The Tyrant of the Great Qian Dynasty: Not only will I refuse to arrange a marriage alliance, but I w

Inside the Imperial Palace in the capital city.

Wei An, his body hunched over, strode into the hall and reported to Su Zhe on the latest developments of the Northern Barbarian camp.

"Your Highness, the fish have taken the bait. Huyan Ba ​​has adopted Zhang Hu's 'suggestion' and has ordered the entire army to cease its attack and instead adopt a defensive siege. It seems he intends to wait for our city to run out of food and collapse without a fight."

Upon hearing this, Su Zhe simply nodded in satisfaction; everything was as he had anticipated.

His gaze fell on a map spread out on the table in front of him.

That was not a defensive map of the area surrounding the capital, but a panoramic map encompassing the northern and southern territories of the Great Qian Dynasty.

His fingers were gently tapping on a location on the map, far from the battlefield in the capital.

Just then, a guard rushed in from outside the hall, knelt on one knee, and loudly reported, "Your Highness, urgent news from the Southern Frontier! General Qin Hongying, the Protector of the Nation, has sent a personal letter!"

Southern Xinjiang? Qin Hongying?

Upon hearing this name, Wei An, who was standing to the side, trembled slightly.

The Qin family has guarded the southern border for three generations, commanding 100,000 of the most elite border troops in the Great Qian Dynasty. They are known as generals of the Great Qian Dynasty, but in reality, they are the kings of the south.

Especially now, with the late emperor gone and the court in turmoil, the attitude of this female general who holds considerable military power is enough to influence the course of the entire world.

At this critical juncture, what is her intention in sending a message?

"Let her in." Su Zhe's voice was calm, without any discernible emotion.

Soon, a female general dressed in light armor and with a tall and straight figure was brought in.

Her face bore the marks of her journey, but her eyes were bright and sharp. After entering the main hall, she simply clasped her hands slightly in greeting to Su Zhe, neither bowing nor kneeling, and met his gaze without fear.

She took out a letter sealed with sealing wax from her bosom and presented it with both hands: "By order of the Commander-in-Chief, I present this letter to His Highness the Ninth Prince."

Wei An stepped forward, took the letter, checked it to make sure it was correct, and then passed it on to Su Zhe.

Su Zhe opened the envelope and took out the letter from the southern border.

The letter exudes a faint fragrance of plum blossoms, but the handwriting is sharp and powerful, as if carved by a knife and axe, conveying a sense of fierce battle between the lines.

The contents of the letter were written in a rather subtle way.

At the beginning of her letter, Qin Hongying highly praised Su Zhe's achievements in fighting against overwhelming odds in the capital and holding firm against the enemy, calling him "a pillar of the nation and a source of pride for the imperial family."

But then, her tone abruptly changed.

She began to ask Su Zhe what his plans were for the post-war situation after defeating the Northern Barbarians.

Between the lines, it is no longer a subject's inquiry to the monarch, but a posture that is almost equal.

At the end of the letter, she subtly alluded to the saying, "The court cannot be in chaos for long, and the country cannot be without a ruler for a single day."

This is no longer a test; it's a warning, or even pressure.

After reading the letter, Su Zhe did not show the anger Wei An had expected. Instead, he let out a faint chuckle.

He gently set down the letter, looked up at the female general who was still standing ramrod straight below, and said, "In her letter, General Qin praised me and expressed concern for the country. In the end, she's worried that I, the 'Ninth Prince' who was appointed in a time of crisis, am not legitimate and cannot secure the throne of the Great Qian Dynasty, is that right?"

Faced with Su Zhe's blunt question, the female general's expression remained unchanged, and her answer was impeccable: "In the General's heart, he only cares about the safety of the nation. If the capital is safe, then the Great Qian is safe. If anything happens to the capital, the 100,000 soldiers of the Qin family army in the Southern Frontier will never sit idly by."

What a fine line: "We will never sit idly by."

These words can be interpreted as meaning that if the capital falls, the Qin family army will send troops to defend the emperor and serve the country loyally.

It can also be understood that if Su Zhe cannot quickly and effectively resolve the threat from the Northern Barbarians, proving that she has the ability to secure her position in the country, or even if she makes any moves after the war that would damage the stability of the Great Qian Dynasty, then her most powerful military force in the south may become a huge variable, and may even turn to support other members of the royal family to "stabilize" the overall situation.

