029
Five days passed quickly, and undercurrents were stirring throughout the southern border. The governor of Cangwu Prefecture, being conservative by nature, did not make any major moves, while the governor of Yun Prefecture repeatedly sent people to Shannan Prefecture to probe its defenses.
"What did you say?!"
With a bang, the teacup shattered on the ground.
The moment Wang Zhiyan entered the room, she slightly turned to avoid the shards that were flying towards her, and for a fleeting moment, she lowered her eyes, seemingly lost in thought.
"Did the servants' poor performance anger Father?"
She stepped forward and helped Governor Wang sit down. "Just punish him and sell him off. Why get angry and harm your health for no reason?"
"The physician told you to rest when he came the other day, after all, it takes a hundred days to recover from a broken bone."
Wang Zhiyan smiled and served another cup of tea. Without saying anything more, she waited quietly to the side.
"In Shannan Prefecture," Governor Wang hesitated for a long time before finally revealing, "that old scoundrel Lin Deng first joined forces with Yu Baizhou to control the epidemic, and now he has repeatedly sent letters to the heads of various families in Shannan Prefecture to have secret talks at the governor's mansion."
"Even a dog could see through his ill intentions!"
"If I hadn't planted someone in Shannan Prefecture beforehand, I'd still be completely in the dark!"
"Seeing him act so amiable on the surface all these years, I knew he was a troublemaker!"
Governor Wang was so angry he almost couldn't catch his breath.
Wang Zhiyan smiled and patted his back. "Father, shall we report to His Majesty next?"
Governor Wang's face was grave. "The matter of the Prince of Qi in the north is already enough to trouble His Majesty. If it is reported... that old scoundrel Lin Deng is no big deal, but if Yu Baizhou is dismissed, our southern border will truly be in danger."
"Then I'm afraid my time as governor is coming to an end."
Wang Zhiyan's eyes flickered slightly, "Why don't you go to Shannan Prefecture yourself to investigate?"
"You?" Governor Wang sneered. "You'd better stay in Yunzhou."
Her smile froze slightly. "Then my daughter should stay put."
Governor Wang remained silent for a while before getting up to leave.
He paused slightly as he walked to the doorway with his hands behind his back. When he turned halfway back to look at Wang Zhiyan, his face was expressionless, and the sunlight outside shone on half of his body.
One side was brightly lit, the other dimly lit, and the tone was somewhat ambiguous, "Zhiyan, you must always remember that you are the legitimate daughter of the Governor of Yunzhou."
Wang Zhiyan avoided his gaze, then bowed her head and curtsied, saying, "Your daughter understands."
He stood at a distance watching for as long as Wang Zhiyan maintained her bowing posture.
It was only after her back and knees had gone numb that she heard Qiu Shui's soft call as she entered the room.
When I straightened up, I realized that my back felt a little cold and my undershirt was soaked.
"Miss……"
Wang Zhiyan calmly sat back in her chair, picked up another cup of tea, put it down again, and frowned slightly. "It's a little cold. Go and get another one."
"Also, take the medicine patch I just brought to Father."
Governor Wang, who had just returned to his room, heard a report from his secret guard.
"Is that how Miss did it?"
"yes."
Governor Wang toyed with the two pearls in his palm, and when he raised his eyes, there seemed to be an undercurrent in his cloudy eyes. "You may leave now. Continue to keep a close watch."
"yes."
………
Song Ling rolled up her sleeves, picked up the thin firewood tied with strips of cloth, but her hands felt lighter after only a few steps.
"I'll do it."
She raised her eyebrows slightly, looked at the man whose stubble had grown more noticeable in the past few days, and let go of his hand without any hesitation.
"Just place it at the entrance of the small kitchen, there it is."
"Is there anything else?" Yu Baizhou returned. "I'll make it all for you."
He was about to reach for the axe to chop firewood when Song Ling stopped him.
