063
Enveloped in yellow sand and flying snow, the grain convoy, which had set off before the beginning of winter, finally arrived at the northwestern border on the 25th after a hurried journey.
Along the way, they encountered bandits and refugees, and this year there was such heavy snow. If it weren't for this troop of soldiers, they might not have made it there.
"Lord Qu, the general requests your presence in the tent for a chat."
"Thank you for your help... This journey has been truly difficult."
The man who was summoned grumbled as he took off his felt hat, flicked off the snowflakes, stomped his feet hard at the door, and then followed the guards into the tent.
"My lord, I've long admired you."
Upon entering the tent, the man first bowed and greeted the innkeeper, then paused for a moment as he raised his hand in greeting.
Marquis Wu'an immediately understood, and his adjutants took their leave one by one.
When they passed by Qu Rong, they all nodded in greeting.
Although these military officers were rough and uncultured, they still understood the principle of offering help in times of need.
The Northwest was facing a critical shortage of food supplies, and the soldiers were so hungry they could barely lift their arms. The deputy generals could only watch helplessly.
They've come from afar to deliver supplies to us, so we should treat them with the utmost respect.
"Lord Qu, please accept my bow."
Marquis Wu'an bowed in thanks, but Qu Rong could not accept the gesture: "My lord, this is unacceptable; it would be too much for me."
"If you wish to express your gratitude, Your Excellency should wait until you return to the capital after your triumphant return to thank Her Highness the Princess."
Chen Hejun then withdrew his hand and noticed the person's face, which was purple from the cold, so he poured two glasses of water.
"Warm yourself up first."
"I just wonder where the eldest princess got so much food?"
When the late emperor was alive, Zhou Yuanrong was given the title of "Grand Princess" by him arbitrarily, but not many people called her that.
Now that the Second Prince is about to ascend the throne, he recently confirmed Zhou Yuanrong's status as the eldest princess and took over much of her power.
The war in the Northwest was urgent, and the imperial court was in complete chaos.
Chen Hejun was in the Northwest, so even if he wanted to know the inside story, he was too far away to help.
He didn't even go back after the late emperor died, let alone try to find out any other news.
"My lord, you don't know, Luoyang is in complete chaos right now." Qu Rong had always worked under the Princess, and he couldn't help but gasp when he mentioned the recent upheavals in the capital.
"Let's not even talk about how those princes fought tooth and nail for... " Qu Rong pointed to the sky and whispered, "Now they're either dead or crippled. Look, the Second Prince will be ascending the throne soon.
"The courtiers said two months, and I think it should be around this time."
"The princess took advantage of the chaos to buy some grain, and most of the rest was given to the Northwest Army by others."
Marquis Wu'an seized upon a key word in his statement: "Who are you referring to as 'other people'?"
"The people from the Half-Moon Trading Company," Qu Rong said, also looking puzzled, "I am also surprised that there are still such kind people in this chaotic world. This grain is genuine."
Chen Hejun frowned slightly. "Do you know his name?"
Qu Rong shook his head, "I only know that her surname is Song, and that she is a slender woman."
“I saw him once from afar; he was wearing a straw hat, but I don’t know exactly what he looked like.”
A woman wearing a straw hat, surnamed Song...
A cold, indifferent face came to mind, but it only made Chen Hejun's head spin with a jumble of thoughts.
What is this man up to now? Last time it was to let people leave the capital, but he searched all over Luoyang and found nothing.
After all, Chen Hejun never doubted that the person who died on the execution platform was not Su Zhengze, so the clues were lost.
Around 10:00 AM, the grain supplies have arrived.
As for what she's really planning, we'll find out sooner or later.
Chen Hejun inadvertently inquired about matters concerning the Marquis's residence, something Qu Rong was unaware of.
"Her Highness the Princess entrusted me to deliver a letter to the Marquis, and another letter to your wife." Qu Rong took out the envelope from his bosom and handed it to him. "Her Highness said that the Marquis need not worry about your wife's safety at the moment, and should focus on defending against the enemy. She will handle all the problems."
