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◎ "God bless Qingyang! God bless Daqi!"◎

This year, several major events happened in the capital that were worth talking about by all the people.

First, Princess Qingyang's "Travels of the Southern Tour" came out in the early spring. Rich officials and businessmen rushed to buy the books printed by the Imperial College and major bookstores. Common people and scholars who were reluctant to spend money on books could borrow them from village heads and teachers, or go to teahouses to listen to storytellers read one article after another. In short, anyone who was curious about what the emperor and princess did during their southern tour would definitely find a way to find out.

Then in the summer, Emperor Xingwu was about to send troops to the north to fight, and the military supervisor he appointed was Princess Qingyang. It was so novel to let a princess go to fight and supervise the army. During that time, the people argued about whether Princess Qingyang was capable of doing it. Even family members would argue with each other until they were red in the face.

Just when officials and common people were all focused on the Northern Expedition, autumn arrived and good news came frequently from the grassland. First, the main force led by Princess Qingyang killed hundreds of thousands of Donghu cavalry and captured the Donghu king and his brothers alive. Then, the special forces sent by Princess Qingyang crossed two or three thousand miles and attacked the Donghu royal court. Now, the people who had already believed in Princess Qingyang were ecstatic, and the officials and common people who had questioned Princess Qingyang had to admit defeat, and they were all delighted for the victory of Da Qi.

I thought the capital was already bustling enough this year, but at the beginning of winter, a corruption case of a doctor in the Ministry of Revenue actually implicated the current crown prince and Princess Yongkang. I didn't expect that not only Princess Yongkang was confined to her house, but the crown prince actually resigned after reading his confession. The first crown prince of the Xin Dynasty, who had been the crown prince for more than ten years, was directly renamed Prince An after being deposed and moved out of the palace on the same day.

The common people felt that they could hardly drool and were still speculating about who the new crown prince would be. They heard that Princess Qingyang and the Northern Expedition Army would be able to enter the capital on the third day of the twelfth lunar month, and that the emperor would lead all the civil and military officials out of the city to welcome them. The common people in the capital were eager to go and watch this grand event.

Early in the morning of the third day of the Lunar New Year, before daybreak, two lines of imperial guards established a clear path from the South City Gate to the Suzaku Gate of the Imperial City, clearing a path for the Emperor and his triumphant soldiers to pass unimpeded. Commoners hoping to witness the festivities had to undergo a search before lining up behind the guards. Although cumbersome and requiring early arrivals, the procession couldn't dampen the public's enthusiasm.

Emperor Xingwu naturally knew the approximate time when the army would arrive outside the city gate, but he still brought civil and military officials to wait outside the south city gate half an hour in advance.

Fortunately, it is a sunny day today. Although the breeze is still chilly, the sky is blue and the sun is bright, which makes people feel cheerful.

Emperor Xingwu dismounted early, with his hands tucked into the sleeves of his bright yellow dragon robe. He smiled and chatted with several important ministers around him. When he got tired of standing in one place, he would walk a few steps to the side. When the emperor moved, several important ministers followed suit, and when they spoke, they exhaled puffs of white air.

As they chatted, Emperor Xingwu said to Generals Lü Zan, Zhang Jie, and Fan Zhong with a sigh, "I am old, otherwise I would have fought this battle myself. Think of how we fought bravely on the battlefield when we were young. Who would be happy to sit at home and let others take the credit for their achievements?"

Emperor Xingwu is now fifty-seven years old, Zhang Jie is fifty-six, Lü Zan is fifty, and Fan Zhong is the youngest, just forty-two.

Without mentioning Lu Zan and Fan Zhong, let's only look at Emperor Xingwu and Zhang Jie. Although they are only one year apart, Zhang Jie's hair is still completely black, and except for the fine lines at the corners of his eyes, there are no obvious wrinkles elsewhere. Emperor Xingwu, on the other hand, has more white hair than black hair, and there are obvious wrinkles on his forehead, eyes, and lips. He looks more like a peer of 65-year-old Yan Xizheng.

In the past two years, Lu Zan couldn't understand why the emperor aged so quickly. After his son-in-law deposed the crown prince, it had only been a few days, but he felt that he had worried more than in the previous years. When he thought about the emperor having to deal with endless state affairs, being angry about his children who made mistakes, and having to figure out how to depose the crown prince and establish a new one, and other major issues that had to be resolved, Lu Zan immediately empathized with him.

Zhang Jie said, "Your Majesty is as vigorous as a dragon and a tiger, so why would you call him old? It's just that Your Majesty's divine power is so great that if you were to personally lead the army against Yelu Chong, he would definitely avoid the battle."

Fan Zhong: "Yes, and besides, the emperor has won battles for decades. It's time to give the younger generation a chance to make meritorious contributions. Otherwise, I want to replace Huaizhong."

