Harem Daily Life

What does it take to win a war between two countries?

The strength of a country is the foundation. Only a strong national strength can support a large army and ensure sufficient food and sophisticated weapons.

But national strength alone is not enough, we also need wise generals.

A general who knows how to deploy troops, understand the enemy's weaknesses, and make correct decisions at critical moments is like the sharp edge of a sword that can tear through the enemy's defenses.

Furthermore, the morale of the soldiers is also crucial.

If the soldiers are loyal to the country, have faith in their generals, and have the belief to defend their country, they will be able to fight bravely on the battlefield without fear of life or death.

A stable rear was also crucial. A united government and a peaceful and prosperous people would provide solid support for the war effort, allowing the soldiers on the front lines to devote themselves to the battle without worries. Only then could victory be achieved in the war between the two countries.

Tao Yanyan's idea of defeating the State of Yan in one battle requires the right time, place and people, none of which can be missing.

He Linzhang didn't give her a definite answer, but just hugged her gently and said, "I will do my best to ensure that after this battle, there will be no more wars for ten years."

The next day, the imperial court sent Gu Yi's military order out of the capital, along with the newly collected food and winter clothing for the army.

Although it was still August, the supplies wouldn't arrive at the border until late September. The border was bitterly cold, and getting warm clothing early on would reduce the soldiers' chances of illness and preserve their fighting strength.

In Changle Palace, just as Tao Yanyan finished his lunch, Imperial Physician Liu arrived.

"Your Majesty, last time you asked me to find an opportunity to take Princess Qinghe's pulse, I went and found her pulse to be weak, as if she had been poisoned by a chronic drug. However, due to the short time I had to consult her, I was unable to determine the nature of the poison."

"Chronic poison?" Tao Yanyan narrowed his eyes. "Can you tell how long the poison has lasted?"

Doctor Liu thought for a moment and said, "Judging by the pulse, it should be less than three months. However, this poison is difficult to detect, and the symptoms are not obvious, just fatigue and lack of energy. Previous doctors have examined and treated this patient, and all of them prescribed Qi and blood-tonifying medicines. I will not prescribe a new medicine, but simply ask them to continue taking the medicine according to the previous prescription."

Tao Yanyan frowned when he heard the time he mentioned. Three months, isn't it counted from the time when he and His Majesty went to Prince Yong's Mansion?

Tao Yanyan raised his eyebrows. It seemed that Princess Qinghe had indeed intervened in what happened that day. This time, the poisoning might have been a punishment from the Queen Mother or the Princess, or perhaps it was done by Prince Yong himself.

"Your Majesty, do you want to reveal the news to Princess Qinghe? Or, help her detoxify?" Seeing that the Queen Mother was concerned about this matter, Doctor Liu thought that the Queen Mother might want to save Princess Qinghe in order to facilitate future peace talks between the two countries.

Tao Yanyan shook his head. "She was a princess who came to negotiate peace. She was of noble status. She was poisoned right under the noses of Concubine Hui and Prince Yong. Do you think the Concubine and the Prince didn't know about it?"

She glanced at Doctor Liu and said, "It's obvious that he couldn't have known about it. But if he knew about it and didn't intervene, what would that mean?"

Doctor Liu was startled. A possibility occurred to him, and he said in astonishment, "Could it be that the Concubine Dowager or Prince Yong was the one who poisoned him?"

Sweat broke out on Doctor Liu's forehead. He was frightened by his own guess.

Tao Yanyan's face was indifferent as he instructed, "Just pretend you don't know anything about this matter."

The struggle within the inner house is far more cruel than imagined.

Doctor Liu nodded quickly and said, "Yes, I understand." After that, he retreated and happened to meet Butler Li who was waiting outside the door.

Steward Li came today to report on the grain procurement from other regions. He presented the account book and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, we have recently purchased a total of 100,000 dan of grain from other regions. It cost a lot of money, but it is all high-quality grain. Now that we have the grain, we are no longer worried."

The previously stored grain had been diverted by the Ministry of Revenue to be used as military rations, and Li Zongguan was worried about running out of food. The Empress, with foresight, had him arrange to purchase large quantities from other places.

Tao Yanyan took the account book, looked through it carefully, and nodded. "Well done! Since the war has broken out, panic has spread everywhere. Food is crucial to price stability, and we can't afford to be careless."

Manager Li added, "During the purchase process, several grain merchants wanted to raise the price of grain. Fortunately, Dong Fang performed a great service, and a lot of grain was purchased from him."

Dong Fang's property was Tao Yanyan's private property, and she naturally knew it.

"In recent years, Dong Fang has acquired a large amount of farmland in other places, reclaimed it, and established farms, resulting in a considerable grain output." Tao Yanyan pondered for a moment and said, "Don't disclose the source of the grain. As long as the price is fair, the quality is good, and there's no shortage of weight, it doesn't matter who you buy from. Furthermore, this grain will be stored separately. Some will be sold to stabilize prices, some will be used as raw materials, and some will be kept in reserve. In case the Ministry of Revenue needs more grain, we'll support them."

Upon hearing this, Li Zongguan frowned slightly and said, "This war has been going on for so long, and there's still no winner?"

It’s so painful to spend so much money!

Tao Yanyan sighed, "Rather than fighting every two years, it's better to fight once and have stability for ten years. You should continue with the grain procurement. Fortunately, the account has been full of silver and money in recent years. Are you still worried about not being able to buy grain with silver?"

Chief Steward Li nodded and left. Tao Yanyan looked at the account book in his hand and felt fortunate that he had sent Dong Fang out. Not only had he accumulated a large amount of farmland, industry, and wealth, but he had also ensured his food supply when he needed support the most.

This confidence was given by himself, and Tao Yanyan now feels extremely at ease.

Princess Qinghe did not attend the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet on August 15th last year, having just given birth, but she came this year. She and Princess Yong stood on either side of Prince Yong, looking very harmonious.

However, because of the war between Yan State and Great Zhou, the court officials were not kind to Princess Qinghe. Wherever she went, people looked at her with anger and disdain, and they also had some complaints about Prince Yong's Mansion.

The nephews and nieces of several families also went to the battlefield this time, and they were extremely disgusted with the princess sent by the enemy.

"Look at them. They came here in name only to marry a princess, but they didn't achieve anything at all. The war has started again, wasting people's money and resources. It's simply despicable!"

"Since she failed to complete her mission, how can she still have the nerve to live in this world? She should die as an apology."

"The Prince Yong's Mansion has no control over her, and probably doesn't care. Otherwise, such a princess who married into a foreign alliance should have been killed long ago to appease the people's anger."

"Please keep your voice down. I heard that Princess Yong has no children yet. This princess is a co-wife and has given birth to a little princess. She is really favored."

"I think Prince Yong is also confused. How can he allow a princess who is married to a foreign country to give birth? He should feed her a bowl of contraceptive soup to prevent her from giving birth."

The three people in Prince Yong's Mansion listened to the whispered discussions of the crowd, and their expressions varied.