Han Zuo Gaomen

Chapter 292 New Years
Generally, things that make people so frightened that they can't sleep or eat well before the incident happen, but once it happens, it will give people an illusion that it's nothing more than that.

This was the case with Liyang's rise of troops. When Gushu was breached earlier, there was another wave of fleeing in Gyeonggi.However, after this incident passed, Liyang did not make any major moves. Every day, a small boat would carry people down the river, shouting and cursing outside the city, and then being shot back by the guards with bows and arrows.

Repeatedly, gradually, people's attention was diverted from this matter, and they no longer paid too much attention to it.For a while, the people who fled near the outskirts of Beijing showed signs of returning, especially when the new year was approaching, there were many families returning to the city with their families to prepare for the new year.Generally, people like this are often ridiculed by those who stick to the city, and they just smile embarrassingly.

The level of contest between big shots is too high, who would have thought that after the lightning and thunder, there would be only two or three sporadic raindrops.

Shen Zhezi was guarding the Xuanyang Gate, and felt the atmosphere most deeply.These ministers were originally the group of people with the most keen sense of the current situation. They came in and out earlier or sighed, worried, or groaned silently, with little joy.

But as the situation stagnated at the moment, these people gradually regained their vitality, and they often sighed that Li Yang was stern, but that was all.What's more, he has been impatiently urging Zhongshu to send troops early to resolve the chaos before the new year, so as not to carry the bad luck to the next year.

Regarding the blind optimism of these people, Shen Zhezi was really speechless.He didn't bother to take care of others, he just stepped up to transfer out of the city some property and supplies that might cause disasters during the turmoil in the capital, especially Nanyuan, which closed down in spite of everyone's opposition.This made some rich and powerful people a little unhappy. They planned to go to Nanyuan to make a big purchase near the end of the year, but now there is no good place to go.

On New Year's Eve at the end of the year, although the vast majority of Taiwanese ministers remained in Taicheng under the strict order of Zhongshu, many irrelevant idlers returned home to celebrate the New Year.Shen Zhezi is naturally no exception. He and the group of doormen in his family are the most insignificant characters in the entire Taicheng, and not many people care about whether they are on duty or not.

The rebel army is entrenched in the upper reaches of the river. If it is said that it has no influence at all, it is not true, but the festive atmosphere in the capital is still strong.Many descendants of aristocratic families were active on both sides of the Qinhuai River as if they had ended their hibernation, feasting and celebrating all night long.Although Shen Zhezi was confiscated, he was still a high-ranking dandy in Jiankang City. He received many such invitations, but he declined them all, and stayed in the mansion to spend the New Year with peace of mind.

This year's Spring Festival in the Princess Mansion is much quieter than in the past few years. There is not a single foreign guest, just a family celebrating behind closed doors.Starting early in the morning on New Year's Eve, Shen Zhezi and the princess sat in the main hall, accepting visits and congratulations from their relatives, and then rewarding them one by one.

Although the atmosphere was a bit deserted, the rewards were several times higher than before. Ordinary servants would get thousands of dollars and several bolts of silk.Anyone who has a little bit of service will be rewarded almost as much as an official with six hundred shi in Taichung, which naturally makes everyone very happy.

Such an atmosphere, for Princess Xingnan, who is used to the lively atmosphere, is unavoidably uncomfortable, and her demeanor is a bit sad.But this year, I can still stay in the capital at any rate, with someone by my side. If I really go back to the hometown of Wuzhong, I will definitely be even more disappointed.After thinking about it this way, the disappointment in the princess's heart disappeared.

In the evening, the sound of firecrackers gradually sounded, adding to the festive atmosphere.Shen Zhezi wanted to give food to all the servants in the family. From the vestibule to the atrium, hundreds of seats were filled. He walked around the seats with a wine glass and expressed his heartfelt thanks to everyone.In the future, his wealth and life will be entrusted to these loyal followers. When the next year is gathered together, I don't know how many people will be able to attend.

In the inner court, Princess Xingnan also hosted a banquet for all the family members, including the Du family.Since Du He is working in the Zhongshu government office, he has no time to go home even during the New Year, so he can only keep his family members in the princess mansion.

In the middle of the night, husband and wife keep watch.Princess Xingnan was lying in Shen Zhezi's arms together, and she could feel Shen Zhezi's heavy heart, and whispered: "Is Fulang unable to let go of being confiscated by his uncle? When I enter the garden tomorrow, I will try my best to invite you in front of my mother... ..."

Hearing this, Shen Zhezi couldn't help smiling, not to mention that he didn't take this matter to heart at all, even if he still wanted to regain his title, there were many ways, how could this little girl go back to her mother's house to ask Sapo.He hugged his increasingly delicate body in his arms, and sighed: "I just feel that human life is humble. I am already living a life of prudence and fear, but I still want to sacrifice my life for a crime that is not my own..."

"Shen Zhezi, do you mean that there will be a big military incident in the future? Then Gyeonggi..."

Hearing this, the princess's delicate body couldn't help trembling, and she looked at Shen Zhezi with some fear.

"The general trend of the world cannot be controlled by us right now. It is extremely difficult to protect ourselves."

