Chapter 116 The Prince Who Failed to Revolt
He Lin, under the cover of darkness, climbed into the backyard of the Xiao Mansion with ease. He was familiar with every plant and tree here - in the past four months, he had come to Yun Lang countless times at night to admire the moon and chat.
But tonight was different. He hid behind the rockery, watching Yun Lang's boudoir, brightly lit. There were figures swaying in front of the window, and it seemed she was not alone.
"Don't worry, Master Aluta," Yun Lang's voice came through the crack in the window. It was no longer gentle as usual, but was filled with cold determination. "He Lin has devoted himself to me. As long as I can get the Northern Border Military Token from him..."
He Lin felt as if he had fallen into an icy cave, his blood freezing. What his mother had said was actually true! He bit his lip tightly until he could taste blood.
Inside the house, Alutai, the envoy from the Northern Tribe, laughed hoarsely, "Miss Xiao, you have some tricks. But He Lin is the prince of the Great Zhou after all. Would he really betray his family for you? Or betray the Princess of Lin'an?"
"Him?" Yun Lang chuckled. "He's just a poor wretch abandoned by his family. Do you know why he always wears a glove on his right hand? It was cut off by his own father, the current emperor! He only uses Lin'an. I beckon him, and he still loves me to death..."
He Lin's right hand suddenly felt a sharp pain, as if the wound that had long since healed was torn open again. He trembled as he took off his glove. In the moonlight, the broken base of his palm looked hideous and terrifying.
Thirteen years ago, it reappeared before my eyes
His mother rebelled and wanted to kill his mother. In order to atone for her sins, he cut off one of his palms. Fortunately, his mother took pity on him and took him out of the palace. His mother was the apple of his eye in this life, and Xiao Yunlang had no right to slander her.
The ten-year-old boy cried and raised the knife to chop down...
"Bang!"
The gate of the courtyard was suddenly knocked open, interrupting He Lin's recollection. He looked up and saw Yun Lang's panicked face.
"Your Highness?" Yun Lang's face turned pale, and the secret letter in his hand fell to the ground.
He Lin slowly stepped out of the shadows, his mutilated right hand completely exposed to the moonlight. His voice was eerily calm: "Go on, why don't you tell Master Alutai how my mother died?"
Yun Lang stumbled back: "You...you heard everything?"
"Did you hear you were going to use me to rebel?" He Lin suddenly laughed, a smile uglier than crying. "What a coincidence! I want to rebel too."
Everyone in the room was shocked. Alutai suddenly drew his scimitar and said, "Boy, don't try to play tricks!"
He Lin calmly pulled out a bronze tiger talisman from his bosom. "Do you recognize this? It's the mobilization order for 300,000 troops from the northern border. Yun Lang, don't you want it?"
Yun Lang's eyes flashed with greed, but then he forced himself to remain calm: "What are you talking about, Your Highness? I don't understand..."
"My mother was the virtuous concubine." He Lin stroked the lines on the tiger talisman. "Thirteen years ago, Duke Heng and the Fourth Prince's wife conspired to rebel. When the rebellion failed, the entire clan was executed. My father, in front of me, demanded that I cut off my right hand as a token of loyalty."
His voice grew fainter, but every word was filled with tears. "After that day, I became the most honored prisoner of the Great Zhou. It was only through the intercession of my Sixth Uncle and Sixth Aunt that I was given the opportunity to come to the Northern Territory for training..."
Yun Lang's expression changed, and she suddenly knelt down and hugged his legs: "Your Highness! I was forced to do this! The Xiao family has been under surveillance by the Wude Division for many years. If we don't cooperate with them..."
"Shh..." He Lin stroked her hair with his broken right hand, so gently that it was creepy. "You know what? These four months have been the happiest time of my life. Even if I guess you're using me, I'm happy with it."
He leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Because I'm using you too... The Xiao family, the old subordinates from the Northern Territory, and the tribes outside the Great Wall, what a great team for rebellion!"
Yun Lang trembled all over: "You...you really want to..."
"Of course." He Lin stood up, his eyes burning with madness. "But before that..." He suddenly drew his sword and pierced Alutai's throat. "We need to clean up some debris first."
Blood splattered on Yun Lang's face, and she screamed and collapsed to the ground.
