Chapter 106 The Princess Returns
After receiving the blueprint, Minister Qi left the imperial study in a hurry, returned to the Ministry of Revenue, summoned the craftsmen, and began to make glass in full swing.
After Minister Qi left, Emperor Qingyuan smiled and said, "This dear Du always brings me many unexpected surprises."
He couldn't help but wonder, if there was Du Aiqing in his previous life, would Daxia still have ended up in the state of national destruction and extinction.
Emperor Qingyuan changed his mind and thought, why bother to dwell on something that may not happen in the future.
Relying on Qi Heming's "confession", he has gained the upper hand in the game with Cao Yuan every time over the past month.
I believe that given time, he will be able to eradicate Cao's party and restore imperial power. Daxia will also be able to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past and prolong its reign.
Emperor Qingyuan brought the third urgent letter.
Perhaps it was good news, Emperor Qingyuan thought casually, while opening the urgent memorial and reading it word by word.
No, not good news.
The lightness between Emperor Qingyuan's brows gradually faded until it disappeared completely.
The atmosphere in the hall became gloomy and depressing, filled with a dangerous feeling of impending storm.
Fu Rui's heart trembled, and all kinds of thoughts flashed through his mind.
Why is Your Majesty angry?
Is it that the battle at Loushan Pass is getting tense, or is it that... we were defeated?
Fu Rui bit the soft flesh of his cheek, held his breath, and dared not move while holding the whisk.
After a long while, only a cold snort was heard: "Good Third Brother, I underestimated him."
Fury rolled his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as we don't lose the war.
But what kind of trouble did the Third Prince cause to make His Majesty so angry?
Although Emperor Qingyuan never said it, Fu Rui had served in front of the emperor for many years and naturally knew why he sent the third prince to Loushan Pass to supervise the army.
——Gild the third prince.
The general of Loushan Pass is the grandfather of the third prince. Even if the third prince has never led troops in battle, even if he stays behind, as long as Daxia successfully repels the Qi army, he can still get some credit.
When he returns to the capital in glory one day, he will be able to compete with the Fourth Prince.
Emperor Qingyuan pondered in silence, his eyes fixed on a certain paragraph of text. His right hand trembled slightly, and his breathing became disordered for a moment.
He concealed it so well that even Fury didn't notice his gaffe.
"How is Uncle Cheng doing?"
As the chief steward of the Imperial Court, he naturally had to be fully aware of the situation of the princes and officials in case His Majesty asked any impromptu questions.
Prince Cheng, the late emperor’s half-brother.
He was born with a deficiency and has a lame leg.
He was about the same age as Emperor Qingyuan, but he had no children.
In fact, in her early years, Princess Cheng gave birth to a legitimate son, but unfortunately he died of illness before he was ten years old.
For many years thereafter, no good news came from Prince Cheng’s Mansion.
"There was a cold snap a while ago and the prince fell ill. He has not been able to get up since then." Fu Rui answered seriously.
Emperor Qingyuan said thoughtfully, "Since Uncle Cheng has no successor, he should have a son to serve him."
Fu Rui didn't understand at first, but when he thought about the previous and next sentences, his eyelids twitched and his breathing became lighter.
"One more thing." Emperor Qingyuan's fingertips traced the urgent report, "We can send people to clean up Princess Zhaoyang's mansion."
Princess Zhaoyang?
Isn't that... the second princess? !
Fu Rui's face changed slightly and he took a deep breath. Too many things happened today and he was quite overwhelmed.
"Yes, I will send someone there later..."
"You go there yourself."
"...Yes, I obey your command."
-
Emperor Qingyuan, who was far away in Xiajing, received the news. On the other side, Emperor Qi also learned that Da Qi was defeated, Changping Pass was lost, and the Eighth Prince and all the generals except Xiao Jinbao were captured.
The Emperor of Qi was furious, and the palace maids knelt on the ground in the imperial study.
"Return the five southwestern cities? Cancel the tribute? That's simply wishful thinking!"
"Xia Fei is my woman. Even if she dies, she can only die in Da Qi!"
Thinking about what the Eighth Prince had done, the Emperor of Qi looked very disappointed.
He asked the Eighth Brother to go to Changping Pass because he wanted him to gain merit and be granted the title of hereditary prince after he came back, so that he could enjoy wealth and prosperity forever.
Who would have thought that Lao Ba would go deep into the summer camp alone!
What’s even more infuriating is that Fang Xing and his people didn’t know how to stop him and just let Lao Ba run wild!
