Chapter 28: The Clamor Inside the Belly

Li Ning’an had finished her business at the restaurant and was just waiting for the grand opening before she had time to accompany her mother.

She spent her time in the Weiyang Palace, chatting, pouring tea, massaging shoulders, and telling stories.

The Empress enjoyed her daughter’s filial piety so much that she even spared the usual court greetings from the various palaces and decided to deal with them after the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Meanwhile, Emperor Mingde was busy with state affairs. Several days passed, but no agreement was reached in the court, and new military reports arrived from the frontier.

Vice Commander Ge’s twenty thousand Iron Cavalry troops were trapped in the Belly Mountain.

It was originally the North Yue’s Second Prince who had challenged the soldiers, mocking Tong Linian for not daring to come out and fight.

Tong Linian felt greatly insulted and decided to lead the Iron Cavalry himself.

Vice Commander Ge had fought countless battles with the Duke of Xiang, so even with the addition of the North Yue’s Second Prince, he had ample experience.

Though he might not win, he would not lose.

However, both he and Tong Linian had the same overconfidence. Tong Linian charged recklessly.

Having already been captured once, he could not afford to lose another.

With his nephew absent, Vice Commander Ge exhausted his brainpower to break through and sent Tong Linian back safely.

He and his twenty thousand troops were now trapped in Belly Mountain.

Tong Linian was even more disheartened.

He wasn’t adept at warfare and did not listen to the advice of the experienced generals.

How could he be rescued?

He could only stay in the camp, unable to send out even a newborn baby, let alone fight.

And more memorials were sent in.

He even complained about the slow pace of discussions in the capital.

What about his father?

Tong Linian felt he could hardly protect himself, let alone worry about his father.

The reason Belly Mountain was so named was because it was surrounded on three sides by mountains, with only one exit.

It was like being inside a tiger’s mouth, reaching the belly.

One could only be pulled out or vomited out.

But the vomited place was guarded by North Yue’s soldiers.

The North Yue’s Second Prince was no coward; he would not be like Tong Linian.

Lacking both courage and strategy.

Consort Tong felt it was a thunderbolt from a clear sky. The North Yue’s Second Prince seemed to have anticipated everything.

How did he capture her brother and make her nephew cower?

And the Iron Cavalry, which was once as mighty as dragons with the Duke of Xiang, had now become like insects.

Could it be that the Duke of Xiang’s residence was behind this?

But the Tong family also had people keeping watch, and Yan Ziqi was only focused on women.

The cold frost at the Drunken Spring Pavilion was a regular visitor.

Years ago, it was rumored he had a secret crush on her but failed due to various reasons.

He visited every day, but only heard the guqin, falling into the dust and unable to bear it.

In addition to giving face to the young lady, it was also out of long-standing affection.

Consort Tong heard that the Emperor had informed the Empress to find a suitable wife for Yan Ziqi.

As for the outsider status of Princess Ning’an, it seemed like nonsense.

Even the threat at the Dragon Boat Festival was taken lightly by Consort Tong.

She had liked Fu Minglang for three years.

She could let go if she wanted to.

If she liked Yan Ziqi, could it also be for three years?

But Yan Ziqi’s feelings for that cold frost were always consistent.

Consort Tong did not concern herself with these romantic entanglements.

She was contemplating how to get Yan Ziqi to marry a daughter of the Tong family.

A son-in-law was almost like a son.

Forget about the Iron Cavalry on the frontier.

They could only earn merit and build up the Tong family.

In addition to the military reports, a peace negotiation letter from North Yue arrived, summarizing as follows:

“It’s unfortunate that I captured your General from the Great Qi and trapped your most formidable soldiers. How about sending a princess instead?

I am willing to make her my principal wife and bestow upon her supreme honor.

We can still maintain friendly relations.

I will return the people and immediately withdraw my troops.

Decide quickly; those people cannot hold out much longer.”

Emperor Mingde was furious.

The princesses of the Great Qi were all noble.

Could it be that only by going to North Yue would they be valued?

This letter wasn’t even written by the North Yue Emperor personally.

The implication was to send a princess to become a consort.

North Yue had been defeated years ago, and this lifetime, the next, and forever more, they would remain so.

If the Tong family couldn’t provide anyone, could the Great Qi really have no one?

Emperor Mingde was determined to go to war.

