I Rely on Beauty to Stabilize the Country Chapter 78

Chapter 78

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Xue Yuan walked over to where Chu Wei was standing.

Chu Wei noticed him and pursed his lips, summoning the courage to reach out his hand towards the emperor. But halfway through, Xue Yuan swiftly intercepted it.

“Lord Chu, you’ve crossed the line.”

Xue Yuan lowered his voice. He let go of Chu Wei’s hand, wiped his own hands with a handkerchief from his pocket, and looked like he was smiling, without any harmful intention. But Chu Wei, looking at him, seemed to detect a cold warning in his expression.

Chu Wei wordlessly clasped his hands behind his back, his long, slender fingers stiff and tense.

Seeing him like this, Xue Yuan smiled mockingly, whispering gently and kindly, “Chu Wei, with your cowardly attitude, can you be patient for His Majesty?”

Chu Wei’s expression darkened. He did not have a preference for men, but what irked him even more was the implication: “Why would I be impatient?”

He almost blurted it out, but then fell silent.

Xue Yuan’s smile became more mocking. He walked to Gu Yuanbai’s side, bent down, and gently lifted the emperor, cradling him in his arms. Chu Wei couldn’t help but step forward, wanting to stop him from committing such a disrespectful act, but as soon as he stepped in, Xue Yuan grasped the emperor’s hand and lightly slapped Chu Wei’s face with it.

Chu Wei froze.

The force was light because Xue Yuan didn’t want to hurt Gu Yuanbai’s hand. The palm was soft and delicate, but when it touched Chu Wei’s face, it felt more humiliating.

With this hand in his grasp, Xue Yuan inserted his fingers between the emperor’s, tapping the handsome face of the top scholar. The expression of this pride of heaven changed again and again, but it was obvious that he couldn’t withstand it.

“If he treats you like this,” Xue Yuan smiled, “how could you withstand it?”

As if he were sharing a secret, he whispered softly, “You can’t, but I can.”

Chu Wei was extremely proud. His face turned slightly red from being slapped, not because it hurt, but because of his restrained expression, with faint signs of anger.

“The emperor wouldn’t do such a thing,” he suppressed, refuting Xue Yuan’s words.

Xue Yuan wiped Gu Yuanbai’s hands. Gu Yuanbai’s eyelids twitched, showing signs of waking up. Chu Wei’s heart skipped a beat, as if he had seen something terrifying, and he suddenly stood up straight.

Xue Yuan noticed Chu Wei’s reaction and sneered disdainfully. In front of him, he brought Gu Yuanbai’s hand to his lips and kissed it lightly.

When Gu Yuanbai opened his eyes, he saw this scene. His mind was in a daze and, before he could fully grasp the situation, he instinctively struck out. There was a sharp “slap” as he hit Xue Yuan’s face.

Once he came to his senses, Gu Yuanbai’s face hardened.

Xue Yuan turned his head, smiled slightly, and casually took Gu Yuanbai’s hand, bringing it to his lips and blowing on it. He sighed, “I’ve been waiting for that slap for a long time.”

“Look at your tender hand, your palm is all red.”

***

“Xue Yuan, are you acting up again?” Gu Yuanbai’s face darkened as he ordered a dagger to be brought in.

Xue Yuan’s provocative words made Gu Yuanbai contemplate cutting off his third leg.

Kneeling on the ground, Xue Yuan looked at the dagger, his face turning ashen. At that critical moment, a eunuch outside shouted urgently, “Report! An urgent dispatch from 800 miles away!”

Gu Yuanbai immediately dropped the dagger and strode out.

The eunuch who delivered the message was travel-worn and knelt on the ground, holding up the urgent report. Tian Fusheng quickly took it, checked it briefly, and then ran to hand it to Gu Yuanbai.

Gu Yuanbai opened the letter and his expression grew serious. After reading it, he slapped the table and commanded, “Summon the Shangshu of the Ministry of War, the Shangshu of the Ministry of Revenue, and the Grand Chancellor to the Xuanzheng Hall immediately!”

“Yes!” Tian Fusheng hurriedly sent someone to call the two ministers. Gu Yuanbai sat behind the table, unrolling paper and writing notes rapidly.

There was a locust plague in the north.

In ancient times, locust plagues, floods, and droughts were the three most common disasters.

The urgent report from 800 miles away stated that “locusts cover the sky, leaving no vegetation wherever they pass.” Gu Yuanbai could imagine the severity of the situation.

The Shangshu of the Ministry of War, the Shangshu of the Ministry of Revenue, and the Grand Chancellor rushed to the Xuanzheng Hall. Gu Yuanbai had no time for lengthy explanations and handed them General Xue’s dispatch to read.

