Chapter 105: Alone and Single
In just a moment, the musket was against Xiao Jinbao's forehead and the butterfly dart was against Du Qingtang's carotid artery.
The atmosphere instantly became tense, with flames and smoke filling the air as they stared at each other.
Du Qingtang sat with a smile on his lips, as he stood tall and straight: "Captain Xiao has a bad temper. He'll pick up his weapons if he doesn't agree with you."
The butterfly dart was slightly shorter. Xiao Jinbao leaned forward and said calmly, "Lord Du is no less capable."
Du Qingtang never hid his bad temper. He exerted a little force on his wrist and brought the muzzle of the gun one step closer.
Xiao Jinbao ignored the dull pain in his forehead and retaliated with his own tactics. The sharp edge of the butterfly dart cut the skin on the side of his neck.
Du Qingtang tapped the table lightly, causing ripples to form on the tea. "Captain Xiao, guess what? Which is faster, your darts or my musket?"
Xiao Jinbao recalled the battle with the Northern Army yesterday.
Although they successfully captured the third prince of Daxia and shot dead a powerful general of Daxia, it is undeniable that Daqi also suffered heavy losses.
Tens of thousands of Qi soldiers died under muskets and gunpowder, and he still remembers their mutilated corpses.
And all this is thanks to the woman in front of me.
A cold look flashed across Xiao Jinbao's eyes.
He wanted to kill Du Qingtang directly, but he couldn't do that.
The butterfly dart was removed from Du Qingtang's neck, and Xiao Jinbao sat up straight.
The tea is boiling, and the water is bubbling and gurgling.
Xiao Jinbao picked up the teapot and poured himself a cup.
The cold wind swept past, and the gurgling water mist dispersed like clouds and smoke.
Xiao Jinbao concentrated on tasting the tea, pondering in silence.
Du Qingtang's eyes fell on the curled tea leaves, and he carefully counted the lines on the leaves.
A long time passed.
Noon has passed and the red sun has moved westward.
Xiao Jinbao spoke calmly, completely lacking the fierceness he had displayed half an hour ago. "This is a serious matter, and I need to consult His Majesty first."
Du Qingtang felt relieved: "Then I will wait for good news."
......
Du Qingtang left Sanliting, leaving behind a bundle of arm armor.
After riding for two miles, Deputy Commander Lu jumped out and said, "Commander!"
The firearms troops hiding in the dark then emerged.
In addition to the firearms battalion, General Tian also arranged for Brigadier General Liu and a thousand men to ambush near Sanliting.
Once they discovered that Xiao Jinbao had ill intentions, they would use the smashing of cups as a signal, and the 1,500 men would immediately take action, capture Xiao Jinbao, and kill his men.
——Du Qingtang had no doubt that Xiao Jinbao had also arranged people in secret.
"Let's talk about it when we get back."
"yes!"
Deputy Commander Lu looked at the dilapidated thatched pavilion standing by the road and couldn't help sighing.
Last night, the commander pointed out Nanping's identity directly. Nanping's face changed drastically and he was also stunned.
Who could have imagined that Da Qi would actually send the eighth prince to Loushan Pass to use the beauty trap on the commander.
Deputy Commander Lu rode his horse to catch up with Du Qingtang and asked curiously, "Commander, how did you know Nanping was the Eighth Prince of Da Qi?"
Du Qingtang evaded the main point and said, "No ordinary family could possibly have the presence and delicacy of Nanping, let alone a troupe of actors. I sent people to Daqi to investigate, and they traced the case back to the Eighth Prince."
Actually, it is not.
In her previous life, she had met the eighth prince of Qi, Qi Zhuojun, in the Qi camp.
Qi Zhuojun's biological mother, Concubine Mei, was born beautiful and innocent. She was still favored in the palace for many years. Qi Zhuojun was her only son.
Since birth, the emperor and his empress have doted on their son Qi Zhuojun. Even if he wanted the moon in the sky, they would send someone to pick it down for him.
Over time, Qi Zhuojun was spoiled into a useless prince who was idle and had no ambition.
Qi Zhuojun loves listening to operas, and when he is in the mood, he will go on stage and perform a play himself.
In the previous life, Da Xia was defeated one after another. This person even staged a play to mock Da Xia and sent people to tease Du Qingtang many times.
That day in Loushan Town, Du Qingtang recognized Qi Zhuojun at a glance.
Du Qingtang held a grudge, so he simply bought him and tied him up to torture him slowly.
