Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

In late summer, wildflowers bloom across the rolling hillsides.

Zhang Yong suddenly saw Zhao Sheng reach out and stop him, shaking his head at him. At first, he was puzzled, but after glancing at his general and princess walking together under the blue sky, accompanied by wildflowers, Zhang Yong seemed to understand.

He raised his hand, signaling all his guards to remain in place and await orders.

Princess Zhaoyang halted her horse at a high point, her gaze sweeping from the nearby flowers to the distant verdant mountains and forests. Without turning back, she asked in a clear voice, "General, what do you think of the scenery of this land?"

Jia Lian was half a foot behind Princess Zhaoyang, and his gaze could sweep over her slender back without any scruples.

Although she was a beautiful woman, she stood on horseback with a steady and confident demeanor, as if she were born to be a general.

It's a pity that such a woman married into a foreign land.

Putting aside his distracting thoughts, Jia Lian spurred his horse forward a step, looked into the distance, and replied, "A magnificent land, a picturesque landscape."

Princess Zhaoyang turned around, glanced at Jia Lian's handsome face, and asked with a smile, "I have heard that General's lifelong ambition is to emulate our ancestors, fight on the battlefield, establish merit and fame, and expand the territory of our Great Wei Dynasty."

"It was just drunken ramblings."

Jia Lian replied casually.

He had indeed said these things to Grandmother Jia and others. As for why Princess Zhaoyang knew about them, Jia Lian wasn't surprised.

He had premeditatedly intended for these words to be spread, preferably reaching the ears of those he wanted them to reach.

If Princess Zhaoyang were to investigate him, it would be easy for her to find out.

"I don't think this is just wild talk."

With your charisma, General, achieving the same success as the Dukes Rong and Ning is only a matter of time.

"Your Highness is too kind; I am unworthy of such praise."

"Hehe, I suddenly remembered something interesting."

Princess Zhaoyang suddenly laughed, and seeing that Jia Lian did not interrupt, she continued, "If in the future, when the Great Wei goes to war with the Oirat, and the general is able to command the three armies and attack the Oirat royal court, I wonder what will happen if he sees me again."

Jia Lian frowned and subconsciously comforted her, "Princess, you are overthinking it. The Great Wei and the Oirat have already made an alliance, so how could they easily start a war?"

Given the current power balance between the Wei and Oirat states, the Oirat would have virtually no chance of winning in a one-on-one fight.

"Is that so?"

Princess Zhaoyang asked a question indifferently, without arguing with Jia Lian, and then said, "I'm afraid that by then the general will still be as dashing as ever, while I will have become a haggard old woman, or even that I may no longer exist."

Princess Zhaoyang spoke calmly, but her words carried a strange sadness.

From her words, we know that Princess Zhaoyang actually knew that the Great Wei and the Oirat Mongols would inevitably go to war sooner or later. Jia Lian knew this because Emperor Ningkang had revealed it to him before their departure.

However, it is unlikely that Emperor Ningkang would tell Princess Zhaoyang, who was about to be married off, about this idea.

It is evident that this woman possesses an extraordinary keen insight and understanding of national affairs.

"Your Highness is too kind. As a princess of the Great Wei Kingdom, you have tens of millions of citizens and a million-strong army as your backing."

Therefore, even if they went to the Oirat Mongols, the Oirat people would not dare to show the princess any disrespect.

Your Majesty's reason for requesting the construction of a Han palace at the Oirat royal court is to tell the Oirat king that if he dares to neglect the princess, he will suffer a price they cannot bear.

Princess Zhaoyang smiled. She had no idea whether her father had added this point to the alliance for her own good or simply to intimidate the rumored timid Oirat king.

Unwilling to dwell on this issue, Princess Zhaoyang looked directly at Jia Lian.

For some reason, although she used to consider herself generous and even bold, she only dared to glance at Jia Lian quickly every time she saw him.

Today, however, she can admire Jia Lian's handsome appearance without any reservations.

Even when she saw Jia Lian looking at her, she showed no fear whatsoever.

Ultimately, Jia Lian was the one who felt uncomfortable and turned his head away first.

"Hehehe."

