"Good news! Good news from Jiangbei! The Northern Expeditionary Army has achieved a great victory, killing three thousand enemies, and is about to advance towards the border!"
Three messengers rode swiftly on horseback, carrying the flag of the Northern Expeditionary Army. They traveled a long and dusty journey from the official road to the city gate, shouted the order three times, and then rushed into the city.
The city gate was quiet for a while, then suddenly erupted into chaos.
"Great victory for the Northern Expeditionary Army!"
"We've won!"
"Were all the barbarians killed?"
"Waaah, are we going to drive the barbarians out?!"
"Father, if you are watching from heaven, can you hear it? The Northern Expeditionary Army has avenged you! Waaah, your son is useless, your son has let you down!"
Whether rich or poor, whether riding in a carriage or carrying loads on the road, everyone cheered.
Some people jumped and shouted with joy, while others knelt down and cried.
Hatred is never forgotten with the passage of time.
When the barbarians suddenly invaded, and we had to hastily move our capital, every family lost several relatives on the way.
The word "barbarian" has been chewed over and over by countless people in the silent night, swallowed down with gusto!
Now, we're about to get our revenge!
"Waaah! I want to build a shrine for the Marquis! I want to kowtow and offer incense to the Marquis every day!"
"Lord Marquis is mighty! Lord Marquis is mighty!"
"The Northern Expeditionary Army is mighty!"
In fact, whether it's appointing a crown prince or selecting a concubine, the most pleased are the powerful and wealthy families.
For ordinary people, it doesn't matter who rules the country; whoever allows them to farm in peace and provides them with enough to eat and wear is the one they will support.
Therefore, the news of the great victory brought them even more joy!
The messenger ran into the city, and cheers and news spread everywhere.
Just as they reached the palace gates, a young eunuch rushed in to report.
The three messengers had their horses and longswords taken away and followed the guards slowly inside.
In the Imperial Study, the Emperor was talking with the Crown Prince, the Minister of Rites, and several other important officials, discussing the selection of imperial concubines for the next day.
Several high-ranking officials had daughters who wanted to enter the palace, so they attached great importance to this matter.
At this moment, they were also happy to show their faces in front of the Emperor and the Crown Prince, hoping to build a higher ladder for their daughters.
Just then, the young eunuch came running to deliver the news.
"Your Majesty is overjoyed! The Northern Expeditionary Army has achieved a great victory, killing three thousand enemies, and is about to advance towards the border!"
Everyone in the room was stunned, and no one spoke for a long time.
Because of certain unspeakable motives, the official document issued to the Northern Expeditionary Army was used to postpone the decisive battle. This matter was known only to a few people and was not publicized.
However, the several high-ranking officials present were all in the know.
Now that we suddenly hear the good news, it is clear that the Marquis of Xinting has disobeyed orders, not only failing to delay the attack but even accelerating the decisive battle...
In this way, while good news should be a joyous occasion, it's really not appropriate to offer congratulations now.
Sure enough, the Emperor's expression was rather unpleasant, but the Crown Prince's eyes seemed to brighten for a fleeting moment.
The eunuch who delivered the message wasn't very clever. Thinking that no one had heard him clearly, he repeated it loudly, only to be grabbed by the collar and thrown out by Chief Eunuch Yi.
The young eunuch was a bit dazed from the fall, thinking that Chief Eunuch Yi was jealous of him for taking the credit for delivering the message. Little did he know that Chief Eunuch Yi had saved his life.
Inside the room, the Crown Prince spoke, "Father, the great victory in Jiangbei means that the entire Tianwu territory will soon be recovered. This is a joyous occasion!"
He emphasized the word "happy event" a bit too much.
The emperor looked up at the several important ministers and knew that his son was reminding him.
He suppressed his irritation and dissatisfaction, coughed twice, and said, "Yes, this is a happy occasion."
Several high-ranking officials secretly breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the emperor's decision and quickly echoed his sentiments.
