I Rely on Beauty to Stabilize the Country - Chap 90
The Khitans were dazzled by their past victories, and Daheng’s more than twenty years of concessions strengthened their ambition and courage. Being arrogant and underestimating the enemy, this defeat was a complete mess.
The feeling that this victory brought to the soldiers was indescribable. They were brought back to the military camp by Xue Yuan to join General Xue as if they were in a dream.
General Xue’s face was also beaming with joy. They also gained a great victory. General Xue had rarely fought such a hearty and victorious battle. In the first two months after he came to the frontier, due to the locust plague and the victims, he only fought defensive counterattacks, which was not so fun at all.
The changes this victory brought to the border are obvious. The scene where Daheng’s powerful weapons caused the Khitan people to escape in embarrassment is deeply remembered in many people’s minds.
Morale was surging, and the fear and worry before the attack turned into a high-pitched fighting spirit. How many soldiers wished they could raise their heads to the sky and scream out their previous uselessness and humiliation in one breath!
The joy of victory was like a prairie fire. It didn’t take long for the people to know the news of the border soldiers’ victory.
They walked out of the house, put down the stones, bricks and wood in their hands, and watched the soldiers happily singing back to the camp from the road in front of them.
People in northern Xinjiang rarely see soldiers like this.
At the border, the relationship between the people and the soldiers was not friendly. The people in northern Xinjiang feared and hated the soldiers stationed there, hated them for not doing anything, and hated that they clearly had soldiers but could not protect them. They secretly called the soldiers cowards, cowards, and sinners who collaborated with the nomads.
The relationship between the military and the people is tense, and the people even raise self-defense weapons against the soldiers. But at this moment, they suddenly realized that Daheng’s soldiers were not wimps.
They can also fight the enemy, and it turns out that they can also win.
In the face of locust plagues and nomadic invasions, only the imperial army can deal a heavy blow.
The imperial court was no longer cowardly. Their troops dared to fight back. It turned out that after they dared to fight back, they could win so easily and defeat the nomads so easily.
Suddenly, the people in northern Xinjiang felt that the soldiers stationed in northern Xinjiang began to look a little different.
*
Border affairs are proceeding step by step, and the army of 100,000 ducks has also entered the area where the locust plague is raging.
Once they arrive here, they no longer need people to provide food rations. Instead, they peck at the locusts that have entered the nymph stage, one by one. On the way to northern Xinjiang in one day, a hundred thousand duck army can kill two hundred locusts. Tens of thousands of locusts, all of them eat well and have full bellies.
These locusts were eaten by ducks before they even laid eggs, saving them the trouble of removing their eggs.
In the capital, Gu Yuanbai is also always paying attention to border affairs.
The weather in the capital has also begun to turn cold, and the wind is blowing coldly. While others only wore a robe, Gu Yuanbai had already put on a thick cloak.
The spirit is high, but the body cannot keep up. As long as he looked at the memorial for a while longer, his fingers would become stiff from the cold. The imperial physician was always by his side, and Female Doctor Jiang was also placed next to the Holy Sage for diagnosis and treatment.
Although Dr. Jiang didn’t know how to diagnose and treat congenital diseases, she knew how her grandfather took care of her uncle in the winter. She also followed suit and used these methods on Gu Yuanbai one by one.
Whether it’s pressing acupoints or taking medicinal baths, Dr. Jiang’s methods can keep Gu Yuanbai’s body warm for a while. But this kind of warmth passed away too quickly, and Tongtai Hospital’s methods also reached the same goal by different means, with little effect.
The hand stove and the heater in the palace only brought false warmth to Gu Yuanbai.
It feels hot for a moment when your hand touches it, and becomes cold when you leave it. Occasionally, when he woke up in the middle of the night, amidst the torture of coldness and weakness, Gu Yuanbai thought of the warm Xue Yuan.
He closed his eyes and lay on the bed, covered with a cold quilt, thinking about the warmth in Xue Yuan’s body that made him extremely comfortable.
When it was time to go to bed the next night, the guards were about to retreat when the Holy Master said hoarsely: “Zhang Xu.”
The captain of the guard was confused and took a step forward: “I am here.”
