In the middle of the night, before dawn, Xiao Luzi anxiously called out outside the palace: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, an urgent message from 800 li away! An urgent message from 800 li away!"
The sound rang out in the darkness, abrupt and urgent, waking both people in the palace. Not only Ye Lingfeng, but Hai Ling also awoke with a start, quickly dressing and getting out of bed. The two left the palace, and outside the side hall, Xiao Luzi was kneeling. Upon seeing his master rise, he hurriedly presented him with the urgent message.
Ye Lingfeng reached out and took the letter, then began to read it. His expression quickly turned grim.
Hai Ling also became uneasy. She reached out and took the letter from his hand to read it. After reading it, her face turned even more pale than Ye Lingfeng's, and her body began to sway.
It turned out that when Father Ji Cong was escorting 200,000 dan of grain to Yuqi Valley, the grain was robbed by local bandits. Now they were trapped in the narrow valley of Yuqi Valley, unable to go in or out, and both the people and the grain were trapped there. If there were no reinforcements, they would probably die. This urgent message was sent by Father's soldiers who bravely rushed out to deliver it to the capital.
Leaving aside the fact that losing supplies is a grave crime, if they don't hurry over soon, Father and those five thousand soldiers will be starved to death.
Inside the Qingqian Palace, Hailing and Ye Lingfeng's expressions were cold and stern.
The lamplight illuminated Ye Lingfeng's face, which was as cold as ice, his dark eyes like torches, as he spoke, each word distinct and deliberate.
"I will personally lead the expedition to rescue General Ji and annihilate the Green Ant Clan."
The Green Ant Clan is a major threat if they are not wiped out. They consume a lot of food every year and are constantly at war. Therefore, Ye Lingfeng decided to personally lead his troops to Jade Valley, firstly to rescue Ji Cong, and secondly to eliminate the Green Ant Clan.
"emperor."
Upon hearing Ye Lingfeng's words, Hai Ling couldn't help but worry. He was the emperor of a country, and with his abilities, leading an expedition in person was not a problem. But what if something unexpected happened?
"Let's send troops to rescue them."
"By the time they reach Yuqi Valley, General Ji and the others will probably be dead. I will only take a thousand light cavalry with me, and I am sure I can save them."
Once Ye Lingfeng made his decision, Hai Ling stopped objecting. She was reluctant to part with him, but with her father's life hanging in the balance, she couldn't worry about personal feelings anymore. She nodded firmly and said, "Okay, take care."
"Ling'er, you must take good care of yourself. As soon as I rescue General Ji, I will send someone to tell you."
Ye Lingfeng knew that Hai Ling was worried about Ji Cong's safety, so he comforted her. Moreover, thinking about what was happening in the palace, he was really worried. He reached out and held Hai Ling's hand tightly: "Wait for me to come back."
"I will."
Hai Ling nodded vigorously, and Ye Lingfeng squeezed her hand tightly again. Then he placed an imperial edict gold token, reserved for emperors, in her hand and leaned down to admonish her: "You are the one who will protect my empire. I only trust you."
After he finished speaking, he straightened up, turned around and strode out. Hailing stared at his back without moving.
Shi Mei approached and said, "Your Majesty, it's not fully light yet. Why don't you rest a little longer?"
Chapter 95 The Empress is Pregnant [Handwritten VIP]
Yuqi Valley is still a treacherous valley in Shaanxi, winding around a large mountain. There are more opportunities to enter than to exit. If someone were to lay an ambush here, just a few hundred men could cut off their retreat and leave them with no place to bury their dead. Originally, Ji Cong and his group did not necessarily have to pass through Yuqi Valley on their way to Dengzhou. However, firstly, Ji Cong was careless and did not expect that there would be bandits in Beilu who dared to openly rob the government's grain. Secondly, he wanted to reach Dengzhou as quickly as possible, and passing through Yuqi Valley would save them a lot of travel time. That's why they passed through Yuqi Valley. Who knew that they would be cut off by bandits and trapped in Yuqi Valley, crying out to heaven and earth in vain.
