We set off on April 16th and embarked on our journey on April 17th.

Wei Li stood atop the city wall, clad in bright silver armor, riding a chestnut horse. As dawn broke, the light fell upon him, casting a golden glow on his cold, sharp features.

His hair was tightly tied back, making the corners of his eyes appear even more upturned. Then, expressionless, he turned his head to look up. Behind him were several generals, connected by a black cloud of soldiers and rumbling chariots, their battle flags like scales, their imposing presence shaking the earth.

He was still young, only in his early twenties, and his temperament was a perfect balance between the sharp arrogance of a boy and the composure of a young man. Compared to when we first met that winter, he seemed more like someone who could shoulder great responsibilities.

Zhao Xiheng, Chen Ruonan, and other women and family members stood on the top of the city wall, waving to them from afar.

Wei Li's lips moved, mouthing a gesture to her, then he turned, tightened the reins, and led his entourage out of the city in a grand procession. Zhao Xiheng couldn't hear him, but she understood: he was telling her to wait for his return.

The wind was strong today, and the banners on the wall were unfurled and fluttered in the wind, sounding like dozens of cowhide drums being beaten, making the hearts of those who heard the noise tremble.

The army, gradually receding into the distance, blurred into a long, black dragon, winding and undulating along the mountain ridge, startling flocks of birds and wild beasts wherever it went, until finally the black dragon disappeared on the horizon.

She stood there from dawn until dusk. Lanterns were lit on the city walls. Zhao Xiheng's face was flushed red from the wind, and her legs were stiff and swollen; she trembled with every step. None of the wives who had accompanied her to the frontier wanted to leave; they only hoped that as the day grew a little brighter, they could catch one last glimpse of their loved ones.

This was the first time since Zhao Xinglie's death that Pingzhou, and even the entire Great Zhou, had taken the initiative to lead an army.

Although war inevitably brings sacrifices, and who knows, today it might be someone else's son or husband who dies, but tomorrow it might be your own son or husband. Every extra moment you can see them is precious.

But they also knew that there was no way to guard against thieves for a thousand days.

Goguryeo was like a rat in a gutter. In the years since Zhao Xinglie's death, it had regrouped and frequently harassed the border of Pingju. No one could swallow this humiliation of simply defending without attacking. To deal with such a country, you have to beat them, beat them hard enough to scare them.

Fortunately, everyone felt confident of victory in this battle, and no one on the wall was overly sorrowful or shed tears.

Xiao Tao replaced the charcoal in Zhao Xiheng's hand of the heater. Zhao Xiheng came to her senses and said, "Let's go back."

The crowd parted to make way for Zhao Xiheng as she descended the city wall, their eyes filled with a mixture of apprehension and envy.

What did they fear and envy? Naturally, they envied Zhao Xiheng for being able to govern Pingzhou as a woman.

This shows that the lord's feelings for his wife were not only affection, but also respect and trust.

Before leaving, Wei Li handed over the tiger tally of the Pingzhou garrison and the command arrows for mobilizing various departments to Zhao Xiheng. In his absence, seeing Zhao Xiheng was as if he were seeing him in person; in other words, he was entrusting the entire Pingzhou to her.

Everyone present was shocked. Some advised Wei Li to think twice before acting, saying, "From ancient times to the present, there has never been a woman in power. It is probably inappropriate for a lady to rule in his place."

Zhao Xiheng's expression remained unchanged, and she simply said, "From now on, you will see." Her tone and demeanor had three parts of Wei Li's arrogance, which made people gasp.

Everyone turned their attention back to Wei Li, who nodded slightly in agreement.

Wei Li was a man of his word; once he made a decision, there was no room for maneuver. Even if they felt it was inappropriate, they could only obey his orders.

Pingzhou was operating as usual. Zhao Xiheng compiled the reports from various prefectures, reviewed them one last time, bound them into a book, and sealed it in her study.

