The wicked imperial concubine is courting death again; the comments section teaches her how to win w

The northern frontier was guarded by Qi Yitang's elder brother, Qi Yuanjin, and four deputy generals.

Qi Yuanjin had been on the battlefield since he was a teenager. He was experienced and steady in his military tactics, so Xie Ling trusted him quite a bit.

Unexpectedly, news of Qi Yuanjin's serious injury soon followed.

When Xie Ling received the battle report, he frowned. When did Xianjue become so fierce?

The enemy seemed to have been prepared, setting up ambushes along the way, and almost injured Qi Yuanjin's vital organs. Now, due to excessive blood loss, he is in a coma.

Xie Ling originally wanted to keep it from Qi Yitang to avoid making her anxious and upset, which would harm her health.

Unexpectedly, upon returning to Yaotang Palace, he was greeted by Qi Yitang, who was teary-eyed and anxiously asked, "Yanzhi, I received news that my elder brother is seriously injured and his life hangs in the balance. Is it true?"

"Uncertain of life or death" is a general term that means the odds are against them and they are likely to die soon.

Qi Yitang felt uneasy. She had clearly warned her elder brother to be wary of spies, as someone wanted to harm him.

Did the eldest brother not listen to her, or did he fail to find the traitor?

Her heavily pregnant belly and pale face were a startling sight.

Xie Ling quickly stepped forward to support him, saying, "Don't rush, listen to me first."

"Tangtang, your older brother is injured, but he's not dead. Don't worry, with the army doctor here, he won't die."

Upon hearing the words "not dead," Qi Yitang's tense shoulders relaxed slightly.

But then she felt a dull, throbbing pain in her lower abdomen, her face paled even more, and her body swayed slightly.

"Are you feeling unwell?"

Xie Ling quickly picked her up and placed her on the couch. "Summon the imperial physician!"

Imperial Physician Kou rushed over and said, "Your Majesty, the Empress's discomfort is caused by emotional stress. I will prescribe a calming and tranquilizing remedy. Your Majesty should rest well."

Qi Yitang leaned against the pillow, gently stroking her belly. "I'm fine... I was just a little startled."

Knowing that her older brother was still alive, she was less panicked.

Xie Ling's face was extremely ugly, and he cursed inwardly what the Qi family could possibly accomplish.

Tangtang is pregnant. Don't you know to only share good news and not bad news?

He's injured, but he's not dead. What good is it to send this message over, except to make Tangtang worry?

But the next moment, Xie Ling frowned. He had only received the battle report this morning. Could it be that the Qi family had received the news faster than him?

"Who delivered this letter?"

Upon learning that the letter had been delivered in the name of the Prince of Anning's residence, Xie Ling's expression darkened, and he immediately ordered someone to investigate.

Lu Linbai, who was being questioned, looked completely bewildered. He and his wife were happily making babies at home, rarely venturing out of the house, and hadn't sent any letters at all.

That means someone did it on purpose.

Why send them straight to Yaotang Palace? Was it to cause Tangtang to have a premature birth?

Xie Ling's eyes darkened.

……

A few days later, Xie Ling received a battle report from the front lines. Taking advantage of Qi Yuanjin's serious injury and unconsciousness, the Xianjue colluded with the neighboring Tuxia tribe and their cavalry swept straight in.

They have already breached Zhenbeiguan, the first pass in the northern frontier.

There are nine checkpoints in the northern border region. The first three were already heavily guarded, but they were breached so easily, which shows that the Xianjue were coming with great force.

Having just dealt with the epidemic, war has broken out, leaving the court officials feeling utterly exhausted.

In these turbulent times, it's hard to even have a few days of peace and quiet.

Qi Yuanjin was seriously injured. Although his four deputy generals each had their own strengths, they were able to barely fill the gap. However, an army cannot be without a commander for a day, so another commander had to be appointed.

However, the Great Qian Dynasty is vast, and each of the major military camps is guarded by capable generals. If they were to be temporarily conscripted, not only would it be too late, but it might also disrupt the original plans.

There are a few military officers who are retired from the court.

However, most military generals only have limbs and no brains; there are not many like Qi Yuanjin who have both brains and limbs.

Even he has been seriously injured, which shows that the opponent is no ordinary person and should not be underestimated.

Someone recommended Song Xinghe, saying that he had performed exceptionally well on the Northwest battlefield.

However, some objected, arguing, "General Qi was injured, and General Song is still inexperienced; how can he shoulder such a heavy responsibility?"

Several veterans were recommended, but they were either too old, had relapsed old injuries, or were better at defense than offense...

The emperor remained silent.

After everyone had finished arguing, their gazes turned to the emperor, eager to see how he would decide.

Xie Ling only said four words: "The emperor will personally lead the expedition."

The court was silent for a moment, then a murmur of discussion arose.

Your Majesty is brave and mighty. If you personally lead an expedition, you will be invincible. However, the Empress is almost seven months pregnant and will give birth soon. How could Your Majesty bear to leave her?

Of course I'd hate to part with it.

If it were only Qi Yuanjin who was seriously injured, Xie Ling would not have needed to personally lead the expedition.

He's not a doctor and doesn't know how to treat illnesses, so going to Qi Yuanjin won't immediately improve his condition.

Whether it's a brother-in-law or a biological brother, Xie Ling treats them all the same.

He only loves the house, not the crows.

What truly made Xie Ling decide was a secret report: the reason why Xianjue was able to advance so rapidly this time was because their Khan, Kumobadu, had gained a one-eyed strategist who advised Kumobadu to join forces with Tuxia to attack Daqian.

Xie Ling could conclude that Qin Yuanchao was indeed still alive.

They're really hard to kill.

He lost an eye, fell off a cliff, and somehow survived?

The two foreign tribes that spread rumors about the demon queen during the last epidemic in Xushui County were Xianjue people.

It is likely that Qin Yuanchao fled to Xianjue after going blind and falling off a cliff, and somehow gained Kumobadu's trust. Now he has returned with hatred.

Xie Ling even regretted that she shouldn't have been so filial in the first place.

He should have just agreed to the Empress Dowager's request on the surface, but he should have had the entire Qin family executed during the exile, which would have prevented this current disaster.

If he cannot personally chop Qin Yuanchao into mincemeat, who knows if Qin Yuanchao will cause trouble in the future, and the throne will not be secure.

Xie Ling didn't trust anyone else to go, so this time, he had to lead the expedition himself.

The only tricky thing is... how do I explain leaving at this crucial moment to Tangtang?

……

"The emperor personally leading the expedition?"

Upon hearing the news from Li Degui, Qi Yitang accidentally knocked over the teacup beside him.

With a "clatter," warm tea spilled onto the table, running down the edge and soaking her skirt.

Yunzhu exclaimed in surprise, "Your Highness, are you alright? Are you burned?"

Qi Yitang seemed not to hear him, staring intently at Li Degui, her heart pounding in her chest, her voice trembling.

"...Is he planning to go in person?"

"Yes." Li Degui sighed. "The situation in the northern frontier is urgent. His Majesty has already made pre-battle preparations and sent me to inform Your Majesty first."

The cicadas outside the window had stopped chirping sometime ago, and a thin layer of clouds hung in the sky, as if it were about to rain.

Qi Yitang could no longer hear what Li Degui said next.

Only a few words echoed in her mind: Xie Ling was going to lead the army personally, he was going to leave her...