Chapter 23 (Chapter 23) - Arrested
After returning to the palace, Xiao Shenjing summoned several ministers almost without stopping, including Lu Xiuran, a scholar of the Hanlin Academy.
The young emperor stroked the jade dragon pattern on the armrest of the dragon throne.
The military report from Yulin Garrison was still spread out on the dragon-patterned imperial desk, the words "Turks invaded Guazhou, slaughtering seven thousand soldiers and civilians" frozen into ice shards.
"What do you think of the repeated invasions by the Turks?" Xiao Shenjing asked, looking at the ministers in the room.
Throughout history, the Turks have repeatedly invaded the border regions.
During the Jingde period, when Xiao Shenjing's grandfather was in charge of the government, in order to prevent foreign turmoil from depleting the national treasury, he chose to appease the Turks through marriage, and the Turks, after recuperating, grew stronger day by day.
It is now late summer. The Turks are restless in winter. When the nomadic people run out of food, they always invade the border every year, burning, killing and looting.
During periods of political turmoil, they became increasingly reckless, even daring to invade the Hexi Corridor. Although they were eventually driven out, this gave the Turks an opportunity, and in recent years they have been eager to try to invade the Central Plains through the Hexi Corridor.
"Your Majesty is wise!" said Wang Ruzhen, Minister of Revenue, bowing deeply. "Last year, the Northwest suffered a severe drought, and the imperial granary held less than a million taels of silver. The Turks only demand silk and women. If a marriage alliance can end the conflict..."
"If a marriage alliance could stop the war, why would those Turks slaughter my people in Jingsheng this time?" General Cai suddenly interrupted, angrily saying, "A marriage alliance is not a long-term solution; it will only make those barbaric Turks think that Jingsheng is weak and easily bullied."
“The Ashina tribe of the Turks suffered a devastating calamity last year, losing more than half of their warhorses,” General Cai said, pulling a yellowed sheepskin scroll from his sleeve. “This is a map of the nine border defenses, drawn by me after traversing the Xuanfu-Datong defense line, marking the pastures and water sources of each tribe. If we send light cavalry to burn their stored grain and cut off their return route…”
Wang Ruzhen's white beard trembled. "Do you know how much food and fodder the iron cavalry consumes every day once a war breaks out?"
"That's precisely why we need a swift battle." General Cai held the map high above his head, sunlight filtering through the glazed tiles of the palace roof and casting dappled shadows on his face. "The Turks have come out in full force this time, leaving the royal court undefended. If we send the General of Datong to lead his elite cavalry out of Shahu Pass and strike straight at the Khan's camp, we can definitely catch the Turks off guard."
"Issue the decree." The young emperor stood up, the sun, moon, mountains, and rivers on his twelve-symbol imperial robes surging like waves in the morning breeze. "General Cai is promoted to the position of Director of the Military Affairs Department, and will lead five thousand elite troops to reinforce Guazhou in three days."
After the ministers left, only Lu Xiuran, who had remained silent, was kept behind.
Xiao Shenjing leaned back on the dragon throne, tapping his fingers on the armrest without saying a word.
Since the emperor remained silent, Lu Xiuran could only lower his head in response.
"Do you know why I kept you here?" After a few moments, Xiao Shenjing raised his eyes and asked slowly.
"Your Majesty, I do not know," Lu Xiuran immediately bowed and replied.
Although Lu Xiuran had already been appointed as a Hanlin Academy scholar, his power base in the court was weak, yet he consistently advocated war against the Turks.
“The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Xiao Shenjing stood up. “Besides the Turks, there are nomadic peoples such as the Tiele and the Tibetans who invade from time to time. Among them, the Tiele is the greatest threat. I intend to secretly support the Tatars to contain the Turks.”
As he spoke, he looked at Lu Xiuran and said, "And this matter, I will entrust to you."
Lu Xiuran never expected that the emperor would make such a decision.
I was so shocked that my heart was surging.
"I want the Turks to know that Jingsheng will not make peace through marriage, pay reparations, pay tribute, or cede territory!" The young emperor rose from his throne, his eyes filled with unwavering determination, and declared, "Anyone who dares to bully the people of Jingsheng will have their country destroyed and their race exterminated."
