Chapter 963: Those who do not plan for the overall situation are not enough to plan for a region
In the last month of the thirteenth year of Jianxing, Liangzhou was covered with a thick layer of white snow.
Guanzhong may be better than Liangzhou. The snow is not that thick, but as far as the eye can see, it is still a vast expanse of white.
After passing Tongguan and continuing eastward, Luoyang, the core of Wei State, has only a thin layer.
In many places, because there was too little snow, ice formed instead.
Even so, this year’s winter still feels much colder than the previous two years.
Cao Rui's body has never been considered strong.
When his body is weak, he is particularly sensitive to cold air, so Cao Rui dislikes winter, especially such cold winter days.
Like his father Cao Pi, he had a hobby that he couldn't give up: drinking and sex.
Needless to say, color.
After the Battle of Shiting that year, according to Wei law, the wives and concubines left by the fallen soldiers were selected to marry other soldiers.
However, Shangshu Lang Lian Zhao, knowing what Cao Rui liked, actually secretly selected dozens of people with good looks and good looks to enter the Xuchang Palace to serve the Wei Emperor.
What is even more surprising is that the number of female officials in Luoyang's harem who were ranked as stone (that is, female officials who were eligible to receive salaries) was the same as the number of officials in the court.
There were more than 3,000 people in the palace, starting from the nobles and below, who went to Ye Ting to sweep the palace.
Many ministers came to advise Cao Rui, saying that it was enough to prepare one hundred and twenty concubines according to the Zhou rites, and the rest should be sent home to reunite with their families.
Cao Rui is a wise king in other aspects, and he can also listen to the advice of his ministers.
Only the civil engineering and the harem were matters that he cared deeply about and were unwilling to compromise.
Over the years, Wei's repeated defeats in foreign wars made Cao Rui lack of prestige. After repeated admonitions from his officials, he had to cut back a little and stop the construction of the palace.
As for the harem, they never gave in.
Fortunately, Shangshu Lang Lian Zhao knew the emperor's intentions and secretly sent some of the women in the palace to Xuchang Palace.
This made the ministers less controversial.
It's just that Cao Rui has heard too many such remarks and is irritated, but he doesn't dare to break out.
Simply choose a trustworthy woman in the harem who knows the book and is polite, and serves as the female minister to help with the affairs of the court and reduce the number of visits to foreign ministers.
Cao Rui was so lustful and weak, so he often resorted to drinking to entertain himself.
After the Battle of Longyou, Liangzhou’s peach wine was stopped for several years, and I don’t know if it was because I couldn’t taste it for a long time.
When there were caravan exchanges between Liangzhou and Guanzhong again, Cao Rui felt that the peach wine passed over from there seemed to be much sweeter than before.
Not to mention a very tasty mead.
There is a saying that wine is a poison that penetrates the intestines, and **** is a bone scraper. If you have both wine and **** but do not know how to control it, the king of **** will meet you in the underworld.
(A certain country turtle who is suffering in Liangzhou at this time deeply agrees with this sentence.)
If Feng Tibi knew that Cao Rui was having such a good time, he would definitely feel ashamed and retreat even further.
In this cold winter day, Cao Rui took two sips of strong wine that he didn't often touch in the past. When he felt his body warmed up, he gave the order:
“Come, come and set up a prayer palace.”
Lian Zhao, who was standing by, responded and quickly went down to make arrangements.
The so-called Palace of Prayer is a newly built palace in the past two years.
It is not Cao Rui's concubine, but a woman from Shouchun.
This woman can cure diseases with pure water, and she says that she is a goddess who has descended to earth, and she should live in the harem to eliminate disasters and evil spirits for the emperor's family, and to receive blessings and increase longevity.
At first, Cao Rui was dubious. It happened that Duke Shanyang (i.e. Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty) died at that time, and a serious epidemic broke out in Luoyang, so he ordered her to try to treat it.
