Qin Zhaoyue's delicate nostrils twitched slightly, her long eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings, and she groggily opened her eyes.
There was... the aroma of food, wafting into my nostrils.
Rubbing my sleepy eyes, my vision gradually cleared, and the first thing I saw was the figure guarding the bedside.
"Who are you, beautiful lady?"
"woke up."
Qin Zhaoyue looked closely and instantly became much more alert, blurting out:
"Mother Queen? No... where did you get your skin done? Did you have surgery?"
Her eyes widened in surprise, even a hint of inquiry, as if she wanted to get closer and take a closer look.
Qin Minghuang: "..."
What kind of knife? She didn't immediately understand this strange wording.
But seeing the genuine shock on Xiao Liu's face, her womanly love of beauty still stirred a slight sense of pride within her.
After waking up, she looked at herself in the bronze mirror again and again.
My body was brimming with vitality, which not only cured my chronic illness but also gave my skin an incredible glow, far better than the effects of all those health teas I had been drinking.
Her skin is now firm, moisturized, and flawless; no one would doubt that she is not yet thirty years old.
The feeling of being exhausted by countless memorials and political affairs in the past was swept away, and I felt light and comfortable all over.
There's even a sense of heroic impulse to dedicate another fifty years to the country without any problem.
Qin Zhaoyue was still a little sleepy and asked through yawn, "How long did I sleep?"
"One day and one night. Get up and eat something first. You can sleep anytime you want now."
Qin Zhaoyue couldn't help but grin wide open.
He stretched thoroughly, his joints making a soft cracking sound.
Although I had slept enough, my body still felt lazy and relaxed, with a soft and comfortable feeling.
I still felt a bit sleepy, but the strong protests from my empty stomach clearly had the upper hand.
Since she didn't have a personal maid with her, it was naturally impossible for the current emperor to personally serve her while she washed up.
As Qin Zhaoyue washed her face with the water in the basin, she sighed inwardly at how much time had passed.
How long has it been? Less than half a year, and she's already finding it hard to get used to not having anyone to serve her.
It's true that it's easy to go from frugality to extravagance...
The table in the outer room was already laden with exquisite dishes; the inn had put on its best cooking, and the aroma filled the air.
Qin Zhaoyue and her elderly mother... no, judging from their current condition, the word "old" is no longer sufficient to describe them.
If the two of them went out together, they would probably be mistaken for sisters.
In short, the mother and daughter sat facing each other.
Qin Zhaoyue immediately threw herself into the battle, eating heartily with a rather unrestrained manner.
Qin Minghuang shook his head as he watched her wolf down her food, but a genuine smile appeared in his eyes.
The only person in the world who would dare to dine at the same table with her without any regard for etiquette is probably Xiao Liu.
Because she had already ascended the throne when Xiao Liu was a child, it had been a long time since she had spent such a relaxed time with him, and her heart softened a little.
"Eat slowly, no one will take it from you, and there's plenty more in the kitchen if you're not full."
Now, only the four of them live in this entire inn, making it very quiet.
"Hmm..." Qin Zhaoyue responded vaguely, her cheeks bulging, making it impossible to hear what she said.
Having finally swallowed the food in her mouth, she finally had time to focus on the important matter at hand:
"Mother Queen, what is the situation outside?"
"Thanks to you, the Southern Vermilion Bird Road has been completely recovered, and the rebels have been wiped out..."
Qin Minghuang had already learned the general outline from Chu Xinglan, and with the latest news from Xuanji Guard today, she still found it hard to believe that Qin Minghuang was hearing it from her own mouth.
The days I spent in a coma felt like a dream.
Not only did they resolve the rebellion in the Southern Vermilion Bird Route, but they also "incidentally" uprooted the contingency plans laid out by the aristocratic families, and "casually" initiated negotiations with the Southern Frontier, making it possible to incorporate it into the Great Gan territory.
The driving force behind this incredible reversal is the daughter in front of us, who has just woken up and is eating vegetables without any regard for her image.
From the moment she arrived at the Baiyue Protectorate to the moment she settled the matter, it was all over in one night.
After that, Meng Jian led his troops forward, and everything fell into place naturally.
All the rebel officers above the mid-level have been beheaded, and the 10,000 private soldiers recruited by the aristocratic families have been dispersed and reorganized.
Those registered are all criminals, and any unusual activity will bring utter destruction upon them and their families.
With military pay halved, they will dare not cause any more trouble in the short term.
These troops can be redeployed to the north at any time should the situation in the north change, not to mention that they also get 30,000 to 40,000 sets of ready-made armor and weapons for free.
Not to mention the huge sum of silver notes and valuables seized from the secret strongholds of powerful families, which was enough to instantly replenish the national treasury and allow many pro-people policies that had been put on hold due to insufficient funds to be reconsidered.
Xuanji Guard Commander Lingduo has rebuilt the intelligence network in the Southern Vermilion Bird Road, while Commander Zhuyou, carrying her clear instructions, went to conduct detailed negotiations with the tribal leaders of the Southern Frontier.
If all goes well, a preliminary trade agreement may be reached before winter.
This will ensure that the tribes in southern Xinjiang have ample supplies this winter, and the furs and mountain delicacies they have accumulated can be exchanged for winter necessities.
By using stable transactions as a bond, and gradually influencing people in southern Xinjiang, it may indeed be possible to win them over step by step.
Consider the vast territory, abundant resources, potential population, and young and middle-aged labor force of southern Xinjiang... All of this has changed dramatically. From her poisoning and coma to her current state of clarity and control, only eight days have passed. Just eight days!
One day, while Xiao Liu was still unconscious, Meng Jian and Xuanji Wei took over and consolidated the excellent situation she had earned.
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