The emperor would rather have a

Chapter 156 The Emperor Will Personally Lead the Army

Whether by coincidence or not, the day after the Zhao family's funeral, a group of palace servants visited Li Yi's residence in the morning dew.

The leader was Qu Tai, an eunuch from the Inner Palace Secretariat. Qu Tai was an old acquaintance of Li Yi. Qu Tai had acted as matchmaker for Li Yi and Fu Erniang when they got married.

"Commander Li, how have you been?" Qu Tai stood before the steps, holding a whisk, his brocade robe embroidered with gold-threaded wild geese.

Upon seeing Li Yi personally come out to greet him, he smiled and cupped his hands, saying, "This morning, Her Majesty the Empress left the palace to go to the Daxiangguo Temple to pray for His Majesty's well-being. She specially ordered this old servant to invite your wife to the residence of the Prince of Wei in Tokyo for a talk."

Li Yi had already learned about the Empress's summons to Fu Erniang a few days ago, so he wasn't surprised.

However, it is quite intriguing to hear that the Empress went to pray for the Emperor's well-being. The Emperor has been attending court normally during this period and there is nothing wrong with his health. What kind of blessing was she praying for?
"Thank you for making this trip in person, Eunuch Qu," Li Yi said, returning the bow.

He suppressed his inner doubts and welcomed Qu Tai into the mansion. He then arranged for someone to entertain him, while he apologized, saying, "My wife is a bit sleepy since she became pregnant and has not yet gotten up. Please allow me to make some arrangements. I would appreciate it if Eunuch Qu could wait a moment."

Qu Tai hurriedly replied, "It's alright. When this old servant left the palace, Her Majesty had not yet set off. It will take at least one or two hours to go to the Daxiangguo Temple to pray for blessings, so there's no rush. Commander Li, please go and make the preparations."

"Then I'll take my leave."

Li Yi cupped his hands in greeting, then ordered his men to prepare his entourage and ceremonial guards. He then returned to his bedroom in the inner courtyard and woke up Fu Erniang.

Upon learning that she was going to see her eldest sister, Fu Erniang was naturally excited. The two sisters were born of the same mother and had been very close since childhood. Now, after not seeing each other for several years, her longing for each other was palpable.

However, Fu Erniang couldn't set off immediately. She spent almost half an hour just choosing clothes, and finally selected the magnificent dress for noblewomen that the court had recently bestowed upon her. Then she spent a long time dressing up in front of the dressing table.

Li Yi urged her, "Her Majesty the Empress's meeting with you outside the palace this time is not a formal audience. I suppose she is just acting as your elder sister. Why make it so formal among family?"

Fu Erniang said, "My elder sister is the most noble woman in the world. She personally chose such a good husband for me. I want to dress up beautifully so that my elder sister knows that I am doing very well!"

Li Yi couldn't help but smile and shake his head, unsure of what to say for a moment.

Women's minds are often strange; they always care about some inexplicable things, and he just can't understand why they're doing anything good.

Seeing this, Fu Erniang smiled, then stood up again, turned around in front of Li Yi, and said, "Husband, do I look good in this outfit?"

Li Yi took a closer look and saw that Fu Erniang was wearing a peach-colored cross-collar ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) with a light purple shawl, both made of very fine and expensive materials.

He thought to himself: With such exceptional beauty, what I wear is no longer important, and sometimes I even look better without anything on.

Of course, such words could not be said casually, so Li Yi said with a serious face: "Second Sister looks good in anything, even if she is just wearing plain clothes and simple hairpins, she looks like a fairy descended from heaven."

Fu Erniang covered her mouth and chuckled, giving him a sidelong glance and saying, "My husband is always very serious in front of outsiders, but he is always so glib in front of me. I doubt anyone would expect that a dignified general could say such sweet words to a woman... But I love hearing my husband say such sweet words. For some reason, it makes my heart feel as sweet as if it were coated with honey."

Li Yi took the opportunity to hug Fu Erniang and lightly kissed her on the cheek: "If Erniang likes to hear it, I will tell you about it every day from now on."

Fu Erniang's cheeks flushed red, and she was about to pout when she suddenly heard Xian'er's voice coming from outside the window.

The young maidservant reported through the beaded curtain, "My lord, my lady, Eunuch Qu is getting impatient. He sent me to check if you are ready."

Upon hearing this, Li Yi released Fu Erniang. Realizing that they had indeed been delayed for quite some time, he reached out to tidy up the stray hairs by his wife's temples. "Let's hurry. Although the Empress is your eldest sister, she is still a noblewoman who governs the world. We can't keep her waiting for you, can we?"

Fu Erniang gave a soft "hmm".

When the couple appeared hand in hand in the front hall, Qu Tai was holding a teacup, lost in thought. Upon seeing Fu Erniang dressed in her finest attire, he quickly stood up and bowed.

"Thank you for waiting so long, Eunuch Qu." Fu Erniang returned the greeting slightly.

