Raising a wife? The mistress of the Hou family divorced and remarried her younger uncle

Chapter 230 Long Distance Love

Yun Zhizhou looked solemn and worried as he reported to Su Qingwan, "My princess, Zhang San is a very shrewd man. He secretly sent people to spread the news in the city, claiming that the princess wants to accept the bandits into the city. These bandits usually burn, kill, and rob, and have a blood feud with the people. The crimes they have committed are too numerous to list. The people hate them to the core, so naturally it is difficult for them to accept the amnesty. My princess, if you really reach an agreement with Zhang San on the amnesty, I am afraid your prestige in the hearts of the people will plummet."

As expected, rumors in the city spread rapidly.

Someone looked disdainful and said sarcastically: "The princess is a woman after all. How can she have the heroic spirit of the King of Huainan and the Crown Prince? She even lowered herself to negotiate with the bandits. She should have been like the King of Huainan, full of blood, drew her sword, assembled her troops, and attacked the Eighteen Mountains of Huainan, slaughtering the evil bandits to death and avenging the people!"

Others, with traditional prejudice, shook their heads and sighed, "Women are born to take care of their husbands and children in the back house, how can they fight in the battlefield? Even if the princess inherits Huainan, it will be difficult for her to restore the former glory of the Huainan Palace. In my opinion, it is better for her to find a good family to marry early, have children, and live a stable life."

Some even said things that were unbearable to hear, shouting wantonly: "Why not just let the princess marry the bandits and hand Huainan over to the bandits to save them the trouble!"

Fortunately, Luzhu and Qingqingqing usually managed the affairs of the mansion in an orderly manner and were very strict with the maids. These maids were all trained by them, and they were all cautious in their words and deeds, not daring to slack off in the slightest, so those unbearable rumors did not reach Su Qingwan's ears.

However, Su Qingwan was so smart that she could roughly guess what the people were thinking even without hearing it herself. She looked at Yun Zhizhou calmly and asked softly, "Brother-in-law, do you also think that I shouldn't recruit these bandits?"

Yun Zhizhou raised his eyes and looked at Su Qingwan, with mixed emotions in his heart. If it were more than a decade ago, when he was the Zhizhou of Huainan and Su Qingwan was still the innocent little sister in the mansion, he would definitely express his opinions to her without reservation, just like treating his own sister. But now it is different. Su Qingwan has become the princess and the owner of the entire Huainan fiefdom. She is not only his sister, but also a master who needs to be respected and obeyed.

"Princess, the hatred between the bandits and the people is irreconcilable." Yun Zhizhou weighed his words and analyzed objectively, "If the princess insists on recruiting them, she must do everything she can to appease the people. If the appeasement is not done properly, unrest is likely to break out in the city. We kept the news secret before, but now it is known to the whole city. It is obvious that the bandits did it deliberately. They just want to put the princess in a dilemma and make it difficult to get off the tiger's back!"

"How could I not know the deep hatred between the bandits and the people?" Su Qingwan sighed slightly, with worry in her eyes, "It's just that the bandits have been entrenched in the Eighteen Mountains of Huainan for many years, and their roots are deep and intertwined. If we rashly send troops to attack, it will definitely be a waste of money and manpower, and the people will suffer. Force has always been the last resort after the complete breakdown of peace talks. If I can persuade the bandits to surrender through peaceful persuasion, I really don't want to use force easily. Many of the bandits in the Eighteen Mountains of Huainan were once under the command of my father and brother. Soldiers. After the Huainan clan was tragically wiped out, they had nowhere to go and were forced to become bandits. "Su Qingwan paused, her expression becoming more solemn, "In addition to this, there is another crucial reason, that is, the border is too close! The three border cities of Xilin are only separated from us by a river. If there is any disturbance, if these bandits turn to the southwest, they will become a great concern for us. Zhang San dares to bet with me, but I dare not risk the safety of Huainan! So, I will do my best to negotiate with them. If we really can't reach an agreement, let Nian Qing lead the troops to go to war!"

"The princess has made up her mind, and we, the subordinates, will follow her orders!" Yun Zhizhou bowed respectfully and said in a firm tone.

Huainan now has a complete system of fiefdom officials. Yun Zhizhou and the counselors in the government, as well as officials of all sizes in Huainan, all obey Su Qingwan's orders. In the face of the people's protests, they only need to do a good job of appeasement and stability. In order to avoid further intensification of the conflict, Su Qingwan did not give the people a clear answer.

But she gave Zhang San a clear deadline: within one month, he must make a decision on the bandits. Otherwise, they would have to fight each other. At the same time, in the Jinluan Palace in Beijing, the court officials were also discussing many matters in Huainan.

Lu Jing also received news of the turbulent situation in Huainan. Both the bandits and the princess were keeping their troops in place and observing secretly. The situation was about to explode. The final result would be either Huainan sent troops to suppress the bandits, or the bandits were successfully subdued by Huainan.

Ning Yuanhou was filled with indignation when he heard this. He volunteered, "A mere 10,000 bandits dared to act recklessly in Huainan and openly clamor. This bandit leader must be tired of living! Your Majesty, I am willing to lead the troops to Zhongzhou to catch all these bandits and rid the people of Huainan of this harm!"

Lu Jing looked indifferent, raised his eyebrows slightly, and said indifferently: "Huainan has not asked for help from the capital, why should the Marquis be so enthusiastic and rush to help? Isn't it like putting a cold face on a warm butt?"

When Ning Yuanhou heard this, he was suddenly speechless, his face turned pale and red, and he secretly complained in his heart: Can this word be used like this?
Regent, why do you sound a little resentful? Could it be that he already knows the identity of the princess?
But how could this be possible? This has always been a secret. The princess has kept it a secret from her own wife for so many years, so she would never easily tell a marriage partner who is only in name only.

General Chen saw this and hurried out to smooth things over. He said with a smile, "The capital and Huainan are planning to reconcile. If we take the initiative to show our friendship now, Huainan will surely be grateful. Maybe the princess will be happy and willing to come to the capital."

Lu Jing snorted coldly, the reply letter appeared in his mind. He felt helpless and didn't want to say anything for a moment.

The princess watched the excitement from the side, her lips slightly raised, and said jokingly: "The princess has invited the prince to go to Huainan in person. If the prince wants to go, no one will stop you. My dear ministers, don't you agree?"

As soon as these words came out, there was an uproar in the court. If Lu Jing left the capital at this time, the poor family would be indignant and in chaos. The princess was obviously deliberately watching the excitement, and the poor officials in the court naturally firmly opposed it, and they all advised: "The court is not stable yet, how can the regent leave the capital so easily?"

One official even tried to persuade Lu Jing earnestly: "Princess Huainan has repeatedly disobeyed the emperor's orders. Your Majesty, why do you have to worry about these things in Huainan?"

Lu Jing, "..."