Chapter 112: Do you want to cook raw rice into cooked rice?!

  Azusa...

  Xia's voice was a little choked. At this time, the living Zhao Ziyue was right in front of her, speaking, shouting, frowning, and blinking, exciting her joy from her chest to her brain, and she was at a loss for words. In her joy, she ordered Qingteng to quickly report to the emperor, came down, held Zhao Ziyue's hand, and became somewhat incoherent.

  "It's fine as long as you wake up, Ziyue, it's fine as long as you wake up."

  "Your Highness, you...?" Zhao Ziyue had only caught her voice before, but now the blurry figure in front of her gradually became clear. When she finally saw him clearly, she felt something was off, "You, how can you wear...wear such a ridiculous outfit?"

  She is still Zhao Ziyue who misuses idioms.

  On the seventh day of summer, I feel like crying and laughing at the same time, and a little stunned.

  Sitting on the edge of the bed, she reached out and gently touched Zhao Ziyue's face. "Ziyue, this matter can't be explained in a few words. You're not feeling well now, so try to talk less. When you recover, I'll tell you everything slowly, okay?"

  Zhao Ziyue's face was touched by her hand, and her cheeks flushed slightly. Immediately afterwards, her eyes also turned red, "Husband, you... are also a girl? No wonder my nineteenth brother... he... likes you."

  He grasped her hand and Xia Qi gave a slight nod.

  "Yes, Ziyue, I deceived you."

  Zhao Ziyue slept for too long and was silent for a while before speaking in a low voice.

  "Aw, you're always cheating me."

  "On the seventh day of summer, he smiled and said, 'I won't deceive you again from now on.'"

  As soon as she finished speaking, Zhao Ziyue asked, "What you just said... what little treasure?"

  Looking at her eyes, which had been sleeping for so long and were still bright and pure, Xia Chuyi slightly pursed her lips before speaking seriously: "Zhuoyue, you're pregnant, there's a little baby in your tummy. But... Er Gui is gone, you're still young, you'll have to get married again later, this little baby, you can't keep him now, I'm preparing to help you abort, let's be strong for now, okay?"

  "Miscarriage?" Zhao Ziyue's lips twitched, as if she had hesitated for a long time before reacting, "Husband, are you sure? I have a little baby in my tummy?"

  Xia nodded at seven points, "Yes."

  She seemed uncertain and asked again: "Really?"

  "Really."

  Zhao Ziyue didn't ask again, at that moment, her expression was very complex, from surprise, to tension, to fear, and then to determination, changing one by one, finally sobbing and opening her mouth, "I don't want a miscarriage... Prince, I want to give birth to the little baby."

  "What? Xia Chuyi was slightly startled."

  She thought she had misheard. But in fact, Zhao Ziyue really said that.

  It seems that Zhao Zun's sister not only uses idioms randomly, but her thoughts are also unconventional. If it were a normal woman nowadays, wouldn't she be crying and begging to get rid of the child? But she was fine, answering as if in a dream, with a pair of innocent eyes looking at her, firmly saying that she must give birth to the baby.

  All I can say is that this is childish.

  Xia Chuqi shook her head, "Zi Yue listen to me..." Before she could say anything else, a bright yellow figure rushed over from the doorway, and even before they arrived, their voice was already trembling.

  "Daughter, you've finally woken up..."

  At the beginning of summer, Qi's interesting wake-up call let him move to the edge, and Emperor Hongtai sat down. Seeing his father, Zhao Ziyue pouted, tears "dripped" down, shouting "Father" and rushing into his arms, a pair of pale hands grasped Emperor Hongtai's sleeves tightly, sobbing uncontrollably.

  "Father Emperor, Ziyue is about to give birth to a little treasure, Ziyue must not have a miscarriage."

  "How can this be?" Emperor Hong Tai grabbed his daughter's shoulder, turned his head to glance at Xia Chuqi, probably thinking she was the one who had instigated it. His eyes held a hint of blame. Finally, he stroked Zhao Ziyue's hair with his hand and said firmly, "Ziyue, you are the princess of Great Yan. In the future, your father will definitely choose a good husband for you. Forget about past events, okay? This child cannot be kept."

  "No... Father Emperor... listen to me..."

  Zhao Ziyue looked at Hong Taiyi, tears streaming down her face more and more.

  "Didn't the empress say so? Ziyue was also a child who almost miscarried, the empress said that when she was pregnant with Ziyue, she bled a lot, if it wasn't for a little bit, there wouldn't be Ziyue. Your Majesty, at that time, Ziyue in the empress's belly must have been very painful, Your Majesty, Ziyue doesn't want the little baby to suffer too, he must be born..."

