Chapter 35 This kid is getting more and more unfair as he grows up...
But Ling Xun had promised her that wherever he conquered, he would strictly prohibit disturbing the people, allowing them to farm, grow grains, grow cotton, and grow whatever they wanted, so that they could rest and recuperate and have enough to eat and wear.
And he did indeed do it.
The territories conquered by the Zhenbei Army this year have almost all been restored to peace.
Some things you don’t hear among noble families, but the common people do. Bai Xue Rou often hears people talking and sighing in the streets, saying that so-and-so’s relatives are in such-and-such place, and that the fields were finally not ruined. If all goes well, there will be a harvest next year. There are also reports that the Zhenbei Army will distribute cotton seeds next year.
There's hope for the future.
That's what they said.
The people's wishes are so simple: as long as they can eat and not starve, they feel they can get by.
As for the cold, just stay indoors.
Bai Xuerou thought of her grand plan for grain supplies. The merchant caravan that went to sea had made some progress, saying that they had found out what she had mentioned, but it was in a more distant place. She said that they might be able to bring it back when they set sail next spring.
She couldn't help but feel hopeful.
In the winter month, a major event occurred.
Countless reports of victories had been sent back from the front lines, but this news stunned everyone—
Xue Wenxian is dead.
He didn't die at Ling Xun's hands, but during the rout, he was killed by a warlord who had a grudge against him. Then that warlord was defeated by Ling Xun.
The entire capital of Chang'an was shaken.
Last year, Xue Wenxian was a powerful figure, just like the Prince of Zhenbei, capable of vying for the throne. Now, the Prince of Zhenbei has died, and Xue Wenxian has also died at the hands of an unknown nobody.
In fact, this nobody originally had the opportunity to become famous, after all, he killed Xue Wenxian.
But before he could do anything, he died at Ling Xun's hands, so everything came to nothing.
Some people regret that Xue Wenxian didn't die at Ling Xun's hands; if he had, his reputation would have been even greater.
Some lamented that with Xue Wenxian's death, the Zhenbei Army had taken over half of the vast land.
Now, only a few places in the south and southwest are missing, as well as the former Longyou Road, which is now the State of Chen and King Chen.
But these are also the most troublesome places.
The Miao people live in the vast mountains of central Guizhou, where miasma is rampant. The humid heat of Lingnan often leads to no return. And there is still the Jiannan Circuit, which remains a tough nut to crack for the imperial family.
I heard that another descendant of the royal family has risen up in the east, organized a force, and has even blocked Guan Zhong's offensive several times.
Very unusual.
Bai Xuerou knew that this person was indeed a descendant of the royal family. She also knew that the Yu and Chen families had chosen this person and had been secretly supporting him.
It had nothing to do with anything else, except that the Chen clan member promised that if they could seize the Central Plains, the Yu and Chen families would jointly rule the world.
These once-powerful families, now on the verge of decline, were clearly tempted.
As for how she knew, it was actually mentioned in the novel that the Yu family betrayed Ling Zheng, which made him furious. However, Yu Chen and the royal family were stuck in the south. He had no talent for leadership and disliked Liu Meng. Later, due to the instigation of the Yu family, he forced Liu Meng to his death, leaving only Guan Zhong to take over.
Unfortunately, Guan Zhong's tactics, which prioritized stability, were thoroughly analyzed and effectively countered by the enemy.
They were unable to take control for decades, and it became an independent country.
As emperor, he faced the Chen Kingdom first, then the Ling Xun Kingdom occupying the Ten Thousand Mountains, and later the Qi Kingdom. If it weren't for the foundation left by Ling Ji'an, this emperor would not have been able to maintain his position at all.
Even so, I fear it won't last.
But that wasn't mentioned in that novel.
The story ends when the female lead forgets her past and they are as loving as before, while he suppresses the Lang family and makes the female lead his empress.
But none of that matters anymore.
Because of the flapping of her little butterfly wings, Ling Zheng is dead, Ling Xun has taken over, and Wei Yi has become another great general.
Everything changed.
Bai Xuerou thought for a moment, then wrote about Yu Kai, saying that the Yu family scion had entered Chang'an, and she felt that he had other plans.
There were some things she couldn't say too much about; the more she said, the more flaws she would reveal, and others would be unable to resist finding out where she knew them from. And yet, there was something she couldn't explain clearly.
However, Ling Xun is intelligent and should be able to gain something from it.
Bai Xuerou said gently.
With Xue Wenxian's death, the various regional military governors in the East, who were already a mixed bag with different motives, immediately collapsed and went their separate ways.
