Chapter 916 The Overall Situation Has Been Decided
Liang Guangyi's attitude didn't seem like they were familiar with each other, but he couldn't help but look at Tang Ning after hearing what he said, obviously wanting to know whether the news was true or not.
Tang Ning chuckled softly, "It's true. Xiahou Ling has ruined the Beiling army by trapping himself in a trap. He's now at Luoyan Pass. His Majesty has ordered him to be handed over to Mr. Shi. Those Beiling generals who are willing to surrender are fine, but those who are stubborn have been beheaded on the battlefield to intimidate the Beiling surrendering troops."
"The situation in the northwest has been decided. The main force of Beiling has suffered heavy losses. Although some people escaped from the battlefield, they are a motley crowd that can no longer make a difference."
As Tang Ning spoke, he ordered Yue Jian to pass the battle report to Cao Dejiang and the others. Cao Dejiang and the other two gathered together and couldn't help but show their joy. Qian Baokun even clapped his hands in celebration: "Great, great..."
"When will Your Majesty return to the capital?" Cao Dejiang looked up.
"It will take some time." Tang Ning said gently, "Now that the Beiling army has been annihilated, the Northland is now desolate. Luoyan Pass has sufficient food and grass, and the troops are strong. It is a good time to march north. On the day Beiling was defeated, Your Majesty and General Xiao Zheng had already led the troops north into the Northland."
"What? Your Majesty is personally leading the army?!"
Qian Baokun stood up with a swift movement, and said reflexively, "How can this be possible? Although the Beiling army has been annihilated, the news we received originally showed that not all the Beiling troops had gone to the battle, and only one-tenth or one-twelfth of the thirteen scattered troops had been mobilized."
"Those barbarians are born brave and valiant. Men, women, young and old can all serve as soldiers. It would be too risky for Your Majesty to go to the north in person. What if... Your Majesty, there are so many generals in the northwest. Why would Your Majesty need to lead the expedition in person?"
He really felt that there was no need for Your Majesty to put himself in danger. After all, Beiling was not a "weak" place like Southern Qi. They could not be frightened by the use of force. On the grassland, everyone was a soldier, and children as young as eleven or twelve could ride on horses and fight. Your Majesty's life was worth a million gold, so why should you put yourself in danger?
Cao Dejiang also frowned a little: "Your Majesty has been away from the capital for several months. He was also injured in Southern Qi before. Now that the northwest has won a great victory, and the queen is pregnant, Your Majesty should return to the capital as soon as possible to take charge of the overall situation."
Tang Ning said seriously: "I have never told Your Majesty that I am pregnant."
When they looked up, she said:
"It was His Majesty's original intention to fight Beiling. Taking Beiling was the long-cherished wish of countless people in the Great Wei. This battle exhausted the entire Great Wei, and countless people risked their lives to gain the opportunity to win a great victory in the northwest and take Beiling. As the Emperor of the Great Wei, he personally led the troops to the battle, which was the best way to comfort those people."
"But……"
"There's nothing to worry about. His Majesty is not a reckless person. He dared to lead the troops north, so he must have his own plans and confidence. I'm in good health, and I have your assistance at court. Even if His Majesty returns late, it won't be a problem."
The baby in the womb is still young, and even if the clearance of Beiling is not so smooth, it will take at most three or four months.
She knew Xiao Yan's long-cherished wish, his ambitions and the future he wanted, so she naturally wouldn't hold him back and distract him at this time.
Qian Baokun wanted to say something more when Cao Dejiang stopped him and gave him a look.
never mind.
The Empress has made up her mind, and His Majesty has already led the troops north. It is too late for them to say more now. They can't just run to Beiling to stop His Majesty. It is better for them to help the Empress stabilize the court, protect the Empress and wait for His Majesty's triumphant return.
Qian Baokun seemed to understand what Cao Dejiang meant, pursed his lips and said nothing more.
Tang Ning pretended not to notice the exchange of glances between the two men and simply said, "I called you into the palace today because of matters concerning the northwest. Now that the battle is over, and His Majesty hasn't returned yet, we must prioritize the compensation for the soldiers who died in the battle, the comfort of the people, and the repair and reconstruction of several cities in the northwest."
Cao Dejiang and the others all looked serious when they heard the serious news.
Tang Ning looked at Liang Guangyi and said, "Prime Minister Liang, how are the peace talks going with Southern Qi?"
Liang Guangyi, who had remained silent the entire time, spoke calmly, "Southern Qi experienced a palace turmoil a month ago. Third Prince Nie Xuan ascended the throne with General Xiao's help over half a month ago. Feng Qiuli reported back that the new Southern Qi emperor was intent on reneging on his promise, but only after General Yin and his men threatened him with their troops did he surrender the city he had promised to cede to us."
"As for the other post-war compensation, the gold, silver, treasures, war horses, and food will all be escorted back to the capital. We've also signed a contract for Southern Qi to gradually make up for the shortfall over the next three years. The new Southern Qi emperor wanted to sign a letter of waiver of hostilities with us, but without the Empress and Your Majesty's orders, Feng Qiuli found excuses to delay. The Southern Qi emperor likely wasn't truly committed, so the matter was shelved."
Tang Ning nodded and said nothing about Nie Xuan's tentative letter of exemption from war.
Nie Xuan is not as weak and incompetent as the old emperor of Southern Qi. He was able to crawl out of the cold palace from a useless prince who was abandoned by others to where he is today. How could he be willing to submit to others? Now he bows to the Wei Dynasty only because he has just ascended the throne and is not as strong as others, so he is lying low.
Once he had straightened out the Southern Qi government and firmly grasped the power of the Southern Qi, the first target he would bite back would inevitably be the Wei Dynasty.
The letter of exemption from war was intended to ensure the safety of Southern Qi for one or two years, but it was also a test of Wei. Moreover, even if the two countries really signed the letter, if a war really broke out, anyone could find thousands of reasons to break the agreement.
"What about Xinjiang?" Tang Ning asked.
Cao Dejiang frowned. "It's not going very well. There are too many poisonous miasma in the southwestern mountains. Although a few tribes have been subdued, the others are extremely stubborn. Although they are few in number, they are very difficult to deal with. General Qi was also ambushed there."
Tang Ning was shocked: "Is Qi Chengren okay?"
Cao Dejiang shook his head: "It's not clear yet."
Western Xinjiang is not as close to the capital as Southern Qi, and there are many mountains and forests, so it is not easy to send a message back to the capital.
Tang Ning pondered for a moment before frowning and speaking, "Send a message to Di Tao and the others. As long as we can capture the major tribes in the western border and stabilize the southwestern border, there's no need to pursue the other small tribes hiding in the mountains."
Western Xinjiang is an extremely mysterious place. Madam Qin has always said that there are many strange things there and that there are many methods that the outside world does not have. When she was traveling through Western Xinjiang, she almost suffered a great loss. She was very secretive when she mentioned those people in Western Xinjiang.
There have not been many frictions between Western Xinjiang and Wei in recent years. If they had not been instigated by Xiahou Ling to intervene in the war in Southern Qi, Wei would not have attacked Western Xinjiang. Now that the southwestern border can be protected, there is no need to kill those people. Driving a dog into a dead end will only lead to backlash.
Cao Dejiang nodded upon hearing this: "This old minister also thinks so. Now that Southern Qi has negotiated peace and Beiling has won a great victory, the continuous fighting has made both the army and the people in need of rest and recuperation. It is really not appropriate to start another war at this time."
We have already gained benefits in the western border and conquered several tribes. It would be better to relax and unwind a bit, which can both deter others and not push them too hard and make them suffer a loss.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