Chen Ruojiang, this all-around helper, was taken away by Wei Li. Fortunately, Song Xuan, the daughter of General Song, is a capable woman who can temporarily assist Zhao Xiheng.

Song Xuan, being a woman herself, naturally wouldn't look down on Zhao Xiheng, who was also a woman, and the two worked together very well.

Zhao Xiheng once again deeply felt the imperfections of the Pingzhou system. Such a large city as Buxian, as the main city of Pingzhou, is equivalent to the capital of a country. Yet, only a few people are in charge, and the rest are all minor officials. Even if the central government system cannot be replicated, it should not be so crude and simplistic.

I just hope time will pass faster so that the imperial examination in mid-June can select some capable people.

As soon as the troops were stationed on the border of northern Goguryeo, a letter from the King of Goguryeo was hurriedly delivered to Wei Li. In the letter, he sincerely apologized, said that he would never harass Pingzhou again, and was willing to give money, food and beautiful women as gifts.

The Goguryeo's despicable behavior—flirting and then apologizing—disgusted not only Wei Li but also the other soldiers.

In front of the envoy, Wei Li tore up the peace request and threw it into the brazier. Then, he slightly raised his chin and gave him a sinister smile, "Drag him out."

When the King of Goguryeo learned that the envoy had been beheaded, he realized that Wei Li was unwilling to withdraw his troops and hurriedly sought help from all sides.

But a person can't be mean to just one neighbor. All the neighbors around him, big and small, have been provoked by Goguryeo to some extent. They'd love to see him get beaten up, and if necessary, they might even kick him while he's down.

The Xianbei king in the west watched from the sidelines, observing Goguryeo and Pingju with the air of a spectator.

"Your Majesty, should we take this opportunity to sit back and watch the tigers fight, and then seize Pingzhou and Goguryeo together when the time is right?" In the tent, the Xianbei King Tuoba Jia sat at the head of the table, and the elderly prime minister suggested in a hoarse voice.

The Central Plains are vast and have a long history. During the years of fighting with the Great Zhou, the Xianbei gradually influenced Han culture, and the central government system followed the Great Zhou system.

Tuoba Jia hesitated slightly. Although he had killed Zhao Xinglie in his last battle, he had also been left with a chronic illness, spending nearly half the year bedridden. The Xianbei had finally managed to recuperate and recover their strength in recent years, and his physical condition and energy were far from what they used to be, making it unsuitable for him to go to war.

The prime minister, like a chicken with its neck choked, glared and shrieked, "Your Majesty, Wei Li was Zhao Xinglie's son-in-law. Zhao Xinglie died at your hands, a blood feud! If he can point his sword at Goguryeo today, who can guarantee that if he becomes powerful, he won't point his sword at you!"

The physical pain had worn down Tuoba Jia's ambition. He waved his hand, his green eyes cloudy and lifeless. "However, son-in-law, Zhao Xinglie has no son. Since Wei Li is determined to contend for the Central Plains, he knows that my Xianbei are not something he can easily touch. He should direct his attention to the interior of the Central Plains."

Goguryeo was cunning, and it wasn't until the end of May that the battle gradually turned from a chase into a real clash of swords.

Wei Li not only missed his birthday on the first day of the sixth lunar month, but also missed the imperial examination in mid-June.

Because the governor of Jiangdong made an example of someone, no other county dared to recruit talented people privately and instead handed them over to the government. Even those from humble backgrounds who had always been ambitious but had difficulty realizing their potential were able to get a share of the pie.

Being from the lower classes, they naturally had a better understanding of the hardships and needs of the common people, and their policy essays were more grounded in reality; while the sons of wealthy officials, due to their privileged backgrounds and good upbringing, wrote bolder and more creative policy essays.

Originally, the examiners only needed to select fifty candidates from the eight hundred to present to Zhao Xiheng for review and to choose the best candidates, but they were overwhelmed by the choices and ended up submitting one hundred.

Shen Du'an was among them.

