"His Majesty desires peaceful coexistence with the grasslands, so I have submitted a memorial regarding the matter of Suijin Town and Miss Song!"
Song Liyun was somewhat surprised. Her business dealings were nothing more than selling some silver; why would she need to write them down and report them to the Emperor?
She said tactfully, "I am but a woman, and what I have done are all trivial matters. How could I possibly delay His Majesty's attention?"
Jiang Feng looked at her as if she were a monster: "The little things you mentioned are not small at all!"
"Acorn noodles, barbecue seasoning, rapeseed oil, wool yarn fabric, cashmere blankets, ox horn combs, and ox horn button ornaments, cardboard boxes and bags, toilet paper..." Jiang Feng didn't mind the tedium and counted them one by one on his fingers.
Song Liyun then realized that she had accidentally made a bit too much.
“…and milk powder!” Jiang Feng finally finished the sentence.
Song Liyun smiled and said, "These things... are nothing! I come from a poor family and I'm terrified of poverty. I just want to earn more money!"
Jiang Feng did not mention the emperor again, but said, "The Di tribe has been burning, killing and looting Yunzhou every year. In the end, it is all because of the lack of resources and their means of survival."
Last year, there was no heavy snow, so things were peaceful, except for two small villages that were robbed.
In response to this situation, each generation of court officials either proposed appeasement through marriage or launched a large-scale military campaign, but neither could eliminate the hidden danger.
The Emperor thinks your method for enriching the tribes is feasible, and he has already argued with the Empress Dowager about it several times in private!
The prince and empress dowager were at odds, and the emperor was even controlled by the empress dowager.
Song Liyun's mind was buzzing: Is this... something I can hear?
Will they immediately behead him to silence him?
She was nervous inside, but her face remained calm. She listened attentively to what Jiang Feng said.
As Jiang Feng narrated, Song Liyun gradually understood the meaning behind it.
Although the Emperor is now in power, he relies on the Empress Dowager and the Duke of Anguo to assist him in handling most of the affairs of state.
One is her biological mother, and the other is her maternal uncle; this is normal.
In general political matters, the three got along well.
However, they disagreed on the issue of the Di royal court, a major threat to the Wu Dynasty.
The Empress Dowager wanted to use a marriage alliance to resolve the conflict between the two tribes, believing that as long as the woman was intelligent enough, she could resolve the conflict between the two tribes and at least alleviate the annual border clashes.
Duke Anguo was a soldier and did not believe that women could play any role in state affairs.
He insisted on a strong defense, and the imperial court continued to station troops in Yunzhou, aiming to restore the original army of 100,000, which would have an overwhelming force against the Di people.
But this will inevitably increase military spending.
With the Emperor's ascension to the throne, the issue of the Zhenbei Army's previously owed military pay will naturally be resolved, but the Ministry of Revenue will certainly be unwilling to increase military spending, which would be another source of wrangling.
The Duke of Anguo's request for reinforcements has not yet been approved, but the Emperor wants to use one force to suppress another, hoping that the Wu Dynasty will send troops and funds to support his cousin Zhao Tingduo as the leader of the tribal royal court and completely resolve the problem of the Di tribe's incursions.
The plan was rejected by the Empress Dowager and the Duke of Anguo as soon as it was proposed, who said that he was young and inexperienced and that his ideas were naive.
Not to mention the possibility of raising a tiger to cause trouble, the Wuda tribe only has more than two hundred people. Even if the Zhenbei Army sends a Lei Battalion of four hundred men to conquer a territory in the Mida River Valley, it will still be unable to compete with the Di Lu royal court, which has tens of thousands of troops.
Whether in terms of manpower or financial resources, the Wuda tribe still relies on the Zhenbei Army. It's good enough if they don't become a burden to the Wu Dynasty. How can we entrust the affairs of the country to a small tribe?
Moreover, the Di royal court and the Wu dynasty had a tacit understanding that had lasted for centuries.
If the Wu Dynasty sends a large army into the grasslands and disrupts the balance between the grassland tribes, the royal court will massacre the border city of Yunzhou.
In other words, the four hundred Lei-character battalions of the Wuda tribe stirred up trouble in the Mida River Valley, all under the pretext of tribal conflict, which is consistent with tribal revenge.
