Prince Bei Jing of the Red Chamber, starting from saving Qin Keqing

Inside the study of the Prince of Beijing's mansion, the flickering candlelight cast Shui Rong's shadow on the wall, overlapping with the map of the territory spread out on the desk.

He ran his fingertips along the edge of the map, then looked up at Zhao Zhong, who was waiting beside him, and gave the order:

"When you deliver the medicinal herbs to the Lin residence tomorrow, pick out a few military books that I personally compiled from the library and give them to Miss Lin as well."

"Remember, do not say that I wrote it. Just say that it is a rare copy from the old collection of the mansion, and ask her to help appraise it and give some insights."

Zhao Zhong bowed and replied, "This servant understands."

He stood with his eyes lowered, but he understood perfectly.

The prince wanted to further investigate Miss Lin's background, to determine whether her intelligence stemmed from innate talent or simply from exceptional memory.

He knew his lord's talent better than anyone; the lord had annotated half the books in the manor's library word for word.

The military treatise she wrote herself incorporated years of planning and insightful observations that even ordinary men might not be able to decipher, let alone a woman confined to her chambers.

Shui Rong seemed to see through his thoughts and added calmly:

"I want to see if she can truly see through the strategies and tactics in military books, or if she can only recite the words."

"If it's the former, we can teach her some things after she enters the manor, and she might become an asset in the future; if it's the latter, we'll make other plans."

"This servant understands and will certainly pass it on properly, and carefully inquire about Miss Lin's views."

Zhao Zhong nodded, then recalled the news from the cabinet during the day and was about to report it when he saw Shui Rong had already turned his gaze back to the map of the territory and asked first:

"How has the cabinet's decision regarding trade with the Tatars and Oirats been finalized?"

When business was brought up, Zhao Zhong immediately composed himself, stepped forward, bowed, and gave a detailed reply:

"Your Majesty, the trade agreement with the Tatars has been preliminarily finalized. The treasury is preparing the silk and tea for the exchange, awaiting Your Majesty's final approval."

"However, a change occurred on the Mongolian side—the Mongolian goddess had strong objections, although she agreed to sell potatoes and sweet potatoes to our dynasty."

"They proposed that we transfer the iron smelting technology from the General Machinery Industry to them in exchange."

He paused, then said:

"As soon as this matter came out, the court was immediately divided into two factions."

"The military group led by the Duke of Wei and the old Prince of Xiping immediately rejected the Mongol request, saying that iron smelting was fundamental to the army and that passing it on to the Mongols would be tantamount to raising a tiger to cause trouble."

"However, some cabinet ministers had reservations. Some suggested that the Mongols had been secretly recruiting displaced artisans over the years and might have already gradually mastered iron smelting technology."

"Instead of a stalemate, we should use this as leverage to secure a few years of peace on the border."

"His Majesty is now in a dilemma."

Zhao Zhong's tone became more serious:

"If the Mongols really intend to launch an invasion next spring, we will still need to rely on veteran generals like the Duke of Wei to lead the campaign; it is not convenient to go against their wishes."

"But if we reject the Mongols, we fear that the conflict will be completely escalated and war will break out before the end of the year. These past few days, the cabinet has been debating endlessly, and things have become extremely heated."

"Interesting." Shui Rong chuckled softly, lightly tapping the Mongolian territory on the map with his fingertip, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes:

"This Mongolian goddess is indeed a person of great insight."

"With the year-end approaching, the people of the Central Plains have always valued the New Year and no one wants to wage war at this time. She just happened to raise conditions at this critical juncture, which shows that she has hit the weak spot of the Great Yin Dynasty."

He looked up at Zhao Zhong and asked, "Do you think the Mongols will launch a military campaign this year?"

Zhao Zhong hesitated for a moment, then bowed and said:

"This humble servant is foolish and only knows that there has been little snowfall in the capital this year, so the grasslands probably haven't had much snow either. However, whether the Mongols will launch a military campaign depends on their grain reserves..."

You're only half right.

Shui Rong interrupted him, gesturing for him to come forward and look at the map:

"Come here and look at this territory—the capital city and the Mongolian border are not far apart. The fact that there is little snow in the capital city means that the snow disaster on the Mongolian side is not very serious this year."

"In previous years, the Mongols mobilized their troops mostly because of the devastating white disaster that resulted in a complete crop failure, leaving them no choice but to plunder southwards."

"This year's snow disaster was mild, and they have ample supplies, making it a good time for them to recuperate and build up their strength. Next spring, they will surely be able to organize a large-scale war."

He pointed his finger toward the Liaodong area, his tone becoming more serious: "As for the Dayin region, I went to inspect the Liaodong border a few days ago. What Qin Zhongxun said in court that day was somewhat exaggerated."

The Liaodong army was actually insufficient, and coupled with the frequent incursions by the Jurchen tribes, it was already exhausted from dealing with them.

The most crucial question now is: will the Tatars and Oirats join forces with the Jurchens?

If the three parties form an alliance, next year's border war will likely be extremely fierce.

Zhao Zhong's heart tightened upon hearing this, and he couldn't help but ask:

"Since Your Majesty has such insight, why not immediately enter the palace to advise His Majesty and remind him to take precautions early? This would also allow for the timely mobilization of troops to strengthen the border defenses."

Upon hearing this, Shui Rong suddenly laughed, but the laughter, though tinged with coldness, fell into her eyes:

"I'll say it again: if the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up."

"Even if the war is intense, with the strength of the Great Yin, as long as there is no internal rebellion, the Tatars and Jurchens will ultimately not be able to destroy the Great Yin."

"Besides, I am just a leisurely prince. The affairs of the court are handled by the cabinet ministers and a few veteran generals. It is not my place to interfere."

He drew a heavy line on the map between the three forces of Tatars, Oirats, and Jurchens, and in the candlelight, an imperceptible ambition surged in his deep eyes.

Zhao Zhong stood aside, and although he did not say it outright, he vaguely guessed what the prince was thinking.

Turbulent times produce heroes. Only when the situation becomes chaotic can a prince have the opportunity to break free from the shackles of being a "leisurely prince" and truly grasp military power.

In this era of restrictions on the imperial clan, without military power, all plans are just empty talk.

Zhao Zhong lowered his eyes and remained silent. He knew his lord's temperament well. On the surface, he was carefree and unrestrained, but inside he harbored lofty ambitions, which he never easily revealed.

Several days have passed in the blink of an eye, and the atmosphere of the year-end is getting stronger.

On the streets of the capital, crimson lanterns hung densely, firecrackers went off one after another, and children, freed from the winter chill, chased and played in the alleys in their new clothes, their laughter echoing throughout the streets.

Since the Shuiyue Nunnery and those human traffickers were rounded up a few days ago, the security in the capital has improved a lot, and people are more willing to let their children go out to play. Everywhere is bustling with the lively atmosphere of everyday life.

But this excitement never reached the depths of the palace.

The day before New Year's Eve, a strange commotion suddenly arose in the palace. The palace gates were tightly closed, and the frequency of the guards' patrols increased dramatically, their expressions solemn.

Even the eunuchs and palace maids who usually moved between the palace walls were now silent and hurried.

No one knew what had happened within the palace; all that could be vaguely sensed was an unusual undercurrent quietly surging beneath the festive atmosphere of the year's end.