After Yao Xiuyan's departure, the border was like a still pond tossed with a boulder. Qi Mingyue held the tiger tally, but it felt like holding a hot potato. The generals were outwardly respectful, but their eyes betrayed their doubts—how could a pampered young lady from the capital possibly manage the border?

The very first military order was met with resistance. Qi Mingyue wanted to reorganize the granaries, but the Revenue Minister made excuses, saying, "It's always been like this every year..."

“Previous years are previous years,” Qi Mingyue said, flipping through the account books. “This year, we need to change it.”

She ordered a thorough investigation of the grain accounts, which revealed a huge deficit. The Revenue Official, drenched in cold sweat, stammered, "It was...it was the Crown Prince's special permission..."

"The Crown Prince allows you to embezzle?" Qi Mingyue sneered. "Bring me the documents."

Naturally, he couldn't produce it. Qi Mingyue immediately replaced the clerk in charge of household affairs with a scribe from a humble background. The generals were in an uproar, with General Li being the first to object: "That kid has only been here for half a year! What does he know!"

Qi Mingyue asked calmly, "General Li, do you know where the new granary is located?"

General Li was speechless.

“The clerk knows.” Qi Mingyue unfolded the drawings. “He surveyed the area for three months and drew this detailed map. It marks where to protect against moisture and where to protect against wind.”

The generals passed around the drawings, which were indeed exquisite. Qi Mingyue then said, "The Crown Prince had already noticed the embezzlement. This trip to the Western Regions is to investigate."

She produced Yao Xiuyan's warrant—it was indeed a secret order to investigate the accounts. Only then were the others convinced.

Lin Qiuyan approached her privately: "Did Brother Xiuyan really let you check the accounts?"

Qi Mingyue shook her head: "I guessed." Seeing Lin Qiuyan's expression change, she smiled again, "But you guessed right, didn't you?"

Lin Qiuyan was stunned, and after a long while sighed: "You are bolder than you look."

…………

Winters at the border are bitterly cold, and Qi Mingyue ordered the urgent production of cotton-padded clothing. The quartermaster, however, faced a dilemma: "There isn't enough cotton..."

"Use willow catkins," Qi Mingyue said. "There are plenty of poplar forests outside the Great Wall."

The old craftsman shook his head: "Willow catkins aren't warm."

“It’s not warm enough on its own, but it becomes warm when mixed with wool.” Qi Mingyue took out a sample. “I’ve tried it.”

Everyone tried it, and it was indeed light and warm. The quartermaster exclaimed in surprise, "How did you know this method, Miss?"

Qi Mingyue chuckled: "I've read it in a book. It's recorded in the 'Essential Techniques for the Common People'."

So the entire army was mobilized, gathering cotton and shearing feathers, with women and children all participating. The area inside the pass was bustling with activity, and even the most stubborn old general secretly praised, "This girl is quite something."

Once the cotton-padded coats were finished, Qi Mingyue personally delivered them to the various military garrisons. Upon arriving at Langyan Garrison, she discovered that the garrison soldiers were drinking muddy water.

"The well is frozen," the veteran explained. "We'll melt snow for water to drink."

Qi Mingyue frowned: "The snow water is cold and poisonous, harmful to the body." She carefully examined the well opening, "Is the windlass broken?"

Sure enough, the well pulley had fallen into disrepair over the years. Qi Mingyue immediately drew up an improvement plan and ordered the engineers to make it in time. He also instructed people to dig cellars to store snow, filter it, and then use it for drinking.

The little girl tugged at her sleeve: "Miss Qi, my father said you look like a Bodhisattva."

Qi Mingyue patted her head: "I look like your mother."

Everyone burst into laughter. Amidst the laughter, the barriers between them gradually dissipated.

…………

News kept arriving from the capital. The emperor was seriously ill, the crown prince was acting as regent, and the Yongchang Marquis case was becoming increasingly complex. Every time Qi Mingyue received a secret letter from Yao Xiuyan, she would burn incense and wash her hands before opening it.

The letters were mostly analyses of the political situation, with the occasional private remark: "Is it cold at the border? Wear more clothes and eat more." She would repeatedly caress those few words, as if she had found a treasure.

The messenger arrived again that day, bringing only devastating news—Yao Xiuyan had been assassinated and wounded.

Qi Mingyue's hand trembled, and the teacup fell to the ground: "Is it serious?"

The messenger shook his head: "The Crown Prince forbids further details."

She replied immediately, her handwriting hasty: "Where is the injury? Do you need medicine?" After writing it, she felt it was inappropriate and rewrote it: "The border is well, do not worry."

After sending the letter, she couldn't sleep that night. While patrolling the city in her robes, she encountered Lin Qiuyan.

"You know?" Lin Qiuyan's eyes were swollen like peaches. "Brother Xiuyan, he..."

"It will be alright." Qi Mingyue looked towards Beijing. "He is Yao Xiuyan."

The two stood side by side. As the wind and snow intensified, Lin Qiuyan suddenly said, "I used to think you weren't good enough for Brother Xiuyan."

Qi Mingyue remained silent.

“Now I feel…” Lin Qiuyan took a deep breath, “that only you are worthy of me.”

Qi Mingyue turned her gaze: "Why?"

"Because you're like him." Lin Qiuyan smiled bitterly, "You both think you're made of iron."

Qi Mingyue remained silent. After a long while, she said softly, "I'm not made of iron." She pressed her hand to her chest, "This part of me is also afraid."

I fear he might get hurt, I fear he might encounter danger, I fear the border is thousands of miles away and it's difficult to protect him completely.

…………

At the beginning of spring, the border welcomed its first caravan. The merchants from the Central Plains presented their treasures, but Qi Mingyue only took the seeds: "Do you have any melons, fruits, flowers, or trees?"

The merchant asked in surprise, "What does Miss need these for?"

“Plant them.” Qi Mingyue pointed to the area inside the pass, “Let spring bloom on the border.”

She marked out a vacant lot next to the drill ground and personally led the soldiers and civilians to reclaim the wasteland. The sand was hard, and her palms were blistered, but she still refused to rest.

General Li couldn't stand it anymore: "Why is Miss doing this herself?"

Qi Mingyue wiped her sweat: "General, do you know why people can't stay at the border?" She picked up a handful of soil, "Because here there is only death to defend, no life."

She taught people to dig ditches to draw snowmelt and spread manure to improve the soil. When they tried planting poplars and tamarisk, new buds actually sprouted.

Little Ya comes to visit every day: "Miss Qi, when will it bloom?"

"Soon," Qi Mingyue said, watering the flowers. "Your father will be back when the flowers bloom."

Xiao Ya's father, a scout, has been missing for over a month. Everyone says the chances of survival are slim, but Qi Mingyue firmly believes he is alive.

A miracle occurred on Grain Rain Day. Little Ya's father actually returned, carrying serious injuries and intelligence about the enemy.

Qi Mingyue personally treated him. The first thing the man said when he woke up was, "Miss... the barbarians are acting strangely..." and handed her a bloodstained sheepskin.

Qi Mingyue was shocked when she unfolded the map—the barbarians actually intended to take a detour and launch a sneak attack on Dunhuang.

She immediately took command and mustered her troops. The generals argued endlessly: some advocated attacking, while others advocated holding their ground.

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