Yan Ling thought hard about how to explain to her father when she got back.
When he went to Dongjiang, he vowed to win back the marriage on his own.
This is great. The alliance between Dongjiang and Nanyuan has become a foregone conclusion. He has done nothing during this trip - oh, no, he also helped, acting as a substitute for Li Wen and helping him thwart Li Da's conspiracy.
…
Thinking of this, Yan Ling groaned and covered her face.
Doesn't he call it self-inflicted? When he gets home, they will definitely laugh at him.
With such a mood, Yan Ling returned to Tongyang.
As soon as he entered the city gate, he felt that the atmosphere was particularly solemn, so he asked the guard who came to pick him up: "What happened?"
The guard sighed: "Second Young Master, I'm afraid there's going to be a war. The Xirong tribe has plundered the border. Your Majesty has issued an imperial edict, asking the Duke to send troops."
The Duke of Zhao Kingdom garrisoned the vassal town and had the responsibility to defend the territory. Now that the border is uncertain, it is natural for him to send troops.
Yan Ling's expression suddenly became serious and he asked: "What about the Zhenbei Army? Will they send troops?"
The guard shook his head: "Your Majesty has no will."
"What?" Yan Ji couldn't help but interrupt, "Are you asking the Zhenbei Army to take advantage?"
"Aji!" Yan Ling scolded, "There are still people outside!"
Yan Ji shut up aggrievedly: "Oh."
After hearing the news, Yan Ling could no longer care about Dongjiang's affairs and hurried straight to the mansion.
"Father! Big brother!"
Duke Zhao Guo and Yan Cheng were discussing matters in the study. When they saw him coming back, they both smiled.
"Aling!"
"You came back just in time. Have you heard about what happened?"
Yan Ling nodded and asked his brother directly: "Are we going to send troops to fight Xirong?"
"Yes." Yan Cheng agreed, "The imperial edict has been issued, and this battle must be fought."
"Does father want to lead the army himself?" he asked.
Duke Zhao nodded: "Your Majesty has called your name. If I don't go in person, wouldn't I be deceiving you?"
"What about the north? Shouldn't we ask the Zhenbei Army to take advantage?"
Decades ago, a foreign tribe from the north moved south, and the Yan family was ordered to stop them. At that time, the country's power was already declining, and without reinforcements, they paid a heavy price to hold off the invading enemy.
Unexpectedly, after the war had calmed down, the emperor at that time bypassed the Duke of Zhao and reached an agreement with the leader of the foreign tribe. The other party surrendered to the Great Zhou Dynasty and established the Zhenbei Protectorate, and from then on guarded the northern land for the Great Zhou Dynasty.
It is said that opening up new territories is a good thing, but the problem is that not only did the soldiers who shed blood and sacrifices not receive awards, but in order to appease the foreign leaders, the emperor even ordered the Duke of Zhao to give up important places such as the racecourse in the north. In other words, the Yan family army fought to the death.
After winning this battle, he had to pay compensation for the imperial court's loss of territory and bow his head to apologize to his defeated generals.
Because of this incident, Lao Zhaoguo was so angry that he fell ill. In the following decades, the other party repeatedly harassed and looted based on the emperor's favoritism. The two sides were in the same situation.
Now that Duke Zhao is going to pacify Xirong, the Zhenbei Army still doesn't know what will happen. After decades of dealing with each other, they know very well that the other party has only surrendered in name. In fact, he does not regard himself as a citizen of the Zhou Dynasty at all. As long as
If given the chance, he would bite off a piece of flesh from their body.
Yan Cheng said: "We are discussing this matter and thinking of detaching a force to guard the north just in case."
Yan Ling yelled and immediately said: "Father, let me go! If they dare to move, I will chop off Balsi's head!"
Looking at his fierce appearance, Yan Cheng couldn't help but frown: "What nonsense are you talking about? Once my father left, our troops were empty. The most important thing for us is to defend Tongyang, how can we act randomly?"
With that said, he turned to Duke Zhao: "Father, it's better for me to go! When the waiter comes back, he will be watching over Tongyang. I promise to guard the northern gate."
Duke Zhao raised his eyes and slowly scanned the study room.
Someone in the staff echoed: "Since the second young master is back, it will be a good idea for the prince to go north."
"Yes, the second young master has just come back, please stay in Tongyang!"
Duke Zhao thought for a while and said, "It's better for the waiter to go."
"Father!" Yan Cheng was extremely surprised.
Yan Ling was overjoyed: "Father, don't worry, I won't let the Zhenbei Army go too far!"
Duke Zhao nodded and told him: "Xirong has many soldiers and horses. My father will take away the large troops, and Tongyang also needs to be guarded, so you only have three thousand guards. When encountering something, think about it before you act. If
If there is a mistake in the north, military law will be dealt with!"
Yan Ling agreed, full of confidence: "Father, don't worry, I am willing to issue a military order!"
The matter was settled like this. Looking at the eldest son who looked disappointed, Duke Zhao said warmly: "A Cheng, you are the eldest son. On this expedition for my father, if there is an accident, Duke Zhao's government will rely on you."
So, he was left in Tongyang to preside over the overall situation? Yan Cheng's mood improved and he responded: "Yes, I can also issue a military order, and I will never let Tongyang suffer any loss."
Duke Zhao nodded with a smile, and discussed various details of sending troops with his staff.
When the discussion was over and it was getting dark, he exhaled: "Okay, let's go back. There's no need to panic, just follow the rules."
Everyone responded one after another and exited the study room.
With only father and son left in the room, Duke Zhao finally had time to ask his second son about Dongjiang: "Come back now, has the matter been completed?"
Yan Ling showed a guilty expression.
Duke Zhao understood it as soon as he saw it, and exclaimed: "It seems it can't be done."
The more normal his expression became, the more sarcastic he felt. It was as if he was laughing at himself. He was so ambitious when he left, but he came back dejected.
"Father……"
Yan Cheng laughed out loud: "Xiao Er, what did you say when you left? If you like it, fight for it. If someone runs away, I will snatch it back. Now, do you accept your fate?"
Yan Ling obviously would not accept his fate, but he was embarrassed to say that he had just been slapped in the face.
Duke Zhao Guo said to his eldest son: "As a big brother, please be considerate, he is very sad!"
Having said that, the smile on his face is no less than that of Yan Cheng.
Yan Ling was so laughed at by them that she couldn't help but defend herself: "The marriage between their families hasn't happened yet! I still have a chance!"
"Yes, yes," Duke Zhao was thinking about the upcoming war, and he was particularly tolerant of his second son. "Now that the enemy is facing us, let's put it aside for a while. Don't worry, I will help you think about it after Xirong is pacified."
Think of ways to."
Yan Ling was surprised: "Really?"
"I'm not going to lie to you." Duke Zhao Guo promised and said, "Okay, I've been away from home for so long, and your mother is worried about you. Let's go see her first."
"yes!"
Yan Ling ran away happily. Yan Cheng watched him leave and couldn't help but ask: "Father, do you really agree? The two families have formed an alliance, so we need to be vigilant."
Duke Zhao Guo sighed: "Xiao Er likes me, what can I do? If I think about it, if we can form this relationship, Xu Huan will not completely fall in love with Dongjiang, which is a good thing."
"But……"
Duke Zhao Guo waved his hand and cut off his words: "My father was just about to tell you that if I return safely from this expedition, I will pay it back. If something happens to me, you can help him and let him get what he wants."
Yan Cheng was startled: "Father..."
Duke Zhao Guo looked out the window with a sad expression: "If the lovesickness of a young man is in vain, it will be a lifetime regret."