Telling the heartfelt agreement
Nangong Jingnu's intuition is very bad. This army is not only sensitive, but also very special at this stage. Luochuan will be frozen in two months, and the original moat will become a flat river due to the season. The army of 80,000 people will do shock and deterrence. If Luobei really has anything, the consequences will be disastrous.
The imperial court has just come to rest, and after finally stabilizing the general king of Youzhou, Luobei must not have any more troubles.
Nangong Jingnu couldn't help but sighed in her heart, is it really because her virtue is not enough? Since he ascended the throne, the internal and external troubles seem to have not stopped for a moment. He has won the throne, but he has been losing...
Losing freedom, losing happiness, losing relatives... I really don't know what else I can leave behind in the future.
When the courtiers saw the empress sitting in a high position with a gloomy face, they knew that the report was not auspicious, and they waited in silence.
Nangong Jingnu thought for a while and said, "Do you have any other books in the Qing family?"
…
Nangong Jingnv: "If you don't have a foundation, then retreat to the court. The Ministry of Household, Ministry of War, Ministry of Work, and the Chief Lieutenant will stay, and the others should leave."
Everyone: "Long live, long live, my emperor."
…
After everyone left, Nangong Jingnv ordered the door of the court to be closed, and sixteen servants worked together to close a pair of doors. The memorial was handed over to the servant next to him: "You hand this memorial to several Qing families for circulation. You should also step back and stay at the door. No one will be served within thirty steps of the main hall without my order."
The inner servant bowed and said yes, took the memorial with both hands and handed it to the highest-ranking Taiwei Gong Yanghuai, then retreated to the small door and walked out of the court hall from the Houzheng Hall.
Gong Yanghuai was horrified after reading the memorial, and passed the memorial to a few other people. Nangong Jingnv waited for a while, and when she saw that the memorial had been circulated, she whispered, "What do you think about what the memorial says? "
The first thing that came to the head of the Minister of the Household was the issue of people's livelihood, and he took the lead in replying: "Your Majesty, the minister advocates that the army should be blocked, and that Langzhong should be dispatched to the army for medical treatment, and it is necessary to prevent the spread of the plague."
Nangong Jingnu gave a "hmm" and turned her attention to Qin De, Minister of War. She wanted to hear if Qi Yan's former disciple could have a different opinion.
Qin De felt the gaze of the Empress, and after thinking for a while, he lowered his head and shrugged his shoulders, and then came out and replied: "Your Majesty, I thought that 'there must be a monster' in Luobei this month, it is late autumn, and the weather is already very cold. The month when the plague should break out. Besides, judging from similar incidents in the past... The plague rarely occurs in the army's garrison, and even if it does happen, it will not spread to such a degree in such a short period of time. Therefore, my minister Doubt...the veracity of this matter."
The minister of the Ministry of Industry: "I think that this is a big matter, and I expect that Luonan Jiedu will not dare to deceive the king. What I said in the report should be true."
Qin De: "I don't mean that Luonan Jiedu's words are adulterated, but... Maybe this is not a plague."
Gongyanghuai: "Your Majesty, I think that what the lords said is reasonable, and whether or not the plague is true, taking precautionary measures is the most important thing. As for whether it is true or not... I suggest that Your Majesty should be able to assign an imperial envoy. , and lead the imperial medical team to Luonan to investigate and make a decision."
Nangong Jingnu nodded and felt very relieved, although natural and man-made disasters have continued since she ascended the throne, fortunately, God has not done it, and there are such a group of loyal and talented courtiers to assist her: "The Ministry of Household has harvested this autumn harvest this time. How much money do you have?"
The Minister of the Household: "Your Majesty, if the old minister remembers correctly, as of yesterday, the Household has received a total of 3.15 million taels of tax and silver, 1.85 million shi of grain, and 3,500 silk cloth. The actual amount is only a lot more than this figure. There are still some remote counties and counties on their way to Beijing. Although there have been natural disasters in the three years since His Majesty ascended the throne, it is fortunate that His Majesty has reduced or exempted taxes from all over the country. It took three years to let the people recuperate, and it took three years to achieve results. This year's tax revenue is very considerable, and as Huainan gradually recovers, next year's tax revenue will be even higher!"