The smell of blood filled Xiao Yunlang's boudoir. Aluta's body lay on the ground, his blood soaking the Persian carpet. He Lin's sword, dripping with blood, drew a winding red line on the blue brick floor.
"Now, it's time to discuss our cooperation." He Lin lifted Xiao Yunlang's pale face with his bloodstained hands. "Don't you want the military token?"
Xiao Yunlang trembled all over, her carefully applied makeup blurred by tears: "Your Highness...I know I was wrong..."
"Shh..." He Lin pressed his thumb against her lips, leaving a bloody mark. "You and I are both chess pieces, but we are played by different people."
Xiao Yunlang's pupils suddenly shrank.
He Lin chuckled. "When your father's assassination attempt failed, the Xiao family surrendered to the Great Zhou to protect themselves. Now you want to use me to turn things around?"
He suddenly grabbed her neck and said, "What a coincidence! I also want to use your Xiao family to rebel."
"Listen," he released his hand and slammed the tiger talisman on the table. "Within three days, I want to meet with all the former Liao leaders who have secretly contacted you. One less..." The tip of the sword lifted Yun Lang's chin, "and I will cut a piece of your flesh."
A struggle flashed in Xiao Yunlang's eyes, but it finally turned into determination: "Your Highness, do you really want to rebel? Your mother..."
"She?" He Lin sneered, "She was the one who killed my mother. I want to avenge her!" This lie made his heart tremble. "The people from the Wude Division must not complain." "Remember, you only have three days."
As he left, He Lin deliberately walked out the main gate. In the darkness, a bowstring rang, and three arrows whistled toward him—an ambush at the Xiao residence. He deliberately slowed down a step, letting the arrows grazed his arm.
"Tell your master," he chuckled at the assassin in the darkness, "if you want the military token, exchange it for sincerity."
In the palace study, Zhang Xiaojia was listening to Jiang Hao's report.
"Lin'er is injured?" She paused with the red pen in her hand.
Jiang Hao lowered his head. "It's just a flesh wound. But... the prince is indeed contacting the old Liao people."
Zhang Xiaojia suddenly laughed. "This kid really knows how to take advantage of the situation." She opened the window and looked towards the Xiao Mansion. "Tell the musket team to ambush at the old training ground at midnight three days later."
"The County Lady had long anticipated that the Crown Prince would..."
"I know my son." Zhang Xiaojia stroked the jade bracelet on her wrist—it was a birthday gift from He Lin last year. "After his right hand was crippled, he never cried again. How could a child like him be so captivated by beauty?"
As she turned, her eyes were filled with both relief and regret. "But he must personally sever this obsession. On the road to becoming an emperor... the women he meets cannot tolerate any insincerity."
On the third night, at the old training ground.
He Lin sat high on the platform, looking at the dozens of tribal leaders gathered below. Xiao Yunlang, dressed in red, was diligently pouring wine for everyone. He was very familiar with these faces - their fathers and brothers had died under his sword when he suppressed the border rebellion last year.
"Everyone," He Lin raised the tiger talisman, "with this, the 300,000 northern border troops are under our control."
The Tatar leader, Bolte, sneered: "Little boy, when your father killed my eldest son, did he ever imagine this day would come?"
"So I've come to atone for my sins." He Lin placed the tiger talisman on the table. "But before that..." He suddenly drew his sword and pointed it at Xiao Yunlang. "I want her."
Everyone was in an uproar. Xiao Yunlang froze in his tracks: "Your Highness?"
"Take it off." He Lin's voice was as cold as ice. "Let everyone see how the Xiao family's daughter pleases the prince of the Great Zhou."
Xiao Yunlang's face turned pale, but she slowly untied her belt under the lustful gazes of the crowd. She knew this was a token of her loyalty.
When the red robe fell to the waist, a loud explosion suddenly erupted around the training ground! Dozens of psychic bombs exploded in the crowd, and white smoke instantly enveloped the entire field.
"Hold your breath!" He Lin shouted, but he rushed towards Xiao Yunlang, wrapped his cloak around her naked body, and whispered, "No matter what happens later, follow me closely."
The sound of muskets roared from all directions. He Lin dragged Yun Lang back to the platform and saw his mother standing on a high place in military uniform, waving the command flag.
"Leave no one behind."
