The Empress Governs the Country VII (1)

In this way, time quickly passed, very quickly entering the end of the year. Because of being too busy, Jing Wan didn’t seal the imperial brush until the last two days, finally giving the court officials time off for the holidays. However, the entire vacation period was also just that many days. Compared to the past where it will last until after the fifteenth, more than a chunk got cut off. However, Jing Wan believed that she was a good boss. Since she chopped their vacation period, then she ultimately needed to give some compensation. That’s why, it wasn’t just bestowing some calligraphy down. Reward, heavily reward, the military and civil officials of the imperial court all had a share. Of course, based on the difference in rank, the things obtained will also more or less be different, and the Luo family certainly will have a bit more.

These things, quite a few, were all sent back from Southern Qi by Li Hong Yuan. That’s right, Li Hong Yuan right now not only was using war to support the war, he was also deeply versed in ‘scraping up the land’——-not arousing the local commoners’ desire to rebel, and even wanting to obtain enough benefits. His goal wasn’t the same as it was in his past life, just having Southern Qi thoroughly beaten crippled. Instead, it was wanting to have Southern Qi integrated into Qi Yuan’s territory. As such, towards his own future citizens, no matter what, can’t be too ruthless, no? Alright, actually, if he were to go too overboard, he was worried that his wife will have a hard time cleaning up after him. Harboring the common people of the world in his heart and whatnot, heheh……….

Li Hong Yuan going to war with Southern Qi in the past life mainly was still because of Southern Qi. Southern Qi has always been full of ambitions, having long started eyeing Qi Yuan. Although they were fighting under the false pretense of wanting to divide up Qi Yuan together with the other countries, they actually just wanted to devour alone. Although facing enemies on all sides, Li Hong Yuan at the time already wasn’t someone easy to mess with. The him at the time, although having sat onto the throne, and can be said to be the ultimate winner, that period of time was still the darkest and most muddled period of his life. And the other countries led by Southern Qi, how could they possibly make him surrender. On the contrary, they stirred up the darkness in his heart to the greatest degree, letting the gloominess accumulated in his heart find a suitable channel to vent out. After all, the so called alliance was never an iron plate. Moreover, each had their own way of doing things, each using their own army. Li Hong Yuan was quite skilled in the School of Vertical and Horizontal Alliances[1]. That’s why, even though difficult, he still let Qi Yuan become the overlord among the overlords. And towards the later years of his rule, it can be said as all nations coming to pay respect.

And in this lifetime, Li Hong Yuan felt that just this was far from enough.

Even if Southern Qi just has that ambition, not planning on making a move after seeing the situation, Li Hong Yuan still won’t easily let them off. Furthermore, they’d dared to step on his reverse scale, so naturally it was further impossible to just let go.

In the past life, the military power wasn’t as good as the present, the generals weren’t as good as the ones now, and there also wasn’t the matter of Li Hong Yuan stirring up chaos in the other countries in advance. Under the current conditions where they occupied all the advantages, in the war with Southern Qi, they naturally just fought quite smoothly, smooth to the point where he even suspected whether or not that powerful and strong Southern Qi of his past life really existed.

However, Li Hong Yuan was very clear, in war, one absolutely cannot underestimate the enemy. That’s why, in front of the generals below, Li Hong Yuan has never showed any signs. And in reality, the generals and soldiers below have never felt that Southern Qi was a pushover. To be able to fight this smoothly, it was completely because of their own emperor’s skills in leading the army. Using few to win against many, this kind of thing, seemingly was just like playing around.

It got to the extent where in just a few months, the generals and soldiers’ reverence towards Li Hong Yuan reached an unprecedented height. It was as if as long as he was present, they will triumph in every battle. And in this way, those reputations of his in the past all inadvertently got blown to smithereens. Moreover, Jing Wan’s financial support plan for the injured and deceased soldiers also let even more soldiers not have any worries for the future, so when fighting the enemy, they were even more dauntless. To be united from top to bottom, having great vigor, and the two countries’ military strength also not having too big of a disparity, how could they not succeed?!

This kind of situation had advantages, and correspondingly, there were also disadvantages. Once something happens to Li Hong Yuan, Qi Yuan’s army might just immediately collapse.

This bit, the various generals were also very clear of. However, to want to change the situation wasn’t easy. As such, when fighting with Southern Qi, protecting his Majesty was the most important matter.