Suddenly, sparks flew from the bronze crane incense burner beneath the steps, and a wisp of green smoke rose straight up, passing through the Big Dipper constellation in the ceiling and dissipating beyond the nine heavens.
"Your Majesty, you are wise." Lu Xiuran felt his blood rushing and bowed deeply.
Lu Xiuran was born west of Yangguan. From a young age, he witnessed how the Turks slaughtered and manipulated the Han people.
The Han people lived a life worse than pigs and dogs in the areas occupied by the Turks, and even his mother was killed by the Turks.
The dynasties of successive years have long forgotten these places in the Western Regions, even though these places are also Jing Sheng's land, and the people living there are all Jing Sheng's subjects.
Lu Xiuran knew better than anyone that paying tribute and making marriage alliances would never satisfy those barbaric Turks.
Only with an iron fist can the millions of suffering people be rescued.
This is why, after hearing what Xiao Shenjing said when he raised his army, he resolutely chose to assist Xiao Shenjing.
As soon as "Big Brother" Fan Zishi entered the backyard, he saw Fan Qile crying and his face covered in tears.
Two years ago, Fan Qile got engaged to the second son of the Vice Minister of War. With the wedding date approaching, the second son was seen not only keeping a mistress, but the mistress was even pregnant.
Fan Zishi stood with his hands behind his back and said, "If you are not happy, then you can break off the engagement. With your background and looks, what kind of man can't you find in the capital?"
Fan Qile cried so hard she could barely breathe, and wouldn't respond.
Fan Zishi frowned. "If you don't want to break off the engagement, then you can have the concubine's child aborted before this matter blows up. But you should know that Li Deyun dared to cause such a scandal before the mistress even entered the house. Even if you marry into the family in the future, you may not be able to control him much."
Fan Qile, however, continued to cry, showing no sign of being able to hold her head high.
Seeing her like this, Fan Zishi frowned even more deeply.
He thought of Yunxi.
Has Yunxi ever cried?
He never saw her cry, not even when she suffered the greatest injustice.
On the day she left the manor, he wronged her and even accused her of saying such hurtful things. She could only look at him with disappointment.
disappointment
Even now, he still remembers the way Yunxi looked at him back then.
Many times when I woke up from my tossing and turning, I saw those almond-shaped eyes filled with disappointment.
The sound of weeping and wailing made me feel even more bored and restless in the mansion.
She turned and left.
As night fell, not even the sound of cicadas could be heard in the entire palace.
Xiao Shenjing lay lazily on the soft couch. He had just finished bathing, and a maid was kneeling beside him, drying his hair.
Watching her figure sway dimly in the candlelight, Xiao Shenjing was reminded of Yun Xi.
She's been locked up in jail for most of the day now; it's time to settle the score with her.
"Change your clothes," he said, brushing aside the maid.
Xiao Shenjing's appearance in the imperial prison went unnoticed.
Because of the unbearable pain from her injuries, coupled with the damp and foul stench of the prison, Yunxi would wake up very quickly after only a short while of sleeping.
Earlier, she had eaten half a steamed bun and drunk half a bowl of cold water, but now she still felt as full as a rock. After the battle, she was exhausted and didn't even notice when Xiao Shenjing appeared.
The stench of decay and dampness was overwhelming, and Xiao Shenjing frowned uncomfortably.
As he approached the cell, he looked up into it.
I saw a slender figure curled up motionless on the withered grass.
She didn't react at all to the loud noise of the door being opened. Her new green clothes were tattered and soaked with drops of blood and dirt.
Xiao Shenjing glanced at the jailer who was unlocking the door.
The sound of the chains hitting the iron gate finally made Yunxi move, but only slightly.
She was so tired that she didn't even want to open her eyes.
After all, she is now trapped in the Imperial Prison, where even flies have a hard time getting in.
Xiao Shenjing didn't look down at his feet until he kicked something away.
The sharp sound of shattering porcelain startled Yunxi, and before she could fully regain her senses, she sat up abruptly from the dry grass. "Who's there!"