Hearing an ambiguous answer from the commander, Deputy Commander Lu felt like a cat scratching his heart. He opened his mouth but swallowed his words, "But this Eighth Prince doesn't seem very smart."
Du Qingtang remained silent.
She guessed that Qi Zhuojun was addicted to acting and wanted to make a contribution, so he took the risk and disguised himself as Nanping and went deep into the summer camp.
He is both bad at cooking and loves to play.
Du Qingtang thought of Qi Zhuojun's fate in his previous life.
The Emperor of the Great Qi asked Qi Zhuojun to come to Changping Pass to gain merit. After he arrived at Changping Pass, he had a garden built specifically for raising ferocious beasts.
One day, Qi Zhuojun had a sudden idea and moved into the garden to live and eat with the wild animals.
Generals such as Wu Yi tried to dissuade him in every possible way, but all failed.
Within two days, Qi Zhuojun was eaten by a tiger, leaving not even a bone.
Looking at the royal families of the two countries, there is probably only one person like him who has ruined himself.
It's really a laughing stock.
"Commander, do you think Da Qi will agree to our request?"
"Yes." Du Qingtang said firmly.
After all, Concubine Mei was the most favored concubine, so she never underestimated the power of pillow talk.
As the group rode back to the summer camp, General Tian immediately came up to them, asking anxiously, "How is it? Did they agree?"
Du Qingtang dismounted and said, "Xiao Jinbao is going to write a letter to the Emperor of Qi and then give us a reply."
General Tian slammed his fist on the hitching post and said, "To exchange a prince for another, is it really necessary to go through so much trouble and even travel thousands of miles to ask the Emperor of Qi?"
The third prince is a precious child, he has never suffered such pain before. What if something bad happens to him...
Du Qingtang said slowly, "In addition to returning the Third Prince, I will also demand that Da Qi return Princess Zhaoyang, return the five southwestern cities, and cancel the annual tribute."
All the generals were stunned, and when they reacted, they were instantly in an uproar.
"Commander Du, why didn't you discuss this with us in advance?"
"Returning the five southwestern cities and cancelling the tribute is fine, but why do we have to return Princess Zhaoyang?"
"Princess Zhaoyang was ordered to marry a foreign prince. As a concubine of the Emperor of Qi, how could she return to Daxia?"
Princess Zhaoyang was the second daughter of Emperor Qingyuan, born to a palace maid. Ten years ago, she was ordered to marry the Emperor of Da Qi as a concubine and was given the title of Concubine Xia.
If Du Qingtang hadn't mentioned it, the generals present would have long forgotten about Princess Zhaoyang.
A princess of humble origins was not worth their attention.
"I vaguely remember that this second princess seemed to have a brother from the same mother, but unfortunately he died of illness before he was five years old."
The princes of Daxia only start to be ranked in order of seniority when they are five years old. If this little prince were still alive, he should be the third prince. Now the third prince has become the fourth prince.
"Commander Du, you really made a wrong move!"
Facing the accusations of the crowd, Du Qingtang remained calm: "Marriage is a sign of weakness. The princess's return symbolizes the strength of our Great Xia nation, and this will appease the people."
Du Qingtang looked at General Tian and said firmly, "Princess Zhaoyang must come back."
In recent years, there have been constant frictions between Da Qi and Da Xia. Da Qi has repeatedly invaded brutally, and although it was repelled, a great war eventually broke out.
When the two countries went to war, most of the princesses who were married off did not have a good ending.
In the previous life, before the Great Qi assembled hundreds of thousands of troops and attacked Loushan Pass, in order to boost morale, the Emperor of Qi personally cut off Princess Zhaoyang's head and hung it on the city wall.
When the two countries went to war, Princess Zhaoyang should not have become an innocent victim.
"The Eighth Prince of Da Qi is now in our hands. General Pei is stationed at Changping Pass, and dozens of Da Qi generals are imprisoned in the camp."
"These are our bargaining chips that will ensure we remain invincible in the negotiations." Du Qingtang's distinct black and white eyes looked at everyone and said in a resounding voice, "This opportunity is rare, and we should maximize our benefits."
"Princess Zhaoyang is a woman, and the Emperor of Qi's wife. What can she do if she returns? It would be better for the Great Qi to pay tribute to us instead."
Du Qingtang looked lightly at the middle-aged general who was speaking. The people next to him noticed it and felt their scalps tingle. They quickly covered their colleague's mouth.
Trouble comes from the mouth!
Trouble comes from the mouth!
Fortunately, Du Qingtang just glanced at him and said nothing.
Du Qingtang knew that not only this person, but many people thought so.