Nangong Jingnu: "What is the current private rice price?"
The Minister of the Household replied without hesitation: "Go back to Your Majesty, the price of rice in the capital and Gyeonggi area is 800 cents per stone, and the price of rice in Huaiyang, Zhejiang and Guangxi, and southern Fujian is cheaper, about 400 cents per stone. The county is around six hundred wen."
Nangong Jingnv was very satisfied with the Minister of the Ministry of Household, and after thinking about it, she replied, "Is there any surplus grain in the treasury?"
The Minister of the Household: "Not counting this year's income, the treasury has hoarded about 3.5 million shi of grain, which is enough for the court's expenses."
Nangong Jingnu: "In this way, this year's new rice will be filled into the treasury as a reserve, and 2 million shi will be allocated from the granary to distribute to the royal brand Mi Zhuang in the Gyeonggi area of the capital. The price will be sold at 600 yuan per shi, and I will allocate it again. I'll give you 400,000 taels of silver, and you can go to Huainan and buy me a million stone of grain."
The minister of household pondered for a moment, then replied, "Your Majesty... Although your Majesty's way of making money by buying low and selling high is a way to make money, but judging from the location of the capital, it is a long way to go to the grain production area, and the staff rations are counted along the way. There is basically no profit from the crunch of the livestock.”
Nangong Jingnv chuckled lightly: "I don't care, if this method can make a fortune, there must be no poor people in the world. It's just that the grain reserves in the treasury are more than three years old rice, and I'm afraid it will get moldy and insects if I keep it. , it is better to release part of it so that the people can also enjoy some benefits. Although it is Chen rice, the price is relatively cheap and it is not a competition for the people. Huainan has just suffered a disaster. What the people need to buy property is not rice but silver. Giving a portion of the money to harvest rice will not only solve the treasury's reserves, but also relieve the pressure on the people of Huainan."
After listening to the minister of the household, he suddenly realized, and his eyes showed admiration: "Your Majesty is far-sighted, serving the country and the people, and the old ministers admire him."
Nangong Jingnu: "Ministry of Work."
Minister of Industry: "The minister is here."
Nangong Jingnu: "Let me ask you, if I want to build a fortification that stretches for hundreds of miles or even thousands of miles in the south of Luochuan, how much money will it cost?"
The Minister of Works was stunned for a while, and then replied cautiously: "Your Majesty Qi Zou... The exact number is not easy to estimate. We need to return to the Ministry of Works and let someone calculate it in detail, but even if there is money... This matter is by no means a matter of time. Well, at least this year is not enough. It is now October, and it will take at least a month for the minister to bring people to Luonan. By then, it will snow in Luonan and the ground will freeze. Once there is permafrost, any fortifications will be difficult to build. , and the fortifications must not only consider the weather, but also the geographical advantage. Although Luochuan has been peaceful in recent years, it has flooded every few years. I am worried that the fortifications will not be repaired... All the hard work was wasted, and when Yichen meets... Your Majesty, it is better not to waste money."
After hearing this, Nangong Jingnu felt a little choked up, and said to Gongyanghuai: "I... I will send you a 50,000-strong army and a team of imperial doctors. Do you have the confidence to hold Luonan for at least one winter?"
Gongyanghuai: "What does your majesty mean?"
Nangong Jingnv: "I'm worried that once Luochuan freezes, the people of the grasslands will take advantage of the weather to march south. It's always good to take precautions."
Gongyanghuai lifted the hem of his official robe and knelt to the ground: "I must do my best to defend Luonan's safety to the death!"
