Chapter 585 Chen Pingping's Excuse for the Northern Expedition
Shufangzhai, formerly known as Shufang Palace, was the palace where Mei Ruohua lived.

Once, Su Mingzhe turned over Mei Ruohua's name card and summoned her to sleep with him.

During the holy moment, Su Mingzhe made a slip of the tongue and said "Shufang Palace" as "Shufang Zhai".

Who would have thought that the next day, Mei Ruohua changed the plaque of Shufang Palace to Shufangzhai.

It was also after this little incident that Su Mingzhe favored Mei Ruohua a little more than other concubines.

When the cards were turned over on weekdays, Mei Ruohua served the emperor in the emperor's bedchamber far more often than other concubines.

In addition, Su Mingzhe also didn't like to call Mei Ruohua "Shufei", but called her "Meifei".

Mei Ruohua was also proud of this. When she was in the palace, she no longer allowed people to call her "Shufei" and everyone called her "Meifei".

Logically speaking, Mei Ruohua's behavior was somewhat of an attempt to curry favor.

But Su Mingzhe just fell for it. After hearing about this, he liked her even more.

Not long after, Fan Ruoruo came back from the bedroom, and the four of them sat together and chatted about family matters for a while.

Su Mingzhe held Fan Ruoruo with one hand, and used the other hand to do something naughty to Concubine Mei.

After a while, Fan Ruoruo couldn't stand it anymore, blushed, and slammed the table:

"It's getting late, Your Majesty and Sister Ruohua should go back and rest early."

"Then Ruoruo, you should also go to bed early."

Although Su Mingzhe was quite thick-skinned, he still felt a little guilty for leaving with the other concubines in front of Fan Ruoruo.

After apologizing to Fan Ruoruo, he took the two shy and timid concubines away.

When they arrived at Shufangzhai, Mei Ruohua took Wang Tong'er to help Su Mingzhe wash up, and before they knew it, they lay on the bed.

The sky was dark and the night was romantic.

On the second day.

Su Mingzhe continued to do his job as usual.

By the afternoon, after dealing with the memorials, it seemed that nothing was happening in the court.

Su Mingzhe then left the palace and prepared to have some fun.

There aren't many places where Su Mingzhe likes to have fun.

Generally speaking, he would come to the back garden of the imperial prison to find Yuan Meng, Shi Qing'er and Si Lili.

Occasionally, if I want to do something special, I will go to the Royal Villa to find Li Yunrui.

Today, when Su Mingzhe arrived at the back garden of the imperial prison, he saw Yuan Meng, Shi Qing'er, and Si Lili playing mahjong with another strange woman.

In the world of "Joy of Life", the inventor of mahjong is none other than Ye Qingmei.

Most of the daughters and wives of officials like to play mahjong to pass the time.

When the four girls saw Su Mingzhe coming, Yuan Meng quickly pulled the strange woman and introduced her to Su Mingzhe:

"Sir, this is Sister Sang Wen, the new prostitute of Liujinghe Zuixianfang."

"Well, hello, Miss Sangwen."

Su Mingzhe originally had no feelings towards this strange woman. After all, her appearance was not as outstanding as the other three beauties, but her temperament gave people the feeling of a cold and aloof woman.

Su Mingzhe didn't want to bother with such a woman.

However, the name 'Sang Wen' gave Su Mingzhe a pleasant surprise.

In the novel, Sang Wen was originally a music master who sang on the Liujing River. Later he was controlled by Yuan Meng and Shi Qing'er, but was finally rescued by Fan Xian and entered the Inspection Institute.

After entering the Inspection Institute, Sang Wen began to demonstrate his management skills, working cautiously and meticulously, helping Fan Xian manage the Baoyue Tower.

Su Mingzhe is not short of beauties now, but he is short of talents.

So, when I heard that this strange woman was Sang Wen, I immediately became interested.

Hearing Su Mingzhe's greeting, Sang Wen shyly replied in a low voice, as quiet as a mosquito.

Su Mingzhe was about to come over and have a detailed chat with Sang Wen, but was stopped by Si Lili.

"Sir, I have something to report."

Si Lili gave Su Mingzhe a look.

Su Mingzhe understood and took her to the study.

As soon as she entered the study, Si Lili knelt on the ground and thanked me sincerely with her eyes:

"Thank you, sir, for saving my brother from the Northern Qi people."

Su Mingzhe smiled, stretched out his hand to help her up, and said jokingly:
"Lili, you are mine now, why are you still so polite to me?"

Su Mingzhe did not wait for Si Lili to explain and continued, "You have already met your brother, right? Don't think about being an undercover agent anymore. Just follow me and give me a child soon. Live a peaceful and happy life. Do you understand?"

"Sir, Lili understands. From now on, Lili will behave herself and stay by your side."

Si Lili was truly grateful this time.

She fled to Northern Qi with her family when she was young. She thought she had no enemies in Northern Qi and could live a peaceful life.

However, the royal blood of Qing in her body meant that she would be coveted, spied on and exploited by others throughout her life.

Last year, Si Lili went to Su Mingzhe's study to look for information and was discovered by Shi Qing'er. Seeing that her identity was exposed, she confessed her identity as a spy of Northern Qi. Su Mingzhe would not be cruel to her. After Si Lili confessed her identity, she promised her that she would rescue her brother when the wedding delegation went north.

