worries
The sandstorms in the third year of Jinghe seemed to be more severe than in previous years. They blew across the deserts of Mobei, raised a cloud of yellow dust, and also hit this border town.
The city gate creaked open, and a group of cavalrymen entered, escorting more than a dozen dejected Western Qiang captives.
The leading girl had a slim figure and was wearing a fitted light armor. Her face was coated with a healthy honey color by the wind, sand and sun. The childishness between her eyebrows and eyes had faded, and she had gained a bit of bravery and determination. She was Ning Lingyao, who was already fourteen years old.
She dismounted swiftly, threw the reins to the soldiers who came towards her, and carefully explained the number of prisoners and the spoils. Then she turned around impatiently, like a swallow returning to its nest, and ran briskly towards the largest courtyard in the city, the temporary central military tent.
The armor made clashes as she ran. She wanted to see her sister immediately and tell her that this time, she was no longer the little girl hiding behind and being protected!
She personally led the team on patrol and encountered a small group of Western Qiang cavalry. Not only did she not panic, she also commanded properly and even shot and wounded a Western Qiang leader with her own hands!
If my sister knew this, she would definitely be proud of her!
Inside the central military tent, the chill of spring still lingered.
Ning Lingyi was sitting opposite Su Qingfan discussing matters.
Several years of military career and hardships have made her originally slightly soft features become clearer and deeper. When she looks around, she has a majestic demeanor without being angry. She has completely transformed into an awe-inspiring emperor.
"In that case, this batch of food and fodder finally arrived as scheduled, solving the urgent problem." Ning Lingyi pointed at the book presented by Su Qingfan with her fingertips, with a hint of relief in her tone.
"Since the first year of the Jinghe era, the newly recovered one million mu of government farmland in Hebei has been distributed, with refugees being recruited to cultivate it. Prime Minister Wang and the two gentlemen Shen and Nong have diligently coordinated and supported this effort. Over the past three years, food and fodder supplies have finally been able to keep pace with such a large-scale campaign. Qingfan, your contribution in this campaign is no less than that of the generals fighting on the front lines."
Su Qingfan is now more capable. Although her brows are a little frosted, her eyes are still clear. She bowed slightly and said, "Your Majesty, thank you for your praise. This is my responsibility. It is also the result of the hard work of the people of Heshuo and the concerted efforts of the officials in the court. However..."
She hesitated for a moment. "During this transport, losses along the way are still half a percent higher than budgeted. I have ordered an investigation into every link to ensure corruption is eradicated."
Ning Lingyi nodded and looked at the huge map hanging on the wall.
On the map, nearly half of the vast area representing Western Xinjiang is marked as controlled by the Southern Dynasty or jointly occupied with the Northern Shuo.
Over the past two years, although she and Tuoba Hong had their own thoughts, they joined forces extremely quickly, attacking from the east and west, taking every step carefully, and constantly encroaching on the land of Western Qiang.
Although the Western Qiang were mainly composed of nomadic cavalry with strong mobility, and it was difficult to annihilate their main force in one fell swoop, they were already on the decline under the continuous pressure.
What prompted Ning Lingyi to make up his mind to completely destroy the Western Qiang nation and exterminate the tribe was not just the intention to expand the territory.
There is a secret involved in this.
A few months ago, after a great victory, while checking the tents of a certain king of the Western Qiang tribe, a box of extremely secret letters was found. Among them were several secret letters between the King of Western Qiang and Emperor Guangqi, Ning Yanli!
Not only did it detail the dirty deal of ceding the three towns of Heshuo, but there was also a letter in which the King of Western Qiang, in an extremely frivolous and insulting tone, proposed not only the land of Heshuo, but also "to marry Princess Zhaoyang of the Southern Dynasty as his concubine."
The moment she saw the word "Zhaoyang", Ning Lingyi felt as if the blood in her body was burning.
Zhaoyang, her Zhaoyang!
Zhaoyang, who had resolutely jumped into the icy river to save her, was treated so humiliated by this despicable enemy chieftain, as a bargaining chip that could be taken at will!
How dare you?!
She wished she could chop the King of Western Qiang's flesh into pieces and cut off his head to offer as a sacrifice to Zhaoyang.