On the other hand, Concubine Mei also learned the news that the eighth prince had been captured. She was so frightened that her face turned pale and she came to the emperor crying and begging for mercy.
"Your Majesty, you must rescue our child!"
"If Xiao Ba doesn't survive, I won't live alone either!"
Faced with his beloved concubine's crying and pleading, Emperor Qi was in a dilemma.
He had coveted the rich land of Daxia for a long time and was unwilling to give up the fat meat that was right at his fingertips.
There are many mines hidden in those five cities, and he doesn't want Daxia to get them for free.
There is also tribute. The millions of taels sent by Daxia every year are enough to feed Daqi's million-strong army.
If tribute were abolished, the money would have to come from the national treasury.
Even though the treasury of the Great Qi was full, the Emperor of Qi was unwilling to be the scapegoat.
But the eighth son was his most beloved son. The two countries had been at odds for a long time, and if he fell into the hands of the Xia people, he was destined to have a bad end.
Just when he was having a headache, the Left Prime Minister came up to him and said, "Your Majesty, I would like to go to Changping Pass to negotiate peace with the Xia people."
The Left Prime Minister was a loyal minister of the Great Qi State, and the Emperor of Qi trusted him. When he took the initiative to ask for the position, the Emperor of Qi agreed without hesitation.
"I must bring back the Eighth Prince no matter what. As for the conditions..." The Emperor of Qi pondered for a long time and sighed deeply, "If necessary, I can agree to all of them."
Cities can be reoccupied, silver can be earned again, and concubines can be taken in again, but once a beloved son is gone, he is truly gone.
The Left Prime Minister was not surprised: "Yes, I will definitely fulfill my mission."
On that day, Zuo Xiang led a group of people and rushed to Changping Pass without stopping.
Half a month later, Zuo Xiang reunited with Xiao Jinbao.
After Changping Pass fell, Xiao Jinbao led the remaining troops to hide in the mountains for more than a month.
Due to food shortages and freezing weather, they suffered a lot.
Now that the Left Prime Minister has descended from the sky, everyone is naturally very excited.
Xiao Jinbao couldn't wait to ask, "Has His Majesty agreed?"
The Left Prime Minister said in a resounding voice, "His Majesty has ordered me to rescue the Eighth Prince at all costs."
Xiao Jinbao was speechless.
The five cities and tribute were obtained with the blood of countless soldiers at Changping Pass, but now, for the sake of the eighth prince alone, the two countries have been forced to lose in the confrontation and have handed over the cities and silver.
Xiao Jinbao exhaled a foul breath, suppressing his resentment: "When do you plan to go see Du Qingtang, sir?"
Du Qingtang.
Du Qingtang entered the officialdom as a woman and harmed countless people in Qi.
A fierce look flashed across the left minister's eyes, but disappeared in an instant: "Tomorrow."
That afternoon, Xiao Jinbao sent someone to deliver a letter to Xia Ying.
After reading the letter, General Tian immediately sent someone to invite Du Qingtang.
"Commander Du, the Emperor of Qi has sent the Left Prime Minister Sima Ming to meet at Sanli Pavilion at noon tomorrow."
General Tian said, "I've dealt with this man before. He's cunning and ruthless. The reason Daxia has to pay millions of taels of silver to Daqi every year and cede five cities is closely related to this man. Commander Du must be extremely cautious."
He was not worried about Du Qingtang, but was worried that Du Qingtang would be plotted against by Sima Ming, which would be detrimental to the Third Prince.
Du Qingtang nodded to indicate that he understood.
General Tian added, "I will send someone to ambush near Sanliting. Commander Du, please take good care of yourself."
Last month he sent an urgent report to Xia Jing, but more than a month has passed and there is still no news.
General Tian was worried that Emperor Qingyuan would give up on the third prince. Now he could only place all his hopes on Du Qingtang.
As long as he could rescue the third prince, he would do it even if it meant kneeling down to Du Qingtang in front of all the soldiers at Loushan Pass.
......
The next day, Du Qingtang went to the appointment alone.
Still Sanliting, still arriving half an hour early.
Du Qingtang waited for half an hour, and it was almost noon when the Left Prime Minister of Da Qi finally arrived.
Unlike Xiao Jinbao's first-ditch approach of courtesy and then force, the Left Prime Minister of Great Qi stated directly upon taking his seat: "His Majesty of our dynasty agrees to return your country's Third Prince and Princess Zhaoyang. In exchange, the Xia army must withdraw from Changping Pass and return our Eighth Prince."
