Chapter 74 Mushroom Deputy General: "It's a letter from Little Nineteen to His Majesty."

"Yes, thank you for your guidance, 19th Party Congress."

Yao Ruyi was about to reach out and touch his nose when he realized that his other hand was under his leg. He chuckled awkwardly and said, "Minister Han, just call me nineteen."

In the presence of real adults, what kind of adult is he?

"Alright."

After returning to Beijing, Han Dahai's eyes still held hatred, as if only being busy could make him feel better.

For more than ten days in a row, I saw him busy.

Han Dahai looked up at the sky, his face filled with endless sorrow and frustration. Looking at the magnificent hall in front of him, he stepped inside.

Now he finally understood why he had been allowed to stay in the capital.

I never expected the grasslands to be so bold as to come and interfere while the two countries are at war!

The veteran general, who had been on the battlefield for many years, had become increasingly thin in recent days, and his eyes had become gloomy and sharp. During the morning court session, a group of people argued in a chaotic and noisy manner.

"Peace talks? On what grounds should we negotiate?"

Han Dahai shouted until his face turned red and his neck bulged. He didn't know what to say to Baili Yi and Xue Qingping opposite him. They were currently locked in a fierce battle with Xiao Guo. If they showed any intention of retreating now that the grasslands were at war, wouldn't that be an open statement that their rear was empty and they had no strength to fight?

"The grain situation has only just begun to ease in the last two years, and the rice in these fields around the capital hasn't even been planted yet. What are we going to use to pound it! Tell me, what are we going to use to pound it!"

Baili Yi was not to be outdone. What he said made sense, and the ministers behind him were unsure of whose side to listen to.

"Yes, Minister Baili is right."

"But... if we don't fight, wouldn't that just embolden the Xiao Kingdom? This war on the grasslands was clearly pre-arranged with the Xiao Kingdom."

"Yes! We have to fight, or the grasslands will become even more arrogant! How dare they, a mere small country, run wild on the head of our Yun Kingdom?"

Han Dahai calmed down a bit after listening to the group's discussion. He turned to Baili Yi, raised his head, and sneered, "Has Lord Baili been staying in the capital for too long? Doesn't he know how the soldiers fighting on the front lines risk their lives to survive?"

Concealing the grief in his eyes, Han Dahai gritted his teeth, "If His Majesty captures two cities of Xiao Kingdom on the front lines, but we lose two cities to the grasslands in the rear! Who can we face!"

"Is this a fair assessment of His Majesty or of the tens of thousands of soldiers who died on the frontier?"

Ignoring him, with Xue Qingping and Xu Yi beside him, Baili Yi reached out and grabbed Xue Qingping's wrist with surprising force. "What are you doing—"

"Lord Xue and Lord Xu are the regents, so why don't you two tell us whether this war should be fought, and what kind of war to fight it with!" His tone was firm, and his face was full of disdain. "General Han is certainly full of hot-bloodedness, but if he wants revenge, he should go to the Northern Yuan battlefield! What's the point of constantly fighting the grasslands!"

"Baili Yi!"

Baili Yi stepped forward, ignoring Han Dahai's reddened eyes, a smug smile on his lips, "I'm asking you, what are we going to use to fight? The capital is full of fields that can't produce any grain! Do you think our current grain reserves are enough to fight the grasslands to the death?"

“If we can reach a peace agreement with the grasslands, we can put all our forces into the war against the Xiao Kingdom; otherwise…” Baili Yi didn’t finish his sentence, but his meaning was already very clear.

If we force a war and are defeated by the grasslands, it will be a complete and utter defeat.

The food, the people, the city—everything was gone.

Xu Yi didn't know what to say. His brows were furrowed, and he was at a loss for what to do. "Perhaps we should send a letter to His Majesty..."

Baili Yi sneered, "His Majesty appointed you two to guard the capital and oversee the country. Did he intend to make you two mere messengers?"

"Peace talks are hardly the act of a gentleman."

Li Wenjing usually doesn't speak, but if he does, many people will peek over to listen.

The old man's aged eyes were calm and resolute. He had lived a timid and hesitant life, but in his old age, he finally had a chance to use his talents.

Peace talks? He was the first to disagree.

"You!" Baili Yi didn't expect Li Wenjing to stand up and oppose him. "Lord Li, you should think this through before you speak. How can our country, with its current national strength, withstand a war with two countries at the same time?"

Facing Baili Yi's relentless pressure, Li Wenjing met his gaze head-on, saying, "Then Lord Baili should now think carefully about how to coordinate the domestic finances and grain, instead of using ceding territory and paying reparations to ensure the stability of the capital!"

"If only the capital is safe and sound, then we old bones should atone with our deaths."

"you!"

Han Dahai clenched his fists, barely managing to hold back his tears. He didn't argue with them, but his resolve to fight was already made.

Xu Yi said, "I am aware of your concerns. We will discuss them after the court session and then make a decision."

"Discuss?" Baili Yi asked incredulously, looking at Xu Yi. "Discuss with whom?"