His policy proposals were neither practical nor innovative, probably because he had been confined to his residence for more than a decade.

However, he was meticulous, and the governor of Jiangdong often used him to read memorials and compile policy essays. He had more experience in discussing politics than others, and he also had great insights into agriculture, which made him stand out and rank third among the hundred people.

Zhao Xiheng selected more than fifty people, retained twenty of them, and sent the remaining thirty-odd people back to their prefectures and counties to be employed by the prefects and others.

However, since there are things that are easy to use and familiar to you, you should pick them up and use them first. For example, Shen Du'an, who was still chopping wood at Chen Ruojiang's house after passing the imperial examination.

He was chopping wood when Song Xuan dragged him up the mountain to see Zhao Xiheng.

"You seem much more energetic now." Chen Ruonan may not be good at much else, but she's quite adept at eating and drinking, which has led to Shen Du'an gaining a lot of weight recently, and she looks much healthier.

Shen Du'an nodded shyly, "It's alright."

"I heard from Chen Ruonan that you've been working every day lately, and you feel uncomfortable when you have a free day?" Zhao Xiheng pointed to the chair, gesturing for him to sit down.

Shen Du'an blushed slightly and continued to nod.

Although he has come to accept the fact that the governor of Jiangdong County had deceived and enslaved him, his long-standing habits still make him restless. Whenever he is idle, he feels restless and anxious.

Zhao Xiheng thought that Shen Du'an was really good material for an official. He was smart, hardworking, did everything himself, and strived for perfection. How wonderful! He was just a little naive and easy to fool, but that didn't matter. He could be trained.

She clapped her hands excitedly, "Now I have a task for you, Shen Du'an." She took out a newly made token from the drawer, it was brand new and shiny, and then handed it to him, "You are now the new Registrar of Pingzhou."

Shen Du'an took the token with a dazed look on his face and asked Zhao Xiheng, "The Ministry of Revenue is under the Prime Minister's Office, so who are the Prime Minister, the Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister, and others?"

Speaking of this, Zhao Xiheng coughed slightly, feeling a little embarrassed. The question made her blush. She lowered her voice and forced an explanation, "Pingzhou is so small, it would be a laughing stock to set up so many official positions."

"Does it mean being empty everywhere?"

Shen Du'an is not good at social interactions and speaks too bluntly, which makes Zhao Xiheng feel embarrassed. She emphasizes, "This shows that you have a lot of room for promotion."

"Don't worry about those things for now. This year, Pingzhou is focused on the war, so we need to ensure a sufficient supply of grain and fodder. We've also fallen out with Qingzhou and Youzhou, so relying solely on Jizhou as an export route to the south for trade is definitely not enough. Moreover, with the world in turmoil, trade other than grain is unlikely to be sustainable. This year, Pingzhou should focus on grain cultivation."

There's a ginseng farm down the mountain. I'll stop planting three-quarters of it. You'll be in charge of the remaining three-quarters of the manpower. Choose a suitable location within the available area and experiment with the rice varieties you mentioned in your report for a year. If it works, we can promote it in various counties next year.”

Shen Du'an's eyes were shining, his breathing was rapid, and his hands were trembling. "Madam, I... I... I..."

He seemed about to deliver another poignant speech, and Zhao Xiheng shuddered, quickly stopping him. "No, no, no! Don't act like a frustrated old scholar at such a young age. Now, right now, take your token and get out!"

Shen Du'an walked to the door in a daze, and Zhao Xiheng chased after him from inside, saying, "Your annual salary is one hundred shi (a unit of dry measure), don't forget to collect it."

Upon hearing this, Chen Du'an's face turned red, and tears involuntarily streamed down his face. He wiped his tears with his sleeve and ran out like the wind.

He got a salary! He got a salary!

Shen Du'an demonstrated outstanding talent in agriculture, and Zhao Xiheng found a suitable position for him. As for the other nineteen people, their specialties would be carefully considered and their positions determined at the Qionglin Banquet.