Du Qingtang sat upright like a pine tree and reminded him calmly, "Master Sima, is it possible that you have just arrived at Changping Pass and haven't yet understood the specific situation?"
"Or perhaps Guardsman Xiao is hiding something, hoping to create a grudge between you and me, and to cause the Eighth Prince to die in a foreign country?"
Du Qingtang said, then sighed helplessly: "Forget it, since Lord Sima doesn't know the inside story, then Du will say it again."
The left prime minister of Da Qi's eyes suddenly turned cold: "Lord Du..."
Du Qingtang raised his voice slightly, speaking clearly: "On behalf of Daxia, I, Du, respectfully request that your country return the Third Prince and Princess Zhaoyang, return the five southwestern cities, and cancel the tribute."
"In exchange, the Xia army will withdraw from Changping Pass and return your country's eighth prince and fifty-eight generals."
"So, does Lord Sima understand?"
The Left Prime Minister of the Great Qi State warned coldly: "Master Du, one should not be too greedy."
The prince changes for the prince, the princess changes for Changping Pass, this is fair.
Of course, the fifty-eight generals had to come back, but if they were to kowtow and agree to all of Daxia's demands right from the start, the other party would easily take advantage of them and ask for more.
He originally planned to take it slow and give in little by little, but he didn't expect Du Qingtang to be so insidious and to mock him with veiled sarcasm.
Du Qingtang laughed instead of getting angry: "Greedy? Is Lord Sima talking about your country?"
"It was clearly your country that launched the unwarranted invasion first. Everything our country does is legitimate defense."
"As the saying goes, the winner is the king, and the loser is the bandit."
"If it was Daxia that was defeated today, your country would probably make even more excessive demands."
Marriage alliance, tribute, cession of territory, and payment of indemnity.
Which one was not proposed by Da Qi?
Daxia was a small country with a poor population and a weak military. If it did not want its country to be broken up, it could only accept defeat and allow Daqi to plunder it again and again, devouring Daxia's flesh and blood like a hyena.
Now the situation of the war has reversed, Daxia has turned from disadvantage to advantage, so Daqi is getting anxious?
It's really ridiculous.
"Master Sima, if you are willing to gamble, you must accept defeat."
When they planned to attack Loushan Pass, did they ever think of this day?
It doesn’t matter if you haven’t thought about it. There will be more and more similar situations in the future. After experiencing them many times, you will naturally get used to it.
These words made the left prime minister of the Great Qi turn pale and his eyes wide open with anger. He wished he could bite Du Qingtang into pieces and swallow him.
"I have come a thousand miles, condescending myself to speak with a woman like you, yet you are so aggressive and have delayed the peace talks between our two countries. Can you bear the consequences?"
Du Qingtang remained calm, "So what if she's a woman? Sir Sima, you may not know that just last month, tens of thousands of Qi soldiers died because of me."
The Left Prime Minister of Great Qi: "You!"
Du Qingtang stood up and smoothed the non-existent wrinkles on his robe. "I advise Sir Sima to think it over carefully. Your country's Eighth Prince is spoiled and delicate. He might die one day."
After saying this, he smiled slightly, ignored the angry look of the Left Prime Minister of Da Qi, and left gracefully with a flick of his sleeves.
"Only women and villains are difficult to raise. This is really true!"
The left prime minister of the Great Qi was secretly lucky. He had been in officialdom for decades and had never suffered such humiliation.
Since Du Qingtang is being unreasonable and refusing to give in to the four conditions, don't blame him for being ruthless!
"Let's do it."
"yes."
He wanted to see what decision Emperor Xia would make with Du Qingtang as a hostage.
......
"Commander!"
Deputy Commander Lu and Brigadier General Liu emerged from the darkness with their men.
Thousands of eyes were staring at Du Qingtang, waiting for the outcome of the negotiation.
"The talks have broken down, let's go back first." Du Qingtang jumped on his horse amidst the boos, "Be careful."
The old thief Sima pretended to be stupid and was offended by her. He would most likely get angry out of shame.
Everyone was cheered up and quickly gripped their weapons tightly.
A group of people galloped on their horses, the horses' hooves kicked up dust.
When we were about to leave Changping Pass, we passed through a forest.
It was not until mid-April that new green appeared in the mountains and forests. The branches were motionless, and the silence was eerie.