Later, the epidemic in Luoyang subsided, so Cao Rui believed in her.
Not only did he specially build a palace for her in the harem, he even issued an edict to praise her virtuous people.
In the past two years, when Cao Rui felt unwell or was in a bad mood, he often liked to go to the Prayer Palace where the goddess lived.
When the goddess heard that Cao Rui was coming, she stood at the gate of the Palace of Prayer to greet her early:
“I have met His Majesty.”
“Get up. I’ve said before, you are a goddess, you don’t need to be so polite.”
Cao Rui stepped forward, helped the goddess up personally, and said pretending to be displeased.
The skin of the goddess is slightly dark, but this does not affect her noble temperament that is not stained by the fireworks of the world - at least in Cao Rui's eyes.
Because her expression is always so calm, like the soft lines on the edge of a calm lake where the water and the sky meet, quiet and soft.
This calmness alone can make Cao Rui always feel at ease.
The goddess in front of me is dressed very differently from the women in the world.
The open peach-shaped collar of the outer garment is uniquely embroidered with golden wavy lace, which adds a bit of nobility to the goddess.
Even though he was the emperor, Cao Rui had never seen clothes of this style.
Her shiny black and slightly curly long hair was tied behind her head by a piece of red silk. It seemed simple, but against the pure black dress, her whole person seemed to show a kind of enchantment. Extraordinary alluring beauty.
This is probably the goddess of heaven. Everything is different from the women in the world, but everything appears in her so harmoniously.
“Although I am a daughter of heaven, I don’t care about ordinary people, but Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven and is above the daughters of heaven. How can I be rude?”
The goddess said calmly, her voice seemed to have a soothing charm.
Cao Rui is delighted:
“It’s cold outside, let’s go inside first.”
“Your Majesty, please.”
The goddess turned sideways and stretched out her hand to bow.
Lian Zhao and others stood there knowingly, not daring to follow them in.
After all, it is the residence of the goddess, how can it be allowed for the world to stop and pollute it?
Except for Your Majesty, the only men who can enter here are all female officials carefully selected from the harem.
Going past the two arches, the goddess opened a door and saw a large closed corridor appearing in front of her.
The two sides of the cloister are carved with gold and painted with patterns. There are a dozen white candles placed on the walls on both sides. Each one is as thick as a baby's arm, and the fire light dances.
The light and shadows intersect and sway, making the carvings seem to come alive. They are exquisite, ingenious, and eccentric.
This white candle alone made Cao Rui, the emperor, look in admiration.
I heard from the goddess that these candles, as white and as smooth as jade, were given by God Haotian, and only those blessed by Haotian are qualified to enjoy them.
The thicker the candle, the greater the blessing.
Cao Rui At present, this kind of candle can only be seen in the palace where the goddess of heaven lives.
He also asked the goddess of heaven when he would be blessed by Haotian.
The goddess only said that when your majesty's good fortune comes, the white candle will appear in the world. If it does not appear, it means that the time has not come yet.
After Cao Rui heard these words, it was not easy to ask any more questions.
Step into the grand cloister, and at the end, you will find a spacious and luxurious bedroom directly with several tables, curtains, etc., which are unique in style, luxurious and extravagant, and have a mysterious allure.
The various colored gauze curtains all around hang down to the ground, and the wind blows the gauze, making it confusing and confusing, making people drifting and intoxicated.
“Your Majesty, please.”
Cao Rui was not polite and just lay down on the couch. His body immediately fell into the warm and soft couch, making him sigh comfortably.
Smelling the faint but unknown fragrance made Cao Rui feel relaxed all over, and he felt a little fluttery, as if he was riding in the wind.
Compared to the cold emperor's palace, Cao Rui liked this place better.
Because here, he can always fall asleep quickly.
“I heard that you left the palace again recently?”
“Yes, the eldest princess invited me, but I couldn’t do it, so I went to the princess’s house to pray for her.”