Now, the wedding delegation returned to Kyoto, and her brother also came back with them.

"By the way, what happened to Sang Wen? Who brought him back?"

Su Mingzhe changed the subject and started talking about the strange woman outside.

Si Lili didn't know what Su Mingzhe was thinking, so she explained directly: "I heard from Sister Yuan Meng that Sang Wen was once a famous talented woman in Kyoto City. Before the current Empress entered the palace, they were equally famous. The Sang family was involved in a rebellion case, so she ended up in the Jiaofang Division. Later, she somehow entered Zuixianfang and became a music master on Liujing River. My Lord, don't you like to listen to music? Sister Yuan Meng specially invited her back to sing for you."

"Singing for me?"

When Su Mingzhe heard this, he was immediately happy: "Then call her in, I want to hear how beautiful the song she sings is."

Si Lili understood the meaning behind the man's words, glanced at him directly, and then obediently went out to help him call people.

After a while, Sang Wen walked into the study room nervously, holding the corners of his clothes tightly in his hands and lowering his head.

After a while, melodious music began to be heard from the study.

Another sound of greed and joy.

Time passes day by day.

With the arrival of the enthronement ceremony.

Chen Pingping's plan was also triggered.

This morning.

Su Mingzhe broke free from the Northern Qi Princess's entanglement and got out of bed carefully without waking her up.

After washing and getting dressed, he went to the grand court meeting.

Su Mingzhe had a blank expression on his face and told the ministers a secret:
"My dear ministers, yesterday the Concubine Chen entered the Yuchen Palace and told me a shocking secret. The young emperor of Northern Qi died of an epidemic ten years ago, when he first ascended the throne. The current young emperor of Northern Qi is actually a young eunuch who looks like the young emperor and was found by the Queen Mother of Northern Qi to pretend to be him."

When the civil and military officials heard this "gossip", they were instantly shocked and all began to whisper to each other, asking about the truth of the matter.

The cabinet chief Lin Ruofu looked at the noisy court, coughed lightly, walked out, bowed in the direction of the dragon throne, and then asked:

"Your Majesty, are you serious?"

Su Mingzhe looked at Lin Ruofu, then at the ministers who were all listening attentively under the imperial steps, and said with a heavy face:

"The Concubine Chen swears that she is not lying. She also gave evidence that the little emperor of Northern Qi has already reached adulthood, but he has never been close to women and has not even visited a concubine or maid in the harem."

coax--

In the court, all the civil and military officials were in chaos when they heard Su Mingzhe say such explosive news.

Only Chen Pingping and Fan Jian had calm expressions, and even indifference in their eyes.

After waiting for everyone to finish the discussion, Su Mingzhe continued in a deep voice:

"When Concubine Chen was sent south to marry, she predicted that the ancestral temple of the Zhan family of Northern Qi would be usurped by the Wei family. She told me this secret because she wanted to preserve the incense of the ancestral temple of Northern Qi. I promised her yesterday that I will lead an army to the north from now on!"

Ever since war was started, a legitimate reason was needed.

After Su Mingzhe ascended the throne, he once talked with Chen Pingping about how the battle between the young Northern Qi emperor and Doudou was a woman's matter.

Chen Pingping was indeed an experienced and shrewd man, and he immediately thought of this chain of schemes.

Last year, Northern Qi sent an envoy to the south to discuss peace talks, which was exactly what Chen Pingping wanted.

He first pretended to agree to peace talks and tricked the Princess of Northern Qi into coming south to marry him.

After the eldest princess of Northern Qi married into the Kingdom of Qing, a piece of false news broke out that could not be verified by outsiders.

No matter how Northern Qi responds, Qing Kingdom can always hold high the banner of the Northern Qi Princess and launch a northern expedition.

When Fan Jian heard this plan, he thought it was too insidious.

However, this strategy is indeed good.

With the banner of the Princess of Northern Qi, Su Mingzhe brought up the incident of Northern Qi sending Master Ku He to assassinate him the year before.

Once these two things were announced at the swearing-in ceremony for the Northern Expedition, it can be said that the Kingdom of Qing became the righteous side in the war.

In April, a war broke out between the two countries.

The Qing Kingdom sent out six armies at once, a total of 800,000 troops to the north, marching in unison and rushing towards Northern Qi.

On the Northern Qi side, it can be said that except for Uesugi Tora who had been prepared and fought a fierce battle with Qin Ye in the Wudu River area, the other five armies of Qing Kingdom hardly encountered any decent resistance.

Within a month, the five armies captured three state capitals and captured and destroyed 300,000 troops.

The sudden tearing up of the contract by the Kingdom of Qing and its unstoppable advance also made the Northern Qi panic.

The two reasons why Qing State launched the Northern Expedition had by this time spread to every prefecture, city and county in Northern Qi.

Although the Northern Qi court strictly prohibited the people from discussing this matter, they still insisted that it was a rumor spread by the Qing Kingdom.

However, it is an indisputable fact that the young emperor of Northern Qi has been on the throne for more than ten years and is almost twenty years old, but he still has no child.

Ordinary people don't care what the truth is.

They only know how to infer the truth that they believe is reasonable and logical based on the information they have learned and their own logic.

This probably means: when the truth is made false, the false becomes true; when the false is made true, the true becomes false.

(End of this chapter)