Chapter 106 Giving Everything, Willing to Do It All for His Highness
Yuan Yan held the letter, his gaze slightly somber.
At this critical juncture, Yuan Hao suddenly fell seriously ill, and the onset of this illness was somewhat suspicious.
"Your Highness, how can we fight without military rations?" Xue Lang said worriedly from the side.
Che Ju clenched his fists. "King Qi's move is clearly intended to drive the Northwest Army and us into a desperate situation."
Ah Man also joined in the clamor.
"We're done fighting! We'll lead our army back to the capital and settle accounts with her!"
Zhang Xiaoju, who was traveling with the army, was also in the military tent. Upon hearing Aman's words, she immediately raised her voice in rebuttal, "No!"
“If that’s the case, then His Highness would be put in an unjust position and fall into Prince Qi’s trap.” Zhang Xiaoju firmly opposed this.
Aman rolled up his sleeves and said, "What's all this talk about being fooled? Without military rations, we can't even survive. We might as well lead our troops back. Let whoever wants to deal with this damn Liang Kingdom do as they please... At worst, when Liang Kingdom really invades, we'll all be finished together."
Yu Liu was about to say something when Yuan Yan interrupted her.
"alright."
Yuan Yan stopped the argument, saying, "Lady Zhang is right. I cannot return to the capital now."
"What are your considerations, Your Highness?" Xue Lang asked.
"I wonder who came up with this plan for the eldest princess. It's a scheme that kills multiple birds with one stone, and it's extremely insidious," Yuan Yan said slowly.
"If I were to withdraw my troops because of this, my eldest sister could pin the blame on me for the unauthorized withdrawal that led to the defeat at the front. If the iron hooves of Liang Kingdom were to truly breach our borders, I would become a sinner of Huang Kingdom."
"Or perhaps I should set off immediately, lead my troops back to the capital to settle accounts with my eldest sister. In that case, it would be considered a rebellion, and my eldest sister would surely use the pretext of suppressing the rebellion to mobilize troops and wipe us out."
Although Yuan Yan was not afraid of fighting Yuan Jing, Huang Kingdom was surrounded by enemies. If she and Yuan Jing were to fight at this moment, and Liang and Wu Kingdoms took advantage of the situation, Huang Kingdom would probably be doomed.
Furthermore, leading troops back to the capital without imperial decree would constitute treason, automatically lowering her status compared to Yuan Jing and causing many ministers who originally supported Yuan Yan to change their allegiance. Even if she ultimately succeeds in ascending the throne, it will be an illegitimate accession, inevitably leading to future troubles.
Therefore, Yuan Yan did not want to seize the throne in such a risky manner unless absolutely necessary.
And most importantly, the Empress is currently only seriously ill and unable to govern; she is not dead yet. Given the current uncertain situation, every next step must be taken with extreme caution.
The system was furious upon hearing this: [Isn't Yuan Jing afraid that if the Phoenix Kingdom is defeated, the Wu Kingdom will attack?]
【What's the point of fighting for the throne if the country is gone!】The system was filled with righteous indignation.
"I'd rather fight foreign enemies than my own. It seems that the danger posed by this major threat is even greater than that of Wu and Liang, causing Yuan Jing to be so uneasy."
“Or perhaps Yuan Jing feels that the situation is under her control, and she is confident that she can turn the tide while eliminating me and the Lin family,” Yuan Yan said.
The system immediately rejected the second hypothesis: "Pah! If Yuan Jing had that ability, would you be the one personally leading the battle?"
After hearing Yuan Yan's words, the generals in the tent finally calmed down a bit.
Yu Liu: "King Qi is truly wicked! Your Highness, what should we do now?"
"Yuan Jing is trying to delay the delivery of military supplies, hoping that I will be defeated. But I will not let her have her way."
"I will not choose any of the paths mentioned above. Staying here to deal with the Liang army is the only way to break this deadlock," Yuan Yan said firmly.
