Can I get to the other side?

Jizhou, Yecheng.

The twelfth lunar month has arrived, and the year is coming to an end. The whole Yecheng is still immersed in a festive atmosphere, with lights and decorations everywhere, and it is very lively.

Everyone is looking forward to the New Year.

At the same time, the court is also preparing for the war against Bingzhou in full swing, and it is expected to send troops before the end of the year.

As the emperor, Liu Xie only needs to order the attack on Bingzhou, but his subordinates have to consider more.

Because the time he gave was really limited, the court was busy with this war. It should be known that no war is launched casually.

Behind this is the mobilization of food and supplies, the training of the army, the iteration and preparation of weapons and armor, the pre-war mobilization, the replenishment of troops...

This is a huge and complicated task.

And it just so happens that Liu Xie has many generals who are good at wielding swords and guns, and many strategists who are good at calculating, but there is a lack of talents who are good at internal affairs and good at managing logistics.

Imperial Palace, Qingli Palace.

The snow has stopped in recent days, and the sky outside is clear, but because it is the time of melting snow, it is colder than when it snows.

However, the ground heating in Qingli Palace is burning very vigorously, which forms a sharp contrast with the cold outside, as if it is two different worlds.

Liu Xie is playing chess with Zhen Mi in the palace at this time.

The refugees have been dealt with, and the military affairs are also busy with his ministers, so he has been idle for a few days.

"Your Majesty, I won again."

Zhen Mi dropped a piece, looked up and smiled at Liu Xie.

Liu Xie looked at the chess game that was a complete loss, and his face was a little dark-because this was the eleventh time he lost.

It can only be said that the people of the old Liu family really have no talent for playing chess. Even if they have traveled through time and studied for so long, they are still bad at chess.

"No more, it's boring."

Liu Xie threw the chess piece in his hand into the chess box, and said to Zhen Mi unhappily: "You know I'm not good at chess, but you don't know how to let me go."

Zhen Mi blinked and said quite aggrievedly: "But I clearly let your majesty six pieces at the beginning, and your majesty secretly changed the chess pieces while I was drinking water, and I didn't bother with your majesty..."

"Nonsense! How could I do such a thing!"

Liu Xie's old face turned red. He didn't expect that his little trick was discovered by Zhen Mi, but for the sake of face, he chose to be stubborn to the end.

But in the end, he was in the wrong. After a light cough, Liu Xie changed the subject and said: "My beloved concubine handled the affairs of the harem very well, and I am very relieved."

Although Empress Fu was in the palace, she was under house arrest by him, so the affairs of the harem were actually handled by Zhen Mi.

It can only be said that Zhen Mi is worthy of being a woman from a great family. Although she is a little jealous, she does things without hesitation. The entire harem is managed by her in an orderly manner.

She even took the initiative to lead the concubines and palace maids to knit sweaters, woolen trousers and other cold-resistant clothes, and distributed them to the families of court ministers in the name of Liu Xie, winning a lot of praise.

After receiving Liu Xie's praise, Zhen Mi's beautiful eyes lit up, and she looked at Liu Xie with vigor and asked: "Then... how does the concubine compare with the queen?"

Liu Xie couldn't help but sigh in his heart when he heard it.

Classic question, the current one compares with the predecessor.

But Empress Fu was not his predecessor.

The two hadn't seen each other for several months.

But fortunately, he had mastered the trick of how to control Zhen Mi, and naturally hugged her and said: "Of course, the beloved concubine is the best. The queen can't compare with the beloved concubine in terms of appearance and ability."

Just a few simple words made Zhen Mi happy.

She leaned on Liu Xie sweetly, looked at him with sparkling eyes and said, "Then can your majesty reward me?"

"Reward? What reward?"

Liu Xie was a little confused. Zhen Mi's family behind her was the Zhen family. She had everything she wanted, and she still wanted him to reward her?

"That's it..."

Zhen Mi blushed, touched her flat belly, and said shyly, "I want your majesty's heir."

"I have been in the palace for so long, but I still haven't conceived a heir. My mother has written to me many times saying that I have been pregnant, but I don't know what's going on."

"Isn't the inherited rain and dew enough?"

As a concubine, it is her responsibility and obligation to give birth to a child for the emperor, but she was the first to enter the palace, but she has not conceived a child until now.

This is what she feels most distressed about.

She also suspected whether she or Liu Xie had a problem with her health, but the imperial physician took her pulse and said that she was in good health.

As for Liu Xie, although the imperial physician did not take his pulse, she knew that Liu Xie was also in good health, because she had a deep understanding of this.

But she just couldn't get pregnant.

"This..."

Hearing Zhen Mi's words, Liu Xie's expression froze slightly, because he knew what was going on.