Xiao Shenjing subconsciously glanced at his feet.
A broken earthen bowl lay not far away. A small handful of water clung to the side of his brocade boots, wetting the withered grass and stone slabs.
Look at that yellowish-brown bowl with a large chip on the edge.
It was clearly a vessel for prisoners to drink water.
It was dirty and tattered, which made Xiao Shenjing extremely disgusted.
The arrival of torches instantly transformed the previously dark room into a brightly lit space.
Yunxi recognized the person who had come and saw the bowl that Xiao Shenjing had kicked away. She pursed her dry lips and lay back down.
It's like they're too lazy to even glance at it.
Xiao Shenjing stared at her and asked, "Yunxi, don't you have anything to say to me?"
She didn't move. "Kill me or torture me, it's up to you."
How can anyone not be angry with such an attitude?
Are you really not afraid of death?
Yunxi did not reply.
It's not that she's not afraid of death.
Rather, they know that if someone has murderous intent, no amount of pleading will be of any use; it will only add to their pitifulness and become a laughing stock.
Her indifferent attitude only added fuel to the fire.
As a ruler with absolute control, how many people in the world would dare to face Xiao Shenjing with such an attitude?
However, the angrier he became, the calmer he became.
He even stared at Yunxi's back and chuckled, a thick mockery emanating from his nose: "I will drag out every single one of the traitors who helped you coerce Princess Yong'an back then."
Yunxi remained silent.
It wasn't until Xiao Shenjing slowly and deliberately said, "I suppose that boy named Congtou is also one of your accomplices," that things changed.
Yunxi suddenly opened her eyes.
"I will order someone to interrogate him properly! You must have heard of the methods used in the Zhaoyu Prison. I also want to see how many punishments his bones can withstand."
With that, he turned and left.
“Xiao Shenjing,” Yunxi called out to him immediately.
Xiao Shenjing stopped, but did not turn around, his back to her.
It was as if they were considering it, giving her one last chance.
Yunxi slowly sat up straight. "If you insist that I orchestrated the fall that day, then I have no argument. If you want to do something, just come at me. After all, you are the Emperor, why lower yourself to argue with a mere child?"
"A strategic retreat?" Xiao Shenjing slowly turned around, looking directly at her. "Yunxi, you are much more meticulous than you were four years ago."
"I'm just telling the truth."
She showed no fear whatsoever, and there wasn't even a hint of pleading in her voice.
"You still want to deny it now?" Xiao Shenjing suddenly spoke, stepping forward with a furrowed brow. "You've practiced martial arts since childhood, yet you were easily kidnapped and instantly rendered powerless to resist. After you fell off the cliff, your clothes and headdress were found at the bottom, and you even coincidentally found two similar corpses."
Yunxi stared at him, pursing her lips without saying a word.
As he spoke, he approached until his spotless black boots trod on the moldy straw.
The tall figure was elongated by the firelight, making it appear both dark and dangerous.
"You coerced the current princess and put her in danger; you deserve to die a thousand deaths." He leaned forward slightly, his phoenix eyes like a sharp knife that wanted to cut her bones and blood. "You used fake death to escape and pretended to be someone else to deceive the emperor. Even now, you are still unrepentant. You, those who helped you, and that Xu Yuansi, how many heads do you have that I can chop off?"
Yunxi knew how important Princess Yong'an was to Xiao Shenjing, so she stopped resisting and asked softly in a low voice, "Then I beg you, will you let us go?"
"What did you say!" Xiao Shenjing's face turned frighteningly cold in an instant.
If Xiao Shenjing can really help Congtou and Xu Yuansi survive.
What can't she do?
While Xiao Shenjing was still stunned, she endured the excruciating pain in her leg and knelt straight down with a thud. "Your Majesty, it was my fault for being ignorant. Please forgive me and let us go."
She placed her hands on the ground, lowered her head deeply, and was about to kowtow.
Seeing her actions, Xiao Shenjing felt a surge of anger rising in his throat.
"Us?" He grabbed her, forcefully stopping her movements, and demanded, "Tell me, Yunxi, who are you begging me to spare?"
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