Nangong Jingnu: "I don't want you to take the lead, let alone send troops to fight, as long as you take advantage of the geographical advantage to protect Luonan until Luochuan thaws, the grassland people are fierce, and there is plague in the barracks, it is not easy to fight. The imperial court does not have so much money now. To support a protracted war, all you have to do is to defend, if there is a war, you can't let the grassland people step over Luochuan, can you do it?"
Gongyanghuai: "I would like to give it a try!"
Nangong Jingnu: "Okay."
…
After leaving the court, it was noon. Nangong Jingnv ordered a few dishes that Qi Yan liked to the imperial dining room. Nangong Jingnv came to the half forbidden area with the food box.
It was a coincidence that Gu Ruolan had just steamed the rice on the side of the forbidden palace, and was about to fry a few small dishes to start the meal.
Nangong Jingnu put the food box on the table: "Sister Ruolan, don't be busy, I just brought the dishes here, and it's time for dinner."
Gu Ruolan's face changed slightly. Although she was Qi Yan's sister-in-law, she knew her identity and did not dare to share a table with Nangong Jing's daughter.
Gu Ruolan: "Thank you, Your Majesty. The girl will bring the rice. It's just... I ate a few more bowls of porridge in the morning, and I'm not hungry yet. Your Majesty and eldest brother should eat first."
Before waiting for Nangong Jingnu to speak, Qi Yan said, "Alright, I'll leave the dishes for you."
Gu Ruolan was relieved, glanced at Qi Yan gratefully, and backed out.
Nangong Jingnu: "Sister Ruolan is afraid of me?"
Qi Yan smiled and said: "Who is not afraid of the power of the emperor? Let her go, let her be more comfortable."
Nangong Jingnv looked at Qi Yan and secretly rejoiced in her heart: since she ascended the throne, she still doesn't feel anything, but the people around her tell herself "everything is different" all the time without actual actions. Nangong Jingnv has almost no air. Yes, when I was a princess, I used to eat at the same table with Qiu Ju Chuntao and the others. The more people there are, the better my appetite will be.
But since he ascended the throne, the only person who can accompany him to eat is Qi Yan.
Nangong Jingnv is very grateful to Qi Yan. Although this person has always been strict about his name, when facing him, his natural feeling makes Nangong Jingnv very precious.
Qi Yan took the dishes out of the food box, took the empty plate first, and divided some of them like a clean bamboo chopstick, just made a plate, and filled a bowl of rice, and smiled at Nangong Jingnu: "Your Majesty, wait a moment. moment."
Qi Yan gave Gu Ruolan the food before returning, and saw that Nangong Jingnu had already prepared her meal: "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Nangong Jingnu took a piece of lotus root that Qi Yan likes to eat: "Eat more."
Qi Yan took a bite and praised: "Delicious."
When Nangong Jingnu saw that Qi Yan liked it, she was also happy, and she prepared dishes for Qi Yan from time to time, but the latter accepted it calmly and was very useful.
After a sweet meal, Qi Yan took out the bowls and chopsticks and went back to the bedroom to accompany Nangong Jingnu.
Nangong Jingnv: "You He's situation is much better these days. It's just that Yu Xiao pats her every day so that she can sleep obediently."
Qi Yan: "It's also a good thing to make Youhe and Yuxiao friendly. After all, there are almost no girls of Yuxiao's age. It would be good to arrange Youhe to be taken care of by Yuxiao, so as not to end up with those boys. , learned to be ruffian."
Nangong Jingnu smiled sweetly: "So you also know your daughter's usual style?"
Qi Yan: "Zuo just smashed her accomplices every three or five times. What's the matter?"
Nangong Jingnu: "It means that you are right, okay?"
Qi Yan smiled, and Nangong Jingnv said something about the jade flute. After hearing this, Qi Yan said to Nangong Jingnv, "Your Majesty... I wonder if I can let the minister see Xiaodie?"
Nangong Jingnu thought for a while and replied, "Wait a while, I'll invite the second sister to the palace and bring Xiaodie with me."
