The emperor would rather have a

Chapter 164 Zhengyang's Great Victory
The next day, the sun rose.

Emperor Chai Rong personally led 30,000 elite imperial guards, accompanied by civil and military officials, with banners fluttering and armor gleaming in the sun, as they marched in a grand procession toward Huainan.

The carriages rumbled, their hooves pounding fallen leaves, kicking up clouds of dust outside the city of Tokyo. The soldiers' armor gleamed coldly in the morning light, their spears like a forest pointing straight to the sky.

The autumn wind swept across the army formation, bringing with it a chilling atmosphere, as if even heaven and earth held their breath.

Li Yi and the other three civil and military officials who remained in Tokyo stood solemnly outside the Nanxun Gate, bowing to bid farewell to the imperial carriage.

The autumn wind blows like a zither, rolling up the official robes and wide sleeves, making the flags on the city walls flutter loudly, and the reeds along the moat bow low in the wind.

In the distance, the silhouettes of the departing army gradually disappeared beneath the vast horizon. The last vestiges of banners were swallowed by dust, leaving only the empty official road winding into the distance.

Li Yi watched the banners recede into the distance, his brow furrowed slightly. His fingers twirled within his sleeves, but his thoughts drifted to something else—

Empress Fu was able to accompany the Emperor on his campaign as she had wished, and yesterday she even summoned Fu Erniang to the palace. Moreover, Li Yi already knew what the sisters had discussed from his wife.

As for Empress Dafu's thoughts, Li Yi could actually guess that she was simply planning ahead and paving the way for her youngest son, Chai Zongxun.

After all, she came from the military family of Fu, had been married twice, and had personally experienced the ravages of war in the three towns of Hezhong. She must have a deep understanding of the cruelty of the world.

Moreover, when Guo Wei sent her back to her parents' home, her father, Fu Yanqing, insisted on forcing her to become a nun, but she withstood the pressure and resolutely refused.

This shows that Empress Dafu was also a woman with strong opinions.

Emperor Chai Rong is alive and well now, so he can naturally protect the mother and son from the wind and rain, but what if...? Since the late Tang and Five Dynasties period, there has been no shortage of unexpected situations.

Even though the course of history has changed significantly, Emperor Shizong Chai Rong may not have died young as he did in history.

But who can guarantee that no new changes will occur?
“An aunt is also a mother…” Recalling the words Fu Erniang relayed, Li Yi pondered them repeatedly in his heart, his eyes gradually deepening.

Based on the meaning expressed by Empress Dafu when she summoned Fu Erniang yesterday, and combined with the words Chai Rong spoke to him privately, Li Yi discerned another layer of meaning—

Perhaps the emperor and empress wanted to groom her to be a pillar of support for Prince Chai Zongxun in the future?

Of course, it's also possible that he's just making empty promises to appease Li Yi... But then Li Yi thought again, even if it's just empty promises, it means that someone can rely on him.

Furthermore, as far as the Empress was concerned, he was the husband of her younger sister and the uncle of Prince Chai Zongxun. There was indeed no better candidate than herself.

Does she really expect Li Chongjin and Zhang Yongde to genuinely assist her young son someday?

The autumn wind swept by, ruffling a few stray strands of hair at Li Yi's temples, but it could not dispel the wild ambition that was quietly growing in his heart.

If Chai Rong were to die young as he did in his previous life, and if the Fu sisters were to enter the empress's palace one after another, then the future Empress Dowager of the Great Zhou would be her sister-in-law, Fu Liumei.

When that day truly arrives… Thinking of this, Li Yi suddenly froze. Fu Erniang and Empress Da Fu shared a deep sisterly bond, yet he was here hoping for his wife's elder sister to die young.

When did I become so blinded by greed?
Li Yi remained silent. Even if it was something that had happened in history, he really shouldn't have been so hasty.

Ultimately, Empress Dafu had also been kind to him, playing a crucial role in his marriage. Otherwise, he would not have become the emperor's relative by marriage and would not have gained the emperor's special trust.

Li Yi took a deep breath, the morning coolness seeping into his lungs, gradually calming his restless mind.

Just then, a withered leaf swirled down onto his shoulder and drifted away on the wind, just like those untimely thoughts that vanished in an instant.

……

Empress Fu rode in a four-horse carriage. Although the shock absorption was not as good as that of modern cars, the spacious carriage reduced the bumps considerably.

