[R18] Will drink wine – “About Wine” Chapter 232 [English]

Chapter 223 Tide

Qi Zhuyin’s mind was spinning in an instant. She weighed the importance of the left and right sides, and must find the most suitable ally for Qidong in this game.Winning or losing this game is equally important to Qidong. It even determines how long Qi Zhuyin can stay as the commander-in-chief of the army.

Qi Zhuyin made up his mind and said: “I haven’t discussed it in detail with the officials from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Household Affairs, and I don’t know much about the granary reserves in He. However, the harvest of the four counties in Qidong last year was acceptable. If we send troops, combined with the granaries in He, we can barely sustain it for two months.”

“As a general, you naturally understand better than the Ai family. If you want to continue deep into the desert, it will take months to march.” The Queen Mother whispered softly, “It is already March, and the spring plowing in the four counties has been delayed. If you don’t come back after two months, the autumn harvest in July will be delayed. Zhuyin, it is not that the Ai family is unwilling to send troops, but that it cannot send troops.”

Qi Zhuyin seemed to be stumped, and the Mingli Hall fell into silence again.

The Queen Mother stood up slowly, looked at the ministers in the hall, and said earnestly: “If the warehouses of the Great Zhou Dynasty are full, the Aijia will fight this battle even if Zhuyin does not ask for it. But the imperial court is short of money at the moment and is really powerless. Besides, food is the most important thing for the people, and this battle will not be fought.”People in the three places are going hungry. Isn’t that an inversion of priorities?Po Ran, you read the report from the Ministry of Household Affairs at the beginning of the year and you are well aware of the situation in each place.”

Qi Zhuyin was in the hall, how could the courtiers directly refute him?The Queen Mother was so calm and calm, forcing them to mention the Eight Cities by themselves. Kong Qiu pinched his own book and stood expressionless on the side.

After thinking about it for a long time, Kong Qiu said: “Moving troops in Qidong is not a trivial matter. There should be a specific charter. The commander-in-chief is new to the capital. Since he has not discussed it with the cabinet in detail, why not make a decision after we finish the discussion tonight.”

This was a delaying tactic by Kong Qiu. He neither followed the Queen Mother’s wishes nor made decisions for Xue Xiuzhuo.There are copies of the account books compiled by Liang Miaoshan. It is a pity that I can’t take Dancheng away now that I have them in my hands.

When they left, everyone came out of Mingli Hall one by one. Feng Quan was in front and put a cloak on Li Jianting. Li Jianting slowed down a few steps, waiting for Kong Qiu to come out.Kong Qiu raised his arm to guide Li Jianting, led the prince down the steps, and walked on the empty field.

“His Royal Highness spoke frankly today,” Kong Qiu said, “The proposal to integrate granaries from various places is indeed a solution.”

Li Jianting pursed his lips slightly, then turned to smile and said to Kong Qiu: “Yuan Fu had a little talk with me at the beginning of the year, and I naturally dare not forget it. But at the moment, it seems that it is really difficult to collect military rations.”

It was already dawn, the puddles on the ground reflected the blue sky, and the flying eaves covered the last bit of dim light.

Li Jianting walked a few steps and said: “That Lord Chongshen is very impressive. I heard that he can do mental arithmetic quickly and accurately, and his accounts will never go wrong. Since the Dancheng field tax case is temporarily postponed, why doesn’t Yuan Fu ask him to calculate the surplus grain in various places? Three places are not enough, and there are eight cities. Let’s work together.”

Kong Qiu smiled bitterly and said: “Now the military rations must be collected from Juexi, and I am struggling with how to borrow food from the eight cities…”

Kong Qiu suddenly stopped talking and looked at Li Jianting seriously.

Li Jianting said that he would let the cabinet decide, but he did not say that he would let the cabinet investigate. The difference between the two words has vastly different meanings.In the former, regardless of whether the Empress Dowager is willing or not, the cabinet can ask Liang Miaoshan to calculate the surplus grain of the eight cities. Because there is a problem with Dancheng’s account and Pan Lin is still closed, the Ministry of Revenue should now recalculate the surplus grain of the eight cities. This is the responsibility of the Ministry of Revenue, that’s right.

The red flower on Li Jianting’s eyebrows did not take away the prince’s look.She seemed to mention it casually, but she was still a little unsure of Kong Qiu’s gaze.

* * *

Qi Zhuyin walked out of the palace gate and saw Xue Xiuzhuo standing not far away.She pulled off the cloak from her shoulders and threw it to Qi Wei, who came to greet him. She pointed to Xue Xiuzhuo and said as she walked.