True or false
At dawn, the training ground had become a bloodbath. He Lin knelt in a pool of blood, with the dying Bolte in front of him.
"Why...why..." the old leader asked while vomiting blood.
He Lin was "disloyal to the Great Zhou and should be killed"
When he stood up, he saw Xiao Yunlang being escorted by the Wude Division, his eyes full of resentment.
"You used me!" she screamed.
He Lin stroked her face with his bloody hand. "It's mutual." He turned to Jiang Hao and said, "Leave it to mother."
Zhang Xiaojia came over and handed him a handkerchief: "Wipe your face."
He Lin didn't answer. He suddenly hugged his mother, trembling all over: "Mom, my hand hurts..."
Zhang Xiaojia's eyes were red, and she patted him on the back: "Mom knows." She looked at the gradually brightening sky, "This time, my son has grown up."
In the distance, Concubine Chen's carriage was slowly approaching. The old lady lifted the curtain, looked at her grandson covered in blood, and sighed: "This child is just like his father when he was young..."
————
When He Lin returned, his mother followed him back, and Zhang Xiaojia saw him off for eighteen miles.
Wude Sishi: "Lin'an, don't worry, I will definitely send Concubine Chen to the palace safely. I guarantee it with my life."
Zhang Xiaojia rolled her eyes at him and said, "With your IQ, you'll probably have to wait until your next life to pursue Song Fanxing! You'd better ask my brother to grant you an imperial decree to get married. Marry first, then fall in love! Am I worried about Mother's safety? I just can't bear to leave Mother. She's only been in the Liao Dynasty for a few days!"
Zhang Xiaojia sent him off for most of the day before going back.
Long Er was replaced by Long Yi. Zhang Xiaojia was shocked. "What crime did you commit? How could a high-ranking official, even a military commander, come to the Liao Dynasty to be my escort?"
Long Yi looked at her and said unhappily, "You took the concubine out of the palace, and I went to protect the emperor. You drugged Long San and Long Si and they were knocked unconscious. They were beaten with ten boards. The emperor said that they were so stupid to come to you, and he was afraid that you would sell them out."
After seeing off Concubine Chen, Zhang Xiaojia stood on the city wall, looking at the departing convoy, feeling empty inside. She sighed, turned to Long Yi, and said, "Alright, stop being so stern. Now that you're in the Liao Dynasty, get to work!"
Long Yi clasped his fists and said, "Don't worry, my lady, I will do my best."
Zhang Xiaojia raised an eyebrow: "Dedicated? Then go and help me check the remaining members of the Xiao family to see if there are any fish that have slipped through the net."
Long Yi: "...I am here to protect you, not to be a spy."
Zhang Xiaojia patted his shoulder with a smile and said, "Ah, those who are capable should do more work! Besides, you are the commander of the Dragon Guard. You can't follow me around like a bodyguard every day, right? That would be such a waste of talent!"
Long Yi was helpless: "...I obey your command."
As spring turns to autumn, the farmlands of Daliao are lush and green, and the pastures are teeming with herds of cattle and sheep. Zhang Xiaojia has two million more acres of arable land this year than last year, and has reclaimed 17 million acres of land, bringing the total to 32 million acres over the past two years. Grain production has doubled, and with the addition of 30,000 pigs and 20,000 sheep, Daliao's granaries and meat warehouses are overflowing.
She stood on the edge of the field, watching the busy farmers, and nodded with satisfaction: "Not bad, not bad! This year's harvest will definitely make me envious!"
Long Yi stood behind her and couldn't help asking, "County Lady, are you working so hard on the land just to make the Emperor envious?"
Zhang Xiaojia turned around and glared at him: "What else? You... tell me if I should give some to my brother as his own pocket money!"
Long Yi: "...I thought you were doing this to make life better for the people."
Zhang Xiaojia rolled his eyes. "Nonsense! If the people live well, there will be more tax revenue. If there are more tax revenue, I'll be happy. If I'm happy, I'll get rewards! It's called a virtuous cycle, understand? But these five years are my food."
Long Yi: "..."
However, beneath the surface prosperity, undercurrents are still surging.
