Having entered the palace countless times, Tang Huan could walk the route from the Meridian Gate to the Imperial Study with his eyes closed. Perhaps he could also try walking the route to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Within the vast imperial palace, he had only visited a handful of places: the Imperial Study, the Golden Palace, and the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Now we can add another imperial garden.

Sometimes Tang Huan would think that Wu Lanxi was just a woman in her early twenties, in the prime of her life, yet she acted like an old man.

"No, if she were an old man, she should be pursuing immortality now, instead of spending her days in the imperial study handling state affairs and hoping to lead the country to prosperity..."

Tang Huan muttered a complaint under her breath and quickened her pace toward the Imperial Study.

Snowflakes swirled around him, getting right up his neck, forcing Tang Huan to hunch his shoulders. He started thinking about meeting with Wan Xin and having Wan Fujie prepare to produce some winter-appropriate items.

If you seize the opportunity, you might be able to make a lot of money.

Lost in thought, Tang Huan arrived at the door of the Imperial Study.

Silence remained.

Tang Huan took a deep breath and rubbed her face to try and appear more natural.

Otherwise, the cold wind would freeze your face along the way.

"Your Majesty, Tang Huan requests an audience."

After knocking on the door, Tang Huan called out softly.

The next moment, the Empress's indifferent voice rang out.

Tang Huan pushed open the door and was greeted by a wave of heat.

But the person adding fuel to the stove inside the house had changed; it was no longer Lin Wan'er, but someone Tang Huan hadn't expected.

"Lord Wang, you're here too?"

Tang Huan looked at Wang Tianze, who was sitting on a small stool and carefully adding fuel to the fire, and felt that such behavior was somewhat out of place for this Minister.

Wang Tianze placed the charcoal in his hand into the stove and nodded to Tang Huan.

"Go get your own stool."

With the Empress's permission, Tang Huan eagerly grabbed a stool, sat down not far from Wang Tianze, and began to warm his hands by the fire.

In less than a minute, he began to feel hot all over, so he had to take off his shirt, fold it neatly, and put it in his hand.

"Your Majesty, may I ask what brings you to the palace this time?"

After Tang Huan entered, Wang Tianze made no attempt to avoid her, so she simply stopped waiting. In any case, this Minister was one of the Empress's own people, and even if he wasn't in the Imperial Study right now, the Empress might tell him about it later.

"The Northern Region delegation has arrived in the capital. You know about this, don't you?"

"Your subject understands."

Wu Lanxi maintained an expressionless face, and coupled with her unchanging pale yellow clothes, she always exuded an aura that made her unapproachable.

Her long hair was styled into a bun, and the only ornament on her head was a light green hairpin.

Those eyes, as clear as a lake, were now looking at Tang Huan. "Earlier today, Gongshan Liqun entered the palace to see me and made some requests."

"What are the requirements?" Tang Huan knew he should patiently wait for the Empress to tell him, but he couldn't suppress his curiosity.

Wang Tianze gave a wry smile. "Let me explain. Gong Shanliqun is demanding that Daqing provide one million taels of silver, two hundred thousand bolts of cloth, one hundred thousand pieces of porcelain, and two million catties of grain."

"Is he crazy?" Tang Huan asked in surprise.

Why are the people from the Northern Region demanding these conditions from Daqing?

Each of these requirements alone is outrageous, let alone all of them combined.

"Whether he met with Lord Wang and Prime Minister Cui privately, or when he entered the palace to see me, he always put forward this condition, and his attitude was very firm, leaving no room for negotiation."

Tang Huan scratched his head. "If he won't talk, then we won't talk. Why should Daqing give them things, instead of the people of the Northern Region offering tribute to Daqing?"

After speaking, Tang Huan noticed that the Empress's expression had become somewhat gloomy.

In contrast, Wang Tianze's expression was even worse than crying. His already aged skin was wrinkled up, like a piece of old tree bark stuck directly to his face.

"Is there a problem up north?"

Tang Huan quickly realized the problem.

General Pang returned to the capital with the Northern Region delegation, and then Gongshan Liqun made this unreasonable request, which clearly indicated that Daqing had suffered losses in the war in the north.

The Empress had previously mentioned that Daqing hadn't gained any advantage, but now that I think about it, it's not just that they didn't gain any advantage, they probably suffered a huge loss.

Wu Lanxi said with a stern face, "If Daqing hadn't been plagued by natural disasters in recent years, and if there hadn't been any unrest in the country, the Northern Region wouldn't have been a problem at all."

Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs".

The constant natural and man-made disasters have diverted too much of Daqing's energy to these matters.

In addition, the Empress had only recently ascended the throne, and the ministers below her harbored treacherous ambitions, especially the faction led by Cui Renshi, who all had their own plans.

All these factors combined made it impossible for Daqing to fight the Northern Region with all its might.

"General Pang has fought Gongshan Liqun several times, but he has never gained the upper hand and has even suffered losses on several occasions. By the time winter comes, the balance of power will completely tilt towards the northern region, unless Daqing mobilizes more troops to the north."

The people of the Northern Regions are accustomed to harsh and frigid conditions, which gives them a greater advantage in fighting.

Wu Lanxi continued, "Moreover, even if another 50,000 troops are mobilized to the north, General Pang is only confident that he can hold out longer, but he has no chance of winning."

The sudden emergence of Gongshan Liqun brought a lot of trouble to Daqing. In his battles with Pang Conglong, he continued to evolve and gradually became a difficult opponent to deal with.

Tang Huan fell into deep thought.

He asked again, "The Northern People's attitude is very firm?"

Wang Tianze shook his head with a wry smile and said, "It could even be described as aggressive. Even in front of me and Prime Minister Cui, Gongshan Liqun did not hold back at all, as if Daqing had already become their defeated opponent. Prime Minister Cui and I could not accept his conditions, so Gongshan Liqun directly said that at worst we could continue fighting, and he was very confident in defeating Daqing."

"What does Your Majesty think?" Tang Huan asked.

He now understood why the Empress had summoned him. Gongshan Liqun's sudden request put a lot of pressure on Daqing, and everyone was at a loss, at a loss for what to do.

Therefore, they need Tang Huan to provide some advice.

However, before that, Tang Huan needed to know Wu Lanxi's attitude, as the Empress's thoughts would determine Daqing's reaction.

"The Northern Region has risen rapidly in the past two years, but I do not believe that Gongshan Liqun can conquer Daqing in a short time. Once the war officially begins, the people of the North will once again be plunged into the flames of war, and I do not know how many people will die."

The empress looked compassionate, but there was also a hint of anger in her eyes.

"Your Majesty is right not to start a war. The current situation is not suitable for Daqing to wage war. However, it is equally unwise for the Northern Region to provoke a conflict despite the severe winter. Their soldiers are indeed more tolerant of the cold, but they are also human beings."

Tang Huan continued, "Perhaps Daqing won't gain any advantage in the short term, but it's also impossible for them to win the war. I believe..."

After a pause, Tang Huan continued:

"Gongshan Liqun is just bluffing."