Princess Zhaoyang smiled for no apparent reason. To avoid embarrassment, she casually changed the subject: "Oh right, I forgot to thank the general."

Because of Zhaoyang, not only has the general been troubled by this journey of thousands of miles, but he has also gone to great lengths to make ice to help Zhaoyang cool off amidst his busy military affairs.

During this period, if the general hadn't had my younger brother bring me ice every day to cool me down, I'm afraid Zhaoyang would have suffered terribly from the heat.

"I dare not accept your thanks; this is simply my duty."

Although the efficiency of making ice with saltpeter is extremely low, it is not a big deal if it is only for Princess Zhaoyang's use.

Moreover, saltpeter is not a disposable consumable.

Once the ice melts and heats up, the consumed saltpeter can be extracted through evaporation and crystallization, similar to salt production.

Although the process is troublesome, it saves you the trouble of collecting everything again.

However, he couldn't really accept Princess Zhaoyang's gratitude, because from beginning to end, it was the Fourth Prince who insisted on this matter, and he was just providing technical guidance and the necessary laborers.

Princess Zhaoyang felt little joy at being respected despite hearing Jia Lian's humble response.

Now that they were alone, she even wished that Jia Lian would be more rude to her or more affectionate.

Unfortunately, it seems that this is impossible.

Jia Lian was more rational and composed than she had imagined.

But isn't that exactly what I admire and like about him?

"Let me tell you something the general might not know."

"Please speak, Princess."

Princess Zhaoyang turned back and smiled, "Not long after we left the capital, my younger brother asked me if I had really fallen in love with the general."

He said that if it were true, he could have his soldiers disguise themselves as bandits and kidnap us both, so that we could retire to a life of seclusion in the countryside.

General, do you know that I was truly tempted back then?

Jia Lian remained silent.

Based on his understanding of the Fourth Prince, it was quite possible that such a suggestion came from him.

However, as long as Princess Zhaoyang has any sense, she will not let the Fourth Prince act recklessly.

Although he knew the matter was over and the Fourth Prince hadn't done anything foolish, Jia Lian still felt uneasy.

After all, Princess Zhaoyang's words were tantamount to a direct confession of her feelings to him.

Previously, it was always the Empress Dowager who intervened. Although he vaguely sensed that Princess Zhaoyang liked him, she hadn't said it outright.

He can pretend he doesn't know.

With so many people liking him, he believed he could simply pass through a sea of ​​flowers and pick only the few he wanted.

Only then did he realize that human greed cannot be suppressed by personal reason alone.

"I am deeply grateful for the princess's kindness, but I am unworthy of it."

"Heh, so this means I've been rejected by the general again?"

Princess Zhaoyang looked at Jia Lian with a hint of mockery, her eyes sparkling with boundless brilliance.

From Jia Lian's somewhat flustered expression, she seemed to be able to see what was going on in Jia Lian's mind.

Unfortunately, Jia Lian seemed to have been cornered by her and had nothing more to say.

Turning her head to look at the distant azure sky, Princess Zhaoyang resumed her normal tone and said softly, "General, have you always had a question in your heart? That is, why did I recommend you to be the envoy for the wedding?"

Did you still harbor doubts about me, worry that I might hold a grudge and harm the general on the way, or even be wary of me?

"Your Majesty, I dare not. It is my honor to be able to serve Your Majesty and the Princess."

Ignoring Jia Lian's usual cautious words, she said softly, "If so, then the Great Wei and the Oirat are destined to fight. If, General, you truly have lofty ambitions, then I, Zhaoyang, am willing to do my utmost to help you."

Princess Zhaoyang gazed firmly into the distance, seemingly talking to herself, and said, "After the Mongol Yuan retreated north, they split into two parts, east and west."

For over a hundred years, they have been harassing my Great Wei.

Emperor Taizu, Emperor Taizong, my grandfather, and my father—each of them wanted to completely eliminate this major threat.

However, each time, they could not achieve complete success.

Now that the Tatar regime is stable and its strength is growing, the court has chosen to ally with the Oirat.

When the threat of the Tatars is eliminated, the imperial court will inevitably have to eradicate the Oirats.

At that time, the general who has personally visited the Oirat and is familiar with the situation there will surely be the best person to take command.

Do you understand what I mean, General?

