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With the news of the confiscation of the Imperial Uncle Qin family and the sudden illness of the Empress Dowager leading to her untimely demise spreading throughout the palace and beyond, the entire court was shaken with grief.
The Regent ordered the suspension of court sessions for a month.
Due to the depletion of the national treasury, the funeral was kept simple.
It seemed as if a layer of gloom had suddenly enveloped the court, and the officials were once again in a state of silence, afraid to speak out.
The beginning of the year had seen two major events in quick succession, which made it impossible for people to feel at ease. However, in comparison, the Nan Dyansty envoys trapped in the Yong Kingdom were the most uneasy.
The phrase “ants on a hot pan” could no longer describe their current state. Although Ji Yucang had not issued an edict to detain them, their anxious state was all too apparent because of this.
The Yong Kingdom’s army had already set out to conquer the south, and Han Rong was imprisoned in the Regent’s residence, fed whips three times a day, and was already on the brink of death. General Yang was also injured.
Everything was progressing in a direction contrary to everyone’s expectations, filled with fear, confusion, and regret every day, making these envoys feel as if they were living through years in a single day.
After Shen Ning’s body had healed, the intensity of her training increased day by day. She fought one-on-one in the training field, then took on three, five, seven opponents at once. She practiced archery, shooting two arrows at once, and on the outskirts of the city, she rode for a hundred miles, hitting targets with unerring accuracy.
Both her physical strength and mental state seemed to have reached a long-lost peak.
On the outskirts of the city, at the horse racing grounds, Ji Yucang stood with his hands behind his back, watching from afar the woman riding the wind on horseback. His gaze was deep and gentle, as if it could drown a person within it.
She was so dazzling and eye-catching, like a red-clad heavenly general descended to earth, her entire being filled with a power ready to explode, making people involuntarily follow her silhouette, almost unable to look away.
Although there was no sweet talk of love, the silent companionship of these days had allowed the feelings between the two to change little by little, in a quiet and imperceptible manner.
Clop, clop, clop!
The sound of horse hooves approached from a distance.
The woman on the chestnut red horse had her jet-black hair tied behind her head, with strands flying in the wind, her clothes fluttering, and her beauty was stunning and breathtaking.
Ji Yucang watched as she approached him, unable to suppress the pleased smile that rose on his lips, his eyes visibly softening, much to the astonishment of his close bodyguards, who looked as if they had seen a ghost in broad daylight.
A sudden neigh pierced the air!
Shen Ning pulled the reins, controlling her mount, and slowly approached Ji Yucang, looking down at him with a haughty glance: “Care to race?”
“I would be honored.” Ji Yucang replied with a smile, “But today I have something more important to tell you.”
Hearing this, Shen Ning nimbly dismounted and walked side by side with him, leading her horse: “Is there news from Nan Dynasty?”
The guards following Ji Yucang exchanged glances imperceptibly. They had long noticed the unusual connection between the Princess Consort and Nan Dynasty, and it seemed their master was already aware of this. The two often spoke in riddles that left others baffled.
They just couldn’t figure out how a daughter of the Yong Kingdom’s duke’s household, who had barely stepped outside her home since childhood, had become involved.
“Smart.” Ji Yucang said, ignoring his men’s thoughts, walking side by side with her on the racecourse, “Nan Dynasty’s border has been breached, and the army is advancing unimpeded. At the rate Nan Dynasty’s forces are collapsing, it won’t be more than two months before they reach the imperial city.”
Shen Ning fell silent for a moment, her voice complex: “Nan Dynasty really has no room for negotiation.”
“I plan to go to Nan Dynasty with you by the end of this month.” Ji Yucang said, looking at her, “Taking Han Rong with us, letting him see Nan Dynasty’s destruction with his own eyes, witnessing the fall of the country, seeing the consequences of his past misdeeds, and seeing a new dynasty rise from the ruins.”
“A new dynasty?” Shen Ning frowned, “You don’t want to incorporate Nan Dynasty into the Yong Kingdom?”
“The territory is too vast, and governing it would be too tiring.” Ji Yucang said slowly, shaking his head, “I want to conquer Nan Dynasty’s land and give it to you.”
Shen Ning’s expression was subtle: “Ji Yucang, you are truly a fickle man, more so than many women.”
“The princess consort misunderstands the Prince.” Ling Feng couldn’t help but speak up, “The prince has always been a man of his word, he is only fickle in front of the Princess Consort, but that’s because he cares too much about her——”
“Shut up.” Ji Yucang said coldly, “Stay here, no need to follow us.”
