War is about to begin

The wind from the Mobei royal court, carrying the scent of grass and livestock, blew through the golden-roofed tent.

Tuoba Hong held the secret report that had just been sent from the Southern Dynasty in his hand, and his knuckles turned slightly white from the force.

"Ning Lingyi is not dead."

He was stunned at first, and then, a surge of joy that he had not even expected, like an undercurrent beneath the surface of a frozen river, suddenly hit his heart.

She's still alive!

The woman whom he admired, feared, and calculated against, and even felt such complicated and unspeakable emotions after her "death", was actually still alive!

The joy lasted only a moment.

What followed was overwhelming anger and even more of a sense of shame for being fooled.

He did not forget his loss of composure in front of her "body", nor did he forget the act of welcoming her into the ancestral mausoleum in the name of the Queen Consort, nor did he forget the complex emotions that lingered in his heart day and night.

If she died, it wouldn't matter, but if she lived, all this would become a joke.

Did she know everything? Did she know that Tuoba Hong, the heroic ruler of Beishuo, could actually have such a weak emotion towards a dead woman?

No, he must not let her know!

He, Tuoba Hong, could be a ruthless conqueror or a cunning ally, but he could never be a ridiculous person who would lose his composure because of romantic feelings.

He couldn't accept Ning Lingyi looking at him differently.

He had to find her and explain clearly that he didn't care about her, he just wanted to humiliate her...

He stood up suddenly, grabbed the whip, and strode out of the golden tent.

The guards watched in astonishment as their Khan mounted his horse and, without saying a word, galloped straight towards the south.

The rapid sound of hooves shattered the afternoon tranquility of the royal court.

The wind blew on my face, carrying the roughness unique to the frontier.

He headed south, feeling a mixture of anger, unwillingness and an indescribable shame in his chest, which made it almost impossible for him to think.

Until the horse under him began to breathe out thick white air and gradually slowed down, until the outline of the endless mountains could be seen before him.

Tuoba Hong suddenly pulled the reins of his horse.

The warhorse neighed loudly, the man stood up, and finally landed heavily, splashing a cloud of dust.

What is he doing?

Just like that, you broke into the territory of the Southern Dynasty alone?

To meet the woman who had him at her mercy?

A cool breeze instantly cleared his feverish mind.

Ning Lingyi is still alive.

She was still alive. Not only did his secret thoughts become a joke, but it also meant that the decisive battle between the Southern Dynasty and the Northern Shuo, which had been delayed by the war in the Western Qiang, was now brought to the fore.

The relationship between them is no longer influenced by personal feelings.

He was the Khan of Beishuo, and she was the uncrowned emperor of the Southern Dynasty.

There is no room for two tigers in one mountain. This vast world cannot accommodate two overlords coexisting.

The struggle between Yu and Liang will not end until one side is dead.

Tuoba Hong turned his horse around and took one last look at the vague mountain shadows in the south, his eyes becoming sharp again.

He rode his horse back at a speed even faster than when he came. When he returned to the royal court, he stepped straight into the Golden Tent and ordered the drums to be beaten to gather the generals.

The rumbling sound of heavy cowhide drums rang out, like muffled thunder rolling across the grassland. The leaders of various tribes rushed over upon hearing the news, and the tent was soon filled with the core dignitaries of Beishuo.

Tuoba Hong stood in front of the main seat in the tent, holding his sword, and his eyes swept over everyone like an eagle.

"Just got the news, Ning Lingyi of the Southern Dynasty is not dead."

There was a suppressed cry and discussion in the tent.

He raised his hand, suppressing the noise. "As long as she's alive, she's the greatest threat to Beishuo! You all know how powerful she is at rallying people. If we allow the Southern Dynasty to recover under her rule, within a few years, our Beishuo cavalry will no longer have the chance to advance south!"

He suddenly drew the golden sword from his waist, the bright light of the sword reflected his stern face: "So we can't wait any longer!"

"Propagate this Khan's order: From this day forward, all tribes must count all combat-ready soldiers, gather fodder and horses, and forge weapons! When autumn arrives and the horses are fat, and before the snow blocks the roads, muster a hundred thousand cavalry and follow this Khan south to capture the dragon!"

