"Why not? What are you afraid of, Your Majesty?" Qiu Che looked straight back, "Are you afraid that you won't be able to defeat me?"
"You said it's easy!" Li Shi sneered and said bitterly, "Now that the treasury is empty, it's hard to fight a war. To provide food and clothing for the soldiers... Which of these things does not require money from the court? Where does this money come from? Do you have a solution? "
Qiu Che said: "From what I can see, the adults in the court seem to be living a comfortable life. "
Li Shi paused slightly.
Qiu Che smiled and said: "When the survival of our country is so critical, the whole court should work together and ask the adults to contribute some of their wealth to subsidize the national treasury. No matter what, the military salary can be enough, right?"
"...Even if we can fight. Li Shi still frowned, "King Zhao is now nearly sixty years old. There are not even two prestigious and capable generals in the court. Who do you want me to send to fight? How can you guarantee that you will be able to fight?" Can you win?"
This is indeed a question.
Although Li Shi was not a very wise and outstanding emperor, his choice cannot be said to be without reason.
Qiu Che was silent for a moment.
"Peace talks are the best solution. Only peace can minimize Daxia's losses," Li Shi said coldly, "I don't want to cause another disturbance - I think the courtiers think so too."
"The Ai family disagrees."
The door of the main hall opened with a sound.
The Queen Mother strode in, followed by two court ladies with low eyebrows and a cold look on her stunningly beautiful face.
Li Shi stood up, his brows filled with surprise and a bit of irritation, "Mother, why are you here?"
"If the Ai family doesn't come, will you have to decide to send Pingyi and Lehe out on your own?"
The Queen Mother is rare . Changing from his previous gentle and conceding attitude in front of the emperor, he said with a cold face, "The late emperor fought hard for many years in order to allow the descendants of his people to live safely on this land. The people are the people of Daxia, how can it be that Pingyi Isn't it He Lehe?"
Li Shi was a little unhappy with her straightforward attitude. He coughed tiredly and sat back, "Mother... you don't understand. Let me decide this matter."
"Have you asked Pingyi and Lehe for their opinions?" The Queen Mother frowned, took a few steps forward, and asked, "If they don't have any opinions, then the Ai family certainly won't either - you say the Ai family doesn't understand, but the Ai family understands "You are the one who was deceived by lard!"
Li Shi said with a sad look on his face: "Mother... be careful."
He is so frustrated as an emperor. It seems like everyone can suppress him and point at him. scolding?
Fuzi on the side looked embarrassed, lowered his head, looked at his nose and heart, pretending not to hear these remarks.
The Queen Mother said calmly: "The emperor's own orders are just out of his head. Why should he be careful about his words now?"
Li Shi was furious.
But there was nothing he could do against these two people for a while, and he finally decided to change his strategy. He looked tired and helpless:
"Mother, it's not that your sons are cowardly, it's that I am a king. Comparing the two, naturally I have to protect more and give up less. , not to mention that the risk of war is too great..."
"Since the emperor said that the war cannot be won, how can he be sure that the marriage will be successful?" the Queen Mother suddenly asked.
Li Shi was speechless.
Qiu Che stood aside, smiling and lowering his eyes, saying nothing, acting as his mute audience.
Li Shi racked his brains and explained: "As the saying goes, be courteous first and then fight. If marriage is really not possible, it is not too late to fight. It will be better for people's livelihood if it is delayed longer..."
"Besides, daughters will get married sooner or later." Li Shidun After a pause, his voice became a little lower, probably because the Queen Mother was still there.
But the condescension in his tone almost overflowed, making Qiu Che's fists clenched.
"They are no smarter than men, and most of them are illiterate and have little strength. They stay in Daxia just to have children and carry on the family line. There is no shortage of women to do this kind of work. They are also lucky to be able to go out and get married."
This passage is troubling . There were so many points that Qiu Che didn't know where to start and was speechless.
The Queen Mother calmly sat down on the Taishi chair brought by the maid next to her, and said in a calm tone: "Your Majesty also said that women have no strength. The princess is a woman. She has been pampered since she was a child. Her body is fragile. If she had been tortured to death as soon as she left, Bei However, Xiong and Nanyi dismissed it, saying that the person we sent was not what they wanted - what should we do?"
Li Shi asked, "What does the queen mean?"
"The Ai family heard that King Nanyi likes men... Send the princess. It's better to send a prince," the Empress Dowager said in surprise. Holding the tea cup offered by Fuzi, Shi Shiran said, "Men are more powerful, can defend themselves, and will not die so quickly. The road to marriage is far away, and men's bodies are stronger than women's. Stronger, more suitable for long journeys..."
