Chapter One Hundred and Nine: The War Will Not Cease
Lin Miaomiao walked step by step. Just then, the Yongchang Emperor suddenly turned around and said to Lin Miaomiao and Li Yanhe, “Tonight is New Year's Eve; our family must be reunited.”
Hearing the emperor’s words, Lin Miaomiao looked up at the fireworks blossoming again in the sky and sighed deeply. She then glanced back at Nurse Zhao.
Nurse Zhao instructed the maids in the mansion, and soon Lin Miaomiao and Li Yanhe returned to their previous seats, now accompanied by an additional person.
In the eighteenth year of Yongchang, the Southern Barbarian forces had assembled and launched a three-pronged attack. At this moment, General Batu of the Southern Barbarians witnessed the scene of his troops conquering the Central Plains border fortress.
Jinge sat astride his tall horse, and Batu noticed that Li Yanhe, who had been retreating repeatedly, now stood atop the city tower.
Like a beast sensing danger, Batu immediately felt something amiss. He then saw Li Yanhe order his soldiers to scatter soybeans from the city walls.
Batu glanced at Jinge behind him and said, “Quick, stop their horses from eating those.”
Unfortunately, before Batu’s order could be fully relayed, the gate of Da’an Pass opened. Batu then saw Li Yanhe clad in black battle armor, riding out on horseback.
As the chief battle commander, Li Yanhe was not supposed to engage in the first fight. His appearance made Batu sense a crisis.
Batu looked up at the chief commander’s post on the city tower and saw a man clad entirely in golden battle armor, seated high above.
This armor was crafted entirely of gold, and the man sat imposingly on the tower.
Batu said to Jinge behind him, “Retreat quickly. The emperor of the Central Plains has personally arrived. Our forces are but a mere fraction compared to their million-strong army.”
Before Jinge could respond, Batu witnessed a rain of arrows covering the tower. He had never imagined the Central Plains would go to such lengths.
Lin Miaomiao stood quietly beside the Yongchang Emperor, who smiled and said, “There’s really nothing much to see — just a bunch of buffoons.”
Lin Miaomiao remained silent, unable to utter a word, as the Southern Barbarians began to withdraw.
Regrettably, the million-strong army of the Great Yong Dynasty pursued relentlessly. Soon, the battlefield descended into a hellish slaughter. Lin Miaomiao felt a deep unease in her stomach.
The Yongchang Emperor glanced at Lin Miaomiao, then at the figure in the white fur behind her, and smiled. “Send the princess back.”
Lin Miaomiao followed the figure in white fur, step by step, away from the battlefield. Though she wished to bless Li Yanhe, as a modern woman, she found it impossible to accept the carnage before her.
In the days that followed, Lin Miaomiao stayed within the temporary palace, rising early and going to bed late each day.
Sometimes she visited the military camp, but seeing the soldiers carried in and out, she truly grasped the meaning of slaughter.
Standing outside the camp, she sighed deeply. Nurse Zhao draped a cloak over her shoulders and said, “Princess, let’s go back.”
Lin Miaomiao smiled and looked up. “Wait a moment. I heard Li Yanhe and the others are returning today.”
No sooner had she spoken than the city gate opened, and soldiers rushed in, their bodies reeking of blood.
Instinctively, Lin Miaomiao stepped back and saw Li Yanhe riding a tall horse through the gate.
The moment she saw him, her heart skipped a beat. Li Yanhe clearly saw her too.
He smiled at her, then rode into the camp.
Seeing him return, Lin Miaomiao asked Nurse Zhao, “Are they back? Back for good this time?”
“Or perhaps the war is over?” Lin Miaomiao wondered.
Nurse Zhao sighed. “No one knows yet.”
Lin Miaomiao gave a bitter smile and returned to the palace. That night, she sat alert, waiting for Li Yanhe.
At last, the door to the outer room opened. Lin Miaomiao silently calculated: it was past three in the morning.
She looked up at Li Yanhe, tears uncontrollably streaming down her face. “Is it going to end now?”
Li Yanhe cracked a bitter smile and shook his head. “Not yet. We are still fighting on three fronts. The Southern Barbarians have retreated deep into the grasslands.”
Upon hearing this, Lin Miaomiao suddenly understood the meaning behind his words.
Her voice trembled as she asked, “You mean you’ll enter the grasslands and annihilate them?”
