It snowed heavily for two days, and the entire northwest was covered in white, with no other colors visible.
The thick layer of snow neutralizes the coldness of the northwest, making this bitter cold land look a lot softer.
This is not common for people in the northwest, so everyone is both sad and happy.
The sad thing is that it is snowing and the weather is too cold.
Because Miao Wan has been keeping prices down, most families can afford cotton-padded jackets and down jackets. Otherwise, it would be difficult for ordinary people to survive this weather.
But they could barely eat enough and dress warmly, and not every household could afford thick clothes. Going out was out of the question, and even coal and firewood had to be used sparingly. It was not easy to endure the winter.
Fortunately, it snowed in October. Even if it doesn’t snow again until next spring, with such a snow, we don’t have to worry about the harvest next year.
The people have hope for the coming year, so they don't care about the little hardships in life.
The Gubei Army was also very excited. The military order to conquer Xifan and the Western Regions had spread throughout the three counties.
They have been suppressed for more than ten years and have been preparing in recent years. Finally, they are going to fight!
In the past, soldiers would be afraid. They were afraid that they would freeze to death in such cold weather. They were afraid that they were not as strong as foreigners in the ice and snow. They were afraid that they would lose their lives and their families’ lives if they could not defend the border.
The more afraid they were, the more excited the soldiers became when faced with a series of changes after the new General Dingbei took office.
The warm and practical military uniforms are brand new, the waterproof and non-slip military boots make the steps sound powerful, the telescope can see the branches trembling under the weight of snow a hundred meters away, and the bows and crossbows in the hands can shoot through the old trees that are so big that even one person cannot hug them.
There are also pepper needles, pepper water, sharp steel knives, and most importantly, there is also a fire gun camp.
Those soldiers who won the exercise formed the most elite team of the Gubei Army. They always hoped to use the blood of the Xiban people to wipe out the grievances of these years.
On the second day after the heavy snow stopped, half of the soldiers from the North Camp and the West Camp of Xining Town were stationed on the city wall of Xining Town, vowing to defend Xining Town to the death. This was a place that must not be lost.
Under the order of General Dingbei, fifteen military camps from Xiping, Anyong and Lin'an counties launched an attack at the same time, assaulting the Goddess Peak bordering Xifan and Dayue, bypassing the northern Mongolian border and sending troops to the Western Regions and Dayuan.
In just three days, the Western Tibet troops at the foot of the Goddess Peak were defeated and retreated hundreds of miles to defend the natural barrier behind the Goddess Peak.
Half a month later, envoys from the Western Regions and the Dayuan royal family personally delivered a letter of surrender to Dayue, compensated the Qiao family for all the stolen goods, and handed over the heads of the two generals who led the troops to kill Qiao Ruichen.
A month later, the Gubei Army withdrew its front line and returned to the northwest.
At the same time, in addition to Xifan, envoys from Northern Mongolia, Western Regions, Dayuan, Chitao, Xixia and other countries set out for Dayue Kyoto to express the royal sincerity and offerings.
If that were all, that would be it.
After expressing his sincerity in submitting, the envoy suddenly changed the subject and accused the Gubei Army of being tyrannical and brutal, disregarding the alliance between Dayue and them and openly attacking and humiliating them, and demanded that Dayue give them an explanation.
Among them, Northern Mongolia had the toughest attitude. Although the Gubei Army did not attack Northern Mongolia, they crossed three borders of Northern Mongolia, scaring the Qiyan royal family into being restless day and night.
This forced the Qiyan clan to give up many benefits to the Buqi clan and several other large tribes that were eyeing the throne, and asked them to station Hando at the border to prevent the Gubei army from launching a surprise attack on the royal court.
As a result, the Gubei Army did not attack them, but the Qiyan royal family suffered heavy losses, and the envoys also raised the banner of great principles very loudly.
"Your Majesty, in the past, our Northern Meng sacrificed countless brave men for the late Emperor Dayue. We sent cattle, horses, and sheep to Dayue like flowing water, and fought alongside Dayue against the Western Regions. Now, Dayue's soldiers are pointing their spears at us. This is an act of betrayal.