Long Yi quickly found the remaining forces of the Xiao family - although Xiao Yunlang was captured, several of her confidants escaped and are now lurking in various places in the Liao Dynasty, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
"County Lady, someone from the Xiao family is secretly contacting their old subordinates, and seems to want to take advantage of the opportunity to cause trouble." Long Yi said solemnly.
Zhang Xiaojia narrowed his eyes: "You really won't give up..."
She pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "Okay, since they want to play, then I will play with them."
Long Yi: "What does the county lady plan to do?"
Zhang Xiaojia: "Spread the word that He Lin is disheartened by Xiao Yunlang's situation, drinking all day to drown his sorrows and ignoring government affairs."
Long Yi frowned: "Is this... too risky?"
Zhang Xiaojia sneered: "If you don't take risks, how can you lure the snake out of its hole?"
The news spread quickly, and the rumor that He Lin was "drunk all day" became a hot topic.
One day, Zhang Xiaojia took Long Yi to He Lin's residence to "visit". As soon as he entered the door, he saw He Lin with disheveled hair, disheveled clothes, a wine jug in his hand, and leaning on the couch drunkenly.
Zhang Xiaojia pretended to be distressed: "Lin'er, how did you become like this?"
He Lin's eyes were hazy with drunkenness: "Mother... Yun Lang... "
Zhang Xiaojia sighed: "Silly boy, is it worth it for a woman?"
He Lin raised his head and took a sip of wine, then said dejectedly: "Mom, you don't understand..."
Zhang Xiaojia shook her head and turned to Long Yida: "Look, this child is really infatuated..."
Long Yi: "..." (Inner thought: You acted so convincingly.)
Sure enough, after a few days, the lurking remnants of the Xiao family could no longer hold back.
One night, outside He Lin's mansion, several dark shadows approached quietly.
"I heard that the prince is drunk every day because of the young lady. This is a good opportunity to attack."
"As long as we control him, we can force Zhang Xiaojia to hand over the military power of the Northern Territory!"
Several people climbed over the wall and went straight to He Lin's bedroom. However, as soon as they opened the door, they saw He Lin sitting at the desk with clear eyes, without a trace of drunkenness.
"What brings you here so late at night?" He Lin smiled slightly.
The remaining members of the Xiao family were shocked: "You...you are not drunk?!"
He Lin slowly stood up and said, "Drunk? My mother brewed this wine, I've been drinking it since I was a child. You think you can get me drunk with that little bit of inferior wine?"
Before he could finish his words, torches suddenly lit up all around, and the Dragon Guards surrounded them.
Zhang Xiaojia came out from behind the screen and said with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work. You came here in the middle of the night to accompany my son in acting."
The remaining members of the Xiao family looked ashen: "We've fallen into a trap..."
The next day, Zhang Xiaojia ordered a thorough investigation of all forces related to the Xiao family, eliminating the hidden dangers in the Liao Dynasty in one fell swoop.
He Lin stood on the city wall, looking at the grassland in the distance, and whispered: "Mother, after this, the Liao Dynasty should be able to be stable for a while."
Zhang Xiaojia nodded: "Yes, but..."
He Lin: "But what?"
Zhang Xiaojia sighed: "But your father will probably urge you to choose a concubine again."
He Lin: "..."
Zhang Xiaojia patted his shoulder and said, "Don't worry. If it really doesn't work, I'll take you for a run!"
He Lin was at a loss for words: "Mom, please stop struggling. If you get beaten, your son won't be able to save you..."
The grassland was lush and green, with herds of cattle and sheep. Zhang Xiaojia stood on a high place, looking at this fertile land, with a slight smile on his face.
"Long Yi!" she suddenly shouted.
Long Yi came over and asked, "What do you want, County Lady?"
Zhang Xiaojia smiled and said, "Tell me, if I reclaim a few million acres of land, will you directly make me the 'King of Farming'?"
Long Yi: "..." (Inner thought: The Emperor might just ask you to return to the capital and stop causing trouble for the Liao Dynasty.)
Zhang Xiaojia laughed heartily: "Let's go! Go back and write a memorial. Brother's birthday is coming soon. I'm going to give him a gift."
When the emperor saw the ten thousand sheep and pigs, plus 100 million dan of wheat, he felt helpless. He understood what Jia Jia meant.
By winter, He Fei had returned to Beijing, and Zhang Xiaojia had been farming in the Liao Dynasty for two years and was harvesting according to this year's harvest.
