Nagato has such a slim waist

The ministers were shocked.

The two old ministers even knelt down directly.

"Your Majesty, please think twice..."

"The Qi people are challenging me to a fight with bad intentions. Your Majesty should focus on the dragon's health and not fight for a moment."

"You all have a point." Pei Cong looked around at everyone calmly, "But I can't lift a knife or fight a war. Am I afraid of him?"

The ministers smiled apologetically.

The emperor came from a military background, so of course he was not afraid of going to the battlefield. However, Xiao Cheng's challenge to a fight this time inevitably made people suspect that he had some ill intentions.

Ao Zheng bowed and said, "Your Majesty, please understand. We have absolutely no such intention. However, a gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall. Your Majesty is the emperor. The safety of the country is related to the country. How can you easily take risks?"

Pei Cong raised his hand to stop him from speaking any further.

"I have made up my mind. Pass the order down. I will personally lead the army to Dan County to fight a decisive battle with the Qi army."
-
Feng Yun was in Huaxi when she heard the news.

He hurriedly took a carriage back to the palace, and when he saw Pei Cong paying his respects, he stared at him.

Pei Jue frowned, "What? Don't you recognize me?"

Feng Yun walked closer and knelt down in greeting.

Pei Jue was just about to bend down to help her up, but unexpectedly she climbed up, held his face, looked at him carefully, and suddenly kissed him on the lips.

"hero."

Pei Ran: "..."

He narrowed his eyes at his wife, not sure whether she was being sincere or sarcastic.

"The villain who takes advantage of others' misfortune must be beaten severely." Feng Yun glanced at him and unexpectedly supported his action of leading the troops personally. "My husband, go beat the villain. I support you. Kill him! Beat him to death."

These words are very rustic.

The eunuchs and palace maids couldn't help but laugh softly.

Pei Cong coughed, "Queen..."

He waved to the servants, took Feng Yun's hand and walked around the screen. When there was no one around, he smiled softly, looked at her and said, "I thought you would stop me like those court officials did."

"Stop what?" Feng Yun raised his chin. "Xiao San dared to lead the army in person, so why don't we dare to fight him? Humph, this man has a strong desire for revenge. He was defeated miserably in his first expedition, so he must be very angry. This battle is only a matter of time."

Pei Jue: "The court officials are suspicious. He asked me to lead the army in person for other purposes."

Feng Yun curled his lips and smiled lazily.

"He has worked so hard for so many years. If he doesn't fight you in person, he won't be able to save face even if he wins."

Pei He looked over coldly, "He can't win."

Feng Yun nodded without hesitation.

A man's desire to win still needs to be maintained.

"Of course. How could such a shameless and ungrateful person who took advantage of others' misfortune and tore up the covenant win the hand of my husband? I just said that he might have some regrets in his mind and had been waiting for this battle."

Pei Ran hesitated.

"The army is established by deception, and victory is achieved by deception. Things on the battlefield should not be treated as villains."

Feng Yun didn't expect Pei Jue to speak for Xiao Cheng, and looked at him deeply.

"When will your majesty leave?"

Pei Cong said: "We will recruit troops in the southern suburbs tomorrow."

Feng Yun frowned, "Can I go with you?"

Pei Jue took her hand and shook his head, "Yunniang, just let me guard Xinjing."

Dayong had three capitals.

Zhongjing, Xijing, and Xinjing.

Andu is what the world calls the New Capital, and it is also Feng Yun’s base camp.

To defend Andu is to defend the granary of the Dayong army and to defend the foundation.
-
That night, Pei Cong summoned all the ministers to the Qianyuan Hall to discuss matters.

Pei Cong made arrangements for defense and government affairs. Before dawn the next day, he assembled troops in the southern suburbs to rush to support Wen Xingsu.

The news of the war came like a bolt from the blue, shocking all the people of Dayong.

We have had peace for too long and no one wants to go to war.

From the first day that the emperor personally led the army to fight, the teahouses and taverns in Andu City became bustling with people discussing the latest battle reports and military intelligence almost every day.

There were also spontaneous collection points at several city gate entrances and exits where people donated money and grain to support the Dayong Army.

Because this time it was Qi that unilaterally broke the alliance and ignited the flames of war again, the people were undisputedly pointing their spearheads at the Qi army and were unprecedentedly united...

This kind of spontaneous fundraising has been unheard of in decades.

Feng Yun got the news and went to check.

At the south gate of Andu City leading to Huaxi, a black crowd of people lined up for at least two miles, with no end in sight.

There were many familiar Huaxi people in the crowd. As soon as Feng Yun appeared, someone started shouting loudly.