Deputy Commander Lu and Brigadier General Liu exchanged a look and reached the top cautiously.
"call out--"
The sound of breaking wind came from far away, and arrows shot towards the Xia army like rain.
Lieutenant General Liu's eyes sharpened, and he raised his sword to block. The arrow hit the sword with a clanging sound. "Deputy Commander Lu, you cover Commander Du's departure, and we will be responsible for the rear!"
Deputy Commander Lu responded with a "yes" and waved his arm: "Commander, let's go!"
Du Qingtang didn't want to fight anymore, so he kicked his horse and ran east.
A large number of Qi troops jumped out of the woods, part of them chased Du Qingtang, and the other part was responsible for delaying Brigadier General Liu.
On Du Qingtang's side, the firearms soldiers responsible for protecting Du Qingtang were two men on horseback, one of whom was holding a musket, and could kill one Qi soldier with one bullet.
In just a moment, the number of pursuers was reduced by nearly one-third.
After entering the territory of Loushan Pass, the Xia army felt like a fish in water. They quickly shook off the pursuers and returned to the military camp.
General Tian and others had been waiting for a long time. When they saw Du Qingtang coming back and everyone accompanying him was injured, they felt a tightness in their hearts.
"Commander Du, what's going on?"
Du Qingtang dismounted and sent for the military doctor. After taking a breath, he said, "Sima Ming made a huge demand. He wanted to exchange the Third Prince and Princess Zhaoyang for the Eighth Prince. He also wanted us to withdraw our troops. When I refused, he became furious and sent his men after me."
Everyone was furious.
"What a scoundrel Sima! Changping Pass is a military fortress, why doesn't he go to heaven?"
"We finally won this time. We can't agree to them so easily. Otherwise, won't we lose everything?"
"Commander Du, are you all okay?"
"I'm fine, the others are slightly injured." Du Qingtang turned his head and looked at the firearms soldiers, "You go and treat the wounds first."
The firearms army responded and left.
"Commander Du, you shouldn't have become enemies with Sima Ming."
General Tian frowned, his dark face full of fatigue, and made an accusatory remark.
Ever since the Third Prince was captured, he hasn't had a good night's sleep. He either dreams of the Third Prince's fingers being chopped off, or dreams of Xiao Jinbao sending someone to deliver the Third Prince's head.
Now that Du Qingtang and Sima Ming's talks have broken down, what if they take their anger out on the Third Prince...
General Tian didn't dare to think about it, and his face became even worse.
Du Qingtang would not indulge him. He said expressionlessly, "If the Third Prince had not been so eager for quick success and got ambushed by the Qi army, I wouldn't have needed to negotiate with the Great Qi."
Instead, they directly attacked Changping Pass and captured several cities west of Changping Pass, demanding that the Emperor of Qi return the two men and five cities and cancel the tribute.
disagree?
Then keep fighting!
With gunpowder and muskets in hand, Du Qingtang was not afraid at all.
But the third prince came, who was good for nothing, only hindered others, and even killed twenty firearms soldiers.
Du Qingtang went to the negotiation for the sake of the overall situation. In fact, he had been holding back his anger these days. General Tian actually dared to walk into his trap.
Du Qingtang became increasingly furious as he thought about it. He sneered, "We didn't have to be restricted in everything. You should know better than me why we've ended up in this situation."
The scene was completely silent.
The generals were dumbfounded and looked at Du Qingtang as if he were a warrior.
Of course, they knew who was the culprit behind the current situation, and they also felt a little resentful towards the Third Prince.
If it weren't for him, the three armies would have won a beautiful victory, General Zhang would not have died, and the Northern Army would not have suffered more than 10,000 casualties.
But they dared not say it and could only keep it in their hearts.
After all, the Third Prince is a member of a royal family, and his grandfather is their immediate superior.
Unexpectedly, Du Qingtang actually spoke out their true feelings.
A little shocking, but more satisfying.
But one thing is for sure, they still have to step out and smooth things over.
"Commander Du, be careful with your words. The Third Prince also made an unintentional mistake."
"General, Commander Du, despite immense pressure, negotiated peace with Da Qi. This was not his intention to contradict you."
"Commander Du, calm down. You must be exhausted after all this traveling. Go back and rest."
General Tian's face was stiff and he stared at Du Qingtang coldly.
Du Qingtang was not afraid at all: "Don't tell me what to do, just take care of yourself." After saying that, he left.
The generals looked around, not daring to look at General Tian, and tried to comfort him dryly.
