After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

…………

On April 5th, the sky over Nanjing was cloudless, and the sweltering heat of early summer was gradually arriving.

The crows in the sky cawed listlessly, and the willows along the Qinhuai River drooped their branches dejectedly, looking listless.

Pedestrians passing by on the street also looked hurried, their faces tense as they bought things, not daring to talk to others, their shadows trailing behind them as they walked back and forth.

When encountering someone you know, you exchange at most a glance before quickly moving on.

The martial law in the city is stricter than ever before.

The Imperial Guards, the Imperial City Military Cavalry, and the constables of Shangyuan and Jiangning counties were constantly hunting down spies.

"This one's a spy from the Northern Dynasty, that one's a spy from the Northern Dynasty, where did all these spies from the Northern Dynasty come from?" People in the capital thought to themselves.

Since the 25th of last month, when the originally favorable situation of the North-South alliance suddenly showed some signs of trouble, the atmosphere in Nanjing has become more and more tense over the past ten days, giving people a feeling that dark clouds are hanging over their heads.

The atmosphere between the North and the South also took a sharp turn for the worse.

Some taverns and shops near the North Korean embassy were the first to feel this change.

The imperial court has ordered its men to surround the Northern Dynasty's embassy. Now, not only are people not allowed to enter or leave, but even messengers are not allowed to go in.

A busybody went to ask the military officer who was besieging the embassy what was going on. The officer glared at him, and the busybody was nearly scared to death!

Nowadays, the only person who can enter and leave the embassy is the chief envoy, Dachun.

The newly appointed Vice Minister of Rites, Dong Yunzhuo, spoke.

"If your esteemed envoy wishes to send a letter to your dynasty, please bring your esteemed envoy's seal, write the letter at the Ministry of Rites, affix your seal, and have it delivered to Jiangpu City by our dynasty."

"Then a messenger from Jiangpu City will deliver it to Chuzhou City, and your court will send it to Beijing City by express courier, which will take eight hundred li. Now that the roads have thawed, it will arrive in seven or eight days."

Da Chun waved his hands and roared:

"Is this the way to treat guests? Is this the way to treat guests? Our dynasty treats your delegation as honored guests, while your dynasty treats our dynasty as prisoners! May I ask, Minister Dong, where does this courtesy come from?"

Although he had only been in office for ten days, Dong Yunzhuo felt a chill in his heart and gradually began to understand the implications of His Majesty's condition: "Please have your king send our delegation back as soon as possible."

Hearing the roar of the second-rank official of the Northern Dynasty's Court of Colonial Affairs, the newly appointed Lord Dong's expression also turned cold, and he retorted sharply:

"I am unaware of how your country treated our delegation. I will inquire about it after our delegation returns south. At that time, I will certainly treat your delegation with ten times the courtesy."

Upon hearing this, Da Chun's pupils contracted slightly, and he sneered:

"Your delegation is already on its way south. Once your King Jing returns, Da Chun will surely impeach Lord Dong! If Lord Dong is not dismissed from his post, I fear our alliance will have to be put on hold for a while!"

Dong Yunzhuo remained completely composed in the face of such threats:

"If such a momentous matter as the alliance between our two dynasties can be postponed so easily, Lord Dachun," he said with a smile, "then isn't your dynasty's ruler being rather frivolous?"

Unaware of the inside story, and fearing that he might be in trouble if the two countries really formed an alliance, he only targeted Da Chun in his counterattack.

Having been rebuffed, Da Chun snorted twice and stopped trying to banter with Dong Yunzhuo, who came from a family with a background in the imperial examinations.

He had no choice but to write the letter in front of the other party and have it sent out by the Southern Dynasty.

The letter stated how disrespectful the Southern Dynasty was, and how it was unwilling to fulfill the alliance. It had not gone to take over Chuzhou City, nor did it intend to hand over the agreed-upon amount of salt tax, grain, and military equipment. It requested the Emperor to quickly send the three major camps back to Chuzhou City to garrison, lest this petty country turn its back on its promise and seize Chuzhou City.

Dong Yunzhuo personally sealed the letter with sealing wax and sent it out.

It takes seven or eight days to send a letter to Beijing, and it also takes seven or eight days to receive a letter from Beijing.

On April 21st, the emperor of the Northern Dynasty sent a stern and authoritative official letter.

Dong Yunzhuo handed it to Dachun, who, with a full beard, personally tore open the letter of state.

Da Chun personally read this state letter to all the civil and military officials of the Southern Kingdom in the Golden Palace.

The content was very simple: it questioned the Southern Dynasty Empress about why she had gone back on her word and disregarded the alliance that had already been agreed upon.