Shen Zhezi no longer hides everything from the princess, he held the girl's catkin and said softly: "After entering the garden tomorrow to congratulate, I think the princess can stay in the garden..."

"Why? I've been listening to you recently, and I haven't done anything wrong..."

Dissatisfied, the princess twisted her body in Shen Zhezi's arms, stared at him angrily and asked.Now she really doesn't have much sense of belonging to the garden, and when she goes into the garden occasionally, the queen mother always says some gossip that makes her angry, and as time goes by, she becomes more and more estranged.

"It's not all right for you to go into the garden. In the future, the safety of Jiangdong may be here."

Shen Zhezi pressed the princess's shoulders and said solemnly, and then explained the arrangements for the princess in detail in a low voice.The girl's expression was still displeased at first, but as she listened, her face gradually became serious, and her body became a little stiff: "Is the situation going to be so serious in the future?"

"It's better not to, but it's also prepared."

Shen Zhezi took the girl into his arms again, and said solemnly: "The princess must remember what I said, and don't be willful at that time. At critical times, you can give up as much as you can, and you must ensure your own safety! "

"But, but will you be in danger in the city? Shen Zhezi, I'm afraid, I'm really afraid..."

The little girl buried her head in Shen Zhezi's arms, her delicate body trembling slightly, her eyes were filled with tears.

Shen Zhezi caressed her forehead and said comfortingly: "I am outside, and I have many family members to guard me, so nothing will happen. But I will always wait for you outside. If you have not left the court when the appointment is made, I may really want to Killed by the sword..."

"No, I won't! I will definitely abide by the agreement, don't worry!"

The princess hugged Shen Zhezi tightly, but murmured: "Why are there so many disasters in this world..."

Early the next morning, the family members in the Princess Mansion were busy again, on the one hand preparing gifts for entering the garden, on the other hand packing their luggage.Some women and children who have no combat effectiveness, including Du He's family members and relatives entrusted by other families, will all be transferred from the capital to Qu'a today.Once the situation in the capital deteriorates again, it will be further transferred to Jingkou.

By noon, there were only a few hundred people left in the huge Princess Mansion, and it suddenly became deserted.

Shen Zhezi and the princess went into the garden together to meet the empress dowager and the emperor. Last night, apart from telling the princess, Cui Ling and Yun Zhi who were beside the princess also gave them instructions one by one.

The reason why the princess was allowed to enter the court was really a helpless move. After all, it was too inconvenient for him to arrange plans under Zhongshu's nose.Although there is no shortage of manpower, the entire inner garden is now under the control of the guards. No matter how much it is arranged, it can only be arranged around the inner garden. At most, it can be arranged in the Tongyuan closest to the inner garden.

However, as long as the princess can abide by the agreement, nearly half of the manpower in the capital is arranged around the inner garden. No matter what changes happen, at least the safety of the princess can be guaranteed.Shen Zhezi still has this confidence.Even the servants around the princess were chosen for their strength and bravery, and they were no less than warriors when they issued weapons when necessary.

Entering the court this time, the empress dowager was kinder to the son-in-law, and even allowed Shen Zhezi to have meals in her palace.On the way to the meal, he couldn't help admonishing with a stern face, to the effect that the Shen family should remember the kindness of Suzu, and must assist Zhongshu to overcome the national crisis.

Enjoying the unprecedented honor, Shen Zhezi couldn't help feeling that the two brothers and sisters had similar temperaments, they were both indifferent to their own affairs, and when things came to an end, they thought of turning the stove into a cold stove.It's not that his family has become serious recently, and Suzu's kindness in the early years was full of such profound meaning. From the tone of the empress dowager, it was probably only recently that he understood the profound meaning of Suzu's friendship with the rich and powerful families in Wuzhong.

The mother-in-law was cold at first, but once she became enthusiastic, it was hard to bear.Not only did she give food, but she even let Shen Zhezi stay in the garden afterwards, and even sent palace servants to attend her bed at night.But Shen Zhezi, who is self-righteous, would not be tempted by beauty, so he only let the palace servants stay outside the dormitory.At any rate, I have a clean and innocent body, how can I hand it over to irrelevant people to defile it.

Entering the court this time was quite a pleasant experience for Shen Zhezi. The only thing that made him unhappy was that the emperor pointed at him in the morning and smiled meanly: "I heard that my brother-in-law is already white, and he is still a princess. But it is an honor that China and North Korea have never had!"

Shen Zhezi intends to teach this kid a lesson, but when he thinks about this kid's ill-fated fate in the future, he still bears it for the time being.

After the Chinese New Year, Zhongshu finally couldn't stand the teasing of the courtiers, and dispatched several Suwei troops to Liyang to invite a battle, and lost all the battles.This made the originally relaxed atmosphere in the capital suddenly tense again, and Zhongshu finally let go and allowed Jiangzhou to send troops to King Qin to find Yang. As for the requests of King Qin from Xuzhou and Sanwu, they still ignored them.

At the end of the first month, the Liyang Department finally crossed the Hengjiang River and marched towards Gyeonggi!

(End of this chapter)