  She paused here, took a sneak peek at Xia Chuyi, and added while biting her lip: "Zi Yue is like this now, how can she still have the face to marry someone? Father Emperor, Zi Yue will not get married again. She will stay in the palace with Father Emperor and Mother Empress..."

  "No way!"

  Hong Taiyi's face sank in urgency, but Zhao Ziyue smiled and pulled on his sleeve.

  "Where is my mother? I want to talk to my mother, she will agree."

  When Zhao Ziyue mentioned Gongfei, Xia Chuyi was also curious. In recent days, she had been in and out of the Yunyue Pavilion to diagnose Zhao Ziyue's illness, but she had never seen this imperial concubine who was favored by the emperor. Qingteng said that Gongfei often came to see Princess Ziyue, almost every day. But strangely, when she arrived, Gongfei was not there, and when Gongfei was there, she was not there, which made her marvel at the coincidence.

  After listening to Zhao Ziyue's words, Emperor Hong Tai let out a deep sigh. "Daughter, your mother doesn't know about the child's affairs. I didn't let anyone tell her, afraid she would worry for you. Ziyue, in all other matters, I can follow your wishes, but this one thing, you must listen to me."

  In front of Zhao Ziyue, Hong Tai Emperor was most like a father.

  From his tone to his expression and actions, he was just an ordinary, common, loving father who was extremely helpless in front of his beloved daughter. Apparently, Zhao Ziyue also knew this, grasping his sleeve tightly and refusing to let go, her pale face growing whiter by the second, "Father Emperor, I will listen to you on all other matters, but not this one, that is Ziyue's child, your grandson..."

  "What's wrong with you, kid?!"

  Hong Tai said nothing, but was somewhat annoyed. However, he knew Zhao Ziyue's temperament all too well, and usually she wouldn't let him get his way once she had made up her mind. Moreover, after going through this ordeal, he felt even more heartache for this daughter of his, who was now taking advantage of his psychology, using every trick in the book to get what she wanted.

  The father and daughter stuck there, neither of whom could convince the other.

  Xia Ziyu stood at the edge and didn't dare to interrupt, but just then, a sudden shout came from outside, it was Cui Yingda.

  "Halt, what's going on?"

  "Chancellor Cui, urgent military news, must report to Your Majesty immediately." The newcomer's voice was very anxious.

  "Your Majesty has instructed..." Cui Yingda hesitated a little.

  "Lord Choi!" The newcomer interrupted him, "Tao Jingwu has rebelled, who dares to delay the matter?"

  "Wait for it!"

  Listening to the conversation outside, without waiting for Cui Yingda to come in and report, Emperor Hong Tai, who had always put national affairs first, furrowed his brow, looked at Zhao Ziyue and said, "Ziyue, listen to your father's words." He then instructed Xia Chuyi to persuade her before taking big strides out.

  Military affairs outweigh Mount Tai.

  Compared with national affairs, as the emperor's daughter, Zhao Ziyue was light as a feather.

  Listening to the old emperor's distant footsteps, Zhao Ziyue was very happy. "The Emperor is not here, so I am the largest one now. I, the Princess, say that we should stay, and you all have to listen to me." After saying this, she looked at Xia Chuyi with a hint of grievance, "You also have to listen to me, you are no longer the Crown Prince..."

  I had a headache on the seventh day of summer vacation.

  She took another step forward and sat down on the edge of the bed, looking at her helplessly.

  "Princess, you're too young, having children will harm your body."

  "What's wrong? My older sister gave birth to my nephew at the age of 13, and I'm almost 15 now, which is already very old."

  Xia Chuqi pursed her lips and looked at her, her eyebrows furrowed tightly.

  Zhao Ziyue saw that she didn't speak, raised her head, and had a pleading expression on her face. "Husband, no, Chu Qi, sister-in-law, look at me now, it's not good for me to remarry, if I have a little baby with me, it would be a magnificent thing, but if I lose the baby, what's the point of me living?"

  How can this be done on the seventh day of the first month of summer?

  "Princess San Si."

  "I've thought it over, more than three times, I've thought it over seven or ten times. Anyway, you listen well, if you don't let me live, I'll go die, just watch..."

  She played a trick, trying to persuade Xia Chuqi, but seeing that she didn't respond, she cleverly changed her tactics.

