Chapter 226 Promotion Banquet, Zhaoyuan’s Wedding, Daniu’s Affiliation

Originally, Wei Yuan and Zhang Guifen planned to hold a banquet in early November to celebrate their promotion.

But considering that the official is currently unwell, it is really not appropriate to make a big deal out of it.

However, the officials remembered this.

In early November, as soon as Zhao Zhen's health improved, he called Wei Yuan to his dormitory to question him.

"I heard that your promotion banquet has not been held yet?"

Wei Yuan was stunned, why did the emperor suddenly care about this?

"Going back to the official's house, it's true that nothing has been done."

"Nowadays, the affairs of the court are complicated and complicated. I heard that Wang Shangshu has postponed the major examinations in certain areas."

"It would be inappropriate for me to hold a promotion banquet at this time. It is not too late to wait until the official's health is better."

Wei Yuan told the truth.

Zhao Zhen nodded as expected, "I know what you are thinking. Now that you are wearing armor and a sword to guard the prison, people outside must be saying that I am about to die, right?"

Hearing this, Wei Yuan's heart tightened and he quickly knelt down on one knee and said, "Your Majesty, may you live long and happy."

Before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by Zhao Zhen.

"I know exactly what my destiny is."

"I am sometimes in a coma and sometimes awake. If I stay like this, wouldn't your promotion banquet be held?"

"I believe that not only should it be held, but it should be held in a grand and special way. It should be managed by the palace, and all civil and military officials from the DPRK and China, as well as envoys from various countries, should be invited there."

After hearing this, Wei Yuan somewhat understood what Zhao Zhen wanted to express.

As the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Palace, he was the best military general, and his attitude, to a certain extent, represented the military of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Now that he is wearing armor and a sword, outsiders must think that something is wrong with Zhao Zhen.

But if Wei Yuan is not allowed to do this, Han Zhang, Fu Yanguo, Ouyang Yongshu, Sima Junshi and other central ministers will not be relieved.

"I listen to the officials. I wonder when the officials think it would be appropriate to hold the promotion banquet?"

Wei Yuan asked.

Zhao Zhen thought for a while, "Of course the sooner the better, I will ask Su Che, the Minister of Rites, to send invitations to all officials in the name of the court."

Wei Yuan bowed and said, "No."

Zhao Zhen added: "Now I need help from others even when I'm sleeping. I don't know when I will be able to walk freely. Every day, the court meeting is managed by Prime Minister Han alone."

"I want Henan Economic Strategy to recruit the pacification envoy Wen Yanbo back to Beijing, restore the Shangshu Province, and let him serve as the Shangshu Ling. What do you think?"

During the previous dynasty, there were three provinces, namely Zhongshu, Menxia, ​​and Shangshu, which were respectively responsible for drafting edicts, reviewing edicts, and executing government orders, and were responsible for governing the world's political affairs.

Today, this Shangshu Province has long existed in name only.

The full name of Han Zhang's position is "Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi", which means he is responsible for the jurisdiction of Zhongshu and Menxia provinces.

Its power is not small.

When Zhao Zhen was healthy, it was easy to say that no matter how powerful the prime minister was, it could not be greater than the imperial power.

But now Zhao Zhen himself doesn't know when he will be able to get out of bed and walk, let alone handle government affairs.

In this way, Han Zhang became a veritable executive deputy emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

If he wanted to check and balance Han Zhang's power so that it would not affect the imperial power or even the prince, he thought about it and decided that he could only restore the Shangshu Province and let the Shangshu order check and balance Han Zhang.

In fact, according to Emperor Zhao's thinking, the privy envoy could already play a role in competing with Tong Zhongshu's subordinates.

However, with the people from Fuyan Kingdom around, even Zhang Fu could only be constrained in everything, and could not compete with Han Zhang in government affairs.

In this case, Zhao Zhen could only invite the person he didn't like very much, namely Wen Yanbo, to come out.

Why don't you like him? The reason is very simple. Zhao Zhen is a talented and strategic emperor who wants to improve the three redundant shortcomings that exist in the Zhou Dynasty through reforms.

But Wen Yanbo is famously opposed to reform.

At first, Wang Anshi wanted to administer the exam, but Wen Yanbo wrote directly to the court. The officials in Henan Prefecture refused to participate in the exam. Of course, this was his personal intention, not the intention of the officials in Henan Prefecture as a whole.

Because of this incident, Zhao Zhen had a headache for a long time, and even thought of demoting Wen Yanbo to another level.

Just when I was about to solve this matter, I suddenly fell ill.

The plan could never keep up with the changes, so Zhao Zhen could only settle for the second best and let him come to Beijing to check and balance Han Zhang.

The relationship between Wen Yanbo and Fu Yanguo is extremely bad, and the two can be said to be political enemies.

And Han Zhang's ability to sit in the position of prime minister today was inseparable from the help of Fu Yanguo.

Therefore, you don't need to think about it to know that once Wen Yanbo returns to Beijing, it will definitely be a fierce war for the officialdom of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

It would be nice if the winner could be determined at once, but I am afraid that both sides will gradually fall into a stalemate, but this is the result that Zhao Zhen wants to see.

