After she finished speaking, she nudged him.
Not to be outdone, Wei Hong gently touched her with his foot again, and the girl returned the gesture by tapping her with her toes.
The sounds of two people laughing and joking filled the bathroom, accompanied by the splashing of water.
Zhou's mother, who had gone into the inner room to urge the two to come out for dinner, shook her head helplessly, then smiled and turned to leave.
Chapter 60 Shock (Added 2400 words)
The first snow of the first year of Chongming arrived silently one night. When people woke up early in the morning, they saw that the world had turned into a vast expanse of white.
The snowfall wasn't heavy, but it still accumulated a thin layer on the ground and rooftops, eliciting joyful cheers from the children and happy smiles from the adults.
"A timely snowfall promises a bumper harvest next year."
Mrs. Zhou stood in the yard and smiled.
The little cutie, perhaps seeing snow for the first time, ran out excitedly, leaving a trail of plum blossom-like footprints in the yard. This amused Yao Youqing, who then ran out after her, specifically targeting areas that hadn't been swept away by the servants.
“Your Highness, come back quickly,” Zhou’s mother went over and reached out to pull her, “Be careful not to catch a cold.”
Yao Youqing stepped aside to avoid her hand, then stomped her foot in the snow again, saying as she did so, "It's okay, I'll just play for a little while, I'll be right back."
Mother Zhou gave her a reproachful look: "You're so old and you're still playing in the snow. If you catch a cold, the Prince will surely punish us when he gets back."
Although there was no war on the border, Wei Hong would still go out to inspect the border regularly. The inspection locations were not fixed, and each inspection would last for ten or twenty days. Then he would return to Cangcheng to rest for ten or eight days.
He left again a few days ago, and now only Yao Youqing is left in the mansion.
"...I've never really played this game before..."
Yao Youqing said, her footsteps crunching on the snow.
Her mother was in poor health after giving birth to her, and later passed away from a cold, which was said to have happened on a snowy day.
Therefore, her father never really liked her playing in the snow. Every time he saw her, he would frown and repeatedly tell her not to play in the snow, saying that she would easily catch a cold and to go back inside.
Yao Youqing was an obedient child. Seeing that her father was worried, she obediently went back to her room. But she was still a little reluctant to leave. Even after she went back, she would always sit by the window and open the window a crack to look outside. Sometimes she would even reach out to catch the snowflakes that were falling from outside.
Unfortunately, very few snowflakes drifted in from under the eaves, and even if she caught them, they melted quickly. So she could only sit in the warm indoor space and watch from the window.
Now that she's married and living in Shangchuan, with Yao Yuzhi and Wei Hong not around, and no one to take care of her, she's decided to stay outside and not go back.
Zhou's mother shook her head helplessly and asked Qiongyu to fetch her cloak.
Qiongyu turned and left in response, while Yao Youqing stood on tiptoe behind her and said, "Take out the gloves that the prince made for me as well."
Those gloves were made by Wei Hong, modeled after Yao Youqing's hands, so that she could wear them to keep her hands warm when learning to ride horses. They're perfect for playing in the snow now.
Hearing this, Zhou's mother glared at her again: "It's one thing to step on it, but you want to play with it with your hands!"
Yao Youqing stuck out her tongue: "I'll just play for a little while. I'll go back and have some ginger soup later."
Zhou's mother chuckled and told her that she could only play for a while and would have to go back when it was time for breakfast.
Yao Youqing nodded obediently, took the gloves Qiongyu brought and put them on, then put on the cloak and hood, squatted down and made a snowball, which she then rolled on the ground to the little cutie's feet.
The little cutie, seeing the snowball rolling towards it, first cautiously backed away, and then, seeing that it didn't move for a while, tentatively reached out its paw and touched it.
The snowball was gently pushed, and it was so startled that it shrank back. When it stopped moving, it tentatively pushed it again.
After a few tries, it realized the thing wasn't scary at all. It wagged its tail and jumped around happily a few times, then stretched out its two paws and pounced on the snowball.
The snowball was flimsy and was smashed to pieces by it, leaving only a few small chunks of snow.
The little cutie froze, tilting its head and standing there looking completely bewildered, even poking at the pile of snow with its paws a few times.