We traveled day and night, and it was truly exhausting.
Having completed the task assigned by the princess, Qu Rong and his guards were finally able to rest for two days before returning home.
After Marquis Wu'an opened the letter, he lit a candle and placed the letter over the flame to heat it. After a while, the writing became visible.
But the content above kept him rooted to the spot.
The eldest princess's handwriting, personal seal, and a few hastily written words of concern were as always.
Then we got to the main point.
As in the past, we usually talked about Zihe's affairs, and this time was no exception.
He only added a seemingly insignificant instruction at the end: no matter what happened, he must not return to Luoyang.
No matter what the Second Prince does, he must stay in the Northwest to the death.
So, what exactly happened in Luoyang?
Why is the eldest princess in such a hurry?
Only after opening his wife's letter did Chen Hejun feel a little relieved.
"The plum blossoms in the courtyard are in bloom, they're very beautiful. I picked one today. Are there still flowers in the Northwest at this time of year?"
"The dark cloud is so naughty. It knocked over my inkstone again and chipped a corner of it. I feel so bad for it, but I can't bear to punish it."
"It's snowing in Luoyang. My husband, are you dressed warmly enough for the northwest?"
"I met a strange woman. She can tell fortunes. Does my husband know about this? She brought a lot of food and fodder, but didn't take a single penny. Isn't she a very strange person?"
"My dear husband, please take good care of yourself in the Northwest, don't make me worry..."
"My husband..."
...
As the little girl recounted the interesting stories of her home, Chen Hejun's heart, which had been frozen by the northwest wind and snow, seemed to warm up again.
The monthly letter he received from home had become a rare source of comfort for him in the Northwest.
But the more I pondered each word, the more I could picture the little girl hunched over her desk, racking her brains to write the letter, and a smile involuntarily crept onto my lips.
But when will the war end?
Chen Hejun carefully put the letter his wife had sent into the box and sighed softly.
He had never felt homesick before. The sudden appearance of this feeling made his heart ache unbearably.
But what he cared about more at that moment was Zhou Yuanrong's words of advice.
I couldn't help but think about more things...
Is Zhou Chengyu, that arrogant and self-willed second prince, really reliable?
I tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep.
Knowing that Qu Rong and his party would be setting off the next day, he summoned them to his tent.
I still want to get to the bottom of this.
"What... what could this humble official possibly know?"
Qu Rong looked troubled: "My lord, this is truly difficult for me."
Chen Hejun: "With such a long line of people, how come you weren't discovered?"
He didn't believe that Zhou Chengyu's bodyguards were pushovers.
Qu Rong hesitated for a moment, then his shoulders slumped: "My lord, you are unaware of the fact that the princess has already lost many people in order to cut off the spies following behind."
“Transporting this batch of grain is tantamount to our princess cutting off her own arm.” Qu Rong smiled sarcastically. “How could the Second Prince not know anything? It’s just that he doesn’t want to put in the effort, wants the Northwest to be stable, and wants to take back the power from the princess.”
Half of the imperial guards in Luoyang were handed over to Zhou Yuanrong when the late emperor was alive.
Because he felt that his daughter was useful.
Zhou Yuanrong's martial arts skills are no less than those of men, but more importantly... as a woman, she wouldn't be staring at the emperor's bottom all day.
Before Qu Rong and his entourage left the capital, the Second Prince had already visited the Princess's residence multiple times.
The old fogies in the court were already dissatisfied with Zhou Yuanrong's presence in and out of the court as a woman, and now they were even more so.
"This is our situation before we left the capital. As for anything else... I really don't know."
"The princess instructed her subordinates to explain the pros and cons to the marquis. No matter what, as long as the marquis stays in the northwest, the second prince will not harm her or the fourth princess."
Seeing that Marquis Wu'an had fallen into deep thought again, Qu Rong couldn't help but sigh inwardly: "In that case, Marquis, please rest early. I will take my leave now."
After leaving the camp, Qu Rong sighed and walked back.
He looked worried and troubled the whole way.
But when he was completely enveloped in darkness again, a slight smile appeared on his lips, and his eyes were clear.
