The fiercest soldier of the border army

Tang Shun remained standing in the same spot, his gaze shifting from the map of Lingzhou to the Crown Prince's face.

Cui Yuanlang had already turned and left, the curtain swayed a few times, and then fell silent.

Only a few of them remained in the hall, and the atmosphere was even more somber than before.

The Crown Prince sat motionless, his fingers lightly tapping the edge of the table. His voice was not loud, "Tang Shun, do you know why I have arranged for you to compete against Cui Yuanlang on the same stage?"

Tang Shun clasped his hands in a fist salute: "In order to select capable individuals."

Yes and no.

The Crown Prince shook his head slightly. "If I were to directly appoint you as governor, within three days the Censorate would submit a series of impeachments, accusing me of favoring military men, suppressing upright officials, and colluding with important ministers in border towns."

"At that time, not only will you fail to accomplish anything, but I, Li Jiedu, and even the entire Northern Court will be plunged into conflict."

Tang Shun knew that rising to the top in one step was too terrifying and unheard of.

If the imperial appointment were rejected outright, it would only appear absurd and bizarre in the eyes of the high-ranking officials.

The Crown Prince is openly disregarding official documents from the Ministry of Personnel in an attempt to collude with the military governors of the border regions!

The crown prince paused, then lowered his voice: "But if we let you compete and determine the winner based on your actual performance, no one will have a say."

"I left this world under immense pressure, do you understand?"

Tang Shun nodded and bowed in gratitude, saying, "Your subject understands, and thanks Your Highness for your kindness!"

The Crown Prince smiled faintly and shook his head again, "You're wrong. You should thank Li Jiedu."

"Initially, I intended to appoint you as a county magistrate, while retaining Cui Yuanlang as governor."

"It was Li Jiedu who told me that we should give you a chance to become a prefect."

Tang Shun bowed again in gratitude, saying, "Thank you for your kindness in promoting me, General!"

Li Qing patted his beard and instructed him:

"Now, you two are both pacification envoys, nominally of equal rank."

"But we only have three months. Whoever can save the people will become the governor of Lingzhou."

After he finished speaking, he paused for a moment, then added, "This is no ordinary job."

"The price of grain in Wenchi County rose three times a day, with rice costing a thousand coins per bushel. People were selling their children, and some were even exchanging their own children to eat."

Tang Shun remained silent.

Seeing his silence, the Crown Prince did not press him further, but continued, "The Northern Court is now engulfed in flames everywhere, the Xiongnu are harassing the borders, and the Zhao Kingdom in the east is stirring up trouble. The military governor's office is too busy to take care of itself."

"You will not receive a single grain of rice or a single penny of silver within a month. You can only rely on yourself to stabilize Wenchi."

Tang Shun replied in a deep voice, "Yes."

There were no lengthy speeches, no impassioned pronouncements.

One word, and it resonates deeply.

Li Qing'an then stood up, his purple robe trailing on the ground, his gold fish-shaped pouch jingling softly. "There's no time to lose."

"The appointment from the military governor's office will be issued tomorrow; you must depart tonight."

"The road to Wenchi is long and fraught with trouble. I have ordered the deployment of thirty cavalrymen to be under your command."

"There is also a scholar born and raised in Beiting who will help you establish a firm foothold as soon as possible."

"As for your twenty-eight former subordinates, I have already dispatched officers to lead the way east and wait for you halfway there."

"After all, he is the imperial envoy and the imperial commissioner, so we need to have someone available."

"Also, the reward for defending the city has already been decided by the cavalry, and you will decide on it."

Tang Shun turned to him, "Thank you for the arrangements, General."

"No need to thank me," Li Qingan shook his head. "I'm doing this for your own good."

"Leaving a day earlier means one less variable."

"Cui Yuanlang has powerful families backing him up. If he tries to influence things in the capital, there might be other changes."

"Even if you get there first, it's still an advantage, even if it's just for a little longer."

Tang Shun understood what he meant.

In officialdom, first impressions always prevail.

Cui Yuanlang's prefectural governorship slipped away just like that, and no one could swallow this insult!

He said no more and turned to look at Shi Hanshan.

