Spring arrives and the land smiles

Qin Mian, acting on the orders of Emperor Longqing, came to assist Qingyan and brought her good news.

“Princess, His Majesty has decreed that the matter of the Yushan gold mine can be carried out as appropriate. If the border generals disagree, they may execute them first and report later with the tiger tally.”

what?

Qingyan was shocked. She stood up and looked at Qin Mian, asking, "Father, is that really what you said?"

"How dare I falsely convey the imperial edict?" Qin Mian replied.

Indeed, this question is unnecessary.

Although Qin Mian and Yun Xuan were old acquaintances, he was an imperial guard. She might not know about this relationship with Yun Xuan, but Emperor Longqing certainly did. Since he sent Qin Mian at this crucial moment, it must be that Emperor Longqing tacitly approved of Yun Xuan's underhanded actions. However, the fact that he gave her the authority to act first and report later to the border general shows that Emperor Longqing's trust in her had increased. It seems that her previous discussion with Yun Xuan about reporting everything to Emperor Longqing without any concealment was a gamble that paid off.

However, Emperor Longqing must have been aware of the unusual movements among the border generals to grant such authorization.

"Qin Mian, are you familiar with General Chu Shen, the Supreme Protector?" Qingyan asked.

"We've met a few times," Qin Mian replied.

"Tell me," Qingyan said, as Qin Mian helped her back onto the bed.

"The three Chu siblings were orphans picked up on the battlefield by the late General Chu Guishan. The general's wife had no children, so she adopted the three of them and recorded them in the family genealogy. General Chu Shen was the top martial arts champion in the seventh year of the Longqing reign. He was a master of martial arts and inherited the mantle of the old general Chu. He was stationed in Yushan for many years. General Chu Huai followed his elder brother in battle and made many meritorious contributions. He was kept by the emperor to serve in the capital guard."

The eldest brother guards the border while his brothers remain in the capital; this was indeed a consistent practice of emperors.

"You just said they are three siblings."

"My younger sister, Chu Lian, is two years older than the princess. Due to her frail health, she is still unmarried."

"Not in good health?" Qingyan asked in confusion. How bad must her health be? She was twenty years old and still unmarried.

"It is said to be a congenital ailment, which General Chu Huai has been relying on to seek medical treatment to keep it afloat."

It seems the problem lies with Chu Lian.

"Has the imperial physician examined it?" Qingyan asked.

Qin Mian pondered for a moment: "Even He Shou, the head of the Imperial Medical Academy, is helpless."

Has Physician Wang examined her?

"Imperial Physician Wang?" Qin Mian asked, puzzled. Could there be an imperial physician in the Imperial Hospital who was more skilled than the head physician?

“Yes, I fell into the water when I was six years old, which left me with lesions and sequelae. I have been cared for by Physician Wang ever since, and I am now healthy again. Physician Wang is the last disciple of the medical sage Zuo Fangxian,” Qingyan explained.

"That has not been examined by Physician Wang."

"Imperial Physician Wang is currently in the Ning family army. Once I return to the capital, I can have him examine her." Qingyan understood. This explained why the secret guards, despite discovering that Chu Huai was Prince Jin's man, did not obstruct him when they went south with her for disaster relief. Prince Jin must have had Chu Huai under his control, but Chu Huai, loyal to the emperor, ultimately did not yield.

General Chu was loyal and righteous throughout his life. He offended the Prince of Jin's faction for the sake of the Ning family army and was suppressed to the point of dying in depression. How could his children be disloyal and unrighteous?

After Qingyan clarified the details, she realized that the tiger tally given by Emperor Longqing wasn't so unappealing after all.

"Princess, His Majesty has another imperial edict for you." Qin Mian respectfully presented the letter, its seal intact.

"If Your Highness has nothing else to say, I shall take my leave." Qin Mian bowed. The imperial edict was confidential, and he naturally could not be present.

Qingyan waved to him, and after Qin Mian left and closed the door, Qingyan immediately opened the imperial edict and examined it closely.

Although it was an official document, Emperor Longqing spoke in a fatherly tone, leaving Qingyan with mixed feelings. The last time Emperor Longqing sent a similar imperial edict was when he asked her to take away Shen Ye and the group of craftsmen who knew how to temper blades. She wondered what it was about this time.

As Qingyan looked at it, her brows furrowed more and more tightly.

Emperor Longqing really thought highly of her, entrusting her with such an important task and sending Qin Mian to assist her. He also recalled her two capable assistants to Shengjing. This was probably the final test for her position as crown prince.

Qingyan took a deep breath and sorted out her thoughts. The current standoff seemed quite clear: the power of Prince Jin's faction in the court was being dismantled one by one by Emperor Longqing. The two had completely broken off relations. If Prince Jin wanted to break the deadlock, he either had to hide deeper or rely on external forces to make Emperor Longqing wary. And right now, the real threat came from these external forces.

Marquis Shao Feng of Yong'an, who was stationed on the southeastern border, was a cousin of Princess Lin. If there were any disturbances on the southeastern border, Emperor Longqing's purge in the court would have to be stopped. Moreover, the problem on the southeastern border was not only a border issue, but also a major matter concerning the Great Qi's access to the sea and maritime trade.