I, the King Khan of Northern Meng, am heartbroken. Thinking back to the high-five oath I made with the late Emperor Dayue, I am heartbroken beyond words. If Dayue wants to break the alliance with Northern Meng, it shouldn't be by backstabbing.
The Western Regions envoy was also very good at speaking. "We received news from the Western Regions and Dayuan that General Yunhui of the Northwest had cut off the livelihood of our merchants. We sent people to investigate and confirmed that the Qiao family had indeed done so. Therefore, our two countries want to ask General Qiao for justice.
Unexpectedly, a conflict arose, leading to a misunderstanding. The Western Regions and the Dayuan royal family immediately held the two generals responsible for their misconduct accountable, but the Gubei Army didn't even give us a chance to explain and directly destroyed three cities in both our countries, leaving the people in dire straits. Is this the magnanimity of a great nation like Dayue?"
The envoys from several other small countries had similar ideas.
Covenant? We acknowledge it.
The situation is stronger than us? We can surrender.
But Dayue must give us an explanation. We can't just leave an army of hundreds of thousands of fierce soldiers around them and let them attack at will. Wouldn't they live like slaves in the future?
Their demands are very clear.
Friendship is fine, but there must be mutual restraint. At least a contract must be signed to restrain the Gubei Army from attacking at will. Otherwise, they would not mind several countries uniting to fight Dayue to the end.
The sage listened to the envoys chattering endlessly. Some censors, following the regent's instructions, also joined in criticizing the Gubei Army for bringing shame to Dayue. He was inexplicably distracted.
The saint even wanted to laugh. When Chen Sixu was in the northwest in the past, merchants treated the people of the northwest as leeks and made money one after another. Why didn't they think that friendship required mutual restraint?
The saint thought, "Oh, I'm so scared of you beating me with a stick, and you come to me to ask for justice? How lowly must I be as a saint?"
The Regent interrupted the Saint's distraction and said, "Your Majesty, Generals Cheng and Qiao suddenly dispatched troops without a decree from the Holy Emperor. This has damaged our diplomatic relations with Dayue and is an offense to the Holy Emperor's authority. They should be recalled to the capital for accountability."
Many ministers stood up and said, "We second the motion!"
The saint sighed softly, "It's almost the twelfth lunar month. It's time to invite them back to celebrate the New Year and reward them well."
Civil and military officials: "..."
The Regent's face was very ugly, "Your Majesty!"
The saint stood up and looked down at the envoy who was somewhat surprised and doubtful. His voice was light, but it made people feel cold.
"How the Gubei Army rewards and punishes is my business. If you are truly on good terms with Dayue, as a nation of propriety, I will naturally not allow my soldiers to behave like animals like some barbarians. But if you want me to give you an explanation—"
He smiled, but his eyes were sharp and oppressive. "I am the Emperor of Dayue. Why should I give you an explanation? Today you dare to threaten me and demand an explanation. Tomorrow will you unite and force me to apologize to you? The day after tomorrow will you sit on the throne of Dayue?"
All the civil and military officials knelt down after hearing the sage's questions. Only the regent and the envoys with gloomy faces were still standing.
The envoys all looked unhappy, and after the court was dismissed they returned to the post station without even looking back.
It didn't take long before the imperial city received news that the Northern Mongolian envoys had left the capital.
The behavior of the Northern Mongolian envoy seemed to be a signal to take the lead, and the other envoys also left the next day.
The Regent stood on the city wall and watched them leave with an expressionless face for a long time until the eunuch beside the virtuous concubine came to look for him.
"Your Highness, the virtuous Consort has sent a message to you, asking if you need the concubines in the harem to pass the message to your family members, so that they can put pressure on His Majesty to punish the Gubei Army."
Concubine Xian and Concubine Jin have always been at loggerheads with each other. Concubine Jin would not try to win over the concubines. She is now favored by the emperor alone and is naturally in opposition to the others. It is useless to win them over.
Although Concubine Xian did not enjoy the emperor's favor, she had a good relationship with most of the concubines who had good family backgrounds.
