Selling wife for fame? Kick out the scumbag and marry the new emperor to enjoy the harem of favors

Chapter 191 Dingzhou Rebellion

When Madam Fan came out of the main hall, she had a relaxed smile on her face.

While chatting with Xie Jiu, the two women seemed to be just rambling about everyday matters.

The ladies and young women who had been waiting in the side hall for a long time did not feel that they had been neglected.

Because Xie Jiu had prepared hot tea and snacks in advance, and the underfloor heating in the side hall was also turned on, it was warm and comfortable.

After kneeling for half a day at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, these women were still kneeling in the square outside. The cold wind chilled them to the bone, and their toes were stiff. Sitting comfortably in the Jingming Palace, they felt much better.

Xie Jiu greeted them with a smile.

Finally, we managed to pass the time during that midday hour.

In the afternoon, he continued kneeling.

They didn't disperse until evening.

Even though the palace servants below went out of their way to please Xie Jiu and prepared a softer and thicker futon for her, Xie Jiu's knees still ached terribly from kneeling all day.

Upon returning to Jingming Palace, Chunrong quickly poured a bucket of hot water and helped her inside to soak.

"Let's ward off the chill. Qingfang has gone to make ginger soup. Your Highness, have a bowl later too, so you don't catch a cold."

"Hmm, have you made arrangements for Wenxi as well?" Xie Jiu asked, leaning against the bathtub with her eyes closed.

Chunrong nodded, "Your Majesty, rest assured, Qinlan has also made preparations."

As the master and servant were talking, Qingfang's slightly anxious voice came from outside.

"Your Majesty, the Emperor has arrived at Jingming Palace!"

"what?"

Xie Jiu was also surprised and suddenly opened her eyes and turned her head to look.

"Today is the first day of the month, shouldn't His Majesty go to Weiyang Palace?"

That's how it should be done according to the rules.

However, Zhao Xingjin doesn't usually follow the rules very well. He often doesn't go to the palaces of other concubines on the first and fifteenth of the month, but he does go to the palaces of other concubines on the first and fifteenth of the month.

"This servant doesn't know either, but Eunuch Qingdong came to say that the Emperor's carriage is about to arrive, and that Your Highness should prepare to receive him," Qingfang said.

Xie Jiu was really exasperated, thinking to himself that he had just warmed up a little, and this was really exhausting.

But despite my inner complaints, I still had to get up quickly.

She hurriedly dressed and tidied her hair when Yang Zhian's voice came from outside.

"The Emperor has arrived!"

"Your Majesty, I respectfully welcome you!"

Xie Jiu walked quickly to the outside of the hall and bowed.

"stand up."

Zhao Xingjin strode past her and went straight into the hall.

This action made Xie Jiu feel a little nervous.

She seems to be in a bad mood.

So, while pondering why, he carefully followed Zhao Xingjin into the hall and personally served him a cup of hot tea.

"Why did Your Majesty come at this hour? It's chilly outside. Be careful not to catch a cold."

Zhao Xingjin's face did not show any gloom, but Xie Jiu could still feel his low pressure.

So she pursed her lips and said softly, "Your Majesty must be tired today. May I massage your shoulders to loosen your muscles and bones?" After she said this, Zhao Xingjin breathed a sigh of relief and nodded with his eyes lowered.

He was sitting on a soft couch by the window, so Xie Jiu couldn't go around behind him. She had to lift her skirt and kneel on the couch, gently placing her hands on his shoulders from his side and behind.

There's no need to say anything; just quietly massage it.

Her technique was always excellent, and Zhao Xingjin always appreciated it. After kneading for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, he heard Zhao Xingjin speak.

"An urgent report from Dingzhou in the southeast says that a rebellion has broken out in the coastal area. Some unknown force has come and provided the local pirates with weapons and gunpowder. These beasts took advantage of the slight lapse in border defenses on New Year's Eve to launch a large-scale attack. They used fire to attack downwind and captured a city in one night. The prefect of Dingzhou sent someone to the capital overnight to report the news. Several thoroughbred horses died in the process. The letter only arrived in my hands half an hour ago."

Dingzhou is not too far from the capital, but it took a day and a night to deliver the message, which was a desperate effort.

