I support the army through farming and business.

Chapter 261 Mud
The Earl of Ning'an and his wife were overjoyed and immediately followed Tang Zhao to see the Duke of Wei.

"Lord Duke, I'm so sorry, so very sorry!" Marquis Ning'an said apologetically. "It's all my fault for failing to raise my son properly, which is why that wretched child accidentally injured you. I am truly, truly sorry."

Lady Ning'an personally placed a century-old ginseng on the table beside the sickbed. "This century-old ginseng is our apology gift to the Duke to help him recover. Please accept it."

"Lady Ning'an, you are too kind. My Duke's injury is a minor matter, but the matter that has delayed His Majesty's instructions is a major one!"

Tang Zheng felt a pang of frustration at the thought that he had never even set foot in the Northwest Army's garrison. Now, seriously injured, he didn't know when he would be able to fulfill His Majesty's orders.

What's even more infuriating is that all the men he brought were sent away openly by Tang Zhao, while the men in secret dared not show themselves easily because of the guards sent by Tang Zhao.

There was truly no way out!
"The Earl of Ning'an and his wife have the time to seek an audience with the Duke of this country, so they should spend more time instructing their son to prevent him from causing trouble again!"

The Ning Anbo couple gave an awkward smile.

Tang Zhao, unable to bear the awkward situation, immediately laughed and said, "That's easy. Once Young Master Sun gets out of prison, just have him follow me. I guarantee he'll be completely transformed within six months!"

Marquis Ning'an was very tempted. Although he doted on his favorite concubine and her eldest son, his youngest son was born to his legal wife. How could he not love him? It was just that his son was too disappointing and had repeatedly let him down.

Now that he has the opportunity to give his young son a new lease on life, how could he let it go?

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Princess!" Marquis Ning'an hurriedly said. "Once that rebellious son is released from prison, I will send him to the Protector General's Mansion. You can beat him or scold him as you please, Princess. Even if you beat him to death, my wife and I will not say a word!"

These were very honest words, and Tang Zhao readily agreed without hesitation.

Lady Ning'an was puzzled. She had come to visit the Duke of Wei and ask him to calm down, but in the blink of an eye, it turned into asking Princess Zhaoshan to tutor her son.
Tang Zheng was annoyed and kicked the three of them out, citing his poor health.

Lady Ning'an seized the opportunity to leave behind all the apology gifts she had brought before departing.

Marquis Ning'an was a man of his word. Half a month later, as soon as Sun Chao walked out of prison, Marquis Ning'an tied him up like a silkworm cocoon and sent him to the Protector General's Mansion.

"Poor thing! Untie her quickly!" Tang Zhao looked on with concern. "If she gets hurt, how will she stand at attention?"

Gu Ci: 。 。 。 。 。 。

"Stand for what?" Sun Chao didn't understand.

"You don't need to know what to stand for, just follow along," Tang Zhao said with a smile like the Big Bad Wolf coaxing Little Red Riding Hood. "Be good, or this princess will break your legs!"

Sun Chao hugged himself tremblingly.

"Wu Yi'er, you personally mentor him!" Tang Zhao ordered. "I want Young Master Sun to be completely transformed within a month!"

"Your subordinate obeys!" Wu Yier picked up Sun Chao, who was curled up on the ground, with one hand, went to the front yard to change into the uniform of the Guardian General's personal guards, and then carried him to the drill ground to stand at attention.

"Place your fingertips on the center line of your pants, heels together, toes apart, back straight, and don't move!" Wu Yi'er said fiercely. "Move even once, and another quarter of an hour will be added!"

Sun Chao burst into tears, "I can't hold on any longer!"

Wu Yi'er pointed to the soldiers training in military boxing not far away and offered a solution, "Can't hold on? Then go challenge them! Win one, and you'll lose one incense stick's worth of time!"

Watching the men on the training ground fight with their fists pounding against each other, Sun Chao felt a pang of pain just from hearing the sounds. He cried out, "No, I want to go home! I want my mother!"

Wu Yi'er showed no mercy, "Speaking without permission will add another quarter of an hour!"

"Let me tell you the truth, once you're in the Protector General's Mansion, don't even think about leaving easily!" Wu Yi'er kicked Sun Chao in the butt. "Your parents have already agreed that as long as you don't die, the Princess can discipline you however she wants!"

"So don't even think about calling for your mother, or even calling for the Heavenly King himself, it won't do you any good!"

"Get up! If you don't get up, you won't get any food tonight!" Sun Chao, who had been eating spoiled food in the prison for a month, couldn't take the blow of not being able to eat. He used his hands and feet to get up from the ground and stand up.

In the Turkic royal palace, Ashina Mu was lying on Consort Zhi's lap, resting with his eyes closed.

Consort Zhi gently massaged the acupoints on Ashina's wooden body with her long, slender, and fair fingers. "The Khan hasn't paid his respects to the Empress Dowager for over a month. The Empress Dowager has sent people to urge him several times."

"The Empress Dowager doesn't really want to see me. She just wants the Turks and Tibet to join forces to attack the Great Yu so she can avenge my elder brother!"

Ashina Mu opened his eyes and said, "Empress Dowager, don't you think about it? Since the war between Tibet and Dayu began, have we ever won a single battle? We were utterly defeated by the Northwest Army!"

"A behemoth like Dayu cannot be destroyed by external force. Only when it has internal problems can we take action!"

Consort Zhi probed, "What does the Great Khan mean?"

"I am prepared to join forces with the Emperor of Dayu," Ashinamu said. "How can I allow others to snore beside my bed? The Northwest Army is a major threat to the Turks, and also to the Emperor of Dayu."

"Perhaps the Emperor of Dayu is even more eager for the Northwest Army and King Xuan to die than we are!"

Consort Zhi's eyes lit up. "The Great Khan is wise."

"Don't worry, I will destroy the Northwest Army sooner or later, kill Prince Xuan and Gu Ci, and avenge my elder brother and eighth brother!"

Consort Zhi, with tears in her eyes, said, "Thank you, Great Khan!"

"And what about the Empress Dowager..."

“If I go, I will only quarrel with the Empress Dowager, so it’s better not to go!” Ashina Mu closed his eyes. “Only when I’m here with you can I enjoy a moment of peace.”

Consort Zhi said gently, "As long as the Great Khan is willing, he can come to me at any time."

While things were warm and harmonious here, the Empress Dowager's palace was deathly still.

After the Empress Dowager finished throwing the object, Da Yehu advised, "Empress Dowager, now is not the best time to send troops to Dayu."

"The opportunity! The opportunity has been waiting for half a year, but where is it?!"

“Every day I dream of my son, who cries incessantly and repeatedly asks me why I haven’t avenged him!”

The Empress Dowager said sternly, "You still want me to wait? I can wait, but can my son?!"

Da Yehu sighed.

Since the death of the eldest prince, the empress dowager has become increasingly irrational. The political skills she once possessed have now all turned into underhanded tactics used by women in the inner quarters.

"Your Majesty, the Khan's concerns are not wrong. Among the three kingdoms, the Dayu is the most powerful. Even if the Turks and the Tibetans join forces, their chances of defeating the Dayu are not high."

"If the Turks rashly send troops, the Great Yu will have an excuse to attack the Turks. At that time, how will the Turks deal with themselves?"

"Wouldn't it be better to recuperate for another two years, and then deliver a heavy blow to Dayu when our Turkic army is strong and well-equipped?"

The Turkic queen dowager demanded, "When will that be?"

The extent of the large leaf protector's condition is uncertain.

The Turks also depended on the weather for their livelihood; who could know the mood of the heavens?