After Emperor Mingwen finished speaking, everyone was furious. It was freezing cold but they had to sell their bedding and cotton-padded jackets to exchange for weapons. Didn't this mean everyone's lives were at risk?
"Your Majesty, isn't this appropriate?" Lieutenant General Li hesitated. The snowstorm had not stopped yet, and he still felt chilly even though he was wrapped in so many clothes.
"Donngling sent people to search for bedding everywhere in the market to protect us from the severe cold. Now we are facing a snowstorm and it's hard to move. We can't even eat a hot bite..."
"Okay, don't say it anymore, the emperor must have a reason for doing this."
"Yes, we must believe in the emperor."
Gradually, everyone was convinced by one voice, that is, to follow Emperor Mingwen's arrangements.
"Everyone, the blizzard will stop early tomorrow morning, and it will start to warm up tomorrow. Believe me!"
If Chu Yunning hadn't written him a letter, Emperor Mingwen would never have believed it. He trusted Chu Yunning unconditionally.
Although no one believed that the blizzard would stop, Emperor Mingwen said so, so they were forced to choose to believe it.
"I believe you, Your Majesty!" Lieutenant General Li gritted his teeth and was the first to support: "You can grow vegetables in winter, you can also skate to the other side, and it's not difficult to observe the sky."
Someone took the lead, and the rest began to vote by a show of hands.
So soon everyone started to go back and sort out the extra bedding and extra cotton-padded clothes, and agreed to send them to the border market at dawn tomorrow.
Because the two cities are very close to each other, many groceries are exchanged at the border. They only need to dress up as traders, and the gatekeepers will not stop them. These cotton clothes and quilts can be sold at a good price in Dongling's hands.
The next day, a group of people stood guard at the gate of the city, pushing several carts of cotton-padded clothes and bedding, with the cold snow on their heads.
The guard checked in private and confirmed that he was not carrying any weapons and was just an ordinary trader, and then let him go.
As expected, these quilts were spotted before they had gone very far. The eyes of several shopkeepers almost glowed green, and they started bidding one after another.
It only took more than an hour to sell all the cotton-padded clothes and quilts. After exchanging money, because the price of rice and grain was too expensive, I only bought part of it, and the rest bought all the equipment needed for weapons.
They left the city one by one while the guards at the gate were changing their shifts.
It was almost noon after all the hard work, the snow had stopped in the morning, the wind had also stopped, and not long after, even the sun slowly showed its head.
"The snow has really stopped!"
"The sun has also come out. Although the snow has not melted, it still feels less cold than yesterday."
Emperor Mingwen raised his head and suddenly felt a sense of powerlessness in his heart. Chu Yunning had guessed everything.
Who is she?
As a majestic emperor, he suddenly felt that he looked up to Chu Yunning, which made him look like an ordinary person.
Chu Yunning, who was being talked about far away in the military camp, suddenly sneezed and rubbed the tip of his nose.
"Mom, are you catching a cold?" Beibei was writing calligraphy silently, and suddenly he looked up with a concerned look on his face.
Chu Yunning shook her head and pinched her hot ears. She didn't know who was talking about her in private.
"I'm fine."
Just as she was talking, Bixiu raised the curtain and came in, smiling and saying, "Miss, please go out and take a look. The snow has stopped and the sun has come out."
Hearing this, Chu Yunning put down her work and walked outside. The outside of the tent was still completely white, and some of the places where her eyes had shined were already covered in ice. This was a sign that the snow had melted.
"Yesterday it was a blizzard, but today the sun is shining, it's really amazing." Bixiu sighed.
Chu Yunning was not surprised at all. She turned around and glanced at Beibei, who was writing carefully stroke by stroke. His hands were clenched tightly, his shoulders were shaking slightly, and his emotions were suddenly out of control.
Chu'er, Chu'er must still be alive.
Two months ago, she also dreamed of a seven or eight-year-old boy, whose face could not be seen clearly through a layer of hazy clouds.
I still thought it was strange at the time and mistakenly thought it was the grown-up Beibei because he was calling his mother in his dream.
Chu Yunning wished she could slap herself, it must be Chu'er, but it was a pity that she didn't recognize it at first.
Chu'er must have been very sad at that time.
"Miss, what's wrong with you?" Bixiu noticed something strange about Chu Yunning and asked anxiously.
Chu Yunning shook her head: "The strong wind blew my eyes, it's okay."
