Chapter 285 is once again being compared to Zhou Ruyuan!
In the imperial court
Emperor Renxiao had been receiving news of Zhou Ruyuan's repeated defeats, and his face had darkened; he hadn't smiled in a long time.
Today, during court, I received an urgent message that the Zhenbei Army had fought a bloody battle against the three Turkic tribes and narrowly won.
This news undoubtedly brought a ray of light to the court, which was shrouded in darkness.
"Good, well done, Zhenbei Army! The pacification of the Northwest is just around the corner!" Emperor Renxiao praised, laughing several times before finally releasing the pent-up frustration in his chest and abdomen.
The civil and military officials in the court all hung their heads, their expressions somewhat indescribable.
One was once the powerful Prince of Zhennan, and the other was once a spoiled and famous noblewoman in the capital. Crucially, they were also once husband and wife.
Although they divorced after only a few days of marriage, they had at least been husband and wife in name.
Whenever two people do something, they are always brought up for comparison.
However, in the past, it was always women who were criticized by the public, but this time it was a man who was defeated. The key is that the identities of the two people make it hard for people not to compare them.
The fact that the mighty God of War of the Great Zhou Dynasty could not even be compared to a woman makes this God of War seem utterly ridiculous.
After his initial joy, Emperor Renxiao was filled with anger and disappointment.
What's wrong with the third brother? How come he can't even compare to a woman?
His army was entirely composed of elite troops, while Shen Lanxi's force consisted half female guards and half elderly and weak soldiers. If this were to get out, wouldn't they become a laughingstock?
"Your Majesty is wise! Everything is due to Your Majesty's skillful arrangements!" The courtiers immediately stepped forward to flatter him.
Emperor Renxiao stopped smiling and remained silent.
"The reason why the Northwest was able to win is entirely due to His Majesty's concern for the war in the Northwest. Whenever there is any disturbance in the Northwest, His Majesty will personally take charge!"
"The victory in the Northwest is all thanks to the Emperor's boundless grace..."
Emperor Renxiao felt much better after hearing his courtiers shout "Long live the Emperor!" three times.
"The grain and fodder allocated by the imperial court must have arrived some time ago, right?"
A person from the Ministry of Revenue immediately stepped forward and reported: "Your Majesty, if there are no delays, the grain supplies will arrive in the Northwest within the next two days!"
Emperor Renxiao thought to himself that the Zhenbei Army had won a battle, and he had fulfilled his promise by rewarding them.
"With sufficient food and supplies, the Zhenbei Army can fight bravely against the enemy and drive out the three Turkic tribes as soon as possible!"
Emperor Renxiao seemed to have already envisioned the scene of the three clans being driven out of the northwest.
"Your Majesty, I think we should send more military supervisors over. Shen Lanxi is a woman and lacks the necessary courage. The supervisors should also urge the Zhenbei Army to recapture the city as soon as possible!"
Emperor Renxiao first frowned, and then heard the court officials present their memorials.
"Your Majesty, I believe that the bravery of the Zhenbei Army deserves to be rewarded to demonstrate the power and benevolence of the court."
Emperor Renxiao nodded. "When generals are in the field, the emperor is even further away. We must not let those soldiers only recognize their commander and not their monarch."
"The Zhenbei Army has rendered meritorious service in fighting against the three clans. In addition to the reward for their military achievements, they will be awarded a thousand taels of gold, several mansions in the capital, and a thousand jars of imperial wine."
"Your Majesty's great favor! The Zhenbei Army will certainly do its utmost to protect the Great Zhou!"
...
Che Mingyuan resumed peace talks with Abe Hiroshi.
Shen Lanxi: "No rush, no rush. We can take back one city in three months!"
Che Mingyuan and Wei Dongzhu are one skilled in literature and the other in martial arts; if they can't reach an agreement, they'll fight!
After nightfall, a group of people set off towards the capital.
Three days later, he met with Xiao Fang and the others.
Looking at the winding transport team, Shen Lanxi asked, "Have you checked the supplies?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Fang and the others' faces turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
"We checked, and it's substandard grain. It's mixed with a lot of weeds, stones, and sand." If it were Xiao Fang in his old temper, he would definitely have gotten into a fight with the person taking over.
Now, it's already a blessing that the imperial court can give them any food.
Shen Lanxi was also very angry. She asked, "How many clean ones can be sieved out?"
Xiao Fang said with a dark face, "It should be a little more than half!"
Shen Lanxi: "After years of war, many places are suffering from starvation. The imperial court is probably just putting on a brave face!"
Even if those in power wanted to embezzle, there would be no grain to steal.
The two major producing provinces of Dongchuan and the Northwest have not paid taxes for several years. In the other major producing provinces, two rebel kings have occupied two territories.
Xiao Fang sighed helplessly: "The grain transport officer who was in charge of our delivery came to us and complained that they hadn't received their pay for almost a year. They couldn't even afford white flour anymore and were surviving entirely on coarse grains."
As they talked, Xiao Fang laughed. They were making him out to be a beggar, not a grain transport official.
"It's so much better here!" Not only do we have wheat flour to eat, but we also have meat and vegetables.
Shen Lanxi: "Was someone watching you as you walked along?"
Xiao Fang shook his head shamelessly: "We'll sift the grain as we go. If anyone still tries to steal it, then let them steal it!"
Looting means taking a bunch of stones and sand back with you, and then you have to sift them yourself!
Shen Yuanxu: "We shouldn't take our blessings for granted. The grain transport officials we're dealing with all have horses that are practically skinny mules."
Shen Lanxi couldn't help but chuckle. The person who came up with the idea of sifting grain while walking was quite ingenious.
By the time they returned to the city, Wei Dongzhu had already fought three rounds against the three Turkic tribes.
The situation has now completely reversed. Before, it was the three clans besieging the city, but this time it is Wei Dongzhu and Liang Shao leading their troops to besiege the city.
They weren't in a hurry. They took turns shouting insults at the city walls every day. They would set off in the morning, return to their camp for lunch and rest, and then set off again until nightfall when they would return to their camp.
The unhurried pace finally made Hiroshi Abe feel anxious.
"If they want to fight, then fight; if they don't want to fight, then continue with peace talks. What exactly do they mean by doing this every day?"
"Do you really intend to force me to hand over the city without firing a single shot?"
"Don't even think about it! Open the city gates tomorrow and fight them!"
"General, please calm down. What if it's a psychological tactic? I've heard that once their Second Prince, Zhou Ru'an, recovers, he'll return to replace Shen Lanxi. Why don't we bypass Shen Lanxi and go directly to Zhou Ru'an to negotiate?"
Hiroshi Abe thought for a moment, then slapped his forehead hard.
He was so flustered that he forgot about this. The Great Zhou Dynasty had a much stricter set of etiquette than their Turkic people. Women were expected to stay at home and not leave their residences. Men were the heads of the household, and women had a low status, even lower than cattle and sheep.
How could such a court possibly allow a woman to command the army?
He had previously had a pleasant conversation with the Second Prince of the Great Zhou, and his words revealed much dissatisfaction with Shen Lanxi.
He could use this incident to his advantage, manipulate the people of Da Zhou, and eliminate Shen Lanxi.
"Send someone to deliver a letter to the Second Prince of the Great Zhou."
"yes!"
Three days later, a rumor spread throughout the Northwest.
Do you know why the Zhenbei Army has been holding the city walls and not attacking?
"They've colluded with the three Turkic tribes and are plotting a rebellion!"
"I heard that the assassination attempt on the Second Prince Zhou Ru'an was also related to them. They've long been colluding to dominate the Northwest!"
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