Traveling through thousands of years, I only love you

The post-war reconstruction severely damaged the country's vitality, but under the leadership of Xiao Yi and Li Lingyuan, everything is recovering in an orderly manner. However, fate always seems to like to give them new tests, and new crises are gathering in the distance like dark clouds.

On the border, after a period of dormancy, the foreign tribes launched a large-scale feint attack. They deliberately created a massive display at a border fortress, feigning a major attack and drawing a significant amount of the imperial army. Meanwhile, the foreign tribes' true elite troops quietly made a detour and headed for a relatively lightly defended border valley.

Xiao Yi and his generals were initially misled by the foreigners' feint, but their intelligence officers soon discovered the enemy's true intentions. Xiao Yi acted decisively, dispatching a highly mobile light cavalry unit to intercept them via a shortcut through the valley. Simultaneously, he personally led a portion of his main force to outflank the foreign main force from the rear, preparing for a pincer attack from both inside and outside.

Li Lingyuan was also busy at the palace. On the one hand, she organized logistics to ensure the continuous supply of materials to the front line; on the other hand, she kept a close eye on the situation at home to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the chaos. At this tense moment, some people with ulterior motives in the palace began to stir up trouble. They colluded with some local forces dissatisfied with the court and tried to sow chaos in the country and disrupt the court's military deployment.

Li Lingyuan acted swiftly, ordering palace guards to intensify patrols and closely monitor suspicious individuals. She also maintained close contact with local officials, urging them to stabilize the situation and resolutely crack down on any incitement to rebellion. Her decisive measures temporarily brought the domestic situation under control, but the potential crisis remained.

On the border battlefield, the light cavalry engaged in a fierce skirmish with elite foreign troops in a valley. Due to the valley's narrow terrain, the cavalry's advantage was limited. However, with their tenacious fighting spirit and exceptional mounted archery skills, they successfully held off the foreign army. For a moment, the valley was filled with rain of arrows and the cries of battle shook the heavens.

The main force, led by Xiao Yi, quickly surrounded the feinting foreign troops. Under his command, the imperial army launched a fierce attack. Unexpectedly, their ruse was discovered, and their formation was thrown into disarray. After a fierce battle, the feinting foreign troops were completely routed and began to flee in all directions.

Xiao Yi gave them no time to breathe. Leaving a portion of his troops to clean up the battlefield and pursue the remaining enemy, he led his main force and rushed non-stop to the valley to reinforce. When they arrived, the light cavalry had suffered heavy casualties but was still struggling. Seeing this, Xiao Yi roared in anger and led his troops into the enemy lines. Pressed from both sides by the imperial army, the elite foreign troops finally succumbed and began to retreat. While the imperial army had won this battle, it had come at a heavy price.

After returning to the palace, Xiao Yi and Li Lingyuan had no time to rest and immediately began to deal with post-war affairs. They provided relief to the families of the fallen soldiers, treated the wounded, and summarized the lessons learned from the battle and made further adjustments to the border defense strategy.

Despite some progress in diplomatic alliances, new problems emerged. After witnessing the losses suffered by the imperial army in border battles, some nations began to doubt the alliance's prospects. They feared retaliation from foreign powers if they continued to cooperate with the imperial court, and thus became hesitant to provide military and material assistance.

Li Lingyuan decided to visit the alliance countries again to stabilize the alliance. She brought generous gifts from the court and news of victories in border battles to demonstrate the court's strength and resolve. During her visit, she encountered many difficulties and challenges. The kings of some countries were cold and noncommittal about her proposal to strengthen alliance cooperation. Other countries expressed dissenting opinions within their own countries, opposing continued alliance with the court.

Undeterred by these difficulties, Li Lingyuan actively traveled among the courts of various nations, engaging in in-depth conversations with ministers and generals. She analyzed the current situation and emphasized that only unity could resist foreign aggression. Her efforts reaffirmed the resolve of some nations to ally with the imperial court, while others remained on the sidelines.