Breaking through Jade Valley is no easy task, which is why Ye Lingfeng did not send troops there. If the Ministry of War were to arrive, Ji Cong and his five thousand soldiers would likely be killed or wounded. Furthermore, the two hundred thousand units of grain were hard-won.
Finally, Ye Lingfeng led a thousand light cavalry to Yuqi Valley at top speed, with another five thousand soldiers following to provide support, determined to rescue Ji Cong and the others.
In the palace, Ye Lingfeng entrusted important matters of the court to several trusted ministers for discussion. For major matters, they could request permission from the Empress. On the other hand, he dispatched fifty Imperial Guards to protect Hai Ling's safety and also sent Ji Shaocheng to secretly protect Hai Ling with his men.
As for his mother, the Empress Dowager, who harbored resentment towards Ling'er, he went to Cining Palace to speak with her. The two women, mother and daughter-in-law, were to unite against external threats and protect the land of Beilu. The Empress Dowager readily agreed, and Ye Lingfeng finally felt relieved. He then led his men away from Bianliang City and headed towards Yuqi Valley.
Inside the palace.
In the Qingqian Palace, officials from the Ministry of Revenue were reporting on a matter concerning the wedding of Princess Mingzhu of the Southern Ling Kingdom and General Ji. They were asking whether the wedding should be postponed.
With Ji Cong's fate uncertain, Ji Shaocheng had no intention of holding a grand wedding. Therefore, Hai Ling obtained Princess Mingzhu's consent to postpone the wedding, and Princess Mingzhu stayed in the palace to accompany Hai Ling.
The envoy from Nanling Kingdom set off to return to Nanling Kingdom.
In Cixi Palace, the Empress Dowager sent someone to invite the Empress to come over.
Hailing then led Nalan Mingzhu and several maids to Cixi Palace. Today, Cixi Palace was quiet, with no noise anywhere, unlike the previous bustle.
With the emperor personally leading the expedition, the people in the palace naturally kept quiet and avoided making a fuss.
In the main hall, the Empress Dowager's expression was much better than before. Seeing Hailing and Princess Mingzhu bow, she gestured for them to rise.
"Ling'er, I have heard about General Ji's situation. Don't worry, His Majesty will personally go to Jade Wonder Valley and will definitely rescue him."
Hai Ling was slightly taken aback. She hadn't expected the Empress Dowager to comfort her at such a time, which was quite unexpected. It seemed that when there were difficulties, everyone still stood together against the common enemy.
"Thank you for your concern, Mother." How could she possibly be angry with someone who cared about her? Hai Ling spoke respectfully.
"Yes, the Emperor is not in the palace recently, so we must be careful in everything we do."
The Empress Dowager dared not be careless about the stability of the country and its people, and was extremely cautious.
"Yes, Ling'er will be careful."
The two were chatting amicably when a eunuch rushed in, hurriedly reporting, "Your Majesty, Lord Xi has entered the palace! Speak, speak!"
"say what?"
The Empress Dowager's face turned cold as she glared at the young eunuch who had delivered the report, whose words were incoherent.
The young eunuch quickly reported, "Lord Xi said that the west residence was completely ransacked last night?"
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager's face changed, and Hai Ling's expression also changed slightly, feeling somewhat guilty. She glanced at the Empress Dowager above, but of course, the Empress Dowager wouldn't think of her. She just waved her hand and ordered the little eunuch, "Let him in."
Outside the hall, Lord Xi staggered in, knelt down with a thud, and cried out at the top of his lungs, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, please do justice for me! I am terrified!"
"What exactly happened?"
The Empress Dowager frowned and asked. Her previously unpleasant expression had improved considerably. After all, she was the Empress Dowager, and naturally she could not lose her composure.
Lord west composed himself and then reported: "Last night, the west residence was ransacked by thieves, and everything of value in the residence was stolen."