After putting down the curtain, she turned around and returned to Beibei's side, feeling as if a big stone was weighing heavily on her heart.
It's freezing outside, and I don't know how Chu'er is doing, whether she has enough food and clothing, or whether she has been bullied.
"Mother, are you thinking about eldest brother?" Beibei noticed Chu Yunning's thoughts, put down his pen and reached out to touch her arm: "Although the old man with the white beard hasn't said where eldest brother is, I know how he is doing now.
very good."
"Really?"
Beibei was afraid that she wouldn't believe it, so he nodded heavily: "Mother, Beibei will not lie to you."
"Of course mother believes in Beibei."
Chu Yunning looked at the handwriting copied by Beibei. It looked familiar, as if she had seen it somewhere, and the content was also a bit strange. Before she could read it all, Beibei had already put the copybook away.
Uncle Huang said that secrets between men cannot be told to women, not even to mothers.
"What does this say?"
Beibei tilted his head and explained: "It's Uncle Huang's copybook. I found it interesting and copied it."
No wonder, it looks so familiar, it turns out to be the character of Emperor Mingwen.
Chu Yunning had Chu'er in her heart, so she didn't think much about it for a moment and touched Beibei's head: "Good boy, just write it. Mother won't criticize you."
She walked around the table and sat on the sofa, thinking about the wind and snow outside, and said to Bixiu: "Go and get some needlework and better fabrics."
"Miss, do you want to make some clothes?"
"Um."
Bixiu nodded when she heard this, and turned back to get something. After a while, she brought it. Chu Yunning planned to make some clothes, shoes and socks for Chu'er.
She had a feeling that Chu'er would come back to her soon.
The next day was another sunny day with the sun shining brightly. The snow melted and the branches were exposed. The sun had not been seen for a long time, and it felt warm and comfortable on my face.
Outside the city, who would have thought that in just two days, he could take off his thick and bloated cotton-padded jacket.
The soldiers were so excited that Emperor Mingwen really got it right, and the weather began to turn around.
Temperature, there is no need to wear too thick clothes at all.
"Your Majesty is really amazing!" Vice General Li and others gave a thumbs up and expressed their admiration for Emperor Mingwen.
Emperor Mingwen curled his lips: "Continue to Dongling in an hour and set up camp at the nearest place!"
Everyone had been waiting for this day for a long time, so the soldiers packed up as quickly as possible.
Compared to the excitement at the south end, the atmosphere in Dongling was a bit low-pressure at the moment. The Prince of Nancheng listened to the report of the guards.
All the money in the army was used to buy cotton-padded jackets and bedding, and some of them were spent at high prices.
After two days of bright sunshine, the temperature is clearly showing signs of rising.
Those accumulated clothes and bedding were like a joke, almost slapping her in the face.
Shen Bi walked in with a very ugly face. According to the history books, this winter is a once-in-a-century winter that will freeze to death countless people and livestock.
History books don't lie.
But the big sun outside is hanging firmly in the sky.
"There is about a month of rice left, and there is no money left. What should we do now?"
Prince Nancheng took a deep breath and looked at Shen Bi.
Shen Bi walked around the table and came to Prince Nancheng. She stretched out her hand to hold his hand, and her fingertips touched lightly as cold as iron.
"Shen Bi, I believed you, how should I explain to my brothers in the army now?"
It’s early spring after the New Year, who would want so many cotton-padded jackets and mattresses?
"Are you blaming me?" Shen Bi bit her lip tightly and looked at the Crown Prince of Nancheng in surprise. Before she could say a few words, tears flowed out first. She choked and said, "Prince, I really didn't know that this would happen. History
This is clearly recorded in the book."
Prince Nancheng has heard such words countless times, but this time, Prince Nancheng was really angry. He withdrew his arm from Shen Bi's hand with a cold face, stood up slowly and distanced himself.
"I don't understand what you mean by history books and your dynasty. How should we solve the current predicament?"
Prince Nancheng was worried. He had considered this issue several times, but he still couldn't help but believe in Shen Bi.
Prince Nancheng's mind was filled with the faces of the soldiers, and he didn't know how to face or explain them.
"You can't say anything about the weather. Maybe it will rain or snow tomorrow. It's too early to say that now." Shen Bi took a deep breath to comfort him.
After knowing each other for such a long time, this was the first time Shen Bi saw Prince Nancheng rejecting her.
It's a bit incredible.
