Chapter 113 The Prince Who Failed to Revolt
When Zhang Xiaojia received He Fei's letter from the front, she realized that the war with Tubo might last for three to five years. Fortunately, she had taken precautionary measures in the spring and had asked the court for wasteland from the Liao Dynasty for military farming.
That year, she meticulously organized her farming efforts. In April, she reclaimed five million mu of barren land and sowed spring wheat seeds. By the end of May, when the wheat sprouts were green, she interplanted corn between the wheat ridges. That same month, she reclaimed another five million mu of new land, planting drought-resistant potatoes. As the summer heat intensified in June, she directed farmers to reclaim another three million mu, again planting potatoes. In July, during the scorching heat, she planted the final two million mu of land with winter cabbage.
Harvest seasons arrive one after another: in August, the golden autumn brings the first heavy harvest of spring wheat to be stored; in September, during the Double Ninth Festival, corn cobs and potatoes ripen; and in October, during the Frost Descent, the emerald-colored cabbages are ready for harvest. As the last load of autumn vegetables is stored in the cellar, the north winds of northern Xinjiang begin to howl, signaling the land's rest and recuperation.
According to the agreement, 30% of the harvest was to be used as a reward for the tenants and farmhands, 40% was to be transported to He Fei's military camp, and the remaining 30% was to be stored in the family granary. Zhang Xiaojia carefully checked the account book presented by the accountant and found that even if only 20% of the harvest was kept, it would be enough to cover the expenses of the family for the coming year.
Here, we plant in spring and harvest in autumn, and harvest once a year.
The winter in northern Xinjiang was long and cold, the land lay fallow, and farming was on hold. Zhang Xiaojia suddenly realized that he had nothing to do.
Zhang Xiaojia sat in the warm room, looking at the snow falling outside the window, and suddenly thought of He Fei.
He is now on the Tubo front line. Is it snowing there?
Is his armor adequate to keep him warm? Are his troops well-fed?
——Does he... miss her?
She submitted a memorial to the emperor, asking her brother if she could go see He Fei.
She followed He Lin to send this letter urgently over a distance of 800 miles.
The letter was sent.
Zhang Xiaojia called Long Er and said, "Take out 10% of the food and donate cabbage porridge and potato porridge. Only the elderly, women, and children can eat. Give me 50 people."
I called the maidservant beside me and asked her to prepare dry food for 50 people for two months.
After giving the order, the work here was handed over to Wang Lu, the envoy of the Wude Division. He was the emperor's confidant, so he was the most suitable person to be entrusted with the task.
——
When the emperor saw Zhang Xiaojia's letter, he didn't react. It was as thick as a brick, but suddenly it became a normal letter, and he was unable to react for a while.
When I opened it, I saw two thin pieces of paper.
Brother, the farming in the northern border has been completed. This year's harvest is abundant, so we don't have to worry about military supplies. I have nothing to do and would like to go to the front line to see He Fei. Is that possible?
If it's against the rules, just pretend I never mentioned it.
Brother, I'll go check on him and promise not to cause any trouble. (Your Majesty...it would be strange if he didn't cause any trouble.)
The letter was signed by a young woman holding a flag with an agreement to return to Beijing in five years written on it.
The second piece of paper was a picture of a little man lying on the table crying, with the words "I'm going to find my husband" written on it.
When the emperor saw the prime minister coming to talk about government affairs, he simply handed the letter to him to read.
After reading the letter, the Prime Minister glanced at His Majesty and said respectfully, "The laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty stipulate that princes and princesses are not allowed to leave their fiefdoms without imperial orders, let alone approach military camps at will.
But if she goes to Tubo as a First-Rank Princess personally appointed by Your Majesty, then it is up to her. Your Majesty, you can personally issue an edict that the Princess of Lin'an can go anywhere in the Great Zhou, and the Great Zhou shall not stop or neglect her.
————
Zhang Xiaojia received an express letter sent from eight hundred miles away.
Open it and take a look
Approved. You may go as a First-Rank County Lady, but you may only bring fifty personal guards with you. You must not advertise yourself, interfere with military affairs, and must return within four months.
I warn you, don't cause trouble, don't rush the 800-mile journey, and don't travel at night.
When Zhang Xiaojia received the emperor's reply, she couldn't help laughing. Her brother loved her.
She folded the letter, tucked it into her sleeve, and turned to Long Er, saying, "Prepare the horses. We'll set off tomorrow."