"Where did that kid Mu Yuan go?" He frowned as he washed his hands. "Why did I make you do this?"
“I arranged for him to do other things, and besides, I have martial arts training. What, does the general look down on Ling?”
Seeing the smile in her eyes, Yu Baizhou knew she was joking. "How could that be? Who in my army doesn't know the illustrious name of Military Advisor Song? How could I dare to underestimate you, young lady?"
If any other official had said this, it would surely have been misinterpreted as some deeper meaning or irony. But his sincere apologetic manner was simply amusing.
Seeing Song Ling calmly drinking her tea, Yu Baizhou quietly leaned closer and asked, "Aren't you going to ask me what I've been doing these past few days?"
"Oh?" Song Ling raised her head slightly. "You want me to guess?"
Seeing her like this, you know she must have already guessed it. "Really..."
"I just can't do anything with you," he muttered under his breath, feeling no sense of accomplishment whatsoever.
"What?"
“It’s nothing,” he gulped down a cup of tea. “I was just praising the young lady for her foresight.”
Song Ling chuckled, clearly seeing through his pretense. "I haven't even said anything yet, why is the general jumping to conclusions?"
"If you ask me, General, this matter is not decisive enough. Wouldn't it be more efficient to just follow the example of the Prince of Qi and declare himself emperor in the governor's mansion?"
Even the usually oblivious Yu Baizhou could tell something was off about the sarcastic tone in those words. "Miss, are you... angry?"
Song Ling rolled her eyes at him. "Who is the general? And who am I? How dare I be angry with the general?"
"No, please..."
Good heavens... If this isn't anger, what is?
Yu Baizhou stood up, chilled by her coldness. "Miss, don't be angry, let me explain... I really didn't mean to disobey you, it's just that Lin Deng doesn't know what's good for him..."
"He not only detained me, but also planned to collude with the southern barbarians and go north to Luoyang to deliver a message. What a load of rubbish about me enduring hardship and biding my time."
After finishing the tirade, he realized something was wrong and said, "Pah, pah, pah!"
Song Ling curled her lip, "Rude."
Yu Baizhou smiled blankly, "Miss, you're not angry anymore?"
"Don't blame me for my attitude," Song Ling sighed. "There are no secrets that stay hidden forever. With such a big commotion, do you think the governors of the other two prefectures wouldn't have found out?"
Yu Baizhou touched his nose. "Miss, you asked me to secretly support Linden to establish himself. Now Linden has invited the heads of various states to a meeting. Although it was unintentional, at least the result hasn't changed, has it?"
Song Ling pursed her lips. This was also unexpected. She didn't know how Su Duan, such an upright and strong-willed person, could agree to be an inside man.
"Mr. Su, did he act well?" After a long while, she managed to utter this nonsensical question. She was worried about Da Ye, not curious.
“It’s so similar, it’s uncanny!” Yu Baizhou said seriously. “Even that big belly is exactly the same. I even suspect he used to study opera.”
"This performance would definitely make him a star."
"That's good..." Song Ling forced a smile, but couldn't bring herself to actually laugh. The thought of Su Duan, a gentleman of integrity, now dressed up as... gave her a strange feeling.
I wonder if the eldest princess would make a scene if she knew that her confidant, who was full of the spirit of a scholar, had become like this.
Speaking of the Eldest Princess, Song Ling suddenly remembered something, "I received news from Yangzhou that the Prince of Qi has been recruiting soldiers on a large scale recently."
"The epidemic in Yangzhou hasn't been completely resolved yet. Shouldn't he first focus on stabilizing the people and allowing them to recuperate?" Yu Baizhou looked at Song Ling with a slightly serious expression. "Will he head south?"
"Definitely."
Song Ling lowered her eyes slightly, her mind flashing through messages from various states, and finally settled on one place.
“Jingzhou has a strong military and is adjacent to the capital Luoyang to the north. Shannan Prefecture is also adjacent to Jingzhou to the north. Given the current strength of the King of Qi, it is absolutely impossible for him to advance westward.”