  "This princess is very hungry and wants to eat something, this princess's little treasure is also hungry..."

  As she gently picked up the baby, Xia Chuqi couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for a moment. He thought to himself that it wasn't urgent at this point and what was most important was helping her recover physically.

  Qingteng went to serve the meal, Zhao Ziyue's lips were slightly raised, constantly touching her belly, probably wanting to see where the little treasure was. She moved around on the bed, unable to calm down for a moment, with an extremely curious expression, wasn't she also like a little kid?

  "This little princess's baby..." She was still delighted.

  Xia Chuqi pursed her lips, looking very conflicted.

  "Son-in-law, no, no, sister, where did you say the baby was hidden?"

  "In my belly."

  "There's a little treasure in my tummy? Great! I've seen Big Sister carrying a little treasure before, her belly got bigger and bigger, and then the little treasure came out, wailing away, so adorable with their chubby cheeks. But Big Sister wouldn't let me hold them, Sister-in-law, when my little princess is born, I want to hold her every day, whoever dares to stop me will have their head chopped off..."

  She spoke with growing enthusiasm, and the childish and delicate smile returned to her face.

  Ke Xia heard it on the seventh of July and couldn't help but laugh and cry.

  It suddenly occurred to her that this might be the legendary mother-child connection. She had been treating Zhao Ziyue for so long, but he hadn't woken up until now, when she was preparing to perform a cesarean section. Now, the mother must save the child's life, and the child has also brought hope of survival to the mother; perhaps this is really good after all.

  When she walked out of the Yunyue Pavilion, she felt a bit tired. It was hard to describe what it was like, but it was as if someone had suddenly drained her energy away. Looking at this high red wall, she thought that it wasn't easy for this red wall to produce a "monster" like Zhao Ziyue either. That child, if he could really survive, would be lucky too. Ghost Brother's spirit in heaven should also rest in peace now.

  "Empress Dowager Cixi has arrived..."

  She was just walking to the gate when she heard a sharp whistle.

  Xia Zhong Qi's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly retreated to the side with the other palace maids and eunuchs, bowing her head. This Consort Gong was known for her grandeur wherever she went, and in the palace, she had a reputation for being dignified.

  The old emperor is getting older, and in recent years, there have been few young concubines who have caught his eye. As for the current imperial harem, apart from Empress Zhang, who remains unshakeable, it's this Consort Gong who holds sway. Everyone knows that Consort Gong is the old emperor's favorite, and her son and daughter are doted on by him to the core of his bones. It's said that the reason the old emperor spoils Zhao Ziyue so much is because when Consort Gong gave birth to Zhao Ziyue, she had a difficult labor and nearly died from excessive bleeding. Although she was saved, her body was damaged, and despite being showered with favors, she could no longer bear children.

  Gongfei probably also received the news of Zhao Ziyue's awakening, and walked hastily and quickly, shouting a low "ping shen", then stepped into the main hall of Yunyue Pavilion. When Xia Chuyi looked up, she only saw a fluttering cloud-like skirt, and just looking at that back figure, it was already charming and moving.

  But Xia Qi's eyes widened in shock and she stood frozen on the spot.

  She had never seen Consort Gong before, but this voice, how could it be so familiar?

  "Flat body..."

  "Flat body..."

  She muttered to herself, repeatedly pondering in her heart for a while, but couldn't recall where she had heard it before. After considering for a moment, she also let go of it. She was Zhao Zhu's mother, and they would meet sooner or later, why rush?

  ……

  ……

  Jianshen Hall

  For the sake of his daughter's awakening, Hong Taiji, who had been in a good mood just recently, was now sitting on the golden dragon chair in the palace with a dark face. Below him stood a group of high-ranking officials from the imperial court who were hastily summoned by him. In the vast palace, the air was filled with an ominous atmosphere like the calm before a storm.

  "What's going on with Ma Pengyi?"

  "Your Majesty!" The man kneeling below was a fifty-year-old bearded man in military uniform. He was the commander-in-chief of Jizhou, Great Yan Dynasty, usually stationed outside and rarely saw the emperor himself. Now, he was scolded by the old emperor and knocked his head heavily on the ground, his voice trembling slightly.

  "The guilty minister should die, should die——"

  "What's going on, tell me the truth."

  Hong Taiyi's face was filled with anger, but Ma Pengyi, who had rushed back to the capital from afar, was trembling with fear as he faced the old emperor's cold questioning. He thought for a moment, knocked his head on the ground, and after obtaining the old emperor's permission, looked out towards the outside of the grand hall.