“I just heard from Chen Shangshu that you gave me the military pay this time,” Qi Zhuyin said, “Thank you very much.”

Qi Zhuyin’s thank you was naturally not that simple. Xue Xiuzhuo heard what he meant and followed Qi Zhuyin for a while and said: “The commander-in-chief used the Qing Mouse Division to contain Amul. The war in the north is tight, so this battle should be fought.”

Qi Zhuyin avoided the fact that he already had military rations, but said: “Before I entered the capital, I heard that the military rations would be mobilized from Juexi. Jiang Qingshan wouldn’t agree, right? You are also in trouble.”

The morning in Qudu is no longer so cold, and the vendors on the streets are busy.They all wore official uniforms, no one dared to get close to them, and ordinary people stayed back three feet.When they walked over, they looked at Qi Zhuyin and whispered to each other.

Qi Zhuyin, who was rumored to have suffered a stroke, was just tall. She was neither powerful nor majestic, but she was calm enough to withstand the prying and speculation.

“But you are right, this battle should be fought.” The five beads adorned by Qi Zhuyin swayed in the wind, and the hair on her temples was slightly messy, brushing against the side of her cheek.She went on to say: “Libei has rebelled, but Libei Iron Cavalry is still the iron wall in the northeast of Qudu. King Libei died in the battle, and there has been no good news in this year’s battleground. The fight is really hard. You are in Qudu, far away, and you have only half-knowledge of the Twelve Divisions of Biansha. You can’t describe Amul’s ambitions just by relying on a few military reports. Don’t always think that they really can’t get in.”

Qandu is the capital of the Emperor, and the centuries-old prosperity of the Great Zhou Dynasty rested here. Unlike the dusty frontier, it has not been hit by a knife so far.Only seven years have passed since the defeat of Zhongbo, but the panic at that time can no longer be found in Qandu. The fear of the border cavalry here has long faded.

“Amul has already commanded six tribes, and the military garrison in Gedal is modeled after the Great Zhou Dynasty. If Qidong does not send troops this year, Qudu will no longer be able to stay out of the matter. Let me be frank, my soldiers cannot outrun the Biansha cavalry. If Libei falls and Luoxia City cannot hold up, then even if the Biansha cavalry slaughters Qudu, I will not be able to catch up.”

The wind increased slightly. Qi Zhuyin stood still and turned to look at Xue Xiuzhuo.Behind her is a majestic vermilion wall, and the stacked cornices soar into the clear sky. There are no clouds above her head, and the palace is just exposed to the morning light.

“I must send troops.” Qi Zhuyin’s eyes were not excited.

Qidong rarely participates in the political affairs of Qudu. Qi Shiyu is very smart. Whether it is dealing with the relationship between Qidong and Libei or maintaining the friendship between Qidong and the aristocratic family, he can find the most appropriate time to stand in line.But Qi Zhuyin can’t do it. She doesn’t have the patience of Qi Shiyu. She would rather risk being dismissed and investigated by Qudu to attack the Qing Mouse Department because she knows that the war situation is far more urgent than the political situation.

The Queen Mother’s strategy of forcing Xue Xiuzhuo to submit was very clever, but she also forced Qi Zhuyin to marry Fei Shi, which showed that she would not give Qi Zhuyin any title, and even showed signs of wanting to divide the military power in Qi Zhuyin’s hands.

Maybe there is indeed someone who can fight better than Qi Zhuyin, but at this moment, at this moment about the north-south battlefield, Qi Zhuyin will not hand over Qidong military power to anyone except her. Since the Queen Mother has already had the idea of ​​moving her, she will never sit still and wait for death.

“As long as my plan to send troops before I leave can be approved and the Ministry of War’s transfer orders can be issued,” Qi Zhuyin suddenly smiled, “it will not be difficult to get your military rations stuck. I will not force Juexi’s food.”

Xue Xiuzhuo pushed away the flying willow branches and said, “Deal.”

* * *

The incense in the hall is a bit heavy, and the fragrance of flowers makes me tired after smelling it for a long time.Aunt Liuxiang quickly asked people to open the windows, helped Hua Xiangyi sit on the couch near the window, and said earnestly: “The third lady has only been gone for half a year, and I seem to have lost a lot of weight. Qidong is next to the yellow sand, which is a pain for the third lady.”

Hua Xiangyi clutched the handkerchief and said, “Auntie is the one who has lost weight.” She turned her eyes and saw the small Buddhist hall inside.

Aunt Liuxiang said: “The Queen Mother misses Miss Third and prays for Miss Third in front of the Bodhisattva every day. Last time she caught a cold at night and wanted to see Miss Third. She took medicine to no avail, so she asked the slave to light a lamp and read the letter from Miss Third.”