"Now that His Majesty is not in the capital, and Lord Xu and Lord Xue are overseeing the country, who else can they consult with if they are not in the morning court?"

Cui Xiangzhu was getting dizzy from the noise on both sides of the main hall. It had been like this for the past two months. He didn't know if it was because of the hot weather or something else, but these adults were getting noisier and noisier.

Xu Yi clenched his fist, gritted his teeth, and looked up. "Since His Majesty has appointed me and Lord Xue to oversee the country, then I must shoulder the responsibility of overseeing the country!"

His gaze suddenly sharpened, making him seem unlike a civil official. Even the several lower-ranking officials who had been whispering behind him suddenly fell silent. "Lord Baili, are you being so aggressive? Are you questioning His Majesty? Or are you trying to stand up for His Majesty?"

"you!"

Xu Yi continued, "Since that's not the case, then I and Lord Xue will still oversee the state. Since none of you can give a satisfactory answer now, let's discuss it after court before making a decision." He then looked at Xue Qingping, "What is Lord Xue's opinion?"

"Lord Xu is right."

With a smile playing on his lips, the young man, dressed in coarse linen clothes hidden beneath his official robes, exuded an air of authority during the morning court session. Had the daughters of officials in the capital seen him, they would surely fall for him.

Cui Xiangzhu felt this way. He turned and looked again at the dragon throne, which had been empty for more than two months, and felt a pang of melancholy. Just as he was about to sigh, he saw Xu Yi make a gesture to him, and Cui Xiangzhu immediately called out loudly, "Dismiss the court—"

The officials dispersed in response, leaving only a few who had been arguing heatedly standing there, still resentful of each other. But they didn't stay long; they snorted and went their separate ways.

Cui Xiangzhu saw all of this. He shook his head helplessly. He should hurry back to prepare tea. He still needed to have a detailed chat with the Nineteenth Prince and the others after Minister Han returned from his trip outside the palace.

As spring arrived, the weather grew warmer day by day. Yao Ruyi and Xu Yi waited for them in the side hall. Now that Gu Huizhou was not in the palace, he naturally could no longer take them to the Imperial Study to discuss matters.

Naturally, the side hall became their study for discussing matters.

The door was wide open, and Yao Ruyi nodded as she watched the two people walking down the corridor not far away. "They're here."

Xu Yi also looked over, and Yao Ruyi stood up and went forward to greet them, inviting them in to sit down. "My lords, now that there are no outsiders, please speak."

There are no outsiders here; this statement has a deeper meaning.

Li Wenjing and Han Dahai exchanged a glance. There were only a few people here, not even Xue Qingping. These were all His Majesty's confidants.

Han Dahai picked up his tea and drank it all in one gulp. He was the first to state his position: "This battle is inevitable. Although I, Han Dahai, am old, as long as I can be a general for a day, I can lead troops for a day! I, Han Dahai, am not afraid to fight against the grasslands."

The atmosphere was deathly still; even the gentle breeze blowing in from outside the window couldn't dispel the somber mood.

Li Wenjing had already said this during the morning court session, and he nodded seriously, "It's absolutely necessary to fight."

Xu Yi frowned, then looked up and nodded to the fourteenth prince approaching from afar. He agreed to go to war; currently, the only military commander in the capital capable of leading troops was Han Dahai, the Minister of War, and with two more deputy commanders, troop deployment would not be a problem.

But what Baili Yi said was true...

"Although we can still hold out for now, we will really not have enough food if both sides go to war at the same time in the future."

The fields in Jiangnan yielded two harvests last year, but the capital did not. "Even if we transport crops from Jiangnan to the capital now, it will only last for a while."

Yao Ruyi also felt that this battle had to be fought, and they could not afford to lose ground in the rear, especially under the current circumstances.

They didn't even know if the country behind the grassland was the Kingdom of Xiao. "Could we buy it from the common people?"

The private treasury that Gu Huizhou gave him on his birthday remains untouched.

"The Han family can also contribute money."

After a moment of thought.

Xu Yi sighed helplessly. He met Fourteen's gaze and saw the other nod. After a long pause, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, pressing his tongue against his palate and exhaling heavily. "Then let's begin!"

The spirit of men never fades. Li Wenjing smiled, and it was the first time Yao Ruyi had ever seen this refined old gentleman show such excitement. "We will defend the capital, even if it kills us."

When someone in the distance looked over, he cupped his hands and smiled.

The last time the Liang family caused trouble, it was also the grasslands that came to cause trouble, but last time it was Han Jiqing who fought, and now it's Han Dahai. In just half a month, Liu Yuru has lost her former elegance; she holds her baby girl in her arms, her eyes red from crying.

She handed the child to the wet nurse beside her, forcing a bitter smile. Her plain white robe made her look frail and sickly. The woman stepped forward, her eyes suddenly welling up with tears. She gently stroked Han Dahai's face with both hands, "I don't ask anything of the general, just that you return safely."