Of course, for generals like Wei Yuan, there is essentially no difference between Wen Yanbo and Han Zhang.

If we can say that the period when Wen Yanbo, Han Zhang and others were most harmonious and united, it should be the time when Di Qing served as Privy Councilor.

Han Zhang told Di Qing that he was a good man when he was called out outside Donghua Gate.

Wen Yanbo said to Di Qing, without him, the court would be suspicious.

In the end, Di Qing took on everything alone.

Who is the imperial court? Zhao Zhen? It seems impossible even when I think about it.

Wei Yuan didn't have a good impression of Wen Yanbo, but that didn't stop him from answering Zhao Zhen's question.

"Your Majesty must have given careful consideration to this decision, and I have no objection."

The key is not there.

"In the past few days, you have been guarding the ban, so that the envoys from Liao and Xia do not dare to act rashly. Xu Changzhi has also gone to Daizhou. With you two here, I have no worries about foreign affairs."

"You have to help your teacher to stabilize the military and state affairs of our Great Zhou Dynasty. As for this internal affairs, you don't need to get involved. Do you understand?"

What Zhao Zhen means is that I told you about Wen Yanbo's return to Beijing to let you get vaccinated in advance, but this decision is not for you Wu Xun. As long as you do your part, there won't be any big problem. .

"I understand."

Wei Yuan bowed.

From the moment he put on his armor and sword, he stayed in the palace for seven full days.

One time, an envoy from Xia wanted to see Zhao Zhen and inquire about Zhao Zhen's health.

As a result, Wei Yuan almost peed his pants because of the fright.

At this point, the two countries of Liao and Xia, which were originally ready to make a move, no longer dared to talk about asking to see Zhao Zhen.

Wei Yuan also knew that Liao Xia would not choose to go to war. They just wanted to use Zhao Zhen's illness as an excuse to use their power to force the Zhou princes to hand over some money to settle the matter.

But the scholar-bureaucrats of Zhao Zhen's dynasty, except for very few matters, most of the time behaved quite courageously.

Therefore, the ideas of Liao and Xia naturally came to nothing, and half of the possible troubles caused by Zhao Zhen's illness were eliminated.

After the New Year, Xu Changzhi will probably be able to come back from Daizhou.

When returning to Zhongyonghou Mansion, Wei Yuan informed Zhang Guifen about the banquet and told:

"The official's intention is that the palace will handle it, but speaking of it, this is also our Wei family's business. Anyway, you can coordinate with the palace to make the banquet more grand."

Wei Yuan had his own doubts about this promotion banquet.

If the emperor lets a martial artist show off at such a banquet, how can it not increase his own reputation?

Since it will increase, is the emperor willing to see this result?

Wei Yuan was puzzled, but Zhao Zhen's meaning was already very clear. This banquet could not be a big one even if he didn't want to.

As a newlywed, Zhang Guifen was worried about not seeing Wei Yuan for a few days. She wanted to go to the palace to see Wei Yuan two days ago, but was told that during the recent period, except for some officials from the central government, no one could enter the imperial city.

Even Zhang Fu lives in the imperial city and is strictly prohibited from visiting his family.

Zhang Guifen can't make Wei Yuan look special than others, right? Just let it go.

Now that Wei Yuan has returned home, no one is more excited and happy than Zhang Guifen.

"Since it is the official's wish, we will naturally work hard to get it done."

"When you come back this time, will you still stay in the palace?"

Wei Yuan shook his head, "It's okay for now."

After saying that, he suddenly picked up the cup next to him and took a sip of tea. A different taste came to his mind. He took a sip and found it was very delicious. He said:

"This tea is made well. Who made it?"

At a glance, Wei Yuan knew that this was a very labor-intensive tea play. If it were simply made from tea leaves, the color of the tea soup would not be so rich and thick.

Zhang Guifen smiled but did not respond.

Tian Zhen, who was standing behind her, suddenly responded: "The Marquis doesn't know something. This is the tea that Madam made in advance when she learned that you were coming back."

"You can do it?" Wei Yuan glanced at Zhang Guifen and said with a surprised look on his face: "Before I went to the palace, I heard from people in the palace that you were learning tea art. I thought you were just doing it on a whim, but I didn't expect that you really studied it seriously."

Zhang Guifen smiled and said, "Do you think it tastes good?"

Wei Yuan nodded, "Of course it tastes good."

Zhang Guifen said: "Then I will make it for you to drink every day, and I will change it to make sure you don't get tired of it."

Wei Yuan smiled and said, "My wife is really virtuous."

"By the way, have you discussed with eldest sister the marriage between Lin Zhaoyuan and Xiaodie?"

Zhang Guifen said: "As I said, it's better to do it sooner rather than later. How about setting it at the beginning of December?"

December?

"There's still one month left. Is it too late in such a rush?"

Wei Yuan knew that while he was staying in the southeast, preparations for his marriage to Lin Zhaoyuan had already begun in the capital.