Long Er frowned: "County Lady, the road to Tibet is long, and the winter is very cold, why not wait until spring..."
Zhang Xiaojia said speechlessly: "Long Er, you are stupid. Next spring, you and the county magistrate will come back to take charge of the farming affairs."
Long Er: “…”
————
The next morning, Zhang Xiaojia put on a fox fur coat, hung the golden seal of "First-Rank County Princess" bestowed by the emperor around her waist, and took forty Dragon Guards with her, lightly equipped, and set out on the journey westward.
Ten Dragon Guards were driving a carriage filled with sheepskin coats that she had asked the tenant farmers' wives to make.
They are the elite among the elite, riding the fastest, and they can change horses directly when they arrive at the post station.
At noon, I calculated the number of stations and decided to eat before continuing my journey.
After three days' journey, they arrived at Xingqing Prefecture. Seeing that it was getting dark, Zhang Xiaojia simply went to the largest restaurant and booked the third floor.
The governor had received the news and rushed to the restaurant personally. He asked cautiously, "Princess Jing, are you going to Tubo on the emperor's orders?"
Zhang Xiaojia flamboyantly played with the golden seal of a first-rank county lady at her waist and said, "Call me the Lin'an County Lady. I am a first-rank county lady appointed by the emperor himself. The emperor has issued an imperial decree that I can go anywhere in the Great Zhou without a pass, and no one is allowed to stop me or neglect me."
The governor's forehead was covered with sweat, and he quickly waved his hands: "I dare not!" He was careless. Prince Jing's wife also had the status of a first-rank county lady.
That night, the restaurant was brightly lit with candles.
Xiao Jia sat at his desk and wrote: "He Fei, I have already set off and will arrive in Qingtang in about ten days. If you are busy with military affairs, you don't need to come to pick me up. I will go find you myself."
After writing, she handed the letter to Long Er: "Express it eight hundred miles to the front line."
Long Er smiled bitterly: "County Lady, His Majesty just said that the 800-mile rush is not allowed..."
Zhang Xiaojia blinked: "This is a family letter, not official business."
Originally, Zhang Xiaojia planned to stay in Xingqing for a day, but an official came to the restaurant early in the morning. Zhang Xiaojia didn't want to be the second "Princess Taiping" and make her brother the emperor suspicious, so she set off without saying a word.
For the rest of the journey, Zhang Xiaojia never went into the city and rested at the post station.
We are about to arrive at Qingtanglai.
Long Er asked, "Princess Lin'an, I remember your brother is the governor here. Would you like to meet him?"
Zhang Xiaojia thought for a moment and said, "We'll see each other again when we leave. I won't see you now."
Long Er's face was full of confusion.
Zhang Xiaojia smiled faintly and said, "You think the emperor won't let me hurry, but I pretend to obey but secretly disobey him. Aren't you afraid that the emperor will be angry?
Because I know that the post station is under the control of the imperial court, especially the Wude Division. The emperor will definitely know about it, and he has already thought about what I will do. The emperor will definitely not be angry about something that can be found out with just one investigation.
My own brother is a Jiedushi, so what? If I meet him and get into trouble for no reason, that's not a good thing. Meeting him is like collusion between the clan and the Jiedushi, which is stupid.
I am just a salted fish. If the prince had not been fighting on the front lines, I would not have taken over the farming on the land of the Liao Dynasty. Wouldn’t it be better for me to be in the capital, where I could live a life of wealth and luxury. "
Long Er frowned and muttered, "Is the officialdom so complicated? It's better to be a secret guard."
It was Zhang Xiaojia's turn to be speechless.
Are you a secret guard?
Another name for the secret guards is death soldiers. You are a member of the Dragon Guards, and you have official ranks. You are all military generals of the fifth rank or above, and the emperor's confidants.
Thirty miles outside Qingtang City, He Fei was studying a sand table in his military tent. Suddenly, the sound of hurried horse hooves could be heard outside the tent. Without a moment's notice, the guards opened the tent curtains and shouted, "Prince Jing! The flag of the Princess of Lin'an has arrived outside the camp!"
He Fei's military token clattered to the sand table. He had only just received the letter from home yesterday, promising "arrival in ten days." Even with the 800-mile express route, she should still be halfway there...
"Prepare the horses!" He Fei grabbed his cloak and rushed out, almost knocking over the personal soldier who was holding hot tea.
————
Outside the gate, Zhang Xiaojia was scolding Long Er: "I told you not to report it, but you insisted on raising the flag..."