They believe that when a woman marries a man, she becomes completely dependent on that man and his property.
Du Qingtang really hated the phrase "use my name to give your surname", such as Du Yuanshi, or a certain Du family.
It's ridiculous that after getting married, you can't even keep your name.
Princess Zhaoyang did not take the initiative to marry. She was forced into the marriage. It was a helpless move after Daxia was defeated.
She was a victim of nations.
Du Qingtang also knew that after ten years of marriage, Princess Zhaoyang had no place to stand in Daxia anymore.
They would criticize her and laugh at her, but they would not be grateful for her efforts and sacrifices for Daxia.
But the wanderer must always return home.
Du Qingtang's expression was stern: "The matter is a foregone conclusion. It is impossible to reverse the situation. The Third Prince must come back, and the Second Princess must also come back."
"I'm the one representing Daxia in the negotiations with Daqi. Your opinions..." Du Qingtang laughed, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "It's not important."
After saying this, he left with a group of firearms soldiers.
The generals who held opposing views fell backward in anger.
"Shrew! Shrew! Whoever marries her will be unlucky for the rest of his life!"
"We hold important positions after all. How dare she speak to us like that?"
"General, please persuade Commander Du. What's the point of Princess Zhaoyang returning as a woman? It would be better to ask for some tangible benefits."
"That's right! Even if you don't pay tribute, paying more silver would be good."
The national treasury was not very full, and asking the court for military pay was more difficult than going into battle to kill the enemy.
During the most difficult times, the soldiers at Loushan Pass dug wild vegetables all over the mountains, and they all became pale and thin.
Only with silver can the soldiers have enough food to eat and have the strength to fight.
General Tian did not expect that Du Qingtang and Xiao Jinbao would put forward so many conditions.
He hadn't slept all night, his eyes bloodshot, looking old and haggard, his expression neither happy nor sad. "Commander Du is right. Princess Zhaoyang's return represents the growing strength of Great Xia, and this will also appease the people."
As long as the third prince can be rescued, he doesn't mind Princess Zhaoyang returning to Daxia.
Not everyone has the ambition and courage of Du Qingtang. Princess Zhaoyang's mother died early, she has no brothers, and her identity is criticized, so she can't make any waves.
It is true that there has never been a disabled prince who ascended the throne in all dynasties, but that does not mean there won’t be one in the future.
Du Qingtang's negotiations were successful, and Da Qi returned the five southwestern cities and abolished tribute, which was also a great achievement for Tian Xiu.
As long as he holds the military power and the Third Prince returns safely, he can make plans slowly in the future.
General Tian thought calmly, then thought of the finger, and his heart ached. He hastily turned his eyes away and looked forward so that his generals would not notice his gaffe.
"Commander Du has been working day and night to rescue His Highness the Third Prince. You should just do what you need to do and don't cause trouble behind the scenes."
General Tian walked away, leaving the generals looking at each other in bewilderment, swallowing their dissatisfaction and scattering like birds and beasts.
......
General Tian knew very well that what happened at Loushan Pass could not be hidden from Emperor Qingyuan. Instead of trying hard to cover it up and getting into trouble in the end, it would be better for him to take the initiative to apologize.
He drafted an urgent memorial and ordered a messenger to send it to Xiajing at an accelerated speed of 800 miles.
On the other side, Du Qingtang took a short rest and went to Changping Pass again.
Last night she brought back a thousand firearms soldiers, and another two thousand firearms soldiers remained at Changping Pass.
In order to support the Northern Army, they were seriously injured, so Du Qingtang let them stay in Qi to recuperate.
Du Qingtang was worried and went over to take a look.
There were too many wounded soldiers and there were not enough tents for the wounded. Even the ordinary tents were requisitioned and were filled with people lying there.
Some of the firearms troops were stabbed by the Qi army's spears and scimitars. The wounds were long and deep, revealing the white bones.
Fortunately, the military doctors had been practicing suturing techniques hard during this period. Du Qingtang checked each wound one by one and found that the wounds were sutured well, with only a few still bleeding.
"The two armies are temporarily at a truce. You will stay here to recuperate and return when you are healed."
It takes at least half a month to travel from Changping Pass to the capital of Da Qi, which is enough time for them to recover.
The firearms soldiers quickly said, "Thank you, Commander. We will take good care of our wounds."
When General Feng heard that Du Qingtang had arrived, he hurried over to find her and said, "The bodies of the twenty firearms soldiers have been cremated. Commander Du, remember to take them back."