  "Let him in..."

  Soon, a person appeared at the gate of the Jing Shen Temple. To say that he was a person would be an exaggeration; it would be more accurate to say that he was a bloody man. His chest, abdomen, and lower body were all stained red with blood, and his original armor was damaged beyond recognition, its color no longer visible. The face under the steel helmet was covered in both blood and grime, and several gaping wounds had been hastily bandaged, with fresh blood seeping out and dripping onto the carpet, a ghastly sight that caused several officials who had never before been on a battlefield to turn pale with fright.

  General Ma Peng of Ji Zhou furrowed his brow.

  "You speak, tell His Majesty about the whole process."

  That man stumbled and wanted to kneel, but it seemed that he had overexerted himself and hadn't even made it into the hall before "thud" - he fell to the ground with a loud noise. His dry, cracked lips were covered in mouthfuls of air.

  "Your Majesty... Tao Jingwu... defected to the enemy and betrayed the country..."

  "Preposterous!" Emperor Hong Tai's eyes blazed with anger, "Didn't he win a great victory, capturing over 20,000 Northern Di prisoners? Didn't he severely wound the Northern Di, causing their prince, Hesar, to flee with his remaining troops? Didn't I issue an edict promoting him and granting him a noble title, putting him in charge of the local army, and ordering him to pursue and annihilate the remnants of the Northern Di?"

  "It's all false, Your Majesty, all of it..."

  That man's voice was very small, and Hong Taiji was so angry that he blew up again on the spot.

  "Who can tell me what's going on?"

  "Your Majesty..."

  That man supported himself with both hands, lying in the temple, and wiped his face before saying, "Tao Jingwu had long been colluding with the Northern Di Crown Prince Hasar, on the one hand reporting false military information to the court, while on the other hand betraying and surrendering to Hasar... Now, Hasar has led his troops southward, and Tao Jingwu has occupied the cities of Yan State, Anzhou, Ningzhou, Changli, Leting, Linyu, and Lulong. And Tao Jingwu gathered all the officers who were unwilling to surrender to the enemy, locked them up, set fire... and burned them to death..."

  On the first day of March, a victory report was received from Qingzhou Prefecture, causing the entire court to rejoice and celebrate.

  It's only been twenty-five days since the third month, less than a month's time, yet the situation has undergone a heaven-reversing and earth-overturning change. How can Hong Taiji, who has never been so deceived by anyone before, bear it?

  He gripped the armrest of his chair tightly, staring icily at the "blood man" in the hall.

  "How did you manage to come back alive?"

  That man only had his head raised, but he gritted his teeth and spoke with force, "That night... Tao Jingwu invited the brothers in the camp to drink, drinking... I found something was off, so I pretended to be drunk... Taking advantage of their carelessness... I escaped, they chased and killed me all the way, I barely escaped from Yu Guan, found the general of Ji Zhou... entered the capital..."

  Hong Tai's eyebrows furrowed and he waved his hand, "Take him down first, find the imperial physician."

  "Yes! Your Majesty!"

  The guards rushed up and carried the person away to the hospital, but before they had left the main hall, Emperor Hong Tai's eyes narrowed and he suddenly shouted again.

  "Wait a minute."

  "Your Majesty."

  Hong Tai's hand on the dragon chair slowly rubbed it, his eyes sharply looking at the bloody figure, "What position do you hold in the army?"

  "That person hesitated for a moment, 'Reporting to Your Majesty, your humble servant is the vanguard of the Northern Expedition... an ordinary vanguard soldier.'"

  Hong Taiyi furrowed his brow, his voice sinking once more, "Name?"

  The man bit his dry lower lip and said, "My humble name is Yan Ergui."

  As soon as he heard the name, Hong Tai's face changed, "Surnamed Yan? You have a big nerve, daring to bear the imperial surname?" Before others could react, he turned his cold face to the guards, "No need to interrogate him! Bring in the men, take this arrogant vanguard soldier away and behead him for me."

  A loud "hush" sounded, and the whole audience fell silent.

  This Yan Er Gui was able to escape from the occupied territory and bring back such important news, what a great achievement it is! Now because of bearing a national surname, he was killed, no matter how you say it, it's a bit far-fetched. However, since ancient times "the monarch wants the minister to die, the minister cannot but die", the kings, princes and officials in the hall looked at each other in dismay, some were unbelievable, but no one dared to speak out.

  "Your Majesty..."