After the Qiao family rose to power, the Gubei Army became the backing of Concubine Jin, and the Qiao family and Qi Wangshu complemented each other.
Concubine Xian had the same idea as the Chen family did in the past. If the Qiao family could be suppressed, it would be a pipe dream for Concubine Jin to dominate alone or become the queen.
But upon hearing this, the Regent only let out a somewhat sarcastic laugh and said lightly, "That's not necessary."
The eunuch was a little surprised and asked cautiously, "Why?"
The Regent looked into the distance. He could no longer see the departing envoy's carriage, but he seemed to see more. "If there is a war, there is no need to waste time."
What he didn't say was that if the sage was determined to fight, then it wouldn't just be a matter for the Gubei Army. Other countries would certainly be wary of danger and might even take the opportunity to cause chaos.
Therefore, if the Gubei Army wants to fight, the Zhennan Army, the Donghai Guard and even the vassal troops will be recruited. If they do not obey the imperial edict, they will be charged with treason.
At that time, half of the military power controlled by the Regent will definitely be required to be handed over, or the Regent will personally go to the border.
Failure to hand over military power is tantamount to disobeying the imperial order. If he is defeated at the border, he will be stripped of his throne. After victory, the saint will require him to stay at the border and use the half of the military power that he does not control to restrain him.
By then, all imperial power will return to the hands of the saint, and even if he rebels, it will be difficult for him to fight back to the capital.
The sage's move was not to attack Xixia, but to force him to retreat, or... rebel.
The Regent looked coldly towards the northwest, his back teeth almost breaking.
If Qiao Ruichen died, was he killed or was he provoking other countries to seek death? Those countries wanted to find an excuse to go to war with Dayue, so they could say anything, right?
Those Xixia bandits and the foreigners from Dayuan in the Western Regions are all trash. They couldn’t even save Qiao Ruichen’s life!
The eunuch didn't dare ask any more questions and retreated cautiously.
The Regent stood on the city wall for a long time, feeling the wind blow until he was frozen inside and out, and then he left.
Perhaps because it was too cold, his mind was unprecedentedly clear.
He hasn't lost yet and still has one last chance. As long as he can avoid a fight or as long as he can spare the lives of Cheng Shao and Qiao Ruichen when they return to Beijing, there will still be a chance of a turnaround.
No matter what, we must make Concubine Xian pregnant as soon as possible.
If the worst happens and the emperor forces the emperor to abdicate, in order to stabilize the Si family's fiefdoms, a descendant of the Si family must ascend the throne.
As long as he controls the government, he can slowly kill off all the descendants of the Si family and turn the throne into the property of his Qi family.
As he walked down the steps of the city wall step by step, the Regent's eyes became more and more calm.
When he arrived at the mansion, he was already very calm. "Send someone to ambush on the road back to the capital. Kill Cheng Shao and Qiao Ruichen at all costs."
Before the secret guard was about to leave, he changed his mind and said, "Come back!"
He thought for a moment before changing his order, "Send out all the secret guards and retrieve some unknown secret medicine. Once they arrive in the capital, mobilize the spies in the various mansions, especially those in the Marquis of Jingyang's mansion. It would be best if they died silently."
The Regent has received news about the Gubei Army's lethal weapons. If they were to be intercepted outside the capital, perhaps only the Qi family's assassins would be sacrificed in vain.
Since they are so powerful, the Regent doesn't care about the means, as long as he can kill people.
Therefore, after the secret guards left, the regent sent a message to Concubine Xian with only one request, "Except for the Taiji Palace, order all the nails in the imperial city to go through the New Year's Eve palace banquet. If the Qiao family, the Cheng family, and Concubine Jin can go through it, the secret medicine will be put in."
Following the Regent's order, an undercurrent surged in the capital, all of which was suppressed by the sudden snowflakes.
It’s snowing in Beijing, too.
On the second day of the twelfth lunar month, General Dingbei's Mansion received an urgent imperial edict sent eight hundred miles away. They were a little surprised, but not too surprised.
"I thought His Majesty would just give us a token reprimand, but he directly summoned us back to the capital. What does this mean?"