Du Qingtang's eyes dimmed slightly, while the wounded soldier's face showed grief and anger.
"Guan Bufan's wife is pregnant, but he can't even hold the unborn child, nor does he have the chance to hear the child call him daddy."
"The night before last, Zhang Tai was still telling me that he wanted to eat the lotus root dumplings his mother made. I said I would wait until I got home after the battle and he said he would bring me some. Now I can't wait for him to bring me lotus root dumplings anymore."
"And Ma Zhong. His father and elder brother died in battle, leaving his mother with only him as her son. He's only sixteen years old and hasn't married or had children yet..."
As he spoke, Huoqijun couldn't help but choke up and tears filled his eyes.
General Feng felt unhappy too. He rubbed his nose and scratched the corner of his eye with his thumb without leaving a trace.
The third prince is a descendant of a royal family, and ordinary people dare not criticize him.
But General Feng resented him from the bottom of his heart.
General Feng also knew that not only himself, but also the soldiers of the Firearms Army and Loushan Pass blamed him.
If it weren't for him, the Northern Army would have won a great victory.
If it weren't for him, the deputy general wouldn't have been shot to death by arrows.
If it weren't for him, their companions wouldn't have died tragically from arrows.
——If they knew that the Third Prince used their companions as shields when the incident happened, they would probably want to eat his heart alive.
But they could do nothing but sob and recall their dead companions over and over again.
They are dead, but live forever in their hearts.
Du Qingtang pinched his fingers and said seriously: "I will send someone to take them home."
As the commander of the Firearms Battalion, she failed to protect them and failed to allow them to return to Xiajing safely.
It was her fault.
She shouldn't have agreed to the Third Prince's request to arrange for the firearms army to protect him.
Even if it means disobeying orders, at least those twenty lives can be saved.
General Feng was careless and did not notice Du Qingtang's emotions. He left after saying a few words.
Du Qingtang visited the rest of the firearms troops and went to the shooting range alone.
The Qi camp was full of Xia soldiers, each busy with their own business, and the shooting range was empty.
Du Qingtang took out a musket, took aim, and fired.
The bullet left the gun and hit the bull's eye.
Du Qingtang remained silent and just kept shooting.
“Bang, bang, bang!”
The sound echoed across the shooting range, deafening.
All twenty bullets were used up and the target was shot to pieces.
Du Qingtang changed the target, reloaded the bullets, and continued shooting.
Shoot, reload, shoot.
He repeated this until his arm became numb and lost sensation from the recoil, and then Du Qingtang put down the musket.
I turned my head inadvertently and found a tall and slender person standing at the edge of the shooting range.
He was wearing black armor, had green eyes, fair skin, a straight nose, thin lips, and slightly curly black hair flying in the wind. It was Pei Yuchun, whom he had not seen for several hours.
Pei Yuchun didn't know how long he had been looking at it. He stood with his hands behind his back, looking handsome and upright, like a poplar tree swaying in the wind, full of vigor and vitality.
"General Pei." Du Qingtang was the first to greet.
Pei Yuchun stepped forward and said in a low, soft voice, "Commander Du, may I try?"
Du Qingtang's eyes flickered slightly: "Okay."
In theory, people outside the firearms battalion are not allowed to touch muskets.
But she had fought side by side with Pei Yuchun, so she gave him some face.
"Thank you, Commander Du." Pei Yuchun curled his lips and picked up the musket. He held it with his left hand and placed his right hand on the mechanism. His green eyes showed a hint of excitement and eagerness to try. "Is that so?"
Du Qingtang stepped forward and made minor adjustments for Pei Yuchun.
She stood in the cold wind for a long time, and her fingertips were chilled.
Pei Yuchun was warm.
The slightly cool fingertips covered the slender fingers, which were slightly calloused but more soft.
Pei Yuchun's Adam's apple rolled, his thick eyelashes drooped, and the dark color under his gloom disappeared in an instant.
"Commander Du has excellent aim. He must have practiced hard day and night, right?"
"As the commander of the Firearms Battalion, I must lead by example." Du Qingtang withdrew his hand. "Alright."
Pei Yuchun's ears flushed slightly, hidden by his slightly curly black hair. "Thank you, Commander Du."
Du Qingtang hummed softly and raised his hand to signal.
Pei Yuchun turned his face, and his eyes, which were as gentle as spring water, suddenly became sharp.
He aimed at the target and pulled the trigger decisively.
"Bang!"
The bullet left the gun and hit the bull's eye.
Pei Yuchun tilted his head, his eyes sparkling, as if begging for praise: "Commander Du, how was my shooting?"