When she said this, the maids and eunuchs in the palace quietly raised their heads, looked at each other, hesitated, and seemed to think it was "very reasonable."
Li Shi couldn't listen anymore, and his face burned with shame: "Mother! Don't make such a joke! How can a prince and a princess be compared? I already have only two princes under my knees. Do you want me to have no successor?" Human?"
It would be a serious crime to have no successor to the emperor.
The atmosphere gradually became anxious, but the vague commotion in the hall subsided again.
The Queen Mother seemed to be unaware of it and sneered: "The emperor really put a big hat on the Ai family."
She said coldly: "The late emperor conquered this great country, and it was not handed over to you until the Ai family came to power in a fashionable and intact manner. In the past few years, he has been so defeated, reduced to the point of sending the royal daughter out to get married, and begging the Northern Hungarians and Nanyi people to spare their lives... It is really disappointing to the Ai family. If your father knew what I was doing, he would know that you are like this. I'm afraid you will die with your eyes open."
"Mother, don't bully others too much," Li Shi's tone also became colder, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Don't forget, I personally pushed you to your current power and position. "
It would be ridiculous for the emperor to say this," the Queen Mother raised her chin and said indifferently, "Have you forgotten who put you in this position? As a human being, you can't forget your roots.
" Fang was quarreling with each other, refusing to give in, and the smell of gunpowder in the air became stronger.
Li Shi was obviously at a disadvantage. He coughed until his face turned red, and he said angrily: "...It's useless for my mother to persuade me. It also depends on whether the courtiers agree - if we don't get married, we will have to go to war. I guess there are no ministers. I think this is a good idea..."
Before he finished speaking, a young eunuch came in from outside the palace and bowed his head and said: "Your Majesty, Prime Minister Wu and Prince Zhao are asking for an audience."
Li Shi was overjoyed at first: Although Prime Minister Wu is the opposite of him, But he is a civil servant, and it will not do him any good to go to war.
Then he frowned again, thinking of King Zhao who should have left the capital and returned to his fiefdom: "Xuan."
After this interruption, the two of them naturally couldn't argue anymore.
When Wu Xiang and Zhao Wang entered the palace, they were several feet away from each other, and they both ignored each other.
After saluting each other, Li Shi said: "Wu Aiqing, you came just in time. Northern Hungary has been extremely rampant recently. I am interested in peace talks. I am about to declare a decree to choose a princess to go to Northern Hungary for marriage... What do you think of this move, Aiqing?"
Wu Xiang glanced at Qiu Che, who was serving as a backdrop, was overtaken by King Zhao before he could speak: "Your Majesty, I think this is inappropriate."
Li Shi cursed in his heart, and did not answer King Zhao's words, but stared at him again. Wu Xiang asked again: "...What does Wu Xiang think?"
Wu Xiang came to his senses and said, "I think... it's inappropriate."
Li Shi's expression suddenly changed.
Probably because he didn't expect that other people would object, he actually objected too.
Qiu Che's fingers hanging by her side curled up slightly, and she was equally surprised: in her mind, Wu Xiang was a traitor -
being able to cooperate with the Nanyi people showed that he had no regard for the honor and disgrace of his family and country, let alone giving away women. Go and get married.
Did she misunderstand Wu Xiang?
Qiu Che frowned slightly, thoughtfully.
Over there, Prime Minister Wu held his hands, as if he didn't notice the scrutinizing gaze cast by King Zhao next to him, and said calmly: "Now that the Southern Yi and the Northern Hungarians are eyeing each other covetously, I'm afraid they cannot be easily satisfied with an ambiguous concession, rather than ruining the princess's future and future. The people want to send them to get married, so why not accept the challenge directly?"
"..." King Zhao gave Wu Xiang a complicated look, cupped his hands and said, "I agree."
Qiu Che also joined in: "I agree."
Li Shi closed his eyes . He opened his eyes and took a deep breath: "Okay... okay, you all think that marriage is not possible, then you can talk about who you want to lead the army and who will be the general who responds to the battle?" There
was silence in the hall for a moment, everyone had their own thoughts.
There was some struggle in King Zhao's eyes.
Qiu Che knew that he was thinking whether this declining court, which looked unreliable, was worth standing up to fight for again.
Finally, King Zhao stepped forward and was about to speak.
Li Shi's eyes moved and he looked at Qiu Che, his expression calmed down: "Qiu Aiqing."
Qiu Che paused imperceptibly and stood up: "What is your Majesty's order?"