“Go to bed and warm the bed for me.” Gu Yuanbai said concisely.
The captain of the guard was stunned, and his face instantly turned red. His back tensed, he clenched his fists, silently took off his coat and boots, and climbed onto the bed.
Doctor Jiang saw this scene when she walked in with the prepared medicated bath. Her face remained unchanged, she walked calmly to the Holy Lord and said slowly: “Holy Lord, it’s time to press the acupuncture points.”
Gu Yuanbai glanced at her and advised, “Just let others come.”
Female doctor Jiang shook her head: “It would be better if a civilian girl comes in person.”
This medicinal bath is for soaking the feet, and the acupuncture points pressed are also on the feet and calves. Doctor Jiang has a unique technique, which is passed down from her family, and it is really difficult for her to force it on others.
The sound of water was pouring, and the head guard on the bed was lying as straight as a corpse, with a blush on his face that could make a boiled egg. The heat quickly warmed the entire dragon bed, and when covered with a thick bright yellow quilt, it became even hotter and made the captain of the guard sweat all over his body.
After the medicinal bath was over, Gu Yuanbai went to bed. The captain of the guard was tense all over, lying aside obediently as a human heater, listening to the conversation between Gu Yuanbai and Tian Fusheng.
The bed was very warm, the emperor’s eyes were relaxed, and after Hetian Fusheng finished talking about the cotton-padded clothes, it was confirmed that the cotton-padded clothes could be loaded into the car and set off in early November, and Gu Yuanbai stopped talking.
“It only took a few days,” Tian Fusheng said, “letters have also arrived from the border areas. According to General Xue, the locust plague has shown signs of improvement.”
The letter from Beijiang was delivered to Gu Yuanbai’s desk two days ago. There was only one memorial from General Xue, and the rest were letters sent back by Xue Yuan on the way. Gu Yuanbai had only read General Xue’s letters now.
After the Holy Master nodded, Tian Fusheng led the people to retreat. There was no one in the inner hall, Gu Yuanbai lay down, but after a while he started to feel uncomfortable again.
The captain of the guard did not dare to move. The heat came from one side and the other side was as cold as ice. There was room for another person to lie in the gap between the two of them, but the wind came in, making it even colder than if no one warmed the bed. The cold was strangely cold, like it was getting through the cracks in the bones. It was alternating between hot and cold. It was worse than no heat at all. It was even more uncomfortable.
The Holy One closed his eyes and said, “Go down.”
The captain of the guard went down quietly. After a moment, the door creaked and was closed again.
*
A few days later, the cotton-padded clothes were loaded onto the truck, and the truck set off for Northern Xinjiang.
Before setting off, Gu Yuanbai went to look at the cotton-padded clothes and randomly checked several of them, and found that they had indeed met the requirements he wanted.
“Have the people’s wages been paid?”
Kong Yilin was at his side and said, “Go back to your Majesty and leave no trace behind.”
“Very good,” Gu Yuanbai nodded and smiled, “I will take the lead in putting on cotton-padded clothes. This kind of good thing is worth using by everyone in the world.”
Kong Yilin smiled and said, “This year’s white cotton has been used up, but I believe that with the example of Your Majesty, more and more people will plant white cotton next year.”
“The more, the better,” Gu Yuanbai sighed, “It’s a pity that this winter, the people of Daheng will not be able to use this good thing.”
A group of people walked past the car filled with cotton-padded clothes one by one. On the way back, the Holy Father asked someone to stop outside the busy city and take Kong Yilin for a walk in the market to see the people’s livelihood.
At the roadside tavern, while listening to reports from his subordinates about Chu Wei, Prince Li Angshun of Xixia took a casual glance down and caught a glimpse of the emperor of Daheng.
The emperor of Daheng wore a slender black robe and a dark cloak. His face was white. He was dressed so heavily at this time of year, but he didn’t feel weird, but he looked extraordinary.
Li Angshun’s hand holding the chopsticks paused and followed the emperor’s figure.
The Lord of Daheng can be seen wherever he wants. Li Angshun stayed in Daheng for a month and a half, and only met Gu Yuanbai at the palace banquet on the Wanshou Festival. I didn’t expect that fate would come by such a coincidence, and I met this person again by chance.
