What should I do?

The north wind swept across the vast wilderness, blowing the hem of Ning Lingyi's black cloak, making a rustling sound.

Behind her were more than a dozen heavy carts, covered tightly with oilcloth, with ruts deeply sunk into the frozen soil. They contained gold and silver, as well as some of the already scarce food and fodder. She came in to give these things to Tuoba Hong.

The gate of the Beishuo camp was in sight, with flags waving. Cavalrymen in heavy armor stood solemnly on both sides, their eyes fixed on the slender figure in the lead.

Ning Lingyi reined in her horse, took a deep breath of the cold air, and suppressed the complex emotions surging in her heart. She knew that she was now entering a chess game that was more dangerous than a battlefield.

"Princess Mingzhu of the Southern Dynasty, please meet the Khan of Beishuo."

Her voice pierced through the wind, without a trace of cowardice.

The sound of the notification was transmitted layer by layer into the golden tent.

Inside the tent, the charcoal fire was blazing, and the aroma of meat mixed with the smell of milk wine.

Tuoba Hong sat high in the main seat, with civil and military officials on his left and right. When they heard that Ning Lingyi had arrived in person, they all looked surprised, and then whispered to each other, and a buzz of low discussions was heard in the tent.

"Let her in."

Tuoba Hong put down the silver cup, his eyes deep.

The curtain was lifted and Ning Lingyi walked in slowly.

She took off her armor, wearing only a plain dark blue dress, with her long hair simply tied up. The fatigue of days of fighting left light blue marks in her eyes, but it made her eyes look clearer and more determined. She calmly swept her eyes over the group of powerful generals in the tent, and finally fell on Tuoba Hong, nodding slightly according to etiquette.

"Khan."

"Princess, what's the important matter?" Tuoba Hong asked.

Ning Lingyi stood up and said straight to the point: "I have come to thank the Khan for his recent assistance and to bring a small gift to support our army."

She raised her hand slightly, indicating the vehicles outside the tent: "One million taels of gold and silver, and a hundred carts of grain and fodder, I hope the Khan will accept them."

A few ambiguous sneers were heard from inside the tent.

A bearded tribal leader said in a gruff voice, "You're very polite, Princess. However, I'm afraid this little bit of stuff isn't enough to fill the gaps between the teeth of tens of thousands of my men. Do you think you can get rid of our Beishuo cavalry with just this?"

Ning Lingyi turned her gaze towards the leader, her expression unchanged. "Of course not. I came here today to discuss a matter with the Khan. We should combine our forces to defeat the Western Qiang and recover Weizhou and Zhenzhou."

As soon as these words were spoken, the tent suddenly became quiet, and all eyes were focused on her.

Tuoba Hong leaned forward slightly, tapping the table with his fingers. "Oh? How can we work together? My Beishuo men have shed blood and risked their lives, is this all we have to rely on?"

"Don't worry, Khan. I will take care of the food and supplies, and I will do my best to ensure the army's needs."

Ning Lingyi said clearly, "After we capture the city, all the gold, silver, and treasures found in the treasury will belong to the Khan. I won't take a single cent."

As soon as he finished speaking, the bearded leader burst into laughter, his laughter full of sarcasm: "That's easy for you to say! We want the gold and silver, but can't the land and people also belong to you? You sit back and reap the benefits, relying on a few thousand beggar soldiers, and you think you can take the whole of Heshuo for free? There is no such good thing in the world! You wish!"

Other officials also echoed this sentiment, and the tent was filled with doubt and disdain.

Ning Lingyi clenched her hands slightly in her sleeves. She took another deep breath, looked up at Tuoba Hong, and spoke in a slower tone, "What the generals said is quite true."

She glanced at Tuoba Hong and said, "I'm just a woman. What use do I have for this land and population? I'm the Khan's fiancée. My husband is fighting bloody battles on the front line, and it's my job to comfort the people and tidy up the place in preparation for my husband's triumphant return. Isn't that my job?"

