spend time

Chapter 519: Marriage (Part )

Emperor Taihe was furious and frowned: "According to what you said, this war can't be fought?"

General Zuo was reluctant to say more, so General Bao opened his mouth and said, "Once the Rouran send out troops, the first to face the Rouran cavalry will be the border troops. Whether they can fight or not depends on General Fan."

"Your Majesty, please issue a secret order immediately and order the border troops to be on high alert."

The border is a long way away, and even if you send a letter by fast horse, it will take about a month to go back and forth. In other words, if a war really breaks out, the message will not be delivered in time. It will all depend on General Fan and the border troops.

Emperor Taihe felt heavy in his heart and couldn't help but glance at Jiang Shaohua.

Jiang Shaohua did not immediately speak to appease the emperor, but instead gave a realistic assessment of the border troops: "The border troops are mainly responsible for defending the city. If they face the enemy head-on, they will definitely not be able to defeat the Rouran. Otherwise, there would not have been the previous defeat."

"This princess has no intention of ridiculing General Zuo. General Zuo does not need to feel embarrassed. The Daliang soldiers are weak and are far less fierce than the Rouran cavalry. The defeat cannot be blamed entirely on General Zuo."

"Besides, the border army just changed its commander not long ago. If three to five years pass, maybe it will be better. Now General Fan can't control the entire army at all, so the combat effectiveness will have to be discounted."

Emperor Taihe's mouth twitched when he heard this: "So, the border troops are no match for the Rouran cavalry!"

Jiang Shaohua hummed: "It's not that my sister is deliberately pouring cold water on me, this is the truth."

Emperor Taihe looked at General Zuo.

General Zuo hesitated for a moment and sighed, "I don't want to destroy my own prestige and boost the enemy's morale, but what the princess said is correct. The border troops are good at defending the city, but if we face the enemy head-on, the chances of winning are less than 30%."

This 30% is still a good thing. The fact is that when the frontier army outposts patrol outside, if they encounter Rouran cavalry, it will be a fierce battle, and it is difficult to escape with life. Therefore, the outposts have the highest death rate in the frontier army, and everyone avoids them as much as possible. Generally, those who make serious mistakes in the army will be transferred to the outposts. The outposts also have a nickname that is not very decent, called "sending death camp."

These little things are not suitable to be brought up at the court meeting, but the generals all know about them.

General Song was brave and volunteered: "Your Majesty, I am willing to lead the troops to support the border troops."

General Liu and General Sima were unwilling to be left behind and expressed their willingness to lead troops to provide support.

General Zuo, however, was embarrassed by his status and could not say anything, so he could only remain silent. General Bao led the Imperial Guards and had to protect the safety of the capital, so he could not leave the capital and did not say anything either.

Emperor Taihe thought for a moment and made a decision: "First reject the letter from the Rouran Kingdom and send an order to the border troops to prepare for the response as soon as possible."

"We'll discuss the rest later."

At this moment, Prime Minister Wang unexpectedly took the initiative to speak: "Your Majesty, these matters must be coordinated by the Ministry of War. Please issue an order to pardon Minister Zheng and let him return to the Ministry of War as soon as possible."

Minister Zhang, Minister Dai and others were also a little surprised. They looked at each other and agreed with Prime Minister Wang.

Jiang Shaohua sneered in her heart. Prime Minister Wang, the old fox, saw that she was stirring up trouble in the court, so he deliberately released the Duke of Anguo to fight with her for power so that he could take advantage of the opportunity.

However, this proposal was indeed flawless and was exactly what Emperor Taihe wanted.

Emperor Taihe nodded in approval and ordered Eunuch Ge to go to the Duke Anguo's Mansion to convey the oral order.

...The news from the small court meeting quickly spread to Jingyang Palace.

Empress Dowager Zheng was shocked and stood up suddenly: "I will go to the Zhaohe Palace to see the emperor now."

Princess Baohua, who came to pay her respects, had a pale face and bit her lips hard: "Grandmother, I want to go with you too."

Empress Dowager Zheng looked at Princess Baohua lovingly and said, "Baohua, don't be afraid. The Emperor has already flatly rejected the marriage proposal. Even I would not agree to such an absurd thing."

"You are the most distinguished princess in Daliang. How can you marry that old villain Fu Mingdun, or even Yanshi? Bah! This old villain is not sincere in asking for marriage. He is clearly using this letter to humiliate Daliang and to start a war!"

The Empress Dowager Zheng became more and more annoyed as she spoke, and slammed the coffee table hard: "This is really hateful and infuriating!"

Jiang Wanhua and Jiang Yuehua could no longer sit still and stood up and shouted angrily.

Empress Dowager Zheng walked to the Zhaohe Palace with a rage, accompanied by Princess Baohua, Jiang Wanhua and Jiang Yuehua.

The group was so large and conspicuous that the eunuch guarding outside the Showa Hall immediately went in to pass on the message. After a moment, Jiang Shaohua came out to greet them.

"Shaohua!" Empress Dowager Zheng grabbed Jiang Shaohua's hand and said angrily, "Is the court meeting over?"

"Grandma, please be patient," Jiang Shaohua said softly, "The court meeting just ended. The emperor kept Prime Minister Wang and Minister Ji, and there are several generals talking."

Then, he looked at Princess Baohua, who looked terrified and worried, and said, "Don't worry, cousin. The emperor has already rejected the marriage proposal. He has also ordered the Rouran envoys to be driven out of the capital."

In this life, you no longer have to marry far away, and you won’t die miserably in a foreign country.

Empress Dowager Zheng also said, "Shaohua is right. Baohua, don't be afraid. Your grandmother will take care of everything for you."

Princess Baohua responded softly with red eyes.

Jiang Shaohua glanced at Grand Empress Dowager Zheng silently. At this moment, Grand Empress Dowager Zheng really wanted to protect Princess Baohua. In fact, it was she who decided to let Princess Baohua marry far away in her previous life.

Princess Baohua stared at Jiang Shaohua for a moment, and suddenly burst into tears: "But if a war breaks out because of this, and thousands of soldiers and civilians die tragically, wouldn't it all be my fault?"

As a princess, she was rich and noble, enjoying all the honor and wealth. Now it seemed that it was time for her to dedicate herself to the country and the people... But she was ashamed to find that she did not have such a high sentiment. She did not want to marry at all.

Princess Baohua was gentle and dignified, well-mannered, and had never cried or lost her composure in front of others. At this moment, her tears rolled down like pear blossoms falling in the rain, and she was so helpless that it was heartbreaking.

Jiang Shaohua felt a slight pain in his heart. He took out a handkerchief and wiped away the tears for Princess Baohua: "Wars are caused by greed and ambition. What does it have to do with a weak woman like you who lives deep in the harem?"

"The Rouran defeated the border troops and massacred Pengcheng before. Can someone be blamed for this?"

Princess Baohua's tears gradually stopped, and she whispered, "The previous war is not my fault. I am only afraid that if we lose the next war, everyone will blame me, the princess who was unwilling to marry far away in exchange for peace."

This is human nature and cannot be avoided.

Jiang Shaohua sighed inwardly, and continued to comfort her in a gentle voice: "Don't worry, cousin. Daliang has a vast territory, many soldiers and generals. If the Rouran dare to invade, they will pay a heavy price. Only then will there be true peace on the border."