Perhaps emotions are really contagious. Seeing his smiling face, Du Qingtang's mood also improved a lot.
Du Qingtang nodded: "Yeah, very good."
Pei Yuchun's smile became brighter.
After that, Pei Yuchun shot nineteen times in a row.
Sometimes he hits the bull's eye and looks happy; sometimes he misses and looks frustrated.
Pei Yuchun looked a little depressed: "I always hit the target with my archery, but today I have met my match."
Du Qingtang smiled and was about to offer a token word of comfort when Pei Yuchun said, "Commander Du, that's not your fault. Don't take all the blame on yourself."
Du Qingtang was stunned for a moment, and the curve on his lips gradually subsided until it disappeared completely.
Pei Yuchun put down his musket and said softly, "They died fighting for their country. They died gloriously. The monument to heroes at Loushan Pass will forever remember them."
The Heroes' Monument is a stone tablet engraved with the names of those who died in battle, and is erected in the cemetery of Loushanguan.
Since the founding of Daxia, there have been thousands of heroic monuments.
"Besides, if we're talking about responsibility, it's not Commander Du's turn. The one who should bear the brunt of the blame is that person."
Du Qingtang understood his implication and was a little surprised.
Pei Yuchun spread his hands: "Like my grandfather and father, I am only loyal to Daxia."
As long as Daxia is here, he is here.
When Daxia fell, he fell too.
He fought for Daxia until the last moment of his life.
Pei Yuchun finished speaking, blinking slightly, his voice rising at the end: "I will only tell Commander Du, Commander Du, please keep it a secret for me."
Du Qingtang also blinked and hummed softly: "Okay."
"Then it's a deal." Pei Yuchun suddenly raised his hand and patted Du Qingtang's right shoulder, lightly touching the water like a dragonfly. "So, Commander Du, don't blame yourself. You are a qualified commander, and they must be proud of you."
They must be grateful and proud to have become a firearms army with powerful weapons and to have met such a responsible commander as Du Qingtang.
Du Qingtang was slightly stunned.
It wasn't because of Pei Yuchun's words, but because of his slightly overstepping actions.
Ever since she resumed her female identity, both her colleagues and subordinates have tacitly avoided physical contact with her.
It is a reverence, but also an avoidance of suspicion.
Du Qingtang doesn't care about these things, she can't control everyone's behavior.
However, Pei Yuchun was the first in several months.
"Ah..." Pei Yuchun realized belatedly that he had crossed the line and felt a little annoyed. "I'm really sorry, I just... I just thought this might comfort you better."
Du Qingtang didn't care. She had experienced so much and had modern memories. It was just physical contact, and there were several layers of clothes between them, so it was nothing.
She shook her head: "It's okay, thank you General Pei for your enlightenment."
Pei Yuchun's smile deepened, his eyes shifting, and suddenly fixed on one point: "Commander Du, you're bleeding."
Du Qingtang: "Hmm?"
Pei Yuchun pointed to the side of her neck: "It's bleeding here."
Du Qingtang raised his hand and touched it, and his fingertips were bright red, and they were really bleeding.
It was probably because he had shot too many times before, causing the wound caused by the butterfly dart to rupture.
Just as she was about to wipe it with a handkerchief, Pei Yuchun had already taken out a handkerchief and looked at her with a smile: "Commander Du, can you see it?"
Of course you can't see it.
Pei Yuchun suddenly stepped forward and said, "Then let me do it."
After saying that, without waiting for Du Qingtang to react, he gently covered Du Qingtang's neck with the handkerchief.
Pei Yuchun's hands are the hands of a military general.
The joints are thick, the body is thin and slender, the nails are round and clean, and blue veins are faintly visible under the honey-colored skin.
The handkerchief was folded neatly, and the fingertips inevitably touched the skin on the side of the neck.
A little rough and too warm.
"By the way, is there any progress with the Third Prince?"
Pei Yuchun was very close, his warm breath touched his ears, and he could even clearly smell the crisp soapberry scent on his body.
Du Qingtang didn't expect Pei Yuchun to approach so suddenly. He was stunned for a moment. When he came to his senses, he met a pair of green eyes as deep and clear as lake water.
Their eyes met, and for a moment no one looked away.
"General Pei, you're here! It was so hard for me to find you... No, it's you two..."
A hoarse male voice suddenly sounded. Du Qingtang quickly looked away, his upper body leaning back reflexively, putting some distance between him and Pei Yuchun, and looking towards the source of the sound.