Qi Yan grabbed Nangong Jingnu's soft weed and held it on her chest, and thanked her sincerely, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Nangong Jingnu: "I want to ask your opinion on one thing."
Qi Yan: "Yeah."
Afterwards, Nangong Jingnu told Qi Yan the news in the report, and finally said: "I have sent Gongyanghuai to lead a 50,000-strong army to pull out Luonan to replenish the damaged soldiers and guard Luonan for the winter. The Daotian moat is blocked, and it will only take another year to thaw the imperial court in the spring of the next year. The tax revenue of the imperial court is considerable this year. I believe that there will be nothing to be afraid of in three or five years. The guards and patrol battalions together have about 800,000, but the treasury has been empty in recent years, unable to support the military expenditure after the war, it will only take three years... Even if the Youzhou army is really against it, the court will no longer be afraid already."
Qi Yan: "About the plague, has Your Majesty received reports from other states in Luonan?"
Nangong Jingnu shook her head.
Qi Yan squinted: "So, it's a bit strange."
Nangong Jingnv: "Yeah, I also suspect that this incident is not a natural disaster, it's just... I didn't mention it to the courtiers because I was worried that the army would be disturbed."
Qi Yan: "Although the plague is terrifying, it will not cause such a huge number of deaths in such a short period of time. I guess... The Luonan Army may have been poisoned."
Nangong Jingnu: "Poisoning? Could it be her?"
Qi Yan: "At least Bayin and Ji Ya can't do this kind of thing, they can cause such a large casualty by themselves, only the former princess has the ability, and her medical skills and financial resources are enough to support her to do this. "
Nangong Jingnu sneered: "Can this be considered revenge? I just offered her a reward, so I will give me such a 'gift' in return! But it's good, at least her position has been exposed, so I will send more people here. Luo Nan searched, I don't believe that I can't find her this time."
Qi Yan was not as optimistic as Nangong Jingnu, she was silent for a moment and replied, "I'm afraid Luo Nan can't find her anymore."
Nangong Jingnu: "How come?"
Qi Yan: "Not to mention that the 'plague' has been happening for a while, as far as I know the princess of the previous dynasty, she is a very cautious person, and it is impossible to expose her whereabouts because of the lives of tens of thousands of people, Your Majesty The arrest warrant was issued, she had nowhere to hide before she fled to the Luochuan area where the imperial court's control was weak, if the minister was not mistaken, she should have fled across Luochuan to Luobei."
Nangong Jingnu: "Could it be that Ji Ya and the previous princess also colluded?"
Qi Yan: "The princess of the previous dynasty had been to Luobei. She recognized the totem on my chest at a glance, so she knew something about the grassland. And... She once saved Bayin's life, and Bayin gave it to him back then. I have a bullhorn. Because of the inconvenience of many ministers in Beijing, I left the bullhorn with the princess of the previous dynasty. Later, when the minister went to Luobei to welcome the imperial concubine and returned to Beijing, Bayin gave me the bullhorn again, which shows that the previous dynasty The princess has already used this token to meet Bayin, Bayin is a person who reciprocates his gratitude, and he will definitely repay the princess who saved his life in the past."
Nangong Jingnu: "… Will Bayin be turned against by the princess of the previous dynasty?"
Qi Yan: "It's hard to say, but the most terrifying thing is that the princess of the previous dynasty poisoned so many soldiers, maybe it's not just a 'repayment' to His Majesty, but also a 'gift' to Bayin..."
Nangong Jingnv's face changed a few times, and after hesitating again and again, she still did not say the ugly words. Although it seemed to Nangong Jingnv that Bayin had committed an unforgivable crime, the other party was Qi Yan's righteous brother after all. The woman didn't want to embarrass Qi Yan.
Nangong Jingnv: "I'm also very worried that the grasslands will take advantage of the frozen Luochuan to lead the army south, so I asked the Ministry of Works today if it is possible to build a continuous fortification on the banks of Luochuan, but unfortunately it doesn't seem to work."