Fortunately, Li Hong Yuan was also rational enough, normally just keeping watch in the rear. In reality, his willpower has always been strong. The only thing that was able to make him lose his rationality was perhaps just Jing Wan and matters related to Jing Wan. He’d promised Jing Wan to return perfectly unharmed. Then, his wisdom and rationality just completely dominated him, even if he still has demonic flames in his heart.

However, Southern Qi’s methods in dealing with Li Hong Yuan were also endless, assassination, poison, beauty trap, and so on, the methods numerous and varied.

But, when it comes to assassination, first setting aside how they will sneak into Qi Yuan’s main camp, Li Hong Yuan’s martial arts were very strong to begin with. Aside from Jing Wan, even if it’s just the people by his side approaching him, they all need to obtain his permission first. As such, this assassination was just very difficult to achieve.

Poison? They’d long discussed this possibility, so naturally long guarded against. Gong Jiu also wasn’t useless. In reality, when Li Hong Yuan was leaving the capital, Jing Wan had even wanted to let him have the Baiyi clan’s sacred treasure brought along. However, he refused very bluntly.

Gong Jiu perhaps still won’t raise gu, but his knowledge towards gu absolutely wasn’t inferior to the Baiyi clan’s, perhaps knowing even more. No matter the gu, they all required a medium, and currently, the Baiyi clan has declined, the technique for raising gu incomplete and damaged, and planting the gu further can only be done through direct contact. That’s why, when there was nothing that can be used to threaten him, to want to plant a gu was practically just a delusional thought. As such, gu, this kind of thing, also depended on the occasion. When the two countries were locked in war, it just got reduced down to a minor option.

As for this beauty trap, didn’t Qi Yuan seize control of Southern Qi’s territory one after another? Because Li Hong Yuan had given the order from the start to not touch the ordinary commoners, towards the end, less and less people escaped from Southern Qi. Mixing in a few beauties, wasn’t that something done with ease? Even the matter of him having deep feelings for Jing Wan all got used by certain people of Southern Qi. As such, these beauties more or less all somewhat resembled Jing Wan. However, what Li Hong Yuan liked was never just Jing Wan’s appearance. That’s why, attempting to use Jing Wan’s likeness to approach him was practically just the most muddled move. In Li Hong Yuan’s heart, Jing Wan was an existence that absolutely can’t be sullied. The more they resembled her, the faster they will die when they appear before him.

That’s why, these various methods, in the end, all concluded in failure.

TN: All

As for Jing Wan, because the government decrees she issued were all beneficial to the people, her reputation among the people was also growing increasingly resound. For the ordinary commoners, they actually don’t really care exactly who the ruler was. As long as the ruler can let them live in peace and work happily, their days becoming better and better, then whether it was a man or a woman all didn’t matter. Their conversations forever just revolved around whether or not they can eat their fill three meals a day, how the annual harvest was, and such matters that were closely related to them. With the heavens high, the emperor far, those that don’t even know the reign title afraid weren’t in the minority.

For the two of them, their target in raising their reputation wasn’t the same, but it without a doubt all showed that their regime was increasingly steady.

Although out at war, this New Year celebration was also not bad. It can even be said to be quite lively, such as Southern Qi using this opportunity to mount a sneak attack on Qi Yuan’s army camp, but instead getting ambushed, letting Qi Yuan use another victory as the appetizer for the wine——–even though, there was just a small cup of wine, it still made them feel exceptionally refreshed.

Li Hong Yuan sat in the main seat, with one hand holding the wine cup, while the other hand casually rested on his knee. On his body, he still wasn’t wearing armor, his eyes a bit blurred, seemingly still drunk. But, no one would feel that he was harmless right now. On the contrary, the him right now was very dangerous. Even if just approaching a little, it was all extremely possible to lose one’s life. As for shooting an arrow from afar, this kind of thing, it was also impossible. He appeared to be in a sluggish state, but his body was actually in an instinctive mode. Just like He Shi Hai in the past, when fighting, he never used his head, completely relying on instinct, close to a kind of invincible state.

[1] Also knowing as the School of Diplomacy during the Warring States Period, and one of the nine schools of thought. In the vertical alliance, it encourages the many weak to attack the one strong side, while for the horizontal alliance, it promotes the idea of having the one strong side attack the many weak.