But when she arrived at the pavilion where Qin Yu had been, it was already empty...
On the way back to Beijing.
"Your Majesty, are we really leaving like this?"
Sitting in the carriage, Zhao Yan looked back at the direction of Wanhua Garden with some reluctance.
She had thought that Qin Yu, having written such a divine piece as Chrysanthemum Terrace, would at least stay and meet Nangong Xiong Ba.
Unexpectedly, Qin Yu took her away from Wanhua Garden immediately after Nangong Xiong Ba finished playing his performance.
"My beloved concubine, I have always done good deeds anonymously."
Qin Yu smiled slightly.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yan couldn't help but chuckle.
But only Qin Yu knew that the reason he ran so fast was because he was afraid that Nangong Xiong Ba would be too moved and offer himself to him in return.
In order to avoid becoming a "Kunlao" (a derogatory term for someone who is arrogant and ruthless), he had no choice but to give up on the Rainbow Chrysanthemum.
However, after thinking about Nangong Xiongba, Qin Yu thought of the musician from the Great Jin Dynasty.
"Big Tiger!"
Qin Yu lifted the carriage curtain and called out.
Big Tiger immediately came over.
"Go and contact You San and the others, and have them investigate what the purpose of the Jin people coming to the capital is."
Qin Yu gave the instructions in a low voice.
"yes."
Da Hu nodded and stepped back.
After making this arrangement, Qin Yu pinched the bridge of his nose.
The internal problems haven't been resolved yet, and it seems like the external threats are getting worse.
"Your Majesty, look!"
Just as Qin Yu was pondering what the Jin people might be up to, Zhao Yan's voice pulled him back to reality.
Qin Yu looked in the direction she pointed and saw a group of people digging and piling stones in the distance, as if they were building something.
By this time, the area outside was already crowded with people, including many Confucian scholars dressed in Confucian robes.
Among this group of people, Qin Yu spotted a familiar figure.
Ma Shangtao!
"Stop."
Qin Yu stopped the carriage.
"Your Majesty, is there anything I can help you with?"
Yin Dang quickly came over and asked respectfully.
"Go and find out what they're doing."
Qin Yu waved in the direction where the crowd had gathered.
"yes."
Yin Dang hurriedly ran over to inquire about the news.
Not long after, Yin Dang came running back with a happy expression.
"Your Majesty, they are building a shrine in honor of General Sima."
"A shrine to the living?" Zhao Yan frowned slightly.
Although Sima Xiongba was a general stationed in Youzhou, he not only failed to achieve any merit, but also caused a large area of Youzhou to fall into the hands of the Xiongnu.
What right does such a person have to have a shrine erected in his memory?
"Your Majesty, you may not know this, but General Sima Xiongba is now determined to fight the Xiongnu army to the death and is about to win. Therefore, the people are grateful for the General's kindness and not only want to build a shrine for him, but also plan to write books about him."
Seeing Zhao Yan's confused expression, Yin Dang cupped his hands in greeting and said...
"It's just a fight to the death, yet General Sima thinks he's already won?"
Zhao Yan frowned.
Yin Dang was speechless upon hearing this.
"Your Majesty, should we make them stop?"
Zhao Yan looked at Qin Yu and asked with some concern.
In her opinion, Sima Xiongba was far too arrogant to think he had won before even fighting.
However, Qin Yu smiled confidently.
"My beloved consort, what are you saying? My General Tianbao is the most valiant general in the world. How could he possibly lose? Since he is sure to win, let the people decide whether to build a shrine or write a book about it."
Qin Yu waved his hand dismissively.
He certainly wouldn't stop it.
Qin Yu was even secretly laughing out loud.
He had been waiting for this day ever since he included Sima Xiong Ba's great victory over the Xiongnu in Youzhou in the palace examination questions.
Others might see this as a symbol of the Sima family's pinnacle of honor, but only Qin Yu knew that it was a high-stakes gamble between him and Sima Lie.
If Sima Xiongba had truly defeated the Xiongnu in a single battle in Youzhou, the Sima family's prestige and status would have reached their zenith, and he, as emperor, would have become utterly useless.
But if Sima Xiong Ba loses, then this groundwork he laid will be a crucial step in his destruction of Sima Lie.
He was initially worried that Sima Lie might not take the bait.
Unexpectedly, this old fox was so easily blinded by greed, not only allowing the news of Youzhou's great victory to spread, but even building a shrine in its honor.
Hearing Qin Yu's words, Yin Dang immediately nodded in agreement.
"Excellent, excellent! General Tianbao is exceptionally brave and skilled. Victory in this battle is assured."
Seeing Qin Yu's confident demeanor, Zhao Yan could only give a defiant snort and shut her mouth.
Although Qin Yu did not want to hide it from Zhao Yan, he did not offer any words of comfort at this moment.
Whether his plan succeeds or not depends entirely on the outcome of the battle of Youzhou.
...
After returning to the palace, Qin Yu intended to spend some quality time with Zhao Yan, but they hadn't been together long when Liu Caiqing sent someone to find him.
Qin Yu knew that Liu Caiqing must have something important to tell him, so he reluctantly left Zhao Yan's palace and headed to Qingyun Temple.
"Your Majesty, the Blood Droplets have sent a message."
Upon arriving at Qingyun Temple, Qin Yu was greeted not by Liu Caiqing, but by Miaoyu.
Where is Abbot Liu?
Qin Yu became puzzled.
He felt like he hadn't seen Liu Caiqing for a very long time.
"The abbot said she has been unwell recently, so I will be in charge of the communication between the Blood Droplets and His Majesty from now on."
Miaoyu answered immediately.
However, Qin Yu didn't quite believe it when he heard this.
Liu Caiqing may seem like just an ordinary Taoist nun, but she is actually stronger than an ox and rarely falls ill.
However, now that Miaoyu has been taken into his room, it's not a problem to let her be in charge of coordinating with the Blood Droplets.
Before long, Qin Yu arrived in the passage.
At this moment, You San of the Blood Droplets had been waiting for a long time.
"Is there news about the Jin Kingdom?"
Upon seeing You San, Qin Yu knew the purpose of his visit.
He just didn't expect the Blood Droplets to be able to investigate so quickly this time.
You San nodded.
"Your Majesty, we have found traces of more than a dozen groups of Jurchens in the capital. These people did not come to the capital in the same way, but their methods of doing things are very similar."
"resemblance?"
"After these Jin people arrived in the capital, they acted extremely arrogantly. Some challenged Wang Zhixing, a great calligrapher of the Great Xia Dynasty, while others wrote five poems in a row in Shuiyun, overshadowing a group of students... These people seem to want to attract attention!"
After listening to You San's words, Qin Yu frowned and fell into deep thought.
Just as he suspected, the Jin people had ulterior motives.
Qin Yu just couldn't understand what purpose they could achieve by coming all the way to the capital of Great Xia to show off their power.
If their goal was to cause the Great Xia to lose face, then it wouldn't benefit them much.
After all, for the Jin Dynasty, their greatest enemies were the Liao and Western Xia, which were neighboring states.
After a moment of contemplation, Qin Yu opened his eyes.
"Send a message to Wen Dashou, the commander of the Western Camp, instructing him to keep a close watch on large caravans and unidentified individuals. Once discovered, immediately report to me and keep a close watch on them."
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