"General, don't be impatient. Da Qi is currently in a weak position. They dare not refuse to release us. It just may take some time."
"Commander Du is young and full of vigor. You are a magnanimous person. Don't bother with her."
Having worked together for many years, General Tian could see that these people were resentful of the Third Prince, and his expression became even uglier.
Thinking of the third prince whose life or death was unknown, and the punishment imposed on him by the court, General Tian felt as if a huge rock was pressing on his chest, and he couldn't breathe.
General Tian turned around and left without saying a word.
He can't even protect himself, what else can he do?
......
After Deputy Commander Lu had his wounds sewn up and came out of the wounded tent, the news of the dispute between Du Qingtang and General Tian had already spread.
"The commander's job is already very difficult, why does he want to make things worse?" Deputy Commander Lu grumbled in dissatisfaction and went to find Du Qingtang.
"Commander, what should we do next?"
Du Qingtang bent over his desk, assembling a musket, and said slowly, "Go and cut off another finger from Qi Zhuojun and have someone deliver it to them."
"Attach another letter and tell them this time it was a finger, and next time it will be Qi Zhuojun's head."
The old thief Sima has no moral principles, so don't blame her for taking her anger out on Qi Zhuojun.
Deputy Commander Lu's eyes lit up: "I'll go right away!"
He ordered two firearms soldiers and headed straight for the tent where the Qi spies were imprisoned.
Qi Zhuojun struggled and screamed.
Deputy Commander Lu directly blocked his mouth with a smelly sock and slashed with a knife.
Qi Zhuojun rolled his eyes and fainted on the spot.
Deputy Commander Lu held a brush, drew some talismans, and personally went to Changping Pass.
They had already found the hiding place of the remnant soldiers of the Great Qi, and the reason they did not kill them all was because they were afraid that they had the third prince in their hands.
Deputy Commander Lu took out a powerful crossbow and tied the letter and purse to the crossbow arrow.
With a "click", the crossbow arrow hit the tree trunk.
The Qi army was shocked and shouted: "Enemy attack!"
Deputy Commander Lu chuckled and waved his hand: "Let's go back and report!"
The Qi army was on guard for a long time, but did not see the Xia army attacking.
Just when he was wondering, someone noticed something on the crossbow arrow and quickly sent it to Sima Ming.
As soon as the purse was opened, a strong smell of blood hit me in the face.
Sima Ming and Xiao Jinbao's expressions changed instantly.
Sima Ming slammed the table in anger: "This is too much! Do you really think we don't have any hostages?"
"Come here, cut off the right arm of the Third Prince of Daxia and send it to them!"
Xiao Jinbao quickly stopped him: "Sir, you can't do that!"
Sima Ming: "Why not?"
Xiao Jinbao bowed and said, "If we keep going back and forth like this, the Eighth Prince will only be hurt more seriously. Why don't we take a look at what is written in this letter first?"
Sima Ming was full of anger, but he let Xiao Jinbao take out the letter and they read it together.
After struggling to make out the scribbles on the paper, Sima Ming's teeth were almost broken and his anger grew even more intense.
He knew that Du Qingtang could definitely do it.
The life or death of the Third Prince of Daxia does not matter, but the Eighth Prince must be alive, otherwise he will not be able to explain to His Majesty.
Sima Ming slammed his fist on the table: "They got it easy!"
Xiao Jinbao smiled bitterly: "It's just that Du Qingtang was born in the wrong place."
Without her, Daxia would have had to kneel down and be beaten.
Sima Ming's face was as dark as the bottom of a pot. "There's no point in saying more. Send someone to the Xia camp to tell them that I will bring the Third Prince of Great Xia and Princess Zhaoyang to the appointment tomorrow. I hope they will keep their word and return the Eighth Prince."
Thinking of the Eighth Prince, Sima Ming pointed at Xiao Jinbao and said, "You are such a bunch of losers. You actually allowed the Eighth Prince to get close to Du Qingtang."
Du Qingtang was a cunning, cautious, and suspicious woman, while the Eighth Prince was notoriously naive and stupid; he was no match for her.
Xiao Jinbao sighed, "Your Excellency, we have tried to persuade him, but the Eighth Prince is so determined to gain merit that he even threatened us with His Majesty. We really have no choice, so..."
Sima Ming snorted coldly: "Go down the mountain and find a woman to wash and change clothes for Concubine Xia."
In order to reach Changping Pass as quickly as possible, they traveled light and there was not even a servant by Concubine Xia's side.