This is a political warning. Qin Hongying is clearly making it clear that her loyalty is to the Great Qian Dynasty and its people, not to Su Zhe personally.

The atmosphere inside the hall became somewhat subtle because of these words.

Wei An stood to the side, his palms already sweating.

He was well aware of the Qin family army's importance. If it wasn't handled properly, the crisis in the north would be resolved today, but the chaos in the south would break out tomorrow, and then the Great Qian Dynasty would truly be doomed.

Su Zhe's reaction, however, was beyond everyone's expectations.

He stood up from his seat and slowly walked to the female general.

Instead of answering the thorny question, he asked about something that seemed completely unrelated:

"I have heard that the Qin family army in the southern border has been self-sufficient in military rations and equipment for many years, and has never asked the court for a single penny. I suppose General Qin is a first-rate talent in both military administration and financial management."

Although the female general didn't understand why Su Zhe suddenly brought this up, it was a fact, and she was quite proud of it, so she could only nod and reply, "The commander-in-chief has always been strict in governing the army. I wouldn't dare say he's a financial genius, but the soldiers are at least able to make ends meet."

"Okay, very good."

Su Zhe nodded, looked into the female general's eyes, and continued, "In that case, when you return, please pass on a message to General Qin for me."

"Once I have pacified the Northern Barbarians, I urge her to come to the capital and teach those useless people in the Ministry of Revenue who only know how to ask for money a lesson on how to manage finances and provisions."

"As the regent prince, I may lack many things, but I do lack capable people. If she is willing to come, I will reserve the position of 'Minister of Revenue' for her."

Minister of Revenue!

These four words caused the previously composed female general to show a look of astonishment for the first time.

The Minister of Revenue was the highest-ranking official in the Ministry of Revenue, in charge of the finances, taxation, and allocation of funds and grain throughout the entire Great Qian Dynasty. This was one of the most prestigious and powerful positions in the imperial court.

She had assumed that Su Zhe would try every means to defend himself in the face of Qin Hongying's "test," would make all sorts of promises to win her over, and would even humbly beg for her support.

She had imagined countless ways to respond, but she never expected Su Zhe to react this way.

Without explaining, trying to win him over, or making any promises, he simply extended an olive branch offering him an official position.

Moreover, it was a crucial position in charge of the nation's finances and provisions!

This gesture was no longer a request for Qin Hongying's support.

Instead, he was using his position of authority to "recruit" her to serve him.

This extraordinary boldness and skill stirred up a tremendous wave of emotion within the female general.

She suddenly realized that she and Qin Hongying behind her had underestimated the Ninth Prince, who had stirred up a bloody storm in the capital, from the very beginning.

After the female general left, the hall returned to silence.

Wei An stepped forward, his face filled with deep worry: "Your Highness, is it... is it too hasty to promise such an important position in the court so easily? The Qin family is powerful and deeply entrenched in the south. What if she really uses this as leverage to come to the capital, and we..."

Su Zhe waved his hand, interrupting him.

"She won't come, at least not now."

He walked back to the map, his eyes sharper than ever before.

"She sent this letter ostensibly to test the waters, but in reality, she was observing the situation. Like all the other forces in the world that are observing, she is waiting for the outcome of my defense of the capital."

"If I win, I will be the new ruler of the Great Qian Dynasty who has turned the tide, and she will bow down and submit."

"If I lose, I'll just be a ridiculous joke in history books, and she'll step up without hesitation to clean up the mess and install a new ruler."

Su Zhe's voice was cold.

"So this letter also reminded me that our time is running out."

He must use a resounding and indisputable victory to completely shatter Huyan Ba's 400,000-strong army, and also use this victory to deter all those who harbored ulterior motives from watching from the sidelines!

He turned to an old eunuch outside the hall and asked in a low voice, "What's the situation at the observatory? Have the celestial phenomena and wind direction for tonight been confirmed?"

The old eunuch in charge of the Imperial Observatory bowed respectfully and replied, "Your Highness, we have confirmed it repeatedly. Around midnight, a southeast wind will rise, and heavy rain is imminent."

"it is good."

Su Zhe clenched his fist, and his knuckles made a slight cracking sound.

"Send word to Chen Baipao, tell him to come see me immediately."

"Tonight is the last big gift we will give to Huyan Ba."