Chapter 109: The Abandoned Little Emperor (13)
Before the Lantern Festival had even passed, urgent reports arrived from the border.
The Turkic forces had broken through the Protectorate General, taking advantage of the frozen rivers in the north. Three hundred thousand cavalrymen were sweeping south, capturing city after city. According to the reports, they would soon reach the Si River.
If they crossed the river, they would be able to advance directly into the heart of the Central Plains, striking at the capital. On the day the reports arrived, the lights in the Qinzheng Palace burned all night. When the Prince of Zhenbei, covered in snow, finally arrived, she was met with the little emperor’s anxious gaze.
“Prince of Zhenbei…”
The little emperor’s change in address was instantly understood by Su Mingxiu.
Most of the Xiao Zhou’s military power was in her hands, so her intelligence network was more extensive than the court’s. Half a day ago, she had already received news of the general guarding the northern border suddenly falling ill and dying. In fact, knowing the general’s deteriorating health this winter, Su Mingxiu had already instructed the little emperor to send a replacement.
Unfortunately, the replacement hadn’t arrived before the old general passed away.
The Turkic forces must have been prepared. They first sent envoys under the guise of celebrating the little emperor’s birthday to assess the Prince of Zhenbei’s strength, while also keeping a close eye on the situation at the northern border.
Now, knowing that Su Mingxiu’s subordinate was ill, and that she herself was absent from the entire banquet, they had gathered all the information and decided to invade.
Within half a day, Su Mingxiu had already mobilized the troops outside the city and even assessed the grain reserves in the national treasury. Entering the palace now was simply to obtain the little emperor’s approval for the early deployment of supplies.
The Turkic forces were pillaging and burning as they advanced, but it was the dead of winter, and implementing the scorched earth strategy was easier than in other seasons. As long as the defending officials could hold on until reinforcements arrived, the Turkic forces, without sufficient supplies, wouldn’t be able to sustain a prolonged war.
After greeting the little emperor, Su Mingxiu calmly explained the current situation, then summarized: “As long as this war ends before April next year, the national treasury can sustain it—the reason why the Turkic forces could bypass the Protectorate General is probably due to their collusion with the Marquis of Linyang, who controls the northeast. After I lead the troops out, Your Majesty still needs to be wary of any news from Linyang.”
Every word she spoke since entering the Qinzheng Palace was related to the war plan, omitting any unnecessary formalities of requesting or declining command. Everyone in the hall knew that only the Prince of Zhenbei’s army could stand against the ferocious Turkic forces.
After she finished speaking, the little emperor, sitting on the golden dragon throne, looked at her intently, then ordered the cabinet and the six ministries to fully cooperate with the Prince of Zhenbei.
The lights in the Qinzheng Palace burned from one night to the next.
As the candle wax overflowed the trays, the stream of officials coming and going finally ceased, leaving only Su Mingxiu and Xiao Miyun. The emperor and her minister looked at each other. After a long silence, Su Mingxiu spoke first: “Why does Your Majesty look so troubled?”
She raised an eyebrow slightly. “This minister is still here, even the Turkic forces can’t pull you down from the throne.”
These words… were a bit arrogant.
The emperor, dressed in layers of formal robes, embroidered with golden dragons, chuckled softly, her furrowed brows relaxing slightly.
Perhaps because she had gradually learned how to navigate the ship of power, her aura was different now, no longer that of a teenage girl.
But the person speaking was Su Mingxiu, the Prince of Zhenbei, so… Xiao Miyun felt her racing heart, which had been erratic since receiving the war report, finally calm down.
Her gaze lowered slightly, noticing the dark object peeking out from Su Mingxiu’s left sleeve, the birthday gift she had given her—Su Mingxiu was still wearing it.
The corners of Xiao Miyun’s eyes crinkled slightly. Just as she was about to speak, she heard the watchmen’s drums outside, announcing the time. She instinctively glanced at the sky outside and realized that dawn was approaching.
At daybreak, the army would depart, and the Prince of Zhenbei, the leader of this war, would leave the capital.
Seeing the little emperor’s hesitant expression, as if she had a thousand words to say but didn’t know where to begin, Su Mingxiu smiled faintly. “Once this minister leaves the city, the army’s supplies will depend entirely on the capital.”
Xiao Miyun rose from the dragon throne. “Zhen will see you off.”
A flicker of surprise crossed Su Mingxiu’s deep black eyes. Then, she thought that it would be good for the little emperor to appear, her presence would boost the soldiers’ morale.
Outside the city, the wind howled, a testament to the harshness of this winter.
Xiao Miyun thought she was dressed warmly enough, but standing on the city walls, she still felt the wind biting through her bones.
But seeing the soldiers below, a sea of black armor, she steeled herself… These people were going to a place even colder than the capital, to fight the Turkic forces. The cold she was feeling was nothing.