Qi Yan: "Actually, if Your Majesty wants to do it once and for all, you don't need to be so troublesome. As long as you let Bayin know that the minister is still alive, let the minister go to see Bayin, and the minister can persuade Bayin with confidence."
Nangong Jingnu: "No way!"
Qi Yan frowned and said, "Your Majesty... It is the superior soldier who defeats the enemy without fighting. Bayin and the minister grew up together since childhood, and the two families are close friends. Bayin will listen to the words of the minister. I will let Bayin understand that this hatred for me, as the King of Dianli Khan, has been put down, and he will listen to me."
Nangong Jingnu's expression was sullen: "I can't say it, don't mention it again!"
Qi Yan was puzzled and asked, "Why is Your Majesty so stubborn?"
Nangong Jingnu looked at Qi Yan, was silent for a long time, and let out a long sigh.
Qi Yan: "Your Majesty?"
Nangong Jingnu grabbed Qi Yan's hand and said in a very soft voice: "What you said is only the best possibility, no one can guarantee that other situations will happen. Although Bayin is your Anda, But today's Luobeijiya is the one in power. What if your sworn brother can't let go of this grudge? Not only did you fail to persuade him, but they were detained instead? I know your sworn brother will not hurt you, What about Jiya? What about the former princess who might abscond to Luobei? Her poisonous skills are superb, no one will know if you poisoned you, if you have anything to do... Have you ever thought about me? Even if they won't hurt you , just shut you up... Can we meet again in the future? What price will I have to pay to get you back? Will the courtiers agree? Will the world agree?"
Qi Yan stared blankly at Nangong Jingnu, who pursed her lips and murmured, "I married you when I was fourteen years old, ten years have passed in a blink of an eye... After so much hard work, I finally made the decision to grow old with you in vain. , if you are detained by them, have you ever thought about me? Is the master of the world me or you? I know that your method may be the least expensive and the best for the world, but what about me? how?"
After Qi Yan listened to Nangong Jingnu's words, she had already had mixed feelings inside. She thought that after Nangong Jingnv ascended the throne, she would inevitably put the world as the most important thing. Qi Yan never thought that she could stand shoulder to shoulder with the world, and even did a good job for Nangong Jingnv. , to prepare for the sacrifice of this world, as long as Qi Yan can accompany Nangong Jingnu, Qi Yan will not dare to ask for too much.
But he didn't want to think that in the heart of the other party, he was no less than this world...
Now that the words have been said, Nangong Jingnu simply spit out her heart, holding Qi Yan's hand and continuing: "The reason why I hid you in this half of the forbidden palace is because the general trend has to do this, and on the other hand, it is to keep you away. At the cusp of the storm, right and wrong, it is no longer suitable for your identity to be exposed, and outsiders will inevitably have prejudice against you. Anyway, your body is not good, just quit these troubles and recuperate at ease. You used to protect me, now I will also stand up for you. Isn't that the way of husband and wife? So... don't say stupid things in the future, the hidden danger of Luobei... It was established as early as the father emperor decided to march north, even if You persuaded a Bayin, maybe there will be other people who will stand up, if you want to avoid future troubles... I'm afraid I won't see it in my lifetime, all I can do is try to avoid wars, and take advantage of the year after year. Guards fill the treasury, and the imperial army is strong and strong. This is the real soldier who will subdue without fighting... When the imperial court is really strong enough, let the king of later generations solve this problem completely. As for the courtiers, the people of the world... Also Or people of later generations, who say I am cowardly or timid. At least I don’t want to start a war in my lifetime, unless I have to. Isn't that enough? Promise me... don't make any more risky decisions, I don't want to lose any more."
Qi Yan was heartbroken when she heard it, and clenched Nangong Jingnu's hand: "Listen to Your Majesty."
Nangong Jingnv: "You might as well help me think about how to do defensive fortifications if you have the skills. Keeping all the soldiers from the grasslands to the north of Luochuan is the priority."
