing and conveying the Empress's orders, he also sent trusted fellow villagers to report them.

At this moment, Zhao Yan was processing official documents. His room was exceptionally warm, and he was sitting cross-legged on the scalding hot kang (heated brick bed), feeling extremely comfortable.

He held Dai Lie's handwritten letter, staring at it for a long time without saying a word.

"Grand Tutor?"

One of the subordinates asked in a low voice, his eyes filled with curiosity.

Zhao Yan then put down Dai Lie's handwritten letter, removed the lens clipped to his left eye socket, and said in a gentle tone, "Go back and tell Dai Lie that he should follow the Empress's orders. If there are any deficiencies in the armory, have him write to me, and I will supplement them as appropriate."

"Here."

(End of this chapter)