Currently, the Great Qi and the Northern Yan are territorially vying for control of Lucheng. As a result, the northeastern outlet to the sea has been occupied by the Northern Yan. Although the eastern part of the Great Qi borders the sea and has a long coastline, it faces the Japanese across the sea. Japanese pirates frequently raid the eastern part of the Great Qi. Therefore, in order to avoid direct conflict with the Japanese pirates, Great Qi merchant ships will choose to avoid their sharp edge and go out to sea via the southeastern border and Linnan, which borders the Southern Xia. If there is any unrest on the southeastern border, not only will the power struggle in the court be affected, but the fate of the nation will also be damaged. This is something that Emperor Longqing absolutely does not want to see.

Therefore, when Emperor Longqing asked her to stabilize the southeastern border for at least three months, he was definitely telling her that this time it was all or nothing, that she had to gamble with the throne and her entire fortune. If she couldn't completely eliminate Prince Jin's power this time, the throne would definitely not fall to Qingyan after Emperor Longqing's death, and a crown prince who failed to seize the throne would only have one path: death.

Thinking of this, Qingyan crumpled the imperial seal in her hand into a ball. She bit her lower lip, and her eyes gradually became resolute and fierce.

Since the task was to stabilize the southeastern border for three months, the matter of Yushan had to be resolved quickly. Emperor Longqing had only given her half a month, after which she would set off for the southeast. The matter of Yushan had to be resolved within half a month.

"Sicheng." Qingyan called to him. Now that Ningyuan and Yunxuan were not around, Sicheng was the greatest help.

Sicheng quickly pushed the door open and came in.

Qingyan unfolded the crumpled imperial edict in her hand and handed it to Sicheng.

Si Cheng quickly glanced through it, his expression gradually becoming serious.

"Princess, Marquis Yong'an, Shao Feng, controls 70% of the troops on the southeastern border, and he is also a cousin of Princess Lin. This matter is likely to end badly."

"So, this is the ultimate test. Compared to this, Qiu Rong's submission and the Yushan gold mine are nothing." Qingyan waved his hand, asking Sicheng to pour him a cup of tea.

Qingyan had a shoulder injury, and Sicheng was afraid that the tea would burn her, so he only used tea that was half-hot.

Qingyan was deep in thought and habitually reached for the water glass with her left hand, but she lost her balance and spilled the tea.

Si Cheng quickly stepped forward and supported Qing Yan's left arm, then poured her another cup, this time handing it directly to her right side.

Qingyan smiled and took a sip.

"Sicheng, send someone to the mining area to tell Li Renhe that I will be leaving soon. Let him handle all matters in the Yushan mining area, especially the mining of gold and the development of new weapons. If anything goes wrong, let him come back with his head."

After pondering for a moment, Qingyan felt that the matters concerning the Yushan gold mine and the new weapons had been mostly resolved. With Li Renhe's abilities, it shouldn't be difficult for him to handle the follow-up matters properly. At present, the only person who needed to use her status as the crown prince was Chu Shen.

"As for Chu Shen," Qingyan paused, "so far, he seems to be loyal. So let's help him deal with that traitor Xu Zhao so that he has enough excuse to imprison Xu Zhao. That way, Xu Zhao won't be able to cause trouble."

"Yes," Si Cheng replied and withdrew.

Qingyan felt drowsy due to the medication and soon fell asleep.

When she woke up again, it was getting late, and Zhui'er brought Qingyan dinner.

"How is Young Master Luo's injury?" Qingyan asked.

"My wrist is still a little weak, but with me here, I will definitely take good care of Young Master Luo." Zhui'er said confidently.

"Then what are you still doing here? Go and serve Young Master Luo his dinner." Qingyan disdainfully picked at a plate of food beside her; the bland and watery medicinal soup looked unappetizing.

Zhui'er, fearing that Qingyan wouldn't eat, quickly prepared dinner for her, showing great foresight.

Luo Qing was worried about Qing Yan's condition, so she ate a few bites and came to see Qing Yan. When she came in, she saw Qing Yan looking worried in front of this table of medicinal food.

"Master Luo?"

"Why hasn't the princess eaten yet?" Luo Qing walked to the table and sat down.

It turned out they were urging her to take her medicine. Qingyan frowned and scooped up a spoonful of soup, putting it in her mouth. Sure enough, it tasted like medicine.

"It tastes terrible."

"Good medicine tastes bitter. The princess's health has suffered several setbacks. If she doesn't receive some nourishment, she might be on the verge of collapse." Luo Qing smiled.

"Couldn't this medicine be made a little more palatable?" Qingyan pouted, reluctantly picking up a mouthful of something with her chopsticks and putting it in her mouth under Luo Qing's gaze.

Seeing Qingyan's face scrunched up in a grimace, Luo Qing tentatively asked, "Is it really that bad?"

"You haven't tried it?" Qingyan's eyes widened. The chef who designed the dishes hadn't even tasted his own product and was treating her like a guinea pig.

Luo Qing shook her head.

"Then you must try it." Qingyan quickly handed over chopsticks, afraid that Luo Qing would change her mind.