Yao Youqing was amused and laughed out loud. Qiongyu laughed along with her, made a snowball and rolled it over.
Two girls were engrossed in playing with a dog, while Zhou's mother watched them from the porch with a loving smile on her face.
Since arriving in Shangchuan, the young lady has not become depressed because of the marriage; on the contrary, she has become more lively, as if she were a completely different person from when she was in the capital.
It's not that she's changed a lot, but she used to be restrained, and her lively nature was suppressed. Now that the prince indulges her in everything and the master isn't around to control her, she has become her true self.
If the master saw this, he would probably be pleased...
That's what Zhou's mother was thinking.
Yao Yuzhi in Beijing didn't see these things, and couldn't know if he would be happy after seeing them, but it's true that he's very unhappy now.
"This is ridiculous!"
He sat with several classmates and students, slamming his fist on the table in anger.
"What does the war between Southern Yan and Great Jin have to do with my Great Liang? Why start a war for no reason!"
"That's what we said too."
"That's what a young official said."
"But taking advantage of the internal turmoil in the Jin Dynasty, the Southern Yan seized three prefectures and eighteen cities in one fell swoop, and it looks like they are about to directly conquer the Yuhuai area."
“There are pro-war factions in the court who are eager to make a move. They all say that we cannot allow the Southern Yan to grow too powerful. We should send troops to jointly attack the Great Jin, so as to prevent the Southern Yan from taking advantage of the situation to invade the border of our Great Liang after occupying Yuhuai.”
"But let's not even talk about the fact that such a thing has not happened yet, and it is unreasonable for us to send troops on this basis. The most important thing is that Yuhuai is quite a distance away from my Great Liang. Moreover, it was originally the territory of Southern Yan. It was only occupied by Great Jin decades ago, and now it has been taken back by Southern Yan."
"Their two countries are fighting over territorial disputes, so what's the point of us meddling in?"
“Yes,” an older man chimed in, “we argued with them in court, but they said we didn’t know how to plan ahead and that it would be too late to retaliate when Southern Yan attacked.”
"But if we follow their logic, which of the surrounding countries isn't likely to attack us at any time? Does that mean we should initiate wars and conquer all sides?"
"I think they just want to encourage His Majesty to take a share of the spoils from the Great Jin, and they're even trying to come up with such a high-sounding reason!"
Yao Yuzhi's face was grim: "His Majesty has agreed?"
“Not yet,” the older man replied, “but he seems a bit hesitant, which is why we came to find you.”
Yao Yuzhi chuckled upon hearing this, rubbing her leg and saying, "What's the use of looking for me? I'm just a useless person who has resigned from my official post."
"My esteemed teacher, please don't say that. You are a veteran of three reigns, and you were His Majesty's tutor when he was still the Crown Prince. Moreover..."
And she almost became his father-in-law.
The young man realized his mistake and paused before saying the last sentence: "Even if you resign from your post, His Majesty still respects you. He has only removed your position in the Censorate, but has retained your title of Grand Tutor. If you are willing to offer him some advice, I think he will listen."
"Yes, Jingyuan, that's why we came to see you today. We want you to persuade His Majesty."
"Your Majesty and I have always had a good relationship, so you are the most suitable person to persuade him."
Yao Yuzhi has no sons, and his only daughter is married and living in Shangchuan, making him a bachelor.
If anyone else said it, they might be suspected of having ulterior motives, but Yao Yuzhi certainly didn't, so his words were the easiest for Wei Chi to believe.
After repeated requests from everyone, and because Yao Yuzhi truly did not want the Great Liang to be drawn into war, she agreed.
After seeing everyone off, Steward Chang looked worried.
"Sir, you have already resigned from your official post, why bother getting involved in these matters again?"
"Besides...besides, if His Majesty really wants to raise an army, it means he doesn't just want to be a ruler who maintains the status quo. Your attempts to dissuade him will probably be useless and will only make him resentful."
Yao Yuzhi shook her head: "Although I have resigned from my official post, I cannot completely ignore the affairs of the court. Otherwise, if I want to know something in the future, no one will be willing to tell me."