There will be even more next year, and she doesn't want to rebel, so let's hand over the Liao Dynasty to the emperor this year!
"Long Yi, let's go back to Beijing!"
"County Lady, the Emperor knows how to curse!"
"What did you call me?"
Long Yi suddenly thought that the county lady could travel freely in Da Zhou.
Return to the imperial city.
This time, Zhang Xiaojia was wearing the official uniform of the Princess of Lin'an County.
When the emperor saw her, Zhang Xiaojia smiled and said, "Brother, I'm back. He Fei has returned to Beijing. I don't want to go to the Liao Dynasty anymore."
Emperor: "You don't have to be concerned about the minister's words..."
Zhang Xiaojia interrupted the emperor: "Brother, no, I will ask Song Fanyu to work for the Liao Dynasty!" But Song Fanyu entered the Three Departments three years ago. According to the emperor's training, he will be the envoy of the Three Departments in the future...
The Emperor: "Okay."
After Zhang Xiaojia returned to the imperial farm, he completely let himself go.
She felt that the land in the imperial farm was not enough for farming, so she bought three nearby deserted villages and took He Fei and a group of old farmers to reclaim new land.
The emperor was allowed to leave the palace twice a month for private visits, and he would usually come to the imperial farm. Seeing the wheat fields and mountains, his mouth twitched: "...Are you planning to turn the entire suburbs of Beijing into a granary?"
Zhang Xiaojia said confidently, "Brother, don't you always say that the treasury is short of food? I'll help you plant more so you don't have to worry about it every day."
He originally thought that he was here to accompany Zhang Xiaojia in her old age, but she dragged him to work in the fields every day, and he got darker than when he was fighting in the border areas.
One day, Long Yi came to visit and saw the once majestic God of War of the North squatting in the field pulling weeds. He almost didn't recognize him.
He Fei had a blank expression on his face: "What are you looking at? Have you ever seen a prince who farms the land?"
The emperor would take one day every month to come to the imperial farm, ostensibly to "understand the people's sentiments", but in reality he was there to eat and complain about state affairs.
Once, while chewing on a melon grown by Zhang Xiaojia, he complained, "Those old ministers are urging me to select a concubine again. It's so annoying."
Zhang Xiaojia rolled her eyes. "Why don't you just say, 'I only have Jiajia's land to farm, why do I need a woman?'"
Emperor: "...Do you believe that tomorrow I will issue an order for you to go to Dajin to farm?"
Song Fanyu was sent to take over the Liao Dynasty. He thought he could govern it easily, but he found out that—
Zhang Xiaojia's three-year plan can expand 15 million mu of wasteland every year, but the remaining arable land is too much to manage.
Although the remnants of the Xiao family have been eliminated, the northern tribes are still watching covetously.
He Lin occasionally wrote letters, and every word between the lines was filled with his longing for his mother and his "sympathy" for Song Fanyu.
One day, she broke down and wrote to the emperor: "Your Majesty, I request to be transferred back to the capital... Farming is fine!"
Although Zhang Xiaojia returned the military power of the Liao Dynasty, she and He Fei had extremely high prestige among the people, and some even called them the "Twin Saints of the North."
One day, the Imperial Censor reported: "Although the Princess of Lin'an has retired, her influence remains, and I'm afraid she may have rebellious intentions..."
The emperor sneered, "Oh? Then you can help her farm? The grain she handed over this year is enough to feed the entire Great Zhou army."
The Imperial Censor: "...I will take my leave."
When she heard someone was impeaching her, she had a cart of sweet potatoes delivered to the Censorate with a note: "Eat your fill before you criticize, don't go hungry."
When the emperor found out, he laughed so hard that he almost fell off the throne.
He looked at the abundant harvest in the imperial farm and sighed, "Jia Jia, you've cultivated so much land. How should I reward you?"
Zhang Xiaojia blinked. "That's easy. Just give me the mountain next door as well."
Emperor: "...Get lost."
Zhang Xiaojia and He Fei lived the life of "retired cadres". The emperor came to eat every month. She had been in the Zhou Dynasty for ten years. The emperor and his subjects relied on each other and trusted each other...
And the granaries of the Great Zhou were overflowing with food...
very nice……
(over)
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