Pei Yuchun's hand fell into nothingness, and he turned his head to look at the entrance of the shooting range.
General Feng stared at them with his eyes wide open, dumbfounded.
Their eyes met, and General Feng covered his eyes, trying to hide his mistake. He turned around and ran out, shouting loudly, "I didn't see anything!"
Du Qingtang: “…”
Pei Yuchun: “…”
General Feng disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving Du Qingtang and Pei Yuchun looking at each other in bewilderment.
The unclear and inexplicable things between the two of them disappeared completely, leaving only a lot of awkwardness.
Du Qingtang coughed lightly and said, "I can do it myself."
Pei Yuchun responded with "OK" as if nothing had happened, took back the handkerchief, touched his ear, and found it was a little hot.
Du Qingtang took out a handkerchief and wiped it twice, then rolled it up and stuffed it back in his pocket. He got back to the point: "Xiao Jinbao cut off the Third Prince's finger and specifically asked me to go to Sanliting to negotiate."
Pei Yuchun frowned: "He wants Commander Du to go to Da Qi?"
It's a question, but the tone is firm.
Du Qingtang was not surprised that he could guess it, and nodded, "I refused. He has the Third Prince in his hands, and we have the generals of Da Qi and the Eighth Prince in our hands."
Pei Yuchun was confused: "Eighth Prince?"
Du Qingtang then told Pei Yuchun about the Eighth Prince of Daqi. Pei Yuchun suddenly understood and clapped his hands, saying, "So that's how it is. Commander Du is truly resourceful."
"General Pei, you are too kind."
Du Qingtang spoke a few more words to Pei Yuchun, and the two left the shooting range one after the other.
Du Qingtang went to find General Feng: "I'll take the urns of those twenty people."
General Feng didn't waste any time and led Du Qingtang over.
The tents were filled with urns, thousands and thousands as far as the eye could see.
There were names written on the urns. General Feng quickly found those from the Firearms Army and handed them over to Du Qingtang.
General Feng stole a glance at Du Qingtang, cleared his throat, and asked casually, "Commander Du, you and General Pei..."
Du Qingtang said seriously, "I was injured by Xiao Jinbao when I was negotiating with him earlier. The wound was bleeding, and General Pei just helped me clean it."
General Feng said in a long tone: "Oh~~"
Just wipe it clean...
General Pei has never wiped the blood off me, Old Feng!
Du Qingtang: "...It's getting dark, I'll go back first."
"I'll take you there."
General Feng stood at the gate of the military camp, watching Du Qingtang go away, and smacked his lips: "The two of them actually..."
"General Pei's fortune lies ahead by following Commander Du!" General Feng slapped his thigh and said so.
-
Thousands of miles away in Xiajing, in the Golden Palace.
As the morning court session drew to a close, the Grand Secretary of the Wenhua Palace stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to report."
Emperor Qingyuan: "Approved."
The Grand Secretary of Wenhua Palace kowtowed and said in a resounding voice, "Your Majesty, I earnestly implore you to appoint a crown prince as soon as possible, to stabilize the foundation of the country and reassure the people!"
As soon as he finished speaking, more than a dozen officials came out.
"Your Majesty, please appoint a crown prince as soon as possible to strengthen the foundation of the country."
"I second the motion."
"I second the motion."
The officials knelt on the ground in a large crowd, all speaking in loud voices and banging their heads on the ground, as if they were ready to die if Emperor Qingyuan did not agree.
The voices of seconding the motion died away, and the throne room fell into complete silence.
All the civil and military officials lowered their heads and looked submissive, treating themselves as mere decorations in the hall, and glanced quietly at the head of the civil officials - Prime Minister Cao Yuan.
Cao Yuan was wearing a purple official robe and holding a tablet, looking calm and detached.
How many times has this happened?
From last year till now, the Grand Secretary of Wenhua Palace has petitioned His Majesty no less than ten times, asking him to appoint a crown prince as soon as possible.
Without exception, His Majesty always avoided talking about it for various reasons.
What will Your Majesty do this time?
Will it be decided on the spot?
Or continue to avoid talking about it?
In the past month, His Majesty, who has always been gentle, elegant and reserved, has suddenly shown his brilliance.
Many members of Cao's party were dismissed or demoted, and three officials of the fourth rank or above were beheaded.
Cao's party wanted to rescue them, but the evidence was conclusive and they were powerless to do anything. They could only watch their colleagues being beheaded, returning to their hometowns in disgrace, or being transferred to other positions.