"But Your Highness, the soldiers can't fight without food," Aman said hesitantly.
"The army's remaining rations can last for a few more days. Let's keep the news under control. I will handle this matter." Yuan Yan's calm demeanor in the face of danger soothed everyone's anxiety to some extent.
After the generals left one after another, Zhang Xiaoju stayed behind alone.
"What does Your Highness intend to do?" she asked Yuan Yan.
"Find a way to raise military funds and win the battle quickly. Closely monitor the Empress's condition, be prepared to adjust the next step of the plan at any time, and prepare for the worst in advance."
Yuan Yan and Zhang Xiaoju discussed the matter for a long time and decided on their next course of action.
While using her influence in the court to attack officials in the Ministry of Revenue and spread news of Yuan Jing's actions throughout the court, putting pressure on Yuan Jing's faction, she also secretly contacted people in the Prince's residence and gave Yang Lingyi several instructions.
“Sister Yan, I understand. I’ll talk to Father. You just focus on leading the troops, and leave everything else to us.” Yang Lingyi agreed to everything and did as Yuan Yan instructed in his letter.
Under Yuan Yan's remote command, the eldest son of the emperor first entered the palace and invited the Empress Dowager out.
The Empress Dowager quickly moved Yuan Hao to Xingqing Palace, citing the reason that His Majesty needed to recuperate and that the pleasant, spacious, and comfortable environment of Xingqing Palace would be more conducive to His Majesty's recovery. The palace servants who took care of him were also quietly replaced.
Upon hearing the news, Feng Qing rushed over and saw that Yuan Hao had already been taken away from the palace by people sent by the Empress Dowager. Her face turned unusually pale.
"His Majesty is seriously ill and needs careful care. The Empress Dowager does not trust me, otherwise why would she take His Majesty away from my palace and replace all the palace servants who are used to serving him? This may not be conducive to His Majesty's recovery."
He forced a stiff smile and went to the Empress Dowager's palace, intending to bring Yuan Hao back, but the Empress Dowager rejected his request with a single word.
"Feng Qing." The Empress Dowager interrupted Feng Qing directly.
"The Emperor is seriously ill, and I am naturally very worried. In order to allow the Emperor to recuperate in peace, I moved him to Xingqing Palace and replaced all the palace staff with reliable people whom I personally selected to serve him."
"What, Feng Qing, do you think that I, the emperor's biological father, am not as well taken care of as you, a husband?"
As the Empress Dowager spoke, she narrowed her eyes slightly, looking at Feng Qing kneeling on the ground. Her tone gradually became sharper, carrying a hint of a sharpness that had not been seen for a long time.
The Empress Dowager had been practicing vegetarianism and chanting Buddhist scriptures for many years and had not been involved in palace affairs for a long time. However, no matter how much she neglected palace matters, she was still the person with the highest nominal status in the harem, and her accumulated prestige over the years remained.
Feng Qing still held a trace of awe in her heart towards her father-in-law.
"Your subject dares not."
Seeing the Empress Dowager's resolute attitude, Feng Qing realized there was no room for negotiation. Furthermore, the reason given for taking the Emperor away was so plausible and difficult to refute. Fearing that further discussion would arouse suspicion, Feng Qing had no choice but to feign weakness and apologize.
"Your Majesty's arrangements are certainly appropriate. It was only because I was worried about Your Majesty that I spoke carelessly and offended Your Majesty. Please punish me." He lowered his posture to the extreme and kowtowed sincerely.
Seeing this, the Empress Dowager scolded Feng Qing a few more times and then sent him away.
After Feng Qing left, the eldest prince emerged from behind the screen.
"Ru Ning, you did a good job. If you hadn't brought it up, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to connect the Emperor's sudden illness with this matter so quickly." The Empress Dowager rubbed her temples, looking somewhat tired.
