Time travel is risky, and love requires caution

Young Marquis Yi, with a red face, found an excuse to go back, leaving only Lu Cheng and Ling Qiqi in the box.

"Li Chuan told you I was here?" Ling Qiqi asked.

"Ah."

"Do you have a problem with me?"

"...I am worried."

"What's there to worry about? Can Beiyi Hou eat me up?"

"I'm afraid that you'll eat him up without leaving any residue, and he won't be able to control you, and your alcohol addiction will come back."

"Tsk, you talk like you can control me."

"I can threaten you."

Ling Qiqi immediately backed off and quickly changed the subject:

"What do you think of what Bei Yihou just said?"

"His problem is indeed quite big."

"He's still young, and he was able to cheat easily. There were clearly two spies in the play, but he chose the bad one. But since he wants to be a good person, it means that he doesn't agree with his current identity or what he is going to do in his heart."

"How's Qi Qing's investigation going?"

"Over the years, I have always asked her to keep an eye on any disturbances in the north. The news sent back is sporadic, and if you look at it individually, you can't tell anything. But if you connect the dots, I'm afraid the Ninth Prince has already made some plans."

"What are the plans of the Northern Emperor?"

"I estimate that it won't be long before he and Nan Shen will become relatives, but I don't know if it will be the fifth or sixth brother."

"What about you? It couldn't possibly be you?"

"Didn't the Emperor promise the Empress Dowager to let me choose my own husband? He never jokes. As long as I don't want to get married, he shouldn't be able to do anything to me."

"You'd better be fully prepared to make sure nothing goes wrong."

"Why? Are you worried about me getting married?"

"I'm worried that you'll put the blame on someone else."

After returning to the palace, Ling Qiqi couldn't help but think about it again. She had gradually gained a more comprehensive understanding of the geographical location of the Beiwei Kingdom over the years.

Beiwei is adjacent to the sea on the east, which is a unique advantage. It not only has rich marine resources but also serves as a natural barrier.

The south of Beiwei is separated from the Southern Mirage Kingdom by a river. The Southern Mirage Kingdom consists of many ancient villages. Although the population is small, the terrain is strategic and easy to defend but difficult to attack. The Southern Mirage Kingdom has neither extreme heat in summer nor extreme cold in winter. The rainforest is lush and the products are abundant. It can be self-sufficient and has little contact with the surrounding countries, so it seems mysterious and incompatible.

To the west of Beiwei is Ximo, which is separated from Beiwei and Nanshen by mountains. Ximo is sparsely populated, with a poor climate and environment, and relatively scarce resources. Compared with Beiwei and Nanshen, although its land area is comparable, its national strength is the weakest. Beiwei has been taking the opportunity to expand westward in recent years, and Ximo has been repeatedly restrained and coerced, so it asked Lu Cheng to come to Beiwei as a hostage.

The other small states around are almost not worth mentioning. Now, the three great powers of Beiwei, Nanshen and Ximo are in a tripod. The border of the three countries is like an inverted "T", and the intersection of the three countries is located in Wushan. Wushan has a steep terrain, and the river under the mountain rushes day and night, becoming a natural barrier between countries. Therefore, the foot of Wushan has become a no-man's land, with good and bad people mixed together, and gradually formed villages.

To the north of Beiwei is a vast grassland, which is often invaded by nomadic peoples. The climate in the north is cold, and some places are even covered with snow all year round, making it seldom visited by people. The winter is particularly long and is the most difficult season of the year. The fiefdom of the Ninth Prince is here, and he leads his army to guard it all year round, defending the territory and people of Beiwei.

The people in the north are simple, strong, brave and good at fighting, so the Ninth Prince has strong soldiers and generals, and has always been strict in military discipline. The "Ninth Prince Iron Cavalry Battalion" is even more famous and has made many outstanding achievements. Not only do foreigners dare not easily invade, but they are also deeply loved by the local people.

