The peasant girl has a private space, and her husband is handsome.

Emperor Qi Jing learned of the death of the third prince of Nan Yue that very night. He sat in his study all night with a very gloomy expression.

Killing the Third Prince not only offended the Southern Yue, but also challenged his authority as emperor. Such a big matter was done without even consulting him.

Emperor Qi Jing felt that his cousin Gong Yu used to be very reliable, but after being with Miss Su, he was influenced by her and became ruthless.

They actually killed the third prince of Nan Yue without considering the consequences. Now that they've killed two princes of Nan Yue, no matter how much Da Qi apologizes, Nan Yue will never accept it.

War between the two countries is inevitable.

Although he had received news of the alliance between the Prince of Huainan and Nanyue, he believed that if Gong Yu had not killed the Third Prince, there was still room for maneuver, and that a huge compensation to Nanyue might be enough to salvage the situation.

But it's too late to turn back now.

The next morning court session.

Lord Xue deliberately asked, "Your Majesty, Nan Yue and the King of Huainan have already joined forces. Should the Black Stone Mine still be given to Nan Yue? And those three hundred carts of grain haven't even left the capital yet."

Emperor Qi Jing did not hesitate at all. "Send it, of course we will send it. Once Nan Yue sees the sincerity of Great Qi, they may withdraw their cooperation with the King of Huainan. Don't think I am weak. I am thinking of the country and the future of Great Qi. I am thinking of the big picture."

Lord Xue curled his lip. Is the so-called "big picture" just about kneeling and currying favor with foreign powers? What future can a country have if it kneels and can't get up?

If the emperor of the Great Qi had been half as decisive as Miss Su, the Great Qi wouldn't have ended up in this state.

In fact, the strength of the Great Qi was not inferior to that of the neighboring countries. The reason why it was always bullied was because it was too weak. Anyone who bullied it could get huge compensation. Under the temptation of huge profits, anyone who did not come would be a fool. You yourself have attracted wolves and tigers.

The ministers were divided into two factions. Most of the officials were used to enjoying themselves and felt that the Great Qi was so rich that giving a little money to foreign countries was no big deal, as long as they could keep their own wealth and status.

They pursue a policy of being lenient towards foreign powers but strict towards their own, fawning and groveling before foreign nations. Foreign nations may have deceived us a thousand times, but we remain steadfast in our love for them.

However, he was particularly harsh on his own people. The ministers of finance would never pay the tribute to foreign powers, so they could only increase the exorbitant taxes and levies on the people, making their lives miserable.

Only a small number of sensible people did not want to treat foreign powers as their fathers, such as Lord Xue, Minister Qin of the Ministry of War, and Duke Anguo.

However, they were few in number and weak in strength, and dared not openly confront the majority of people.

Minister Qin of the Ministry of War stepped forward and reported, "General Wan, whom the court sent to garrison Qinghe County, deserted during the battle and has been captured."

Emperor Jing of Qi was annoyed by the mention of deserters, but General Wan, despite being a general, was the first to desert during a battle.

"Bring him up. I want to ask him why he tried to escape."

Soon, General Wan was bound hand and foot and pushed to kneel in the center of the hall.

Since arriving in Qinghe County, General Wan has neglected military training, indulging in fine wine and food, singing and dancing every day, and has gained a lot of weight.

He made a fortune from silver; half of the silver mines between Sicheng and Lingxian went into his personal pocket, while only one-third was handed over to the imperial court.

"Wanliang, I have treated you well. I have given you priority in supplying you with provisions and allocated you ample military funds, yet you deserted your post. Do you have any explanation for this?"

General Wan had already prepared his explanation when he fled Qinghe County.

"Your Majesty, it is not my fault that I failed to defend Qinghe County. Your decision to send me to take over Qinghe County was a sign of your trust in me. However, those tens of thousands of soldiers only recognized Miss Su, not me. I did not escape from Qinghe County; I was driven out by those soldiers."

General Wan estimated that Qinghe County was definitely not going to hold out and had probably already fallen. Most of the soldiers defending the city should have died, so whatever he said would be unverifiable.

However, Minister Qin said, "General Wan, Qinghe County has not fallen. Although some soldiers were wounded, no one died. Which soldiers drove you out of the city? Give me their names, and the Ministry of War will investigate carefully."

General Wan was shocked. What?! Hundreds of thousands of troops besieged the city, and Qinghe County actually held out? And not a single person died? How is this possible?

Desertion in the face of battle should have been punishable by death, but after hearing Wan Liang's explanation, Emperor Qi Jing had his own opinion.

Tens of thousands of soldiers only listen to Miss Su, which means they don't respect the imperial court or the emperor!

If we had given the girl more troops back then, and she had rebelled like the King of Huainan, the Great Qi would have been in grave danger!

The greatest taboo for an emperor is the loss of control over military power or its distribution to other parties, as this would pose a tremendous threat to the throne.

Therefore, when it came to General Wan's desertion, Emperor Qi Jing wanted to punish Miss Su the most, not General Wan.

I really regret that I acted impulsively and gave that girl a get-out-of-jail-free card.

"By imperial decree, General Wan is to be imprisoned and his trial will be postponed to another day."

Minister Qin proposed, "Your Majesty, although the hundreds of thousands of rebel troops have retreated from Qinghe County, they could besiege it again at any time. I request Your Majesty to send another general to garrison Qinghe County."

Minister Qin felt that the most suitable candidate was none other than Miss Su, who had previously held off hundreds of thousands of rebel troops in Qinghe County.

However, Emperor Qi Jing was actually conflicted. He felt that only Miss Su was likely capable of defending Qinghe County, but he was also afraid that Miss Su would become too powerful and hold too much influence.

After all, General Wan said that Miss Su had been gone from Qinghe County for a long time, but the soldiers still only recognized Miss Su.

Moreover, that girl had a strong temper, and he, the emperor, couldn't control her at all.

Miss Su doesn't hold an official position, so it's inconvenient to give her orders. He also has no intention of granting her an official position, and he never will.

Emperor Qi Jing felt a great headache whenever he thought of Miss Su.

It's all Miss Su's fault for killing the seventh prince of Nan Yue and stirring up trouble.

The Seventh Prince of Nanyue had only killed some ordinary people from Daqi. The lives of ordinary people are as worthless as ants, and their deaths are not worth regretting. It is wrong to be angry and kill the Prince of Nanyue, thus triggering a war between the two countries.

However, Miss Su's father is now a Grand General of the Third Rank, and Emperor Qi Jing decided to send him to garrison Qinghe County. If he fails to defend it, he will be sentenced to death.

If we hold on, we can find an excuse to settle scores with Miss Su's family after the King of Huainan is defeated.

Although his uncle's family will definitely fight desperately to protect Miss Su, family ties are not as important as the throne. At worst, he can punish his uncle's family as well. His uncle's family is no longer on his side, and his cousin is no longer under his control. They no longer have any reason to exist.

"By imperial decree, the Mighty General is ordered to arrive at Qinghe County within three days and lead his troops to resist the rebel army of the Prince of Huainan."