Chapter 921: Making Wedding Dresses for Others
The word "imperial sister" made Wu Ya's face look extremely ugly.
She and Huyan Min were of the same generation, but after the old Khan died, according to the Beiling rule of "the son inherits the throne after the father's death", her mother became the queen of the new Khan, and even Wu Ya, who had originally competed with Huyan Min for the throne of Khan, was demoted to a lower generation.
Although she was still a princess, Hu Yanmin never called her "royal sister". He either called her by her name or spoke condescendingly to her.
Now, the word "sister" not only did not make Wu Ya feel close to her, but was full of ridicule.
Wu Ya's face turned cold. "Your Majesty, you're joking. My Zong Yu tribe and the Thirteen Scattered Tribes have never interacted much, so how could there be any deal?"
Hu Yanmin looked at her: "You don't have it, what about Ji Rongqing?"
Wu Ya's eyes flickered slightly, her face solemn and she said nothing.
Hu Yanmin said in a deep voice, "I know you are deeply in love with Ji Rongqing, and because he saved the queen, she has complete faith in him. But Wuya, he is ultimately of the Wei Dynasty."
"He and Xiahou Ling led the troops to war together. Xiahou Ling and the other generals were either killed or captured. Even Sang Qina and his men died in Wei. Even those who managed to escape were in a very miserable state. But Ji Rongqing, despite being ill and looking very sick, managed to return unscathed. Don't you find it strange?"
His gaze fell on Wu Ya's face, with a heavy look in it.
"Xiahou Ling has been in Beiling for so many years, and you've seen his methods. He's definitely not someone who would fall for a trick easily. No matter how cunning the people of Wei are, they wouldn't be so unprepared as to bet everything on that one battle."
"Besides, you and the Imperial Preceptor's Office have always been at odds, and the struggle for power on the battlefield has never stopped. Even if Xiahou Ling was momentarily confused, Ji Rongqing would not condone it. Unless that battle was originally decided by Xiahou Ling and Ji Rongqing, the people of your Zong Yu tribe would not hesitate to follow him to his death."
"They fought on the battlefield, some died, some were injured, but Ji Rongqing returned intact. It's okay for him to abandon Xiahou Ling and the others, but what about Sang Qina and the others, as well as the many people in Zong Yu's tribe? They have always been loyal to you because you also risked your life for Ji Rongqing."
Hu Yanmin said seriously, "I have never seen Ji Rongqing clearly, and you may not be either. If he could abandon the people of Zong Yu's tribe that day, he can abandon you in the future."
"The struggle for power between you and me is our own business. No matter who wins or loses in the end, the Beiling Royal Court will still exist, and you and I can protect the safety of our tribes. But if someone else takes the throne, the already small number of people from the three major tribes behind you and me will probably be swallowed up."
"Wu Ya, I don't mean to kill all the members of the Thirteen Tribes, but I want to at least weaken them so they pose no threat to the royal court. Also, think carefully: was Ji Rongqing's deal with the Thirteen Tribes really for you? Don't let yourself become their abandoned pawn, dying without knowing how you died."
…
Wu Ya came out of the king's tent with a gloomy face. She didn't want to listen to Hu Yanmin's words, but those voices kept ringing in her ears like devilish sounds.
"Princess, what's wrong with you? Has the Khan made things difficult for you again?"
After the maidservant from the Princess's Mansion finished speaking, she saw that Wu Ya didn't say anything and couldn't help but say angrily:
"What a mess the royal court has become now! If the princess and her husband hadn't persuaded the Thirteen Scattered Tribes and the border tribes to help stop the Wei army, the royal army would have been shattered long ago. The Khan is still clinging to the throne. If the princess had won the throne, she would have killed that bastard Xiahou Ling earlier, and our Beiling wouldn't have ended up like this..."
In recent years, Beiling has always been stronger than Dawei. It was only they who were rampant on the border, causing Dawei to be terrified and have nightmares every night. When had they been forced to this point by the people of the Wei Dynasty?
During this period, they were like stray dogs, being chased all over the grassland by the people of Wei. If the thirteen scattered tribes had not stopped the Wei army, the remaining people in the royal court would have been defeated by the people of Wei. The root of all this was that the Khan trusted Xiahou Ling too much.
If the one leading the troops was General Sanqina, a member of their Zong Yu tribe, Beiling would never have fallen into this situation.
"alright."
Wu Ya listened to the indignation of the people around her and frowned, "Where is the prince consort?"
Maid: "In the tent."
Wu Ya turned and walked towards her tent: "Has he eaten yet?"
The maid shook her head: "No, what was delivered tonight was roasted venison, and the prince consort didn't touch any of it."
Wu Ya frowned: "Didn't I tell you that the Prince Consort doesn't like meat?"
The maidservant said, "I know, but Princess, we are out of food. Even you and the Khan rely on the meat you hunt every day to fill your stomachs. The abundant grass and water during this period has prevented our army from starving. It is simply impossible for us to cook fine rice and flour for the Prince Consort every day like we do in the Princess's Mansion."
Wu Ya pursed her lips and said to her, "I remember that the Wanhu tribe had close ties with the Wei Dynasty and the Southern Qi merchants. They should still have some food. Go get some swords and exchange them for some rice from the Wanhu tribe."
"Princess!" The maidservant's eyes widened. "It's wartime now. We don't have enough swords, bows and crossbows. How can we exchange them for rice..."
"Go if I tell you to." Wu Ya looked at her. "The Prince Consort is weak and can't go hungry. Even if you can exchange some of the rice for some to make meat porridge, it will be fine."
"Princess……"
"Go quickly!"
Seeing that Wu Ya had made up her mind, the maid could only stamp her feet, respond, and turn away.
Seeing the figure running away, Wu Ya couldn't help but rub her brows.
Their lives are indeed not easy now. They had led their troops to meet the Wei army in a hurry because of its aggressive attack. The remaining food in their hands was not enough to sustain the army. If it were not the midsummer when the grasslands were rich in water and grass and prey was easy to catch, they would have collapsed long ago.
Although the Wei Dynasty has not continued its attack, they have not retreated either. The tens of thousands of people left on the grassland have forced Beiling to be trapped here and unable to return to the imperial city.
The Great Wei had a steady supply of supplies and could also hunt, so they didn't have to worry about anything even if they stopped for a few months. However, it was different in Beiling. They were restrained by the people of the Wei Dynasty and could not return to their clan land to raise livestock and recuperate, missing the time for planting and having no way to store prey.
Once the grass and water wither in autumn, or even when heavy snow falls in winter, countless people in Beiling will starve to death.
They simply can't afford to waste time.
Wu Ya returned to the tent worriedly, and saw Lu Zhinian drinking tea with his head down.
"The princess is back. I just made some tea. Would you like to try some?"
Wu Ya walked over and sat down opposite Lu Zhinian, looking down at the teacup he pushed towards her.
The tea was clear, without a trace of turbidity. She had specially asked someone to find this tea. At that time, she always felt that the things in Beiling were crude and unworthy of the elegant and refined prince consort. He should be dressed in brocade clothes and sit on the balcony, drinking tea, appreciating the moon and chatting about the autumn wind.
But now, looking at the tea, she suddenly had a thought she had never had before: she wondered how much food this cup of tea could be exchanged for.
"Rong Qing, why did you agree to enter the princess's mansion?"
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