The heart-wrenching pain of the past intertwined with the boiling rage of the present. She threw the letter to the ground and sternly ordered, "Pass on my command! The Western Qiang have betrayed their faith and repeatedly offended the Celestial Empire, even insulting their ancestors. Their crimes are unforgivable! Wherever my army goes, we will not accept the surrender of the Western Qiang royal family! We must destroy their ancestral temples and exterminate their descendants, to comfort the countless wronged souls and to avenge this great shame and humiliation!"
This decree was really unlike her usual style, but in her rage, no one dared to resist her will. From then on, the Southern Dynasty's mighty army crushed the Western Qiang, and the war became more brutal and fierce.
Ning Lingyi gathered her thoughts, pulling them away from Zhaoyang's memories and returning to the government affairs at hand. "How's the court doing lately? Is Master Wang still in good health? Are Mr. Shen and Mr. Nong still arguing?"
There was a hint of helplessness in her tone.
Su Qingfan hurriedly reported, "Although Prime Minister Wang is old, he is still in good spirits. He is in charge of the overall situation and trying his best to reconcile. However, Lord Shen and Lord Nong... do have some different political views."
"Master Nong advocates for harsh punishments in times of chaos, believing that the crackdown should be intensified, severely punishing corrupt officials and those with deep ties to the old Guangqi Dynasty. This is the only way to thoroughly cleanse the filth and consolidate the foundation of the new government. Master Shen, on the other hand, believes that with Your Majesty away on an expedition, stability should be prioritized. Excessive purges could cause unrest and hinder logistical support..."
Ning Lingyi listened quietly, she understood in her heart.
Nong Zishi is a man of strong character, hates evil, and is well aware of the hardships of the lower classes, so his methods are inevitably radical; Shen Qingyan places more emphasis on institutional stability and gradual progress. This has been a disagreement between them from the beginning, and now it has become more prominent as their power increases and the situation becomes more complicated.
"Fortunately, Prime Minister Wang mediated the situation and finally both sides compromised. Lord Nong agreed to postpone the investigation of some controversial officials, and Lord Shen agreed to strengthen supervision of key links such as water transport and grain routes." Su Qingfan concluded, with a hint of imperceptible fatigue in his tone.
It is not easy to coordinate these two loyal ministers of His Majesty. Even she has been troubled for no reason. She doesn't want to pay attention to either Prime Minister Chen or Prime Minister Nong.
Ning Lingyi sighed softly, "Thank you for your hard work, Master Wang. They both serve the country and the people, but their paths are different. Ultimately, I will need to wait until I return to the capital to find a solution for this matter."
She knew very well that Shen Qingyan and Nong Zishi were both talented, but they were also difficult to get along with. This would be a difficult problem in the future court.
Su Qingfan nodded in agreement and took out a stack of letters from the box he was carrying. "Your Majesty, these are family letters that were recently forwarded from the capital. There are letters from Concubine Yu, His Royal Highness Prince Qing, and some other greetings."
Ning Lingyi's eyes suddenly showed warmth. Just as she was about to reach out to take it, the curtain was suddenly lifted, bringing in a gust of cold air.
"Sister!" Ning Lingyao rushed in like a gust of wind, her cheeks flushed and her eyes bright. Seeing Su Qingfan was there, she quickly restrained herself and bowed politely, "Sister Su is here too."
Su Qingfan smiled and returned the greeting: "Lingyao is back."
Ning Lingyi looked at her, dusty yet energetic, and a smile appeared on her face. She waved, "You've come just in time. I just received a letter from the capital. Yan He has a letter too. Come over and read it together."
Ning Lingyao immediately forgot about reporting her battle achievements. She cheered, moved closer to Ning Lingyi, and sat down next to her. Su Qingfan also sat on the other side with a smile on his face.
The three of them gathered around a lamp, as if they had returned to the time when they were in the small courtyard in Weizhou, except that the location had changed from the simple courtyard to a large military tent.
Ning Lingyi opened the letter from Concubine Yu first.
The letter was mostly filled with nagging concern, reminding her that it was bitterly cold outside the Great Wall and that she must take care of herself, eat on time and put on more clothes. It also talked about some trivial matters in the palace. It seemed that King Jing was less sick than in previous years. When the weather was good, she often took him for walks in the imperial garden. The child looked much better. Between the lines was deep maternal love and concern.
Ning Lingyi looked at him, her eyes slightly moist, and she said softly, "Mother always thinks of me. I've been away for so long, unable to fulfill my filial duties to her, and instead causing her to worry."