As expected, these vacant positions were taken over by Emperor Qingyuan's people.
Emperor Qingyuan displayed his swift and decisive approach for the first time, leaving all the officials in the court stunned. They were as quiet as a chicken, fearing that they would be implicated and suffer the consequences.
Everyone is clearly aware that—
Your Majesty today is no longer the same as yesterday, and there will be trouble in the court again.
Your Majesty and the Prime Minister, who will be the final winner?
Everyone is waiting to see.
On the jade steps, Emperor Qingyuan stroked the dragon pattern on his robe and glanced at Qi Lianmao lightly.
Qi Cifu stepped forward and said righteously, "Your Majesty is in the prime of life and strength. In my humble opinion, it is too early to appoint a crown prince."
"Besides, the empire is still unsettled, and Great Qi is watching closely. We should unite all our forces to face the enemy. Once the empire is at peace and the four seas are at peace, then it won't be too late to consider the issue of appointing a crown prince."
Yan Tiande stepped out and said, "I second the motion."
Shi Zishan stepped out and said, "I second the motion."
Emperor Qingyuan twirled his beard and smiled, "Minister Qi is absolutely right. We should first eliminate the major threat to our hearts and minds, and then consider the issue of appointing a crown prince."
A major concern...
Your Majesty, are you talking about Da Qi, or someone else?
"Withdraw from the court——"
Everyone, with different thoughts in their minds, filed out of the Golden Palace.
The Fourth Prince strode towards Cao Yuan: "Grandfather..."
Cao Yuan shook his head. The Fourth Prince secretly hated Emperor Qingyuan for his ruthlessness. He gritted his teeth, ignored the obscure gazes around him, snorted coldly, and left.
......
Emperor Qingyuan boarded the dragon sedan chair and thought about the reactions of the officials at the morning court, and laughed with an ambiguous meaning.
throne.
The position of crown prince.
Emperor Qingyuan turned his head and looked far to the southwest with a distant gaze.
Only his child can enter the East Palace and sit on the dragon throne.
Others don't deserve it.
Emperor Qingyuan withdrew his gaze, his eyes changing from nostalgia to coldness, and he was intimidating without anger: "Return to the imperial study."
"Get up and go to the imperial study——"
After Fu Rui finished shouting, the eunuch lifted the dragon sedan chair and moved steadily along the long and quiet palace road.
After returning to the imperial study, Emperor Qingyuan had breakfast and began to deal with government affairs.
This process did not stop until the end of the Si hour.
It was because the eunuch came in and announced, "Your Majesty, three urgent letters have arrived from Loushan Pass."
Emperor Qingyuan was in high spirits and immediately threw aside the memorial full of nonsense: "Quickly bring it to me and let me see it!"
It had been a month since Du Aiqing left Beijing, and this was the first time he received an urgent report from Loushan Pass.
Could it be that he wrote an urgent report to Xiajing to celebrate the great victory at Loushan Pass so that I can also be happy?
——Emperor Qingyuan never thought about the possibility of Daxia being defeated.
With Lord Du and the Firearms Battalion, Daxia will surely be invincible.
"yes."
The three urgent memorials went through a series of rigorous inspections and were finally delivered to the emperor.
The urgent pieces are marked with times, the earliest being early February.
Emperor Qingyuan picked up the urgent letter and opened it to see what was inside.
After a moment, Emperor Qingyuan spoke: "Fu Rui."
Fu Rui was tidying up the pen holder. Hearing the voice, he hurried forward and said, "The servant is here."
Emperor Qingyuan's eyes fell on the urgent report: "I vaguely remember that Minister Lan from the Imperial Hospital mentioned suturing to me last month."
Fu Rui thought for a moment and said decisively, "Your Majesty, this is indeed the case."
Emperor Qingyuan nodded. "Lord Tian also mentioned it in his urgent report. He said that the suturing technique proposed by Lord Du has saved countless wounded soldiers. I asked you to popularize it among the troops in all regions as soon as possible."
He recalled that Dean Lan did say that the reason why the Imperial Hospital discovered the wonderful use of suture was because of an imperial physician - Dean Lan mentioned the name, but Emperor Qingyuan did not remember it. When he was treating Lord Yao whose leg was broken by a horse, he listened to the suggestion of another Lord Du and took the risk of breaking flesh to remove bones.
Lord Du, isn’t that Lord Du Aiqing?
Fu Ruixi said happily: "If it can really save the wounded, this suturing technique must be widely popularized."
As he spoke, he clicked his tongue in his heart.
More than a month later, Lord Du has made another contribution in front of His Majesty.