"It's the empress!"

"Queen!"

"The queen has come in person."

The crowd went wild.

Feng Yun looked at the raised hands, the rice placed at the feet, the eggs in the hands, and the purses in the palms. The husbands led their wives, and the mothers held their children, all scrambling to find the manager to register, and her nose felt a little sour for some reason.

At the beginning of the war, all counties and prefectures began to mobilize officers and soldiers to prepare for war, especially the counties and prefectures bordering the Southern Qi Dynasty. In addition to the military garrisons, there were also patrol personnel spontaneously organized by the public.

Andu County could not be considered the border between the two countries, but it was only two or three hundred miles away, not too close, nor too far. The people might not understand too many great principles, but they all had one consensus -

Good days are hard-earned. Even if we have to tighten our belts, we must not let the Qi army cross the Huai River, we must not let the war burn down our homes, and destroy our hard-earned fields and crops.

In fact, the people of Andu have only been living a good life for two years.

People who have experienced hardship are usually very frugal and reluctant to eat or wear. In addition, the continuous heavy rains this year have destroyed many crops, and everyone is living an even more frugal life.

Who would have thought that as soon as the war broke out, the people would become so generous.
-
Feng Yun didn't say anything and walked over slowly.

The crowd automatically parted ways and made way.

Feng Yun walked to a stone pier near the city gate, stood on it suddenly, and shouted to the crowd.

"My fellow villagers, the court has seen your kindness. But I know that everyone is not rich, so please donate money and grain according to your ability. Don't empty your family's savings and let your family go hungry."

"Since the founding of Dayong, the imperial court has imposed light taxes and levies, your majesty has been diligent in his work, and all officials have performed their duties conscientiously. The national treasury has also had a small surplus. Although there have been frequent floods and earthquakes this year, we are not at the end of our rope. Fellow villagers must believe that as long as Dayong is united, we will be able to overcome natural disasters and repel the invading enemies."

She spoke softly and her words were not passionate, but at the quiet city gate, it was like a huge rock hitting the center of a lake, and the people's eyes were filled with tears.

"Don't be afraid, madam."

"Even if it means dying, we must protect our peace."

"If any thieves dare to invade Dayong, they will never return."

"I have three sons at home, all of whom can be called up to serve in the army."

"My man can do it too! He can eat five steamed buns in one meal, so fighting is no problem for him!"

"Yes! Everyone, come together."

"If anyone offends our Great Yong, he will be punished no matter how far away he is."

"The people of Dayong, let us face the national crisis together!"

There were more and more people outside the South City Gate, and the shouts were as loud as thunder and waves.

Not only Feng Yun, but also the senior officials in the court who came after hearing the news were extremely excited.

Some people have served as officials for many years and assisted several emperors, but have never seen such a thrilling scene.

Looking at the radiant queen standing on the stone pier, all the dissatisfaction in his heart caused by her being the only favorite disappeared.

At this moment everyone felt...

She should be the queen of Dayong.

This is called being the mother of the country.

It would be terrible if a woman with such power to shake people's hearts was not used by the court. Fortunately, the emperor married her.

Fortunately, her son is the prince.
-
South of Suoyaoling is an endless expanse of flat fields.

The Qi army was stationed here.

In a manor surrounded by an earthen wall, Xiao Cheng, with his hair tied up and a crown on his head and dressed in loose brocade clothes, walked under the eaves where heavy rain was pouring down, his face gloomy.

"auspicious."

There were lightning and thunder in the sky.

Xiao Cheng stood there for a long time, then suddenly turned around and called the eunuch.

"Hold an umbrella."

Jixiang ran over and wiped the moisture from his forehead.

"Your Majesty, why not wait until the rain subsides..."

Xiao Cheng ignored him, staring at the eaves that were like a curtain of rain, and talked to himself.

"Is this rain just right?"

Jixiang didn't quite understand what he meant. Seeing the emperor getting ready to leave, he quickly grabbed his umbrella and raincoat and rushed into the rain curtain.

The summer rain comes and goes as it pleases.

By the time Jixiang held an umbrella and followed Xiao Cheng out of the farm, the rain had really gotten a lot lighter.

This is a small village. The villagers had already fled before the Qi army attacked.

There was no one in the fields, but going up the canal, you could see a lotus pond.

As we walked for such a while, the rain became lighter and the fog gradually became thicker, giving a feeling of continuous rain.

Before Nagato planted lotus roots in large quantities, not many farmers used ponds to raise lotus. Now, in summer, lotus is a prosperous scene everywhere in the world.

The lotus flowers are in full bloom, dotted in the tiny raindrops, creating shallow ripples.