Li Yi led his wife to the gate of the mansion, where the ornate carriage brought by Qu Tai had been waiting for a long time, with dozens of palace servants standing by. Judging from its scale, it was not a carriage that ordinary people could enjoy.

Qu Tai explained, "Only imperial concubines are qualified to ride in this carriage. Her Majesty the Empress has shown the utmost favor to the Lady of the County."

Li Yi immediately clasped his hands and said a few polite words of thanks to the Empress for her great favor, then personally helped Fu Erniang into the carriage.

However, after doing all this, Li Yi showed no intention of seeing him off. Instead, he had a horse brought over, mounted it, and appeared ready to follow him.

Qu Tai asked in confusion, "What is this about Commander Li?"

“My wife is pregnant, and I am a little worried. I hope Eunuch Qu will forgive me for this.” Li Yi cupped his hands in greeting. “However, Eunuch Qu, please rest assured that I will escort my wife to the Prince of Wei’s residence and wait outside. I will not disturb Her Majesty the Empress’s journey.”

Qu Tai knew he couldn't say anything more after hearing this.

The other party was a high-ranking general of the Imperial Guard, not someone a mere eunuch like him could offend. Besides, he was only accompanying him to the gate of the mansion, so there was really nothing to criticize.

Fu Erniang was unaware that her husband was going with her. Hearing Li Yi and the other man's conversation, she quickly leaned out of the carriage window. When she saw Li Yi give her a reassuring look, she smiled sweetly and then pulled her head back inside.

"Clang, clang..." The glass hanging outside the carriage made a crisp sound as it clattered together.

The spacious carriage was polished to a perfect smoothness, the unique grain of the solid wood was natural and refreshing, and the fragrance of the wood could be smelled. The antique-style curtains swayed slightly, and the patterns painted on them seemed to flow.

Fu Erniang leaned back on the soft cushions inside the carriage, a sweet smile unconsciously spreading across her face. It wasn't just the joy of seeing her eldest sister soon, but also the sweetness of her husband's care for her.

Thinking of the tenderness and concern in her husband's eyes when he looked at her, she felt enveloped in immense happiness.

Fu Erniang felt that she must thank her eldest sister properly when she went to see her this time, for finding such a good husband for her... Her eldest sister had always taken good care of her since she was a child, and always thought of ways to give her all the good things.

But no matter how wonderful or exotic the things are, nothing can compare to the husband my eldest sister found for me; he is truly the best gift God has given me.

The Fu family's mansion in Tokyo was now heavily guarded, with sentries every ten steps and guards every five steps. The Imperial Guards and yamen runners sent by Kaifeng Prefecture had taken control of the mansion, both inside and out.

However, the ceremonial retinue belonging exclusively to the Empress was not seen, suggesting that the Empress had not yet finished praying before arriving.

Li Yi dismounted first, then walked to the carriage. As Fu Erniang bent over to emerge, he extended his hand. In front of so many people, Fu Erniang blushed slightly, but gently placed her hand in Li Yi's and, supporting her husband's arm, stepped down from the carriage.

Qu Tai stepped forward and bowed, smiling as he said, "Her Majesty the Empress has not yet arrived. Please, Lady, enter the residence and wait for her."

Fu Erniang turned to look at her husband, Li Yi, who patted her hand and said, "Erniang, just go in. I'll wait for you outside. After you've met Her Majesty the Empress, I'll go home with you."

He had just returned from the campaign and had a long period of leisure ahead of him. There was nothing important to deal with in the army, so it was no big deal for him not to go to the government office. He decided to stay here and wait for Fu Erniang to go home together.

At this moment, Qu Tai kindly reminded him, "If Commander Li is worried about the Lady of the County, he can wait in the side hall for now. After the Empress and the Lady of the County have finished their conversation, this old servant will go and inform Commander Li."

Li Yi waved his hand and said, "My wife has been summoned by the Empress. What do I have to worry about? No need for Eunuch Qu to trouble himself. I will just find a place outside the mansion to wait for her."

If the Empress arrives later, it will be inconvenient for him, an official from outside the palace, to move around in the side hall. It would be better to find a place outside to wait rather than sit idly in the mansion and suffer.

Fu Erniang followed Qu Tai into the Fu family mansion, turning back every few steps with reluctance.

Li Yi watched her figure disappear through the door, then took Li Hanchao and several accompanying soldiers to a nearby teahouse, where they sat down to drink tea, chat, and wait.

More than half an hour later, the Empress's carriage finally arrived at the Fu family residence. The procession was quite grand. Li Yi sat in the teahouse and watched from afar, but he did not see the Empress.

After all, the empress was surrounded by eunuchs and palace maids, making it almost impossible to see her.

As dusk fell, Fu Erniang finally emerged from the Fu family mansion.

Li Yi's patience was almost worn out. She didn't know what the two sisters had to talk about, from noon until dusk... But thinking about it, the two sisters hadn't seen each other for several years, and the fact that they could talk for so long showed that their sisterly affection was indeed very deep.