General Xue was leading troops to the northern frontier, primarily to escort trade caravans and deter the nomadic tribes of the northern frontier, aiming to establish border trade. The main purpose of this mission was commerce, not warfare. However, Gu Yuanbai had provided him with ample troops and supplies. General Xue, equipped with sufficient resources, initially intended to assert dominance and teach the increasingly bold northern nomadic tribes a lesson. But upon reaching the northern region, he encountered the devastating locust plague.

Wherever they passed, the locusts had devoured all the grass and fur of livestock. General Xue promptly dispatched people to protect the grain day and night, as well as manually capture these locusts. When they arrived in the northern borderlands, the soldiers guarding the border were already starving to the extreme. Upon seeing them bringing a large amount of grain, they immediately collapsed in tears of joy.

The nomads, especially affected by the sudden locust plague, found their grasslands and the fur of their cattle and sheep being devoured. They launched frequent attacks on the border in advance, initiating several skirmishes.

Even more heart-wrenching was the phenomenon of cannibalism in the disaster-stricken areas of the north.

As soon as General Xue arrived at the border, he immediately dispatched troops to defend against external enemies and the locust infestation. A large portion of the grain in the army was also allocated to relieve the people. Disorderly areas were dealt with using strong measures, the border soldiers and disaster-stricken people were resettled, and news was spread, prompting the affected people to immediately rush to the border garrisons.

With several bold policies in place, the previously h*llish borderlands finally saw a glimmer of hope. However, General Xue remained tense, knowing that the difficulty of this battle was not the nomads but rather the food and natural disasters.

Locusts are difficult to catch, but what is even more challenging is the amount of grain General Xue has brought. Although Gu Yuanbai provided their army with sufficient grain, it won’t last long in the disaster-stricken areas.

After reading the report, the three ministers understood why the emperor looked so serious. The Shangshu of the Ministry of War immediately said, “Your Majesty, we must not delay. We should send people to transport grain to the northern frontier at once. Otherwise, not only will there be heavy casualties in the north, but there might also be a rebellion.”

The Grand Chancellor said gravely, “In the past, the nomads invaded the Central Plains in September when their soldiers and horses were strong and healthy. But from General Xue’s report, it is clear that the nomads have also been severely affected by the locust plague. Their horses, cattle, and sheep have nothing to eat, which is why they have launched multiple attacks ahead of time. The nomads have always relied on their superior riding skills, but now that they have lost their strong horses, this is our opportunity to suppress them.”

The Emperor’s face remained serious, “After the locust plague, there will be a series of disasters and outbreaks of diseases. The court must be prepared to handle everything. Shangshu of the Ministry of Revenue, how is the grain in the national treasury?”

The Shangshu of the Ministry of Revenue relaxed his expression, “Your Majesty, due to the confiscation of supplies from rebellious armies in the two southern regions of Jing and Hu, the national treasury is already overflowing. Additionally, there have been donations of rice and grain from all over the country. Twenty-two granaries have been hastily established in the capital alone, and these granaries are already full. Throughout the Great Heng Dynasty, due to the previous anti-corruption efforts, any shortages in grain and meat stores have been replenished, and now it is a bumper harvest season. With favorable weather conditions across the country, even if we withdraw a large amount of grain to the north, the granaries will still be overflowing after a month.”

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere suddenly lightened.

The Grand Chancellor gained confidence and said, “Then now is the time when our Great Heng Dynasty is strong.”

The Emperor’s face relaxed slightly. Whether dealing with corruption or rebellious armies, he had always danced on the edge of a blade. Unexpectedly, now, he had managed to turn the disadvantageous situation in the north into an advantage.

Yes, the locusts had devoured the grasslands on which the nomads depended, and they had killed their cattle and sheep to dry the meat for provisions. But without their strong horses, the nomads were no threat to Great Heng.

The Emperor suddenly realized that this was an excellent opportunity.

An excellent opportunity to attack the nomads in the north.

It was a great temptation, and the Emperor began to seriously consider whether he should start a war now.

In the Emperor’s original plan, he intended to start the border trade first, exchanging for good horses and cattle from the nomads, thereby training a large number of cavalry. Only after several years when the cavalry was strong, transportation was established, and postal stations were developed would he then annihilate the nomadic tribes in one fell swoop.

What would be the pros and cons of starting a war now?

The advantages were self-evident. The granaries of Great Heng were overflowing, and the nomads were weakened by the locust plague. If they attacked now, it would undoubtedly be an excellent opportunity. However, launching an attack on the nomads prematurely would also create sudden and enormous pressure on the logistics of Great Heng’s army and on the officials and people in the affected areas.