The eldest prince approached the Empress Dowager, his face filled with worry. "Father, the situation is dire, and I am truly concerned. If anything were to happen to His Majesty, Yan'er, who is still outside, might not be able to return in time..."
The Empress Dowager patted the back of his hand, comforting him.
"Don't worry. With Yan'er and the Northwest Army here, if something really happens in the court, she will be our support."
"As for the Emperor, I have already sent a trusted imperial physician to examine him carefully and report back to me. If anything is found, I will make sure Sun Ruhui dies a horrible death." The Empress Dowager said resolutely, a cold glint in her eyes.
On the other side, at the Qin Prince's Mansion.
Yuan Yan put pressure on Yuan Jing in the court, and it would take time for the Ministry of Revenue to allocate grain.
To prevent the army from running out of food during this period, Yuan Yan wrote another secret letter to Yang Lingyi, instructing him to take out silver from the royal treasury and raise as much money as possible to exchange for military rations to be transported to the northwest.
After receiving the letter, Yang Lingyi first counted the silver in the mansion, and then, following Yuan Yan's instructions, sold off some of the shops and estates.
With the gold and silver bestowed upon her by her mother, the wealth left by her father, and some of the embezzled silver obtained from the previous investigation of the grain transport, Yuan Yan was already quite wealthy among the princesses.
However, military expenses are astronomical, and even if all of these are taken into account, there is still a significant shortfall.
After Yang Lingyi finished counting the available silver, she called Shen Lianzhou over.
“Shen Shuqing, I won’t hide anything from you now that it’s such a critical moment.” He told Shen Lianzhou about Yuan Yan’s current predicament.
“I know you come from a merchant family and are exceptionally intelligent. I wonder if you have any way to help Your Highness?” Yang Lingyi’s tone softened considerably.
If the army runs out of food, wouldn't Your Highness be in dire straits?
Upon hearing this, Shen Lianzhou's heart tightened, and a hint of worry involuntarily appeared in her eyes.
"The Shen family has been in business for many years and has a lot of connections. Once they raise the silver, they can exchange it for grain at a low price as quickly as possible."
"Your Highness is still short of the required amount of silver. Zhengqing, you might as well tell me. Perhaps the Shen family can lend a hand," Shen Lianzhou said.
Yang Lingyi had someone bring him the list.
Shen Lianzhou looked at the list and quickly calculated in her mind.
"I will do my best to serve you." He raised his head, his eyes resolute.
“Shen Shuqing, then I will trouble you. When His Highness returns, I will tell him about your and the Shen family’s contributions.”
"I am willing to do these things for Your Highness. As long as Your Highness is well, I will be content."
When Shen Lianzhou mentioned Yuan Yan, a hint of tenderness appeared in her expression, and her words softened.
As soon as she came out of the main courtyard, Shen Lianzhou immediately had someone summon the manager of the money exchange, asking, "How much cash can the Shen family access in their accounts?"
The shopkeeper estimated a number and reported it.
After listening, Shen Lianzhou thought for a moment and wrote down a few names for her.
"In the name of the Shen family, borrow a sum of money from these families, the more the better, and the faster the better."
"In addition, mortgage these shops under my name and convert them into cash as much as possible, and send it to the Prince of Qin's mansion," Shen Lianzhou instructed the shopkeeper.
Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper looked astonished.
"Young master, this is all your private property!"
"And the amount of money borrowed is so large, if it can't be repaid later, the Shen family's reputation will be in danger."
She had a few more words she didn't dare say. All this silver, if added together, would probably be enough to build a royal palace. What was the young master suddenly trying to do with so much money?
"These are not things we should be thinking about right now. Let's go quickly. No matter the cost, I need to see this money within two days," Shen Lianzhou insisted, ignoring the shopkeeper's advice.
At this time, news of the food shortage in Yuan Yan's army had not yet reached the common people. Although the shopkeeper was puzzled, upon hearing his young master's resolute order, he still retreated with a heavy heart and did as he was told.
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