He could be unaware of other matters, but he absolutely needed to know any news from the court concerning Shangchuan, because his daughter was still there.
If he wants to know these things, he cannot sever ties with his former colleagues, nor can he stand idly by when they encounter difficulties; otherwise, who will be willing to help him in the future?
More importantly...
Yao Yuzhi walked to a screen, looked at the map hanging on it, her gaze falling on places like Huizhou, her face heavy.
“In recent years, our Great Liang has been plagued by natural disasters and man-made calamities. The national treasury has been running a deficit for several years in a row, and we are relying entirely on the wealth accumulated during the reign of Emperor Gaozong.”
"Even if Your Majesty has the ambition to conquer the world and become an emperor who unifies the country and whose legacy will last for thousands of years, this is not the time for you to do so."
A true wise ruler should know how to assess the situation and act accordingly, rather than blindly engaging in militarism.
Currently, the war between Southern Yan and Jin is raging. Although it seems that Southern Yan has the upper hand, the decline of Southern Yan's national strength over the years is also evident to all.
The great war more than 30 years ago nearly destroyed their country. Even after they recovered and rebuilt themselves, with their current military strength, it would be impossible for them to swallow up the Great Jin in one fell swoop.
The best time to act would be when they are both exhausted and unable to breathe. At that time, the benefits would be the greatest and the costs the least. But if we rush to get involved now, it will not only be a waste of manpower and resources, but it is also uncertain whether we can benefit from it when the armies of Southern Yan and Great Jin are stationed on the border.
Yao Yuzhi entered the palace with a worried expression. Wei Chi exempted him from formalities and offered him a seat. After he explained his purpose, he pondered for a moment, then pursed his lips shyly, just like when he was studying by Wei Chi's side.
"Speaking of this matter... I was actually thinking of asking the Grand Tutor for help."
help?
Yao Yuzhi frowned: "What kind of help?"
Wei Chi said, "I also feel that the armies of Southern Yan and Great Jin are currently concentrated in one place, and it is not appropriate to send troops from there at this time. Therefore... I want my fourteenth uncle to send troops from Shuozhou to form a pincer movement against Great Jin together with Southern Yan."
"With internal strife in the Great Jin Dynasty and the Southern Yan Dynasty keeping them occupied, Uncle Fourteen's troops, once they set out from Shuozhou, will surely be victorious."
"In this way, we can avoid the large number of troops of Southern Yan and Great Jin, and seize Great Jin with the fastest speed and the least cost. This should be acceptable to both those in the court who advocate war and those who advocate peace."
Those who advocate war do so in order to expand the territory of the Great Liang and secure the greatest possible benefits for the Great Liang.
The Lord's peacemakers aim to minimize the losses of Daliang and prevent the people from suffering and being destitute due to the war.
If there were a compromise that would allow the Great Liang to wage war without significant impact, then the peace faction could be persuaded.
"The Jin dynasty has frequently harassed the borders of our Great Liang over the years, so our military action is not without justification."
"Moreover, if Fourteenth Uncle can subdue the Great Jin from the north and turn the Great Jin territory into our Great Liang territory, then we will never have to worry about the Jin people harassing the border again. Wouldn't that be a permanent solution?"
Everyone understands this principle, but since the war between Southern Yan and Great Jin began, no one in the court has ever brought it up, precisely because they know that it would be useless to bring it up.
There has been a saying since ancient times that a general in the field may disobey military orders. The troops in Shangchuan and even Shuozhou are all under the control of the Prince of Qin. If he does not want to accept the military orders of the court, there are many ways to refuse. Whoever in the court proposes that he send troops should try to persuade him.
But who could persuade the King of Qin?
No.
When Emperor Taizu founded the country, he stopped his conquests after reaching the border of Shangchuan because large tracts of land there were barren and uninhabitable, with neither the weather nor the soil suitable for the people.
Even the nomadic Jurchens on the border didn't like grazing their livestock there, which shows it was a truly barren land.
Although there are relatively rich towns and lands ahead once you cross that area, the number of troops stationed there also increases accordingly, and the number of troops and supplies needed to conquer them also increases.
The King of Qin could certainly attack when the Jin army was weak, but that would leave his rear vulnerable.