Luo Qing hesitated for a moment before taking a bite under Qing Yan's earnest gaze.

"How is it?" Qingyan asked.

Luo Qing frowned. Sure enough, it was just those two words: disgusting.

"Not particularly pleased," Luo Qing replied tactfully.

Is it really that hard to eat? Qingyan couldn't help but roll her eyes: "Why must good medicine taste bitter? Can't good medicine be made more palatable? Being a patient is already miserable enough. If we also have to take away our appetite, wouldn't that make things even more miserable?"

this--

Luo Qing was at a loss for words. When it came to medicinal cuisine, Luo Qing always followed her master's teachings and prioritized efficacy, never considering the issue of taste. In Luo Qing's eyes, medicinal cuisine was first and foremost medicine, and only secondly food. But seeing Qing Yan's bitter and resentful expression, she suddenly felt that perhaps she could consider the color, aroma, and taste of the medicinal cuisine.

Seeing that Luo Qing remained silent, Qing Yan couldn't help but have a mischievous idea.

"I can't finish all of this, why don't you eat with me?"

Luo Qing was slightly taken aback, then smiled and readily agreed.

Qingyan instructed, "Zhui'er, get Young Master Luo a set of bowls and chopsticks."

Zhuier agreed and hurried off.

Qingyan picked up her chopsticks and suddenly realized that in her haste, she had made Luo Qing share a chopstick with her. Luckily, Luo Qing didn't seem to mind, otherwise it would have been awkward. So she secretly and discreetly started eating.

Luo Qing was meticulous and naturally noticed these details, which is why he hesitated when Qing Yan handed him the chopsticks. However, Qing Yan was never particular about such things, so he just went along with it. He didn't expect the girl to have realized it by now, and Luo Qing's cheeks flushed slightly when he thought of this.

Luo Qing's blushing face was like an embarrassing moment being exposed in Qing Yan's eyes. Just then, Zhui'er came in with bowls and chopsticks, so Qing Yan coughed lightly to cover up the embarrassment.

Zhui'er set out the bowls and chopsticks for Luo Qing, said she had other things to do, and then left.

Now that only the two of them were left in the room, Qingyan quickly started a new topic: "Young Master Luo, could you please prepare a medicine that makes me look like I'm disfigured?"

“I do have some allergenic medicine here. If you apply it to your face, it will indeed look like you’ve been disfigured, but it will get better in three or four days. What use would the princess have for such medicine?” Luo Qing asked, puzzled.

After thinking about Luo Qing's relationship with Lan Zhen, Qing Yan decided to tell him the truth.

"The other day, Xu Zhao, the deputy general of General Chu Shen, the commander of the border garrison at Yushan, went to Immortal Doctor Valley to ask for a good medicine to remove my scars. Did Young Master Luo see him?"

Luo Qing shook her head: "I stayed in the mountains for those few days searching for the Golden-bellied Python and did not return to the medical hut in Immortal Doctor Valley."

"Xu Zhao colluded with the Crown Prince of Nanxia, ​​Lan Yu, to try and kill me. He also has shady dealings with Sichuan, but lacking concrete evidence, General Chu Shen had no choice but to transfer him away first. So I sent him to the Immortal Doctor Valley to seek medicine, and also to entertain the Ghost Doctor. The other day, he brought back the medicine from the Immortal Doctor Valley. He presented the medicine to me, and it only passed through his hands. If I use this medicine and am disfigured, then he will be suspected of treason, and General Chu Shen can then rightfully dismiss him. This will also deter all the monsters and demons associated with him. After the Yushan incident is over in ten days, we will punish him. Therefore, I need to be disfigured for a few days to mislead the various sentries." Qing Yan told the whole story.

Luo Qing smiled and said, "Since it's a frame-up, why should the princess risk her life? I'll just give her a disfigurement makeover."

"Disfigurement makeup?" Framing someone else is a way to cheat, Qingyan was delighted.

“Yes, Princess, you can give it a try.” Luo Qing led Qing Yan to sit down in front of the dressing table.

In the blink of an eye, Luo Qing skillfully ruined Qing Yan's face, making it look terrible and incredibly realistic. Qing Yan looked at herself in the mirror and sighed at Luo Qing's excellent craftsmanship.

"Young Master Luo is truly multi-talented. Not only is he a first-rate musician and flute player, but his skills in applying makeup and drawing eyebrows are also truly admirable. The manager of Hua Man Lou is indeed extraordinary."

Upon hearing this, Luo Qing blushed immediately. He put down the face powder in his hand and took a step back.

Qingyan then realized how awful she had been. She had forgotten that Luo Qing was easily embarrassed, and upon seeing his submissive appearance, she couldn't help but speak without thinking.

"Um, um, I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it." Qingyan was afraid that Luo Qing would back down.

"It's alright, Princess, you don't need to worry about it." Luo Qing stepped back to the table and sat down. "Princess, you should quickly take your medicinal meal."

Ultimately, there was no escaping it. With her disfigured face, Qingyan reluctantly began to eat. Although she had just offended Luo Qing, she didn't forget to ask him to eat with her and suffer together.