Chapter 425 Backbone
The Imperial Study is now the most forbidden area in the imperial palace.
There are four second-grade masters in the house, and the new deputy commander Yin Zhe has personally rearranged several lines of defense on the periphery, making it impenetrable.
There are numerous guard posts and secret checkpoints, and all guards have undergone the most rigorous screening, so safety should be guaranteed.
In addition to the main hall for handling government affairs, the Imperial Study also has a warm room next to it, where His Majesty can take a nap when he feels tired after reviewing memorials.
At this time, beds and soft couches were brought in, and all the royal heirs would live here temporarily for a period of time.
They didn't care about the separate rooms for men and women, they just used a screen to separate them.
During this special period, we have to make do with what we have.
When it was time for lunch, the chef in the imperial kitchen looked pale and trembling as he served the dishes.
He had served in the palace all his life, and this was the first time he had to bear such tremendous pressure.
He worked under the cold watchful eyes of Xuanji Wei the entire time, so the fact that he could serve the meals successfully was a testament to his extremely strong mental qualities.
The meals go through two strict procedures: first they are tested for poison by palace servants, and then they are inspected by a special person from the Xuanji Guard.
After confirmation, it was carefully sent to the imperial study.
"Eat, eat, I'm starving!"
In the imperial study, this voice is the most active, and it is easy to guess who it is.
This brings us to Qin Zhaoyue’s second well-known and prominent characteristic - gluttony.
No one cared about the rules and etiquette at the moment, and the meals were served to everyone directly.
A Xuanji Guard carefully placed a small table next to Qin Zhaoyue. She glanced at the dishes and curled her lips:
“Tsk, there aren’t enough dishes…why is there no wine?
After such a big shock, shouldn't you drink some wine to calm your nerves? "
"Oh my! My little ancestor!" Eunuch Su Quan almost jumped up.
"Please restrain yourself a little!
When Your Majesty is back in good health, I will prepare whatever you want to drink.
It is absolutely not possible now, let this old servant serve you dinner."
"Oh, now you know how to show your affection? You didn't act like this when you cheated me out of my money."
"Your Highness, even if you want the stars in the sky, I will find a way to pick them for you..." Su Quan was almost in tears.
"Tsk, old man, quite loyal." Qin Zhaoyue muttered, and finally picked up the chopsticks.
It was clearly a critical and depressing moment, but she was still able to maintain this almost heartless composure.
The third princess, Qin Zhaowan, watched from the side and felt ashamed of herself.
She secretly imagined that if her sixth sister hadn't been here to preside over the situation...
The consequences are simply unimaginable!
She put down the memorial in her hand, and could not help asking:
"Sixth sister, how confident are you... in saving our mother?"
Qin Zhaoyue stuffed a piece of bamboo shoot into his mouth and said vaguely but firmly:
"As long as the country is peaceful and the people are safe, there won't be any major problems.
When my elder sister was injured so badly during the disaster relief work, it was me who brought her back from the brink of death."
Everyone in the imperial study breathed a sigh of relief to varying degrees.
He is obviously the most unreliable and eccentric one, but at this moment he seems to have become the backbone of everyone and the greatest comfort and support.
…
Night fell, like a huge inky velvet carpet, slowly covering the war-torn Zhenbei Pass.
In the north during the White Dew season, the autumn wind has already brought a biting chill.
It whimpered as it passed through the broken wall, stirring up clouds of dust that smelled of burnt and blood.
The two countries called off their battles, but the desolate horn sounds echoing across the wilderness could not take away the devastation and the heavy sorrow that permeated the air.
Inside the city wall, there were tragic scenes everywhere after the disaster.
Among the broken walls, the fire had not yet completely gone out. The orange-red flames licked the charred wood, making a crackling sound.
The survivors, like frightened moles, cautiously crawled out of cellars, dilapidated houses, and even piles of corpses, their faces filled with a mixture of fear, confusion, and the numbness of having lost everything.
From beneath the rubble, faint groans and desperate cries could be heard from time to time.
"My son... my son! Where are you..."
The old woman's hair was disheveled and her fingers were covered in blood.
Still digging in vain at a completely collapsed earthen house, the hoarse cries drifted in the night wind, which was heartbreaking to hear.
Teams of Xuanwu Army soldiers shuttled silently among them, their faces tired and solemn, collecting the corpses of their comrades and enemies.
The broken and cold bodies were picked up one by one and arranged neatly, as if performing a silent farewell ceremony.
Qin Zhaoqiong reined in slowly, stepping across the blood-soaked land.
She had lost her usual grace; her armor was stained with ashes and dark blood, and her face was also gray.
Only a pair of phoenix eyes were still shockingly bright in the smoke and dust, and deep inside were hidden unspeakable heaviness and sorrow.
Behind him followed the remnants of the Fengling Camp who survived the disaster.
Liu Yan still stood by her side like the most loyal shadow, but his brows couldn't hide the deep fatigue. The back of his hand holding the reins was hastily bandaged and oozing with blood.
There were 2,000 light cavalry when the expedition began, but now there are less than a hundred who can still sit upright on horseback.
Many of the war horses were injured, and almost all the cavalrymen were wounded.
Blood seeped through the battle uniform, and immense pain was suppressed in silence.
"General!"
"General!"
The soldiers she met along the way, no matter which unit they belonged to, would all stop what they were doing when they saw her coming.
Standing solemnly, addressing her in a low and respectful voice, no one called her "Your Highness" or "Prince" anymore.
After this day, at this pass built with blood, the title of "General" was the highest recognition given to her by the soldiers of the Northern Territory.
A military camp that had just been formed half a month ago, with most of its members being women, was the first to charge into the left wing of the Shufeng army with a desperate attitude in this national war.
At the cost of almost the entire army being annihilated, they forcibly tore open a gap, accurately found the enemy's central command post, and pointed out the direction of destruction for the Shen Ce Black Armor Heavy Cavalry that would decide the outcome of the battle.
Two thousand people went, and only a hundred returned. The price was so tragic that it could not be paid more.
But the backbone of Fengling Camp truly stood firm in this sea of blood and corpses with blood and fire!
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