Chapter 278 Marriage
Su Ze had been paying close attention to the situation in Luoyang. After receiving the report from Su Suan (the envoy who is well versed in human nature), he realized that he already had the capital to marry Princess Chenliu.
When the two first met, Princess Chenliu was a high-ranking princess, and Su Ze was just a low-ranking soldier in the Yulin Army.
But now Su Ze is already the General Pingxi, the commander-in-chief of the military forces of five states and one county. When the chaotic times have arrived, the status of both sides has undergone subtle changes.
After all, it had only been twenty years since Emperor Xiaowen began to investigate the aristocratic families. In the Northern Dynasties today, the aristocratic family system had not yet reached the point of being an ideological stamp.
However, this matter could not be raised by Su Ze himself, and certainly not by Princess Chenliu.
Su Ze thought about it for a while and decided that he needed an important official in the court to propose it.
Su Ze thought about it and finally decided on a candidate.
But this matter must be planned well.
In any era, marrying a wife is a very important matter.
Princess Chenliu has a special status, so we must be even more cautious.
First of all, the person who decided this marriage could not be King Yuanyi of Jiangyang.
The reason is very simple. Su Ze has already been heavily labeled as a member of Yuan Yi's gang. According to the information Su Ze has collected from Luoyang, the downfall of King Jiangyang Yuan Yi is not far away.
This is definitely not something that can be avoided by Su Ze reminding Yuan Yi.
You should know that the Grand Chamberlain Liu Teng was Yuan Yi's collaborator. Before his death, he instructed Yuan Yi to separate Empress Dowager Hu and the young emperor. However, Yuan Yi allowed Empress Dowager Hu and the young emperor to meet because of his wife Hu's plea.
Even Empress Dowager Hu and the eunuchs around the young emperor had secretly betrayed him, but Yuan Yi didn't know it.
In fact, the Xuanguang coup was successful because Empress Dowager Hu favored Prince Qinghe alone, infringing on the interests of the royal family.
Therefore, in such a makeshift coup like the Xuanhua Coup, in the end only one foreign minister, You Zhao, jumped out to oppose it, while the other princes and ministers all acquiesced to the outcome of the coup.
The perverse actions of King Jiangyang Yuan Yi during this period, coupled with his inability to govern, led to rebellions in Guanzhong and the Six Garrisons, and aroused hostility from various forces in Luoyang.
At this time, only a coup that was less sophisticated than the Xuanguang coup would be needed to oust Yuan Yi.
Even if Su Ze used his followers to tip off Yuan Yi, he could only thwart one or two conspiracies, and Yuan Yi would eventually be ousted.
So what Su Ze needs to do now is to jump off Yuan Yi’s broken ship as soon as possible.
This marriage must be proposed by a minister in the court who is not from the Yuan Yi faction, and it would be best if the decision was made by Empress Dowager Hu.
Su Ze thought about it and finally made a plan. He gave Su Suan a commission, and then it depended on his followers who stayed in Luoyang.
-
On the twenty-fifth day of the first lunar month in the third year of Zhengguang, at Princess Chenliu’s mansion.
"What? You want money again?"
Luzhu glared at Su Suan who was kneeling outside the screen. She really couldn't understand how this man could be so shameless as to come to her house to ask for money again.
In the past few months, Su Ze, the Empress Dowager, has almost emptied Princess Chenliu's money!
Su Suan knelt outside the screen and remained silent. After a long while, Princess Chenliu asked:
"What do you want the money for this time? Can't you let me know?"
When Su Suan heard Princess Chenliu asking, he said in a low voice:
"I need money and goods to help my lord marry his mistress."
Lu Zhu was stunned for a moment, and Princess Chenliu also fell silent.
These days, she was very clear about Su Suan's abilities, but no matter how capable Su Suan was, getting the court to agree to her marrying Su Ze was not something that a mere envoy like him could do, right?
What Princess Chenliu said last time was just an angry remark. Even if Su Ze came to Luoyang in person, it wouldn't be that easy, right?
Su Suan said:
"My lord has already made the arrangements. All I need to do is to carry them out. Please stay in the mansion and wait for the imperial decree to grant the marriage."
Seeing Su Suan so confident, Princess Chenliu became even more excited!
So you already had a plan! If I don't push you, how long will you wait, Su Ze?
Princess Chenliu secretly made up her mind that she would keep these accounts in mind and take their revenge on the bed in the future!
Su Suan didn't know that his words had earned his lord another "stigma". After he plundered some treasures from Princess Chenliu's mansion, he brought these treasures to the mansion of Prince Guangyang Yuanshen.
Su Ze and Yuan Shen once had a good relationship, and Yuan Shen even let his son Yuan Fotu make friends with Su Ze.
Yuan Shen was not a person who did not accept gifts. This made him an outlier among the royal family of the Northern Wei Dynasty. He was one of the few princes who valued public interests more than personal interests.
That's why Yuan Shen suggested dividing and weakening the power in Su Ze's hands, but he also opposed replacing Su Ze with others.