She had read countless speeches meant to inspire troops, her mind filled with eloquent words. But looking at the red lanterns adorning the city walls, a festive decoration, then at the soldiers below, thinking that many of them wouldn’t be able to celebrate the Lantern Festival this year,
…that many of them might never return to their families, she couldn’t utter a single word.
Finally, her gaze landed on the figure at the front.
The Prince of Zhenbei, dressed in black, sat on a black warhorse, a striking figure against the white snow. After a long moment of staring, she bowed deeply towards the army below.
Straightening up, her voice, clear and strong, rang out: “Every inch of the Great Zhou’s territory depends on you, our brave soldiers. Zhen wishes you all a safe return!”
“The fifteenth day of the first month is the Lantern Festival, a day for reunion. But only by repelling the Turkic forces at our northern border can we ensure countless future Lantern Festivals. Zhen promises that upon your triumphant return, the celebration will be even grander than the one we missed today!”
Su Mingxiu, sitting on her horse, hearing her words, a faint smile appeared in her eyes, her lips curving slightly upwards.
This little emperor was finally starting to look the part.
Actually, the voice from the city walls couldn’t travel very far, especially without internal energy amplification.
But the generals in the front rows heard it clearly. The orders were relayed, and the crowd erupted!
Someone shouted a slogan, and the others followed, their voices like a tidal wave, echoing through the heavens and earth: “Kill the Turkic invaders! Protect the Great Zhou!”
“Kill the Turkic invaders! Protect the Great Zhou!”
The black banner of the Zhenbei army fluttered in the wind as they marched away. Xiao Miyun watched the army, like a black dragon, her gaze fixed on Su Mingxiu. She had so much to say.
She wanted to tell this person, Actually, on New Year’s Eve, I really wanted to watch the fireworks with you. After so many days, do you still remember that night? Are you angry with me?
She also wanted to say, Wearing the safety charm I gave you, you must return safely from the battlefield. I’m still waiting, under your watchful eye, to become a good emperor who won’t disappoint you.
But in the end, until Su Mingxiu’s figure became a small black dot in the distance, and even Cheng Qing came up to the city walls to persuade her to return to the palace, lest she catch a cold, Xiao Miyun didn’t say another word.
During the war, battle reports arrived daily like snowflakes.
At the same time, the Prince of Zhenbei’s departure from the capital stirred unrest among various factions in the court. The pro-emperor faction saw this as a positive sign.
But many were dissatisfied with the court being controlled by two women. With the external war unresolved, internal strife arose.
One night, Xiao Miyun was awakened by a commotion outside her window.
She saw Sun Feiyan sheathing her sword, the armor gleaming under the moonlight. A line of crimson blood trickled down the edge of the scabbard, staining the palace path before the servants could clean it.
Seeing the little emperor emerge, wrapped in a robe, Sun Feiyan knelt on one knee and apologized. “This minister has disturbed Your Majesty, I deserve to die—”
“Zhen wasn’t disturbed by General Sun, rise.”
Xiao Miyun knew that the palace hadn’t been peaceful recently, with assassins more active than before. It was Sun Feiyan and her subordinates who dealt with these threats. Xiao Miyun didn’t leave the Qian Yuan Palace, not wanting to cause trouble for the imperial guards. She sat down on the doorstep, watching the moonlight streaming onto the stone steps, lost in thought.
Sun Feiyan heard her ask, “Are there any new battle reports?”
“No.”
“Oh, Zhen just had a nightmare, I thought it was real.”
“Uh…” Xiao Miyun was used to her silence and smiled faintly, her gaze fixed on the stone slabs, the faint scent of blood lingering in the air. After a while, she murmured to herself: “You saved Zhen because of guilt; she saved Zhen because she mistook Zhen for someone else…”
Neither of them did it for her.
But why, why did she keep thinking about that person?
What was so special about Su Mingxiu?
She wasn’t even as easygoing as General Sun, at least this person before her would tolerate her whims.
As if hearing her thoughts, General Sun, who had been standing silently beside her, suddenly spoke: “Your Majesty, the night is cold, please return to your chambers and rest.”
“Yes,” Xiao Miyun stood up and walked back inside. “Zhen should indeed sleep, there’s court tomorrow.”
Since pushing the Turkic forces back to the Protectorate General, the battle reports from the north had become less frequent, filling the little emperor with unease as she waited for news every day.
Winter passed, and spring arrived, bringing new life.
But even as April arrived, with its blooming flowers, there was still no news of the army’s return. Because of her special relationship with Su Mingxiu, she couldn’t issue an imperial decree to recall her, only enduring the torment of waiting.
Until one day, news arrived that the army had reached the heart of the Turkic territory, and the Prince of Zhenbei was personally pursuing the fleeing Khan.
On the same day, reports of a drought in the south arrived.
The emperor, sitting on the throne, her expression hidden behind the beaded curtain, her fingers gripping the armrests so tightly that her knuckles turned white, remained silent.
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