But some people thought that exchanging one person for the peace of the world was not unacceptable.

North Yue was intent on humiliating the Great Qi, and the contents of this letter, spread by North Yue’s spies, had long circulated in the capital.

Li Ning’an, even in her private chambers, was aware of it.

Even though she had lived a second life, her capabilities were still limited. She had managed to avert one disaster but couldn’t prevent a second one for the Iron Cavalry.

In her previous life, she had not experienced being trapped in Belly Mountain, perhaps because she was too happy to have married Fu Minglang and paid less attention.

She only knew that Fu Minglang had proposed sending the fourth princess for marriage.

It was rather amusing.

Fu Minglang had once said to her, “I know the fourth princess is your rival. How about using this opportunity to vent your frustrations?”

Every mother fears her daughter being married far away, especially to North Yue.

Consort Tong was naturally very anxious and deeply regretted not stopping Li Ning’an from marrying.

Even though Yan Ziqi had volunteered and signed a military order, the fourth princess’s mood on the Mid-Autumn Festival day was still poor.

There was a mix of fear from falling into a devil’s lair and joy from surviving a catastrophe.

Li Ning’an was eating slices of watermelon and spitting out seeds onto a white porcelain plate. Fan Lu, who had returned with news, bowed and said:

“Minister Fu hopes that Young Master Yan will lead troops to fight against North Yue.”

Li Ning’an nearly swallowed the seed she was about to spit out.

She looked up at Fan Lu.

“Really?”

Why would Fu Minglang nominate Yan Ziqi for the frontier?

Could it be that Yan Ziqi had been secretly involved with Fu Minglang?

Yan Ziqi had always criticized Fu Minglang as a hypocrite with deep thoughts, advising against getting too close.

Li Ning’an was eager to go to the Duke of Xiang’s residence to confront Yan Ziqi about this.

“Has the princess who will be sent for marriage been chosen?”

Li Ning’an currently paid no attention to Fu Minglang and could not believe his previous statements were true.

If he wanted to vent her frustrations, then he would suggest sending the fourth princess for marriage.

Li Ning’an felt that Fu Minglang was not that kind of person.

He must have other motives.

At today’s morning court, which dispersed in the afternoon, Fu Minglang left the hall with a weary gait.

He had previously interacted with the Emperor during the palace exams, but that was related to the imperial examinations.

Only fellow students had participated in those exams.

Today, under everyone’s gaze, he recommended Young Master Yan, which certainly added pressure.

He wanted to present a letter of recommendation to Master Wen.

Master Wen had devoted his entire life to the Great Qi.

He valued people who were useful to the Great Qi, regardless of their political affiliations.

The Iron Cavalry belonged to the Great Qi.

They were there to protect millions of citizens, not to serve any particular family.

Fu Minglang thought this way, but he could not help but glance towards the direction of Princess Ning’an’s chambers.

It was said that Princess Ning’an was wholeheartedly focused on Young Master Yan.

She had not visited the Ministry of Revenue to deliver pastries for a long time.

Previously, those pastries were sent to his colleagues.

To be honest, he had rarely tasted the pastries made by Princess Ning’an.

He didn’t know how her skills were now.

After all, she was a heavenly beauty, truly dedicating herself to him by personally cooking.

A smirk crossed Fu Minglang’s lips.

Let Young Master Yan go to the frontier.

Let’s see whose eyes Princess Ning’an will fall upon next.

Several officials who wanted to converse with Fu Minglang brought him back to his thoughts.

Master Wen walked slowly, and Fu Minglang had deliberately waited, but he couldn’t let Master Wen notice.

He talked to a few people in front of him, just in time for Master Wen to pass by.

“Minister Fu, why did you choose Young Master Yan?”

When Master Wen spoke, everyone else fell silent and even stopped.

Fu Minglang, following the halt, clasped his hands and said:

“A tiger father does not raise a dog son. I believe a strong eagle should fly, not be confined at home.”

Master Wen nodded in agreement.

There was also something this young man might not know.

The Emperor valued the Duke of Xiang’s family greatly.

Even though their recent private meeting was about marriage.

According to Master Wen’s understanding of the Emperor, he would most likely find a way to send that child to the battlefield.

If the Tong family became too dominant, what about the Ninth Prince?

He was of legitimate birth and still young.

Princess Ning’an couldn’t protect him.