The carriage was also equipped with thick mattresses and soft pads, and the wheels were wrapped in soft materials such as leather, which to some extent served the function of modern rubber tires, enhancing the cushioning effect by increasing softness.

It was indeed much more comfortable than a regular carriage; you could only hear a slight creaking sound while traveling, and there was no feeling of being very bumpy.

In addition, the official road was relatively flat, and the travel speed was slow, so it was not too painful.

Lady Fu leaned back on the cushions, occasionally instructing her female attendant to open the carriage curtains to let in some fresh air. With the curtains drawn, the vast scenery outside could be seen from inside the carriage.

The army marched slowly along the main road, stretching out in a long line across the plains. The army formation resembled a dragon, and the banners covered the sky, with no end in sight.

The soldiers' armor gleamed coldly in the autumn sun, and the yellow dust kicked up by their horses rose straight into the sky, turning half the sky a dusky yellow. The endless dust and fog blotted out the sun, as if people were migrating across the country.

The central army, accompanied by the imperial entourage and numerous officials and palace attendants, advanced at a very slow pace. They traveled for several days, finally arriving outside Chenzhou city on September 26th.

If you continue forward, you will reach Yingzhou, and after passing Yingzhou, you will enter the territory of Shouzhou.

Therefore, the emperor ordered the army to temporarily garrison in Chenzhou, establishing the prefectural government office as the headquarters. At the same time, he appointed Shi Yanchao as the commander of the vanguard infantry, leading 10,000 infantrymen to rush to Zhengyang to provide reinforcements.

It's almost October, and there are only a few days left until the start of winter. The temperature is starting to drop gradually.

Although there is still some warmth during the day, the chill in the morning and evening is gradually penetrating to the bone, and even the breath exhaled can condense into a thin mist in front of the eyes.

Lady Fu was naturally delicate and frail, and having spent most of her life in the inner palace, she rarely experienced the hardships of life. After days of marching, her once beautiful face now showed signs of weariness. Seeing her exhausted expression, the court lady Wang, who served her closely, couldn't help but ask with concern, "Your Highness, are you feeling unwell? Should I summon the Imperial Attendant to examine you?"

"There's no need to make a fuss." Madam Fu shook her head slightly. "I'm just a little tired from traveling for days."

Wang Shanggong hesitated for a moment, but ultimately agreed respectfully. She turned and fetched a fox fur coat for Fu Shi, then had several more braziers added to the room.

For the next two days, the emperor was busy with the war at the front and did not have time to visit Lady Fu. In addition, the wind was cold outside, so Lady Fu stayed in her room and did not go out.

That noon, the sky suddenly became covered with dark clouds, accompanied by deafening thunder. Soon after, the sound of raindrops pattering on the eaves could be heard.

Fu sat by the window, watching the torrential rain outside, when she suddenly covered her mouth and coughed a few times, her shoulders trembling slightly beneath her fox fur coat.

Wang Shanggong, who was standing behind her, was startled. Forgetting about the difference in rank and status, she quickly stepped forward and touched Fu Shi's forehead.

Fortunately, there was no sign of fever, and Wang Shanggong couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. But the Empress's health was no small matter, and she dared not take it lightly. She could only earnestly advise, "Your Majesty, let the Imperial Physician examine you."

Fu hesitated for a moment before nodding slightly. She did feel unwell; she had felt very weak and had a poor appetite for the past two days.

However, she felt that since she had volunteered to go on the expedition, and had only been away from Tokyo for a few days, she was already causing trouble for the emperor. So why did she come out at all?

That's why Madam Fu has been holding back and not making a fuss... But now that her physical discomfort has clearly worsened, she feels more at ease having the imperial physician come and take a look.

"This servant will go right away..." Lady Wang hurriedly walked out of the room. Not long after, she returned with an elderly imperial physician.

After a thorough diagnosis, the imperial physician stroked his white beard and pondered, "Your Majesty is fine, just a bit weak and has a dry cough. You need to rest more these next few days. I will prescribe a decoction to nourish your Qi and strengthen your spleen. It should relieve the symptoms in a few days."

After the imperial physician left the prescription and took his leave, Lady Wang helped Lady Fu to bed to rest, and then immediately ordered someone to fetch the medicine and prepare it.

After taking the medicine, Madam Fu fell into a deep sleep.

As evening approached, Chai Rong, having received the news, rushed to the inner courtyard. Upon entering the bedroom, he found that Madam Fu was already awake, leaning against the bed piled high with brocade.

Upon seeing the emperor, Lady Fu attempted to rise.

