Chapter 51: The trouble comes from the south. Jiuxiao’s face suddenly changes, and his forehead “bangs…”

Jiu Xiao's expression suddenly changed, and his forehead slammed to the ground with a thud. He looked panicked, "I dare not do that. I don't know how to behave. Your Highness, please punish me!"

Song Youning was too lazy to argue with him.

Although what she hated most in her life was being told that it was because her father had no other children that she got such a great advantage and the throne fell on her head.

Then she would let these short-sighted people see that even if she was not her father's only daughter, she was the destined empress.

"Forget it, you should withdraw. The two countries have been at odds recently. You should temporarily evacuate the Cedar Forest and go to the Fulai Inn in Yanmen Pass to await orders!"

After a brief pause, he solemnly instructed, "Remember, don't let anyone find out that this is caused by you! Keep a close eye on them for me. If anyone disobeys my orders..."

Her eyes swept across Jiuxiao, who was kneeling in the middle of the tent, like a blade: "Kill him on the spot!"

Upon hearing this, Jiuxiao realized the seriousness of the matter and did not dare to be negligent in the slightest. He hurriedly completed the ceremony and left in the night, hiding in the darkness.

The next morning, because Dagan's base was close to northern Xinjiang, which was a vast desert, the daybreak came especially early.

Although Song Youning has traveled a lot and visited many places, the sunrise in Mobei is indeed the most unique.

She sat on a small sand pile not far from the tent and looked into the distance.

The vast sea of ​​sand, the chaos of heaven and earth, a line of golden red seeps out from the eastern horizon, coating the entire desert with a layer of gold, shining brightly.

A ripple of emotion arose in his heart. If Li Funing were here, he would definitely like it.

Thinking of this, Song Youning began to worry again. She had not slept all night last night, tossing and turning on the bed. Before dawn, Chuntao came hurriedly to report that he had returned to Beijing.

She originally wanted to stop him, say something softly to him and coax him, but when she opened his tent, she found that he had already gone far away.

She was in a bad mood and couldn't sleep, so she simply found a small pile of sand and sat there until dawn.

"Your Highness!"

Chuntao, who was standing behind Song Youning, called her softly. Song Youning heard someone calling her and turned her head to look behind her.

Chun Tao, who looked worried, smiled casually and asked, "What's wrong?"

Chuntao finally felt relieved. She had thought that Lord Li's sudden return to the capital must have made His Highness feel very depressed. But now it seemed that she had been worrying too much.

"The Prince of Zhenbei is here and is waiting in Your Highness's tent! Would Your Highness like to go and see him?" Chun Tao spoke softly, afraid of disturbing her.

Upon hearing this, Song Youning's originally troubled expression suddenly relaxed, and a cunning look gradually appeared on her brows: "Huh? This old man finally remembered to come look for me? I thought he wanted to meet me on the battlefield..."

Chun Tao couldn't figure out what she was thinking, so she could only ask her awkwardly, "Then Your Highness...are you going to see her or not?"

"See you! Of course I will!"

Song Youning suddenly slapped his thigh, stood up from the sand pile, and patted the golden sand on his body. His eyes, which were full of worry just now, suddenly became sharp as a knife: "It's been a long time since I last saw the King of Zhenbei. I finally got the chance..."

"This time... of course... I have to do it well..."

"Let's catch up!"

Song Youning put aside his previous sorrow and in a blink of an eye, he returned to his nonchalant look.

She strode towards her own tent. When she passed by Li Funing's tent, her eyes suddenly dimmed and then suddenly lit up.

It was still early when Song Youning left the tent. The sky was still foggy and dark. It was quiet and deserted, with only a few burning bonfires providing lighting.

Now not only is the sky bright, but the soldiers have also started training, and there are several teams patrolling the camp among the tents.

When they passed by her, they all bowed respectfully to her as if they knew her identity. Although it was not surprising that they recognized her identity, they did so in such a unified manner that it seemed as if someone had trained them in advance.

She glanced at the soldiers. They all had dark circles under their eyes and looked sleepy. They were dragging their tired bodies and trying their best to hold on.

It looked just as Jiuxiao said, he was badly tortured by that group of scoundrels.

