"Your Majesty, please rest assured, I will definitely protect the Empress Dowager and the Ninth Princess."
Jin Jinzhi bowed, her tone firm.
The terrain of Sichuan is complex and varied; before setting off, it is necessary to find someone familiar with the terrain of Sichuan to draw a geomantic map of the region.
After receiving this task, Jin Jinzhi began to plan how to ensure a smooth journey.
[Duoduo is most afraid of bumpy rides, so we need to find a flat official road. Sichuan has many hills, so it seems we'll have to take a detour.]
【Duoduo is afraid of water and cannot travel by water; waterways must be avoided.】
[Duoduo loves pastries and can't go hungry, so today we need to send messages to the various post stations to remind them to prepare for her arrival.]
This is the proper way.
"Um."
Yun Beiye nodded in satisfaction; Jin Jinzhi had always been his most capable assistant.
He felt most at ease having Jin Jinzhi accompany him to protect the Empress Dowager and Yun Duoduo's safety.
Lord Dong, who had been dozing off in the main hall, was displeased upon hearing the arrangements.
He originally liked Jin Jinzhi very much as his son-in-law. If he left and took a fancy to some girl in Shu and married a princess or noble lady from Shu, wouldn't his daughter have no chance?
Moreover, his daughter is already of marriageable age, and if this matter is not settled soon, it may be difficult to handle in the future.
Last time, at the Jin residence, he had already missed an opportunity; this time, he might let things spiral out of control again.
"Your Majesty, I believe this matter is inappropriate."
Lord Dong patted his head, cleared his mind, and once his logic returned, he stepped forward, cupped his hands, and reported.
Yun Beiye raised an eyebrow, not expecting this person to jump out and object, and his face immediately showed some displeasure.
"Your Majesty, although the northern border is stable now, it is hard to guarantee that the Northern Liang will not covet the rich resources of my Nanyang, and the Western Chu is also making moves."
"The incident involving the Crown Prince of Western Chu last time clearly demonstrates the wolfish ambitions of Western Chu! Your Majesty, we must be on guard!"
"General Jin needs to stay and handle this."
Lord Dong looked righteous and awe-inspiring, his voice rising and falling with emotion, as if he were very worried about the state of the court.
"Oh, is Jinzhi that important? Then, shall I go?"
Yun Beiye raised an eyebrow and asked Lord Dong a question in return. After speaking, he was about to get down from the golden chair.
Lord Dong was so frightened that he immediately knelt on the ground and continued, "No, I dare not. General Jin is now a pillar of the court. Wouldn't it be a waste of his talents to send him to escort the princess?"
"Oh? Does Minister Dong mean that the safety of my mother and daughter is not important?"
Cold sweat beaded on Lord Dong's forehead. He cursed himself inwardly for speaking so stupidly as a civil official.
[Could it be that I stayed up too late last night and my mind isn't clear today?]
A civil official from the same faction as Lord Dong secretly tugged at Lord Dong's sleeve, but he paid no attention.
"No, I dare not. What I mean is, with General Xiao Jin here, what if Western Chu and Northern Liang invade?"
"Is this going to cause a huge mess?"
Lord Dong spread his hands, looking quite troubled.
"Little Dong, are you blind? I'm still standing right here! Do you think I'm dead?!"
Prime Minister Xue glared angrily at Lord Dong, spitting venom all over Lord Dong's face without any restraint.
When he was young, Prime Minister Xue was a great general who fought on the battlefield. Although he is now old, he still has a lot of knowledge and expertise about things on the battlefield.
Lord Dong was a civil official, and he had never been subjected to such a heavy gaze before. He swayed and almost fell to the ground.
Knowing he could not be disrespectful in front of the emperor, Lord Dong quickly straightened his upper body and knelt properly.
"Your Majesty, although I am old, this brat Dong has insulted and humiliated me, almost to the point of questioning me, 'Is Lian Po old and still able to eat?'"
"Oh dear, this is such an insult! I beg Your Majesty to make the decision."
Xue Guangjin, his beard bristling and eyes wide with grievance, poured out his grievances in the court, causing the ministers present to begin gossiping and blaming Lord Dong for not knowing the gravity of the situation.
"Lord Dong, you are being far too insensible."
"How could you say such things in front of Prime Minister Xue?"
"Yes, and besides General Jin, aren't General Jin, Commander Xiao, and Garrison Commander Xue all in the court?"
"By praising one while belittling the other, aren't you deliberately creating discord among everyone?"
The high-ranking officials exchanged glances and spoke out against Lord Dong.
He comforted Xue Guangjin, who seemed aggrieved and whose eyes were already glistening with tears.
"Do you think all of us military officers are dead?"
Xue Guangjin was a veteran official of the previous dynasty. His great achievements were known to everyone, so most people in the court respected him greatly.
Xue Guangjin wiped his eyes, looking sad, aggrieved, and unwilling.
Alright, Old Xue, you've gone too far!
Yun Beiye gave Xue Guangjin a wink, signaling him to stop.
Seeing that the atmosphere in the room had been set up enough, Xue Guangjin glared at Lord Dong kneeling on the ground again before resuming his usual expression.
"Your Majesty, please rest assured that before I depart, I will present a memorial to the emperor, explaining the situation in the Northern Frontier, Western Chu, and Northern Desert."
Jin Jinzhi said respectfully.
"Good, good, I am very pleased!"
Yun Beiye nodded in satisfaction.
Lord Dong lowered his head in dejection, his wishful thinking thwarted.
Oh no, how am I going to explain this to my daughter when I get back?!
...
In Fu Shuang Palace, the first thing Yun Duoduo did after opening her eyes was to rummage through her belongings to find the yellowish-black copper piece that her third uncle had given her.
[Little Piece, Little Piece, where are you? Come out quickly!]
"Princess, let me wash your face."
Ah Xiang came over with a basin of hot water and saw Yun Duoduo sticking her butt out on the bed and trying to crawl under it.
Where did it go?
What is the princess looking for?
"I remember it was placed together with this red jade bracelet and the white jade longevity lock, right?"
Yun Duoduo pulled out one little treasure vault after another from under the bed, opened them with great joy, and closed them again with disappointment, but she didn't see the little copper pieces.
"What is the princess looking for?"
Ah Xiang placed the basin and face cloth on the table, then squatted down to search with Yun Duoduo.
"Aunt Xiang, have you seen a small copper piece that's a bit blackish-yellow, with strange symbols and patterns drawn on it?"
Ah Xiang didn't quite understand.
What the princess is looking for doesn't sound like anything good...
“Aunt Xiang, it’s the one that Third Prince gave me when we first met,” Yun Duoduo said, gesturing as she spoke.
Ah Xiang squinted her eyes and sat to the side, seemingly lost in thought.
"Duo'er!"
A strong, clear male voice came from outside the door.
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