As they were talking, the eunuch outside the palace shouted.Hua Xiangyi walked out to greet her, but the Queen Mother did not want her to salute, so she held her hand, stood at the door and looked at the person carefully, and said, “Why are you so thin? Are you not used to eating in the house? The Ai family will choose some cooks for you, and they will be picked from our Dicheng city. You can take them with you when you leave.” The Queen Mother spoke affectionately, with faint tears in her eyes, stroking Hua Xiangyi’s temples, “How is my daughter?”

Hua Xiangyi held the Queen Mother’s hand and choked slightly: “I miss my aunt.”

The Queen Mother brought her in. Her heart was broken when she heard this. She sat on the couch and didn’t let her go to the edge. She sat next to her and said, “How does Qi Shiyu treat you? How does Qi Zhuyin treat you? The Ai family heard that the aunts in the courtyard are restless. If anyone dares to offend you, you will have my mother-in-law tie her up and send her out directly. The Ai family will support you.”

Hua Xiangyi burst into tears and smiled.

The Queen Mother hugged her like a child and said, “I used to think that I could send letters after getting married, but now I know what it feels like to be far apart.”

The Queen Mother originally wanted to choose the best husband for Hua Xiangyi, but unexpectedly she married Qi Shiyu. She also thought that Qi Shiyu would be a hero for a lifetime. Apart from his age, he was barely worthy of her, but she ended up suffering from a stroke.She regretted this move and wished she could give away all the good things to Hua Xiangyi.

Hua Xiangyi leaned against the Queen Mother, and after finishing her conversation, she said, “How are you, aunt?”

“The front hall is in such a mess that the Ai family can’t eat or sleep well.” The Queen Mother paused for a moment and then laughed at herself, “After all, she is getting older and her spirits are lower than before.”

Hua Xiangyi slowly stood up and said softly: “Why do you have to work so hard, aunt? There is a great helper in state affairs. I heard that the prince is also eager to learn.”

The Queen Mother had supported Emperor Xiande, and now she could also support the Crown Prince.In Hua Xiangyi’s view, Li Jianting is far more reliable than the previous two. Although she is in Qidong, she knows all the major events in Qidu.

The Queen Mother sighed, and she remembered what Li Jianting had said in Mingli Hall just now, and she became more wary of the prince, saying, “You are thinking too little, how can the prince be easy to get along with? She is just a bitch who came in from the outside, and was instigated by a few bastards to compete with the Ai family.”

Hua Xiangyi was silent for a moment, and said: “I married in Qidong this time, and I know a little bit about Biansha and Zhongbo. Aunt, Shen Zechuan has become a trend in Zhongbo, but he is not bad in nature, and it is a good thing to regain Duanzhou and reorganize the fields… Last year I asked Zhaoyue how the situation in Dancheng was, and she said Pan Yi was not sure, too many people had starved to death. He and his wife wanted to help the refugees, but there was no food in the warehouse and there was nothing they could do.”

The Queen Mother gradually closed her eyes, listened for a long time, and said: “The Ai family knows that you are kind-hearted, but now is the time to succeed or fail.” The Queen Mother opened her eyes again and looked at Hua Xiangyi, “You live in the palace, and there are things you don’t know when you are away from Dicheng. In the Xiande year, the house was ransacked, and the Ai family was trapped in the harem. ThenNow the eunuchs in the imperial court dare to go to the Ai family palace to extort money. If it hadn’t been for Marquis Helian to take care of it, there would have been many people trying to trick us.Look at that Xue family, the legitimate son has ruined everything and is being teased around.How can you look at Xue Yanqing, the bastard among the bastards?He wants to calculate the Dancheng field tax, and he wants to use us as a stepping stone for the prince.If he is really investigated, how many of the eight cities can escape?”

The Queen Mother also sat upright.

“Without the family background, what else can the Ai family have to fight with you? There is a problem with the land tax. The Ai family will be liquidated in the future, and it will not be anyone else’s turn to intervene. And Shen Zechuan is colluding with Xiao Chiye. The Ai family can see clearly what they want to do. You think he is looking at the ground under his feet, but he is clearly eyeing the Jiuzhongque. These rebellious officials and traitors are all seeking reputation, and Shen Wei is still suppressing him”

Hua Xiangyi’s words were all tactful. Looking at the rise and fall of the Queen Mother’s chest, she knew that the Queen Mother was determined and would never coexist with the Crown Prince.She was about to speak but stopped when she heard a few sounds of rain suddenly coming from outside. It started to rain.