Ling Xun moved the battlefield south, handing over the remnants of the eastern forces to Liu Meng, and specifically instructed him not to disturb the people.
Although Liu Meng was arrogant, he had risen from humble beginnings and was very empathetic to the suffering of ordinary people. Therefore, he was already somewhat restrained and readily agreed.
Ling Xun focused his attention on the south, wanting to weigh the weight of that so-called King of Wu.
The current King of Wu is the brother of the former incompetent ruler. The incompetent ruler was not incompetent from the moment he ascended the throne; he was quite wise in his youth. At that time, in order to eliminate the accumulated evils of the court, he purged a number of members of the royal family, including the former King of Wu. Later, he enfeoffed his own brother as the King of Wu.
Over the years, the three sons of the incompetent ruler have taken turns being emperor, and the current young emperor is only one generation below him. The Wu King is only the second generation.
It's also because all the sons of the tyrannical ruler died; otherwise, it wouldn't have been King Wu's turn.
However, Ling Xun always felt that this King of Wu had suddenly emerged, and his momentum was somewhat fierce and subtle.
According to news from the past few years, the King of Wu had no such ambition. He only occupied a small area in the south and barely managed to suppress the unrest in his fiefdom. He was not a very capable person.
But suddenly, they were able to withstand Guan Zhong's attack.
Ling Xun absolutely refused to believe that there was no one behind this.
But who would support the King of Wu for no reason?
And why not support it earlier or later, but now of all times?
And why the King of Wu?
It wasn't the Zhenbei Army, nor was it Xue Wenxian?
There's usually a reason why we don't do something: because it won't achieve the desired outcome.
Why don't people want a powerful ruler? Is it because they don't want to be controlled?
Who doesn't want to be controlled?
Aristocratic family?
Ling Xun deduced this possibility using the most direct approach, but of course, things might not be as he thought.
But this is the most likely.
The recent rise of the King of Wu is likely due to the precedent set by the King of Ning. He does not want to be targeted by the Zhenbei Army and Xue Wenxian, who are trying to take advantage of the conflict between the two sides to gain power and reap the benefits.
But Xue Wenxian was unable to stop him.
Ling Xun originally planned to return to Chang'an after suppressing Xue Wenxian and spend the New Year with his sister-in-law, but the matter of the King of Wu was strange, so he decided to suppress him first.
To avoid any unforeseen complications or accidents.
At this time, Bai Xuerou's letter, after several twists and turns, also reached his hands.
Ling Xun looked at the character "Yu" thoughtfully.
When Guan Zhong was dealing with the King of Wu, he always seemed somewhat hesitant. His opponents appeared to be on guard and were always able to withstand his attacks. After several encounters, he realized that the King of Wu seemed to have deliberately studied his habits and marching style and had specific countermeasures.
This is not surprising. Every famous general is thoroughly studied by others, and he is now facing this situation.
He thought that if Liu Meng came, he might do the same.
This situation immediately changed after Ling Xun arrived.
This was also Guan Zhong's first time fighting against Ling Xun. However, he had heard Wei Yi and Liu Meng talk about how Ling Xun's military tactics relied heavily on the word "unconventional," like a heavenly horse galloping freely or a gazelle hanging its horns on a tree. No one knew what he would do.
But he can also remain steady and act according to the times.
He could also glean some insight from the battle formations he practiced with Wei Yi in Chang'an.
Ling Xun deployed his troops and fought alongside Guan Zhong, resulting in a crushing defeat for the King of Wu.
In just one month, he conquered most of Wu's territory. However, Wu was unexpectedly stubborn and extended his power from Jiangnan West Road to Lingnan Qianzhong and the remnants of Xue Wenxian in Jiangnan East Road.
The battle suddenly became tricky.
In comparison, the King of Wu was much more disciplined, while Xue Wenxian was practically a rabble, only stronger.
Ling Xun was indeed a little impatient at first, but after reading Bai Xuerou's letter, his heart gradually calmed down.
My sister-in-law is always like this, unhurried and unhurried. In her presence, everything seems to slow down.
What's the rush? We've just conquered a large territory; we need to manage it well.
Ling Xun quickly made up his mind to have Guan Zhong guard against and suppress the King of Wu. Liu Meng had already swept away most of the territory left by Xue Wenxian, but there were still some places that were still putting up a stubborn resistance, especially the territory near the King of Wu, where those vassal states had already sided with the King of Wu.
At the same time, he ordered Liu Meng to go south to suppress the King of Wu from the east and prevent him from expanding northward from the east.
Ling Xun handed over most of the newly conquered eastern territory to suitable candidates for management.
In this regard, we must mention Bai Hanwen.
