tkworld Chapter 2563 The Five Generals of the Fierce Whale, and the Three Concubines of the Zhao Clan
Chapter 2563 The Five Generals of the Fierce Whale, and the Three Concubines of the Zhao Clan
Chapter 2563 The Five Fierce Whale Generals and the Three Consorts of the Zhao Family
With Mo Peng's departure, the position of General Liejing is temporarily vacant.
Although the Fierce Whale Legion is still far from completing its expansion, once the expansion is fully completed, the total size of the legion will reach 400,000.
In terms of sheer numbers, it can be considered the largest of the eight major field armies.
The selection of a new Grand General should naturally be approached with caution. However, currently, among the entire Fierce Whale Legion, only Fu Youde has the qualifications and experience to succeed him as Grand General.
In both the campaigns against the Yan and the Yi, Fu Youde performed admirably, successfully opening up flanking battlefields and playing a crucial supporting role.
During the war against Yan, he was able to trap Xuanyuan Xuanxiao within Baidi City. Although luck played a part, the result is the result. When it comes to rewarding merit, luck is disregarded, only the result matters.
It was precisely because he trapped Xuanyuan Xuanxiao that Yue Fei indirectly achieved a great victory on the main battlefield.
During the campaign against the barbarians, he crossed the sea and headed straight for the East China Sea route. Although he did not succeed in directly attacking the enemy's capital, he did manage to force Yelü Abaoji to send out 30,000 cavalry, which also helped Han Xin's main battlefield.
Moreover, only three routes were captured in the war against the barbarians, but Fu Youde occupied one of them.
With his continuous merits accumulated, and now that Mo Peng has retired, he is naturally qualified to succeed him as the Great General of the Fierce Whale.
Therefore, Wang Yu ultimately decided to appoint Fu Youde as the Grand General of the Fierce Whale Legion, and Xia Hai, the former general of the Fierce Whale Legion, was promoted to the rank of Fierce Whale General.
Wu Zixu succeeded Fu Youde and was promoted to the position of General Who Breaks the Waves. Shi Lang was changed from General of the Heavenly River to General of the Northeast Navy. Lu Su was promoted from Military Advisor General to General of the Heavenly River.
As for the East China Sea Navy, there's no need to worry about it for now. The Northeast Navy is still expanding its forces, relying on the large number of prisoners captured by the Dayan Navy and the Dongyi Navy. Not to mention the East China Sea Navy, which is starting from scratch. Qi Jiguang's task remains arduous and far-reaching.
Draft the approval document concerning the Fierce Whale Legion, hand it over to Shen Luoyan, and then have her submit it to the Ministry of Personnel for processing according to regulations.
Unbeknownst to them, the candlelight in the imperial study had been quietly lit, dispelling the gloom brought by the twilight.
"Your Majesty, it's getting late. Where would you like to rest tonight?" Zhao Gao asked again at the opportune moment, his voice extremely low, as if afraid of disturbing the emperor's rare moment of leisure.
Wang Yu rubbed his temples, feeling slightly tired. In the various palaces of the inner palace, there were concubines.
The Empress's quarters are naturally dignified, the Imperial Concubine's quarters may appear grand, and the Consort's quarters may be more vibrant...
His gaze swept across several faces in his mind, finally settling on a pretty, lively face with a hint of intelligence and cunning.
"Let's go to Zhao Zhaoyuan's place," Wang Yu decided, getting up to stretch his body after sitting for so long.
Over the past few months, Zhao Pu has done a good job in the Kanto and Kansai regions. When he gets down to business, he doesn't hold back at all and doesn't hesitate to act decisively.
"Prepare the carriage for Lingxi Palace!" Zhao Gao immediately understood, raised his voice to announce, and then signaled to the eunuchs on his left and right to prepare the ceremonial guards and a warm sedan chair.
Lingxi Palace was the residence of Zhao Ling'er, one of the Nine Concubines. After the Song Dynasty was destroyed by the Han Dynasty, the families of the direct descendants led by Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Kuangyi, or those branches that resisted particularly fiercely like Zhao She, were basically either killed or exiled.