  Zhaomianze hesitated and stepped forward, kneeling on the ground, "The grandson thinks it's inappropriate."

  Hong Taiyi gave him a cold glance, "What's wrong?"

  Zhao Mianze lowered his head, but his voice was firm and resolute, "This man has made great contributions to the country, mistakenly bearing the surname of the nation is not his own wish..."

  "What merit? What merit?" Emperor Hong Tai interrupted him coldly, not looking at Zhao Mianze but instead gazing at Er Gui, his tone filled with an inexplicable hatred. "Do you think you have merit? I say you should die, do you think you should die or shouldn't die?"

  The two ghosts lifted their heads with difficulty, without making any excuses, and just smiled bitterly.

  "This humble official... deserves death! I request Your Majesty... to inflict lingchi... punishment..."

  Again there was a "whoosh" sound, and everyone was stunned.

  The order given by Emperor Hongtai was already strange enough, but Yan Er Gui's response was even more astonishing. Unless he was crazy, who would actively ask to be subjected to "lingchi"? The people in the palace were all confused and unclear about what was going on. No matter what, Zhao Mianze's attempts to plead for him were rebuked by the emperor, so who else would dare to speak up for him?

  Everyone thought he was sure to die.

  No one expected that Hong Tai Emperor slightly closed his eyes and looked at Zhao Mianze.

  "Alright, grant your request! Take him away... and behead him."

  ……

  ……

  Chengguo Gongfu.

  Ba Gua Po Mei Zi rushed into the Jing Yi courtyard, and saw Xia Chu Qi and Zhao Ru Na whispering under the banana tree. She took a few deep breaths before patting her chest and saying, "Young Mistress, something big has happened! It seems like there's going to be a huge battle. The young master has returned from the palace. I heard some news... Gui Ge is back..."

  What happened in the Jin Wang Fu at first, Mei Zi was aware of it, but Zhao Ru Na didn't know. Xia Chu Qi's heart "thudded" for a moment, feeling both happy and worried, yet she still glared fiercely at Mei Zi.

  "You're just a little girl, why bother with these things all day? Hurry up and go refill the water for Princess Jinghua..."

  Xia Chuiqi rarely blamed others, Mei Zi stuck out her tongue and lightly said "oh", knowing she had spoken too much, and quickly shut her mouth. But people who like to gossip, once they can't gossip, have so many things in their hearts, it's all itchy and uncomfortable. So, after adding water, Mei Zi was speaking with Zhao Runa when Xia Chuiqi was present, but kept wanting to speak and stopping herself, fidgeting and scratching her head and ears on the side, her round face full of "uncomfortable".

  Zhao Runa is a delicate and transparent person, how can't you see it?

  She put down her needlework and stood up with a smile.

  "It's getting late today, County Master, I should also be going back."

  It's not convenient to stay for a long time on the seventh day of summer, so I called Qinglan over and handed her a box of "tender skin face mask" that I had been working on for the past few days. With a smile, I said, "You see, I always take your things, but I don't have anything good to give you in return. This face mask is my own exclusive production, it's absolutely effective, and I told you how to use it before. You must keep using it, with your skin type, it will definitely become more tender after use. When our big brother comes back, he'll touch your hand and feel the tenderness, and he won't want to let go."

  "You little scamp!"

  Zhao Runa's face turned slightly red, and she let Lü'er take it back, then glanced at her with a hint of annoyance.

  "It's lucky that Nineteenth Uncle took you in, otherwise, wouldn't you be a disaster?"

  "What's wrong with being a bit of a troublemaker? Women are meant to be troublesome." Xia Chunyu chuckled and glanced at the several young maids by her side, then pulled Zhao Runa closer. "Runa, there's something I've been wanting to say for a while now. Although our relationship is close, it's still your private matter, and if I said anything, it would be meddling. But with war looming ahead, I reckon Big Bull will likely be sent to conquer the North. This war will drag on for a year or two, who knows when it'll end? No matter what, you and that Dr. Gu are in the past, Big Bull is your man now. Men may have tough hearts, but we must turn them into gentle fingers... Runa, do you understand my meaning?"

  She said a lot, but Zhao Runa just smiled awkwardly and lowered her head.

  "I understand."

  "That's it, isn't it? Look, Big Brother Niu is now neither taking a concubine nor marrying a wife, doesn't this prove that he has you in his heart? I know you've been wronged, I saw what happened on the wedding day. But think about it again, even an outsider like me feels sorry for you, how could he not know? It's just that men are all concerned with saving face, sometimes we take the initiative to take a step forward, there's no need to be wronged, let's coax him first. Later on, we'll get back what's owed us, interest and principal included, isn't that okay?"