Zhang Guifen said: "If it is an ordinary family, one month is definitely not enough, but with the strength of our family, it is enough to hold one wedding a month."

Wei Yuan warned: "You must also pay attention to the promotion banquet required by the officials."

Zhang Guifen nodded and said: "Don't worry, even if I am too busy, I still have eldest sister and Minglan, they will always help me. If it doesn't work, I will let my mother take care of it."

Wei Yuan smiled and said: "If my mother-in-law can take care of it personally, then everything will be safe."

Zhang Guifen said: "We will start making arrangements tomorrow. I will order someone to invite mother over."

After a pause, she added: "There is one more thing. A few days ago, when you were in the palace, Brother Daniu came to see me specifically and said he wanted to ask me for something."

Although Chen Daniu has also been working as an errand in front of the palace these days, he does not need to stay in the palace for food or accommodation, so he can spare time to come to the Hou Mansion.

"He came to find you? Why?"

Wei Yuan asked curiously.

Zhang Guifen smiled and said: "Daniu said that he fell in love with the daughter of a family. I said this is a good thing, but it is a bit tricky. Whose girl do you think he fell in love with?"

Wei Yuan blurted out: "No wonder he has been hiding away from me in the past few days when he saw me. I thought he had caused some trouble again. It turned out that he asked you to go and propose marriage."

"Whose girl? Is she still in trouble in front of you?"

Zhang Guifen said bluntly: "Qin Jianjia, the young daughter of the Duke of Fuguo."

From the auxiliary government?

Wei Yuan thought for a moment and said, "This is indeed a bit tricky."

Zhang Guifen said: "On the day of the promotion banquet, I invited the girl from the Qin family to come over and ask her about her feelings in person. If she doesn't like Daniel, then she will give up."

"If you like her, do your best to match her up. If you don't like her, I'll help Brother Daniu find someone else."

Hearing this, Wei Yuan immediately embraced Zhang Guifen and said with a smile, "You are really dedicated as a sister-in-law."

Since this was the backyard, the maids around them had already turned around when they saw this.

In addition, after not seeing each other for a few days, Zhang Guifen really missed Wei Yuan very much, so she didn't feel shy. She hugged his neck and said softly:

"Those are your brothers in life and death, and they are your comrades who have followed you all the way from Daizhou. It's not good for you to be good alone. It's really good for you to be good together."

"As your wife, I am called sister-in-law by them, so I naturally have to pay attention to their affairs. This is also to help you."

Wei Yuan nodded and said, "Even if you don't care about them, they have to respect you as sister-in-law."

"I am the boss among men, and you are the boss among women."

Zhang Guifen smiled and said, "I will remember this. What if I am bullied one day?"

Wei Yuan said, "If you are bullied, Zhaoyuan and Daniu will not be happy, let alone me? I will definitely stand up for you."

Zhang Guifen asked again, "What if the person who bullies me is you?"

Wei Yuan thought about it and smiled, "It depends on what kind of bullying it is."

——

The next day

It was the first time that Zhang Guifen hosted a banquet as the mistress of the family. She was afraid that something might go wrong, so she specially invited her mother, Madam Zhang, and her elder sister, Wei Shuyi, to come and help with the preparation.

If it was normal, there would be no need to take it so seriously.

But who let the Wei family's promotion banquet alarm the emperor?

This matter also involved politics, and Zhang Guifen really didn't dare to be careless. If something went wrong and it got to the ears of the emperor, it would be bad.

With Madam Zhang's help, Zhang Guifen instantly knew how to hold the banquet and what to prepare.

At the same time, the servants in the whole mansion began to get busy.

Although the promotion banquet does not need to be bigger than the wedding banquet, the necessary procedures cannot be missed.

"The emperor means that all the ministers above the third rank will come."

"The front yard will still entertain male guests, but we must distinguish the main and the secondary. For example, the nobles like Han Xianggong and your father should sit in the first seat, but the civil and military officials should sit in different seats. This is a taboo. You must keep it in mind."

"Invite several good opera troupes in Beijing to come and support the show. On that day, don't ask each troupe to order songs. All the songs will be decided by us. As for what songs to order, I will tell you later."

"The back yard will entertain female guests. In order to prevent drunk people from making trouble, you must place some guards in the corridors and passages between the front and back yards to prevent drunk guests from bumping into the female guests in the back yard. If they make a fool of themselves, it will not be a good look."

"."

Hearing her mother's long speech, Zhang Guifen did not dare to be distracted at all. She took every word to heart.

Then, she looked at Minglan standing behind Wei Shuyi and said, "Miss Zhao's tea is good. On that day, please invite her to the mansion to make tea."

"The Zheng's pastry recommended by elder sister is also good. On the day of the promotion banquet, please invite them to the mansion to make tea and snacks."

Not long after she finished speaking, she murmured again, "Brother Wei's martial arts field can be temporarily converted into a place for throwing pots and archery."

"The land in the back mountain is also good, but I don't know if it is too late to convert it into a polo field or a wine-cup bowl."