Shen Yun's words surprised Su Xiaoqi, who came from modern times.
She looked at Shen Yun in astonishment, her breathing unsteady.
"You, you don't blame me, you don't care about loyalty and left me alone to escape."
Shen Yun said emotionally, "Why should I blame you? It's all because I was incompetent and couldn't protect you properly."
He felt that given Su Xiaoqi's character, it was normal for her to abandon him and run at this point in time.
Moreover, he hoped she would run away.
Instead of being captured and imprisoned in the imperial palace by Emperor Xing Zhao.
She belonged to freedom, and had nothing to do with the great cage of the inner palace.
Su Xiaoqi was moved by Shen Yun, her defenses crumbled, and she buried her face in Shen Yun's chest, tears streaming down her face.
Shen Yun held her and coaxed her for a long time, and as their emotions deepened, they naturally engaged in an intimate exchange.
Soon, it was the twelfth lunar month, and the weather grew colder, but there were fewer matters in the court.
Except for the matters at the borders of the Western and Northern territories.
As winter set in, the nomadic Di barbarians, lacking food, would raid everywhere.
They were all cavalry, agile and mobile, attacking one place, seizing people and food.
By the time the imperial troops received the news and pursued them, they couldn't even catch a glimpse of them.
But soon, reports of another place being raided came in.
This cycle repeated, exhausting the border troops of the imperial court without any effect.
When the news reached the capital, Emperor Xing Zhao was once again distressed.
Many in the court spread rumors, saying that Duke Yu, who guarded the border, was incapable and should be replaced.
They suggested launching an attack on the stronghold of the Di barbarians so they wouldn't dare to cause any more trouble.
Emperor Xing Zhao did not adopt any of these suggestions.
No one knew better than him that the Northern Xinjiang, bordering the Di and Northern Chu with Daliang, could only be guarded by Duke Yu.
In the border region where the three countries met, if a war between two countries broke out and victory was not achieved swiftly,
It would inevitably draw the participation of another country, making the situation very passive.
He issued an edict ordering Duke Yu to quickly repel the Di cavalry.
However, these were just words. Both countries' cavalry were already agitated.
It was his eldest son, Yu Changqing, who advised him.
"Father, they must have sent spies to our camp to gather information.
Knowing the movements of our army allows them to raid so accurately.
If we can anticipate their plans and send troops to ambush them, then when they come to attack, we can destroy them in one fell swoop. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
This was, undeniably, a good idea.
But the problem was, the biggest limitation of this method was who to send out to gather information on the Di barbarians.
The person must first be fearless of death, and secondly, capable.
Duke Yu did not have a suitable candidate in mind.
After a moment of hesitation, he decided to plan carefully.
Perhaps they could improve their horses and establish a rotating duty system.
They could also send out a large number of scouts, scattering them everywhere. Once a problem was discovered, they would rush back immediately and send troops to eliminate them.
Easier said than done.
As the weather grew colder, the winter clothes in the army were not very warm. Many soldiers wore clothes made from furs they hunted themselves.
At this time, they urgently needed a large batch of light yet warm winter clothing.
Yu Changqing looked at his father's weather-beaten face, the wrinkles on his forehead as deep as ravines.
His face was full of heartache.
This was his father, Duke Yu, famous throughout Daliang.
Yet he did not enjoy the rich and leisurely lives of the nobles and dignitaries in the capital.
All he had was the wind and frost of the northern frontier, the solitary smoke of the desert, and the boundless yellow sand.
He sighed and knelt down, saying,
"As for the matter of clothing, Father, please bother Mother and my younger brother. Leave the task of inquiring about the enemy's situation to your son."
He was voluntarily offering to be a scout.
Duke Yu hesitated for only a moment before nodding heavily in agreement.
This mission could only be accomplished by his capable eldest son.
He could not trust anyone else, nor were their abilities sufficient.
Duke Yu helped his eldest son up, patted his shoulders, and said sternly,
"The road of exploration is fraught with danger, do not be reckless, and prioritize safety."
Yu Changqing acknowledged with a heavy nod, then rose, mounted his horse, and called out his orders.
Duke Yu then sat down, spread ink, and began to write a letter.
His eldest son was right; the matter of winter clothing for the soldiers needed to be formally submitted to the court.
If there was no other way, he would have to ask his wife for help, as he had done in the past.
This was because the Ministry of War was plagued by corruption. Although they were allocated three hundred thousand taels of military expenditure for the northern border army each year,
In reality, only a quarter of it reached them.