It's not that the inherited rain and dew were not enough, but he did it on purpose. Now he didn't dare to let either Lu Lingqi or Zhen Mi get pregnant.

"It will happen sooner or later."

Liu Xie could only comfort her like this.

Just when Zhen Mi wanted to say something, an eunuch walked into the palace and reported: "Your Majesty, General Zhang He wants to see you."

"I will go right away."

Liu Xie stood up and said to Zhen Mi as if he had been pardoned: "Jun Yi wants to see you, there must be something important, I will come to accompany my beloved concubine in the evening."

After that, he stood up and walked out of Qingli Palace.

Only Zhen Mi was left with a face full of resentment.

...

Zhang He was waiting outside the palace. When he saw Liu Xie walking out, he stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, Marquis Huaili wants to see you."

"It's him again?"

Liu Xie frowned, a little unhappy.

Ever since the news came that Ma Chao was secretly colluding with Tian Feng, Ma Teng was placed under house arrest by his order. However, this guy was not honest even when he was in the house and kept asking to see him.

I have been under house arrest for less than a month now, and I have asked him to see him twelve times.

Although Liu Xie felt very impatient, Ma Teng had asked to see him so many times and it was not good to always refuse, so he said: "Let him be admitted to the palace."

"promise!"

Zhang He clasped his fists and retreated.

Liu Xie went all the way to the propaganda room. Almost half an hour later, Zhang He and Ma Teng came to see him.

"His Majesty--!"

As soon as he saw Liu Xie, Ma Teng knelt down and cried: "My son really has not colluded with Yuan Thief against the party. Your Majesty, please check carefully!"

Liu Xie sighed and said to him patiently: "I did not say that your son rebelled. I am still investigating the matter. I will not unjustly accuse a loyal minister."

"But Your Majesty..."

Ma Teng cried and wanted to continue to defend Ma Chao, but was interrupted by Gao Lan who hurried into the press room: "Your Majesty! Chang'an 800 miles is urgent!"

Liu Xie's heart suddenly trembled when he heard this, and he rushed eight hundred miles. This was only used when there was an urgent battle report.

Chang'an... could it be Ma Chao?

Liu Xie was a little worried. After taking a look at Ma Teng, who looked full of panic, he said in a deep voice: "Bring him in!"

After a while, Gao Lan walked into the announcement room with a tired cavalryman with three flying dragon flags on his back and a bulging package in his arms.

"See Your Majesty!"

The cavalryman saluted Liu Xie respectfully.

Liu Xie's eyes fell on him and asked directly: "What happened in Chang'an?"

The cavalryman replied: "Reporting to your majesty, Tian Feng, the remnant of the Yuan thieves, together with Han Sui, planned a rebellion and jointly attacked Jizhou, which is not good for your majesty! General Ma Chao beheaded their heads and specially ordered them to come and offer them to your majesty!"

"What?!"

Liu Xie's expression changed drastically, his eyes full of shock.

Ma Chao killed Tian Feng and Han Sui?

Before he could come to his senses, he saw the knight unbuttoning the package in his arms, revealing two bloody things inside.

Shockingly, they were the heads of Tian Feng and Han Sui!

Since it is winter and the weather is cold, even if there is no quicklime pickling, the two heads are still not rotten and deformed, and they are still lifelike.

Liu Xie had seen battlefields where thousands of people were fighting, and he was no longer afraid of things like heads, so he looked at the heads of the two men without hesitation, especially Tian Feng's.

Indeed...it's Tian Feng.

"Han, Han Sui?"

Ma Teng knelt on the ground and looked at Han Sui's head in disbelief. After repeatedly rubbing his eyes to confirm that he had seen correctly, ecstasy suddenly emerged in his heart.

"Your Majesty! My son has not rebelled!"

"The one who rebelled was Han Sui!"

"My son did not rebel, Your Majesty!"

Ma Teng almost cried with joy. Not only was he freed from the suspicion of being a rebel, but Han Sui, his enemy who had been hostile to him for many years, was also dead!

How could he not be happy!

Liu Xie ignored Ma Teng, looked away from Tian Feng's head, then frowned and asked the cavalryman: "What happened? How could Han Sui rebel? How could they be killed by Ma Chao?"

This is all so weird.

The news he had received before was that Tian Feng stayed in Ma Chao's military camp. As a result, not long after that, Ma Chao sent Tian Feng's head.

By the way, I also brought Han Sui’s with me!

He could understand that Ma Chao killed Tian Feng, but how was Han Sui killed by Ma Chao? The opponent's subordinates also control the army!

The cavalryman took out a letter from his arms and presented it: "This is the memorial submitted by General Ma Chao to Your Majesty. Please read it."