Qiao Shengwen pondered for a moment and smiled, "I think His Majesty is probably in favor of war. Since we are now able to suppress the foreigners, there are some vengeances that Dayue must settle with them one by one."
Qiao Ruichen felt that the saint probably didn't just want to settle accounts with foreigners.
Of course, Qiao Shengwen, the old fox, also knew that "the Regent has military power in his hands. If a war really breaks out, His Majesty can take back the military power from the Regent."
"The Regent is willing to let go?" Cheng Shao laughed sarcastically. "That old man values the military power in his hands more than anything else. If he didn't have military power, why would the aristocratic families support him in taking the throne?"
Although there has always been conflict between aristocratic families and imperial power, the aristocratic families with a solid foundation are not limited to the Qi family.
The Cui family of Guannei Road, the Yun family of Hedong Road, the Xie family of Jiangnan, and the Wang family of Qiannan are all as powerful as the Qi family of Longyou Road.
It was only because the Qi family seized the opportunity first and took control of the military power by virtue of their merit in following the emperor that the other noble families became wary of him and had to push him to the top.
Qiao Ruichen understood the saint quite well. "Your Majesty doesn't necessarily need military power. After all, half of the military power of the Gubei Army and the Zhennan Army lies in Your Majesty's hands. The Jingji Camp is also firmly under Your Majesty's control. As long as the Regent is not in the capital, no one can stop Your Majesty's divine power."
As soon as he finished speaking, Qiao Shengwen frowned tightly, "If that's the case, then your return to Beijing this time will be dangerous."
Cheng Shao was a little confused. "How could that old man be so stupid as to force someone to hit us with their necks even though he knew we had a weapon in our hands?"
Qiao Shengwen smiled helplessly, "If he were an upright and honest person, he wouldn't have achieved what he has today. You haven't been in the capital for a long time, so you don't understand the filthiness of the imperial city."
Qiao Ruichen remained silent. When he was in the Imperial Guard, he had to deal with many shady matters for the Saint, and he understood that his father's words were not groundless.
Cheng Shao stroked his chin and thought, "What's going on? Could he use the same methods he used on the women in the harem to deal with us?"
Qiao Ruichen explained in a deep voice, "While the virtuous concubine was in the palace, the emperor ascended the throne at a young age and was helplessly constrained. No one knows how many secret agents the Qi family has inside and outside the imperial city. Even if the Chen family still has secret agents now, it's hard to say."
Cheng Shao was a little impatient with all this, "What should we do? Shouldn't we go back?"
Qiao Shengwen and Qiao Ruichen looked at each other, and the father and son had the same idea.
Qiao Ruichen spoke directly, "We can't all go back. You and Madam Cheng stay in the northwest. It would be better if you were injured and need to recuperate, and I go back by myself.
This way, no matter what happens, there will be no problems in the northwest, and your majesty's wishes will be fulfilled more smoothly."
Cheng Shao knew that this was the best way, but if he did so, Qiao Ruichen would be in crisis again and might not be able to come back.
Qiao Shengwen also knew this. His son's injuries had not yet healed, and he was about to go through life and death again. As a father, he really couldn't make up his mind to do this.
He felt that it was time for his old bones to hold on. "You all stay, your mother and I..."
"Let my husband go." Miao Wan, who came in from outside with a tonic soup, interrupted her father-in-law softly, "I will go back with my husband."
Qiao Shengwen frowned, "Awan, it's too dangerous to go back to Beijing, and the child can't leave you."
Miao Wan had already made up her mind. She glanced at Qiao Ruichen with a smile, then turned to look at her father-in-law with a firm gaze. "I've wanted to return to the capital for a long time, and I also have a way to avoid the Regent's calculations. No matter whether he uses force or soft tactics, I have a way to deal with it."
In other words, no matter whether it is a palace fight or a house fight, she is experienced (reading novels and watching TV) and is not afraid of god-like opponents. Isn't it enough for her to eliminate her opponent's path first?
Anyway, this battle must be fought!
Miao Wan's body shone with a golden light of righteousness. She said righteously, "It's time to let the people of the capital see the power of money!"
Several men: "..."
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