“Going north is too risky, while going south…” Song Ling looked at Yu Baizhou, “If the Southwest Army is trapped by the Southern Barbarians, then it will be very easy for the King of Qi to go south to take Cangwu and then conquer the three prefectures.”
"We in the Southwest cannot sit idly by and wait to be destroyed." Yu Baizhou clenched his fist. "What should we do now?"
"wait."
"Are we waiting for news from the King of Qi?"
“No,” Song Ling’s brows furrowed, “we will wait for news from the imperial court.”
“If the King of Qi makes any move, we will not be the ones who are most uneasy.”
Rather, it is the supreme ruler above all others, the emperor of this world.
***
Kyoto and Luoyang
"If you have something to report, speak now; otherwise, the court may adjourn."
"My lord, I have a plan to report!"
The Vice Minister of Revenue stepped forward and knelt amidst the various stares of the crowd. "Your Majesty," he said, "our Jin Dynasty has suffered from severe drought for several years, and this year the harvest in our capital region is pitifully small. I request that this year's land tax be reduced to alleviate the people's resentment..."
"I second that proposal."
"I second that proposal."
Before long, a large number of them knelt down.
"My beloved ministers truly have a heart for the people..." The emperor lazily glanced at those still standing, "What kind of plan does Minister Li have?"
"Your Majesty..." Minister Li bowed and stepped forward, his tone softening slightly as he spoke in a fawning manner, "Your Majesty feels that this matter is somewhat inappropriate..."
"Li Yiguang, you!" Among the people kneeling beside him were those who had always disliked Minister Li. At this moment, they disregarded the fact that this was the imperial court and, in a fit of anger, wished they could kick him. "Do you know what kind of lives the common people are living these days?"
"What day is it?" Minister Li snorted coldly, raised his hand and clasped his hands in a fist salute toward His Majesty, "Our Emperor is wise, and the people are naturally living good lives. It's just that the weather has been bad these past two years, and the harvest has been poor."
"You..." The man was about to say something more when he was pulled back by the person next to him. "Brother Niu, this is a meeting in the imperial court. Curb your stubbornness!"
“I… sigh…” The young man called Brother Niu snorted coldly and knelt back down in his original spot.
The emperor, seated on his high throne, watched the whole spectacle unfold, but his expression remained completely unchanged.
"Then, Li Qing, tell me your thoughts."
The crowd behind exchanged glances, most looking on with amusement and schadenfreude, but there were also a few with sorrowful expressions.
Minister Li stepped forward and said, “The drought has been severe these past two years, and there is a shortage of food. Your Majesty and the ladies of the harem have been frugal in their diet to set an example, but the rain has been slow to arrive. I suggest that Your Majesty bathe and change your clothes, and offer sacrifices to the ancestors.”
"You want me to perform ancestral rites and pray for rain?" The emperor pondered for a moment, "That's not a bad idea."
"It's still better than those who only know how to cry and whine to me."
He glanced around and said, "If there's one, there will be two. If the land tax is reduced again and again, how am I supposed to pay your monthly allowances?"
"Does anyone else have any suggestions?"
Everyone looked at each other, but no one dared to utter a sound.
"Then it's settled. The matter of the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven will be handled by the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Works."
"Court adjourned!"
The emperor calmly walked away with his hands behind his back, leaving the ministers looking at each other in bewilderment. The Minister of Rites and the Minister of Revenue were particularly distraught; the Minister of Revenue's brows were practically twisted into a knot.
"Lord Zhang...look at this..."
Before the Minister of Rites could finish speaking, the Minister of Revenue interrupted him, "Lord Lin, please don't ask anymore. My Ministry of Revenue really has no money."
He had a long face, as if he had given up all hope, "You...you go ask whoever brought it up for it."
Having said that, he turned and left.
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