Lü Zan: "...Although His Majesty did not personally lead the army, he has nurtured a pair of fine children. Princess Qingyang is a mastermind and resourceful, while His Royal Highness Prince Jing attacked the Donghu court with unwavering determination. I'm not trying to be flattering, but the Princess and Prince Jing are truly better than their fathers!"

Civil officials such as Yan Xizheng, Dai Lun, and Yang Zhimin also quickly praised the royal brother and sister for their meritorious service.

Emperor Xingwu laughed heartily, and when he had finished, he stroked his beard and said, "Lin'er is indeed quite good. Like me when I was young, he had the courage to fight and the wisdom to win. Prince Jing also made a contribution this time, but without Sulang's assistance and advice along the way, if we had let him act recklessly, the Western Route Special Forces might have been delayed halfway."

Going deep into the grassland sounds simple, as if all you have to do is ride a horse all the time. But in fact, it is a journey of two or three thousand miles. You have to find the grassland tribe in time to replenish the food and fodder for ten thousand soldiers and horses, boost the morale of the soldiers from time to time, and find a way to interrogate and judge the correct direction from the mouths of the Hu captives. These kinds of planning require thinking, and Lao Er and Fu Kui together cannot accomplish anything. Of course, the two of them are also useful. Their bravery and ambition to make achievements can maintain morale.

Zhang Jie immediately spoke a few humble words on behalf of his son.

The minds of the civil and military officials who heard Emperor Xingwu's words began to stir. The first merit in the Northern Expedition did belong to Princess Qingyang, but Emperor Xingwu was reluctant to praise Prince Jing in such occasions. Could it be that Prince Jing would have no chance of becoming the crown prince?

Some people looked at the left prime minister Yan Xizheng. That was Prince Jing's maternal grandfather. Did the Yan family really have no ambition at all?

Yan Xizheng looked at Emperor Xingwu with admiration: "Your Majesty has founded the country for less than twenty years. Internally, you have worked hard to ensure that the people have enough food and clothing. Externally, you have conquered the Pyu Kingdom in the south and the Erhu Kingdom in the north, making foreign nations submit. Just as I first saw in my dream, Your Majesty's enthronement is the will of heaven. The Great Qi created by Your Majesty will surely usher in a century of peace and prosperity!"

The ministers were stunned. When they came to their senses, they knelt on the ground and shouted in unison, "This is the will of heaven, and we shall live in peace and prosperity."

Emperor Xingwu was pleased to hear this, and smiled as he told his ministers to excuse themselves from the formalities, then turned to look at the triumphant army that had finally appeared.

At this moment, the emperor, his ministers and the people nearby all looked towards the south.

The army was vast and powerful, but the most eye-catching was the bright yellow figure leading the way. As the distance got closer, the face of Princess Qingyang in bright yellow armor became clearer and clearer. The princess's snow-white face was tanned when she set out, but the princess's eyes under the helmet, looking down on her subjects, were even more powerful, just like what the princess said before executing the Hu prisoners, which had spread in the capital. She was not only the princess of Da Qi, but also a sharp arrow that Da Qi could shoot at the grassland at any time. That arrow had been shot once, and that time caused the grassland to flow with blood and make people regret it. Although the arrow has returned, as long as she is there, it can be shot at the grassland countless times.

When they were two hundred steps away from the city gate, Qingyang raised his right hand.

Behind her, Prince Yong, Prince An, Prince Jing, and Prince Xian were the first to rein in their horses, followed by generals such as Hou Wanzhong, Deng Kun, Zhang Su, and Fu Kui, and then by the mighty personal guards and 70,000 troops.

After a brief pause, the army stopped here and no longer approached the city gate. Qingyang continued to advance with the meritorious generals and more than 2,000 personal soldiers who were escorting captives such as Yelu Chong.

When they were only a dozen paces away from the emperor and his subjects, Qingyang reined in his horse again, meeting his father's smiling eyes. He then dismounted first, trotted a few paces, knelt on one knee before his father, and said with a folded hand, "I am grateful for your trust, father. I have fulfilled your mission!"

The father and daughter, one wearing a bright yellow dragon robe and the other wearing a bright yellow battle armor, one standing and the other kneeling, attracted everyone's attention. Other founding heroes and rising generals were reduced to supporting roles at this moment.

Emperor Xingwu lifted his daughter up with both hands, then, clutching her wrist, turned to the entire court, including the civilians gathered on either side of the Imperial Guard, craning their necks to gaze in his direction. He spoke loudly, "When I founded the country, you said I was chosen by destiny. Qingyang was born on the day of my coronation, and I said she was my son, a child bestowed upon me by destiny. Now that the country is peaceful and the people are safe, I have lived up to destiny. Now that my daughter has returned triumphantly, she has lived up to her destiny as the daughter of the Emperor of Great Qi. Therefore, you know that Heaven blesses Qingyang, and Heaven blesses Great Qi!"