Concubines in the harem are not allowed to see their families lightly, but the goddess of heaven is an exception.
After all, praying for the emperor's family, the emperor's family is not only His Majesty, but also all the princes and princes.
Of course, ordinary princes cannot invite the goddess, nor are they qualified to do so.
However, those who are close to Cao Rui by blood, or are close to Cao Rui himself, can still occasionally invite the goddess to the house to pray for blessings as long as they have permission from Cao Rui.
The eldest princess in Tiannu's mouth is Princess Qinghe, Cao Rui's aunt and Cao Pi's sister. Her status is certainly extraordinary.
Although she is married to Xiahou Mao, in the past few years, the three Xiahou families have actually been ignored by Cao Rui, and they are not even allowed to leave Luoyang easily.
So Princess Qinghe had long been separated from Xia Houmao and lived alone in the princess mansion.
“Well, my aunt has been neglected by Xia Houmao for many years. I misunderstood her before and thought she was a jealous woman.”
"Now it seems that it is my fault. If you pray for her, you can help me make up for her."
Speaking of this, Cao Rui couldn't help but sigh.
I just feel that as an emperor, I am really tired.
In order to balance the forces of all parties, even the Xiahou family did not dare to move lightly, which was really a bit cowardly.
Not to mention Bi Gui, the governor of Bingzhou, who almost caused chaos among the Hu people in Bingzhou. Because his son married a princess, he had to hold his nose and let him continue to stay in Bingzhou.
Because...there are really not many in-laws and relatives who can use it and dare to use it!
Now that the aristocratic family is becoming more and more powerful, if he takes the initiative to weaken his in-laws and clans, let alone maintaining the emperor's prestige, the throne will probably be unstable in the future.
Cao Rui was lying there with his eyes closed, his thoughts scattered, so naturally he didn't see it. The goddess sitting beside the couch had a slightly subtle expression when she heard that Princess Qinghe had been neglected all year round.
Her voice then became a little ethereal:
“Your Majesty said it, I have recorded it.”
After a pause, the goddess continued, "Speaking of prayers, Your Majesty, I have something that I don't know whether to talk about or not?"
Cao Rui still didn't open his eyes and said, "It's your duty to pray for the Heavenly Family. Is there anything else you shouldn't say? Just say what you have to say."
"Then I will speak frankly. I heard that there were bronze figures, dew trays and other objects made by Han Wu when he was seeking immortality in Chang'an. I thought that if I moved those things to Luoyang and asked me to use them to cast spells, I would not be able to let your majesty inherit the fortune of Han Wu. …”
When Cao Rui heard this, he suddenly opened his eyes and sat up suddenly:
“Will this method really allow me to inherit the fortune of Han Dynasty?”
The goddess smiled calmly:
“What the dew tray receives is water without roots. It does not reach the sky above and does not touch the earth below. If you drink it properly, you can strengthen your body and prolong your life.”
“Wu Han, who drank illegally, could still live to be seventy years old, what about your majesty?”
"Hundreds of years have passed since the Pre-Han Dynasty. During this period, Chang'an City experienced many wars, but Chenglu Pan was safe and sound. Is this a metaphor for God's will?"
"Wouldn't it be wonderful if I could move this thing to Luoyang, and then use my unique magic to transform the luck of Han Dynasty into your Majesty's body, and help Your Majesty to achieve the great achievements of Emperor Qin and Han Dynasty?"
Cao Rui is frail, so how could he not be tempted when he heard that there was such a way to strengthen his body and prolong his life?
Coupled with the fact that he was able to absorb Hanwu's luck, his breathing became a little heavy now, and he was almost impatient.
I have to say that what the goddess said accurately hit what Cao Rui longed for most in his heart.
"I will issue an order to send people to Chang'an and ask Sima Yi to **** him over!"
"Your Majesty, no, you can't do such a big thing at will. You have to choose an auspicious day and auspicious time to do it."