If they knew that the culprit was right in front of them... Song Youning quickened his pace.

When she was a few steps away from her tent, she suddenly saw two tall and strong figures standing outside her tent.

Although the young man in red was quite tall, he was not as imposing as the man in black next to him. His every move showed his childishness.

Song Youning suddenly slowed down, "I'm so sorry to see the King of Zhenbei coming here..."

"Ningning?" Xiao Lin paused, then immediately ran over.

Even though he hadn't seen the person yet, just hearing the sound made the joy on his face almost overflow.

As excited as a little kid seeing pastries.

Before he could take a step, the man in black clothes next to him grabbed his wrist and pinned him to the ground.

The voice of the man in black was deep and powerful, with a good rhythm of tension and relaxation. Just by listening to his voice, one could tell that he was no ordinary man.

After seeing Song Youning, he bowed slightly, and Song Youning saluted, "I am sorry for being rude, Your Highness, please forgive me..."

This ceremony was performed with a combination of firmness and flexibility. It not only had the heroic spirit of a general on the battlefield, but also retained the dignity and elegance of a civil official. It was so perfect that there was nothing to fault.

Song Youning suddenly put on a royal fake smile: "Prince Zhenbei is worrying too much. This palace and the prince grew up together. To outsiders, we are a pair of childhood sweethearts. How could he be blamed for such a small matter..."

"It's the prince and I who are estranged..."

Song Youning's gaze swept over the man who looked 70% like Xiao Lin, with sharp eyebrows and eyes.

Compared to Xiao Lin's youthful spirit, he exuded more of the solemn and murderous aura of a veteran in the battlefield. His sharp aura made Song Youning, who was always casual, feel uncomfortable.

Every time Song Youning saw the King of Zhenbei, she would feel sincerely fortunate that Xiao Lin did not follow his father, otherwise she would have been the one to take the blame for the trouble.

King Zhenbei did not respond, but looked her up and down with his sharp eyes, like a venomous snake looking at its prey.

Song Youning felt a chill run down his spine from the gaze. Seeing the tense atmosphere in front of the tent, he smiled and said subtly, "The wind and sand outside the Great Wall are biting. If Your Highness has something important to discuss, why don't you come inside the tent?"

"I recently acquired some Mingqian tea from Jiangnan, and I'd like to invite Your Majesty to taste it..."

She glanced at him casually, and seeing that his face was still gloomy, she slowly said, "I heard that although the prince is a military commander, he loves to taste the tea from the south of the Yangtze River. However, because he is stationed in this cold and bitter place all year round, he doesn't have much chance..."

"Look, this Mingqian tea, I brought it from the palace specially, thinking that if there is a chance, I will bring it to His Majesty to taste..."

The King of Zhenbei was originally resentful towards Song Youning, but seeing her sincere attitude, the frown on his brow eased a little.

After all, she has a high status.

"Then I'll trouble your highness!" The King of Zhenbei then released the hand that was holding Xiao Lin, and glanced at him, signaling him to be honest.

Chuntao walked quickly forward and lifted the curtain in front of the tent. Song Youning walked in slowly, and everyone followed closely behind and entered the tent.

The scent of sandalwood incense curled up in the tent, and the three of them sat down as host and guest.

Chuntao walked in slowly with a tea tray in her hand and served three Yuguotian celadon cups one by one.

Song Youning gently stroked the edge of the teacup with her slender fingers, her eyes flickering slightly as she smiled gently, "I wonder if this tea suits your taste, Your Highness?"

Although the King of Zhenbei was dissatisfied with Song Youning, he liked this tea very much. He not only tasted three cups in a row, but also said, "This tea is really good. Although it is a little bitter at first, it becomes sweet after a while. If you taste it carefully, you can also taste the coolness of mint leaves. Compared with ordinary tea, it has more characteristics. If you feel sleepy while arranging troops..."

"Just brewing a pot like this is refreshing..."

Song Youning waved her hand, and Chuntao walked over to the King of Zhenbei with a tray. Song Youning, who was sitting on the main seat, said slowly, "I still have some tea cakes here. Why don't I give them all to His Majesty? Just consider it a reward for your hard work and contributions in guarding the border... It's not a valuable item, but it's a token of my appreciation..."