The two exchanged a glance, needing no words.

Shi Hanshan nodded slightly as a farewell.

Tang Shun then spoke again, his voice lower than before: "Your Highness, I have a request."

The crown prince raised his eyes: "Speak."

"Su Shu..." He paused for a moment, "She once brought me food in my lonely tent, and even saved my life during my execution."

"My future is uncertain as I take up my post. I only wish to see her one more time and thank her in person."

The hall suddenly became quiet.

The crown prince stared at him for a moment, then suddenly smiled and asked a completely unrelated question, "Tang Shun."

"Given your personality, you're probably not the type to sit idly by and wait for your doom."

"Why didn't you resist when someone framed you a few days ago, and instead waited for Miss Su to rescue you? Did you already know?"

Tang Shun raised his eyebrows slightly, noticing that the military governor was also looking over; clearly, both of them wanted an answer.

"That's not the case." Tang Shun shook his head. "When defending the city, Tang Shun was just a small squad leader with no worries. He only thought that if he died, his men might be able to survive."

"If my death can save dozens of my men, it's worth it."

"I see." The Crown Prince also stood up. "However, it might not be so easy for you to see Miss Su."

Tang Shun was slightly taken aback.

Why? I've come to Tingzhou, but I still can't see him?

"Prime Minister Su entrusted this to me before his departure."

The Crown Prince patiently explained, "His only remaining family member is Su Shu, who is living a life of hardship in her humble abode. If Su Shu were alive, he would make sure she doesn't suffer the torment of the borderlands."

"Starting from Datong, she went directly to Chang'an. By now, she has probably passed Wuguan Pass, and you will no longer be able to see her."

"The security along the way is tight, so there's no need to worry too much."

"On another note—"

The Crown Prince chuckled softly, "If it weren't for Miss Su, I'm afraid I wouldn't have known that there was such a talent as you in the Northern Army."

The sunlight outside shone on Tang Shun's face, illuminating a stiff outline.

Even if the prime minister's daughter is dismissed, once she recovers, she still has connections and influence.

She was no longer that trembling girl in the corner of the military camp.

She was a noblewoman from the capital and an old friend of the Crown Prince.

The two are worlds apart.

He wasn't unaware; it was just that he truly saw things clearly at this moment.

Li Qingan noticed the change in atmosphere and coughed lightly. "Tang Anfu, it's getting late."

"The horses are ready, and the documents are sealed. They are waiting in the outer hall. If you have nothing else to do, you may depart immediately."

As he spoke, Li Qing'an took out a bundle from the side and handed it to Tang Shun, "Besides that, I have another personal matter."

Tang Shun took the bundle. "General, please speak."

"I have a daughter who has been widowed in Wenchi County for many years. Please help me deliver this bundle to her."

"Rest assured, General, I will certainly deliver it."

Tang Shun took a deep breath, looked up at the Crown Prince, and said, "If there is nothing else, I shall take my leave."

The Crown Prince nodded: "Go, and remember what you said today. I and Li Jiedu do not care about background or empty talk; we only care about results."

"Whether the people of Wenchi can survive depends entirely on how well you go on this trip."

Tang Shun clasped his hands in a fist salute, turned around, and walked steadily toward the gate.

Shi Hanshan followed a few steps and stopped at the door.

The two didn't say much, only glanced at each other.

In that glance, there was trust, entrustment, and an unspeakable heaviness.

Tang Shun walked out of the main hall, his shadow lengthened by the sunlight and cast onto the blue brick floor.

He didn't turn around, but walked straight through the corridor and headed towards the gate of the mansion.

The horse is already waiting.

A black horse, saddle and reins in perfect order, was being held by a captain in leather armor.

Behind the main group, thirty riders, all in armor, stood beside their horses.

The horse was not the short, ponies of the Xiongnu people, but a tall, large horse from the Western Regions.

Beside the leader, a young scholar wearing a black turban and a round-necked robe waited quietly.

The group of men saw him arrive and immediately bowed, saying, "My lord, the horses are ready."

Behind him, thirty riders bowed in unison, "Greetings, Your Excellency!"