Since Su Ze's backyard was established, Su Suan has also come to Yuan Shen's house several times.
But Yuan Shen refused the gift that Su Suan brought to him.
Today, Su Suan insisted on seeing Yuan Shen. If it weren't for their past friendship, Yuan Shen would have kicked him out.
Seeing Su Suan sitting in the hall, Yuan Shen also felt emotional and wondered where Su Ze searched for these people from.
It is said that Su Suan was born into a clerk family and had a low level of cultural literacy, but he was very good at dealing with people and was also a well-known figure in the human relations circle in Luoyang.
It was Su Suan's activities in Luoyang that helped Su Ze to shield himself from many storms.
Of course, a lot of the trouble was caused by Yuan Shen.
But this time Su Suan did not exchange pleasantries. He went straight to the point.
"Your Majesty, I heard that the court intends to have you replace General Li as the commander-in-chief of the Northern Expedition."
Yuan Shen raised his eyebrows. What kind of person is this Su? He came to talk about this topic with him. He just said that he is proficient in the ways of the world, but he is obviously a fool who doesn't know how to act.
Yuan Shen was about to kick Su Suan out when he heard Su Suan say:
"In fact, my master also has some opinions on pacifying the six towns."
Yuan Shen suppressed the urge to scold Su Suan. He was also curious about what Su Ze thought about the pacification of the Six Garrisons.
There is no way. Having defeated the Rouran, pacified Hexi, settled Longxi, and guarded Liangzhou, Su Ze has grown into one of the most famous generals of the new generation in the Northern Wei Dynasty.
Even Yuan Shen had to admit that Su Ze was very capable in military affairs.
Su Suan did not keep the secret any longer, but said directly:
"Borrow troops from the Rouran."
Yuan Shen's eyes suddenly lit up.
In fact, this is also his idea!
Now in the direction of the Six Garrisons, the Northern Wei court really has no troops available except the army preserved by Li Chong.
Winter is gone and spring is here, and it is almost time for spring ploughing. Recruiting soldiers from all over the country at this time will only cause greater civil unrest.
Moreover, the newly recruited soldiers would need weapons and equipment, and training. By that time, the northern border would have been ravaged and devastated.
At this moment, the only people who could mobilize a large number of troops were the Rouran people in the north.
Su Suan just sipped his tea and continued, "Your Majesty also knows that my general once escorted Princess Shouyang to marry a foreign princess, and has a good relationship with the people on the grassland. If Your Majesty is willing, my general is willing to help the Rouran send troops."
Hearing this, Yuan Shen was completely upset.
However, Su Ze first defeated the Rouran people in the north, and then defeated the Gaoche people in Hexi. It is true that he has a great "reputation" on the grassland.
The royal family of the Northern Wei Dynasty were Xianbei people, and they certainly knew the characteristics of the grassland people - they worship the strong.
Su Ze defeated them and is regarded as a strong man in the hearts of the grassland people.
Moreover, Princess Shouyang was escorted to the grassland by Su Ze, and her position as Ke Hedun was determined by Su Ze after he defeated the Rouran people and convened a grassland conference.
Yuan Shen didn't believe anyone else in the court who said they could persuade the Rouran people to send troops, but he believed Su Ze alone.
Yuan Shen calmed down a little, looked at Su Suan and asked:
"Tell me, what does your master want?"
Su Suan said:
"My master wants to marry Princess Chenliu."
After hearing Su Suan's words, Yuan Shen almost wanted to have him kicked out of the house!
Since when did a mere Yulin warrior become so arrogant! He even asked to marry a princess of Wei, and a princess of the Chenliu clan!
But when Yuan Shen controlled his emotions, he realized that the world had become like this without him noticing.
The Khan of Rouran also wanted to marry a princess of Wei, and wasn't it Su Ze who escorted her to the grassland?
Yuan Shen calmed down, looked at Su Suan and said:
"I can bring this up, but I don't have the confidence to convince King Gaoyang and King Jiangyang to marry the princess and get the nod from the head of the royal family."
Su Suan said:
"Your Majesty, for a royal marriage, wouldn't it be fine if the Queen Mother or His Majesty gave the nod? As for Prince Gaoyang, it won't be difficult either."
Yuan Shen looked at Su Suan coldly. Su Ze was not in Luoyang, so how could he be so sensitive to the situation in Luoyang?
Yuan Shen often quarreled with Yuan Yi over military issues these days. On the one hand, he did understand military affairs better than Yuan Yi and was unwilling to let Yuan Yi make blind orders and ruin the country of his ancestors. On the other hand, Yuan Shen was deliberately cutting ties with Yuan Yi because he also saw that Yuan Yi's days were numbered.
Could it be that Su Ze has secretly established contact with the Queen Mother and the little emperor?
Yuan Shen was even more apprehensive, but thinking that pacifying the six prefectures was the top priority, he still said:
"If you can convince the Queen Mother or His Majesty, I am willing to propose that Princess Chenliu marry Su Pingxi."