  Zhao Runa's expression slightly relaxed, and she hesitated for a moment before speaking.

  "Jing Yi, I've long resigned myself to it and don't feel any sense of injustice. But since he's not coming back, what can I do?"

  Xia Zhong Qi patted her shoulder, "Are you stupid? He's not coming back, can't you go find him? You're his wife, he's slept with you, of course he has to take responsibility. Listen to me, go send him some clothes, a bowl of soup or something, can't he just drive you away?"

  Zhao Runa's eyebrows slightly furrowed, and she smiled lightly.

  "Thank you."

  Xia knew she had listened and didn't say any more, then looked at Lü'er again.

  "Take good care of your young mistress at home, and be careful on the road."

  After Zhao Ruhua left, Xia Chuyi finally called over Mei Zi, who had been holding back words that were stuck in her throat. She carefully asked Mei Zi about what she had heard. Upon hearing that Er Gui had volunteered for "lingchi", she wiped away a cold sweat and couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. But thinking again, since Er Gui was back safely it was naturally good news, yet why did such a big thing happen on the northern battlefield without anyone in the capital knowing about it?

  This is also too weird...

  Are the Northern Di people that powerful?

  However, she felt that Er Gui had also made a great contribution this time. The old emperor did not kill him on the spot, and it was likely that he thought he could escape and report back in such a situation, which was also a personal achievement. In this way, the hope between him and Zhao Ziyue increased again.

  I thought about it and broke out in a cold sweat.

  Fortunately she didn't miscarry, otherwise that would be a real sin.

  That evening, Zhao Zun didn't come, and she felt a bit uneasy. She sent Mei Zi and Qing Lan away, sat alone by the window, stroking Xiao Ma's now white feathers, thinking back and forth, really couldn't hold it in, so she sent a letter to Zhao Zun.

  "The grand wedding is approaching, and the beacon fire rises again. Lang Jun, how do you see it?"

  The little horse "pattered" back when she was hanging her chin on the windowsill, listening to the sound of banana leaves hitting bamboo outside. But this little horse didn't bring anything back for her. After waiting in vain, she patted the pigeon's head, walked a few laps around the house in boredom, and finally lay down alone on the bed, burying her face in the quilt to brew sleepiness.

  Before she was fully awake, a familiar footstep sound came from behind her back, and she smiled with pursed lips.

  "A Qi..."

  Listening to his low shout, Xia Chuqi deliberately didn't make a sound and pretended to sleep with a "hum hum".

  Zhao Zhuoli stood by the bed, looking down at her with a superior attitude, and coughed lightly.

  "Fallen asleep? Then I'll be off."

  She had eaten into his mind, and as soon as she heard this, Xia Chuyi could no longer pretend, quickly jumping up and pouncing on him, her legs wrapping tightly around his body.

  "How dare you!"

  Zhao Yu lowered his head and pecked her on the mouth, pinched her nose, carried her over to close the door, then sat back down in the chair with her, gazed at her face for a moment, and solemnly asked, "A Qi, has your aunt come?"

  His words were so absurd that Xia Chuqi was both amused and annoyed at the same time.

  "Hey, what's wrong with you? Worrying about my aunt for no reason?"

  "It's okay." Zhao You hugged her tightly, his voice a little muffled.

  Xia Chuqi playfully bumped her forehead against his chin, chuckled, and then wrapped her arms around his neck. She leaned back, straightened her face, and asked him, "I, Xia Qi Da Xian, have calculated with my fingers that in twelve days we will be getting married. But, husband, I feel uneasy in my heart. Today, I heard that something big happened in the north - Tao Jingwu has rebelled? This time, your father must be furious! Will there be a big war? And will he think of you again?"

  Zhao's eyes were heavy and his face was cold and hard, he glanced at her but didn't answer immediately.

  Xia Chui's eyebrows furrowed on the seventh day of summer, "What's wrong? What did you say?"

  "Little girl!" Zhao Youqian held her tightly, smiling lowly. "You can rest assured, you are Grandpa's person for this lifetime. No matter what, you can't escape, this new bride, it's settled."

  He said that, and it seemed like she "hated to marry" him. Although this was the truth, Xia Chuyi still had a slightly red face, and in order to cover up her embarrassment, she rubbed against his chest again and again, until her hair was disheveled and her clothes were loose, before carelessly crawling out of his arms, rolling her eyes around, and smiling.

