0p0 Chapter 272: Food and Grass Arrived
Chapter 272: Food and Grass Arrived
Princess bedroom!
"Princess, the old lady of the Mo family is here."
"Who?"
"The Prince Consort's grandmother."
"Please."
Qiuyue helped the old lady in, and just as the old lady was about to kneel down, she was stopped by Jin Mudan.
“Grandma, you don’t need to bow. Qinghe can’t bear it. You are the elder.”
The old lady sat by the bed, looking at Chu Qinghe's emaciated appearance, wiping away tears out of heartache.
"What a pair of miserable children."
"Grandmother, did you suddenly come to the palace to see your granddaughter-in-law?"
"You all go down."
The old lady cried even more sadly, holding Chu Qinghe's hand, choking with sobs and unable to speak.
"My dear granddaughter-in-law, I know you are seriously ill and shouldn't come here to disturb you, but...but..."
"Grandma, what happened?"
The old lady tremblingly took out a letter from her sleeve and handed it to her tremblingly.
When Jin Mudan opened it, she found that the content was almost the same as the letter she had received.
But the letter she received was written by Xiaobei.
The old lady's letter was written by Mo Lingchen himself.
"Grandmother, don't panic. Father's imperial edict has already been sent over 800 miles. Upon receiving the edict, the officials in Lin County will requisition food and fodder nearby and send them to the front lines."
"My husband will be fine."
The old lady shook her head: "This is the emperor's excuse to make you worry."
"Your father-in-law just returned from the palace. The Emperor refused to requisition food and fodder. He told...let my darling grandson fend for himself...wuwuwu..."
Jin Mudan suddenly sat up from the bed, her face filled with panic: "This is impossible, Father would never do this."
"My father said it himself. He has already sent people to escort the food and supplies over, and he told me not to worry."
The old lady burst into tears and said, "If that's the case, why would I come to the palace?"
"Princess, I beg you, please save my darling grandson." The old lady was about to kneel down again, but was stopped by Jin Mudan.
"Don't worry, Grandmother. I'll go find Father right away."
"Even if it costs me my life, I won't let anything happen to my husband."
Jin Mudan went to question the emperor, and the answer she got was that there was not enough food and grass. More than half of the 50,000 people led by Mo Lingchen had been killed or injured, and there was a huge gap in strength between them and the Beirong Army.
After discussion, the imperial court decided to abandon the land connected to the Northern Rong Kingdom and no longer send more troops and food.
After all, the northern border is bitterly cold, and that piece of land has little use to the imperial court. Not only can no taxes be collected every year, but subsidies are also required all year round.
After Jin Mudan understood, she shouted anxiously, "Then let the prince consort lead the troops to retreat?"
She didn't understand the court's policies, couldn't interfere with them, and couldn't change them. She just wanted Mo Lingchen to return safely.
The emperor sighed helplessly: "We can't retreat. He has to guard the front to give the people time to evacuate."
Jin Mudan finally understood that the emperor was not only giving up the northern border, but also Mo Lingchen and his 20,000 soldiers.
"Father, how could you do this? He is my husband. How could you give up on him without caring about his life or death?"
"I don't want him to die, and he can't die."
The emperor looked at his daughter's broken and sad face and said a lot of nice things to her, but Jin Mudan just wouldn't listen.
Finally, the emperor said with a stern face: "Nonsense!"
"As a princess, you have enjoyed wealth and splendor since birth that ordinary people could never experience in their entire lives."
"You have enjoyed the rights and wealth bestowed upon you by the people, and you have the responsibility to protect them. This is your duty as a princess."
"The Emperor has doted on you since you were young, and he was reluctant to let you go even when marrying into a foreign country."
"Instead, Qingyao was forced to marry into the Northern Rong Kingdom in your place, suffering humiliation and beatings. Not only are you ungrateful, but you're also so ignorant. You've truly disappointed Father."
"Go down and take good care of yourself. You don't have to worry about other things."
Jin Mudan was frightened. Ever since she became Chu Qinghe, the emperor had never spoken to her loudly and always looked kind and gentle.
She had thought that the emperor was a very kind person, but now she finally understood what an emperor was.
His words can decide the life and death of people all over the world.
Jin Mudan was sent back crying, but even so, she could not give up Mo Lingchen.
The emperor owns the whole world, so he can give up anyone.
But she can't, because Mo Lingchen is everything to her!
Jin Mudan stayed up all night despite her illness, and then came up with a comprehensive plan.
The next day she pretended to be sick and Su Yujiao entered the palace again.
She laid out her plan in full, and Su Yujiao objected.
"Jiaojiao, I have made up my mind, and no one can stop me."
"You've always been helping me, so let me help you this time."
"It's the only way to save you and him."
Su Yujiao cried so hard that she couldn't speak. It took her a long time to leave the princess's bedroom and go to the queen's palace. She didn't leave until the evening.
No one knew what she said to the queen, all they knew was that she had a very solemn expression when she came out.
In Mobei Prefecture, Mo Lingchen led the remaining 10,000 soldiers to defend the city gate.
They have been out of food for three days. If the court does not send them food, they will starve to death or freeze to death.
"Xiaobei, you are not in the military, you can leave."
"It's a deadly situation. There's no point in you staying. It will only lead to more casualties."
Xiao Bei knelt down and said, "Master, I will not leave you. Whether you live or die, I will stay by your side."
"Let's go, I don't need your company."
"The slave won't leave."
Suddenly, the tent curtain was drawn back, and Lieutenant General Li rushed in, weakly but excitedly: "General, food...food has arrived."
"really!"
Mo Lingchen stood up suddenly. Due to long-term hunger and standing up too quickly, he felt dizzy.
"General!!"
Mo Lingchen waved his hand: "It's okay, go out and take a look."
A few people came out of the tent and saw rows of convoys transporting food and fodder unloading bags of goods.
The cook in the army had already lit a fire and set up a pot to cook porridge.
Mo Lingchen couldn't help laughing, and blood oozed from his cracked lips.
"There's hope, there's hope!" the man choked out, his eyes even reddening.
"I knew that the emperor wouldn't trust us so easily."
"Call the officials who are escorting the grain."
He wanted to ask why the emperor changed his mind. The imperial edict three days ago said to abandon the northern border and asked him to defend the city gate to the death, giving the people time to evacuate.
Why were food and fodder suddenly delivered today?
"What is the Emperor's order?"
"In reply to the general, the imperial edict was burned."
Mo Lingchen frowned: "Burned?"
"Five days ago, the eunuch in the palace had just finished reading the imperial edict, and I was about to take it when suddenly a flaming arrow shot out and hit the edict, instantly reducing it to ashes."
"Not only did I delay, but after writing my apology, I immediately escorted the grain and fodder over."
Since the imperial edict was burned, he naturally had to explain to the emperor. Otherwise, if the old matter was brought up later and he was charged with damaging the imperial edict, he would be in big trouble.
Mo Lingchen always felt that there was something fishy about this matter. Could it be that someone wanted to stop the supply of food and fodder?