The Zhaixing Division was a division with an extremely low sense of presence among the Great Zhou court's Four Governments and Twenty-Six Divisions, subordinate to the Heavenly Government.
Although it was rare to see a memorial from the Zhaixing Division all year round, all matters stated by the Zhaixing Division were highly valued by successive emperors.
Consort Ji took a deep breath upon hearing this, and after a long moment of thought, she asked, "Where does the disaster originate from?"
Xia Zhiqiu shook his head, "It is not yet clear."
"The Yuanwu Country envoy is about to arrive in the Great Capital; this matter should not be publicized. I will immediately report it to Imperial Father."
Upon hearing this, Xia Zhiqiu nodded slightly. "Thank you, Grand Princess. Then Zhiqiu will return first."
Consort Ji did not delay either, getting up and rushing towards Chengqian Hall.
Consort Ji enjoyed an excellent reputation both within the court and among the common people, and Longsheng Emperor also doted on this Grand Princess. Since ancient times, the Imperial Harem was not allowed to participate in politics, and naturally, there were many voices of opposition in the court. However, Longsheng Emperor showed no indication of this, even stating multiple times that if Consort Ji were not a woman, establishing her as the crown prince would undoubtedly make the Great Zhou Country even stronger.
"Your Majesty, the Grand Princess has arrived."
"Let her in quickly!" Inside Chengqian Hall, Longsheng Emperor was practicing calligraphy.
"Imperial Father, you are practicing calligraphy!" Consort Ji came before the imperial desk and began grinding ink for Longsheng Emperor.
Longsheng Emperor laughed heartily. "Consort Ji, how do you think Imperial Father's calligraphy is?"
Consort Ji examined it carefully for a long while. "Today, the characters written by Imperial Father are intertwined in form, grand and expansive. The strokes are strong and powerful, undulating with grace. Some are heavy, some light, like thunder receding in its majesty. From afar, it is magnificent, like a three-thousand-foot waterfall cascading down; close up, it is well-arranged, like fish playing harmoniously in a lotus pond. It is truly excellent calligraphy."
Upon hearing this, Longsheng Emperor put down his brush. "Hahahaha! You girl, you've praised Imperial Father so much that he's too embarrassed to continue writing! Tell me, why are you looking for Imperial Father today?"
"Your child was just in Chengqian Hall organizing memorials for Imperial Father when Xia Zhiqiu came…"
Longsheng Emperor raised his hand to interrupt Consort Ji. "Everyone, withdraw."
The palace maids and Eunuchs slowly exited Chengqian Hall.
"Come sit by Imperial Father."
Consort Ji slowly sat down.
"At this hour, Xia Zhiqiu coming to see you can't be good news."
"Imperial Father is wise! Si Shou Xue observed the stars last night and said that the celestial phenomena were unusual, and our Great Zhou may be facing a military disaster."
Longsheng Emperor sighed slightly. "Xue Yuan is Zhang Qisheng's most talented disciple; his stargazing techniques have inherited the old man's true teachings and should not be inaccurate. The Northern Barbarians haven't been quiet for a few years, and now war is about to break out again. Our Great Zhou is becoming less and less peaceful."
Consort Ji deeply agreed with this. "The Great Zhou has suffered from the Northern Barbarians for a long time. Several years ago, if not for Jingbei Prince and Prince Wucheng working together to annihilate the Northern Barbarians' southern invasion army, the northern border would not be peaceful now."
"Did Xue Yuan come with Xia Zhiqiu?"
"Xia Zhiqiu came to inform your child; Xue Yuan did not come." Consort Ji shook her head.
Longsheng Emperor's face gradually turned ugly upon hearing this, and he said grimly, "Since that incident, Zhang Qisheng has not attended court for several years. Considering his old age and his kindness to me, I have tolerated him in every way. What does he mean? In such an important matter, Xue Yuan, as the Si Shou of the Zhaixing Division, does not report to me, but instead asks Xia Zhiqiu to relay it, and to you at that. Does Zhang Qisheng still have me, the Emperor, in his eyes?"
Consort Ji remained silent, sighing inwardly: The matter of Prince Qi secretly raising troops and privately manufacturing armor back then had always been a thorn in the hearts of both the Emperor and Zhang Qisheng.
Zhang Qisheng and Xu Cang both strongly supported the current Emperor in ascending to the throne. Logically, they should be the Emperor's left and right arms. Xu Cang held significant military power in the northern border, causing the Emperor to have concerns. Prince Qi was Zhang Qisheng's son-in-law, and because of the armor case, Prince Qi's entire family was executed, which naturally included Zhang Qisheng's daughter and his young grandson.
"Consort Ji, why are you not speaking?" Longsheng Emperor's face showed a hint of anger.
"Imperial Father, Zhang Qisheng was once your teacher and is also the Grand Astrologer of the Heavenly Government. He has always been incorruptible and discerning of right and wrong; how could he disrespect Imperial Father and disregard the way of ruler and subject?"
"So, Xue Yuan is defending his teacher then?"