"You should know that if you can come out this time, This is what the people want. I heard that the people have been shouting recently, saying, "Who said women are inferior to men?" and that your achievements are no less than those of Prime Minister Wu... I also heard that you are good at martial arts, right?
" After the farce in Linglong Pavilion with the crown prince a few months ago, Qiu Che knew that he couldn't hide his martial arts skills.
She guessed what the emperor wanted to say, but she still said: "Your Majesty, please make it clear."
Li Shi snorted and said, "There are very few people available in the court now, and they are all mediocre. Only Qiu Aiqing has brought me many benefits." 'Surprise'..."
Qiu Che: "..."
If I heard it right, the word "surprise" should have been said through gritted teeth.
"Since you all don't agree with the marriage, then with Qiu Aiqing as the leader, go to the north of Lingbei to challenge... What do you think of this idea?" The
Queen Mother frowned and was the first to object: "It's inappropriate."
"Your Majesty, "The King of Zhao then said, "I also think it is inappropriate. Lord Qiu has no experience in leading troops. Even if she has martial arts skills, she is still a woman. If she is allowed to lead the troops, I am afraid she will not be able to convince the public... I have been behind the scenes for a long time, but my health is not good. She is still strong and worthy of this task."
"Your Majesty, you are worrying too much," Wu Xiang looked over with a smile, "Your Majesty also said this, and the people said so - when a woman is powerful, her ability is comparable to that of a man. It is an unprecedented and unprecedented example for a woman to stand in the officialdom. Naturally, she has to do what she should do - does Prince Zhao not agree with Lord Qiu's ability? "
Prince Zhao looked at her coldly ? After going back, he thought that this was the Wu Xiang he was familiar with: "Prime Minister, why did you take the words out of context? You know that the king did not mean this."
Wu Xiang said: "I am not a roundworm in the prince's stomach. What does the prince mean? The officials don't know."
"Okay!" Li Shi interrupted their argument, "The matter of Qiu Aiqing's leadership has been settled, which can be regarded as proving that what the people said is true - I can't bear to believe that Qiu Aiqing will lead the army. You want to disappoint the people, right?"
Seeing Qiu Che's silence, Li Shi was afraid that she would go crazy because she was dissatisfied with the arrangement, so he quickly added a few words:
"If my beloved can return in triumph, it will be a great achievement for me. I will promote you to the rank of Minister of Rites of the Second Grade, which is a unique honor not only among women, but also in the government and the public. If you are not at ease, I will draft an edict now and hand it over to the Queen Mother. After your triumphant return, you can declare the edict and take office. , how about it?"
Another promotion.
In less than a year, Qiu Che's promotion rate was far behind the others.
Qiu Che thought for a while, and his reaction was calmer than the others: "Your Majesty is right. I will let your Majesty arrange it...but there is one more thing that I would like to ask for your permission."
"Say."
"I don't want to talk to the eldest princess . Your Highness, please make peace." Qiu Che said this again in front of several people. "After I leave the capital, I hope that Your Majesty can hand over the case of the Qiu family and the case of the former Jinwu Guard Commander to the eldest princess. Your Highness is responsible..."
Yes, these two cases have not been closed yet.
If the people's attention turns to the war, then I'm afraid the Qiu family will be fished out by someone with ulterior motives again.
The night is long and the dream is many, you must first hold the choice in your own hands.
"Lord Qiu," Wu Xiang raised his eyebrows slightly, "Throughout the ages, there has never been an example of a princess regent."
"Throughout the ages, before the Qiu family, there was no example of a female head of the family, and before Qiu, there was no example of a female regent.
Qiu Che looked back calmly, "Since we want women to go to the battlefield like men, we can't just let us suffer the same hardships as men. Women must also have the rights that men have."
"Everything must be done . " There is an 'example' first, what do you think, Mr. Wu?"
Wu Xiang was dumbfounded for a moment, then smiled and said, "Master Qiu has such a powerful mouth, I feel ashamed and admired."
Qiu Che seemed unable to hear it. He had a strange yin and yang look, nodded and said: "That's ridiculous."
King Zhao had never seen anyone in the civil service who could make Wu Xiang suffer a loss - a loss on the lips was also a loss.
He couldn't help but glance at Qiu Che.
When Li Shi saw Wu Xiang give in so easily, he cursed in his heart, but he looked very talkative and sighed: "In that case, let's do what Qiu Aiqing said."
If Qiu Che can really return in triumph, it will not be a bad thing for Daxia.
If she died on the battlefield, these things would be even less important.