Before he finished speaking, the gate of the military camp ahead suddenly flew open. He Fei rode out alone, his black armor still stained with unmelted snow, gleaming in the sunlight.
"Jia Jia." He pulled the reins in front of her horse, his Adam's apple moving, "You..."
Zhang Xiaojia raised an eyebrow. "Me?" She suddenly leaned closer. "Your Highness, do you think I will obediently follow the date in the letter you received?"
He Fei chuckled softly and reached out to pull her onto his horse. The Dragon Guards turned in unison, their movements as precise as if they had rehearsed them a thousand times.
"Let go! There are so many people watching..." Zhang Xiaojia's ears felt hot.
"Let them see." He Fei tightened his arms and rubbed his chin against the snowflakes on her hair. "It's a good opportunity to recognize them all, so that no one will bother you."
————
That night, the charcoal fire burned fiercely in the commander's tent. Zhang Xiaojia, wrapped in He Fei's undershirt, stepped barefoot on the wool blanket tributed by Tubo as he counted the supplies.
"Two hundred sheepskin coats, fifty bags of potato flour, and..." She suddenly looked up, "What's wrong with your shoulder?"
He Fei paused as he was drying her wet hair. The wind and snow howled outside the tent, making the silence seem especially long.
"It's just a minor injury." He finally brushed it off lightly, but Zhang Xiaojia grabbed his collar and pushed him down on the blanket.
"You call this a minor injury?" Her fingertips hovered above the hideous arrow wound, her voice trembling, "If it were half an inch off..."
He Fei suddenly turned over and pressed her down: "Princess, are you trying to commit insubordination?"
"Lin'an County Princess." Zhang Xiaojia corrected him, her eyes reddening, "The Emperor personally conferred the title of First Rank..."
The last note disappeared in the tangled breaths. The candlelight crackled and the Dragon Guards standing guard outside the tent silently retreated another three feet.
————
The next morning, Zhang Xiaojia was writing a letter of apology to the emperor. When He Fei came in with goat milk, she was biting the pen and struggling with the wording.
"Just because the horses at the post stations along the road are well-maintained?" He Fei came over to take a look.
Zhang Xiaojia rolled his eyes at him and said, "Why not write that you sent light cavalry to meet us along the way?"
"The emperor won't be angry. He knew it a long time ago, otherwise he wouldn't have written in the letter that you are not allowed to travel at night." He Fei comforted.
Zhang Xiaojia said worriedly, "During last year's Spring Festival, I stole my brother's tribute, the blood coral, half of his Rainforest Longjing tea, and half of his Mingzhou seafood. I also stole a year's salary from him. I wonder how he'll punish me this time?"
There are now nearly thirty tribes of various sizes in Tubo. Fortunately, they have not formed a big country, otherwise this war would be even more difficult.
The emperor intended to station troops in Tubo, and specially established the Xuanzhengyuan to manage the various Tubo tribes.
He Fei advocated the use of high-ranking officials and generous salaries as a means of enticing the Tibetan nobles. He rewarded them with titles and official posts, and also provided them with tea, porcelain, silk and other items every year.
The nobles are still nobles, but the power of governance and management must be delegated to the imperial court, which should send people to open colleges, force the children of nobles to go to school, strengthen the patriotic education of the Great Zhou, and make them proud of being citizens of the Great Zhou.
Zhang Xiaojia looked at He Fei and said, "Are you planning to educate him?"
He Fei walked over and held Jia Jia in his arms. "Jia Jia is so smart. I learned from you! You set up schools in Da Jin and the Ministry of Rites. Da Jin was conquered in less than four years, and the children in Da Jin have a high degree of identification with Da Zhou."
"Yeah." He Fei smiled and said, "The first page of the textbook is about Heaven, Earth, Man, and the Great Zhou Dynasty. The second page is about All Under Heaven is the King's Land. All the people in the world are the King's subjects. I don't believe that after ten years of studying, you won't love the Great Zhou Dynasty."
Zhang Xiaojia gasped: "This...this needs to be done from the root..."
He Fei planned to implant the concept of "Great Zhou" into the memory of Tibetan teenagers and complete the most primitive ideological indoctrination.
Zhang Xiaojia twitched his lips and said, "So, after fighting for half a year, you're now planning to negotiate? Didn't you say it would take three to five years?"
He Fei was also helpless: "My royal brother asked me to be here for deterrence. Now a group of civil officials are negotiating. After all, I defeated the Great Jin and the Great Liao! Jiajia, stay with me, okay?"