  "Haha, I finally know."

  Zhao Zhuo puckered up and pinched her waist, "What?"

  Xia Zhi Qi looked at him intently, her head tilted to one side, and asked hesitantly, "You also think your father will definitely send you to fight the Northern Di, right? You're afraid that you won't have time for a grand wedding, so you're concerned about whether my aunt has arrived or not. You want... you want to get married to me first and then report it to your parents afterwards, making it a fait accompli, so you won't be afraid of any unexpected events, is that right?"

  Zhao's eyes narrowed slightly, and he coughed, "A Qi, you really dare to think that?"

  Isn't it? Xia Qi's eyes widened at him, her intestines were so angry that they wanted to knot, "What do you mean?"

  Zhao Zun's face was strange, seemingly holding back a smile. He sighed and said, "Sir is concerned about your unstable emotions, that's why he's kindly asking. If Ah Qi really can't wait any longer, it's not impossible to cook unripe rice into ripe rice. However, Sir cooks rice for a fee, does Ah Qi have silver?"

  Still want to save face?

  Looking at this dark and arrogant guy, Xia Chuqi's beautiful face turned black.

  "Grandpa, can you be a little embarrassed?"

  ……

  ……

  Something big has happened in the north, and the imperial court is even more turbulent than before.

  The war between Dayan and the Northern Di had never stopped for decades. Since the ascension of Emperor Hongtai, year after year, battle after battle, although the Northern Di had been driven out of Dayan's territory, a camel that has died of starvation is still larger than a horse, and the harsh living environment of the nomadic people made it impossible for them not to move south. Therefore, in recent years, the Northern Di people have been constantly harassing the borders of Dayan, with beacon fires burning continuously.

  It's even more unbearable now, the Northern Di Crown Prince Hasar actually has the ability to entice a great Yan general, 1.5 million people defected, what kind of effect is that? Not only that, he was also able to successfully block the news and take advantage of the Great Yan court's grand celebration of merit, one after another taking down several cities of Great Yan, and even borrowed the sacred edict of Emperor Hongtai, allowing Tao Jingwu to recruit the local armies of Qingzhou in Great Yan, this is simply a great humiliation for Emperor Hongtai.

  This time, no one will discuss "war" and "no war".

  A war is looming on the horizon and it's inevitable.

  But before the war, Hong Taiji still had one more thing to do.

  Everyone in the imperial palace had retreated, and he summoned Dongfang Qingxuan, the Grand Marshal of the Brocade Guard, alone.

  "What's going on?"

  Hong Tai's tone was very stiff. The Jin Yiwei intelligence organization is all over the Great Yan, even in Qingzhou and Kaiping, there are people from the Jin Yiwei. Now that Tao Jingwu has betrayed the country, such a big thing, he was actually deceived to death. If it wasn't for Yan Ergui risking his life to return to the capital to report, he would still be sleeping in his own dream, waiting for his army to triumph.

  Dongfang Qingxuan didn't answer immediately, the flames in the hall cast a flickering glow on his enchanting face, adding an air of legendary demonic charm. He slightly closed his eyes, stepped forward with clasped hands, and knelt down on one knee.

  "Your Majesty, I am guilty."

  "Hong Tai Emperor coldly snorted, 'Such a big thing, how did you report it to me?'"

  Dongfang Qingxuan raised his head, his expression unchanged, and lightly slapped his palm.

  "Bring it along."

  Soon, a row of Jin Yiwei carried one by one corpse wrapped in a body bag into the Jing Shen Hall, roughly counting, there were more than a dozen, that strong bloody smell, which overwhelmed the faint fragrance in the air.

  Dongfang Qingxuan walked over, unzipped the first body bag and pointed at the first corpse.

  "Your Majesty, Ge Yongshou, a thousand households from Qingzhou, is here to pay respects."

  Hong Taiji's expression changed suddenly.

  Dongfang Qingxuan slowly got up and walked towards the second corpse.

  "Your Majesty, Jin Yiwei Yongping Suo Qian Hu Lan Hongyang."

  Hong Tai's half-narrowed eyes sharpened. Dongfang Qingxuan didn't look at him, the shadow of his red robe under the lamp light was like a most beautiful ghost, and lightly floated towards the third corpse.

  "Your Majesty, Jin Yiwei Qingzhou's hundred households celebrate Ganyi Chun."