He thought Qiu Che would directly say that he would take Li Qingwu with him - it was absolutely impossible for him to agree to this.
Originally, when he saw the unusual relationship between these two people, he felt angry and ridiculous, but looking at it now, it was actually a good thing.
Li Qingwu once again became the handle he could use to manipulate Qiu Che.
If they left together, Qiu Che would really have no worries - what if she defected to another country with someone?
Seeing Qiu Che thanking him, Li Shi also breathed a sigh of relief, and then said:
"I think Prince Zhao seems to have the same intention? I won't stop you. You are old and not suitable to go to the battlefield again. Why don't you be a nominal person?" Military advisor, follow the army and give guidance to Qiu Aiqing."
Speaking of this, it was inevitable that Qiu Che would lead the army. King Zhao no longer pressed him and knelt down to receive the order neatly: "Thank you for your concern, my lord. You will definitely live up to your destiny."
The atmosphere in the palace was solemn. The emperor issued three decrees, one for the Queen Mother, one for Qiu Che, and one for Prince Zhao in front of several people.
"Your Majesty."
Cui Wenshen suddenly appeared with a strange expression.
Li Shi was startled by him: "What to do?"
Cui Wenshen paused and whispered a few words to him.
The emperor raised his eyebrows: "The boy from the Wu family is going too?"
Wu Xiang's eyelids twitched.
Cui Wenshen saw that he had spoken directly and understood what he meant. He nodded and no longer whispered: "He asked his subordinates to ask you for a favor. He said that he also wanted to make contributions on the battlefield."
Wu Xiang shook his beard and Qiu Che squinted at him, feeling that he had to endure it again and again before he cursed outright.
The emperor glanced at Wu Xiang, thoughtfully.
Then he quickly laughed and said: "Okay! Good boy, it is quite commendable to have such a heart. If he wants to go, then let him go! I will make a decree and make him the deputy general of the Northern Expedition to give him peace of mind. Make great achievements! Work hard, I admire him very much!"
Cui Wenshen: "Yes."
As Wu Yiqi is now the only child in the Wu family, he went to the battlefield, and Wu Xiang was even more restricted in the court.
This is a great thing for Li Shi, and there is no reason to disagree.
So after this single conversation, the most satisfied person turned out to be Li Shi.
When leaving the palace, the Queen Mother slowly sighed.
When passing by Qiu Che, her lips moved slightly from an angle that no one could see.
"Don't worry. I'm still here in the capital."
Qiu Che passed her by.
It's snowing heavily today.
Qiu Che returned to the princess's house in silence. It was already sunset and he happened to meet Wang who had just been picked up by Yu Ming.
The other party hadn't seen her for many days, and her eyes turned red when she saw someone. She hugged her and cried for a while, before Qiu Che reluctantly pulled her away: "Mom, aren't I doing well?"
Wang wiped her tears and knew She knew what she wanted to say, but hesitated for a moment. She said nothing more, shook her head and was helped back to the yard to rest by the maid.
Qiu Che didn't mention to her that he was going to lead the army in the war, but the news should get out soon.
When he entered the master bedroom door, he saw Li Qingwu sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at the stove absentmindedly, playing with his handkerchief in a daze, not knowing what he was thinking.
The corner of the veil is embroidered with a graceful lotus flower.
"What are you thinking about?" Qiu Che said with a smile, "I didn't hear you when I came in."
Li Qingwu came back to his senses and looked up at her: "...I miss Yaotai."
Qiu Che was silent.
Li Qingwu changed the subject himself and said, "What did my father say to you?"
Qiu Che didn't respond for a moment.
She took off the fox fur from her shoulders and took it down with Fu Ling. Then she closed the door and added some charcoal fire to the stove before saying, "It's about the marriage between Northern Hungary and Northern Hungary."
Li Qingwu said nervously, "How do you say that?"
" The Queen Mother quarreled with him, and Prime Minister Wu didn't agree."
Qiu Che didn't look at her expression, staring at the flames dancing in the stove, and said softly: "He gave up... But, he asked me to go on an expedition and lead the troops north. "
Li Qingwu froze in place.
For a moment, there was a vague feeling of "Sure enough,".
She said why she was so flustered for no reason.
It turns out...Qiu Che is leaving again.
"...Can I go?"
"...Probably not."
For a long time, Qiu Che didn't hear her reply. He raised his head to look at her and said, "Sorry, I can't deal with that situation..."
Li Qingwu Pursing his lips and lowering his eyes: "I know."
The current situation is chaotic. This is a country whose foundation is unstable and is once again in turmoil. Qiu Che is in it and is a person who is at the forefront of the storm recently. It is impossible not to be affected.
