Taking on a mission in times of crisis

On the sixth day of March in the first year of Hongxi, it was drizzling. The streets and alleys of Linjun City were filled with foreigners. They were dark and strong, with obvious wildness. They waved spears and arrows in their hands, shouted in a language that the people of Qi could not understand, and rode their horses and galloped wildly. The cavalry passed by like a gust of wind, raising wild sand that swirled into a sandstorm. The whole city was filled with the smell of killing.

The entire city stayed indoors. A woman quietly covered the mouth of her child in her arms and whispered, "Don't make a sound. If the Qiang and Rong people hear you, they'll capture you and feed you to the wolves..."

The child in her arms shrank his little body, looked out the window in horror, buried his face in his mother's arms with tears in his eyes, and dared not make a sound out of fear.

The Qiang and Rong cavalry soon reached the palace gates, feeling their journey had been incredibly smooth. Some in the cavalry couldn't help but laugh, "The Qi people are so cowardly! Every one of them is like an ant, hiding in their homes. We've come all the way here, and the city gates are wide open, yet no one is willing to fight!"

A burst of laughter broke out in the cavalry.

"The old Emperor Wu passed away suddenly. I heard he had no prince. Without a leader, the Qi Kingdom's court must be in chaos. I wonder how much the strife will escalate. They are already busy taking care of themselves, so how can they have time to care for their own people? If we don't attack the city now, when will we attack it?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the morale of the team was greatly boosted, the cavalry shouted, and the momentum for attacking the city was ready, with arrows on the string.

The leading Qiang man took advantage of the situation, shouted, raised his right arm, and led the morale-boosted team to break into the city. All of their faces were already filled with smiles of victory, as if once they broke into the city gate, there would be no need for defense, and the leader could directly sit on the throne and conquer Daqi.

The young Hong Emperor stood facing the court, his hands clasped behind his back. Civil and military officials stood with their hands lowered, solemnly gazing at the new emperor. Suddenly, a soldier burst into the palace from outside, shouting, "Report!!!!" He dragged his voice as he ran to the steps in front of the dragon throne and knelt on one knee in the center of the hall.

The officials' hearts were in their throats, and they stared at him intently. He shouted, "Your Majesty! The Qiang bandits have entered the city gate!" As he finished speaking, the officials began to murmur. The Hong Emperor suddenly turned, his handsome face etched with rage. He still had one hand behind his back, but raised the other and swung it vigorously: "Attack!"

After receiving the order, the young general turned around and rushed out of the palace gate to convey the order. Two soldiers suddenly opened the city gate. The officials were solemn and turned around with the young emperor to witness his first personal rule after he ascended the throne.

Behind the Hong Emperor, a seated woman slowly emerged from the curtained tent. She was dressed in white, gracefully like a crane, her long hair cascading like a waterfall. Aside from the dark jade hairpin pinned to her head, her entire figure was a pure white, even her skin as white as jade. It was rumored that the dark jade hairpin was a family heirloom, passed down only to those who inherited spiritual power.

The veil on Zhong Yujing's face swayed in the wind, revealing only a pair of watery eyes that stared calmly at the city gate in front of them. She and Emperor Hong beside her looked down at each other. Unlike the coldness in Emperor Hong's eyes, her eyes were filled with frost and snow, unapproachable, and like the snow lotus in the distant mountains, noble and lonely.

At the beginning of the new emperor's reign, foreign enemies rebelled, and the Great Qi Kingdom was in turmoil and precarious. Zhong Yujing, as the new generation of celestial official of the Zhong family, was appointed as prime minister. Together with Emperor Hong, he was entrusted with the task of turning the tide and saving the country from collapse.

Whether Qi can safely survive this catastrophe, and whether the Hong Emperor can win the hearts and minds of his subjects and the people, all depend on this one move. And whether Zhong Yujing, the first female heiress of the Zhong family and the first female Prime Minister of the Great Qi Kingdom, can win the support of the people is also closely related to the fate of Qi and the throne of the Hong Emperor.

