East Palace Chengming Hall.
Zhao Xunyin looked at Zhao Xi, who was sitting at the top with a worried brow, and said softly, "Xixi, if you have any difficulties, just tell your aunt, I will do my best to help you as long as it can turn the situation around."
Although she spoke calmly, in fact, her heart was already mostly occupied by panic.
Zhao Xi lowered her eyes to look at the military report on the desk: "The military report sent back by my uncle states clearly the shortage of several dicinal materials. Previously, I had people investigate, and there’s not much left in the National Treasury. Considering the current situation, it might not be possible to collect that many for a while."
Zhao Xunyin thought for a mont, "Leave this matter to ."
Then she asked Zhao Xi, "Apart from this, is there anything else you need my help with?"
Zhao Xi sighed lightly, "According to the intelligence from the front line, Bei Yan has spies infiltrating Chu Country. I’m worried that an accident might occur while transporting the dicinal materials, so the person responsible for this transportation is particularly crucial. Aunt, who do you think is suitable for this task?"
Zhao Xunyin frowned, "If that’s the case, then the person transporting the dicinal materials must be proficient in dicine. Otherwise, if the materials are swapped midway, they wouldn’t recognize it, and delivering them to the Northern Border might harm the people instead."
"That is precisely my concern." Zhao Xi nodded in agreent.
Zhao Xunyin hesitated, "The skilled doctors in the Capital are all gathered at the Imperial Hospital. Wouldn’t it be risky to send the Imperial Physicians?"
"I do have a more suitable candidate, but it will take so ti." Zhao Xi said.
Zhao Xunyin was puzzled, "Who?"
"The renowned Yun Liulang from Jiangnan."
Zhao Xunyin was taken aback.
Although she had been staying in the countryside all these years, she had heard nurous rumors about Yun Six Lang from the Yun Family. It was said that he was talented from a young age, taking over the Yun Family at the age of eighteen purely through ability, often accompanied by two youths—one proficient in dicine, the other in poison.
Zhao Xunyin also knew that last ti when Song Wei led troops to Cangzhou for negotiations with the Tongji Association and was mistakenly injured, it was Yun Huai who arrived in ti to save him. Otherwise, it would have been Song Wei lying in the coffin.
"I’ve never t him, but there are rumors in Jianghu that he’s quite capable." Zhao Xunyin said, "How co, the Crown Prince trusts him?"
"We have interacted a few tis and are relatively familiar." Zhao Xi affird, "Yun Huai is a gentleman of Jianghu, with upright conduct, beyond doubt. If he goes, it will surely save more effort, and I can rest assured."
"Alright then, send a ssage to Jiangnan as soon as possible!" Zhao Xunyin said, "Last ti, when you sent a ssage to Ningzhou, I saw you used a Hai Dongqing, which flew quite fast. Use Hai Dongqing to send the ssage again, and it will arrive in a day."
...
When Zhao Xunyin returned ho, she found Lu Yanqing still sitting in the west side chamber, with Fan Zhuowen there too.
"Miss Fan." Zhao Xunyin smiled, "In such a good mood today, coming to my place for tea?"
Fan Zhuowen didn’t speak and imdiately looked at Lu Yanqing.
Lu Yanqing seed unaware of her gaze, looking out the window by himself.
Fan Zhuowen looked away, saying to Zhao Xunyin, "Madam, the young master wants to go to the Northern Border, and I want to go with him."
"Yanqing, what are you doing?" Zhao Xunyin’s brow furrowed slightly, "Didn’t we agree not to go to the Northern Border? Why have you changed your mind?"
Lu Yanqing turned his body to look over, "Did Mother et the Crown Prince? What did he say?"
Zhao Xunyin sat down and took a sip of tea before saying, "The epidemic in the Northern Border is severe. The few dicinal materials your father specifically requested are not enough in the National Treasury. Local officials need to be mobilized to help gather them imdiately."
"Is that all?" Lu Yanqing’s eyes showed suspicion, "Who is the person chosen to deliver the dicinal materials?"
From the tone, Zhao Xunyin knew what he was up to, "Stop overthinking it. It’s going to be Yun Liulang from the Suzhou Yun Family. You have no chance."
Lu Yanqing, when he spent money to inquire about the news that day, heard the words "Yun Liulang" from the shopkeeper, thereby learning that this person was a renowned gentleman of Jianghu, the youngest Family Head of the Yun Family. Every three years, the Yun Family would send outstanding disciples from the military examination to the Capital, always producing a few exceptional ones, all eventually utilized by the court.
Therefore, although the Yun Family is a Jianghu sect, its contributions to the court are not insignificant.
In addition to this, so of the Yun Family disciples are very skilled in dicine and poison techniques.
Having them deliver the dicinal materials to the border sounds both reasonable and sensible, there really is no need for Lu Yanqing to go.
He said nothing, only his eyes shifted slightly.
Unable to go to the Northern Border, Fan Zhuowen couldn’t tell if she felt happy or regretful.
Zhao Xunyin said to her, "You are a young and beautiful girl. Finding a suitable husband to marry is the proper thing. How can you go to such a place? Yanqing is unreliable, don’t follow him and get involved in foolishness."
Originally, Fan Zhuowen felt there was no need to go, but upon Zhao Xunyin’s words, she imdiately regained her resolve, "Madam, I’m not going there to have fun. I know the battlefield is dangerous, but after hearing you say that the epidemic is severe, I can go to assist with care."
"You?" Zhao Xunyin couldn’t help but scrutinize her.
