Chapter 157 Xiao Daozun's tranquility was something she didn't know, nor did he...
The carriages traveled south, and after leaving the Jian'an area, the chill in the air gradually faded.
The fields under the autumn sun are no longer dyed golden, nor do they exude a desolate atmosphere; instead, they are full of vitality.
Such a scene was extremely rare in Yu Nie's memory of the past ten years.
For her, the plants and scenery before her were familiar.
She had lived in the south for a long time, where autumns and winters are never very cold.
It is different from Huaiyuan and different from Jian'an.
When Cuiwei, who was traveling south for the first time, lifted the curtain and looked outside, she exclaimed in amazement, "This world is truly wondrous! The leaves in Jian'an have all turned yellow, but the leaves in Caizhou are still green."
The scenery outside the carriage window became increasingly gentle and pleasant.
The distant mountains were still shrouded in a misty haze, while along the nearby field ridges, a few camphor trees displayed the lingering deep green of summer. A breeze slipped in through the gaps in the curtains, carrying the damp, fresh scent of grass and trees.
Yu Nie followed her gaze and looked out: "The further south you go, the fainter the autumn colors become."
Cuiwei gazed at the still verdant fields outside the window: "I wonder what Jian'an is like now that we've been away for five or six days."
Listening to Cuiwei's words, Yu Nie couldn't help but recall the night about ten days ago.
Since Han Jie stole the gunpowder register and fled the princess's residence overnight, in order to leave the city immediately, he kidnapped the Prince of Yan, hid in his carriage, and threatened the Prince of Yan to take him out of the city.
The gatekeeper that day was Shentu Zheng, who was on good terms with the Prince of Yan. When he saw that it was the prince's carriage, he only bowed through the curtain and let it pass without even checking it.
After the Prince of Yan escaped, he hurriedly reported to the Imperial Horse Administration. When the Imperial Horse Administration sent people to chase after him, Han Jie had already fled and disappeared without a trace.
Han Jie's theft of the gunpowder register was far too dangerous; if he were to take it back to Nan Yin, the consequences would be unimaginable. She knew she had to leave Jian'an immediately and head to Jinzhou.
In desperation, she had no choice but to secretly contact Lang Xi, hoping that he could persuade Zhao Yunfu to lift the confinement order as soon as possible.
Upon learning of this, Langxi spent several days trying to influence Zhao Yunfu, but due to the gravity of the matter, there was no progress for many days. With time running out, Yu Nie had no choice but to risk defying the rules and personally go to the palace to meet the emperor.
She originally thought it would be safer to continue closely monitoring Huan Xun, and she wanted to use this as a reason to persuade Zhao Yunfu.
But to her surprise, when she went in, Zhao Yunfu was furious about a military report from the northern frontier.
Only after she boldly pressed for details did she learn that Yan Yue had re-established a suppressive encirclement of the Xiutu people on the northern frontier battlefield after their counterattack.
Upon hearing this news, she said, "Governor Yan's military strategy is brilliant; it is truly a blessing for the court."
However, Zhao Yunfu did not smile at this, and only coldly replied to her: "Although he won, he did not follow any of the strategic plans I made."
“It is true that when a general is in the field, he may disobey the emperor’s orders.” Zhao Yunfu said this in a low voice, but Yu Nie, who stood respectfully below him, could sense the displeasure in his tone.
Behind this displeasure lies a deeper unease, a sense of apprehension, a sword of Damocles hanging overhead, and a sense of impending doom.
After calming down a bit, Zhao Yunfu then asked her why she had come.
Yu Nie then carefully uttered the explanation he had prepared along the way.
She knew that suddenly proposing to personally monitor Huan Xun would inevitably arouse suspicion.
So he attributed the idea to a dream that didn't exist.
She said she had a very ominous dream the night before.
In her dream, she saw the palace shrouded in black mist, and a swan swooped down on a purple pillar, startling her awake. She was drenched in sweat, and even now, the memory still sends chills down her spine. Therefore, she has come to report this, wondering if there will be any unusual activity at the front lines, and whether she should still personally go to Huan Xun's side for the sake of safety.
These words seemed to touch a chord in Zhao Yunfu's heart.