A month ago, Zhong Yujing was summoned into the family ancestral hall by her uncle. Zhong Xianren, who was over fifty years old, had assisted Emperor Wu for more than thirty years. During this period, the country was peaceful and the people were united in the court. Therefore, her uncle was very prestigious in the court, and the world respected him as the "Ren Prime Minister". When Yujing walked into the ancestral hall, her uncle was burning incense for the ancestors of the Zhong family. The tablets on the table were neatly arranged, and engraved on them were the names of the prime ministers of the Zhong family throughout the generations. Yujing bowed respectfully on the soft couch in front of the table.

"I'm sure your father has already informed you of the recent situation at court," Ren Xiang said to Yu Jing. "Today, I visited the palace and saw that Emperor Wu's complexion was still not optimistic. Furthermore, last night, I observed the sky and noticed that the Purple Star was dimming. I'm afraid that Emperor Wu's death...will come soon."

Prime Minister Ren's face was filled with worry. "It is now known to all in the court and the country that Emperor Wu has no children, and there is no one to inherit the throne. Moreover, there are internal and external troubles. In the court, Prince Ping's forces are rampant, eyeing the throne covetously, and seem to have coveted it. Outside the court, the Qiang and Rong tribes are pretending to be vassals, but in fact they are secretly accumulating power. That Anuda has conquered all the Qiang and Rong tribes and proclaimed himself king on the border. When the time is right, they will invade the south. Although the Qiang and Rong tribes are growing stronger, they are nothing compared to the Qing Kingdom. Looking around China, seven or eight of the Ten Kingdoms have been destroyed by the Qing Kingdom. Its territory is expanding and its power is growing stronger. Prince Qing's ambitions are obvious, and a war with our Daqi is inevitable. If Emperor Wu dies at this time, Daqi will be attacked from both inside and outside, and its national destiny will be in danger."

"Uncle, has Emperor Wu had any intention of succeeding to the throne?" Yu Jing asked.

"I once asked Emperor Wu what he thought, and he just said that he had an idea in mind, but he didn't elaborate further." Prime Minister Ren sighed.

"Last night in the study, I had a thought and got a divination. The divination showed that Daqi will soon have a new ruler..." Yu Jing pondered.

"Oh? Are you serious?" Ren Xiang asked with his eyes lighting up.

"It's absolutely true." Yu Jing said firmly.

Ren Xiang pondered for a moment, then said, "It seems that Da Qi has not changed its master."

Yujing nodded in agreement, "But the future of our nation is uncertain and uncertain."

"In fact, the reason I called you here today is precisely for this matter. Emperor Wu's life is about to end. If it is true as you said, and a new emperor ascends the throne, my age and energy are no longer suitable for the position of prime minister. As the new generation heir of the family, you will succeed me in the position of prime minister when the new emperor ascends the throne. As the heir to the spiritual power and magic of our Zhong family for generations, you will serve as prime minister in the court to protect Daqi. This is the rule established since the time of Emperor Taizu." Prime Minister Ren spoke earnestly and patted his niece's shoulder.

"Uncle... Uncle is in good health. Moreover, right now, we are facing internal and external troubles. How can the court do without Uncle? Daqi cannot live without Uncle any longer!"

Prime Minister Ren smiled kindly and said, "Old generals return to the mountains, tired birds return to their nests. Sooner or later, my uncle will have to leave the court. I am just worried..."

Ren Xiang's eyes were suddenly filled with sorrow.

"Before you, all the spiritual power inheritors in our Zhong family were men. When you were born, becoming the first female heir, your father and I worried about the day you would enter politics. Twenty-three years have passed in a flash, and that day has finally arrived... Niece, do you know the pressure a woman in office has to endure?"

The heir to the Zhong family, besides being required to serve the imperial court, was also subject to a lifelong rule: never marrying or having children. Since Prime Minister Ren had no wife or children, he always considered his niece, Yujing, his own daughter. Yujing understood her uncle's concerns, but with the family's mission and the fate of the nation at stake, she had no reason to retreat.

Yu Jing finally knelt before Ren Xiang and said, "Uncle, please rest assured. I will do my utmost to protect Da Qi, quell the unrest, and eliminate the treacherous officials. I will not let down the trust placed in my family and uncle!"