"Oh, yes, yes!" Cao Rui said repeatedly, and then looked at the goddess eagerly, "Then according to the goddess's opinion, when is the auspicious day and the right time?"
“After I take a bath tomorrow, I will ask God Haotian and we will know.”
"Okay, okay, then I'll have you."
"Then your Majesty, please rest first."
After Cao Rui lay down again, he realized that he had been a little too excited, his energy and blood were surging, and there was a dull pain from his eye sockets to his temples, and he felt that his eyes were a little blurry.
He was so frightened that he quickly closed his eyes and tried to calm down again.
I don’t know how long it took, but while Cao Rui was half asleep and half awake, he heard the melodious sound of silk and bamboo.
He didn’t know whether he was awake or in a dream, but he saw several beautiful women dancing gracefully.
They were wearing exquisite long-sleeved dresses, just like goddesses. They were also of a style he had never seen before. They all had a tulle on their shoulders. When their bodies moved, the tulle would float in the air.
Coupled with the light smoke that drifted in from nowhere and lingered around them, Cao Rui looked at them and felt that they were all fairies descending to earth.
There was already a delicate fragrance floating in the room. Cao Rui took a deep breath and felt that he was full of energy and blood, which was very different from the powerless feeling in reality.
“Your Majesty…”
A soft cry that makes one’s heart flutter.
Cao Rui reached out his arms full of strength (thinking to himself), and was filled with warm and fragrant soft jade.
Feeling that the long-lost glory has returned, Cao Rui couldn't help laughing!
…
The last month of the thirteenth year of Jianxing passed quickly and quietly.
In the fourteenth year of Jianxing, which was the fourth year of Qinglong in the Wei State, as soon as spring began, a strange incident was reported in Shancai County, Taishan County:
Someone once saw a yellow dragon rising from the ground outside. After three roars, it hovered in the sky for a long time, and finally flew into the sky and disappeared.
The minister and leader of the Taishi Order Gaotang Longzou said: Wei has acquired the virtues of earth, so it has the auspicious yellow dragon. It is appropriate to correct the Shuo, change the color, use the gods to enlighten its government, and change the people's ears and eyes.
Cao Rui just decided to move the bronze figures and Chenglupan from Chang'an to Luoyang last month, and auspiciousness appeared immediately this month. It seems that this is God's praise for him.
I already believe in my heart that the goddess can really communicate with God.
Now when I heard what Gao Tanglong said again, I couldn't help but be overjoyed, so I ordered to prepare to change the Yuan Dynasty and let the ministers draft a year name.
At the same time, the snow had just melted, and Cao Rui sent his closest confidants to Chang'an to declare the imperial edict in person, and asked Sima Yi to send people to **** Chang'an copper figures, Chenglu plates and other objects to Luoyang.
Just when Cao Rui was ambitiously dreaming that he could absorb Han Wu's luck and sweep away Yunei, the top leaders of Wu and Han seemed to have a tacit understanding and took action at the same time.
In the fourteenth year of the Jianxing period of the Han Dynasty, which was also the fifth year of Jiahe in the state of Wu, Sun Quan, who had just held a court meeting, officially announced: Make big money!
From Daquan fifty to Daquan five hundred, that is, one piece is equivalent to five hundred coins, one inch and three cents in diameter, and weighs twelve baht.
At the same time, the people were forced to hand over copper materials, and the value was calculated based on the true weight of the copper. A law on illegal casting was also promulgated, and no one was allowed to mint copper coins privately.
As for the Han Dynasty, in February, when the roads in Liangzhou were hardened by ice and snow, Li Yi, who joined the army in the Prime Minister's Office, embarked on the road to Liangzhou with a letter written by the Prime Minister in his arms.
At this time, Governor Feng, who had been tired for a whole winter and could no longer stand up straight, covered his sore waist with tears in his eyes: Zhang Xiaosi was finally pregnant.
(End of this chapter)