The court officials were immediately alarmed when they heard that the Crown Prince was going to personally lead the expedition.
Although the Di barbarians have entered Yunzhou, they only threaten the rear prefectures, and the Zhenbei Army and local troops can still resist them.
It's not at the point where the Crown Prince's precious body needs to be risked.
The ministers all advised, "The Crown Prince is the heir apparent to the throne; we cannot take such a risk!"
Emperor Yuanzong's expression grew increasingly grim: this was a direct demand for military power in front of the court officials.
What is this wretched child planning to do? As the crown prince, he wants to go to the Zhenbei Army and gain military power...
Emperor Yuanzong's voice was chillingly cold: "The Northern Garrison Army, the Marquis of the Northern Garrison, you...you still want to personally lead the expedition, well, well you..."
Suddenly the sound stopped, and chaos erupted in the hall.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Emperor Yuanzong's originally pale face flushed an unusual red, and he suddenly fainted in the council hall.
"Quickly, summon the imperial physician!"
Li Xi leaped to his feet and shouted sternly, "Summon the imperial physician, lock the palace gates, and keep the news strictly confidential!"
The Minister of Revenue, the First Prince, and the Third Prince all changed their expressions drastically.
It is a grand court assembly, with all the officials gathered in the hall. Under these circumstances, they are not worried about a palace coup, but only about the change in the crown prince today!
Li Xi hadn't changed. Although he was only seventeen, he had never been favored by his father, the emperor, and had long cultivated the ability to keep his emotions hidden. The empress had also endured this for many years, waiting for this day.
Now that the Di barbarians are attacking the Wu Dynasty, it's time to rely on maternal uncles and cousins again.
Originally, the Marquis of Zhenbei was just a thorn in Emperor Yuanzong's side, but now that war has broken out, that thorn has become an intractable steel knife, and he is just stabbing it in again.
With the palace gates locked and Emperor Yuanzong fainting, the atmosphere in the capital immediately became tense.
The concubines in the harem were weeping and wailing.
The imperial court was also in an uproar.
The emperor suddenly fell into a coma, and foreign enemies invaded the country. The country could not be without a ruler for even a day.
The Minister of Revenue proposed that the eldest prince, who was the oldest, should oversee the country.
The eldest prince, Li Lan, is already in his thirties, a time of great vigor and ambition, and he has spent the most time handling government affairs.
Those who stand in the imperial court are not fools.
The Emperor indeed favored the eldest prince, not only entrusting him with important tasks to hone his skills, but also giving him the Xuanwei Army to scheme for military power.
However, on the surface, the crown prince of the Wu Dynasty was still Li Xi, who was not favored by the emperor.
There is a fact here: the crown prince was disliked for many years, confined to his quarters, and scolded, but he was never truly deposed, and the reason is naturally known to everyone.
Li Xi was the Empress's legitimate son and had a powerful maternal uncle who commanded a large army. No matter what, he was the top choice for the crown prince, and no one could challenge his position.
If we were to choose now, Li Xi would naturally be the one.
Young age, timid personality, shallow foundation, and lack of close and influential officials in the court—these were Li Xi's weaknesses, but at this moment they were his strengths.
Because of Li Xi's ascension to the throne, even with his maternal uncle, the Marquis of Zhenbei, he still needed to rely on the current court officials for political affairs.
Compared to the eldest prince, the prince already has a group of trusted and experienced people in his household. Once they gain significant power, the court will definitely undergo a major reshuffle.
With an heir apparent already in place, the fact that such a power struggle could still occur is a sign of internal strife, and opposition immediately arose.
Minister of War Xu Zheyuan said directly, "The Crown Prince was originally the heir apparent personally groomed by His Majesty. Now that there is an heir apparent, there is no need to trouble two masters for one matter, so there is no need for the eldest prince to trouble himself."
The calls for the eldest prince to oversee the country were quickly suppressed by the court officials.