Jia Lian was deeply shocked and couldn't help but look at Princess Zhaoyang's profile.

His face, though still youthful, possessed unparalleled resilience and determination.

Didn't she say that she found the Oirat prince quite agreeable, which is why she agreed to Emperor Ningkang's marriage proposal?

Why could she say such things so coldly, as if none of this concerned her?

Is this the mindset of outstanding individuals within the royal family?

Didn't she know that if things were really as she said, even if the Oirat army was defeated in the future, those who died in the fighting might include her husband, son, and other people she cared about!

Could it be that disregarding familial ties and human relationships, and focusing solely on national righteousness, is truly a required course for every member of the royal family?

He realized he was right; he probably couldn't afford to play with these princes and grandsons of the emperor.

Princess Zhaoyang was unaware of Jia Lian's inner thoughts. Gazing at the beautiful landscape she loved, she silently added a thought to herself.

To be able to travel across mountains and rivers with the person you love on your final journey is to make your life worthwhile.

……

Crossing the endless yellow sands, we entered the boundless Gobi Desert.

The large group traveled slowly and deliberately, stopping frequently, and after an unknown amount of time, they finally arrived at the last checkpoint.

Ganning Pass.

This was a key border town built by the Great Wei Kingdom to defend against the southward advance of the Oirat Mongols.

The number of officers and soldiers stationed in the interior and surrounding areas is no less than tens of thousands!

This ranks among the top three of all the important passes in the Great Wei Dynasty.

Beyond the Ganning Pass lies the vast Gobi Desert, stretching for thousands of miles.

It was past the Mid-Autumn Festival, but the borderlands were already gripped by a biting wind. Coupled with the vast expanse of yellow sand, the officers, soldiers, and their entourage who had traveled from the bustling capital all frowned and complained.

The garrison commander of Ganning Pass personally led a group of soldiers to the pass to greet them.

"Your humble servant Wu Shiwei, and all the officers and soldiers garrisoning Ganning Pass, respectfully welcome Your Highness!"

As Jia Lian rode on his white horse, he immediately saw several middle-aged generals in military uniforms hurrying to Princess Zhaoyang's carriage to perform a kneeling ceremony.

The leader was a tall, dark-skinned man. Although he was a robust and imposing figure, his slightly overweight belly made his official robes bulge, giving him a more auspicious appearance.

Leaving aside these few people, let's look at the imposing armored soldiers standing guard before the pass.

Although they were clad in gray armor and had weathered faces, they all looked strong and powerful, with a cold expression on their faces.

This is the true border army of the Great Wei, and it is absolutely elite!

"Generals, please rise."

Before the imperial carriage, Wu Shiwei and the others stood up and said respectfully, "We have cleaned the temporary residence for Your Highness and respectfully invite Your Highness to enter the pass for rest."

We fear that our humble servants are uncouth and incapable of satisfying Your Highness's desires. However, if there is anything we find objectionable, please send someone to let us know, and we will do our utmost to serve Your Highness.”

Thank you for your trouble.

Seeing that Princess Zhaoyang did not seem to have any specific instructions, Wu Shiwei and the others had no choice but to make way and allow the imperial carriage to enter the pass.

He himself then came before Jia Lian.

"May I ask, is this young general the Imperial Envoy?"

Jia Lian had already dismounted and, upon hearing this, cupped his hands and said, "Greetings, General Wu. I am Jia Lian."

Wu Shiwei originally thought that these sons of noble families from the capital, who had come on imperial orders, would inevitably be somewhat arrogant.

Seeing Jia Lian bow to him first, acting as a junior, he couldn't help but feel a sense of goodwill towards him.

He hurriedly returned the greeting with a cupped hand and laughed, "Haha, indeed a young talent! I have heard of General Jia's great name, even though I have been guarding this harsh land for so long. My apologies for my rudeness."

"You're too kind, General Wu."

Since they were not familiar with each other, the two exchanged a few pleasantries and then invited each other to enter the pass.

After exchanging brief introductions of their attendants and subordinates, Wu Shiwei, citing the reason that Jia Lian and his companions were tired from their journey and should rest first, instructed several adjutants to arrange accommodations for them before taking his leave.

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