Inside the tent
Marquis Wu'an still clutched the letter from the eldest princess in his hand. After reading it once more, he threw it onto the charcoal fire.
With a whoosh, the paper was instantly engulfed and burned to ashes.
Threaten him with his wife...
Chen Hejun sneered, his hands clenched tightly at his sides.
This week, Cheng Yu really did a great job.
*
Shannan Prefecture, Governor's Mansion
"A little to the left, no, no, a little to the right..."
"Oh dear, how stupid!"
Su Duan stomped her foot in anger, but still maintained her composure: "Fine, fine, I'll do it myself."
The hanging ornaments were all crooked and twisted.
"It seems Lord Su is living a good life?"
Su Yun rolled her eyes, slowly turned around, and only relaxed her face when she saw the person who came. "Hey, call me Lord Lin here."
After saying that, he put his hands behind his back and circled around Song Ling, showing off like a child: "How about it, not bad, right?"
"Yes, you seemed to be having a lot of fun." Song Ling clicked her tongue. "Should we build you a stage and hire a makeshift troupe to entertain you?"
"That's not necessarily true..."
Su Duan regained his composure and poured two cups of tea. "By the way, when can I go back?"
"soon."
Song Ling looked around and admired her even more: "I see you're quite comfortable here. Being a local tyrant isn't bad, is it?"
"Please don't flatter me, young lady. It's just playful banter." Su straightened his expression, his eyes showing weariness. "You have no idea how tiring it is for me to be a governor. Just dealing with all those beauties in the backyard is enough to keep me busy, not to mention having to deal with those powerful families."
Song Ling slightly lifted her eyelids. "If they're not honest, just kill them."
Anyway, the governor's mansion is like an iron barrel, and no one can leak any information.
“We’ve killed quite a few.” Su Duan remembered something and explained, “We’ve counted all the servants and attendants in the backyard and left none behind.”
"Those skinny horses, Vice General Shi took them away, didn't he? Only some of their families were left. There were two concubines who wanted to run away, and another who wanted to contact the outside world, so they were all dealt with on the spot."
Su Duan: "But Governor Lin can't go out without his family. His first wife is quite sensible and is very obedient for the sake of their two daughters."
"Then there were a few concubines who caused trouble a couple of days ago, and now there's only one left."
Song Ling tapped her fingers on the table: "His children."
“Four,” Su Duan continued, “My eldest daughter got married a few years ago; she married the eldest son of the governor of Jingzhou.”
"The second daughter is from the Qu family, that is, his wife, and she will be of marriageable age in a few months."
"The other two sons were born to my aunt, Wu, and they are relatively well-behaved these days."
Su Duan: "Having children also creates ties, so as it stands, they don't pose any threat."
Song Ling didn't completely agree, but she didn't reject his proposal either: "Although the war is intense now, we can't be short of food. Order people to continue to keep a close watch on things, but make sure everything that's needed is provided and don't skimp on anything."
Su Duan understood her meaning and said, "Of course."
This was clearly not Song Ling's purpose in coming; it was merely a minor incident.
Many of the Southwest Army's actions were still carried out in secret, but they always had to communicate with Su Duan.
“If that day ever comes, I mean if…” Su Duan frowned and asked her, “Zhou Yuanrong, could you spare her life?”
Song Ling smiled. "Do you know what you're saying? You two are now on opposing sides."
Su Duan paused for a moment, then said, "I know. I knew it the moment I left Luoyang. But she's not someone you can't win over, is she?"
But he trusted Song Ling and knew her appreciation for talent.
Song Ling mentally went over the words "Zhou Yuanrong".
To be fair, Zhou Yuanrong is indeed talented and capable, and recruiting him would be a valuable asset.
But would such a noble royal princess not have any pride? Would she be willing to be subordinate to a military general?
Song Ling might not agree, but she was unwilling to dispel Su Duan's obsession. "Then this task is entrusted to you. If you can persuade her, it will be a great achievement for you."
Even if we take a step back and say the worst, I will still save her life.
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