Road construction was still ongoing. If they wanted convenient transportation to the north, it would still take two to three years. Leaving aside other factors, if they really conquered the vast grasslands now, with the inconvenience of transportation and communication, even such a locust plague would take a long time to reach Gu Yuanbai’s ears. How could they not fear the resurgence of the nomads by then?

Conquering the world was not difficult; the difficulty lay in maintaining it.

Gu Yuanbai pondered over many things, his mind racing. The nomadic tribes in the north were not only the Khitan Eight Tribes but also the three tribes that split off from the Uyghurs: Gaochang, Ganzhou, and the Yellow Head Tribe. After the split from the Uyghurs, there was another weak tribe, the Jurchens.

On the grasslands, the total number of these nomadic tribes amounted to hundreds of thousands, forming a massive northern ethnic group.

But these nomads were constantly in turmoil, treating neighboring tribes as slaves. Among the Khitan Eight Tribes, the old chiefs were about to die, and there were already hidden undercurrents between the chiefs of the eight tribes.

Should they attack?

Once the court launched a large-scale attack, they would be unprepared initially, but they would surely consult and unite in resistance later. The entire Great Heng Dynasty was not yet ready for long-term warfare. Moreover, there were areas on the grasslands that the locusts couldn’t reach. Once they unified, they would assist each other. By then, it would be the unification of a nomadic nation.

Gu Yuanbai suddenly opened his eyes forcefully and said resolutely, “Attack.”

The Grand Chancellor and the Shangshu of the Ministry of War looked at Gu Yuanbai with shining eyes.

Gu Yuanbai looked at the Shangshu of the Ministry of Revenue and said concisely, “You go now to requisition grain and load it onto the wagons, and send as much grain as possible to the north.”

The Shangshu of the Ministry of Revenue hurriedly took his leave.

The Shangshu of the Ministry of War couldn’t help but ask, “Your Majesty, are we really going to fight?”

“We will fight, that’s for sure,” Gu Yuanbai suddenly smiled, “But border trade, that’s also something we’ll do.”

“I don’t intend to forcibly crush the nomads right now,” Gu Yuanbai continued, seeing the puzzled expressions of the two ministers, “What I want to do is make them think that I am about to deploy a large army against them.”

First, scare those nomads who have gradually become arrogant and domineering, and display the abundance of Great Heng’s grain and troops. When they are frightened and ready to unite, it will be the time for Gu Yuanbai to stop the war and negotiate with them.

Casually give them a title, push one of the tribes to become the leader of all tribes, and then use coercion and inducement to incite internal strife. Differential treatment is the easiest way to sow discord and division.

It would be best to persuade the nomads to accept education from the court. Aren’t they eager to learn about Great Heng’s civilization? Great Heng can teach their children for free. When their children truly understand the supremacy of imperial power and the essence of Han culture, they will be enlightened.

Once the educated children witness their parents doing something harmful to the Great Heng Empire, they will report their parents’ misdeeds to the stationed officials. Mutual fear among everyone and controlling their thoughts is the most effective way to rule.

Of course, if they are unwilling to accept the court’s education, then wait a few years. When Great Heng’s iron riders traverse the grasslands, these hundreds of thousands of people will become laborers, liberating the labor force of the lower class.

The Grand Chancellor stroked his beard and exchanged a glance with the Shangshu of the Ministry of War, asking, “Your Majesty, do you have someone in mind to send grain and troops?”

Gu Yuanbai paused and said, “Xue Yuan.”

***

Meanwhile, at Mingsheng Relay Station.

The Xixia prince, Li Angshun, asked curiously, “Are those people in the carriage Heqin Wang?”

His subordinate replied, “I personally saw the carriage stop in front of the Heqin Wang mansion, and those guards had an extraordinary aura. They must be Heqin Wang.”

“I heard that Heqin Wang has also been to the battlefield,” Li Angshun pondered, noticing the appearance of the person in the carriage, “I didn’t expect Heqin Wang to look like this.”

He chuckled meaningfully, “Let’s send one of the Xixia beauties we brought to Heqin Wang’s mansion. Consider it an apology. After all, we can’t offend a powerful figure like Heqin Wang in the Great Heng capital.”

“Let’s also take a look at what Heqin Wang looks like,” Li Angshun couldn’t contain his curiosity. His slightly curled black hair fell loose as he muttered to himself, “No matter how you look at it, he doesn’t seem like someone who has been on the battlefield.”

Instead, he appeared pampered and delicate, even fairer than the Great Heng official called Chu Wei.

Could it be that he had seen something wrong back then?

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