Everyone knows that the Uda tribe was wiped out twenty years ago, so the royal court will not intervene.
If the Wu Dynasty's Northern Army were to openly enter the grasslands, it would be a declaration of war against the royal court, which holds a certain degree of influence on the grasslands. This is not something that either side wants to see.
Song Liyun's face changed drastically upon hearing this, she broke out in a cold sweat, and her fingers gripping the hem of her skirt turned white.
"Lord Jiang, is the garrison commander of Hecheng aware of this news?"
The plan to station troops on the grasslands was discussed with Zhao Tinglei a year ago. If the Zhenbei Army had not been stationed there, would Mida City still have been able to be built?
Jiang Feng has always been the young emperor's man, so what does he mean by saying this to himself?
"Zhao Tinglei should have already received letters from the Empress Dowager and the Duke of Anguo, and will terminate the agreement with you, but he does not know the Emperor's intentions."
The reason I summoned you here today is to have you set off for Hecheng as soon as possible and convey the Emperor's message to General Lei.
We can continue to support the Uda tribe, but we cannot openly send troops to provoke the royal court anymore; we must find another way.
Upon hearing this, Song Liyun's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down, but it was still pounding wildly.
She used to laugh at Granny Xu for living in such a precarious situation, but now she understands that the Wuda tribe is truly dancing on a knife's edge.
The Empress Dowager and the court represented by Duke Anguo did not think highly of the Wuda tribe. In their minds, Lady Wuya was just a mistress kept by Duke Anguo.
The Uda tribe was not allowed to expand militarily to avoid provoking the Di royal court, so they sent maids and craftswomen, but no weapons to fight.
On the other hand, maintaining good relations with the royal court through marriage is a conventional diplomatic policy.
However, the Empress Dowager and the Duke of Anguo underestimated the young emperor's determination.
The emperor, young and impetuous, was fearless and thought of supporting the Wuda tribe to grow stronger and counterbalance the Di royal court. He secretly contacted old acquaintances like Jiang Feng.
The choice of the Uda tribe is clearly a difficult problem.
One wrong step and you could be wiped out!
Seeing that Song Liyun remained silent, Jiang Feng knew that a decision could not be made lightly, so he reminded her, "The Emperor is very interested in your business. Why not let the tribe prosper first? If merchants from the Wu Dynasty hire bodyguards, the Di royal court will not be able to interfere!"
A thought flashed through Song Liyun's mind: it's normal for a bustling shopping mall to have a large security force.
It's normal that since I'm from the Wu Dynasty, the caravan is from the Wu Dynasty, and the guards are also from the Wu Dynasty.
The Zhenbei Army cannot show their faces, but they can change their uniforms and appearance.
Jiang Feng, fearing that he might have spoken too harshly and that Song Liyun might become frightened, added, "Your businesses are doing very well, but it's clearly not enough. I have already written a memorial to the Ministry of Revenue recommending your pear blossom tissues and various paper bags as tribute to the imperial merchants."
Song Liyun's eyes lit up: Being selected as a tribute item does not generate profit, but it can increase brand awareness and have an advertising effect.
With the offering of tribute as a pretext, their own online store felt more confident.
But a question also occurred to her: "Who is the Imperial Merchant...?"
Jiang Feng hesitated for a moment: "You don't need to worry about anything happening to the Bai family of Yuzhou."
Oh! That's one of the Emperor's men, I don't recognize him!
Previously, the Qi family of Hecheng was a branch of the imperial merchants. A year ago, they were arrested by Zhao Tinglei for human trafficking. After fleeing, the whole family has not shown up since.
With the help of the Grand Princess and the Empress Dowager, the Qi family in the capital managed to salvage their vast fortune, relinquish their decades-old status as imperial merchants, and save their lives.
The Bai family is now in charge of purchasing in Yunzhou.
There are no imperial merchants in Yunzhou, and the Bai family is just a name; the Hecheng Garrison Command is the one that truly governs everything.
Jiang Feng is now having Song Liyun present pear blossom tissue paper as a tribute, instead of grassland items like sheepskin yarn, just to give her a chance to stand out.
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