At night, Nangong Jingnv stayed in Qi Yan's bedroom again. During the day, Nangong Jingnv showed her heart and soul, and at night, it was inevitable to have an extremely lingering, hugging and sleeping...
However, Qi Yan had a nightmare, dreaming that when he was a child, his father Khan came back with a big defeat, quarreled with several princes in the king's tent, and overheard the tragic battle.
I dreamed of my father's last teaching to me, asking myself to take good care of my sister, waiting for my younger brother and sister to be born, my father and mother would go to them...
Qi Yan suddenly opened her eyes: "Father Khan!"
The cry woke up Nangong Jingnv. She heard Qi Yan called "Father Khan" and knew that she was having a nightmare. At this time, it was not yet dawn, but she could clearly hear Qi Yan's heavy breathing. Although Nangong Jingnv was tired , but no longer sleepy, he raised his hand to wipe off the sweat on Qi Yan's forehead, and said softly, "Have a nightmare?"
Qi Yan was stunned for a long time before returning to her senses. She turned to hug Nangong Jingnu's delicate body, and she shrank into a shrimp: "Dream of my father."
Nangong Jingnu sighed and kissed Qi Yan's lips: "I'm sorry."
Suddenly, Qi Yan's mind flashed: "Your Majesty!"
Nangong Jingnu was startled and looked at Qi Yan: "What's wrong?"
Qi Yan smiled bitterly and fell silent.
Nangong Jingnu: "What's the matter? Don't scare me."
Qi Yan: "It's nothing, it's just... there is a way."
Qi Yan felt a little ironic and didn't want to say it at first, but looking at Nangong Jingnv's expectant gaze, and thinking of Nangong Jingnv's confession in a hundred days, after struggling for a while, she decided to say it.
At that time... After Qiyan Sukhbaru was defeated, he returned to the king's tent to discuss military affairs with several Tuogu princes. The young Agula eavesdropped on the outside of the tent and heard his father say in a rage: "Wei The Chinese people did not know what means they used to build an ice city overnight! They fired arrows in the city, and our people suffered heavy losses..."
After growing up, Qi Yan understands the mystery. Luobei is cold, dripping water turns into ice, as long as you find a water source, you can easily pour a city out... A past event that was about to be forgotten, but came alive because of a dream.
Qi Yan murmured in her heart: Father, is it because you have a spirit in heaven and don't want wars between the north and the south again
Since Nangong Jingnv said that she didn't want to fight again, as long as the grassland is not too much, the imperial court should not raise troops, so just trust her once.
Qi Yan: "Your Majesty, can you promise me one thing?"
Nangong Jingnu: "You say it."
Qi Yan: "If the prairie people...haven't stepped foot in Luochuan, can Your Majesty not send the army north?"
Nangong Jingnv: "As long as the grasslands don't rebel, I naturally won't tear up the agreement, but... I can promise you, even if the grasslands rebel, as long as they don't fight Luochuan, I won't do too much."
Qi Yan: "Okay."
So, Qi Yan told Nangong Jingnv the method of casting the city by water, and said: "Your Majesty can build a fortification directly on Luochuan after Luochuan freezes, as long as there is enough water, it can be placed on the city wall. Setting up a big crossbow as a defense will basically cost nothing, and when the fortifications melt the ice layer of Luochuan, it will be unstable, so there will be no possibility of Luobei attacking after repeating this year after year."
Nangong Jingnu's eyes lit up after hearing this, she lifted the quilt and hurriedly put on her clothes.
Nangong Jingnv: "Sleep a little longer, I will go to the Ministry of Industry to discuss whether this is feasible."
Qi Yan: "Your Majesty... don't forget the agreement with the minister."
After Nangong Jingnu got dressed, she sat by the bed and said solemnly to Qiyan, "I know your heart, and I thank you for your righteousness for the people of this world. I promise you that as long as the grassland can be kept north of Luochuan, I will never march north."