Fan Zhuowen nodded, "The year of the earthquake in Ningzhou, many people were injured. I was on-site at that ti and helped take care of many injured civilians, so I know how to care for the sick."
Seeing Zhao Xunyin showing no signs of agreent, her voice lowered, "I just want to do my part."
Her biological father passed away eight years ago, and her biological mother died of illness a few years after marrying her stepfather. Now she has no parents, and thus no attachnts. As long as she doesn’t fall into her stepfather’s clutches, she would be happy to go anywhere.
Zhao Xunyin couldn’t make a decision on this matter, so he could only look towards Lu Yanqing.
Lu Yanqing understood Zhao Xunyin’s aning and said, "Where she wants to go is her own business, it has nothing to do with ."
...
Zhao Xi’s letter arrived at Yunxiu Mountain Villa in the afternoon, and Zhao Xunyin used his own connections to spread the news to local governnt offices in each province, instructing the local officials to purchase the required dicinal materials and transport them to Suzhou.
At a ti of great war, for the sake of the country and the people, Yun Huai naturally didn’t refuse. He replied to Zhao Xi, saying that he accepted the task and promised to personally deliver the dicinal materials without error to the Northern Border.
...
Zhao Xi did not intend to make public the military report from the Northern Border, as it involved a plague that would terrify the people. If the news spread among the public, it would surely cause panic.
It must be known that all the people in the Capital were waiting for the chanical beast to swiftly win the battle for them.
As long as nothing is said, the faith remains, and the chanical beast is still the invincible Divine Weapon in their hearts.
If disclosed, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Therefore, the next day at court, Zhao Xi did not ntion a word, simply instructing the officials to report if they had matters, otherwise to retire from the court, and then he went to the Imperial Study Room to review morials.
A very ordinary day, arousing no one’s suspicion.
But this did not an that no one outside knew, especially in the military general’s family.
Ye Rong’s father, Ye Hongjiang, was appointed as the commander to follow Lu Xingzhou north, and soone under him had already sent the news back, so Ye Rong learned of it not long after.
He wasn’t foolish. If he could get the news, how could the court know nothing? However, the officials seed unaware. He quickly thought it was the Crown Prince deliberately hiding the information to avoid causing panic among the people.
Ye Rong also kept it from his family, not letting Mrs. Yu and Ye Ling know, but he was undecided and wanted to discuss a counterasure with soone, so he went to the Western Marquis Mansion to see Xu Jia.
Xu Guangfu, like Ye Hongjiang, had already been appointed by Lu Xingzhou and was now in the Northern Border.
Xu Jia had always assud that this war with Bei Yan would be as smooth as the one against West Yue, but unexpectedly, the Beiyang people were so unscrupulous, unable to defeat the chanical beast, so they introduced a plague.
"Too much!" She said, her face solemn, pounding heavily on the small table.
"If they face off directly, both your father and mine are veterans on the battlefield, so I’m not too worried. But now, with such a serious plague, perhaps they are both in danger. Senior Sister, what do you think we should do now?"
Xu Jia analyzed, "Since you could get the news, it ans that the Crown Prince knew from the start. He deliberately concealed it to avoid causing panic among the people. However, even if he hides it, he must have taken action privately. So, Ah Rong, help check how His Highness is arranging things. If he is secretly mobilizing people to reinforce the Northern Border, then I may have a chance to blend in."
Ye Rong was startled, "Senior Sister, you want to go to the Northern Border?"
"I can’t just watch sothing happen to my father."
Having painstakingly gotten a second chance at life to break free from Tang Yuan and enjoy family bliss, Xu Jia did not want this happiness to be fleeting.
Ye Rong almost didn’t hesitate, "If you are going, then I’ll accompany you."
"If you go with , what about your sister?" Xu Jia asked, "I heard that the Song family has already picked a date, and they’re getting married in late April. If you leave, who will carry her out?"
Ye Rong was choked up.
He indeed couldn’t let go of Ah Yao, but with such an urgent war in the Northern Border, and being born into a military family with responsibilities, he must do sothing.
Besides, if sothing happened to his father in the Northern Border, Ah Yao would be unhappy for the rest of her life.
Thinking of this, Ye Rong was even more determined to go to the Northern Border, "Senior Sister, just wait, I’ll go investigate right away and let you know as soon as I have news."
...
Xu Jia didn’t know what thod Ye Rong used, but in just one day, he managed to find out.
"Nowadays, local officials in each province are purchasing dicinal materials to send to Suzhou. If I’m not mistaken, His Highness has probably entrusted this task to the Yun family. Once the dicinal materials are ready, soone from the Yun family will surely go to the Northern Border to deliver them. By then, we can disguise ourselves and sneak into the Yun family’s team and just follow them."
Hearing it was the Yun family, Xu Jia felt a bit hesitant, and the image of a pair of deep, dark eyes unexpectedly appeared in her mind.
Those were eyes that could pierce through flesh and see directly into one’s thoughts.
In the past, to obtain the Yun family’s ancestral bracelet, she had carefully hidden her intentions, but in the end, she was seen through at a glance. If she disguised herself again this ti and got exposed, it would be very embarrassing.
Thinking of this, Xu Jia suddenly shivered, "Ah Rong, is there any other way?"
"I think this thod is quite good!" Ye Rong said, "Senior Sister, think carefully. If the ones delivering the dicine were the military, what would happen if we were discovered infiltrating? The Yun family is different. They know us, and even if we’re exposed, we could pull so strings and talk about personal connections, and it would be easy to get away with it."
Xu Jia was on the verge of tears.
Even if she were to be exposed, she did not want to be exposed by that person!
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