He stared at the military report on the table, remaining silent for a long time.
He didn't accuse her of being absurd; instead, it was as if he was scrutinizing the words she spoke and examining her as a person.
After a long pause, Zhao Yunfu spoke thoughtfully: "I know that Huan Xun is deeply in love with you, which is something we can control. With you by his side, he will have some reservations, and his actions will be difficult to control."
"Although the situation is dangerous now, having you by his side makes me feel more at ease. With your eyes watching over me, I can be sure which side he is on."
"I previously ordered you to preserve Huan Xun's bloodline in order to win him over and control him. Now it seems that this was a slow and futile plan. Now that Yan Yue holds a large army, he has shown signs of disloyalty. I must find out immediately what role Huan Xun plays in this game, whether he is loyal to the court or more loyal to his adoptive father."
Thus, the so-called "plan for the bloodline was temporarily put on hold," and Zhao Yunfu allowed her to go to Jinzhou to return to Huan Xun's side and continue to keep a close eye on his every move, in order to prevent him from having any hidden plots with Yan Yue that could endanger the court.
Pulling her wandering thoughts back, Yu Nie breathed a sigh of relief. She left Song Ai behind to manage the household affairs, entrusting the rest to Xu Cai, Lang Xi, and Qi Xun. She herself, traveling light, left Jian'an with Cuiwei.
Calculating their journey, they first traveled overland for several days, then switched to boats for a faster route, heading south along the river. Although the waterway offered less of the fatigue of riding horses, the vast river stretched out before them, its waters shrouded in mist.
After alternating between water and land, we returned to land, having already passed through two prefectures, and the scenery on the shore had been completely renewed.
Yu Nie estimated in his mind that at this speed, it wouldn't be long before they reached Jinzhou, the destination of their journey.
Having enjoyed the scenery to the fullest, Cuiwei lowered the carriage curtain and turned to look at Yu Nie: "Princess, do you think the Prince Consort will be able to return from the Jianghuai region once we arrive in Jinzhou?"
Only Cuiwei dared to call Huan Xun the Imperial Son-in-Law. She was young and spoke without thinking, and Yu Nie had corrected her several times with a embarrassed expression.
Cuiwei, however, insisted that they were already engaged and refused to change her mind, saying that they were a couple all along.
In this way, Yu Nie let her go.
Regarding Huan Xun's actions, the latest military report had been delivered before they left Jian'an.
Twenty days ago, Huan Xun personally led a thousand elite cavalrymen and brazenly broke into the flank of the Nan Yin defense line, burning some of Nan Yin's grain and fodder located in Zou County with lightning speed.
The Southern Yin garrison was shocked and enraged, and immediately dispatched a large force to encircle and suppress them, resulting in a conflict between the two sides in the hilly area.
Huan Xun knew that his isolated army could not linger in such a deep territory, and he had a plan in place. After the initial success, he did not linger in battle. He and his elite cavalry fought and retreated, quickly breaking into smaller units to escape the encirclement.
Next, following the scouted route, we boarded a speedboat and set sail down the river.
When the Nan Yin brigade arrived to give chase, they found only vast expanses of water, and their whereabouts were unknown.
Huan Xun, having left Nan Yin, led his men along the river to the Jianghuai region.
This operation was swift and ruthless, but it enraged Xiao Daozun, who at the same time issued the order to launch the Northern Expedition. The front lines are now engulfed in flames of war.
The Jianghuai region is strategically located at the crossroads of north and south, with fertile fields stretching for thousands of miles and a dense network of waterways. The Fujiang River runs through it from east to west, making it a historically contested area. Whoever firmly controls the Jianghuai region holds the throat of the enemy. Today, the entire Fujiang River is the front line of the north-south confrontation, with fortresses standing tall on both banks, war clouds gathering, and flames soaring into the sky.
Before Yu Nie could respond, Gu Xiangzhi's voice came from outside the carriage: "Not necessarily."
The carriage curtain swayed gently in the wind, casting a dark silhouette of his figure.