Su Qingfan comforted softly: "The Queen Dowager knows that Your Majesty shoulders the responsibility of the world. Although she misses you in her heart, she will definitely be proud of Your Majesty."
Ning Lingyao also leaned close to her sister and whispered, "When the battle is over and sister returns, the Queen will be so happy!"
Ning Lingyi patted her hands and picked up the letter from Prince Qing Ning Yanhe.
The handwriting on the letter was neat and steady, revealing a seriousness that was not in line with his age.
He began by greeting his elder sister, the emperor, and his younger sister, Lingyao, with respectful and polite words. He then gave a detailed report on his recent academic progress, the books he had read, his experience in martial arts, and his teachers' evaluations.
The second half of the letter made Ning Lingyi concentrate slightly.
Ning Yanhe actually discussed his views on some rumors in the court and the public in his letter. Although his writing was immature, it was clearly well thought out, and he vaguely revealed his dissatisfaction and confusion at some of the criticisms against Ning Lingyi. Finally, he changed the subject and wrote: "I study hard day and night, hoping to share the worries of the imperial sister soon. After several years of separation, I miss her more and more. I only hope that the imperial sister will return triumphantly and see the emperor..."
Ning Lingyi's heart softened at the last few words, mixed with an indescribable sadness and guilt. She had entrusted her younger brother to the Jing family's care, having no choice. The Jing family's strictness and pervasive expectations seemed to have placed a heavy burden on the child's shoulders prematurely.
"Yan He, he's grown up." Ning Lingyi said softly, handing the letter to Su Qingfan and Ling Yao. "It's just that the writing of this letter is... a little too heavy, not like that of a young man."
Su Qingfan browsed the letter and pondered, "Your Highness Prince Qing is indeed extremely diligent and hardworking in the capital. Every time I return to the capital to report on my work and pay homage to the emperor, if he is not studying in the academy, he is practicing riding and archery in the training grounds. Everyone in the palace praises Your Highness for his maturity, intelligence, and filial piety. But..."
"The Jing family seems to have been extremely strict in their discipline, with a packed schedule, leaving him with little respite. Fortunately, Concubine Yu often cared for him and summoned him to talk and dine, which gave him some respite."
Ning Lingyi was silent for a moment, her eyes fell on the neat but youthful handwriting again, and she understood.
The Jing family devoted all their resources to cultivating Yan He, naturally hoping that he would become a wise ruler who could be deeply influenced by them. In this process, they would inevitably deliberately downplay the influence of her as an older sister, so that her as a younger brother would completely belong to the Jing family.
The education Yanhe received and the pressure he felt were the struggle between the Jing family and her.
Sooner or later, there is a hurdle that she and the Jing family will have to face.
Yan He is her younger brother, and she must not let him become a complete puppet of one faction. The complexity and difficulty of this matter is probably no less than mediating the dispute between Shen and Nong.
"This matter cannot be completely resolved unless I return to Beijing." Ning Lingyi sighed.
The tent was silent for a moment, with only the occasional crackling of the charcoal fire.
Ning Lingyao looked at her sister's profile as she stared at the firelight. The warmth she had just felt when she looked at her was gone, and only the heaviness she had only felt when she looked at a map remained.
She didn't quite understand how serious the dispute between Mr. Shen and Mr. Nong was, nor did she quite understand what the Jing family meant, but she could feel that her sister's shoulders were weighed down by something much heavier than her armor.
She didn't like the silence.
She straightened her back as if to share some of her sister's weight, and shouted, "Sister! I was leading a patrol today and encountered Western Qiang scouts! I wasn't afraid, I even shot a leader who tried to charge with my crossbow! I can help you fight the Qiang now!"
Ning Lingyi came back to her senses, withdrew her gaze from the heaviness of nothingness, and fell on her sister's proud yet slightly uneasy face.
She could sense the concern hidden in that deliberately raised tone.
Her heart softened, and the haze of worry temporarily cleared. She reached out and ruffled Lingyao's hair, saying softly, "Well, our Lingyao has really grown up and become a capable young general! I'm so happy for you."
Ning Lingyao immediately smiled and raised her chin proudly.
Outside the tent, the wind from Mobei was still howling, but the warmth inside the tent at this moment seemed particularly real.
The war is still going on, the political situation is turbulent, and family affairs, national affairs and world affairs are all piling up and weighing on her shoulders.
The road ahead is long, but she is determined.
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