The doctor prescribed a lot of medicine, which helped a little, but only to a limited extent. Every night, his hands and feet would be cold, and it took four or five female slaves to warm his bed to make him feel a bit better.
Because I had taken too many medications with little effect, I had little hope.
It's just a drop in water, no need to boil or apply, very convenient, you might as well give it a try.
After confirming that Jiang Nuan was indeed his biological mother, Harqi dared not harbor any prejudice and naturally included her on his side.
Jiang Nuan was unaware of Halqi's thoughts.
After Huang Shu and Jiang Chao left, she simply let loose and went out early and returned late every day.
Almost every upper-class noblewoman in Gandan knew of such a person: generous, eloquent, and possessing unparalleled wealth and power.
However, no one knew her true background.
Countless people have tried every means to find out: eliciting information, following people, and even coercing and bribing them, but so far no one has gotten any results.
All of the above only made Jiang Nuan's reputation even greater.
In Kengba Congkang, beautiful and noble ladies gathered together to savor the finest lamb.
Jiang Nuan was among them.
“Madam Painting,” the person opposite Jiang Nuan said jokingly, “Alice, the people of the royal city call you Madam Painting, thinking you are like a beauty in a painting, beautiful and mysterious.”
"Alice is indeed very mysterious. We are so familiar with each other, but we only know her name and don't even know where she lives."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Nuan smiled faintly and remained silent.
She was already used to these ambiguous tests and didn't care.
These wealthy women didn't dare to actually force them.
The reason is simple: they are afraid of losing their interests.
Jiang Nuan was very poised and generous, and she also had access to various luxury goods, making it easy for her to infiltrate the group of wealthy women and gain their trust.
Although this trust is not solid, it is enough to make plans.
Although the ladies were somewhat disappointed at not hearing Jiang Nuan's reply, they did not dare to press her further and quickly changed the subject.
"The Persian red agate was truly captivating last time, but I'd like to see the silk from the Great Zhou Dynasty even more, preferably a mesmerizing rose-red. Alice, do you have any in your collection?"
"There is indeed such a thing. I'll show it to you when I have time."
"Does the legendary pale purple pearl exist? I'd like to see one."
"There are also some, the color is very good, but the size is not very big."
"You have this too? I'm so envious. I'd be so happy I couldn't sleep if I had even a tenth of Alice's collection!"
"Such a rich collection is truly enviable. I wonder if I'll ever have the chance to see it all."
The speaker's voice carried regret and resentment.
Seeing this, Jiang Nuan smiled and said, "There will be more in the future."
The fish have taken the bait; now it's just a matter of waiting for the right opportunity.
Hopefully, those two rascals won't keep her waiting too long.
Meanwhile, Huang Shu went back and told everyone the news.
Yang Qing took it very seriously and didn't dare to delay. He immediately wrote a memorial and sent it to the court by express courier.
He himself also actively trained and prepared for war.
The entire Northwest Army became tense.
When the news reached the imperial court, it caused quite a stir.
The peace faction cried and begged the emperor for mercy, urging him not to disregard the plight of the people for the sake of momentary anger.
Some were even so moved that they knelt in the main hall, ready to die for their cause.
The main faction was also very serious, with many people softening their stance, and even those who persisted were not very optimistic about the situation.
In the imperial study, Ji Xuan leaned back on the dragon throne, a headache throbbing in his eyes. "Qi Yong, how many more people can we spare?"
"At most two hundred thousand."
“Even with these two hundred thousand, it’s still just enough to break even,” Ji Xuan said solemnly. “The situation is still far too dangerous.”
Ji Xuan himself was well aware of the disadvantages of the Zhou soldiers; given the same numbers, he had no confidence in his own side.
“Indeed,” Qi Yong sighed softly. “The Great Zhou has not valued its military generals for a long time. When suddenly faced with war, it is inevitable that they will not be able to take care of everything.”
In Qi Yong's view, his master was already very remarkable.
In a short period of time, he was able to assemble a formidable army and prepare sufficient provisions, something that even the previous emperor might not have been able to do.
The emphasis on civil affairs over military matters has existed since the founding of the nation, and this drawback is simply unavoidable.
Unlike Ji Xuan, Qi Yong was confident in defeating Gan Dan, but he felt it would come at a great cost.
"Let's try to send people there first, remain calm and observe for a while before making any further decisions."
"Should we deal with those people in the court?"
"Let them run wild, we'll deal with them all at once when the opportunity arises."
Although his tone was calm, the words he uttered were exceptionally vicious.
Anfu.
The once desolate place became increasingly lively under An Qingyun's management, and was brightly lit after dark.
In the back room, Zhong Ping hurriedly came looking for him.
"Brother An, what do you think of what happened today?"
"My view remains the same: if His Majesty makes a fuss, let him make a fuss. He'll eventually come to his senses after hitting a wall."
"However," Zhong Ping said somewhat nervously, "Brother An, aren't you afraid that Gandan won't give His Majesty this opportunity at all?"
If the Great Zhou cannot be saved, what good will it do for the Emperor to regret it?
Time waits for no one; it's already too late.
With their territory lost and their people gone, how can these old men ever fulfill their ambitions?
Upon hearing this, An Qingyun froze. "It shouldn't be that bad."
After speaking, he frowned and pondered, and after confirming that no dynasty in history had been destroyed by foreign tribes, he breathed a slight sigh of relief.
After regaining his composure, he patted Zhong Ping on the shoulder to comfort him, "Don't boost their morale. The Great Zhou still has its foundation, which those barbarians can't compare to."
"Is that really true?"
Zhong Ping was very skeptical.
He had some understanding of the soldiers of the Great Zhou. The capital army was doing well, with many people keeping an eye on them and no major trouble had occurred. But as for the border troops, only the local commanders probably knew the situation.
"It has to be this way."
Although An Qingyun was also unsure, her words sounded very confident, making it impossible to discern her true thoughts.
Under his reassurance, Zhong Ping barely managed to suppress the urge to immediately seek peace.
After Zhong Ping left, An Qingyun could no longer sit still. She changed into casual clothes and went out through the side door.
A short while later, they arrived at the Liu residence.
Compared to the flamboyant An family, the Liu family was very low-key.
"What a rare guest!" Liu An looked at An Qingyun in surprise. "What brings you here, sir?"
Normally, Grand Secretary An would stay as far away from me as possible, so why would he come looking for me today?
"Liu An, what do you think of the events at the morning court?"
"Gandan's 700,000-strong army?"
“Yes,” An Qingyun grabbed Liu An’s hand, somewhat excited, “Tell me clearly, does your master have any confidence at all?”
He had no hope for the soldiers of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Sheep raised for decades cannot be turned into wolves in a short time.
Compared to those in Gandan, being disadvantaged is unavoidable.
If we had better weapons, we might be able to put up a fight, but in the current situation, even if the Imperial Guards worked themselves to death, they couldn't produce that many weapons.
“My master?” Liu An corrected with a dark face, “It’s the madam.”
"It doesn't matter, just tell me the result."
"I don't know," Liu An said, spreading his hands. "Since Madam went to the Northwest, she hasn't written back!"
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