"The battle at the front is raging. Xiao Daozun is not Xiao Chengyan. This man is a true military genius. He could recite military books backwards at the age of ten and wrote his own military strategy at the age of twelve. He is proficient in both literary and military arts. What is more troublesome is that he is ruthless. When there was internal strife in Nan Yin, he single-handedly dealt with five powerful imperial uncles who held military power, killing them without leaving a single one of them, and consolidating the imperial power with blood."
After saying that, he concluded: "In short, this person is extremely difficult to deal with."
The carriage swayed slightly. Shen Tu Zheng was supposed to escort them on this trip, but Gu Xiangzhi volunteered to take on this thankless task.
Shen Tu Zheng, who wanted to claim the other merits for himself, generously gave the matter to him without saying a word.
The carriage curtain was lifted again by a delicate hand.
Yu Nie peeked out half her face, her eyes reflecting the swirling twilight: "Is Xiao Daozun really that powerful?"
She had not seen any records of Xiao Daozun in historical books, so he was a complete stranger to her.
They were surrounded by seven or eight riders, their carriage speeding along the road; at first glance, they appeared to be just ordinary wealthy merchants.
Gu Xiangzhi pulled on the reins in his hand and turned to look at her.
To avoid attracting attention, they both concealed their identities and pretended to be siblings.
At this time, Yu Nie was dressed as an ordinary woman. Her black hair was tied into two buns with red ribbons. Her hair was no longer adorned with elaborate jewels, but only with a single pearl flower tucked diagonally, the center of which was inlaid with a round white pearl. She wore a wide-sleeved blouse and a cross-collar skirt, the neckline revealing a plain inner garment. The layers of fabric were dyed in different shades of color, and when she moved, they resembled surging clouds. A silk sash was tied around her waist, and she wore a white jade linked pendant and a pair of patterned pendants.
Although not dressed in formal attire, her features still resembled red lotuses blooming in a summer pond, glistening with dew amidst the green leaves—vibrant yet elegant, naturally beautiful.
Gu Xiangzhi's gaze seemed to freeze, and he was momentarily stunned.
"Holding on?" she called softly when he didn't answer for a long time.
He suddenly snapped out of his daze and awkwardly turned his head away.
He said in a relatively calm voice, "You should know Huan Xun's abilities. Although I don't like him, the fact that the two sides have fought back and forth since the start of the war is enough to prove Xiao Daozun's skills."
After speaking, he raised his head and looked up at the sky.
The last rays of the setting sun were about to disappear into the twilight, the distant mountains were like dark eyebrows, and the shadows of towns were beginning to appear.
“It’s getting late,” he said. “If we hurry, we can still find an inn to stay in before the city closes.”
As he looked, the last sliver of orange-red on the horizon was gradually covered by bluish-gray.
The two said no more, and the whole group quickened their pace.
Upon entering the city, Yu Nie saw lanterns lit in an orderly fashion at the entrances of shops along both sides of the long street, radiating warmth.
The aroma of food wafted from the baskets of peddlers and laborers.
Several children were chasing and laughing at the alley entrance, playing with bamboo dragonflies.
The town they entered wasn't particularly bustling, but it exuded a sense of peace and stability.
She watched silently, and the tension in her heart, which had been constantly taut because of the war, was gently touched by the warmth of human life.
While war raged in the distance, life remained peaceful for the people here.
She realized that the foundation of Beiye was still intact.
As long as life in these ordinary alleys is peaceful and the smoke from cooking fires never stops, it means the foundation of this country has not completely rotted away.
As long as the foundation remains intact, there is always hope for the country to prosper again.
Before long, after making inquiries, Gu Xiangzhi found a clean and comfortable inn.
The inn has a small storefront, with several gleaming square tables in the main hall.
The innkeeper was a kind, elderly woman. After inquiring about their needs, she quickly arranged their check-in. Gu Xiangzhi requested four superior rooms, one for the two of them and two larger rooms for the other attendants.
The wooden stairs creaked softly as you stepped on them.
Upon entering the room, the door closed softly, and Yu Nie surveyed the house before her.
Her room was simply furnished, but bright and clean.
Opening the window, you can see the distant, majestic mountain ranges and the twinkling lights of the city.
She thought, how wonderful it would be if this peace could continue for thousands of generations.
In this peaceful scene, she didn't know, and he might not be able to see it either.
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