Domestically, with border tensions and ongoing reconstruction efforts, economic problems also emerged. War and natural disasters resulted in significant labor losses, impacting agricultural and commercial development. Food prices began to rise, and signs of famine appeared in some areas. To address the food crisis, Li Lingyuan and Xiao Yi implemented a series of measures. They allocated special funds from the national treasury to purchase grain from areas with abundant harvests and transport it to disaster-stricken and food-deficient areas. At the same time, they encouraged farmers to reclaim more wasteland to increase grain production and subsidized agricultural production.

Regarding commerce, the court further reduced commercial taxes, encouraging merchants to import grain and other necessities from other countries. Li Lingyuan also organized government-run commercial events to promote the circulation of goods. However, these measures encountered considerable resistance during implementation. Corruption among some local officials during grain procurement and transportation delayed timely delivery of grain. Some merchants took advantage of this opportunity to hoard goods, driving up prices and exacerbating market instability.

Upon learning of these developments, Xiao Yi once again cracked down on corrupt officials. He established a stricter oversight mechanism to monitor every aspect of grain procurement and transportation. The court also took tough measures against merchants who hoarded grain, confiscating their illegal gains and imposing heavy penalties. After a period of effort, the grain crisis was alleviated, and the market gradually returned to stability.

Regarding cultural development, although books and poems reflecting national reconstruction and the spirit of the people were widely circulated, over time, negative ideologies began to take root among the people. Having experienced war, natural disasters, and social unrest, some people lost faith in the country and its future. They spread pessimistic and negative rhetoric, which affected the people's mood.

Li Lingyuan recognized the importance of cultural development and organized a group of scholars and literati to engage directly with the people. They recounted historical stories and promoted the deeds of national heroes, inspiring patriotism and national pride. At the same time, the imperial court and local governments jointly funded the construction of more cultural venues across the country, such as academies and temples, to provide spiritual comfort and cultural entertainment for the people.

As they navigated this series of crises, Xiao Yi and Li Lingyuan's bond deepened. They supported each other, faced challenges together, and became each other's strongest support. One quiet night, they sat across from each other in their bedroom, reminiscing about the hardships they had faced along the way.

"Your Majesty, sometimes I really feel very tired, but when I see the people gradually living a good life thanks to our efforts, I feel that everything is worth it." Li Lingyuan leaned on Xiao Yi's shoulder, tears in his eyes.

"Lingyuan, me too. You and I shoulder the expectations of the country and the people. No matter how difficult it is, we can't give up." Xiao Yi gently stroked Li Lingyuan's hair, his eyes full of determination.

However, just when they thought the situation was stabilizing, shocking news arrived from the palace intelligence department. It turned out that the foreigners' actions on the border were behind a deeper conspiracy. They were colluding with a powerful minister within the court, who had been passing them confidential information, including military deployments and diplomatic strategies. This news was like a bolt from the blue, and it made Xiao Yi and Li Lingyuan realize that the enemy they faced was far more complex and dangerous than they had imagined.

Xiao Yi ordered a thorough investigation to uncover the traitor. A tense atmosphere descended upon the palace, and everyone felt threatened. Li Lingyuan calmly analyzed the situation, believing that the traitor, who had been hiding for so long, must have had a well-preserved cover and a complex network of connections. They must be cautious and avoid alerting the traitor.

During the investigation, they discovered some clues. Some seemingly insignificant clues gradually pointed to several ministers. Xiao Yi and Li Lingyuan did not jump to conclusions and continued to investigate in depth to collect more evidence.

Meanwhile, foreign forces, having learned that the imperial court had begun to suspect a traitor, accelerated their actions. They once again gathered forces at the border, preparing for a new offensive. This offensive was no longer a simple military operation, but rather a coordinated attack with domestic rebel forces, aiming to overthrow the imperial court in one fell swoop.

Xiao Yi and Li Lingyuan face an unprecedented crisis. They must quickly uncover the traitor, stabilize the domestic situation, and resist foreign aggression. In this life-or-death moment, can they once again turn the tide and protect their country and its people? This is the great suspense hanging in everyone's mind. The entire palace and the country wait in tense anticipation, awaiting their decision and the verdict of fate.