Chai Rong quickly stepped forward to support her: "Don't move, lie down properly." His voice was very soft, but his fingertips carried an irresistible force as he gently pressed his wife back onto the pillow.

Lady Fu lowered her eyes and sighed, "I originally wanted to come and take care of Your Majesty, but who knew that I would only distract Your Majesty."

"Don't overthink things, just rest and recuperate for now..." Chai Rong comforted him gently. After a pause, he added, "Once you're feeling better, I'll have someone escort you back to Tokyo."

Upon hearing this, Lady Fu suddenly looked up, instinctively grabbing Chai Rong's sleeve, her voice tinged with urgency: "Your Majesty, I am fine, please do not send me back to Tokyo."

Realizing she had overstepped her bounds, she softened her tone, "Even if you cannot accompany Your Majesty to Huainan, at least let me go with you to Yingzhou... I will wait for Your Majesty's triumphant return in Yingzhou, is that alright?"

Lady Fu did not want to go too far against the emperor's will, but she was even less willing to return to Tokyo just like that.

Yingzhou was the closest prefecture in the Zhou Kingdom to Shouzhou, only a little over a hundred li away as the crow flies. Compared to staying in Dongjing City, being in Yingzhou would allow them to learn about the war situation sooner and also to dissuade the emperor more promptly.

Chai Rong gazed at his wife's frail expression, finally sighed softly, and tucked the quilt around her tightly: "Alright, as you wish. However, the army will set off tomorrow, so you should rest here for a few days, and later we will have men escort you to Yingzhou."

"Your Majesty is in such a hurry to leave, has the war situation changed?" Lady Fu asked in surprise. She had been unwell for the past few days and had stayed in the inner courtyard without moving around, so she was unaware of the situation at the front.

A sharp glint flashed between Chai Rong's brows as he nodded and said, "This morning, news of a victory came from the front lines. A few days ago, Li Chongjin led his troops to a great victory over Liu Yanzhen's forces, the commander of the Northern Expeditionary Army of the puppet Tang Dynasty, east of the Zhengyang Floating Bridge. They captured Liu Yanzhen's deputy general, Xian Shilang, and achieved a great victory."

"I think this great defeat will severely demoralize the defenders of Shouzhou. I intend to have Li Chongjin replace Li Gu as the commander of the vanguard, and take this opportunity to press our advantage and launch a strong attack on Shouzhou."

Upon hearing this, Madam Fu smiled faintly: "Your Majesty is a great ruler of our time. This time, your personal expedition to Jiangnan will be like Mount Tai pressing down, causing even the most villainous to surrender at the mere sight of you."

Chai Rong laughed heartily, clearly pleased with his wife's praise.

But then a hint of anger flashed across his face, and he sneered, "Li Gu is truly useless! I entrusted him with the important task of commanding the vanguard, yet he dared to withdraw his troops from the walls of Shouzhou without authorization."

"Withdrawing troops is one thing, but we haven't even seen a single enemy yet, and we've already thrown ourselves into disarray. Not only have we lost a lot of military equipment and supplies, but we've also left many laborers and able-bodied men trapped in enemy territory... If it weren't for this great victory in Zhengyang East, wouldn't the situation at the front be in grave danger?"

Lady Fu sensed the emperor's dissatisfaction with Chancellor Li Gu in his words, and couldn't help but think to herself: In the first place, it would have been better to let Li Chong join the army than to appoint Li Gu to command the vanguard.

And as it turned out, Li Chongjin was indeed very suitable, achieving results in Zhengyang as soon as he arrived in Huainan.

However, Lady Fu was well aware of the emperor's apprehension towards this nephew of the founding emperor, not to mention that she herself often pondered Li Chongjin in her heart—even if the other party had no intention of disloyalty, his status and position were still a potential threat to the imperial power.

As the emperor's bedmate, Lady Fu was well aware of her husband's attitude towards Li Chongjin. She needed to maintain a balance between valuing him and being wary of him.

Lady Fu gently advised, "Although Prime Minister Li has made mistakes, they were due to caution. Moreover, everyone has strengths and weaknesses... Prime Minister Li has served several emperors and has always been capable. The late emperor also valued him highly. Didn't His Majesty also tell me that last year when His Majesty personally led the expedition against the false Han, Prime Minister Li worked tirelessly to supply the army's needs, which was a great achievement?"

"Your Majesty might as well let him redeem himself by taking charge of the people's livelihood at the front and ensuring the safety of the army's personnel and supplies."

(End of this chapter)