Now that the matter has become a foregone conclusion, we must deal with Concubine Xia cleanly, lest that crazy woman Du Qingtang cause trouble again by mistreatment of the princess who was married off to another country.
Xiao Jinbao took the order and went to a nearby village to find two strong women. He gave them enough silver and asked them to wash Concubine Xia.
The woman received the silver and walked into the tent happily.
The tent was dark and empty, with only a straw mat inside.
There was a person lying on the straw mat, his clothes were thin, his hair was messy, and his wrists were lightly resting on the edge of the mat, they were so thin that they were almost skin and bones.
She closed her eyes and breathed very lightly.
The woman subconsciously lightened her steps and rubbed the corner of her clothes awkwardly: "Madam, the military officer outside asked us to help you take a bath."
The woman opened her eyes, and her dark brown pupils flashed with light.
-
"Commander! Another letter from Da Qi!"
Du Qingtang was reading a book when Deputy Commander Lu rushed in like a gust of wind, his face full of excitement: "They agreed to release him!"
"Okay, I understand." Du Qingtang's eyes fell on the book, looking neither surprised nor surprised.
Through the birthday banquet, Du Qingtang probably knew that Sima Ming was a bully who only cared about the strong.
In a recent confrontation, Sima Ming's words were full of contempt for Du Qingtang. He looked down on women and was confident that Du Qingtang could be controlled by him.
Reality slapped him hard in the face.
Du Qingtang not only escaped, but also gave him a return gift.
Now, Sima Ming finally felt afraid.
For Qi Zhuojun, he had no choice but to agree to Du Qingtang's excessive demands.
"Send someone to give Qi Zhuojun a bath, change his clothes, and rebandage his wounds." Du Qingtang turned the page of the book, his tone calm, "lest the other party think we treat him harshly."
Deputy Commander Lu wanted to say, isn’t it?
After being captured in February, Qi Zhuojun was subjected to a brutal interrogation, and not a single piece of good flesh was left from head to toe.
To this day, he has not taken a shower or washed his hair, and has even had two fingers cut off. He is so thin that he is unrecognizable and no longer as delicate and handsome as before.
However, Deputy Commander Lu did not sympathize. How was sympathizing with the enemy any different from treason?
"Yes, I will arrange it right away."
......
The next day, Du Qingtang set out from the military camp at noon as usual.
In addition to the firearms troops, there were also generals such as General Tian who traveled with them.
After not seeing the sun for two whole months, Qi Zhuojun walked out of the tent and cried out in excitement.
She cried and then laughed out loud: "I want to go back! I can finally go back!"
He was crying and laughing at the same time, which looked like he was crazy and attracted everyone's attention.
Du Qingtang didn't even look at him, jumped on his horse, and led the firearms army away first.
Qi Zhuojun and the generals of the Qi army were shackled and tied up with hemp ropes. Fifty-nine people were lined up in two rows and walked to Sanliting.
General Tian and others were the rear guard.
When Du Qingtang arrived at his destination, Sima Ming had already arrived.
He no longer had the arrogance of yesterday. He pointed to the carriage behind him and said calmly, "Master Du, your country's third prince and Princess Zhaoyang have arrived."
Du Qingtang dismounted and slowly straightened his clothes: "The journey is long, your country's eighth prince will arrive in a while."
Sima Ming narrowed his eyes and asked, "You didn't prepare a carriage for the Eighth Prince?"
Du Qingtang said confidently, "There are no carriages in the barracks. Renting a carriage costs money. All the money in the Great Xia treasury has gone into your treasury. I can only ask your Eighth Prince to walk a few more steps."
Sima Ming: “…”
After patiently waiting for half an hour, I finally saw a long line in the distance.
His feet were shackled and tied with hemp ropes, like he was being treated as a prisoner.
Du Qingtang said beside him, "Did Lord Sima see that? The one walking first is your country's eighth prince."
Sima Ming: “…”
Hold on!
Hold on!
Sima Ming took a deep breath, walked forward quickly with a sluggish face, and supported Qi Zhuojun, who was exhausted from the long journey and almost fell headfirst: "Your Highness, be careful!"
Hearing the familiar voice, Qi Zhuojun thought it was an illusion. He groaned weakly and opened his eyelids with difficulty.
The familiar old face was indeed the Left Prime Minister.
Qi Zhuojun's eyes gradually focused, and then he let out a wow and burst into tears.
"Left Prime Minister, my hand is gone. They chopped it off, wuwuwu..."