The subordinates were still talking: “Master Chu Wei had a meal with his friends in a restaurant after he got off duty yesterday. After half an hour, Master Chu Wei walked out of the restaurant and returned to the Chu Mansion.”
Li Angshun asked: “Friend, are you a male or female friend?”
His eyes were still looking down.
“…” Subordinate, “Of course it’s a man.”
Li Angshun was obviously lost in thought. He picked up a mouthful of food and put it in his mouth. “What does Chu Wei’s friend look like? Are you close to him?”
The subordinate sighed, “Seventh Prince, you have let us keep an eye on Chu Wei for half a month. If you like him, he is just a small Daheng official, can’t you just come and force him?”
Li Angshun smiled coldly, “Idiot. You went to Daheng’s territory to rob Daheng’s officials. Have you forgotten the humiliation of the ten days of being locked up in Mingshengyi Middle School?”
The subordinate said: “Do you really like Chu Wei?”
“I like it,” Li Angshun said nonchalantly, “Of course I do.”
“Who are you looking at now?”
Li Angshun pointed at Gu Yuanbai. Gu Yuanbai had just walked to the front of their tavern, and his every move was clear. His appearance is very good, and his aura of nobility is even more wonderful. Even his pale lips and pale face are like a brocade box decorated with beautiful jade. One glance at him makes people want to take a second look.
The emperor of Daheng has a face that makes no one angry, and he also has a power that makes people dare not take a second look at him. When no one dared to take another look, Li Angshun looked at it for a long time. Emperor Daheng seemed to be aware of it and suddenly raised his head to look upstairs.
Li Angshun’s heart skipped a beat. He stood up, smiled calmly, bowed and saluted Gu Yuanbai, and raised the wine glass in his hand.
Kong Yilin followed His Majesty’s gaze and saw that it was the seventh prince of Xixia, and said: “Your Majesty, this man is arrogant and extravagant. He has a very bad reputation among the people of Xixia, but the emperor of Xixia loves him very much. I heard that these days This person has been inquiring about Lord Chu Wei and Chu, and judging from his temperament, he should have some evil thoughts towards Lord Chu.”
Gu Yuanbai nodded gently to Li Angshun, still looking at him like a hen that lays golden eggs, and said, “It’s hard for Chu Qing.”
Because of Gu Yuanbai’s bad taste, he wanted to see how many good things the Xixia envoys brought from Xixia, so he never discussed the negotiation between the two countries with the Xixia envoys. He watched the Xixia envoys busy giving gifts here and there. When inquiring about information, he would occasionally have a headache dealing with government affairs, so he would relax and unwind with the affairs of the Xixia envoys.
The effect is excellent.
The more Kong Yilin got along with the current sage, the more he couldn’t laugh or cry. He responded and reluctantly agreed: “Master Chu is indeed working hard.”
Gu Yuanbai continued to walk slowly forward with him and joked: “Kong Qing is also handsome and very powerful. Why is the seventh prince of Xixia so ignorant that he doesn’t like Kong Qing?”
Kong Yilin smiled bitterly: “I have an ordinary appearance. Your Majesty, don’t make fun of me.”
“Oh?” Gu Yuanbai asked, “Then in Kong Qing’s eyes, who can be as handsome as Pan Anwei?”
“For example, Mr. Chu Wei Chu, Pingchang Hou Shizi Li Yan,” Kong Yilin read out a bunch of names in a leisurely manner, and finally said, “Xue Yuan, Mr. Xue’s appearance is not inferior to others in the eyes of the minister, and also Very handsome. Finally, of course, you, the Holy One, are indispensable.”
Gu Yuanbai raised his eyebrows and smiled happily, his face, which was so pale that he looked sick, also gained some color, “I take this flattery seriously.”
Kong Yilin smiled and suddenly whispered: “Your Majesty, recently you summoned Dr. Jiang to accompany you. Many people who do not know the origin of Dr. Jiang have made a lot of speculations. Several voices have been heard secretly in the court, and the situation is getting more and more intense. The other theory is that you are going to take a concubine into the palace.”