"Please don't despise me, Your Majesty..."

Upon hearing this, King Zhenbei raised his eyebrows slightly, and a hint of inquiry flashed in his eyes.

Although he didn't know what Song Youning was up to, but now that things had come to this, there was no need for him to refuse. He had worked so hard for the big cause, so it was not too much for him to give him a box of good tea.

He didn't pretend to be polite, but nodded slightly. The guards behind him immediately understood and put the rosewood box into their sleeves. "Your Highness, this is a generous gift. I would be disrespectful to refuse it." He clasped his fists in greeting, acting decisively.

"What does the King of Zhenbei think about the repeated invasions by the northern soldiers? Has he thought about how to deal with it?" Song Youning took a sip of tea, placed the teacup on the table, and his eyes fell on the man under the eaves.

When the King of Zhenbei heard Song Youning mention this, he stood up straight again and said without beating around the bush: "I came here to discuss with Your Highness a war with the Northern Territory..."

His voice howled loudly, echoing in the tent. "The Northern Iron Cavalry has always been brave and good at fighting. Although my Da Gan soldiers are also brave, they are ultimately inferior..."

"However, over the years, our country has prospered, our troops are well-trained and well-fed, and our military strength is now twice that of the North. If we really need to fight again..."

"The outcome is still unknown..."

Song Youning pondered for a moment and blurted out, "This is absolutely not allowed!" King Zhenbei was startled. He didn't expect her to refuse so decisively. Being humiliated by her in front of everyone, he also hung up his face and his voice became colder: "Why?"

Song Youning noticed the change in his expression and softened his tone slightly, saying to him in a gentle manner, "I naturally believe in your ability to command troops, and I also believe that you will be able to defeat those arrogant people in the northern border."

"But Your Majesty, have you forgotten... the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind..."

"There are more than just us and the North stationed near this cedar forest..." The tone was gentle and lingering, and he knew what she meant.

The King of Zhenbei's expression suddenly changed, his eyebrows raised, and he lowered his body and said respectfully: "Your Highness, please teach me..."

Song Youning sat sideways on the couch, her apricot-shaped eyes darting around, cunning like a stray cat. Her voice was long and sweet, yet it gave the two people below a sudden realization: "If we fight the Northern Territory and both of us suffer..."

"Your Highness, do you think the Southern Territory will let go of such a golden opportunity?"

When King Zhenbei heard this, his eyes suddenly lit up. Why didn't he think of this? His dark eyes suddenly fixed on Song Youning above him.

Although he was the commander-in-chief, he completely forgot about the situation of the Three Kingdoms.

Although the situation was calm now, the calmer it was, the closer the storm was to coming. If he really disrupted the peace of the Three Kingdoms because of his momentary anger, then he, a great hero who would be remembered for generations, would probably become the eternal sinner of the Three Kingdoms...

The more I think about it, the more scared I become...

Seeing that the Prince of Zhenbei had already taken the bait, Song Youning took the opportunity to ignite the fire and said, "Your Highness, think about it more deeply. If this war continues... who would want both Dagan and the Northern Territory to suffer losses?

"...Who will be the one to reap the benefits in the end?..." Song Youning smiled and took a sip of tea.

"Southern Territory!"

"It's the Southern Territory!" Xiao Lin, who was sitting next to King Zhenbei, stood up suddenly, his eyes burning with anger.

The King of Zhenbei sat quietly on the couch, lost in thought, without saying a word.

His guess turned out to be correct. Song Youning was not as stupid, ignorant, or a spoiled princess who only knew how to play around in the world as the rumors said.

It's just that her own son is a fool. He was sold and still counted money for her.

I have told him thousands of times with all my heart that Song Youning has great ambitions. Even a banished immortal like Li Funing would not be taken seriously by her, let alone a simple and simple boy like him. Who would take him seriously?

But he refused! Not only did he enjoy it, but no matter how many beatings he received, he would still run around behind him.

He pondered for a long time before looking up at Song Youning on the corridor. "Your Highness, are you saying that the current conflict between Dagan and the Northern Territory was instigated by the Southern Territory?"