Emperor Qingyuan remained noncommittal: "In addition to the military, it would be best if this technique were also popularized among the people. Minor injuries are fine, but if they are serious, suturing may save lives."
Fu Ruide said: "Your Majesty is kind and benevolent, and truly loves the people like his own children."
Emperor Qingyuan's brows relaxed, a genuine smile appeared on his round and elegant face, and he picked up the second letter.
The first letter was written by Tian Xiu, and the second one was written by Du Qingtang.
When I opened the urgent report, I found that it was actually a move by Fuguo.
Emperor Qingyuan read the entire article, his smile widening. "Come here, summon the Minister of Revenue, Qi Jiang, to the audience!"
The eunuch received the order and rushed all the way to the Ministry of Revenue.
Minister Qi is checking the accounts.
To be more precise, it is the accounts of Ningxiang Tower.
In the blink of an eye, Ningxiang Tower has been open for more than three months.
To this day, Ningxianglou can be said to be the favorite of women in Beijing. No matter whether they are ladies of high status or common people, as long as they have a little more money, they will love to go to Ningxianglou to buy cosmetics or experience various one-on-one services.
Even the ladies in the palace often sent people out of the palace to buy cosmetics and skin care products.
Those with high positions even asked His Majesty for grace to allow people from Ningxiang Tower to enter the palace every few days to design makeup for them and provide facial and body care.
The ladies were generous with their money, giving gifts of dozens of taels at a time, and buying things without blinking an eye.
In addition to the ladies, there were also many women from other places who came here because of their fame and were extremely generous.
It can be said that Ningxianglou is now making a fortune every day.
Take last month for example, after deducting costs, Ningxiang Tower earned a total of more than 80,000 taels of silver.
This silver was enough to distribute salaries to officials in Beijing, with quite a bit left over.
As Ningxianglou became more and more famous, the profit in February was even more gratifying, just a few thousand taels away from reaching 100,000!
Minister Qi was almost going crazy with joy when he saw the long list of numbers in the account book. He was always calm and composed, but he burst into laughter in the duty room, with his mouth stretched to his ears.
He couldn't help but feel fortunate that he had been good friends with Du Qingtang. He didn't feel jealous because Du Qingtang had reached the third rank at such a young age. Instead, he took good care of her.
Thanks to Lord Du, the government-run shops that had been like a stagnant pool of water came back to life, bringing in a lot of revenue for the Ministry of Revenue and the national treasury.
Minister Qi was feeling grateful to Du Qingtang and silently praying to God, hoping that Lord Du would be safe and healthy and everything would go smoothly at Loushan Pass, when there was a knock on the door.
"Sir, His Majesty invites you."
Minister Qi did not dare to hesitate. He put down the account book reluctantly and followed the eunuch to the imperial study.
Entering the imperial study, Minister Qi bowed and greeted.
"Your humble servant pays respect to Your Majesty."
"Qi Aiqing, there is no need to be so polite. Please stand up."
Minister Qi thanked him and just as he stood up, he heard Emperor Qingyuan say with a smile, "Lord Du has sent an urgent report from Loushan Pass. It's something even better than Ningxiang Tower."
Du Aiqing?
Mr. Du!
Fu Rui raised his eyebrows in surprise. It was not just one achievement, but two.
Minister Qi suppressed his excitement and asked impatiently, "Your Majesty, may I ask what good things Lord Du has given you?"
Emperor Qingyuan felt that he could not explain it clearly in a few words, so he simply showed the urgent memorial to Minister Qi.
It's no secret anyway, so it doesn't hurt to take a look.
Minister Qi's expression became serious. He took the urgent memorial with both hands and read through it word by word.
The more he looked down, the faster his breathing became, and his face flushed with excitement.
Glass!
Extremely beautiful glass!
Glass that makes a fortune every day!
If he wasn't in the imperial study, Minister Qi would have wanted to laugh out loud.
Emperor Qingyuan glanced at Minister Qi's trembling hands and couldn't help laughing, feeling very relieved.
Even though he was far away at the border, Lord Du never forgot to find ways to fill the national treasury.
Emperor Qingyuan pondered for a moment and handed the blueprint to Minister Qi. "I'll leave this matter to you. The shop will be called... Liulifang, and we'll try to open it next month."
"Yes, I will obey your majesty's order!"
Minister Qi spoke in an excited tone. He had already seen countless silver flying towards him!
Lord Du is truly the treasure of the Ministry of Revenue, the golden Pixiu of the national treasury!!!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
