Chapter 200: I’d Rather Accompany You To The Western Frontier
“Let’s go, today we’ll go out and have a great day of fun, all expenses on me!” Lin Xin waved her small hand and said boldly.
Mo Ziyuan looked at her little chin-raised appearance, his heart softening unreasonably, and he nodded cooperatively: “Good!”
But plans still couldn’t keep up with changes. They had just stepped out the gate when they ran into Eunuch An who was hurrying over. Upon seeing Mo Ziyuan, his wrinkled old face visibly relaxed. “Young Master, Your Majesty summons you. Hurry and follow this old servant into the palace!”
Mo Ziyuan’s heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively turned back to look at Lin Xin.
“Go! We can go out to play anytime.” Lin Xin stood in the doorway smiling at him.
Mo Ziyuan nodded and followed Eunuch An.
As soon as he entered the Imperial Study, Mo Ziyuan’s steps paused involuntarily. The room was already full of people. He glanced around and saw they were mostly military generals, many of whom were former subordinates of Grand Tutor Feng. Chu Qingye sat above with a grim expression.
“I have seen Your Majesty!”
“Rise!” Chu Qingye’s mood was visibly poor.
Mo Ziyuan stood straight and found an inconspicuous corner to stand in, nodding to Marquis Guang’an beside him.
Marquis Guang’an was a pure royalist; he was loyal to whoever sat in that position above. Thus, he was quite courteous to Mo Ziyuan, who was solidly one of Chu Qingye’s direct line. His usually stern face managed to squeeze out a softened expression, though it looked a bit awkward.
“Ahem,” Chu Qingye saw that everyone had arrived and didn’t waste words. He directly handed an opened urgent report from the desk to Eunuch An, who then passed it to the Minister of War at the edge.
After everyone had passed around the urgent report, Chu Qingye knocked on the desk. “My subjects, you’ve all seen the urgent report. Feel free to speak your thoughts.”
Everyone exchanged glances, each calculating their own little plans in their hearts, and no one wanted to speak first.
When Mo Ziyuan saw the urgent report, he understood why Eunuch An had come for him so urgently. The Western Frontier was in crisis; the Western Rong people had assembled an army of 150,000 and were pressing at the border. Chu Qingye needed one of his own to lead troops into battle, and he was the one selected.
He waited another half a tea’s time, and during this period no one spoke up. Chu Qingye’s expression grew increasingly ugly.
“Your Majesty, your humble subject requests permission to lead the expedition!” Mo Ziyuan stepped forward from the crowd and said in front of Chu Qingye.
As he stepped out, whispers erupted among the others, and another person stood up. “Your Majesty, your humble subject also requests permission.”
Mo Ziyuan turned his head and saw it was Marquis Zhaoyang.
“Your Majesty, your humble subject also requests permission to lead the expedition.” With two leading the way, the others also stood up one after another to declare their willingness.
Chu Qingye sneered coldly in his heart and eased his expression. “My subjects are all eager to fight, which comforts me greatly. The Western Rong people are coming fiercely this time; it will surely be a hard-fought prolonged war. Let the Heir of Dingguo Duke be the chief general, Marquis Guang’an the supervisor, the Six Ministries make preparations, and the army sets out in three days!”
“Your Majesty, this······” The former subordinates of Grand Tutor Feng clearly hadn’t expected Chu Qingye to use a young man and not let someone from their faction hold military power. They all felt a bit upset inside.
“It’s decided.” Chu Qingye finalized it with one word.
“······Yes!” Everyone was unhappy inside but didn’t show it on the surface.
Once out of the Imperial Study, those people all gathered around Marquis Zhaoyang. “Marquis, does His Majesty want to······” The speaker made a gesture everyone understood.
“No,” Marquis Zhaoyang said with narrowed eyes. “His Majesty has just ascended the throne and wants to promote his own faction, which is perfectly normal. That Mo Ziyuan can barely be considered valiant. As for the result, let’s wait and see!”
“Marquis, should we give him something to deal with!” The Vice Minister of War came forward fawningly, nodding and bowing as he spoke.
Marquis Zhaoyang’s expression changed abruptly. “Remember this: this time we’re fighting the Western Rong people. You all know how many of our civilians they’ve killed. If you dare tamper with military supplies, don’t blame me for turning ruthless.”
“Yes, yes, this official was muddled, this official was muddled!” Cold sweat broke out on the Vice Minister of War’s forehead. He wiped it messily with his sleeve a few times and said.
“Everyone remember, we want to hold onto the power in our hands, that’s true, but you must understand one thing: if the Western Rong people win this battle, our nation won’t be safe. Then we’ll all be ministers of a fallen state, and whether we keep our heads is uncertain, let alone power and wealth!”
This time no one brought up tripping up Mo Ziyuan again. Just as Marquis Zhaoyang said, without the nation, where would their good fortune come from? They had all experienced the brutality of the Western Rong people.
Thus, unbeknownst to him, Mo Ziyuan’s worries at the rear were resolved by Marquis Zhaoyang in just a few words.
“What happened? Your face looks a bit bad.” Seeing Mo Ziyuan somewhat distracted, Lin Xin couldn’t help asking.
“Xin’er,” Mo Ziyuan felt very bad inside, and his gaze toward Lin Xin grew even more guilty. “The Western Rong army is pressing at the border. I······ I’m to lead troops to the Western Frontier in three days.”
“No one else in the court?” Lin Xin raised her brow and asked.
“I volunteered. His Majesty wants to reclaim military power, and this is an opportunity. I······” Mo Ziyuan only felt his throat unusually dry, with a bellyful of words but unable to say a single one.
“I understand.” Lin Xin got it. This was indeed a good chance to reclaim military power, but the Western Rong people······
“Xin’er, this trip won’t be short, at least two or three years, and that’s if things go smoothly. If not, it could be five or eight years. You······” Don’t wait for me.
The last six words felt like a thousand pounds, weighing heavily on Mo Ziyuan’s chest. Just thinking of that possibility made his heart ache as if it were splitting open.
“What about me?” Sensing his unspoken meaning, Lin Xin raised her brow and asked.
“You······ Can you wait for me?” In the end, Mo Ziyuan chose to follow his heart and voiced his truest thought.
After saying it, he didn’t dare look at Lin Xin’s eyes, hanging his head low. He admitted he was selfish, but he didn’t regret saying it at all.
Lin Xin let out a deep breath. She’d thought he was going to tell her to find someone else. She swore, if he dared say that, she’d absolutely make him know why the flowers are so red, then turn and leave dashingly.
Fortunately, he hadn’t disappointed her in the end!
“Mo Ziyuan, what did you just say? Say it again!”
Mo Ziyuan jerked his head up and caught the fleeting cunning in Lin Xin’s gaze. His heart immediately pounded “thump thump thump” wildly. He unconsciously reached out to grab Lin Xin’s shoulders, looked seriously into her eyes, and repeated: “Xin’er, are you willing to wait for me to return and marry you?”
Lin Xin smiled, a smile like a hundred flowers blooming, so beautiful that Mo Ziyuan stared blankly.
“Silly, of course I won’t!” Lin Xin kept a smile on her lips. “Waiting for you to come back is too agonizing. I’d rather go with you to the Western Frontier!”
