I support the army through farming and business.

Chapter 212 Support
“I understand the people’s good intentions, but I am a woman of my word, and what I have promised cannot be changed.”

"Continue to purchase grain as agreed; whether to sell or not is up to the people."

Song Kai hesitated, "But if the shop is closed for a day, we lose money for a day."

Tang Zhao looked at the overflowing copper coin boxes in the storeroom and said, "This loss is something I, the princess, can afford."

"Yes," Song Kai went to the front yard and conveyed Tang Zhao's message to all the shopkeepers.

The shopkeepers received the message and continued to keep an eye on their own shops.

"How long has it been since the tofu shop opened?" some food-loving locals wondered. "Without tofu and braised dishes, meals just don't taste right."

"The shopkeeper and his employees are all at the door soliciting farmers to sell their grain, so they don't have time to start grinding."

"It's been more than a month now."

"The princess is quite stubborn."

"Who says it isn't?"

"Make way! Make way!" a man on a fast horse shouted.

The people hurriedly dodged to avoid them, asking, "What's going on?"

"Judging from that direction, they're heading towards the Northwest Army's garrison."

Ten miles from the Northwest Army's garrison, scouts stopped the fleeing men.

"Urgent military intelligence! Requesting an audience with His Highness Prince Xuan!"

The scouts exchanged a glance. "Come with us."

After passing through numerous checks, the man finally entered the royal tent, knelt on one knee, and presented the letter with both hands.

"The Turks gathered 10,000 iron cavalry to launch a surprise attack on the northeastern border, capturing five cities in succession. The defending generals were killed one after another, and Prince An was seriously wounded and defended Shanhaiguan. I have come to ask for help on Prince An's orders."

Xuan took the letter and quickly glanced at it. "Can the imperial court send reinforcements?"

"Prince An submitted five memorials, all of which went unanswered. It is unclear whether the court simply did not receive them, or..."

"Insolence!" King Xuan slammed his fist on the table. "Once Shanhaiguan falls, the Turks can march south and attack Luoyang directly. At this critical juncture, the Crown Prince still wants to suppress the Prince of Wei!"

"How much shortage is there in terms of food, herbs, and weapons?"

"The north has suffered from drought and locust plagues one after another, and this year's harvest is insufficient. The Turks came quickly and fiercely, and Prince An only had time to evacuate the people, leaving the grain in the fields."

“Before I set off, the army camp was already running out of food. We could only drink two bowls of thin porridge a day. The medicinal herbs were boiled again and again until they had no medicinal value left before they were thrown away.”

"Someone, help him down," King Xuan ordered. "Go and summon all the generals, and then go and invite Zhaoshan."

When Tang Zhao arrived, the generals in the royal tent were arguing incessantly, all volunteering to go to the northeast to kill those sons of bitches of the Turks.

As soon as Tang Zhao entered, the scene fell silent, and everyone looked at King Xuan.

What the hell are we arguing about? If Princess Zhaoshan is going to the Northeast, how could the General of the Cavalry not go?
"Zhaozhao is here, please sit down!" King Xuan was overjoyed and enthusiastically called out, pointing to the first chair on his left.

Tang Zhao sat down abruptly, listened to King Xuan finish recounting the military situation in the Northeast, glanced at the group of generals who were filled with resentment as if they had encountered a radish camp, and then pointed behind King Xuan.

"Let Captain Bai accompany this princess."

Bai Wei was taken aback. "This humble officer is afraid he is not up to the task. I beg Your Highness to choose another capable person." "Captain Bai is joking. You were once the most trusted general under my father. Transporting military supplies is a piece of cake for you," Tang Zhao flattered him, then asked, "Or is it that Captain Bai is mindful of the past and unwilling to travel with me, Your Highness?"

King Xuan cleared his throat. "Zhaozhao, General Guo, General Ning, and General Chen have been in charge of transporting and guarding military supplies in the Northwest. They..."

"Zhao Zhao wants Lieutenant Bai," Tang Zhao said, leaning back playfully.

"Ahem," King Xuan had no choice but to gesture to Bai Wei with his eyes.