In slightly better cases, like Wang Yu's old classmate Zhao Kuangwei, the imperial court granted him a house, ensuring he would never have to worry about food or clothing, but he could forget about ever living a normal life. This was the last act of kindness he showed as an old classmate and friend.
However, logically speaking, it is quite normal to die of depression after being in such an environment for a long time. Wang Yu felt that, given his old classmate's personality, he probably wouldn't live for more than a few years. It was a real pity!
As for the female members of the family, those with special status or those who were the most beautiful, such as Lady Huarui, Zhao Fujin, and Zhao Yupan, were sent to the Bronze Sparrow Terrace.
The rest, some of whom were rewarded as spoils of war if the circumstances were suitable, were mostly sent directly to the Yeting Bureau to become palace maids.
The palace staff were reassigned based on their skills. Those who could sing and dance were assigned to the Imperial Music Bureau or the Imperial Music Academy. They could also perform at palace banquets or sacrificial ceremonies. The dancers at the year-end banquet were in this situation.
If a woman didn't have any special skills, the female officials in the inner palace would assign her miscellaneous tasks according to her strengths and weaknesses, such as raising silkworms, picking mulberry leaves, sweeping, and sewing.
The imperial harem of the Han Dynasty was relatively tolerant. Even criminal slaves in the harem had the opportunity to learn skills. In fact, older women with skills could become musicians or teachers.
Those from branches like Zhao Pu, who voluntarily surrendered to the city, would naturally become Han officials in the future. Women from these branches would enter the palace through the normal selection process, representing their family's status in the new dynasty and the emperor's acceptance of them.
In fact, to appease the Zhao clan members who had surrendered, the three women from these branches who entered the palace—Zhao Zhaoyi, Zhao Feiyan, and Zhao Hede—were all successfully made imperial concubines.
When the imperial sedan arrived at Lingxi Palace, Zhao Ling'er was already waiting in front of the palace gate. She had obviously prepared carefully, and her makeup was elegant and appropriate, neither too heavy and frivolous nor too plain and negligent.
Her slender figure was accentuated by her light green palace dress, and the edges of her brocade cloak were trimmed with soft fur. In the gentle glow of the palace lanterns under the eaves, her eyes were gentle and her posture was respectful, just like a typical imperial concubine welcoming the emperor.
Beside her were two women, Zhao Feiyan and Zhao Hede, who were both granted the title of "Talented Lady" and lived in the Lingxi Palace, just like Zhao Ling'er.
The two women had clearly taken great care of themselves. Although their rank was lower than Zhao Ling'er's and their attire was relatively simple, they were equally radiant and dared not be negligent in the slightest.
Zhao Feiyan was slightly tall and slender, dressed in a light purple dress. Her figure was like a willow, and her lowered eyes exuded a delicate and pitiful charm. Zhao Hede, on the other hand, was slightly plump, dressed in an apricot-colored dress, and her eyes and brows were brighter and more lively.
"Your Majesty, we respectfully welcome you." The three bowed in unison, their voices melodious and overlapping.
"Get up, everyone, it's chilly outside," Wang Yu said calmly, gesturing with his hand.
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Zhao Ling'er stood up first, followed by Zhao Feiyan and Zhao Hede, but they remained slightly behind, clearly showing that they respected Zhao Ling'er.
Zhao Ling'er stepped forward and said in a gentle voice, "Your Majesty has had a long day. I have prepared a warm pavilion for you. My sister Feiyan also prepared some gifts for you when she heard that Your Majesty was coming."
As Zhao Ling'er spoke, she stepped aside to make way for Zhao Feiyan behind her.
Zhao Feiyan gave a slight curtsy, her voice soft and gentle like a nightingale's: "This concubine... this concubine has recently learned a piece called 'Treading on the Jade Branch.' If Your Majesty does not find it crude, I may play it for Your Majesty later to add to the enjoyment."
Now that she had entered the palace, she naturally had to find ways to win the emperor's favor. Among the three women, Zhao Feiyan was the most skilled in singing and dancing, and she had indeed put in a lot of effort in this regard.
Wang Yu nodded slightly, a faint smile appearing on his lips, and said, "Thank you for your thoughtfulness. Please come in."