My uncle’s earnest and worried look at that time is still in my mind.

Seven days ago, news of Emperor Wu's death came from the palace. When the maid woke Yu Jing up, her uncle had already been urgently summoned to the palace.

At noon the next day, a secret message was spread in the palace that Prince Yihong was on his way back to the capital and would return to the palace to succeed to the throne soon. To prevent unrest, this news could not be leaked for the time being.

On the third day, Zhong Yujing was summoned to the palace and appointed as the new prime minister, concurrently serving as the celestial official of the Great Qi Kingdom. Her uncle, Prime Minister Ren, personally gave her the seal.

It was on this day that Yu Jing first met the new Emperor Hong, a remarkably handsome young man. Unlike Emperor Wu, who possessed the imposing presence of a towering figure, his slender frame gave him a frail air, perhaps inspired by his mother, Concubine Ying. Graceful and elegant, Concubine Ying was the daughter of Minister Wen, a renowned scholarly family in Jiangbei. Compared to the other concubines, Concubine Ying possessed not only beauty but also a scholarly air. Emperor Wu adored her and favored her the most in the harem.

That day in the family ancestral hall, the uncle had said to Yu Jing, "After Concubine Ying entered the palace, Emperor Wu loved her and doted on her. Over time, she became the target of jealousy and criticism, especially from the families behind the concubines. They were even more worried that she would give birth to a prince first. Among them, the empress was the worst offender. The empress was the niece of Princess Ping, and Prince Ping was already powerful and a threat to the throne. If the empress gave birth to a prince, Prince Ping would definitely help him ascend the throne. What would you do as Prince Ping if other concubines became pregnant with a prince first?" Prime Minister Ren stopped and asked Yu Jing.

"The little prince's life is definitely in danger." Yu Jing murmured.

"More than that! I'm afraid it will be difficult for him to be born into this world."

"Emperor Wu claimed that Concubine Ying had contracted a serious illness and needed to be moved to Yong'an Temple for recuperation. In reality, Concubine Ying was already pregnant at the time. To protect both Concubine Ying and her child, Emperor Wu resorted to this desperate measure. Concubine Ying gave birth to a little prince in Yong'an Temple, keeping it a secret. The little prince was Yihong. A year later, Concubine Ying returned to the palace, and the little prince was secretly raised in Yong'an Temple, personally trained by Minister Wen and Emperor Wu's childhood teacher, and taught the art of ruling. Emperor Wu often went to Yong'an Temple to make donations, under the pretext of fulfilling a vow, so that he could visit the prince more often. It wasn't until Emperor Wu passed away a few days ago and Eunuch He read out his will that the ministers learned of Prince Hong's existence."

"He's the same age as you," Ren Xiang sighed. "You were once the age to enjoy the company of your parents, but your family and country have pushed you to the forefront..."

Zhong Yujing withdrew her gaze from Emperor Hong, her thoughts lingering on her uncle's words. Suddenly, she heard the young voice beside her whisper, "I wonder how the Zhonglang General is doing on the battlefield right now..."

Zhong Yujing looked up at Emperor Hong. His eyes rarely revealed a trace of worry, even a little helplessness, unlike what she had always seen. On his slightly childish face, there were a pair of firm eyes that never matched his age. At this moment, Emperor Hong had his back to the officials in the court, and only Yujing could see his appearance at the moment.

Zhong Yujing suddenly felt a surge of empathy. She took a deep breath and said firmly, "Your Majesty, please rest assured. King Yao is the virtuous King respected by all, and he is also your majesty's uncle. The General of the Central Army is King Yao's son. He has fought under Emperor Wu for many years and has already achieved great military success. I believe that the General of the Central Army will live up to your majesty's trust and return victorious."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Hong's expression softened slightly. He stared deeply at Yu Jing, then returned to his usual expression. He turned around and continued to face the palace gate, gazing at the battlefield that he seemed to be able to see, and said in a deep voice: "I hope that my brother can defeat the enemy and return safely..."