Cotton was expensive, and many of the soldiers' winter uniforms were made from old, worn-out cotton wadding.
Some even used only willow catkins for filling.
They felt soft to the touch but offered little warmth when worn.
As for the Minister of War, Huang Fengxian, he was a supporter of the Crown Prince and hailed from the Duke of Huang's manor. Within the court, no one dared to confront him.
Even when the Censorate submitted an impeachment memorial, it did not harm them; instead, it cost the lives of the censors.
Since then, no one had interfered with the Ministry of War's military expenses.
The melting snow was still shallow, and the cold lingered deeply.
In the Wenhua Hall, the cabinet members faced the documents from the northern frontier with difficulty.
The Minister of Revenue, Xu Shiyuan, complained of poverty.
He stated that due to natural disasters and man-made calamities this year, the harvest had been poor. Furthermore, a drought had affected over fifty counties in five provinces, causing suffering to the populace.
Coupled with the subsequent plague and locust infestation, the Ministry of Revenue had already depleted its reserves.
Some departments constantly demanded money but did not understand where the money would come from if it was not in the national treasury.
"Minister Xu, your words are not entirely accurate." Minister of War Huang Fengxian could not tolerate it any longer.
Although Xu Shiyuan had not explicitly named anyone, the documents on their table were from the Northern Xinjiang requesting winter clothing,
Clearly indicating that he was referring to him.
"How can the army guarding the border go without winter clothing?"
"Of course, they must be provided with winter clothing, but a winter uniform costs one hundred coins. For the thirty thousand northern border troops, it amounts to only around thirty thousand taels of silver.
If my memory serves me correctly, I allocated fifty thousand taels at the end of autumn. This money could not possibly have been spent so quickly."
Xu Shiyuan was not a short-tempered person.
However, he was notoriously frugal.
Otherwise, Daliang would not have enjoyed the current peace.
Moreover, he was well aware of the schemes within the Ministry of War.
He suspected that less than ten thousand taels of the fifty thousand taels he had allocated had actually reached the Northern Xinjiang.
Adding to the three hundred thousand taels given at the beginning of the year, the northern border army had already severely overspent its budget this year.
But the Duke Yu could not be entirely blamed for this situation.
The great parasite was sitting opposite him.
But what could he do? The other party had the Crown Prince and the Duke of Huang's manor backing him.
He was merely asking for an explanation based on his duties.
Huang Fengxian became angry: "Duke Yu's letter requests money, it must have been all spent. Tell me, are you giving it or not?"
Xu Shiyuan, for once, showed his displeasure: "No money. It's the festive season, and there are expenses everywhere."
He also had to account for the disasters of the coming year.
Did they really think that the Ministry of Revenue's money and grain were so easy to manage?
The deficit of three hundred thousand shi of grain in Tongzhou had still not been rectified.
Although the officials in charge of that area had been dealt with,
The misappropriated grain could not be recovered, and he had to worry about it.
As long as the grain in Tongzhou was not replenished, his mind would not be at ease.
His hands were tight with worry.
"Very well, Minister Xu, well said. If any of the northern border soldiers freeze to death, it will be your fault." Huang Fengxian escalated the matter.
Xu Shiyuan lowered his head and remained silent, his mind racing to find a solution.
The cabinet meeting today was not going smoothly, and everyone was in a bad mood.
Fortunately, Emperor Xing Zhao had recovered, and the atmosphere of the court was no longer as heavy and oppressive as before.
Emperor Xing Zhao lightly instructed them to find their own ways to resolve the matter,
Then dismissed the court.
As Shen Yun left, he glanced at Huang Fengxian. He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but he thought he saw a strong malevolence accumulating in his eyes.
Shen Yun hurried out, gave instructions to Zhang Lei, who was guarding the palace gate, and then he left.
Shen Yun waited in a secluded spot, waiting for Xu Shijie to come out and pay his respects.
Xu Shijie recognized him and identified him at a glance: "You are the Shen Langzhong newly appointed by the Ministry of Rites."
Xu Shijie was a Minister of the second rank, many levels higher than Shen Yun.
Logically, it was normal for someone like him, a minor official not working in the same department, not to recognize him.
But Xu Shijie did recognize him because the Tongzhou disaster relief and epidemic treatment matters had made him remember this young Shen Langzhong.
Shen Yun politely invited Xu Shijie to share his carriage.
Xu Shijie was reluctant to agree.
He held a high position and it was not appropriate for him to get too close to people.
Shen Yun said, "I heard that you are troubled by the winter clothing needed by the northern border army, Your Excellency. Perhaps I have a solution."