Chapter 3539 He should be urging for food
Xin Ping said, "The people of Yue only eat two meals a day because they have no food!"
As she spoke, she pointed at the teacup and said, "It's just like this tea. Even a good cook cannot cook without rice. They don't have good tea, so when the emperor comes, he won't be able to drink good tea, right?"
Zhu Feng didn't answer her immediately. Instead, he looked his daughter up and down with admiration. Then he looked up at Nan Yan with a hint of pride in his eyes. Although Nan Yan couldn't hide her smile, she darkened her face when she saw Zhu Feng looking at her like that. She said deliberately coldly, "When it comes to food, your brain has become much brighter."
After saying that, he couldn't help laughing.
This time, Xinping had no time to care about the "taunting" in her words. He just excitedly grabbed Nan Yan's hand and said, "Mother, I'm right, right? They have no food, so they only eat two meals a day, right?"
Nan Yan finally laughed, stretched out her hand, pinched her little nose hard and shook it twice: "You are right!"
Zhu Feng looked at her with a smile and said, "How could my daughter not be smart?"
Xinping was so excited she nearly jumped up from her chair. Nan Yan called her back, and she finally sat down properly, picked up the teacup, and drank. But she was so excited that her legs kept swaying. Nan Yan's face darkened slightly as she said, "Don't get carried away! You're not acting like a princess. You're too frivolous."
Upon hearing this, Xinping immediately clamped her legs together and behaved herself.
However, it was Nan Yan's cold welcome that calmed her down a bit. Thinking about it again, a little doubt surfaced in her mind. She said, "But why are they short of food? Hasn't the Emperor been sending food to them all these years?"
This topic has been a taboo topic between the father and daughter for the past six months. Now, although Xinping is not as irritable as before, she still can't help feeling unhappy and couldn't help pouting.
Nan Yan said from the side: "Are you asking as soon as you open your mouth?"
Xinping glanced back at her, and Nanyan said, "I just taught you that when you encounter something, think about it yourself first. If you can't figure it out, then ask."
Xinping pouted and said, "Okay."
She picked up the teacup and took another sip. The tea really didn't taste very good, so bitter that her face wrinkled up. Zhu Feng couldn't help but smile, then said, "Okay, I brought you here today. It's getting late, we should go back."
Xinping nodded and followed them down the city wall obediently.
When they returned to the South Courtyard, it was already completely dark. Nan Yan took Xin Ping downstairs to rest, while Zhu Feng turned a corner and went to the study.
Looking at his back, Xinping said softly, "Mother, what else is Father busy with?"
Xinping took her hand and walked forward, saying, "Of course it's a big deal."
Xinping opened his eyes wide and said, "Can't you tell us?"
Nan Yan laughed dumbly: "Have you been confused recently? Your father asked you to think about those things because he wanted you to be more sensible, but he didn't want you to interfere in government affairs. The concubines in the harem are not allowed to ask questions casually, let alone you, a child."
Xinping opened his eyes wide and asked, "But didn't my mother rule the country from behind the scenes?"
Nan Yan reached out and pinched her face, saying, "Don't talk nonsense!"
“…”
"That's because your father, the Emperor, was ill and unable to govern, and your brother, the Crown Prince, was still young, so I went to help take care of things."
Xin Ping lowered her voice and said softly, "So, it's not like women can't participate in politics."
Nan Yan couldn't help but laugh at her unconvinced expression. Just then, she entered the room, closed the door, and said seriously, "Don't say that so carelessly. It's not that women can't interfere in politics. Your father has discussed political affairs with me more than once, and he's also been diligently teaching you. However, in most cases, if a woman's vision isn't high enough, like you—you still can't understand why your father has done something. If a woman like that interferes in politics, wouldn't it just cause chaos?"
“…”
"If you want power, you must first have the ability. If you wield power without the ability, it will only harm yourself and others. Do you understand?"
This time, Xinping understood.
She said softly, "But, Father is too powerful. He has done one thing for so many years and never told anyone. If it were me, I wouldn't be able to hold it in."
Nan Yan laughed and said, "People who accomplish great things should be quiet and conscientious. You are still far from that."
The mother and daughter were chatting and laughing here, while Zhu Feng was sitting in the study. A moment later, Fang Buyuan, the commander of the Jinyiwei, came in to pay his respects. Xiao Shunzi was outside the door, carefully closing it.
Zhu Feng sat behind the table, his expression as gloomy as the light in the room.
He said in a deep voice: "I asked you to go and get some information, but did you get any results?"
Fang Buyuan lowered his head and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. Ever since the war broke out, the King of Li-Yue has mobilized nearly 100,000 troops to surround Doubei Town, making it like an iron wall. Even legitimate Yue merchants have been blocked from entering. I, your humble servant, have tried to sneak in several times, but was stopped every time."
Zhu Feng said calmly, "Li Wushang was once the commander-in-chief of the Jinyiwei. He knows the Jinyiwei's style of operation very well. It's naturally not that easy for the Jinyiwei to infiltrate."
Fang Buyuan added, "However, I have still managed to gather some information."
"oh?"
Zhu Feng raised his eyes and looked at him: "What?"
Fang Buyuan said, "Five days ago, Chen Wenxiao, who was stationed in Doubei Town, began sending urgent letters to Daluo City. At first, it was two letters a day, but by yesterday, it was five letters a day, as if he was urging someone to do something."
Zhu Feng asked, "What is he urging?"
Fang Buyuan said, "I was unable to intercept the letter, but I suspect he was urging for grain."
Zhu Feng asked, "Why do you guess that?"
Fang Buyuan said, "Although Doubei Town is guarded by troops and my men cannot enter, they are not guarding other places. In the past few years, Chen Biri has been managing Doubei Town. He once opened a granary ten miles southwest of Doubei Town to store the produce from the fertile land he cultivated there. After the war broke out, Chen Biri used that place as a temporary storage point for war preparations. I sent people to investigate and found that the granary was empty."
Zhu Feng was silent for a moment after hearing this, and then he said, "I understand. You can go down now."
Fang Buyuan glanced at him, but in the end said nothing and turned and walked out.
In fact, for the Jinyiwei who were only responsible for collecting intelligence and executing the emperor's decisions, what he just said was beyond the scope of his duties. However, it was also because they felt that good opportunities were rare. If the Yue people were really short of food, they should take the opportunity to attack immediately.
Why did the emperor have no reaction?
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