Chapter 127
The moonlight was like water, and there was a faint fragrance in the room, the aroma of silver charcoal smoke.
Gong Yinai sat on the bed wrapped in a quilt, coughing occasionally. He lit a lamp at the head of the bed and read the letter.
The letter was written by Hongying.
Shortly after Gong Yifu left, Gong Yinai wrote a letter threatening Hongying, saying that she knew Hongying's identity and that she was the missing Liu Yingzi, and asked Hongying to assist her with her work outside the palace.
Hongying went to the mountain to worship Buddha this time, also in accordance with Gong Yinai's instructions, to meet Concubine Jing by chance.
Concubine Jing is the empress dowager's younger sister. The two sisters were originally married to the retired emperor. For the sake of His Majesty, Concubine Jing was framed by the harem and could not get pregnant. Therefore, she treated the emperor as her only child and helped him ascend the throne together with her sister. She is also the pillar of the third prince today.
The third prince's mother died early, the empress dowager was in poor health, and the queen was at odds with the emperor. The third prince had no one to take care of him and was abused by the palace servants. In the end, it was Concubine Jing who came forward to take the prince away.
The saint has always been filial and regards Concubine Jing as his own mother. Therefore, whenever Concubine Jing shows up, he will take good care of the third prince. This time, the dethronement and enthronement of the crown prince also had the intention of Concubine Jing.
After Gong Yinai finished reading the letter, he went close to the candlestick and burned it.
She curled up in the quilt and watched the fire on the ground die out little by little and turn into ashes.
She couldn't wait any longer. Once the crown prince was completely deposed, she, the crown prince's old lover, would also be affected. The Third Prince himself hated her, and from what Hongying had said, Concubine Jing probably didn't have a good impression of her either.
There was still a lingering relationship between Concubine Ru and Concubine Jing.
There was a scarlet light flickering in Gong Yinai's eyes. Although he had done something wrong to the prince, he was not mean. How could he survive in this war?
Gong Yinai didn't dare to imagine the humiliation that would await her if her identity was exposed.
After closing his eyes, Gong Yinai opened them again and everything was calm.
In the spring of the thirty-fifth year of the Qing Dynasty.
While in confinement, the prince was licentious and immoral, abducting women and even openly attacking concubines in the harem. The emperor was furious and stripped him of his title as crown prince, demoted him to a commoner, and continued to imprison him in Huayang Palace.
Gong Yinai stood on a high building and watched a carriage taking away the former crown prince. Beside her stood the third prince Gong Yixiang.
Gong Yixiang looked very proud: "I didn't expect you to be so ruthless and so efficient."
If Gong Yinai had not acted as an insider and sent a maid to the prince, the prince would not have been brought down so quickly.
The saint has been hesitating and even wanted to release the prince.
But the prince brought about his own destruction by being too trusting of others, which led to his current situation.
Gong Yixiang was very proud, and saw Gong Yinai's noble face was also subdued at his feet.
He said lightly: "I like what you did this time, but I still don't like you. However, in view of your help, the prince's affairs will not affect you this time."
Gong Yinai lowered his eyes and said, "I can still help you."
Gong Yixiang raised the corner of his mouth. He loved to see these people tear off their disguises in front of him.
"What can you do for me?"
"The Palace of Prince Nanliang." Gong Yinai said.
"I know you've always wanted to subjugate the Nanliang Palace, but they've always refused to take sides. But if you trust me, I will help you subjugate them."
Gongyi Xiang raised his eyebrows.
The advisers around him all said that the Southern Liang Palace was a tough nut to crack, but if he could take it, he would be able to rest easy.
But the King of Southern Liang was a loyal royalist and would not take sides unless the saint gave the order. But what Gongyi Xiang feared was that he would be biased.
Because the tiger talisman is in the hands of the saint, the only ones who can mobilize military power are the saint and the King of Southern Liang. What if the King of Southern Liang has other ideas and he has no military power, what can he do with the help of a group of literati?
If you are of no use to others, it is better for you to disappear.
Gong Yixiang didn't really trust Gong Yinai either, but he looked at him and said, "Aren't you and the Prince of Nanliang close friends? Could you have done that?"
“Because of this, I can impress them more.”
"Why?" Gong Yixiang asked, "You helped me get rid of the crown prince, probably to protect yourself, but why are you doing all this unnecessary work now?"
Gong Yinai lowered his eyes, but his knees gradually bent. He knelt on one knee and said to Gong Yixiang, "I think you are most likely to make it to the end! This is my sincerity!"
Gongyi Xiang laughed heartily, as if he had already ascended to the position of emperor.
He said: "Okay, I'll wait for your sincerity!"
After staying in the capital for four months, the drama ended and Zhou Li was about to return to the border.
This time, in addition to reporting on his work, Zhou Li basically went to the palace every day to explain the situation in the northern border to the emperor and discuss military affairs with the Ministry of War.
A week before she was due to return, the Ministry of War and the Saint finally decided on a strategy for dealing with the Tatars.
Blocked by mountains to the west and endless grasslands to the north, the Tatars were more dangerous than the Khitans.
The grasslands offer no shelter, allowing the enemy to advance directly. Furthermore, the land further north is frozen, confining them to the northern border. Furthermore, this spring's lack of rain means the grasslands won't be growing well by the end of the year, and I'm afraid the enemy will come and plunder again.
Zhou Li rode his horse home, extremely happy.
The saint agreed with her method and built a supply station on the grassland in advance to eliminate the Tatar's movements. When the first batch of food and grass arrived in the northern border in autumn, he would take action against the Tatar!
Zhou Li was not warlike, but in the northern border, no one did not hate these barbarians.
The other party will come to plunder whenever they are short of food.