"Left Prime Minister, I'm so hungry. They make me eat steamed bread every day. It gets stuck in my throat and I don't like it. But if I don't eat it, they beat me... woooo..."
"And that Du Qingtang, she's not even human, she's a thousand-year-old monster. Prime Minister Zuo, go find a demon hunter and capture her!"
Du Qingtang: “…”
Others: “…”
Du Qingtang curled his lips and walked towards the carriage opposite.
Deputy Commander Lu quickly followed with the firearms troops.
What a joke! The Qi army on the opposite side is eyeing their own commander covetously, so of course they have to protect the commander.
General Tian also walked over with several generals, walking hurriedly, anxiously and worriedly.
How is His Highness doing now?
Your Highness must be in great pain after losing a finger.
Xiao Jinbao, wearing black armor, reminded with a forced smile: "The one on the left is your country's third prince, and the one on the right is Princess Zhaoyang."
Du Qingtang turned and headed straight for the carriage on the right.
The rest went to the left.
It is clear at a glance who is more important, the prince or the princess.
Du Qingtang stopped in front of the carriage and bowed, "Your humble servant Du Qingtang respectfully welcomes Your Highness back to the court."
There was a slight rustling sound in the carriage, and a hand slowly reached out.
The fingers are long and slender, and the wrists are so delicate that they can be broken by a gust of wind.
This hand is neither white nor delicate, but covered with thick calluses and countless fine scars.
No one could have imagined that this was the hand of a princess of a wealthy country.
More like the hands of a country woman.
But even so, it still does not diminish her elegance and nobility.
Du Qingtang raised her hand, and Princess Zhaoyang placed her hand in her palm and slowly appeared.
The year she was ordered to marry, Princess Zhaoyang had just come of age.
Ten years passed in a flash, and Princess Zhaoyang was only twenty-five years old.
Twenty-five years old is the age of blooming flowers.
However, the Princess Zhaoyang in front of him was skinny, like a dead branch with an intricate and gorgeous dress hanging on it, swaying in the wind.
Her hair, which should have been as black as clouds, was dotted with white frost, and her eyes were dark, without a single ray of light.
The ten years of solitude in a foreign country made her wither and her flower-like vibrant colors faded.
She was alive, but she was as good as dead.
Du Qingtang pursed her lips, held Princess Zhaoyang's hand firmly, and helped her get off the carriage.
When their eyes met, a hint of emotion flashed across Princess Zhaoyang's eyes, so quick and elusive that it disappeared in a flash.
Du Qingtang didn't want to delve into the matter, so he just said respectfully, "Your Highness, I'll have to inconvenience you by having you stay at the posthouse at Loushan Pass for the next few days. Once everything is settled, the Firearms Army will escort you back to the capital."
Princess Zhaoyang's eyes flickered slightly: "Return to the capital?"
Du Qingtang nodded in agreement, paused, and added, "You're home."
Princess Zhaoyang slowly curled her lips, her thin face still vaguely showing her former stunning beauty: "Is it Master Du who is sending me home?"
Du Qingtang was stunned for a moment and shook his head: "I will take up a post elsewhere."
Princess Zhaoyang sighed regretfully, "Well, I'm tired and want to go back and rest."
Du Qingtang readily replied, "The carriage has already been prepared. Your Highness, please move."
The carriage stopped beside the Firearms Army. Princess Zhaoyang boarded the carriage and suddenly turned around: "Master Du, can I see you again?"
Du Qingtang raised his head slightly and said, "Your Highness, we will meet again if we are destined to."
Princess Zhaoyang's eyes flickered slightly, and her calm voice rose, revealing a hint of joy: "Then, see you later."
Du Qingtang replied solemnly: "See you later."
Princess Zhaoyang leaned over to enter the carriage, and Du Qingtang suddenly felt a sharp gaze fixed on him.
Looking back, the man was actually the Left Prime Minister of Great Qi.
Du Qingtang smiled slightly and raised his hand to adjust the car curtain.
Sima Ming, whose head was buzzing with the Eighth Prince's crying, suddenly discovered that Daxia had prepared a carriage: "..."
On the other side, General Tian looked at the skinny Third Prince with a dull and lifeless look in his eyes, his tiger eyes filled with tears: "Your Highness, you have suffered."
The third prince's eyes moved, and the base of his broken finger began to ache slightly.
The pain made veins pop out on his forehead, his teeth chattered, and he couldn't hide the resentment in his eyes: "Why didn't you stop me?"