Su Suan smiled, took out another box and said:
"This is the Buddha statue and Buddhist scriptures that my master gave to the Buddha. Please accept them, Your Majesty."
After saying this, Su Suan left Yuan Shen’s palace.
After Su Suan left, Yuan Shen opened the box and saw the exquisite gilded Buddha statue and the Sanskrit scriptures in the box. He knew that this was a gift that would suit his son Yuan Buddha's taste.
Yuan Shen sighed deeply. With someone like Su Ze following him, there was no need to worry about peace in the rear.
But if I lead the army to the north, I wonder how my political enemies in Luoyang will attack me? What will I do if the court believes the slander?
Yuan Shen even began to envy Su Ze. Having such a capable confidant running around and making contacts in Luoyang really saved him a lot of trouble and effort.
-
The residence of Prince Changle Yuan Ziyou.
"What, Su Pingxi wants to marry the princess of Chenliu, the emperor's aunt?"
Upon hearing the news, Yuan Ziyou, who was much younger than Yuan Shen and less cunning after all, immediately showed a look of disgust and wanted to kick Su Suan out.
It was at this time that Su Shun (the eunuch who changed his attitude according to the situation) winked at Yuan Ziyou, which made Yuan Ziyou suppress his impulse and listen to what Su Suan continued to say.
Su Suan said:
"My general is willing to help your majesty and the queen mother to drive out King Jiangyang."
Yuan Ziyou was stunned for a moment. Is this something he can say in public?
Fortunately, Su Shun was smart and had already cleared the secret room. If this was heard by Jiangyang Wang Yuanyi, he would be implicated!
Although Yuan Ziyou has been acting as a bridge between the palace and Prince Gaoyang Yuan Yong in recent days, contacting Prince Gaoyang to prepare to overthrow Yuan Yi's ruling position.
However, progress has been slow in recent days. The talents of Prince Gaoyang Yuan Yong are limited. He was regarded as a useless younger brother by Emperor Xiaowen. He was afraid of Yuan Yi's power and dared not take any action.
Another reason why Yuan Yong was afraid was that after Yuan Yi killed Xi Kangsheng, he merged the left and right generals of the guard into one, and he himself became the general of the guard, taking charge of the palace's imperial guards.
How can you launch a coup without any soldiers?
Su Suan said:
"Your Majesty, you should know that my general started his career in the Imperial Guards and has a good reputation among the Imperial Guards. Now some of the military schools in the palace have made friends with my general."
Yuan Ziyu's eyes lit up now.
Yes, Su Ze was very prestigious among the Yulin Huben. After he was posted outside, he had been supporting Jianyangli, and many grassroots officers had contacts with him.
If Su Ze really stood on his side, Yuan Ziyou would really be able to make friends with some grassroots Yulin officers and bring the imperial guards under Yuan Yi into his own side.
In fact, the attitude of the imperial guards themselves is very ambiguous.
During the first Xuanguang coup, the imperial guards simply stood by and watched, and the main force was the eunuchs secretly trained by Liu Teng.
During the second Xuanguang Rebellion in which Xi Kangsheng was executed, the attitude of the imperial guards was equally ambiguous. When Xi Kangsheng and his son were finally executed, some of the imperial guards' generals secretly went to pay their respects.
After King Jiangyang came to power, the salaries of grassroots officers did not increase. Instead, they had a hard time living because of the shortage of supplies caused by various wars.
Yuan Ziyou was also a political creature. He quickly put aside the royal family ties and looked at Su Suan and said:
"If the royal family wants to grant marriage without going through King Jiangyang, then the Queen Mother must agree. Are you sure you can convince her?"
Su Suan said confidently:
"I am confident. All you need to do is ask Your Majesty to mention this matter to His Majesty and inform the Queen Mother."
Yuan Ziyou thought for a moment and said:
"Okay! I will enter the palace right now!"
-
The third year of Zhengguang, February 1st, Imperial Palace.
Empress Dowager Hu could now enter and leave the Central Palace and the Northern Palace freely, and could also issue an edict to allow some close ministers to enter the palace.
Today, Empress Dowager Hu summoned Princess Chenliu to the palace. As soon as Princess Chenliu entered the Xuanguang Hall, she found that the eunuchs and palace maids were standing outside the hall consciously.
It seems that Empress Dowager Hu had unknowingly taken control of the Xuanguang Hall, and all the eunuchs and palace maids who were sent to guard her had all defected to Empress Dowager Hu after Liu Teng's death.
This is normal. It was fine if Liu Teng was alive. But once Liu Teng died, who wouldn’t think about his or her own future?
The emperor and the empress dowager have not been deposed. If they come back to power, wouldn't his entire family be doomed?
As soon as Princess Chenliu entered Xuanguang Hall, she saw Empress Dowager Hu with tears in her eyes saying:
"Su Ze, this bastard, actually coveted the royal family's nobles and wanted to marry the emperor's sister. He is unforgivable!"
(End of this chapter)