Thinking back to his years as Prince Chen, he wasn't like this at all. Regardless of whether it would succeed or not, as long as it was for the good of the people, he would definitely give it his all.
But after he became the crown prince, his mindset changed a lot.
He began to pay attention to his reputation and had more to consider. Although he still wanted to do things for the people, he was somewhat constrained and no longer had the impulsiveness he once had.
He originally thought that as long as Dongting had more time, they would definitely make the right choice, thus avoiding a fierce battle. But he didn't expect that the other side would be so arrogant and not take them seriously at all.
If the other party is unkind, then there's no need for him to talk about loyalty anymore.
Just as he was about to send someone to summon several of his trusted court officials to discuss countermeasures, someone came to report that Lu Baichuan and his wife had entered the palace.
The young eunuch said anxiously, "Madam Lu went directly to see the Emperor, but General Lu is coming this way."
I'm planning to ask both sides.
The Crown Prince suddenly felt a little guilty. Previously, Lu Baichuan and his wife's attitude was to fight, but he had suppressed it. Now, however, things were still going to come to this.
If he hadn't hesitated so much, Zhu Lian wouldn't have died, and Kang Tanhua wouldn't have suffered such a terrible fate.
"Let him in."
The crown prince waved his hand, looking rather unwell.
Lu Baichuan quickly entered, bowed, and was about to speak when the Crown Prince interrupted him: "I know what you're going to say, but the national treasury is empty and food supplies are insufficient. At most, it can only support the army's consumption for half a year. War is time-consuming and labor-intensive, so we must stockpile food first."
This was what he had been hesitating about. Although he had not yet officially ascended the throne, all the power was in his hands, and he had even more things to worry about.
Moreover, it's not just a matter of hoarding grain now. During the years that the old emperor was in power, the management of the army was neglected, and the troops led by other generals were not much better. Although he paid special attention to it after taking power and the army has made some progress, the time was too short and the methods were not entirely correct, so the soldiers did not grow up quickly.
There are too many things to consider now that war is about to break out.
Lu Baichuan said, "Your Highness is willing to share the burden. I will go to the Jiangnan area to transport grain immediately."
The Crown Prince shook his head: "Wouldn't it be a waste of your talents to send you to transport grain? This battle must be fought, and the army must be strong. I will give you 100,000 elite soldiers to train. Within a month, they will be much stronger than they are now. I will find a way to deal with the rest."
"yes!"
The Crown Prince added, "If any generals in the newly formed army are disobedient, they may be executed first and reported later!"
With a major battle looming, he had no time to adjust the relationships between his generals. Since ancient times, the capable have been kings. If anyone was disobedient, they could fight Lu Baichuan. If they could win, they could lead the troops themselves. If they couldn't, they could either submit to Lu Baichuan's discipline or die.
Lu Baichuan once again felt the Crown Prince's trust in him, and clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes!"
"Madam Lu went to complain to the Emperor, didn't she? I happen to have something I need her help with. Why don't you come with me?"
The Crown Prince smiled faintly, his eyes filled with a hint of doting affection. He knew He Jiu Niang's personality; she must have been somewhat disappointed by his previous attitude, which was why she didn't come to him this time but instead went to ask the Emperor about his attitude.
As everyone knows, the Emperor now listens to He Jiu Niang's every word, and even if he knows that the national treasury does not allow it, he will still agree.
Ultimately, no matter what, the pressure will eventually fall on him.
Who told his father to have long since stopped attending to state affairs?
He suddenly remembered a description He Jiuniang had used before: a great traitor.
Isn't that him?
He sighed. Maintaining an enterprise is harder than starting one. Being the crown prince is really not an easy job!
Meanwhile, He Jiuniang arrived at the old emperor's residence and barged in without waiting for anyone to report. The eunuchs and palace maids were terrified and hurriedly followed behind her.
"Madam, please wait! Allow me to go and inform him!"
"lady……"
Before anyone could stop her, He Jiuniang had already barged in.
Fortunately, the old emperor cherished his life and had been living a simple and abstinent life, paying close attention to his health. He was currently practicing Tai Chi in his small garden and had not done anything indecent, so it was alright for He Jiu Niang to barge in.
"Hey, what brings you here so early in the morning? Where's the dog?"
The old emperor was unaware of Kang Tanhua's affair. When He Jiuniang arrived, he assumed she had finally remembered to pay her respects, and was in a good mood, smiling broadly.
"Your Majesty, something has happened, are you aware of it?"
He Jiuniang's face was sullen, and her tone was frighteningly calm.
The old emperor had never seen He Jiuniang like this before. He subconsciously looked at the eunuch beside him, wanting to ask what had happened.
The young eunuch shook his head; they lived deep within the palace, oblivious to worldly affairs, and truly had no idea what had happened.
He Jiuniang took the initiative to say, "Yesterday, the people of Dongting killed our newly appointed Jinshi and kidnapped Mr. Kang. This morning, they sent me a severed finger. The meaning is very clear: if we don't release the Third Prince, they will torture Mr. Kang to death."
The old emperor was taken aback and said, "Is it that third-place scholar from this year's imperial examination?"
"right."
The old emperor's face darkened, and he said, "How dare the Eastern Court be so arrogant? Do they really think my Northern Yan is easy to bully?"
"Your Majesty, I have come here with only one question for you: should we swallow this insult or not? If Your Majesty says to swallow it, I will have my husband resign from his post immediately and return to his hometown, never to set foot in the capital again. Let whoever wants to meddle in this mess be! If Your Majesty does not swallow it, I will make the Eastern Court royal family pay a bloody price!"
The old emperor was intimidated by her imposing manner, but he also knew that she was indeed capable. After all, during the palace coup, she had taken down so many people with just a few bottles of medicine powder, so she naturally had the confidence.
The old emperor wasn't stupid. He knew that He Jiuniang's visit meant something was up with the Crown Prince. But this matter, though seemingly just about two newly appointed scholars, was actually the biggest fuse between the two countries. If he swallowed this insult, the Eastern Court would only go further.
"Of course we must fight!"
Before the old emperor could speak, the crown prince's voice came from not far away. He Jiuniang turned around and glanced at him, but did not say anything.
He Jiuniang harbored resentment towards the Crown Prince because of Kang Tanhua's affair.
If he hadn't been so indecisive before, how could Kang, a mere scholar, have suffered so much?
And as for Zhu Lian, even if he's a scoundrel, he's still a member of Bei Yan. No matter how much of a scoundrel he is, it's not up to the Dong Ting people to make a move.
This is the capital of the Northern Yan Kingdom, and they dare to cause such a commotion. Imagine what would happen in other cities.
The people of Beiyan have suffered for many years, yet the Crown Prince has remained hesitant, which is a waste of her previous efforts to help him.
The Crown Prince knew what He Jiuniang was angry about. Not to mention He Jiuniang, he was also angry at himself for his previous hesitation. So after coming to He Jiuniang's side, he took the initiative to say, "I didn't see the situation clearly before. I always thought that with the Third Prince in hand, the Eastern Court wouldn't dare to act recklessly. Who knew they would actually target my Beiyan's newly appointed Jinshi? I absolutely cannot tolerate this, so this battle must be fought."
"However, there are still many things to prepare. We can't act impulsively. Our priority now is to rescue that third-ranked scholar, and then we can figure out what to do next."
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