It’s a very beautiful scenery.

What the emperor saw was desolation.

He asked, "Is the lotus pond outside the Changmen Gate in Huaxi also this big?"

Jixiang's heart trembled and he looked up at the emperor.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Xiao Chengwen: "Ren Rude said that she would wait for a rainy morning or evening during the summer solstice and the beginning of summer heat, select lotus leaves of moderate age to make tea, stir-fry and knead them until they are soft, and then dry them naturally... Because the production process is long, the tea fragrance is soft, so it is called "Distant Regret"..."

Ping An and Ji Xiang didn't dare to say a word.

Distant hatred...

Such a depressing name for a good tea.

The emperor actually liked it very much.

In recent years, Xiao Cheng has been diligent in his work, not interested in women, and prefers the tea ceremony.

Jixiang often felt that what the emperor tasted was not tea, but a state of mind.

A feeling entangled between love and hate.

There were actually many voices of opposition to this expedition to Dayong within the State of Qi.

Although recovering the lost Xinzhou was an indisputable reason, the people's livelihood in Qi had just been restored, and vigorous development was the right way to go. There was really no need to fight a battle with no chance of winning.

The people of Qi described Xiao Cheng as kind, virtuous, and steady.

An emperor can make the country strong and make the people live a good life, and everyone respects him...

But this time, everyone from top to bottom felt that the battle against Yong was too aggressive.

Only the people around Xiao Cheng know...

Your Majesty has simply waited too long.

The wind after the rain was a little cold, and it made the umbrella above Xiao Cheng's head flutter.

He was very tall, and Jixiang was afraid that the umbrella would hit the emperor's head, so he stood on tiptoe and held the umbrella with great difficulty.

"Put it down." Xiao Cheng waved the umbrella away.

The rain is getting lighter.

The breeze was particularly cool.

Xiao Cheng looked into the distance.

At the end of the lotus pond, a woman stood there, graceful and elegant, with long black hair and dark eyes. She lowered her head slightly and admired a rain lotus with a gentle smile...

Xiao Cheng's throat tightened.

"Ayun..."

His voice startled the woman.

She was slightly startled, "Your Majesty?"

Hearing the crisp voice, Xiao Cheng's eyes darkened, and he retracted the hand that was stretched into the air and slowly put it behind his back with a stern face. On the corner of his half-wet robe, the golden embroidered python dragon flying in the air seemed to become a little more sinister.

"what are you doing there?"

The woman approached.

Jixiang bowed, "Mrs. Huaman."

Dama still showed a smile, bowed to Xiao Cheng, and handed a bamboo basket to him.

"I am here to pick lotus flowers. My sister used to pick lotus flowers every year after the rain..."

She fiddled with the lotus flowers in the basket with a gentle expression. She spoke softly and tried her best not to show any emotional fluctuations.

"After so many years of experimenting, the tea I make is pretty good. I'll let Your Majesty try it later."

She lowered her brows and eyes, and did not see Xiao Cheng's expression. When she realized that the gaze above her head was wrong, she looked up and found that the way Xiao Cheng looked at her had completely changed.

"His Majesty."

Xiao Cheng closed his eyes slightly and took a deep breath.

"I lead the troops out to fight, not to drink tea."

Daman felt a chill in his heart.

Why are you suddenly angry for no reason?

She looked at the barely concealed hostility in those handsome eyes, glanced at Jixiang beside her, bit her lower lip, and lowered her head to admit her mistake.

"Brother-in-law, please forgive me. I just have nothing to do, so I want to share your worries..."

Xiao Cheng looked at her calmly, then turned and left.

Fine rain and mist blew in his face, gradually extinguishing the burning flame in his heart, leaving only smoke floating slowly into the air.

Perhaps it was because they had been separated for too long, or perhaps it was because Feng Yun had said too many harsh words to him, so on weekdays, he would often deliberately forget about her, and would never think of her when he was busy with political affairs.

But just now...

Seeing that resembling figure, his heart, which had already been broken as if it had been cut by a blunt knife, was almost killed by the continuous rain...

He is not a sentimental man.

Not in the previous life.

Still not in this life.

But when you are heartbroken, your desire to get her often expands infinitely.

It swelled to the point where it seemed to overturn all rationality.

He wished he was that kind of person, regardless of the consequences.

"Congratulations to Your Majesty——"

Daman put the basket on the ground and bowed properly. When the figure blended into the rain and could no longer be seen, she gave a bitter smile, lifted her rain-soaked skirt, and poured all the lotus flowers in the basket into the lotus pond.

She overstepped her authority. (End of this chapter)