Chapter 455 Changes in the Southwest
Under Xiangyun's urging, Jia Cong stopped the boat near Ningxixuan, and then picked more than a dozen lotus pods in succession. Xiangyun shouted and distributed the lotus pods to all the sisters.
Although these things were not considered precious, they created an atmosphere when eaten. Therefore, everyone tasted a few and felt that the lotus pods they ate this time were much more delicious than before.
They didn't know how long they had been playing on the boat when Tanchun suddenly came over and said, "Third brother, look, it's the eldest and second sisters-in-law who are here."
Jia Cong turned around and saw Li Wan and Wang Xifeng standing in the pavilion facing the water.
She hurriedly ordered the large boat to come over, and with the help of the maid, the two of them boarded. Wang Xifeng sighed, "You really know how to have fun. Only idle people like you would have the inclination to take a boat tour of the lake."
"We idlers are naturally no match for you busybody!" Yushi stepped forward and stuffed a few lotus seeds into Wang Xifeng's mouth. "Try these freshly picked lotus seeds and see if they are fresh and tender."
Wang Xifeng swallowed her words and said, "Pooh, pooh, pooh, you, the eldest sister-in-law, only know how to bully others."
" I'm not bullying you. On the contrary, I love you. The lotus pod contains lotus seeds. If you eat more, maybe you can give birth to some children for the master." Yu Shi whispered in Wang Xifeng's ear.
Wang Xifeng's pretty face flushed, and she glared at Youshi fiercely. However, she snatched the lotus pods from Youshi's hand and ate a few of them herself...
Just as Jia Cong of the East Palace was having fun with a group of girls, the old concubine of the Nan'an Palace, who had come from afar, entered the palace to meet the emperor.
Upon learning that Old Lady Cheng was coming, Emperor Longxing was also extremely surprised and immediately summoned her.
In the rear hall of the Dragon Head Palace, Emperor Longxing met Old Lady Cheng.
"The old concubine has been far away in Shu , and I haven't seen her for many years." Emperor Longxing said in a gentle voice.
The old concubine's face was filled with sorrow. She prostrated herself on the ground and sobbed, "I have come here to apologize to Your Majesty and the Emperor."
Emperor Longxing frowned slightly, "Hurry up and help the old concubine up!"
"Why do you say that, old concubine? What's the point of apologizing? Your Nan'an Palace has always been at the same level with the country. Moreover, you have been stationed in the southwest for many years and have made great contributions to the country. Even if there are some mistakes, how can it be worth the old concubine to apologize?"
Old Madam Cheng waved her hand, stopping the eunuch who was advancing, and then continued in a sad voice, "Your Majesty, the barbarians from Southern Xinjiang raided Jiading Prefecture in early May. Although Jiading Prefecture suffered considerable , the prefecture was fortunate to have mobilized troops in time and repelled the barbarians. However, the barbarians from Southern Xinjiang have formed alliances in many places, not only gathering hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses, but also bribed many tribes in various prefectures."
"The two sides engaged in battle again. Our troops were attacked from behind, and tens of thousands of them were defeated. Even Guang'er was abducted by the barbarians..."
Emperor Longxing felt dizzy. Something happened in southern Xinjiang. Was the Prince of Nan'an defeated and captured?
What is the current situation in the southwest?
While the defeat of the Prince of Nan'an didn't mean there were no more troops in the southwest, it did mean they were the most crucial. Their defeat would also destroy their morale, and the entire Chengdu Prefecture would be at the mercy of the barbarians. Furthermore, if the barbarians of Qiongbu Prefecture moved south, would the barbarians of the Wumeng Mountains and the Luo clan's ghost kingdom be able to remain safe and sound?
The entire southwest region will be in chaos, and even the Dali Kingdom may take this opportunity to use military force against Daqian.
"Pa!" Emperor Longxing slammed his hand down on the table. "Such a major event has occurred, and you, the Nan'an Palace, dare to suppress the news? You only told me now?"
Old Madam Cheng wept, "Your Majesty, this is a grave sin committed by our Nan'an Palace! Moreover, if the news spreads, wouldn't it cause panic throughout Daqian? If this causes instability in various regions, even if our Nan'an Palace were wiped out, we would be doing Your Majesty a disservice. Therefore, I, an old woman, took the initiative to temporarily suppress the news and then traveled day and night to deliver the letter to Your Majesty."
Emperor Longxing pointed tremblingly at Old Lady Cheng before him. He finally understood why this old woman had traveled thousands of miles to come in person. If it had been anyone else, Emperor Longxing would have no problem chopping off their head to vent his anger. However, facing an old lady of considerable status, could he really chop her off?
"Tell me, what's the situation in the southwest now!" Emperor Longxing tried hard to suppress his anger.
Old Lady Cheng no longer dared to hide anything and directly told Emperor Longxing about the situation in Chengdu Prefecture. After listening, Emperor Longxing was filled with anger.
This time, the southwest region is really in chaos.
With the capture of the Prince of Nan'an, the entire Chengdu Prefecture was left leaderless. The Xuhen and Wudeng tribes, previously hostile to each other, united and marched northward, forcing Jiading Prefecture, Lizhou, Yazhou, Meizhou, and other neighboring areas to their deaths. The remaining troops under the Prince of Nan'an were stationed in Jianzhou, Chengdu Prefecture, and Qiongzhou to block their advance, and a major battle was imminent.
The troops in the Shiquan area north of Chengdu Prefecture did not dare to move rashly because the Qiang people in the Wenshan area of Maozhou were also somewhat uneasy.
Moreover, the tribes of Wumeng Mountain and the Luo clan ghost kingdom also showed signs of mobilizing troops!
"The leader of the Xuhen tribe said that they want to form a marriage alliance with Daqian to stabilize the relationship between them! As long as a princess or princess marries into their tribe, they are willing to withdraw their troops and help Daqian persuade other tribes."
"Marriage for peace?" Emperor Longxing gritted his teeth. If the person was the active party, marriage for peace would not be a bad thing, but if the person was the passive party, it would be a shame for him as the emperor.
"The girl from your Nan'an Palace is also a princess. Why don't you just marry her directly? Do you want the princess of the royal family to marry far away in Southern Xinjiang?"
Old Madam Cheng wept and said, "If our daughter could catch the eye of the barbarian leader, we would certainly be willing to marry her, whether for the sake of Daqian or our family. But Your Majesty also knows that all my daughters are married, and only one little granddaughter has not yet reached the age of marriage. If we randomly marry someone off, it might delay state affairs."
"So you mean to ask me to marry a princess and apologize to those barbarians?"
"How dare I let a princess go? It just so happens that I've been adopted as a godfather to a concubine of the Jia family. So, if I want my godson to marry into the family, my status is suitable. All I need is for Your Majesty to grant me the title of Princess. Regardless of whether this is true or not, at least we should hold the barbarians back first, and then plan to use military force."
Emperor Longxing was stunned for a moment, then laughed in anger, "A concubine's daughter of the Jia family? You, the Nan'an Prince's Palace, are quite clever, using someone else's daughter to fill a hole in your family. How shameless!"
Even with the temperament of Emperor Longxing, he was greatly angered by the Nan'an Palace's plan. Moreover, with his son's reckless personality, he would probably not be willing to accept even a marriage with his own sister, let alone a marriage with a foreign prince.