No wonder Zhao Xingjin was in a bad mood. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, he was saying in the morning that a good snowfall would bring a bumper harvest, and by evening he learned that Dingzhou, a city on the coast, had been lost. It would be strange if he was in a good mood.

"Such a thing is true. Along the coast of Dingzhou, apart from a few small islands separated from the mainland where some pirates have settled, I've never heard of any tribes or countries. Could they be people from overseas?" Xie Jiu frowned.

The main battlefield of Dajing has always been inland, facing countries like Xichi. The troops along the southeast coast are mainly only there to suppress bandits and protect the peace of the region. Over the years, they have never seen people from other countries come from the sea.

Zhao Xingjin frowned. "I have already sent people to Dingzhou. The letter only said that they seemed to be foreigners from overseas who provided the pirates with money, food and weapons. But how could those people only be interested in Dingzhou? Since they dared to invade, they must have great ambitions."

"Then, could he be considered a formidable opponent?" Xie Jiu was also somewhat worried.

After all, they were people whose backgrounds were unclear.

"Not really. The reason they were able to take a city so quickly was because on New Year's Eve, our soldiers were so engrossed in celebrating the festival that they let their guard down. Also, a southerly wind happened to blow in Dingzhou that night, and they used fire to attack, which gave them the advantage of timing. Plus, it was a surprise attack in the middle of the night. But the letter from Dingzhou also said that their weapons weren't that advanced. They only gained the advantage because they used sulfur powder to start a fire."

As Zhao Xingjin spoke, he raised his hand and patted Xie Jiu's hand, signaling her to stop.

Xie Jiu obediently sat down next to him.

He then whispered, "His Majesty is worried that if news of the incident in Dingzhou reaches the ears of the Xichi people, they might cause trouble. After all, at the New Year's Eve banquet, His Majesty was so firm in arranging the marriage between Prince Xichi Yi and Princess Heyi, forcing them to bow their heads."

These words struck a chord with Zhao Xingjin.

Indeed, and he had already secretly summoned Wei Zhang for this matter.

Whether in the Prince's Palace before or now, Zhao Xingjin has always trusted Wei Zhang as his strategist.

Wei Zhang has already begun to deal with this matter, but it will take time for his troops to reach Dingzhou. Losing a city is no small matter, and if it takes too long, he may not be able to stop them. Unfortunately, the Xi Chi people will stay in the capital for a long time.

Zhao Xingjin naturally did not want this sudden event to disrupt his plans for Xichi. Dajing had already gained the upper hand in the negotiations with Xichi, and it would be a loss if they lost it because of this.

"They were already dissatisfied with the tariff issue and were reluctant to sign the new treaty. If they knew that war had broken out in Dingzhou, I'm afraid they would be the ones to harden their stance."

After hearing what he said, Xie Jiu lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment before suddenly raising his eyes to look at him and said in a deep voice.

"Your Majesty, I think that instead of keeping this a secret, we should take this opportunity to make an example of someone."

These words caused Zhao Xingjin's pupils to shrink slightly, and then he raised his chin slightly, as if deep in thought.

"You mean, I should use the defeat of the bandits in Dingzhou as a warning to the Xichi people, so they won't dare to cause trouble again?"

"Correct."

Xie Jiu nodded, and then began to analyze in a soft voice.

"Your Majesty has been on the throne for so long, and only now has Xichi sent envoys. This shows that they have carefully considered and observed the situation before deciding to befriend Dajing. Therefore, they certainly do not want to start a war with Dajing. So Your Majesty need not worry that they will launch an attack while Your Majesty is dealing with the Dingzhou matter. On the contrary, if Your Majesty can easily and quickly suppress the Dingzhou rebellion, it will be even more effective in deterring Xichi."

After a pause, he added.

"When Dingzhou is in chaos, the Xichi people become complacent, which is the best way to curb their arrogance. In this way, even if the two countries form a marriage alliance, there may be no need to lower the tariffs for them."

As Zhao Xingjin listened to her words, a hint of appreciation gradually appeared in his eyes.

Finally, he chuckled softly.

"This trip wasn't in vain. Get some rest. I'll come see you another day."

After speaking, he stood up and strode away.