All the women were abducted and the men were killed on the spot. No matter whether they were children or the elderly, no one could escape the clutches of the other party. It was simply impossible to guard against them.
For the Kingdom of Qing, Tatar is the enemy!
Just after crossing the street, Zhou Li tightened the reins and saw a man standing in front waiting for her.
Zhou Li dismounted, "Why did you leave the palace?"
Gong Yinai wore a blue dress with long sleeves that went below her knees. She had a clean temperament and made people feel calm when they saw her.
Zhou Li pulled the reins and the guards behind him dismounted.
Gong Yinai said, "I heard you were going back to Northern Frontier, so I waited for you here."
Zhou Li smiled and said, "I was going to ask you out, but I heard that you were recently appreciated by the Saint and were asked to go to the south to collect grain. I thought you were busy and thought we wouldn't be able to meet."
Gong Yinai looked at Zhou Li's carefree appearance and she was really envious, but things had come to this point and she could only bite the bullet and move on. She had no home and no power, and even if she had a father, it was as if she had no father at all. This was a risky move, but as long as she didn't make a mistake, the final winner might not be someone else.
Gongsun Nai has seen it clearly.
The strong prey on the weak, and the weak rely on the strong to survive.
She wants to bring down the strong one step by step and become the strongest one.
Gong Yinai smiled and looked calm.
"So I came to see you."
Zhou Li handed the reins to the servant, and she and Gong Yinai strolled on the street.
"I see you've been doing well in the palace recently. It's great that you weren't involved in my second brother's incident."
The former crown prince was deposed and could no longer be called the crown prince. He was the second in the palace, so it was not an exaggeration to call him the second brother.
Gong Yinai just smiled and didn't say much.
Seeing her quiet, Zhou Li sighed and said, "Your temper is getting worse day by day. I'm leaving now, and I don't know if anyone will talk to you."
"You're noisy enough," Gong Yinai said jokingly. "If there's another one like you, I can't stand it. Not long ago, I saw the seventh and eighth brothers complaining. Now they're the only two left in the school, and the third and fourth brothers are also staying indoors."
"They are both." Zhou Li sighed, "They must be scared."
"As for you, I heard that the Saint will release you next year. Is the Ministry of Internal Affairs paying attention to your mansion? Are all the big and small things in your mansion ready?"
Gong Yinai smiled and said, "You worry more than me, an old servant. I am a prince after all. The Ministry of Internal Affairs dares to fool me, but they dare not fool the saint. This is what the saint has instructed."
Zhou Li said: "After all, this is where you will live, so you still have to worry about it. If you don't understand something, just come to my house. The old man who built the Nanliang Palace is still here."
Gong Yinai nodded, and Zhou Li continued, "There's miasma in the south, so be careful when you go to collect food, and bring some medicine."
Gong Yinai listened and felt bitter.
The Prince of Nanliang was the best person to her besides her mother and the old servant. If she hurt such a person...
Gong Yinai's heart, which had become hardened by the fickleness of the world, was almost warmed up by Zhou Li.
The street is not long and you can reach the end quickly.
Zhou Li mounted his horse and said goodbye to Gong Yinai.
"After this farewell, I don't know when we will meet again. I wish you well."
Gong Yinai raised her eyes and saw an apricot tree in full bloom on the corner of the street, swaying behind Zhou Li. A white petal fell on the corner of her eye. She couldn't help but blink lightly, and the petals fell.
"I wish you a safe journey and a bright future."
Zhou Li waved his hand, and the sound of horse hooves clattered as he passed by Gong Yinai.
She stood at the corner of the street and watched Gong Yifu walk away, knowing in her heart that this might be the last chance for the two of them to make peace.
In the autumn of the thirty-fifth year, the granary in the northern border.
After inspecting the granary, Zhou Li happily went back to tell King Nanliang.
"Father, the granary is full. Is this a 70% chance of winning this battle?"
King Nanliang stood in front of the huge map and shook his head, saying, "The battlefield is ever-changing, and there's never enough confidence."
Zhou Li looked at the terrain that the spies had explored over the past six months and said, "They say that food and fodder go before troops move. We have enough food stored now to defeat the Tatars. What are you afraid of, father?"
King Nanliang asked her to come over and said, "Look here."
Zhou Li saw the snow-capped mountains.
"What's going on here?"
The King of Nanliang said, "It's fine to start a war on the grasslands, but once we enter the snowy mountain territory, our soldiers are unfamiliar with the mountains and may not be able to get out."
"Father is worried that the Tatars will run here?"
King Nanliang nodded.
Zhou Li said: "Then we will guard the mountain and watch them eat up all the food!"
"How long do you think our army, with its sheer size, can sustain its food supply? And how long can it hold out?" King Nanliang shook his head. "We must be prepared for danger in times of peace."
"Okay, you go on guard. I'll go check again. Tell everyone to be alert and pay attention to the fire."
"Yes." Zhou Li said.
The King of Nanliang then instructed, "Go home and visit your mother. Your mother is leaving soon. Spend more time with her when you have time. She's worried about you and says I'm treating you like a slave."
The King of Nanliang mumbled for a while.
With the war approaching, the King of Nanliang wants to send his wife back to the capital.
Zhou Li smiled and said, "I know."
"And there's a new forage officer. Do you know who he is?"
"Who is it?" Zhou Li asked casually.
"Sixth Prince, he is also the imperial envoy this time."
Zhou Li was silent for a while, then suddenly turned around and walked out.
"Hey! Come back! Where have you been?!" King Nanliang was surprised.
"Xiaoliu is here, why didn't you tell me? I went to play with her!"
"You are not on duty?" King Nanliang was surprised.
"I'll be back soon!"
As he spoke, Zhou Liren had already flown more than ten meters away.
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