"This battle is about the fate of our nation! Either we crush the Southern Dynasty, or we, Beishuo, will be trapped forever in this bitter cold land of Mobei! There is no retreat, only a fight to the death with the Southern Dynasty!"

"We will obey the Khan's orders!" All the generals in the tent roared in unison, the sound almost blowing the roof off the tent.

Tuoba Hong has led them to conquer half of Western Qiang. Their ambitions and desires have become stronger. The enthusiasm for war and the desire for wealth and land are burning in their eyes. What's wrong with another battle!

Everyone took the order and left, leaving only Tuoba Hong in the tent.

He walked to the huge hanging map and his eyes wandered over the prosperous territory of the Southern Dynasty.

Ning Lingyi's advantage lies in her terrifying cohesion and mobilization ability. He once wanted to break up this power by capturing her, but now this path is blocked, and the only thing left is a head-on confrontation on the battlefield.

The Beishuo cavalry is invincible in field battles, and this is his confidence.

However, the Southern Dynasty held the city and had excellent weapons and armor, which was no match for the Western Qiang.

This will be a tough battle.

After pondering for a long time, he suddenly walked to the table, spread out a piece of fine parchment, and dipped his pen in ink.

Since a meeting on the battlefield is inevitable, he might as well give her a little more trouble before that, and... it can also be considered as settling an old matter.

What he wrote was a letter with rather strange wording.

In the letter, he first mentioned the marriage that Ning Lingyi's father had personally agreed to, and then mentioned that Ning Lingyi had indeed made relevant remarks when she negotiated with him in her early years.

Then, he changed his tone and said that he had mistakenly believed the news of her death before. In his grief, he treated her with the courtesy of "Grand Consort" and temporarily buried her in the royal ancestral tomb. This was a friendship between the two countries and a respect for Ning Lingyi herself.

Finally, he asked—now that the princess had returned safely, when would this long-established marriage be fulfilled? When would he, Tuoba Hong, be able to marry the princess and bring her to Beishuo?

After writing, he threw the pen on the table, looked at the ink-stained letter, and chuckled.

He wanted to see how Ning Lingyi would respond.

*

Southern Dynasty, capital.

Ning Lingyi unfolded the letter from Beishuo and understood what Tuoba Hong meant after reading only a few lines.

"Tuoba Hong... never changes his bad habits."

She showed the letter to the important officials in the palace.

Sure enough, the crowd was instantly outraged.

"Arrogant! Shameless!"

"Your Majesty's body is worth millions of gold, how can you allow this beast to humiliate you so lightly!"

"The marriage alliance from that time is no longer valid! How dare he bring it up again!"

"It's clear that they see Your Majesty's return and the stability of the Southern Dynasty, so they want to use this to confuse the public and disrupt our military's morale!"

Ning Lingyi raised her hand to stop the crowd from scolding her.

Her expression was calm, even with a hint of amusement, as she said to the secretary in charge of the paperwork, "Bring me some paper and pen."

She wrote the letter herself, pondered for a moment, and then wrote her reply.

The reply letter was also in the form of a national letter, but the tone was more cunning than the one from Tuoba Hong.

In the letter, she first expressed her surprise and gratitude for Tuoba Hong's gesture of deep affection, and then changed the tone and said that since Tuoba Khan attached so much importance to the marriage between the two countries and insisted on making this a success, she would also help him.

However, Ning Lingyi was the regent princess of the Southern Dynasty and had a noble status, so there was no reason for her to marry far away in the northern desert.

If Tuoba Khan sincerely wanted to marry her, he might as well follow the ancient custom of "marrying into the wife's family" and marry Beishu Khan into the Southern Dynasty. As Ning Lingyi's emperor husband, she would definitely treat him with the courtesy of a queen and ensure that he would enjoy wealth and glory throughout his life.

Finally, she imitated Tuoba Hong's tone and asked lightly, "I wonder what Tuoba Khan thinks? When will you prepare your dowry and join our Southern Dynasty?"