"Yes, congratulations, Your Majesty! The unification of the country is just around the corner."
"This is a great fortune for Tianwu!"
For a moment, the room was filled with praise.
Soon, the three messengers arrived.
The three knelt on one knee on the ground. Although they looked exhausted and disheveled, their backs were straight and their resolute expressions inspired respect.
"Your Majesty, three days ago, the Marquis personally led the vanguard into battle and broke through the barbarian stronghold..."
"We pursued the enemy for three hundred li, killing three thousand. We have ridden at full speed to report this good news!"
Regardless of his true feelings, the Emperor smiled and said, "Good, thank you for your hard work, soldiers of the Northern Expedition! You may go and rest now; you will be rewarded later."
Unexpectedly, the messenger who had spoken refused to obey and spoke again.
"Your Majesty, if there are any orders to be delivered to the Marquis, please give them to us. We must hurry back to Jiangbei; the battle is fierce, and every additional man means another sword to slay the barbarians!"
The emperor and several high-ranking officials frowned as they listened, remaining silent for a moment.
The Crown Prince smiled and praised, "Excellent! It is precisely because the Northern Expeditionary Army consists of such brave and valiant men that we were able to drive out the barbarians and recover our lost territories! Father, this deserves a great reward!"
His voice was loud and his expression was excited, perfectly embodying the image of a passionate young man.
The Emperor, not knowing what to say, simply said, "Alright, you may go down and eat and drink first. You may return to Jiangbei in half an hour."
The three soldiers then kowtowed and withdrew. Steward Yi saw them off, but they were still being pulled aside and begged.
"General, could you prepare some more flatbread for us? If we can't finish it on the road, we can share it with our brothers in the army. The military rations are delayed in reaching Jiangbei, and our brothers will be fighting barbarians on empty stomachs."
"Yes, Steward, we're not afraid of the weight. Could you prepare more for us?"
"If you don't have white flour cakes, corn cakes will do."
Manager Yi felt a pang of sadness upon hearing this and quickly agreed.
"Good, good, my brave men, come with me. Please eat and drink your fill. I will definitely prepare plenty of white flour cakes for you."
As they talked, they finally left.
In the imperial study, the emperor's already strained expression turned sour again.
The Minister of Rites tentatively asked, "Did the Marquis send someone back to report good news, or to urge for military supplies?"
The Minister of War knew the Emperor's thoughts best, and since the official documents were issued through him, he was already the undisputed scapegoat.
At this point, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "This year's drought is still unresolved. Procuring food is extremely difficult."
"I'm afraid I'll have to trouble the Marquis and the Northern Expeditionary Army. Fortunately, the war is going well, and I'm sure we've managed to capture some supplies from the barbarians. Otherwise, the Marquis would be openly demanding military provisions!"
Everyone nodded, and the emperor gained a way out.
Soon, after a few words of discussion between the emperor and his ministers, the imperial edict of commendation was issued.
There were lots of compliments, but no real rewards.
The crown prince stood to the side, not saying a word.
If you look closely at his eyes, you'll notice something different in the underside...
The military rations that should have been supplied in the first place were instead indefinitely delayed because of the victory.
Does this mean that the Northern Expeditionary Army would only be qualified to have enough to eat if they were defeated and driven back to the Jinsha River by the barbarians?
Before nightfall, three messengers, carrying large bundles, once again rode swiftly out of the city gate.
Needless to say, the people inside and outside the city gates were once again taken aback, but afterwards they held the Northern Expeditionary Army in even higher esteem.
Without the Northern Expeditionary Army's race against time and their selfless dedication, there would be no news of victory and no peace today!
In the Broken Gold Beach, Li Lao Er and Mr. Wen did not rest after their meal, but kept drinking tea and waiting for the commotion in the courtyard.
Jiayin stayed by his side, glancing out the window every now and then...
Two updates today!
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