Due to the long border in the north, the fiefdom of the Nine Kings is relatively large, accounting for almost a quarter of the land area of ​​Beiwei. Although there are many uninhabited areas in this quarter, there are also many famous border cities and towns, which are not only strong, with sufficient food and grass, and excellent chariots and armor. In addition, trade channels with neighboring countries and nomadic tribes have been opened, and business is becoming more and more prosperous.

The Ninth Prince not only knows how to command troops, but also how to keep the people safe. The way to keep the people safe is through agriculture. Land is the foundation of agriculture, and grain is the life of the people. Therefore, the Ninth Prince adopted the method of "serving as a soldier in wartime and serving as a farmer in peacetime". When the border is peaceful, the army will not only build bridges and canals, roads and houses for the people. They will also divide the whole into parts to expand villages and build settlements, reclaim wasteland, plant rice and cultivate fields, which can not only support the soldiers with agriculture, but also allow the soldiers to recuperate. Once a foreign enemy invades, the army will assemble on the spot, divide the parts into a whole, go into battle to kill the enemy, and protect the country for the people.

Over time, the military and civilians merged, all soldiers became farmers, and all citizens became soldiers. Currently, the number of people registered in the Ninth Prince's army is 800,000, but the actual number is probably much more.

In addition to the gradually growing agriculture, mineral resources such as iron and copper have been discovered in the north in recent years. Smelting technology has also been improved, becoming another important economic pillar.

Not only that, the Ninth Prince also attached great importance to education. He founded various schools and trained many practical talents for the local area.

Since it was a fiefdom, the Ninth Prince not only held the military seal, but also could directly command the movement of the army within the fiefdom. At the same time, the local taxation was also under the control of the Ninth Prince. Except for the silver that was paid to the court every year, the rest did not need to be handed over to the national treasury.

Although the officials in the fiefdom were nominally appointed by the court, they were actually all followers of the Ninth Prince. The Northern Emperor had also tried to place people from the court in positions, but after they took office, they either died or were convicted.

The Ninth Prince had been working hard to manage the Northland for more than ten years, and now the results were quite significant, and there was still a trend of continued development and growth. In Ling Qiqi's opinion, the Ninth Prince had implemented the strategic policy of "building high walls, storing up food, and slowly becoming a king" very well.

There are several cities in the northwest of the Ninth Prince's fiefdom that border Ximo. In recent years, the exchanges between the local people and the Ximo caravans have become more and more frequent. Although the armies of the two countries have had frictions in the surrounding areas, the trade here has continued, and a fixed trade channel has been formed between Ximo and the North. In addition to the daily trading of goods, Ximo can obtain medicinal materials, and the North can exchange them for important military supplies such as horses.

And this is exactly what Emperor Beiwei is most worried about. If the situation continues to develop, once the Ninth Prince forms an alliance with the Ximo Kingdom, he will be attacked from the west and north, and he will be in a passive situation.

If Nan Shen remains neutral by then, it would be good. He would still have the opportunity to slowly disintegrate the alliance between the two parties. After all, he still has two chess pieces, the Sixth Prince of Ximo and Marquis Beiyi.

But if Nan Shen also wants to share a piece of Bei Wei's pie, then he will only end up being eaten up and divided by them.

Therefore, Ling Qiqi believed that Beihuang would want to form a political alliance by marrying Nan Shen. Even if Nan Shen could not be called a helper, it would not matter. At least she could ensure that Nan Shen would not stab her in the back.

But Ling Qiqi feels that Nan Shen may not easily wade into Bei Wei's muddy water, so it is still unknown whether the marriage can be successful.

However, it is said that the Northern Emperor has sent invitations to Nan Shen and Xi Mo respectively, inviting the envoys of the two countries to attend the "Spring Glory Meeting" next spring. In order to promote economic and cultural exchanges among the three countries and promote peace and prosperity, he actually tried to win over Nan Shen and sow discord between Xi Mo and the Ninth Prince, so as to realize his own political intentions.