Now that the Di cavalry has occupied Qing'an Prefecture, if they do not return to the grasslands, they can advance south across two more counties to the Green River. Once they cross the river, there will be no natural barrier to stop them, and they can directly threaten the capital.
The Xuanwei Army is utterly useless, and Yunzhou still relies on the Zhenbei Army. If we anger Marquis Zhao Yanjiao of Zhenbei at this time, it will be a sign of the destruction of the country.
Whatever it is, let's wait until the emperor wakes up and the Di troops retreat before discussing anything else.
Thus, Li Xi, who was originally going to be confined to the Crown Prince's residence, successfully took on the important task of overseeing the country.
However, the Crown Prince's regency lasted for quite some time.
When Emperor Yuanzong regained consciousness and tried to return to court to govern, he was advised by his ministers to rest and recuperate in the inner palace.
Empress Zhao Yanzhu personally served soup and medicine, taking close care of the patient, and no longer allowed other concubines and princes to disturb her.
These are all things to be discussed later.
In a small village outside Qing'an Prefecture, Zhao Tingduo, dressed in military uniform, was whispering to two generals while looking at a map: "Given the stamina of the Di barbarian warhorses, they will need to rest after another two hours of running. We can ambush them here in this riverbed." He pointed along a mountain gorge to a small bend in the map.
Qing'an Prefecture is mostly plains with few mountains, making it impractical to pursue the elite Di cavalry on foot across the plains.
They only calculate the horse's distance and are ready to harass you at any time.
While people can nap and eat on horseback, horses cannot; they need to stop and graze for several hours each day.
If horses are not given enough rest, their fighting ability will be greatly reduced.
Only those who are most familiar with horses can master this skill.
"Yes, Third Young Master."
"The Third Young Master... not only is his martial arts superb, but he also has the talent of a general! It is no wonder that the Marquis has taught him so well." The two generals praised him sincerely.
They had fought the Di people many times before. Although they had not suffered great losses, they had a hard time dealing with them. They were often outmaneuvered by the Di cavalry, and when they caught up, they could only look at a devastated open space.
Hearing the praise, Zhao Tingduo smiled slightly, and the depression that had been buried in her heart for the past few days was greatly reduced: she was still a warrior, not a coward who could be easily bewitched.
Being drugged became a major source of anxiety for the proud young man.
When capturing Hong Jingtian and the Di bandits in Suijin Town, he said he wouldn't protect others, so how could he really do that?
She must have lacked confidence in her abilities to stick so close behind her, resulting in such a basic mistake as bumping into each other.
Don't you believe in yourself? How could you not believe in yourself?
Zhao Tingduo was somewhat annoyed again.
My concern was wasted!
During this time, he felt distressed whenever he thought of what Abu had said: that after he was knocked into the cave, he lay with the Di barbarians and was eventually pulled out of the crowd.
When had I ever been so embarrassed, and she had seen the whole thing?
Although he knew that Song Liyun had no choice but to do so in a moment of desperation, he still couldn't shake off the resentment in his heart, and even asked someone else to deliver the gift on his behalf.
I wonder if she likes bloodstone?
The thought flashed through Zhao Tingduo's mind and then disappeared: Whether she likes it or not, she'll give it to her!
As for why we gave her a gift?
Zhao Tingduo explained it this way: naturally, it was because those barbarian bandits were meritorious officials of the Zhenbei Army and the Crown Prince.
I was doing things for my father and aunt, so I should thank Song Liyun, but that doesn’t mean I should forgive her mistakes.
The two generals left immediately after receiving the instructions, arranging for their men to take turns resting, in preparation for following and harassing the Di cavalry.
Before we knew it, it was mid-July. Tianxianglou had been doing booming business since it opened. The winery that had initially refused Song Liyun couldn't keep up with the demand and sent a message through a customer, asking Manager Lin to come and get some wine.
It's only been half a month and he can't hold on anymore. He's still putting on airs and expecting others to give him face.
Song Liyun ignored her.
Some time later, a month after Tianxianglou opened, they suddenly started holding events there.
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