As soon as Emperor Xingwu finished speaking, Fan Zhong and Yang Zhimin were the first to kneel down, saying in unison: "God bless Qingyang! God bless Daqi!"

Yan Xizheng was still struggling, for he had already guessed the emperor's true choice. He also knew that once this catchy eight-character horoscope spread among the people, it would be impossible to forget it, and its effectiveness in winning over the people would be even greater than that of the Southern Tour. But before he could make a decision, Dai Lun and Lü Zan, respectively, led a group of civil and military officials to their knees, their momentum unstoppable.

Yan Xizheng tilted his head and looked around, and exchanged a glance with Nie Ao who was also standing. They both lowered their eyes and knelt down.

All the civil and military officials knelt, and Qin Hong, his uncle, and his two younger brothers also knelt. They were followed by the more than 2,000 personal guards who were closer, the imperial army near the city gate, and the common people. When a chorus of "Heaven bless Qingyang! Heaven bless Da Qi" rang out here, the 70,000 troops farther away and the common people lining the city gate also knelt like a wave, shouting "Heaven bless Qingyang! Heaven bless Da Qi!"

Yelu Chong, who was trapped in the first prison car with disheveled hair, looked around in disbelief. What did this mean? When did the people in the Central Plains start to admire a princess, a woman, so much?

Yelu Xu in the second prison car only stared at his eldest brother who kept turning his head in the prison car in front. When his eldest brother finally looked at him, he raised the corner of his lips half mockingly and half bitterly. He had said long ago that if the Emperor of Da Qi dared to send a princess to supervise the army, this princess must be no ordinary person. But his eldest brother did not listen to him. His eldest brother was bewitched by this scheming and cruel princess!

On the prince's side, Prince Yong had to shout along, but he looked at his eldest brother with disapproval. The little niece was indeed capable, but he and his second nephew also made contributions, and military generals such as Hou Wanzhong also made contributions. They were the ones who killed hundreds of thousands of Donghu cavalry with real swords and guns and won this victory. Why did the eldest brother give all the credit and glory to the little niece who just talked?

Qin Hong's cry was sincere. Without his sister, he would never have dared to resign the position of crown prince because he knew that his second and third brothers were even less suitable for that position than he was.

Qin Bing cried out with a bit of frustration. Of course he respected his sister, but why did the emperor only have eyes for his sister? He also said, "God bless his sister, God bless Great Qi." Could it be that without his sister, Great Qi would be in trouble? Or was it because his father wanted his third brother to become the crown prince, so he praised his sister so highly?

Qin Bing glanced at his third brother beside him subtly.

When his eldest brother first announced his resignation as crown prince, Qin Bing thought that he and his third brother each had their own flaws, and that his eldest brother was the most suitable. Furthermore, to prove he had no ambitions to compete with his eldest brother for the throne, he had to make his position clear immediately. But after confirming that his eldest brother would rather be a commoner than become crown prince again, Qin Bing couldn't sleep well that night. After much deliberation, he decided that he was still more suitable than his third brother. Furthermore, as the second brother and a veteran of war, who else could his father choose if not him?

But the scene before him made Qin Bing no longer confident. His father doted on his sister so much, would he let his third brother become the crown prince because of his sister?

Qin Bing never thought about competing with his eldest brother, but he was unwilling to accept losing to his third brother!

Qin Ren could hear the unhappiness in Uncle Wang's voice, and could also sense the faint resentment coming from his second brother. This made it impossible for him to simply be happy for his sister. Instead, he began to worry about her, fearing that his sister would be envied by Uncle Wang and his second brother because of her excessive glory. He was even worried about the siblings and their mother because of the issue of the crown prince. He really didn't want to fight for it. Who knew what his second brother would think?

Behind the four princes, Zhang Su was shouting along with the crowd while staring intently at the princess and the emperor standing side by side in front of him.

God bless Qingyang, God bless Daqi.

God has blessed too many founding emperors, but God has never blessed every generation of descendants of those founding emperors. Otherwise, there would be no kings who lost their country, and there would be no new founding emperors.

He had never seen the "sky". All he saw was the small figure of the princess who followed them to Chongwen Pavilion to study at the age of three; he saw the princess running circles in the martial arts field under the scorching sun, practicing archery and swordplay; he saw the princess standing in the hall and refuting the two important ministers Yan Xizheng and Nie Ao with pride and determination; he saw a group of ministers who were not optimistic about the Northern Expedition, but the princess was the only one who stood in front of the map and calmly marked out the marching route.

Therefore, the one who protected the princess was herself, and the one who protected Da Qi was the emperor in the past, and the princess in this Northern Expedition, and in the future...

The emperor's mind is unpredictable, and Zhang Su is not absolutely sure.

He only knew that the princess had the ambition and talent to protect Da Qi.

Then what he had to do was to continue to follow the princess, accompany her on the path she chose, and serve her wholeheartedly.

【Author’s words】

Here we go, 100 little red envelopes, see you in the evening for the second update~