"Imperial Father worries too much. Zhiqiu is the Junior Astrologer of the Heavenly Government; it is not inappropriate for Xue Yuan to report to him."
Longsheng Emperor's expression did not improve because of Consort Ji's words; instead, it became even more profound. "Consort Ji, do you think Imperial Father is overly suspicious, even repeatedly doubting the ministers who helped him ascend to the throne?"
Consort Ji quickly got up and knelt. "Your child is terrified, how dare your child."
Longsheng Emperor shook his head and sighed, helping Consort Ji up.
"The matters between them and Imperial Father are not as simple as you imagine. The Crown Prince is benevolent and loves his people, and he is courteous to scholars; he is more than capable of being a conservative ruler.
But he is intelligent yet indecisive, good at planning yet lacking in authority. The Great Zhou is not peaceful, and I fear he will not be able to stabilize it in the future."
"Imperial Father is in the prime of his life, and Crown Prince Brother is still young. With more experience in the future, he will naturally be able to bear the prosperity of our Great Zhou."
"Whether it's Situ Wen, Zhang Qisheng, Xiao Ruwei, or Han Zhong, they are all cunning and sly. In the court, ministerial power is stronger than imperial power, and even Imperial Father is feeling increasing pressure."
Consort Ji naturally knew this but was helpless.
During the Xuankang era, the Great Zhou experienced a rebellion by a treacherous prime minister. Since then, the Great Zhou no longer established the position of prime minister. The court, which was led by the Left and Right Prime Ministers in the Central Political Chamber, was changed to the current Four Government system to decentralize prime ministerial power.
The Four Governments are the Heavenly Government, the Bu Government, the Supervisory Government, and the Wu Government, with twenty-six divisions under them.
The Heavenly Government has a Grand Astrologer and Left and Right Junior Astrologers.
The Bu Government has a Grand Arbiter and Left and Right Junior Arbiters.
The Supervisory Government has a Great Superintendent and Left and Right Junior Superintendents.
The Wu Government has a Grand Commandant and Left and Right Junior Commandants.
The four heads of the great governments are also collectively known as the Four Pillars of the Nation.
Of the four heads of the great governments, except for Grand Commandant Han Zhong, who came from the military, the rest were all from aristocratic families with considerable power behind them. The imperial power was weak, so it was no wonder Longsheng Emperor was heavy-hearted.
"Imperial Father, the Grand Astrologer may indeed harbor some resentment about the events of that year, but his loyalty to the Great Zhou is evident. Didn't he even plan matters for Imperial Father regarding the northern border recently?"
"That old fox's mind is not so simple. The matter of the northern border carries considerable risk. I hope Imperial Father will not regret this decision one day, and I hope Xu Cang will not make Imperial Father difficult."
This topic was not continued.
Afterward, Longsheng Emperor and Consort Ji, father and daughter, talked about the star disaster until late into the night.
In the northern border, inside Tianxiang House.
"The journey is long, and as a father, I am anxious for my son and truly cannot rest assured. Lord Eunuch Liu, please don't make me difficult." Jingbei Prince raised his wine cup and took a small sip.
"Lord Eunuch Liu naturally understands the Prince's love for his son, but for the Prince to send troops to escort him is unreasonable." Liu Pi naturally knew that the Jingbei Royal Mansion's money was not easy to take, but not taking it was also not an option.
Although he had anticipated that Xu Cang might have unreasonable demands, privately deploying troops was truly excessive. The Emperor sent someone to pick up your son to enter the Great Capital, and you still send troops to escort him along the way. What does this mean? Do you not trust the Emperor? Or do you not trust the Imperial Guard?
"Lord Eunuch Liu, don't think too much. His Majesty's imperial grace is boundless, and your humble servant is naturally deeply grateful. The journey is long, and it's merely for unforeseen circumstances. His Majesty will understand."
"How audacious are you? Deeply grateful? Is that how you show gratitude? Those who know will think you are escorting your son into the Great Capital, but those who don't will think you are demonstrating your power." Liu Pi secretly complained to himself.
"Since the Prince has spoken like this, this Eunuch is not an unreasonable person, but may I ask how many people the Prince intends to send, and which battalion?" Liu Pi took a sip of wine, feeling deeply helpless.
Xu Cang pondered for a moment and said seriously, "It's not many, just three thousand people to escort him. As for which battalion..." Xu Cang clapped his hands and shouted, "Come in!"
Pfft!!!
The fine wine that had just entered Liu Pi's throat was spat out!
"Three thousand people???"
Xu Cang nodded seriously. "That's right, only three thousand."
"A maximum of one thousand!" Liu Pi gritted his teeth.
Xu Cang remained calm: "Good! Just one thousand!"
"I...!" Liu Pi almost couldn't help but curse.
Just as the two were speaking, a burly man with a coal-black face walked in.
"Greetings, Prince."
"Rise, and greet Lord Eunuch Liu!"
"Zhang Ye, greetings, Eunuch!" The burly man clasped his fists in salute.
Liu Pi's face gradually darkened as he looked at the giant man before him.
Ink Jade Qilin Armor, Northern Border Xuanjia Guard.