Liu Xie asked Gao Lan to present it, opened the memorial and looked at it carefully. The more he looked at it, the tighter his frown became, and the shock in his eyes became more obvious.

Ma Teng became anxious and couldn't help but ask: "Your Majesty, may I ask what my son said in the memorial? Can I have a look at it?"

He was also very confused about how Han Sui was killed. If Han Sui was so easy to kill, he would have killed him long ago, and it would not have delayed him for so many years.

How did Ma Chao do it?

Liu Xie put down the memorial and said slowly: "Marquis Huaili, please go back first. I need to think about this matter carefully."

After hearing this, Ma Teng looked hesitant, but he did not dare to disobey Liu Xie's will, so he could only salute and said: "Yes, Your Majesty."

Although he did not know the whole truth, he was relieved when he heard that Ma Chao had killed Tian Feng, because doing so was tantamount to drawing a clear line with Yuan Shao's remnant party. This was proof that there was no rebellion!

After Ma Teng withdrew, Liu Xie told Zhang He: "Quickly announce the decree of Zhongshu, and the imperial censor Zhongcheng will enter the palace!"

The matter was serious and he wanted to discuss it with Jia Xu and Guo Jia.

Zhang He immediately took the order and retreated.

Not long after, Jia Xu and Guo Jia hurried to the announcement room. Before they had time to salute, they saw the two heads.

"Han Sui?"

Jia Xu recognized the origin of one of the heads at a glance, and his eyes, which were always calm, could not help but change.

And when he saw the other head, the surprise in his eyes was even greater, and he said in disbelief: "Tian Feng?!"

Guo Jia was shocked when he saw the two heads. He looked up at Liu Xie, whose face was as heavy as water, and asked: "Your Majesty, why are the heads of Han Sui and Tian Feng here?"

They all rushed into the palace after being summoned. They only knew that something big had happened, but they didn't know what it was specifically, so they were still confused now.

"See for yourselves."

Liu Xie rubbed his brows tiredly.

He handed the memorial to the two of them.

Not long after, both of them changed their expressions, and Guo Jia snorted coldly: "Absurd! It's all nonsense!"

"This Ma Chao can't fool His Majesty as a fool!"

In this memorial, Ma Chao told the whole story. He probably said that he wanted to clear up the past feud with Han Sui, so he recognized Han Sui as his adoptive father and invited him to the banquet.

At this time, Tian Feng suddenly came uninvited, trying to persuade the two to rebel and jointly attack Jizhou.

Ma Chao objected, but Han Sui wanted to ally with Tian Feng, so Ma Chao beheaded both of them in anger.

On the surface, there seems to be no problem with this matter, but there is a fatal flaw in it - Tian Feng did not come uninvited, but was already in Ma Chao's military camp.

But Ma Chao’s memorial did not mention this!

Liu Xie naturally discovered such an obvious flaw immediately. He frowned and said, "I thought Ma Chao planned to rebel with Tian Feng, but he killed Tian Feng instead."

"But if he didn't plan to join forces with Tian Feng to rebel, then why did he hide what happened to Tian Feng in the military camp and make up such a lie?"

Liu Xie now doesn't understand what Ma Chao is thinking.

If he had not received the tip before and learned that Tian Feng had been at Ma Chao's military camp, he would really believe what Ma Chao said in the memorial.

Now the whole thing is confusing.

"I can't even guess it."

Even with Jia Xu's resourcefulness, he felt at a loss when faced with such a strange thing. After thinking for a long time, he said:

"But I believe that regardless of whether what Ma Chao said in this memorial is true or false, the plan to attack Bingzhou cannot be changed."

"As long as Bingzhou can be defeated, it doesn't matter whether Ma Chao turns back or not."

Bingzhou is too important to fall into the hands of Ma Chao under any circumstances, especially when it is not known whether Ma Chao will rebel.

This memorial cannot absolve Ma Chao of suspicion.

Guo Jiashen took it seriously and said: "What Wen He said is absolutely true. Let's put aside the authenticity of the content of this memorial for now. The first priority is to send troops to attack Bingzhou."

If Ma Chao doesn't rebel, everything will be fine, but if he rebels, they can't bear the price of losing Bingzhou, which is a vital place!

And how could one know that this memorial was not a ploy by Tian Feng to risk his life to make them relax their vigilance towards Ma Chao so as to catch them off guard?

They cannot gamble and dare not gamble.

"Don't worry, the plan to attack Bingzhou has been made, and I will not change it. Now I just need to prepare all the soldiers' warm clothes, and I will immediately order the troops!"

Liu Xie's eyes were sharp and his words were full of fighting spirit.

In this battle, he will destroy all Yuan Shao's remnants and unify the entire Hebei without leaving any hidden dangers!