After crossing, I surrounded the capital from the countryside

But she did not remove Xu Li directly. First, she also needed this spy to reassure Chen Furong, and second, Xu Li did things steadily in his daily work.

After comprehensive consideration, he pretended not to know and kept Xu Li by his side.

Of course, he was not allowed to participate in the actual design of confidential matters. After all, one must be on guard against others.

As the night deepened, the candlelight in the study became dimmer. However, Xu Qingqing's thoughts became clearer and clearer. She began to plan the next layout in detail, and every step needed to be carefully considered, without any mistakes.

She understood that although economic sanctions could not directly solve the problem of war, they could greatly weaken the financial resources of the court and force the emperor to consider whether he had enough money to maintain his troops.

Just as she was immersed in deep thought, a gentle but firm footstep approached quietly. Xu Qingqing did not turn around, but she could already sense the presence of the person.

"Qingqing, are you facing everything here alone again?" Xiao Yuheng's voice was gentle and caring. He gently hugged Xu Qingqing from behind and rested his head on her shoulder, as if he could share half of her sorrow.

Xu Qingqing smiled slightly. Although she still had a sad look on her face, she felt a little comforted by the sudden warmth. "Yuheng, I've already told you about this." She said softly, with a barely perceptible fatigue in her tone.

Xiao Yuheng patted her back gently, as if giving her silent comfort.

"The old emperor is becoming more and more outrageous. He forcibly conscripts soldiers and puts the people in dire straits, while he himself hides in the deep palace enjoying himself." There was obvious dissatisfaction and sarcasm in Xu Qingqing's words, and she was obviously indignant about what the emperor had done.

Xiao Yuheng tightened his arms and hugged Xu Qingqing tighter.

"I know you have always been like this, caring about the world and taking on responsibilities." He said softly, "But you have to be careful, this road is not easy to walk."

Xu Qingqing nodded, "With you by my side, I have more courage." She turned to look at Xiao Yuheng, her eyes flickering, "We have already started to act. I have asked Gongfu Bank to gradually transfer funds to weaken the financial strength of the court."

"I believe it won't be long before the court will be short of money."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuheng's eyes flashed with admiration, "Qingqing, you are indeed far-sighted. The Gongfu Bank is a sharp weapon that benefits the country and the people when the country is peaceful and the people are at peace. It can also be a sharp arrow piercing the court when needed. With the help of the Gongfu Bank, most of the liquid gold and silver in the Great Zhou Dynasty are controlled. It's really amazing..."

Xu Qingqing raised her lips slightly when she heard that, but said nothing.

Xiao Yuheng's lips curled up as well, and he calmed down along with Xu Qingqing, quietly enjoying the rare tranquility of the moment.

Outside the window, the noise is still there, but inside this study, there is an indescribable warmth.

Mrs. Chen Furong was also shocked when she received the news from Xu Qingqing. She sat in her boudoir, holding the secret letter tightly in her hand, with mixed feelings in her heart.

But soon, she understood Xu Qingqing's intention and decided to fully support the plan. As one of the major shareholders of Gongfu Bank, she knew the importance of bank funds and understood that at such a moment, she must make the wisest choice.

Therefore, she quickly gathered her confidants and assistants and began to prepare for the transfer of funds. She knew that this action must be carried out carefully and must not attract the attention of the court.

In order to ensure that everything went smoothly, after letting Xiao Yuheng stay here to take charge of the situation, Xu Qingqing quietly left to find Chen Furong.

Xu Qingqing openly arranged for her second brother and sister-in-law's escort company to provide cover, but secretly she had already transferred the gold and silver into the space.

As time went by, a silent economic sanction campaign was quietly launched.

The Common Wealth Bank began to gradually transfer funds, ensuring that ordinary people could continue to live a normal life while reducing loan support to the court.

Although this move seemed small, it invisibly weakened the financial resources of the court, making the already stretched treasury even worse.

Emperor Zhou Shijie was completely unaware of all this. He was busy dealing with the wars on the border and the people's grievances at home, and had no time to pay attention to these subtle changes.

The northern border at this time

The first rays of sunlight in the morning, like tiny pieces of gold, gently brushed across the mottled walls of Beijiang City. However, this tranquility did not last long. With the sound of subtle and hurried footsteps in the snow in the distance, the northern barbarians, like ghosts in the dark night, quietly approached this important frontier town.

They were dressed in battle suits made of dark animal skins, and every stitch and thread revealed the ruggedness and toughness unique to the North. The strange colored patterns painted on their faces shone dimly in the morning light, blending in with the surrounding scenery, making it difficult to distinguish.

Their movements are swift and silent, as if they are part of nature, quietly waiting for their prey to reveal a flaw.

"Cowards of the Great Zhou, do you dare to come out? How can you be considered heroes if you can only hide behind the city walls?" As the first provocative shout rang out, the entire border seemed to be ignited by an invisible fire.

The northern barbarians drew their longbows and shot arrows at the city walls like raindrops. Although most of them were blocked by the thick walls and the shields of the defenders, the sharp sound of arrows breaking through the air and the occasional sound of metal clashing were enough to make people feel cold.

On the city wall, the soldiers of the Northern Frontier Army were already on full alert. They were wearing heavy armor, holding sharp weapons, and staring at the movements below with sharp eyes.

"Keep calm and don't be fooled." An experienced veteran shouted in a deep voice.

He knew that the northern barbarians were deliberately provoking him in an attempt to disrupt the morale of the army. Therefore, he quickly ordered to strengthen the vigilance and sent a scout team out of the city to investigate the enemy situation and ensure that they would not fall into the trap of the northern barbarians.

As time went on, the provocations from the Northern Barbarian scouts became more and more frequent, but the Northern Frontier Army always remained highly vigilant and calm, and ignored the provocative Northern Barbarians below.

Such a move made the northern barbarians who were constantly jumping up and down and making provocations seem like clowns, which was extremely ridiculous.

However, the Northern Barbarians' provocation did not stop. In the afternoon, the Northern Barbarians' light cavalry swept in like a violent storm, riding on tall war horses and galloping across the wilderness outside the city, the sound of their hooves shook the earth and raised dust.

These cavalrymen were not only well-equipped but also well-trained. They changed their formations, sometimes charging and sometimes making detours, as if they were performing a carefully choreographed dance, and every move of this dance was full of ridicule and provocation to the Central Plains defenders.

"It seems that these people from the Central Plains are really cowards. They only dare to hide in the city and dare not even breathe." The laughing voices of the light cavalrymen drifted away with the wind. Every word was like a sharp blade, cutting the hearts of the defending soldiers.