She stared intently into Tuoba Hong's eyes, watching his expression change again and again. Her voice became softer, as if bewitching him, and whispering in his ear: "After the Khan drives out the Western Qiang and we get married, the Heshuo area will naturally be yours to rule. Whether the Khan appoints officials to govern or sends troops to garrison it will be up to him to decide."

You could hear a pin drop inside the tent.

Everyone was shocked by these words, their eyes flickering between Ning Lingyi and Tuoba Hong, their expressions varied. These words were truly...

Tuoba Hong's pupils also shrank slightly, and he stared at Ning Lingyi closely.

No, this was not her true words. She was not the kind of woman who was willing to be inferior to others and give up the mountains and rivers. Her submissiveness and concession at this moment were just a temporary measure.

Tuoba Hong saw through Ning Lingyi's thoughts at a glance.

He understood very well that she was exchanging false reputation for real gain, and empty promises of the future for a breathing space in the present. She wanted him to stand up for her and repel the enemy.

You can't just agree to her like that.

Just when Tuoba Hong was about to speak.

Ning Lingyi bowed gracefully, lowered her head, and choked with sobs, saying, "Khan, the affairs of Heshuo depend entirely on you. I have been worried day and night and unable to sleep. I really don't know what to do."

Seeing her innocent face and tears falling, the words of refusal were stuck on the corner of my mouth.

Tuoba Hong was silent for a moment. He didn't like women, so how could he delay his work for a woman?

However, Xiqiang is indeed a strong enemy. If he swallows Heshuo alone, he will have to pay a heavy price. If she comforts him from the rear and provides him with supplies, it will be easier for him to defeat Xiqiang, which is also a good thing.

As for the future, it was still unknown who would win, so how could Tuoba Hong be afraid of a mere woman like her? Taking back the two places would be easy.

After all, she was his wife. She said she wanted to marry him, and she said she didn't know what to do.

Forget it.

After a moment's silence, Tuoba Hong slowly spoke, "Okay, as you said, our army will be ready and marching to Weizhou today. Princess, please do not delay in sending the food and supplies."

"Khan!" Some ministers still tried to object.

Tuoba Hong raised his hand to stop them, but his eyes never left Ning Lingyi: "I will make my own decision."

Ning Lingyi raised her head, a tear about to fall, her eyes filled with gratitude, and she bowed slightly: "Thank you very much, Khan, for your help. With this, Lingyi will take her leave and go back to make preparations immediately."

She turned around and walked out of the tent with steady steps, her straight back disappearing behind the curtain.

As soon as she left, the tent exploded.

"Khan! This woman is full of sweet words, but she is not sincere. She wants to use our swords to kill the people of Xiqiang, so that she can hide behind and strengthen herself!"

"Exactly! When she grows up, will she be willing to hand over Heshuo to you? Khan, don't be seduced by her beauty!"

"Has the Khan lost his mind over a woman? Where does he put our people?"

Tuoba Hong glanced coldly at the excited ministers, and suddenly slammed the silver cup in his hand on the table, making a dull sound.

“That’s enough!”

The tent suddenly became quiet.

"Don't you think I don't know what she's thinking?"

Tuoba Hong said in a deep voice, "Of course she won't accept this. Are the men of Beishuo made of mud? She wants to swallow up Heshuo and see if we agree. Send a message to the royal court to mobilize another 10,000 elite cavalry and send administrative officials to accompany the army to prepare for the future takeover of Weizhou and Zhenzhou."

His mind regained clarity, and he naturally understood: "She wants time? Fine. But I want to see who is faster, her business or my Beishuo's sword."

*

When Ning Lingyi returned to the Qinghe government office, it was already dusk.

Nong Zishi, Su Qingfan, Wang Mengzi and others had been waiting for a long time. Seeing her return safely, they all breathed a sigh of relief, but they could not hide their anxiety.

"Your Highness, how is it?" Su Qingfan took the lead and asked in a low voice.