Bai Wei suppressed his anger and said, "It is my good fortune to be valued by the princess."

Tang Zhao: "Of course, of course."

"General Guo and Deputy General Ning, you two will lead 30,000 Northwest Army troops to the Northeast and make sure to stop the Turks outside Shanhaiguan."

"Yuanye, take five thousand cavalry back to the capital. Make sure the court knows about the war in the Northeast. Whether they need men or supplies, and how much, is up to you. After that, head directly to the Northeast to defend against the Turks."

"General Chen, you and Zhaoshan are transporting military supplies together. It's snowing now, so please be careful on the road."

"Yes!" The generals left, and King Xuan dismissed his attendants, gently advising, "Zhaozhao, this mission involves tens of thousands of soldiers, and there can be no mistakes. If Bai Wei does anything wrong, I will deal with him when we return!"

You must always put the bigger picture first!

"Father, don't worry. Zhaozhao is very busy with important matters. She doesn't have time to bother unimportant people."

That's great! King Xuan was relieved and personally went with Tang Zhao to the military supplies depot to count the types and quantities of military supplies being transported to the Northeast.

Tens of thousands of torches lit up the night, and soldiers carried bags of military supplies to load onto trucks.

Three days later, tens of thousands of vehicles loaded with military supplies headed east.

At the East Gate, Gu Ci draped a white tiger skin cloak over Tang Zhao's shoulders, carefully tying the straps, her eyes full of tenderness. "If she were an ordinary woman, she would be laughing and playing in a warm, cozy room right now, instead of suffering this wind, frost, and snow."

Tang Zhao laughed and said, "You said that's the life of an ordinary woman. Am I an ordinary woman?"

“I know you’re not, but I don’t want you to suffer in the slightest,” Gu Ci said, pulling Tang Zhao into his arms. “Winter snow makes travel difficult, and I’ve already told Dongmei to be careful while driving and never ride a horse unless absolutely necessary.”

"You too," Tang Zhao instructed. Military supplies were heavy, so the marching speed was not fast to begin with, but it was different for cavalry. "Try to stay on the official roads and don't keep going through wild forests!"

"Okay," Gu Ci said, "I'll listen to you."

Tang Zhao tried to push him away twice but couldn't. He urged, "Hurry up and go, the soldiers are waiting for you."

Gu Ci hugged Tang Zhao tightly, then turned and strode onto his horse, galloping away at a rapid pace.

Tang Zhao stepped into the carriage. The carriage was warm and cozy with charcoal fire burning inside, and the sides were covered with oilcloth, so no cold air could get in from outside. Tang Zhao sat for less than half an incense stick before getting off to ride a horse.

The cold wind, carrying snow, whistled against his face, quickly dissipating the warmth. Tang Zhao felt that he was indeed not destined to enjoy happiness.

The supply train traveled eastward through Ningzhou, Qinzhou, Jinzhou, and Jizhou, finally arriving at Qin Island before the New Year. Tang Zhao instructed General Chen and Bai Wei to continue towards Shanhaiguan, while he changed into men's clothing and led twenty or thirty men out of the city. They didn't find a dilapidated teahouse to stay until it got dark.

"Thank you for taking us in, sir. You've saved us from sleeping in the wilderness," Tang Zhao said, handing over a bag of copper coins. "This is just a small token of my appreciation. Please don't find it offensive."

The old man couldn't refuse, so he accepted the gift and invited Tang Zhao and the others inside.

"My home is simple, please forgive me, esteemed guest," the old man said, his rough face flushed. "We are short of food, and the city gates are closed now, so we cannot go into the city to buy food. Please bear with us."

"You're too kind, sir. We brought food with us. All we need is for you to tell us where the kitchen is."

Half an hour later, Wu Yier returned with his men after chopping firewood. He lit a fire, heated the pot and oil, cooked the noodles, scooped them out, and paired them with steamed braised meat. He then scooped out a large spoonful of Chongqing-style Lao Gan Ma chili sauce from a glass jar he carried with him and mixed it all together. After taking a hot bite, he felt all the chill in his body disappear.