The national treasury of Daliang was not extremely short of silver now. š§šāÆšššššš°š·š¦š.šøā“š
After all, except for the confiscation and seizures of properties from factions such as the Crown Prince Residence, Second Prince Residence and so on, a large contribution was also made from the confiscation of properties from the Duke Residence of Jibei General.
In winter, although it was difficult to prepare grain and fodder, it wasnāt too much of a problem.
Yan Huisheng addressed the Emperor, "Father, we must save Nanchu in any case. Now, sending reinforcements to Nanchu is not as quick as seizing this opportunity to strike Dawei."
The Emperor admitted to these words and nodded, "The old Duke is aged after all, and although Su Xingze is very talented, he is not a general."
"I plan to go personally, with Zhou Wei, the eldest son of the Duke Residence, going with me," Yan Huisheng said. "Assigning Xie Lin and the fourth brother with the task of supervising the grain and fodder, you are largely recovered, and should attend the court to stabilize the political situation."
The Emperor took a deep breath, "No, you are the Crown Prince, how can you take this risk?"
Yan Huisheng said, "Father, if the crown prince of Dawei, Yuan Zhao, can take risks, so can I."
The Emperor choked on his words.
Yan Huisheng looked at the Emperor, "Father, I will take all the bodyguards with me, please rest assured. Only if I go personally can I control the situation at the frontline at any time, observe the situation in Dawei and Nanchu, and adjust to changes as necessary. I am stationed in the capital, which is too far away from both Nanchu and Dawei. The back-and-forth of sending messages is not at all convenient and may delay opportunities."
The Emperor said: "It is still two months away from next spring, can you make it back? You know that I have already asked the Ministry of Rites to prepare for my abdication and your ascension."
Yan Huisheng chuckled, "Father, you are in the prime of your life. Wouldnāt it be better for you to reign for a while longer? If Nanchu is lost, how can Daliang stand?"
The Emperor also knew this and sighed deeply, "Alright."
Seeing the Emperorās consent, Yan Huisheng stood up, "Then letās summon the court officials and discuss the matter overnight! I will set off early tomorrow morning."
The Emperor nodded and also stood up, "Letās go!"
The Empress hadnāt spoken a word the whole time, seeing the father and son getting ready to leave without eating, she opened her mouth, but didnāt utter the words to eat first before going to the council. Sensing the urgency of the situation, she understood Yan Huishengās anxiety.
So, that night, the Emperor and the Crown Prince summoned court officials for an overnight discussion. When the officials heard that the Crown Prince was going to personally lead the troops to besiege Dawei, they were all shocked. Some of the older officials quickly dissuaded him, saying that even if they were to attack Dawei, it was unnecessary for the Crown Prince to personally take the risk.
The fourth prince, Yan Shen, directly requested to be allowed to go to the border city himself, promising to cooperate with the old Duke in launching an attack on Dawei.
Xie Lin also requested to go with the fourth prince, suggesting that the Crown Prince should stay in the capital.
All the voices of opposition were rebuffed by Yan Huisheng. He made a firm decision and analyzed the pros and cons with everyone. In the end, when officials perceived the determination of the Crown Prince to go personally, the voices of opposition gradually faded.
Ruiāan King didnāt oppose the plan, but suggested that Xie Lin should follow the Crown Prince to the battlefield, while he would stay in the capital to supervise the grain and fodder.
Xie Lin also nodded repeatedly, saying to Yan Huisheng, "Your Highness, you should not underestimate me. I may not be able to beat Zhou Gu, but I am not useless. With my father managing the grain and fodder in the capital, if I follow you to the front, I can also help you with some military affairs."
It wasnāt wrong what Zhou Gu exposed about Xie Linās background, that the Ruiāan King Residence had its origins in banditry. But the Ruiāan King Residence was granted special status for its contribution to the conquest of the empire along with the founding emperor. Xie Lin had not been studying military strategy in vain either, he wasnāt an empty-headed person.
Yan Huisheng nodded, "Thatās good."
Xie Lin was overjoyed.
Lu Fengyan also volunteered, saying that he had also studied the Military Book and was willing to follow the Crown Prince to the battlefield. He might not be a brilliant general, but he was no meek scholar either.
Yan Huisheng nodded in agreement.
Seeing the two were approved by the Crown Prince, a group of young officials such as Zhao Shu, full of enthusiasm, volunteered to go as well. Yan Huisheng considered everyoneās appeal and chose Jiang Xing and Chen Zhou, leaving the others in the capital.
After exiting the Council Hall, Zhao Shu chased after Yan Huisheng, "Crown Prince, why did you only choose Jiang Xing and Chen Zhou, and left me behind? I have also studied the Military Book."
If Lu Fengyan could make the sacrifice to go to the battlefield, he could too.
Yan Huisheng chuckled, "I chose Jiang Xing and Chen Zhou because Su Xingze once told me that Jiang Xing, when he was young, studied military strategy with him and had a good understanding of it. Now, he is working in the Ministry of War. Chen Zhou, on the other hand, is serving in the Ministry of Housing. The moment military supplies run short, I need his maternal grandfatherās family to donate silver nearby, so I have to bring him with me."
"I am also rich. I can also donate silver," Zhao Shu said. "Your Highness, I also work in the Ministry of Housing."
Yan Huisheng nodded, "Thatās why I canāt take all of you with me. I need to leave someone in the court to raise silver for me."
Zhao Shu felt deflated, "Alright then!"
Yan Huisheng smiled and patted him on the shoulder, "Also, you have a better temper than Chen Zhou and are more adept at diplomatic handling. In my absence, coordinating with Ruiāan King, the fourth prince, the Ministry of Housing, and the frontline, you are more suitable than Chen Zhou to stay in the capital."
Zhao Shu blushed at the compliment and nodded, "Alright then! I obey."
Jiang Xing and Chen Zhou left the Council Hall with heavy hearts, not because they were about to wage war against Dawei, but because they were worried about Su Rong.
Who would have thought that the Crown Prince of Dawei, Yuan Zhao, would lead eight hundred thousand troops to attack Nanchu? No matter how capable Su Rong and Zhou Gu were, they would not be able to withstand the disparity of three hundred thousand troops, right?
After leaving the palace, the two men did not rush back home to pack up their luggage. Instead, they decided to go to the East Fourth Hutong together.
Ever since Su Rong left, the madam only received two letters from her. One was written after she went to Jibei and saw Su Xingze. The other was written on the border of Nanchu before she went in. Two months had passed without receiving another letter.
The madam was worried every day. She went to the Duke Residence and the eldest princess, Sheng An, said that she hadnāt received a letter from Zhou Gu for three months either. She couldnāt get any news from the Residence, so she had no choice but to wait patiently at home. She sent people to inquire at the postal station every day, but they came back disappointed every time.
A few days ago, hearing that the old Duke had left the capital for the Dawei border, she felt uneasy. Now, it was late at night and she couldnāt fall asleep. The wet nurse tried to pacify her several times, but she waved her away, "I canāt sleep."
When Jiang Xing and Chen Zhou arrived at East Fourth Hutong, they asked someone to knock on the door. It was only then they realized it was not very appropriate to disturb Madam Su in the middle of the night. But they had to set off early tomorrow for Jibei. They couldnāt just come tomorrow morning. What if Madam Su wanted to send something or a message to Brother Xingze?
The gatekeeper quickly went in to report. Hearing that Jiang Xing and Chen Zhou had arrived, Madam Su quickly came out to greet them herself.
Jiang Xing and Chen Zhou didnāt expect Madam Su to come out so quickly, they were both surprised, "Madam Su, havenāt you gone to bed yet?"
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