General Tian was stunned.
"If you had stopped me, I wouldn't have been taken prisoner, let alone become a cripple."
"It's all your fault!"
The Third Prince's hysterical roar echoed in the wilderness, and all the generals except General Tian were speechless.
At first, General Tian tried to persuade him with kind words, but the Third Prince insisted on going to the battlefield, and he looked like he would get angry with anyone who tried to stop him. No one dared to say anything.
Now you are putting the blame on the general, thinking that you can just cover up the mistakes he made?
impossible!
Originally, His Majesty sent the Third Prince to supervise the army. They had thought that if the Third Prince took that position in the future, perhaps they could also get the chance to follow him.
But before they could take action, the third prince was captured.
Now they couldn't help but feel fortunate that they didn't board the Third Prince's pirate ship, otherwise they wouldn't know how they died.
Looking at General Tian again, tears were still glistening in his eyes. He was stunned by the scolding from the Third Prince and was visibly hurt.
These days, he couldn't eat or sleep well because of His Highness, and he had to lower himself to ask Du Qingtang for help many times, but His Highness actually blamed him in return.
"Your Highness, I..."
The third prince didn't want to listen, so he left General Tian and got into the carriage.
He felt like everyone was laughing at him.
But he didn't mean it.
It was all because the Qi army was cunning and lured him into a trap.
He just wanted to make a contribution and make his father look at him with admiration!
Thinking about what he would face after returning to Beijing, the third prince became even more desperate.
......
Du Qingtang watched the whole process and fell silent.
Seeing that the time was almost up, she walked towards General Tian and said, "It's time to sign the peace agreement."
General Tian woke up as if from a dream, wiped his face with his hand, and said weakly: "I am guilty, how can I sign a peace agreement on behalf of Your Majesty?"
In fact, the Third Prince was not wrong. It was his improper command that led to the capture of the Third Prince and the tragic deaths of the Deputy General and countless soldiers.
Du Qingtang thought about it and said, "General Liu, how about you come?"
The deputy general is dead, and another lieutenant general, Pei Yuchun, is in the Qi camp. Among them, Lieutenant General Liu has the highest rank.
Lieutenant General Liu shook his head repeatedly: "Don't look for me, I can't read!"
Du Qingtang: “…”
Lieutenant General Liu glanced at his colleagues, all illiterate and misfits. He scratched his head in shame, then suddenly had an idea: "Why don't you, Commander Du, come?"
The others nodded in unison.
"Yes, yes, Commander Du has made an indelible contribution to our victory in this battle."
"The key is Commander Du can read. If the Qi bandits cheat and write something in the peace agreement, and we get cheated and still pay them, Commander Du won't be the same. She's an educated person and will definitely see through it at a glance."
"Commander Du, it will be you who will sign the peace agreement."
Du Qingtang was straightforward: "Then I will be disrespectful to refuse it."
All the generals responded in unison.
Although they were dissatisfied and looked down on Du Qingtang at the beginning, after several months of getting along with him, they all realized what kind of person Du Qingtang was.
She is extremely talented and decisive, far surpassing many men.
Although the two sides occasionally have disagreements, they both sincerely admire Du Qingtang.
She is a well-deserved heroine and is capable of shouldering the responsibility of signing the peace agreement!
In Sanliting, Du Qingtang and Sima Ming stood facing each other.
Du Qingtang is on top.
Sima Ming is here.
Sanliting was surrounded by soldiers from both countries. The Xia people looked at them with scorching eyes, while the Qi people were as sad as if they had lost their parents.
Once upon a time, the Qi people were the victorious party. They were full of pride and humiliated the Xia people in every possible way.
Now the situation has changed, the war situation has reversed, and Daxia has become the victorious side.
But unlike the people of Qi in the past, they did not even say a word of ridicule. They just stood there in high spirits, their eyes shining, looking in the same direction towards Sanliting.
The Left Prime Minister of the Great Qi Dynasty handed over the peace letter with both hands, and his tone was full of forbearance: "This is the peace letter drafted by His Majesty, please review it, Lord Du."
Du Qingtang read through it word by word, and only after confirming the return of the princess, the five southwestern cities, the cancellation of tribute, and the prohibition of war within ten years, did she accept the peace letter from Da Qi.
The Xia army cheered in unison.
Du Qingtang also smiled.
This was the first time in twenty years that Daxia, as a victorious nation, received a peace letter from another country.
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