Ever since the emperor seized the eldest princess' fiefdom in a fit of rage, the clan members have become much more well-behaved, and even Prince Duan's Mansion doesn't dare to act presumptuously.
If they really angered the emperor, all their current prosperity and wealth would be gone, and they would have no place to seek justice.
The court was also calm, and Prime Minister Liu obeyed the emperor's arrangements in everything. He did not raise any objections to the matter of enthroning the queen, and even took the lead in singing praises and praising Ji Yunhuan.
There was harmony in the court and the harem until June, when a sudden thunderclap occurred and the northwest suddenly rebelled!
The northwest region is a mixed place. In addition to the people of Dazhao, many other ethnic groups also live there. For the sake of local stability, the court appointed local prominent families to manage miscellaneous affairs and only sent troops to maintain public order.
The emperor was open-minded and did not restrict the entry of people from outside the country, nor did he prevent trade among countries. Over the years, the northwest region has prospered and is no longer in the dire situation of nine out of ten houses being empty.
Prime Minister Liu knelt in the main hall and denounced the wolfish ambitions of the various tribes in the northwest. "They are not of our race, so their hearts must be different. They disguised themselves as merchants to enter the city, colluded with local prominent families, and directly occupied the Protectorate. Now they are issuing orders, showing that they do not take the court seriously."
"Your Majesty's generosity and kindness have instead nurtured such ferocious individuals. I earnestly implore Your Majesty to personally lead the army to quell the rebellion in the northwest and enhance the prestige of our Great Zhao nation."
Xu Junzheng's eyelids kept twitching. He had been exiled to the Northwest for eight years and had watched the Northwest transform from a barren land into an orderly one. Although it was not as prosperous as the south of the Yangtze River, it was already a very good life for the local people.
The Northwest Protectorate was established by the imperial court, but most of the officials there were local celebrities and prominent families. Only the position of Protector-General was appointed by the imperial court.
He was promoted by the Protector-General and became a minor official in the Protectorate. He got to know many local prominent families. They were living a good life, so why would they risk their property being confiscated and their clan being exterminated by rebelling?
"Your Majesty! I believe this action is inappropriate. It's just a group of bandits that have invaded the Protectorate. The local garrison can handle it. There's no need for Your Majesty to lead the charge personally."
Prime Minister Liu kowtowed with a thud and spoke passionately, "If the local garrison could handle the situation, the urgent battle report wouldn't have been sent to the capital over the 800-mile journey. Lord Xu, are you trying to excuse the Northwestern rebels?"
"If Lord Xu hadn't reminded me, I would have almost forgotten. Lord Xu has been thriving in the Northwest these past few years. Even as a guilty subject, he has maintained close ties with prominent Northwest families. Could it be that he has long harbored rebellious intentions, and is therefore speaking for the Northwest rebels?"
Xu Junzheng's face darkened, and he angrily shouted, "Stop slandering me! I am loyal to His Majesty, as Heaven and Earth bear witness to! But Prime Minister Liu is so eager to have His Majesty lead the army in person. Is there no one else in the court who can help?"
"The Crown Prince is still young. If something were to happen to Your Majesty, wouldn't that be the time for you evildoers to disrupt the government?"
Prime Minister Liu sneered, "Master Xu, are you asserting that Your Majesty will be defeated? Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, blessed by Heaven, and will surely be invincible! Master Xu's alarmist remarks are shaking the morale of the army..."
"That's enough!" The emperor stood up from the dragon throne. "You two are my loyal ministers, both of you are loyal to me. You are fighting for our country. I believe in your loyalty."
"I understand Lord Xu's concerns, but I conquered the northwest. They will submit to no one but me. I cannot bear to add to the chaos of war. I will lead the troops myself, and bring a swift victory to the people of the border."
Three days later, Ji Yunhuan reluctantly bid farewell to the emperor at the city gate.
War drums were beating, flags were flying in the sky, and the emperor, wearing armor, led tens of thousands of elite soldiers and headed to the northwest.
Ji Yunhuan watched the emperor's figure getting smaller and smaller until he could no longer see him. Then he rubbed his red eyes and went down the city wall with Taohong's support.
The journey was long and extremely dangerous. She only regretted that she could not pass on the blessing of peace to the emperor and bless him with a safe return.
After the emperor left, Ji Yunhuan controlled the harem even more strictly, and his tactics were even more severe than before.
Apart from teasing the little prince, the empress dowager would eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist scriptures every day, praying for the emperor who was far away in the northwest.
Days like this were particularly difficult to endure. In the emperor's absence, the entire palace seemed lifeless. Ji Yunhuan used to dislike the emperor's noisy and clingy nature, but now she missed him even more.
A month later, a battle report was urgently sent back from the northwest front line, saying that several horses had died from running and the messenger had collapsed at the city gate due to exhaustion.
The news spread throughout the capital like wings. The emperor went deep into the enemy camp but was ambushed and blown to pieces, leaving only a blood-stained helmet.
The Queen Mother fainted when she heard the news, and Shoukang Palace was filled with wailing.
The little prince was stunned for a moment. His small brain was not enough to understand such a complicated thing. When he realized that it meant that his father was dead, he burst into tears.
"Father...Father...Wow...Wow...Wow...Wow..."
Qin Yunhan cried so hard that he was out of breath. When his father wanted to hug him before leaving, he refused to give his father a good look.
He would never be angry with his father again, but his father would never come back, and he became a fatherless child, sob, sob, sob...
Ji Yunhuan's eyes were slightly red, but he could hold on better than the others.
She sat in Shuhua Palace for half a day without eating or drinking, and no one knew what she was thinking about.
Taohong saw the Empress in this state and thought about how difficult her future would be. She felt very sad. She brought a bowl of ginseng soup and sobbed as she advised:
"My Lady, if you want to cry, just cry. You'll feel much better after crying. There's still a long way to go, so please take care of yourself."
Ji Yunhuan took the ginseng soup and drank it all in one gulp. She touched Taohong's head and forced a smile that was uglier than crying.
"Don't worry, I'm fine. I was just lost in thought. Go get the little prince back. The Queen Mother is ill. Don't let those trivial matters disturb her. Han'er will sleep with me tonight."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com