After writing, she put down her pen and handed the reply to the messenger: "Send it back to Beishuo as is."

The ministers in the hall were stunned at first, and then burst into laughter.

"Your Majesty is wonderful!"

"Give someone a taste of their own medicine!"

"See what Tuoba Hong has to say!"

After the laughter, the atmosphere quickly became solemn and a war was about to begin.

Ning Lingyi restrained her smile, glanced at important officials such as Wang Jingzhi, Shen Qingyan, Nong Zishi, and Su Qingfan, and announced the adjournment of the court, leaving the four of them alone.

"Just a joke," she said, "Tuoba Hong's move is just a test. He will never give us the opportunity to develop calmly. The war is just around the corner."

She stood up, walked to the huge hanging map, and ran her finger across the long border line between Beishuo and Southern Dynasty.

"This battle is different from the Western Qiang. The Western Qiang are a minor nuisance, but the Northern Shuo is a serious threat. If we win, the world will be unified and all the people will submit; if we lose..."

"Then our Han clothing and customs may be lost forever in the Central Plains, and the disaster of the Five Barbarians' invasion of China will return."

"So, this battle must be won! Even if we devote all our national strength, we must win!"

Wang Jingzhi's face showed worry. He took a step forward and spoke in a voice heavy and aged, "Your Highness, I know full well that this war is crucial to our national destiny. However, the successive northern and western expeditions have drained the treasury immensely. If we launch another major war like this, the cost of money, food, and troops will likely be ten times that of the Western Qiang War. If this continues, I... I simply do not know how we can sustain this war."

Ning Lingyi was silent for a moment.

What Wang Jingzhi said was exactly the biggest worry in her heart.

She pondered, "How could I not know what the Prime Minister said? The people's strength cannot be exhausted. However, Beishuo will not give us a chance to breathe."

She turned her gaze to Wang Jingzhi and suddenly asked a seemingly irrelevant question: "Prime Minister Wang, I recently looked through the Ministry of Revenue files and there is something I don't understand."

"Since my father, Emperor Xuanxi's reign, thirty years ago, the court's annual revenue has not nominally decreased, and has even increased slightly. However, why is it that the money and grain that can actually be deposited into the treasury is becoming increasingly scarce year by year?"

Upon hearing this, the wrinkles on Wang Jingzhi's face seemed to deepen. He sighed and said, "Your Highness, please understand. This matter has been a long-standing problem."

"Take just the grain transport, for example. From Jiangnan to the capital, the canal stretches thousands of miles, connecting millions of people whose livelihoods are said to be sustenance and clothing. Every link in the chain can be lost, and every link can be damaged. Even with all this loss, the court can only collect 30%, which is a remarkable achievement. This is just one example; salt, iron, tea, silk... are all similar."

Ning Lingyi's eyes flashed with understanding, then anger. "So, it's not that the court collects too little, but rather that too much is swallowed up in the middle? Is there no way to eliminate this problem?"

Wang Jingzhi shook his head, his smile bitter. "Your Highness, this isn't just a problem for one person. It's a problem affecting hundreds of government offices and tens of thousands of officials. It's a complex web of connections, and even a single move can affect the entire system. With powerful enemies lurking outside, a full-scale investigation at this time could spark civil unrest and destabilize the nation."

Shen Qingyan had been listening silently at the side, and now he spoke up, "Prime Minister Wang's words are wise and prudent for the sake of statecraft. Your Highness, the most urgent task is to deal with Beishuo. The internal problems cannot be eliminated overnight, so we need to take a long-term view and work slowly."

Ning Lingyi looked at the solemn expressions of the two important ministers and understood what was going on.

She took a slow breath and suppressed the surging anger.

"I understand." Her voice returned to calm. "We can discuss the corruption issue later. As for the resources needed for war preparations right now... I'll find a way."

Her gaze once again turned to the land of Beishuo on the map. No matter what, this battle must be fought and must be won.

As for the termites, she could clean them up one by one when she had time.

Tuoba Hong, I won’t lose to you, she thought.