Li Yanhe said no more.
After a long pause, Lin Miaomiao sighed deeply. “Then rest well tonight.”
Before she could finish, Li Yanhe embraced her, his voice hoarse as he said, “Let me hold you. I don’t know if I’ll come back alive this time.”
Cradled in his arms, Lin Miaomiao gradually fell asleep, sleeping especially well that night.
The next morning, she saw Li Yanhe dressing. She looked up and whispered, “Are you leaving?”
Li Yanhe nodded. Lin Miaomiao said nothing, silently watching him depart.
Thus, the war dragged on. Lin Miaomiao, gazing at the calendar marking the beginning of spring, sighed heavily toward the grasslands.
A familiar voice broke her reverie: “You’re sighing at such a young age; be careful not to grow old.”
Looking back, Lin Miaomiao saw an old acquaintance—Li Zheng.
She smiled sweetly. Li Zheng said slowly, “No need to worry.”
Lin Miaomiao looked up at him and said, “How do you know I’m not worried? War always brings surprises. How can you be sure he’ll return alive?”
Li Zheng’s lips curled into a wry smile as he patted her shoulder. “We have already secured the outermost grasslands.”
“That was always the plan. Who would have thought that when our million-strong Yong army reached these grasslands, these people would crumble so easily?”
“Therefore, His Majesty intends to press forward and occupy the entire grassland. If successful, such vast lands will become the largest horse ranch in Yong Dynasty history.”
Li Zheng glanced at Lin Miaomiao and continued, “But do you know who started this war?”
Lin Miaomiao smiled faintly. “Don’t tell me it was because of me.”
Li Zheng nodded. “Not entirely because of you, but you bear some responsibility.”
Lin Miaomiao looked at Li Zheng, her voice trembling. “What do you mean?”
Li Zheng pointed toward the neighboring region beside the Yong Dynasty. “That is our neighbor—the Daliang Dynasty. In the past, we traded horses with Daliang.”
“But the Yong Dynasty never had its own horses, which put us at a disadvantage. His Majesty has long sought a suitable horse ranch of our own.”
“But to no avail. Though our grain barely suffices to fill bellies, livestock like cattle, sheep, and pigs are scarce.”
“The Southern Barbarian lands are small, but every bit of meat counts. If we occupy their territory, our livestock will flourish.”
Lin Miaomiao listened, then pointed toward the map’s direction. Suddenly, she understood why she bore some blame.
It was because she had developed animal husbandry at Da’an Pass. That development gave the Yongchang Emperor hope to build a horse ranch.
After looking at Li Zheng, Lin Miaomiao began coughing violently. Li Zheng patted her shoulder and said, “War never ends unless something unexpected happens.”
Her hand trembled inexplicably.
Li Zheng looked at her and said, “If I were you, I’d shut down the factories this year and produce military supplies for His Majesty.”
Lin Miaomiao slowly saluted and smiled. “Understood, Prince Zheng.”
Watching Li Zheng leave, she guessed something had happened in the capital. He must have rushed here fearing an emergency.
She sent word to Lin Qi and others. Soon, Lin Qi replied with a letter, which she burned immediately upon reading.
The letter contained only a few words: “The prince has instructed us to prepare in advance. Factories and shops are all closed.”
Lin Miaomiao closed her eyes and massaged her temples. After a while, Nurse Zhao began gently rubbing her head, softly saying, “Princess, why worry so much?”
Lin Miaomiao looked up. “I’m just a little concerned.”
Nurse Zhao said, “The higher-ups have made their decisions. People like us must obey without resistance.”
Lin Miaomiao nodded. “I understand. Perhaps I was overthinking.”
All her factories ceased production. That year, Lin Miaomiao’s factories brought no profit, but she used them to produce large quantities of military supplies, sending them deep into the grasslands.
The Yongchang Emperor watched the supplies arriving from Lin Miaomiao’s factories and glanced at Li Yanhe. “Princess Anping truly cares for you. You must not disappoint her.”
Li Yanhe blushed and replied, “Miaomiao knows what’s important; this is something that must be done.”
The Emperor smiled. “Among my sons, you are the one who worries me least.”
In good spirits, he waved Li Yanhe away. After leaving, the emperor entered his tent.
Li Yanhe returned to his tent, sat down, closed his eyes, and rested slowly.