This master taught him to read, not to write essays, but to understand the world, how to recognize people, how to use people well, how to put the right people in the right positions, and how to govern the world.
Only by understanding the world can one govern the world.
Ling Xun is doing very well in his studies.
This was clearly beyond many people's expectations. In their plan, the south, led by the King of Wu, would contain the Zhenbei Army, while someone in the east would keep causing trouble and try to destabilize the north.
Of course, given that the Northern Ling family has been operating for many years, this is unlikely.
But Ling Xun's response exceeded most people's expectations from the very beginning.
Not only did he skip the initial probing, but his strength also exceeded expectations. The plans that the Yu and Chen families had prepared for many years failed to completely stop him, and he even swallowed up a significant portion of the Wu King's territory.
Furthermore, he reacted extremely quickly to stabilize the territory he had just conquered from Xue Wenxian, and the northern region was managed as securely as an ironclad fortress.
With this ability and vision, is he really only sixteen years old? Countless people doubt it.
Or is there someone else, a mastermind, behind Ling Xun?
Having made these arrangements, Ling Xun temporarily abandoned his plan to conquer Wu.
If we were to launch a full-scale attack on Wu with hundreds of thousands of troops from the Zhenbei Army, we could certainly win, but that would mean abandoning the stability of our rear.
And his promise to the people that they could farm with peace of mind.
Ling Xun always remembered that the people's well-being was paramount.
Rather than accept this outcome, he preferred to postpone the matter, first settle the conquered territories, and then seek a better opportunity in Wu.
The King of Wu had many sons, and the powerful families were not united.
Ling Xun felt there would be a more convenient method.
Ling Xun returned to Chang'an before New Year's Eve.
He set off in August, and now it's December. He's been gone for four months, and the world has changed, but Chang'an is still the same Chang'an.
Bai Xuerou received the letter early and went to greet him outside the city.
Ling Xun returned to Chang'an, naturally not alone. He brought with him three thousand elite soldiers. Upon arriving outside Chang'an, he sent word that he would only have one hundred personal guards.
One hundred people may sound like a small number, but in reality, they make up a huge, dense crowd.
Ling Xun was eager to return home. He tightened the reins and led his personal guards like a dark cloud sweeping across the land. However, when he saw the orange-red figure in the pavilion in the distance, he pulled on the reins and slowed down.
There are thousands of figures in the world, tall, slender, graceful, but he doesn't care. The only one who can catch his eye at a glance is that one person.
"Sister-in-law," he called out, riding closer.
Inside the pavilion, Bai Xuerou also saw the person who had arrived.
How could she not see it? Such a large formation would be visible to anyone with eyes. She didn't know how many Xuanjia cavalry there were in the world, but there was only one person who could command such numbers in the Northern Territory and in Chang'an.
Upon hearing Ling Xun's voice, Bai Xuerou was slightly surprised at first, and then smiled.
Is voice changing over?
It's something every young person has to go through, and Ling Xun couldn't avoid it either. However, he wasn't talkative to begin with, and with the medicine prescribed by the doctor, the effect wasn't very noticeable. He was just a little hoarse, but people got used to it after hearing it a few times.
But this time when I came back, my eyes were much clearer.
Bai Xuerou stepped out of the pavilion and stopped as the horse approached. Ling Xun dismounted and strode towards her.
She was startled. She had previously thought Bai Qingrong was reckless, but now she realized that all young people were like that.
But looking at Ling Xun's tall and lithe figure, Bai Xuerou wasn't so worried.
His martial arts skills have always been excellent.
"You're back." Bai Xuerou looked at him and saw that he was still wearing his usual mask. The kylin pattern on the golden armor was majestic and ancient. Before she could even sigh, Ling Xun raised his hand and took it off.
"I'm back. Did my sister-in-law come to pick me up?" Ling Xun asked, his eyes shining.
Bai Xuerou was amused by his expectant question, which he seemed to know the answer to. She lowered her eyes and smiled, concealing her racing heart.
This kid is getting more and more outrageous as he grows up. Even after he's fully grown up, his appearance is still too exquisite, especially his eyes, which are large and deep with black pupils. They are the standard peach blossom eyes, full of affection even when he's not smiling.
Moreover, he laughed.
In that instant, their affection was so intense that, to the uninitiated, one might have thought...
Bai Xuerou coughed lightly in her mind, not thinking much about it, and suppressed her slightly erratic heartbeat, raising her eyes with a smile.
This was just her subconscious reaction to seeing a beautiful woman; she definitely didn't mean anything else, Bai Xuerou thought to herself.
But there's always something awkward about it.
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