Ning Lingyi took off her cloak, revealing a slightly tired but bright-eyed face. She walked over to the main seat and sat down before slowly speaking, "It's done. Tuoba Hong agreed to form an alliance to attack the Western Qiang. The condition is that we provide the army with food and supplies, and after the city is conquered, all the treasury funds will go to Beishuo."

Wang Mengzi's thick brows knitted together as he heard this. "Doesn't this mean we're fighting for Beishuo for nothing? And we're even paying for food? Your Highness, these conditions are too..."

Nong Zishi clapped his hands and sighed softly, his eyes filled with complexities. "Your Highness has been wronged. This is a temporary solution, and it is the best possible outcome. Your Highness has endured humiliation and hardship, and I admire you."

He stood up and bowed deeply to Ning Lingyi.

Ning Lingyi waved her hand calmly, "It's alright. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. If this can bring about the restoration of Hebei and a little peace for the people, a little false reputation and grievance won't matter."

She paused and looked at Nong Zishi. "But, Lord Nong, Tuoba Hong is by no means an easy opponent. He has long harbored ambitions of annexation. We must be fully prepared to deal with him in the future. We simply lack the manpower, especially those capable of governing the local area and handling government affairs."

Nong Zishi nodded solemnly: "Your Highness is right in your concerns. This matter cannot be delayed. I will immediately go and find candidates and ask them to assist Your Highness."

"Thank you, Mr. Nong." Ning Lingyi nodded, trust in her eyes.

"In addition, we must announce in advance to inform the people of Heshuo that the Southern Dynasty's royal army has joined forces with Northern Shuo, and the army will soon arrive to reclaim the lost territory."

Wang Mengzi nodded in agreement.

At this time, Su Qingfan frowned and said, "Your Highness, the food and supplies promised to Beishuo are by no means insignificant. Now the Qinghe treasury is almost empty, and the confiscated property has been presented to Beishuo. How are we going to raise funds in the future? I'm afraid Mingzhou has reached its limit."

Ning Lingyi pressed lightly on her solar plexus with her fingertips, and it was obvious that this matter was also a heavy burden on her mind.

She was silent for a moment, her eyes full of thoughts as she slowly said, "I have a general idea of ​​what this matter is. Relying solely on Mingzhou's blood transfusion is definitely not a long-term solution. The Heshuo area has experienced war and people's livelihood is in decline. We need to resume production as soon as possible to accumulate some reserves. In addition..."

She turned her gaze to Su Qingfan: "Qingfan, I need you to make another trip. Take my handwritten letter and return to Mingzhou immediately to meet Mr. Shen."

"At the same time, farming in Heshuo cannot stop. We must revive this land as soon as possible so that we can confidently deal with subsequent events."

Su Qingfan immediately accepted the order, "I will prepare immediately and set off at night."

Ning Lingyi immediately bent down at her desk, quickly wrote a letter, sealed it, and solemnly handed it to Su Qingfan.

After arranging all this, she breathed a sigh of relief, but the solemnity between her brows remained. She knew that this was just the beginning and a more difficult road was still ahead.

That night, dozens of spies were secretly sent out, like drops of water seeping into dry land, and quietly sneaked into the territory of Weizhou Zhenzhou.

They carried written notices and distributed them throughout towns and villages.

On the document, it was written:

"A letter to the elders of Weizhou: The royal army has signed an agreement with Beishuo. The allied forces will arrive soon, vowing to wipe out the Western Qiang and recover our homeland! I urge the soldiers and civilians of Weizhou to remain loyal to the Southern Dynasty and prepare food and drink to welcome the royal army! This is an order from Princess Mingzhu."

The news spread like wildfire across the desperate Heshuo land.

At the same time, the southern waterway.

On the dark river surface, more than ten cargo ships were quietly sailing upstream to the north under the cover of night. The fleet cut through the waves and headed towards Qinghe, a land where hope and crisis coexist.