Li Yi quickly went to greet her, but when he got closer, he noticed that Fu Erniang's eyes were slightly red, clearly indicating that she had been crying.

He quickly grasped Fu Erniang's hand and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong, Erniang?"

Fu Erniang took out her embroidered handkerchief and dabbed at the corner of her eye: "It's just that I haven't seen my elder sister for several years, so I was a little flustered for a moment."

As she spoke, she smiled again, her eyes curving into crescent moons. "Thanks to my elder sister for making the decision, I was able to meet my husband... Hehe, my elder sister promised me that she would not let my husband go to the battlefield again for the time being, so that he could stay by my side and be at peace."

Upon hearing this, Li Yi's expression froze. The speaker may have been unaware of the implications, but the listener took it to heart. This sudden news was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up ripples in his heart.

As a general of the Imperial Guard, he certainly couldn't be prevented from going to the battlefield by the Empress's mere words. Could it be possible that the Emperor wasn't involved?
Some things are not discussed openly, but as the emperor's bedmate, the empress naturally knows some of the emperor's arrangements.

If I'm not allowed to go to the battlefield for the time being... wouldn't that mean I won't have a part in the war to conquer the Southern Tang?

Fu Erniang, oblivious to Li Yi's change in mood, continued, "So it turns out the Emperor is preparing to personally lead the expedition, which is why Eldest Sister went to the Great Xiangguo Temple to pray for blessings. But Eldest Sister is really something; fighting is a man's business, yet she insisted on going with the Emperor..."

Upon hearing that the emperor was going to personally lead the expedition, Li Yi fell silent. Historically, Chai Rong had personally led his army to conquer the Southern Tang three times, so there was nothing strange about it.

After all, completely subjugating the Southern Tang would not be achieved in just one or two battles, and conquering the Southern Tang was a crucial step in unifying the world.

Whether it was to consolidate his own prestige or to secure a victory, Chai Rong was determined to do things personally and would never easily give the opportunity to other military generals to increase their political prestige.

Wait... is the Empress also going on the expedition with the Emperor?
Li Yi suddenly realized something; he had overlooked the second half of Fu Erniang's sentence. He quickly asked, "Erniang said the Empress will also be going on the expedition?"

“Yes,” Fu Erniang nodded.

"My elder sister said that last year when the Emperor went to fight the Han Kingdom, she was in the palace living in constant fear and every day felt like a year. She could only eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist prayers for the Emperor every day. It was really too exhausting... This time, the Emperor is personally leading the expedition, and my elder sister plans to go with him so that she can take care of his daily life and feel more at ease."

Li Yi didn't speak upon hearing this. He searched his memory for a while, and the vague impression gradually became clear in his mind. He suddenly thought of something very important: the Great Talisman Queen would die young!
As his status and position gradually rise, he has to consider many things every day, especially the things that are most important to him, and he inevitably overlooks some temporarily unimportant details.

There is no definitive conclusion about the cause of Empress Dafu's death in history, but the most widely circulated story is that Emperor Shizong Chai Rong wanted to personally lead an expedition against the Southern Tang, but Empress Dafu tried to dissuade him to no avail and insisted on accompanying him to take care of the emperor.

However, during the sweltering heat and torrential rain, the ordeal caused Empress Dafu to fall ill. After returning to Bianliang (Kaifeng), her condition worsened, and she soon passed away.

Although this claim may not be credible, the sudden news that the Great Fu Empress was indeed going to accompany Chai Rong on his personal campaign inevitably made him feel somewhat solemn.

Thinking of this, Li Yi couldn't help but look down at Fu Erniang.

He thought to himself: Historically, after Empress Da Fu died, Chai Rong remarried Fu Er Niang, which led to the later Empress Xiao Fu.

Now that "Little Fu" has become his wife, if Chai Rong wants to maintain his relationship with the Fu family, he will inevitably marry... Fu Liu Mei?

After all, King Fu Yanqing of Wei only has three daughters in total.

"Husband, what's wrong?" Fu Erniang finally noticed Li Yi's unusual behavior.

"nothing."

Li Yi shook his head. This was something he couldn't say openly. Putting aside whether anyone would believe him, the charge of "cursing the Empress to die young" was enough to get him into serious trouble.

They could only try to find a way to prevent the Empress from going on the expedition with the army.

"Let's go home!" Li Yi pulled Fu Erniang toward the carriage. In the afterglow of the setting sun, their shadows were stretched long.

Li Hanchao and the others immediately led their horses and followed.

As the canopy-covered carriage turned the corner, the last rays of the setting sun shone on Li Yi's profile.

As he rode his horse, watching the golden light gradually fade away, his thoughts drifted to distant places—the death of Zhao Hongyin, the hidden worries of the Empress Dowager, and the war against the Southern Tang. All these things came together, making him feel quite depressed.

(End of this chapter)