Usually whenever she cries, Prince Nancheng will just laugh it off, no matter how big the issue is, and will comfort her in turn.
But today, it seems that this trick is not working.
"Shen Bi, do you know how serious this matter is? Everyone is waiting for news from me. I am ashamed of them."
Prince Nancheng suddenly became a little emotional: "Since the plundering of the village, so many people have died, so many innocent people have been killed without resistance..."
Speaking of this, the prince of Nancheng began to roar: "The war between the two countries has nothing to do with the people. Every time I eat now, I will think about it. These were taken from other people's hands. Maybe this bowl of rice can do it."
If it kills a person, I can’t eat it at all!”
Even when he went to bed every night, Prince Nancheng would have nightmares. In his dreams, there were countless people who were not well fed or clothed, and there were innocent children walking barefoot in the snow, holding an empty bowl in their hands, feeling resentful.
Stare at him.
Shen Bi frowned: "Your Majesty, these are the benevolence of women. No one can have blood on their hands before ascending to the throne."
Shen Bi has never regretted this. In war, there must be sacrifices, and these casualties are nothing at all.
What chilled the prince of Nancheng the most was Shen Bi's indifferent attitude. He didn't take these lives seriously at all.
Maybe it's not as important as the straw.
The Shen Bi who used to be well-behaved, well-educated, and loved small animals is not the same person as the current Shen Bi who is decisive, cold-blooded, and full of plunder and war!
Prince Nancheng regretted it more than once. Perhaps he should not have stayed there that year, so that he would not have met Shen Bi.
Shen Bi looked at him with a cold look and said with a dull expression: "Your Majesty, what do you mean by this? Do you blame me?"
If he hadn't nodded in agreement, this matter wouldn't have been accomplished by one person!
Prince Nancheng shook his head: "I don't blame you, I just trust you so much that I lose myself and listen to your words everywhere, which is why I am like this now."
Hearing what the Prince of Nancheng said, Shen Bi became a little annoyed: "Your Majesty, victory or defeat is a common matter for military strategists. Why do you have to dwell on one thing?"
"Now that troops from the south are approaching the city, we only have one month of rice left. My men will soon be unable to afford food. How can I remain calm?"
He couldn't calm down at all.
Shen Bi lowered his head and gazed for a moment, then suddenly said: "There is nothing we can do. There are about a dozen villages and five or six small towns around here. Since there is a war, why can the people in the south support the people in the south and Dongling?
But not?"
After she finished speaking, Prince Nancheng stared at her as if he didn't recognize her at all.
It's terrible, simply terrible.
"The weather at the border has been very cold in the past two years, and there hasn't been much harvest at all. Everyone has tightened their belts. How can there be any extra food to supply us?"
After saying this, Prince Nancheng grabbed Shen Bi's arm with a warning look on his face: "I have done enough evil, I won't allow you to mess around!"
Shen Bi suddenly sneered when he heard this: "Would that prince rather watch hundreds of thousands of troops starve to death, and then wait for the soldiers from the south to plunder all the way, causing more casualties?"
The prince of Nancheng, who was choked with words, did not speak for a long time and stared at Shen Bi seriously.
"We are fighting to better protect the people who live and work in peace and contentment. This is a fierce battle. The Crown Prince is merciful, but the same cannot be said for the soldiers in Nanduan." Shen Bi changed the topic and said: "What's more, Nanduan is acting with anger this time.
Come on, if the prince doesn’t make a decision as soon as possible, once the city gate is breached, those people in the south will definitely kill the people of Dongling!"
Prince Nancheng took two steps back. How could she say such cruel words so calmly?
"Isn't it worth sacrificing the interests of a small number of people in exchange for the safety of more people's lives?" Shen Bi asked rhetorically.
She has told the prince of Nancheng numerous times that he does not want to be kind to women, and he only has one word for treating his soldiers, strict!
But every time Prince Nancheng would break the precept.
"Maybe I made a mistake this time, but don't forget, we still have a secret weapon." Shen Bi took a deep breath and stepped forward to calm the prince of Nancheng: "The secret weapon in the warehouse is enough to repel us.
Soldiers at the southern end, we can make up for the common people after the war is over."
These words touched the heart of Prince Nancheng, and he nodded feebly to express his agreement.
"But what are the people outside saying now?" Prince Nancheng's face burned when he thought of this.
Shen Bi said: "You are the king here, and they all listen to you. If anyone disobeys or incites military morale, he will be killed without mercy!"