newbobooks Chapter 1150 Urgent 8-mile delivery?
Chapter 1150 Urgent 8-mile delivery?
An urgent military report delivered by express courier?!
Lin Zhen's movements suddenly froze.
His handsome face instantly turned so dark it seemed to drip water.
He really wanted to rush out right now and kick that messenger who came to deliver the message to the ends of the earth!
Is it over yet? !
He and his daughter Yan'er just wanted to spend a couple of quiet days alone together.
Why is it so difficult?!
First it was Du Ruhui, then Zhou Xing, and now there's this urgent 800-li delivery from the northern frontier!
Did these guys plan this together?!
Did they deliberately choose to come when he was about to get down to "serious business"?
Murong Yan was also startled by the sudden sound.
She quickly struggled to get out from under Lin Zhen, frantically straightening her somewhat disheveled Phoenix Descent Dress.
"Quickly... quickly announce it!" Her voice carried an undisguised tension.
Urgent dispatch! (800 li express)
This is an urgent military intelligence report of the highest level!
It will never be used unless it is absolutely necessary or in an extremely urgent situation!
Could something have happened in northern Xinjiang again?
Those northern tribes who had just submitted to the Mongols have rebelled again?
At this thought, Murong Yan's heart jumped into her throat.
Lin Zhen also knew the priorities of the matter.
Although he was extremely displeased, he forcibly suppressed his anger, got out of bed, and shouted in a deep voice towards the outside of the hall, "Summon!"
Soon, a young messenger, clad in armor and covered in frost, who looked as if he had been traveling for several days and nights, was brought in.
As soon as he entered the hall, he knelt on one knee and presented a cowhide envelope sealed with sealing wax with both hands.
"Your Majesty! Your Highness! A military report from Marshal Zheng of the Northern Frontier Protectorate, delivered with utmost urgency!"
Lin Zhen stepped forward, grabbed the envelope, tore off the sealing wax, and pulled out the letter.
He glanced at it, and his tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly.
"What's wrong, my husband?" Murong Yan asked anxiously as she looked at his ever-changing expression.
"It's nothing." Lin Zhen shook his head and handed her the letter. "It's nothing bad. Just a little trouble."
Murong Yan took the letter and quickly glanced through it.
The letter was written by Zheng Kedi, the Grand Marshal of the Army guarding the northern frontier.
The contents of the letter were indeed not as serious as they thought.
The tribes in the northern desert did not rebel.
Quite the opposite.
Since the last time, Huhanye and the other tribal leaders returned from Chang'an satisfied.
The entire northern grasslands showed unprecedented friendliness and subservience to the Great Qian.
Especially after Murong Yan issued an imperial decree to open a trade market in the Yanran Protectorate.
Those nomadic herders on the grasslands, who were terrified of poverty, regarded the young empress of the Great Qian Dynasty as a living bodhisattva who saved them from suffering.
They rushed to the trade market, bringing their own tribe's cattle, sheep, horses, and furs, to exchange them for Daqian's tea, silk, porcelain, and iron pots.
In just one month, the Yanran Protectorate's trade market became the most prosperous and bustling place in the entire north.
Every day, caravans from the north and south came and went in an endless stream.
A vast amount of wealth poured into the treasury of the Great Qian Dynasty like a tidal wave.
This should have been a wonderful thing.
However, problems also arise.
As the saying goes, wherever there are people, there is a world of its own.
Where there are interests, there will naturally be conflicts.
As the scale of the border trade grew larger and larger.
Some new problems, which had never appeared before, began to emerge.
First, there's smuggling.
Some audacious merchants, in pursuit of exorbitant profits, began secretly smuggling ironware, weapons, and even iron-smelting technology—items strictly prohibited from export by the Great Qian Dynasty—to some unscrupulous grassland tribes.
Secondly, there is conflict.
Different tribes began to engage in small-scale skirmishes and conflicts over priority in trading with the Daqian caravans and over control of pastures and water sources.
Although these conflicts have not yet escalated into large-scale tribal wars due to the strong suppression by King Huhanye of Anbei.
But the seed of instability has already been sown.
What troubled Zheng Kedi the most was the issue of cultural integration.
More and more grassland herders, envious of the prosperity of the Central Plains, began to flock to the Yanran Protectorate, and even to the prefectures and counties south of the Great Wall, to settle down.
Most of them were relatively law-abiding.
However, there are also some bad apples who, relying on their tall stature and fierce temperament, cause trouble and oppress the people in the city.
The local people, due to their prejudice and discrimination against these "outsiders," often had arguments and conflicts with them.
These problems may seem like trivial matters.
But Zheng Kedi, a seasoned veteran, keenly sensed a hint of danger in the situation.
He knew that if these problems were not resolved promptly and properly...
Sooner or later, it will snowball and grow bigger and bigger.
Ultimately, this evolved into a huge hidden danger that could shake the stability of the entire northern frontier and even the entire Daqian Dynasty.
Therefore, after much hesitation, he used the 800-li express courier service to send the letter to Chang'an.
“Husband, look at this matter…” Murong Yan frowned after reading the letter.
She knew that Zheng Kedi's worries were not unfounded.
Non-my family, its heart must be different.
This ancient saying, which has been passed down for thousands of years, is somewhat biased.
But it does highlight the immense difficulty of integrating different civilizations.
If handled well, it will lead to great ethnic integration and a significant increase in national strength.
If not handled properly, it will lead to widespread war and the nation's demise.
The reason why the previous dynasty collapsed was largely because it failed to manage its relationship with the northern grassland tribes.
She must learn from this historical lesson.
At this moment, she leaned lazily against the soft couch, and the Phoenix Descent Dress she wore as her only nightgown seemed to sense the heaviness in her heart.
The extremely dark Suzhou brocade fabric appeared exceptionally deep under the bright candlelight in the hall.
Just like her deep, thoughtful phoenix eyes at this moment.
The giant phoenix embroidered with real gold thread also lost its previous joy and languor.
His phoenix eyes flashed with a sharp, emperor-like scrutinizing light.
It was as if it were contemplating this momentous problem concerning the fate of the nation alongside its owner.
The five-zhang-long (approximately 10 meters) long, dark gold Suzhou brocade train stretched from her feet all the way to Lin Zhen's feet.
It was as if an invisible bond tightly connected this young couple who jointly ruled this vast empire.
"Just a little trouble." Lin Zhen smiled as he looked at her worried expression and pulled her into his arms.
"Silly girl, stop frowning. If you keep frowning, you'll look like a little old lady."
"What time is it, and you're still joking!" Murong Yan rolled her eyes at him, annoyed.
“I’m not kidding,” Lin Zhen said with a smile. “These problems may seem complicated and thorny, but in the end, they are all just one problem.”
"What's the problem?" Murong Yan asked curiously.
"Rules." A glint of wisdom flashed in Lin Zhen's eyes.
"What we lack between us and the northern desert is a set of effective rules."