  Point to one, read one, finish reading one, and then point to another. Only after Dongfang Qingxuan finished identifying the bodies one by one did he slowly turn around, kneel on the ground, his pale white face slightly pale, with a hint of sadness in his tone.

  "Hassar is a cunning foe, before Tao Zong Wu's rebellion, they had already set up their pawns and killed the Brocade Guards in Qingzhou Prefecture and Yongping Prefecture. Your humble servant was in the capital, thinking that everything was calm on the front, but didn't know that such a big disturbance had occurred. Your humble servant received the news, saw their corpses, and after feeling sorrowful, deeply felt guilty for not investigating thoroughly, and requests Your Majesty to punish."

  Hong Tai Emperor's eyes slightly closed, he waved his hand to let those people carry the corpses away, only then did he lightly pick up a tea cup on the case table, took a sip, and smiled faintly.

  "Qing Xuan, all these years, how have I treated you? How have I treated your family in the East?"

  "The Emperor treats Qingxuan like his own son, and the Eastern family is even more favored with kindness as heavy as a mountain."

  Emperor Hongtai's hand tightened around the teacup, his eyelids lifted, "As long as you have a number in your heart, that's good. Qingxuan, although half of your blood is from the Mongolian people, I have never doubted you because of this, and I have always entrusted you with important tasks. In these few years, you have been in charge of the Brocade Guard and have done many things for me, I remember your merits, but you must not disappoint my expectations of you."

  "I thank your majesty for your great kindness."

  Your Highness, the cold wind blows and the candles flicker.

  The two people fell silent for a moment, and Hong Taiji let out a deep sigh.

  "You are in the capital, I am also in the capital. You have become deaf, and I have become blind. This matter you were negligent, I also have responsibility, so I won't pursue it. But if such a mistake happens again, I will not forgive you."

  Eastern Qingxuan's eyelids slightly lifted, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

  "Hong Tai Emperor nodded and looked at him, then asked slowly, "Now that the war with Bei Di is inevitable, who do you think I should send to lead the army in the northern expedition?"

  Dongfang Qingxuan was silent for a moment, then spoke in a gentle tone, "Ding An Hou has both bravery and strategy, having entered the northern wilderness several times to engage with the Beidi army, exceling at fighting against the Beidi cavalry. Now that he is also in charge of the Jinwei military affairs, I think Ding An Hou leading the troops on a northern expedition would be most suitable."

  Hong Taiyi nodded his head, closed his eyelids and gently blew away the water on the surface of his tea.

  "Chen Da Niu is quite good, I have always had high hopes for him. However, having only him is not enough, I don't want to exhaust myself again. In recent years, I have been fighting with the Northern Di, back and forth, which has caused unrest among the people, made it difficult to fill the national treasury, and even aged me prematurely. This time, I want to completely eliminate the Northern Di's harassment in the north. After one battle, defeat them thoroughly, at least ensure thirty years of peace."

  The Eastern Blue Mystic Phoenix's eyes narrowed slightly, "Your Majesty, what do you mean?"

  Emperor Hongtai looked at him, slightly raised an eyebrow and said, "To defeat the Northern Di, we still need Old Nineteen. I plan to let Old Nineteen and Chen Daniu divide their troops and launch a pincer attack, killing the Northern Di barbarians until not even a piece of armor is left, making them retreat back to their lair, and never again dare to march south."

  Listening to Hong Taiyi's gnashing teeth, Dongfang Qingxuan was slightly stunned.

  "But Your Majesty, isn't Prince Jin's wedding approaching?"

  "Is family matter important or national matter important?" He glanced at him coldly, and Hong Tai Emperor put down the teacup in his hand. Without waiting for Dongfang Qingxuan to speak again, he turned to Cui Yingda and said.

  "Pass down the imperial edict and have Old Nineteen and Duke Ding'an come see me."

  Digression

  Haven't begged for monthly tickets for several days, have I? Hehe, my face skin seems to have thickened again, gotta scrape it off. Come on come on, throw those monthly tickets into my bowl!

  Whether to cook the raw rice into cooked rice is up to you, haha... I'm a good person, I'm a good person, I silently recite it many times every day... Then I keep reciting and there are still people who care, will it be a tragedy? I can say very affirmatively that it's absolutely not a tragedy, I wouldn't forgive myself if it were.

  Acknowledgments

  Dear [13773898446] has been upgraded to become a Jinshi.

  Dear [13861827962], you have been upgraded to contributor.

  Dear Xi'er has been upgraded to Yuanjie.