Ten Mile Pavilion in Kyoto.
Xuanyuan Zhan and Mu Lingchen escorted Ling Lang, Bai Ying, and nearly 300,000 troops from the Zhenbei Army and Beicheng Army to Shili Pavilion.
In addition to the large army returning to the north, Tuoba Xiong will also be returning to the north with them, and then to the Northern Rong.
In addition to these, Xuanyuan Zhan also cared about the people of the North, so he allocated a batch of grain and disaster relief funds from the national treasury and had Ling Lang and the others escort them back to the North.
Although the water problem in the north should be solved, the crops in the north cannot be grown overnight, so the relief grain must continue to be distributed. It will take at least half a year for the people in the north to truly recover after the new crops have grown.
Upon arriving at Shili Pavilion, Ling Lang and Bai Ying dismounted together: "We've arrived at Shili Pavilion. Your Majesty, Your Highness, please wait."
As they spoke, they all knelt down before Xuan Yuanzhan: "Thank you for your care along the way, Your Majesty. We can no longer accompany Your Majesty, so please take care!"
Xuanyuan Zhan personally stepped forward and helped Ling Lang and Bai Ying up: "I should thank you. If it weren't for you abandoning everything to follow me, I wouldn't be where I am today."
Ling Lang truly risked the extermination of his entire family to join him in this uprising. He will never forget everything Ling Lang did for him!
Ling Lang dared not take credit: "His Majesty is wise and brave, and cares for the people. He won the world because it was the will of the people."
In truth, he understood perfectly well that even without his support of the 100,000-strong Zhenbei Army, the Emperor's military prowess would still ensure success. Moreover, the Emperor's actions—whether it was providing disaster relief and suppressing bandits in the north, digging irrigation canals, repelling the Northern Rong, protecting the people, or safeguarding the populace in the cities they passed through, resolutely preventing private soldiers from harming or taking even a needle or thread from them—were all observed by the people. They clearly saw who the wise ruler was.
With such popular support, the throne will surely belong to the emperor unless he decides not to accept it.
Xuan Yuanzhan didn't bother with these pleasantries. He patted Ling Lang on the shoulder and said, "Be careful on your journey to the North. Send me a letter when you arrive."
"Yes," Ling Lang replied immediately.
Xuanyuan Zhan thought of something and then instructed, "There are three things. First, take Tuoba Xiong back. I have already spoken with him and will release him back to Beirong without any conditions. Once he arrives in the North, just release him back."
Ling Lang was somewhat puzzled as to why Xuan Yuanzhan released Tuoba Xiong so easily: "I heard that the Tianqiong tribe sent a letter, willing to submit to Dongchu and pay tribute every year. Why did Your Majesty release Tuoba Xiong without asking for anything in return?"
Bai Ying and the others looked at Xuan Yuanzhan in confusion. They had gone to great lengths to capture Tuoba Xiong, so why were they releasing him so easily?
Xuanyuan Zhan raised an eyebrow and explained, "When will this cycle of revenge end? This great battle with the Northern Rong has fully demonstrated the strength of our Eastern Chu. I believe they will not easily invade again in the future. Even so, the Northern Rong are warlike by nature. We can force them to submit and pay tribute now, but things will inevitably turn around. Who can guarantee that they won't start another war in the future to overturn this tribute? Where there is oppression, there is resistance. In that case, it's better not to oppress them. Perhaps we can avoid a major war. Peaceful coexistence is the best choice."
Actually, when he brought Tuoba Xiong back, he didn't want Tianqiong to submit or pay tribute. He simply wanted to use him to testify against Xuanyuan Zhi. Now that the testification was successful, his goal was achieved. So it wasn't necessary to use him to exchange for any tribute!
Only after Xuan Yuanzhan explained it this way did everyone finally understand.
The emperor was thinking about the future. That's what an emperor is—he thinks more and longer-term than they do.
Indeed, if we receive tribute now but then have to fight a war in the future, it would truly be a losing proposition.
"Your Majesty is wise!"
The men bowed, feeling that the Emperor was truly magnanimous and intelligent, far beyond the reach of them, these fools.
Ling Lang glanced at Tuoba Xiong, who had already been freed from his shackles, and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will definitely escort him out of the North."
Xuanyuan Zhan nodded silently and said, "The second thing is that you take these grains and silver back to the North. The water problem in the North should be mostly solved, but the disaster relief work must continue. I entrust the disaster relief work in the North to you. Whether you don't have enough grain or silver, just write to me and I will allocate more grain and silver to you."
Upon hearing this, Ling Lang immediately knelt down before Xuan Yuanzhan again: "Your Majesty still cares for the people of the North, which is truly a blessing for us. On behalf of all the people of the North who have received Your Majesty's kindness, I kowtow to thank Your Majesty for your great favor. Long live the Emperor!"
Seeing him kneeling and kowtowing, Xuan Yuanzhan quickly helped him up: "Alright, there's no need for formalities between us. There's one last thing."
“What are your orders?” Ling Lang replied immediately.
“It’s Xuanyuan Zhi.” Xuanyuan Zhan hadn’t forgotten what he had promised Xuanyuan Zhi when he left the capital: “Xuanyuan Zhi has gone to the North, so he doesn’t need your special care. But if he encounters any difficulties, please lend him a hand.”
When Ling Lang heard Xuan Yuanzhi's name, he thought the emperor would specifically instruct him to keep a close watch on Xuan Yuanzhi or find an opportunity to teach him a lesson, since he had previously colluded with the enemy and sent troops to block them from returning to the capital!
He never expected that the Emperor would ask him to take care of Xuan Yuanzhi. He really was being petty and judging others by his own standards.
He should have realized this sooner. If the Emperor hadn't pleaded for Xuanyuan Zhi before the late Emperor, Xuanyuan Zhi would have died long ago, and he wouldn't have only been exiled to the north.
The emperor even came to see Xuanyuan Zhi off on the day he left the capital.
Even the enemy leader Tuoba Xiong was treated leniently by the emperor, let alone Xuanyuan Zhi. He was mistaken!
"Your subject obeys!" Ling Lang accepted the task.
It's just taking care of Xuanyuan Zhi, isn't it? If the Emperor can put it aside, then he naturally has no reason to be pretentious.
Xuanyuan Zhan was naturally at ease with Ling Lang, and then looked at Bai Ying and the others, saying, "After you arrive in the North, take care of your personal matters and go to the Western Frontier as soon as possible."
This time, he specially appointed Bai Ying as the General Who Conquers the West, so that he could help him guard the western frontier.
The men who previously guarded the western frontier were Xuanyuan Yu's men, but he has already dismissed them.
Bai Ying is exceptionally capable and skilled in leading troops. He was personally recruited by Bai Ying and is the best candidate to guard the western frontier.
Bai Ying and the others immediately bowed: "Your Majesty, rest assured, after I return to the North to settle my personal matters, I will immediately take them to the Western Frontier."
They were all from the North. In fact, it wasn't just him who had some personal matters; although Zhang Debiao and the others didn't have families, they still had some things to do in the North.
This trip back will allow everyone to resolve these matters at once, so that we can go to Western Xinjiang together without any worries.
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