Zhang Xiaojia rolled his eyes at him. "I promised my brother the emperor four months. I have to keep my word. Our status is not suitable for a place like this. It will easily make the ministers think that we are holding our own troops and ruling the mountain."
When He Fei heard this, he pulled Jia Jia and started making trouble.
The Dragon Guards were already five feet away from the tent.
The mornings in Tubo come later than in northern Xinjiang. Zhang Xiaojia, wrapped in a cashmere blanket, listens to the sounds of the army camp gradually awakening outside the tent. He Fei had already risen for morning exercises, leaving only a dew-covered geranium by his pillow.
"Is the county lady awake?" The maid Qingxing came in carrying a copper basin. "The prince has ordered that he take you to see the sacred lake of Tibet today."
Zhang Xiaojia rubbed her eyes, the corners of her mouth curling up unconsciously. Ever since arriving at the military camp three days ago, He Fei had been taking her to see all the beautiful sights of Tibet in one way or another. Yesterday, they'd been to the hot springs beneath the snow-capped mountains, the day before, to horse racing on the grasslands, and today, they were going to see the Holy Lake.
"Where are the civil servants who came to negotiate?" Zhang Xiaojia asked while getting ready.
Qing Xing pursed her lips and smiled: "The prince went to discuss matters before dawn and said he would be back before noon to have dinner with the county lady."
Zhang Xiaojia nodded, knowing that He Fei was deliberately avoiding opportunities for her to get involved in military and political affairs. As the Princess of Prince Jing and a First-Rank County Lady, her status was special, and any misstep would give her an excuse to criticize.
After finishing her make-up, Zhang Xiaojia walked out of the tent. Long Er was standing guard outside the tent with several Dragon Guards. When he saw her come out, he immediately saluted.
"County Lady, what do you want to prepare today?" Long Er asked.
Zhang Xiaojia gazed at the distant, snow-capped mountains and thought for a moment. "I'll prepare some snacks and take my little telescope." She paused, lowering her voice. "Has anyone been talking about anything these days?"
Long Er shook his head: "The civil officials are busy negotiating the terms, and the military generals..." He suddenly stopped talking.
"But it's okay."
"Several generals have privately said that the prince has been ending military meetings early these days. I'm afraid... I'm afraid he's been indulging in beautiful women."
Zhang Xiaojia smiled instead of getting angry. "They're not wrong." She turned and looked at the largest tent in the center of the camp. "But they'll soon understand that their prince knows the importance of things better than anyone else."
As he was speaking, the sound of horse hooves came from afar. He Fei, dressed in light riding clothes, rode over on horseback. In the sunlight, his whole body seemed to be coated with a layer of gold.
"Jia Jia!" He stretched out his hand to her on horseback, "I'll take you somewhere."
Zhang Xiaojia was pulled onto his horse, and they rode out of the military camp in full view of everyone. She could feel countless gazes from behind her, some envious, some surprised, and some disapproving.
"Aren't you afraid that the soldiers will say you are obsessed with women?" Zhang Xiaojia asked He Fei while leaning on his arms on horseback.
He Fei chuckled softly, his warm breath brushing against her ears: "Let them talk. I'm taking the princess to see an important place that concerns the future of Tubo."
The horses galloped for over an hour before arriving at a deep blue lake. The water was crystal clear, reflecting the surrounding snow-capped mountains, a beauty beyond compare.
"This is the holy lake that the Tubo people talk about." He Fei helped Zhang Xiaojia off his horse. "It is said that one can see past and present lives."
Zhang Xiaojia walked to the lakeside and suddenly found a few simple wooden houses built by the lake. He could faintly hear the sound of children reading.
"This is……"
"School." He Fei took her hand and walked over. "It's my first day here. I'll do as you said and start teaching from the most basic 'Heaven, Earth, and Man'."
Through the window, Zhang Xiaojia saw a dozen Tibetan children following a Han Chinese teacher as they recited: "All under heaven is the king's land. All within the four seas are the king's subjects."
The children's voices were clear and loud, their eyes focused. He Fei's eyes sparkled with a rare excitement. "There are already seventeen such schools, all located near sacred places in the hearts of the Tibetans."
"So the peace talks..."
"It's just an appearance." He Fei nodded. "The real battlefield is here." He pointed to the school. "Ten years from now, when these children grow up, they will identify more with the Great Zhou than their parents did."
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