Her sobs grew louder and louder, until Liu Yuru was completely sobbing by the end. The woman's heartbroken appearance made Han Dahai feel bad. He held her in his arms, and as he closed his eyes, a tear slid down his cheek.

"Don't worry, wait for me in the capital, and also wait for Siwen to bring Jiwen back."

"Um."

Before dawn, Han Dahai, led by the Fourteenth Prince, went out through the side gate and rode his horse out of the city. His eyes reddened as he looked at the vast army. He pursed his lips and remained silent. In the end, he simply picked up a bowl of wine and drank it with tens of thousands of soldiers.

"Bang—"

"clang--"

Many people broke bowls, but some people couldn't bear to wipe them with the hem of their clothes and kept them in their pockets for later use.

"Soldiers, march forth!"

"kill--"

"kill--"

"kill--"

Such a scene was exhilarating to behold. The sky was still dark when the orderly footsteps grew louder and louder. It was a rare sight to see a general setting off on an expedition, but in just two months, this had been witnessed twice.

Xu Yi felt an indescribable sadness; who would want to fight a war?

But this is not something they can control.

Li Wenjing and Xue Qingping remained silent. Finally, as dawn broke and they watched the troops disappear into the distance, they could only sigh and say, "Let's go back."

Xu Yi nodded. "Please, gentlemen."

As they traveled north, the landscape grew increasingly desolate. Han Dahai only brought one deputy general with him this time, a man who had followed him since the time of the late emperor. It was unexpected that these two old buddies would have the opportunity to go to the battlefield together again.

"Now only I am following the general. Old Liu is no good. He broke his leg before the New Year, so he has no chance."

Han Dahai smiled bitterly, "Yeah, he's out of luck."

Knowing Han Dahai was reluctant to talk, the deputy general exchanged a few more words before silently continuing on his way. This campaign on the grasslands was proving difficult; with limited troops stationed on the frontier, they needed to quicken their pace and reach the border as quickly as possible.

Lieutenant Qin Linshan had intended to focus solely on the journey, but a figure galloped past on the mountainside. The figure, dressed in an expensive white robe, descended the mountain path and rode towards them.

He couldn't help but ask, "General, who is that? Is he here to see you?"

Han Dahai looked over upon hearing the sound and was also startled. In just a short while, Yao Ruyi had arrived in front of the two of them. He was breathing heavily and, not daring to delay the process, quickly pulled on the reins, turned around, and stood side by side with Han Dahai.

"I've heard that General Han is short one deputy general. What do you think of me, General?"

Before Han Dahai could speak, Qin Linshan laughed first, "Young master, if you want to be our general's deputy, you have to be convincing. You look more like a scholar than a gentleman."

Yao Ruyi didn't speak. He took the bow from his back, leaned back on his horse, and pulled it back fully with all his might.

"Whoosh—"

"Whoosh—"

A bird happened to fly through the woods, was pierced by an arrow, and fell into the jungle.

Qin Linshan exclaimed, "What excellent archery!"

Han Dahai suddenly smiled, his mind racing with thoughts. The man's features just now resembled Ji Qing's when he first went to the battlefield. He exchanged a glance with Qin Linshan and immediately clapped his hands, saying, "Done!"

Yao Ruyi slung the bow and arrows behind his back and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

The further north you go, the colder it gets, and even spring doesn't make much difference. In the north, it even snowed during the day.

The wounded soldiers were carried away in droves. Han Jiqing dismounted from his horse with a cold face. Ignoring the sword wound on his body, he asked coldly, "Is my elder sister gone?"

Xiao Bing nodded, "Yes, Miss Han and Young Master Baili set off back this morning."

Han Jiqing nodded, his eyes bloodshot. The fighting on the battlefield could not erase the pain in his heart. He had been waking up in the middle of the night for many nights in a row, always thinking of his younger brother.

Then, as if remembering something, he asked in a hoarse voice, "Xiao... is there any news about the Princess?"

"Never."

"Understood, you may leave."

The soldier bowed his head. "Yes, General."

Thirteen happened to be passing by with a message from the capital. After thinking for a moment, he decided not to inform General Han about the situation in the capital first. Now, even the grasslands are about to go to war…

His face was serious as he strode to the commander's tent. "Your Majesty, a letter has arrived from the capital saying that war has broken out on the grasslands."

The man at the table looked unwell; even in his armor, he appeared thinner than before. His sharp eyes snapped open. "Give it to me!"

A fleeting smile crossed his eyes when he saw Xu Yi and the others decide to go to war.

Well, since they've brought it to us themselves, we might as well accept it.

"Send someone to keep an eye on things, and report any news to me immediately."

“Yes,” Thirteen said, then pulled out another stack of letters from his pocket, looking at more than twenty of them.

The man frowned. "What is it?"

Thirteen finally smiled and chuckled, "It's a letter from Little Nineteen to His Majesty."

The man suddenly stood up, snatched the letter from Thirteen's hand, and his throat bobbed slightly. "Hmm, get out."

Seeing that His Majesty finally showed a different expression, Thirteen bowed and said, "This subordinate takes his leave."

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I'm late! [heart emoji]