"Does Your Excellency intend to take advantage of our misfortune and slaughter the people of Jiangbei in exchange for empty cities?"

"Or perhaps you overestimate your strength and want to invade our land, reclaim the three taxes levied on the former Liang dynasty, causing the people of the Central Plains to suffer and bandits to rise up everywhere, just like the Zhu family?"

"For those who govern the people, protecting the interests of their own relatives is of paramount importance. For those who govern the country or the ruler, to fail to reflect on the mistakes of their predecessors and instead repeat their errors, causing the people to be scattered and weeping, is truly the greatest act of filial impiety!"

"Your esteemed delegation has resided in Beijing for an extended period. Your Emperor Jing, mindful of the transgressions of the previous Ming Dynasty's Emperor Kai, has observed a three-month period of fasting in the capital to atone for the sins of his ancestors in oppressing the people of the Central Plains!"

The people of the Central Plains said, "Is this the descendant of the former emperor, Huang Liang, and the ruler of the Southern Kingdom?" I replied, "No. He is a king." The people exclaimed in surprise, "How can this king, who has the countenance of a ruler, so closely resemble the founding emperor of the previous dynasty?"

"The fact that the people have asked this question shows his benevolence!"

"I am not the ruler of your country, but the ruler of the Central Plains. Upon hearing this, I weep, wring my hands, and cannot express my sorrow."

"From this perspective, you may learn from King Jing, worrying more about the previous dynasty and feeling ashamed of the mistakes of your predecessors, and thus be able to safeguard the ancestral temples and state of your dynasty."

"Having already lost the hearts of the people in the Central Plains, do you wish to lose the hearts of the people in the South? Do not emulate your Emperor Mingkai, who went back on his word."

A state letter caused an uproar among the entire court.

The reason why the mission has not yet returned south is that Prince Jing plans to fast for three months in Beijing to atone for the mistakes made by Emperor Kai of Ming.

The people of the Central Plains even praised King Jing with great seriousness.

Finally, the Northern Dynasty emperor also said that Your Majesty's failure to fulfill the alliance was a breach of promise and an act that was akin to Emperor Ming Kai losing the hearts of the people.

His Majesty in the Golden Palace was separated from the audience by a beaded curtain.

"The ancestral temples and the altars of the state? The common people weeping?"

At this moment, in response to the Northern Emperor's letter, the Empress calmly said:

"What your esteemed ruler says is quite right."

She said:

"I will also write a letter today and deliver it to your ruler. The Rakshasa army is imminent, and the ancestral temple of your dynasty is about to fall into the mud beneath their hooves. Why does your ruler not quickly withdraw the three major camps of Huainan and march north to appease the people of Guta and comfort the spirits of your ancestral temple?"

The beaded curtain swayed gently in the breeze.

The empress on the dragon throne said softly:

"Our dynasty has long been preparing for war, but we are worried that your dynasty's troops are in Huainan. If our dynasty's troops also advance into Huainan, the people of Huainan will inevitably be in a state of panic, thinking that the two dynasties will be at war with each other."

"Therefore, we should wait for your dynasty's three major camps to march north and resist the Rakshasa before our dynasty goes out to take over Huainan to bring peace to the people. Only in this way can the people feel at ease and know that peace has returned to the old dynasty. However, your dynasty's ruler has been delaying again and again, watching the Rakshasa advance south and allowing bandits to run rampant throughout the land. Is this not the greatest filial impiety and the greatest inhumanity?"

Zhu Cuiwei raised her chin, revealing her fair neck, and said in a slightly cold voice:

"In my opinion, your ruler should not follow the example of my King Jing in fasting in the capital. Those who should follow King Jing's example are likely... your ruler's descendants!"

The Empress's actions were measured and decisive, delivering a powerful rebuttal to her opponent.

These words stunned the entire court, and the eyes of the officials gleamed with admiration.

Da Chun stood in the hall, his face blank for a moment, his pupils contracting tightly. After a few breaths, he gradually regained his composure.

The ambassador, who was known for his outspokenness, said no more, put away his credentials, and took his leave.

…………

Another day.

The Northern Dynasty delegation requested to resign and return north.

The emperor did not allow it.

Fourteen days later.

May 7th, early morning.

The Northern Dynasty officially sent a proclamation.

To ensure the stability of Huainan, to protect the common people, and to punish the Southern Dynasty for breaking its promises and betraying its alliance.

The Qing Dynasty, under the command of General Yue Zhongqi, the Grand General Who Pacifies the South, led an army of 200,000 men southward.

Pingnan.

We urge Emperor Liang to resign his throne and abolish the name of the dynasty.