Ling Feng: “…”
Shen Ning walked quietly for a while, then sincerely said, “I always feel that your thoughts are as changeable as the unpredictable weather.”
He seemed to come up with ideas on a whim, never deeply considered. Today he might want to be an Emperor, and tomorrow he might think it’s better to be an Empress.
Ji Yucang remained silent.
“What’s wrong?” Shen Ning turned her head to look at him, “Was I wrong?”
Ji Yucang shook his head: “My thoughts have indeed been changing. I worry about regretting any decision I make in the future.”
“Why do you worry?”
“Human hearts are hard to fathom.” Ji Yucang’s voice was low, “I worry that after holding supreme power, I will gradually lose my original intention, spending all my time and energy on government affairs, and my feelings for you will be eroded bit by bit. I am also concerned that after incorporating Nan Dynasty into the Yong Kingdom’s territory, the Nan Dynasty people’s status as defeated citizens will make them feel inferior, causing you to feel wronged or gradually breed dissatisfaction. There are many, many concerns that leave me at a loss as to what to do.”
“Your appearance of being so anxious and indecisive is not at all like the decisive Regent.” Shen Ning looked up at the flat grassland ahead, “It’s easier to conquer a country than to defend it. As long as you have an army and strong combat capabilities, winning battles is not too difficult. However, after gaining a country, it is extremely difficult to govern a chaotic, weak, and impoverished nation well.”
Ji Yucang nodded: “We can open trade between the north and south, establish friendly alliances. After the two countries ally, the war between Western Zhou Dynasty and Nan Dynasty will also be declared over——”
“Wait.” Shen Ning suddenly paused, stopping in her tracks, and turned to look at Ji Yucang, “Western Zhou is still at war with Nan Dynasty. Even if the Yong Kingdom’s army can reach the imperial city in two months, what about the territory seized by Western Zhou? Can Nan Dynasty still be called a country if it loses half of its territory?”
Ji Yucang reached out to tidy her hair: “I’ve already sent someone to negotiate with Western Zhou before the New Year.”
Shen Ning raised an eyebrow: “How did I not know this?”
“You were recovering from your injuries, and I wanted to give you a surprise.” Ji Yucang said, “They agreed to give up the five cities they captured, but there’s a condition.”
“What condition?”
“The future Emperor of Nan Dynasty must have a marriage alliance with Western Zhou Dynasty if they have children.”
Shen Ning frowned, her expression strange: “What kind of demand is this? Western Zhou’s national strength is very strong, and they don’t need a marriage alliance to form an alliance.”
“I also found this question strange, so I’ve already sent someone to Western Zhou to find out the truth.” Ji Yucang said, “There might be a reason behind it.”
“You agreed?”
“I did.” Ji Yucang smiled faintly, “After all, we won’t have children. The only thing we need to do in the next ten years is to restore Nan Dynasty’s vitality. Once the situation stabilizes, we can choose a child with good aptitude, ability, and character to groom into an Emperor.”
This time, Shen Ning’s silence lasted even longer: “I have no idea what you’re thinking. Western Zhou Dynasty and Nan Dynasty have been deadly enemies for decades, with wars that have hardly stopped. In the past, Nan Dynasty had its victories and defeats, but at least it could hold the border. This year, Western Zhou finally broke through the border and captured five cities of Nan Dynasty, yet they are willing to give up everything just for a marriage alliance? Ji Yucang, I think this is too unreasonable.”
Ji Yucang said: “It is indeed somewhat unreasonable, but the envoys I sent represent the Yong Kingdom, not Nan Dynasty. Western Zhou must weigh the consequences, right? Of course, there’s another reason.”
“What is it?”
Ji Yucang took out a letter from his sleeve and handed it to Shen Ning.
Shen Ning opened the letter suspiciously. The letter contained only one sentence: Is the War Goddess Princess still alive?
Shen Ning stared silently at the sentence, her brows furrowed: “Ji Yucang, are there spirits in this world?”
She felt that the events happening to her were becoming increasingly bizarre. Shen Ning was certain that she was just an ordinary woman, fortunate to be born into the royal family, yet unfortunately falling in love with someone she shouldn’t and trusting a king she shouldn’t, leading to her tragic death.
But even before her tragic death, she never felt she was a remarkable person. However, the events that occurred after her death seemed to be gradually shattering her understanding.
Not only could she be reborn into another person’s body and live a new life with someone else’s identity, but the key was that Ji Yucang actually knew her previous identity.
Now, an even more bizarre event had occurred: Someone in Western Zhou Dynasty knew she was still alive.