Qiu Che was speechless for a moment, then asked softly: "Aren't you angry?"
Li Qingwu tilted his head: "You really want me to be angry?"
"No." Qiu Che laughed.
She continued: "I ask your majesty to hand over the Qiu family's case and Yuan Fu's case to you. Who is trying to frame me for robbing a common girl, and who is Yuan Fu who let him into the hunting ground... ...I have to ask you to check it carefully for me. I'm afraid I won't have time to wait for the truth of the case to come to light."
"Are you leaving soon? "Can't we wait until Yaotai's funeral is over?"
"I can't wait at the border. His Majesty gave me the Tiger Talisman for the barracks. I have to leave in three days at the latest."
Li Qingwu was silent again: "I know."
Qiu Che sighed, stood up and stepped forward, bent down and stretched out his hand, as if he wanted to touch Touch her head.
His hand fell down, but he just rubbed her cheek gently with the back of his hand: "... Qingwu, I don't think I've said it yet, you did a good job this time."
"So even if I leave now, you can still Take over my mission and protect the capital for me... I believe in you."
"I don't believe in myself." Li Qingwu raised his hand, held her finger, and looked at her intently, "You don't know this about me. How did time pass... Qiu Che, you always say that you are not a gentleman but a villain, but I can see that you actually care about your family and country - sometimes I even wonder whether that letter is My misunderstanding."
Qiu Che was stunned for a moment: "What?"
That letter?
Are you talking about the letter she asked Liu Buxiu to bring to Li Qingwu on the day she was imprisoned?
"In your heart, it seems that I will never be a part of your plan," Li Qingwu looked at her with a somewhat sad look in his eyes and said lightly, "It was like this when he blew himself up without telling all of us, and it is like this now when he agrees to go on an expedition... "
You said that I am your ally."
"But you never seemed to regard me as your ally."
Qiu Che didn't expect her to think so, and squatted down. He explained in a panic, "Before, I was just afraid that you would be threatened because of me, but this time I really couldn't predict it in advance..."
"I treat you as my wife," Qiu Che licked his lower lip and whispered, " Thatâs why I secretly want to keep you safe first.â
This time, Li Qingwu was stunned.
After a moment, she took another deep breath, her breathing became a little more obvious, and she said softly: "Then can you think about me once in a while - think about my feelings before your country and the people."
"Yes. " You can't... Before you make a decision, just tell me to reassure me."
Qiu Che paused: "Okay. I was wrong. I will never..."
Before he finished speaking, Li Qingwu pursed his lips. He said: "I don't want to apologize, I want your actions."
Qiu Che understood, with a smile in his eyes: "...Then what do you want, how can I compensate you?"
The two looked at each other for a long time, Li Qingwu He tugged on her finger and whispered: "Kiss me."
Qiu Che followed suit without a word of objection. He put his hand on the edge of the bed and leaned forward to kiss her.
Li Qingwu stretched out a hand to hook the back of her neck, panting slightly in the gap between kisses, and his red eyes added a charming color.
The other hand was restless.
Qiu Che pressed her rebellious hand through the fabric, and said in a slightly hoarse voice: "... In broad daylight, does Your Highness want to show off his lewdness in broad daylight?"
Li Qingwu only gave the hint after mustering up the courage, but he didn't expect her to be so confused about the amorous feelings, and he immediately started breathing heavily.
After biting Qiu Che's lips hard, her ears turned red and she said: "...it's clearly already the right time."
How could it be promulgated in the daytime?
Qiu Che parted his lips and teeth in pain, but stared at her with bright eyes and said, "This is what you said."
As soon as Li Qingwu blushed and said "hmm", the world started spinning, and Qiu Che pressed him down on the bed. superior.
Before she could react, Qiu Che had already kissed her again, blocking all her small sounds.
Different from the confusion and lust the first time, this time Qiu Che was extremely gentle.
But it is lingering to death.
"You've read the letter, don't you have anything to say?"
"...What did you say?"
"...Do you have those memories? I mean, about the previous life."
"...It's more like a memory than a memory. A dream."
"I understand."
"...Can you not say that at this time?"
"What kind of thing should I say...
"
"For example? "
I love you."
The room was silent for a long time.
In a blur, Li Qingwu heard Qiu Che chuckle, and then he leaned over and placed a kiss on the tear mark at the end of her eye.
She seemed to enjoy kissing the mole.
Li Qingwu looked at the bed curtain above his head and thought unconsciously.
Then she heard Qiu Che say.
"Me too."