Chapter 264: Offering a Plan
Mentioning Li Zhao’s recent situation, Xue Sui’s cold eyes showed a slight ripple.
“This nun has invited Your Highness here precisely for this matter.”
She raised her hand in a gesture, “Your Highness, please be seated, and I will explain in detail.”
Li Huan pressed the jade belt at his waist and sat down on the guest seat of honor.
“I pushed back the Ministry of Revenue’s meeting and rushed here at top speed, also wanting to hear Ping An’s strategy. Speak.”
“Your Highness, please look.”
Xue Sui walked to the desk, quickly unfurled a simple map that had been prepared long ago, dipped her brush in ink, and began to sketch and annotate on the map with a steady and powerful wrist.
“The first strategy: Work Relief, turning refugees into reinforcements.”
Her fingertip traced several marked official roads and river valleys on the map.
“The Imperial Court will take the lead in conscripting the strong young refugees from the Capital Region. The Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works will cooperate, offering them rations and the promise of land grants after the war. The people will be divided into three groups…”
“One group will clear the official roads blocked by snow disasters and war, opening up vital arteries. Another group will construct simple fortifications and dig trenches near the Western Frontier front lines, which can both defend against the enemy and provide shelter. The third group will rush to the affected prefectures and counties in the Western Frontier to clear ruins, repair houses, rebuild homes, and stabilize the hearts of the people in the rear. The elderly, weak, women, and children will be provided with porridge by the government and housed uniformly, exchanging labor for grain, spinning yarn, weaving, repairing farm tools, and other miscellaneous tasks. It is imperative that they have something to do and food to rely on, so as not to cause trouble.”
Li Huan’s breath hitched, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
This was by no means empty talk; every point struck at the current critical issues.
“The second strategy: Grain and fodder transport, secretly crossing the Chencang Pass.”
Xue Sui’s brushstroke shifted, pointing to an area on the map.
“Openly, we will organize convoys with great fanfare, transporting ‘grain and fodder’ mixed with sand and straw along the official roads to aid the front lines, attracting the attention of Ashina’s cavalry and forcing them to divide their forces. Secretly—”
Her fingernail sharply poked at several hidden mountain paths and frozen river valleys.
“Secretly, select elite border soldiers and mountain hunters familiar with the terrain, form several light squads, carry essential food and medicinal materials, as well as the most crucial kerosene, crossbows, knives, and axes, and cross Black Wind Pass in multiple routes. From the rarely trodden cliffs or frozen river channels on both sides, enter the gorge! If Crown Prince receives supplies, even if he cannot immediately break the encirclement, he can hold his ground and await reinforcements, heavily damaging the enemy forces!”
This was a risky move, but it was also Li Zhao’s only hope in his desperate situation.
Xue Sui put down her brush and said in a deep voice, “I saw a type of ice sled in Old Mausoleum Swamp before. The front end is slightly upturned, wrapped in tough, tanned animal hide, pulled by people or dogs. It can glide on the snow, much faster than walking, and can carry a load. Most importantly, it is not easily noticed by the enemy…”
After speaking, she pulled out a piece of plain paper.
On it was already drawn a diagram of the ice sled, with simple and clear lines, clearly marked dimensions, and even details of the traction rope, by no means a figment of imagination.
Li Huan was slightly surprised, “Ping An, you…”
“The herdsmen on the Western Frontier also have similar methods; a slight improvement is all that’s needed.”
Xue Sui looked at him with clear eyes, “If we can find guides familiar with the terrain and make ice sleds, disguised as local herdsmen, and raid at night, carrying winter clothing and medicines for treating epidemics, perhaps the predicament at Black Wind Pass can be resolved.”
Li Huan’s pupils contracted, and his heart suddenly accelerated.
“The third strategy—” Xue Sui’s gaze slowly lifted, looking sharply at Li Huan with a keenness that saw through the world.
“The confiscated illicit funds from the Imperial Court should be taken from the people and used for the people!”
She tapped the blueprint and raised an eyebrow.
“The vast sums of silver and grain confiscated in the military supply corruption case, in addition to replenishing the national treasury deficit and compensating the fallen soldiers, should be used for disaster relief. There are two measures: First, establish Stabilizing Granaries in the affected prefectures and counties. Second, open People’s Pharmacies.”
Li Huan looked at her with a complex expression. Just as his lips curved into a smile, he was suddenly frozen by her cold, sharp gaze.
“Your Highness, the people’s livelihood is of paramount importance; it is the foundation of the nation.”
Xue Sui’s gaze was like a torch, her fingertip tracing the silk map.
“The Stabilizing Granaries will be managed by officials appointed by the Imperial Court, with the cooperation and supervision of local gentry of good standing. Grain will be sold to the people at 70% of the market price or lower, with limits and based on household registration, to stabilize soaring rice prices and combat hoarding. At the same time, granaries will be opened to provide relief for the destitute, with daily porridge distribution…”
“People’s Pharmacies will widely recruit physicians from the Capital City and local areas, especially those skilled in treating cold-induced illnesses, frostbite, and epidemics. They will carry medicinal materials allocated by the Imperial Court and travel to areas where refugees gather, as well as to the disaster-stricken prefectures of the Western Frontier, to provide free consultations and medicine, eradicating the source of the plague! These two strategies, implemented concurrently, can quickly stabilize public sentiment, cut off the flow of refugees and unrest, and also solidify the foundation for the army at the front lines…”
The candlelight flickered, casting shifting shadows on her smooth head.
Li Huan gazed at her intently.
Deep within those clear eyes, it seemed as if a fierce flame was burning silently.
“Also, this is a prescription for preventing and treating epidemics.” She suddenly took out a neatly folded piece of plain paper from her sleeve and pushed it towards Li Huan.
“This prescription can treat cold evil entering the body and control epidemic diseases. Its medicinal properties are relatively mild, and the required medicinal materials are also relatively common. It may be able to provide some relief for the epidemic spreading in the Western Frontier.”
Her speech was steady and organized, each word like a thousand times refined, striking Li Huan’s heart.
Li Huan subconsciously took the plain paper, which still seemed to carry her warmth, and looked at the delicate yet powerful handwriting that penetrated the paper. His throat felt as if it were blocked.
The woman before him was no longer a recluse nun, but a national scholar who deeply understood the suffering of the people and grasped the intricacies of military and political affairs…
“Ping An.” Li Huan didn’t realize his voice had tightened, becoming slightly hoarse.
“You mean this prescription can cure the current rampant epidemic? Even the Imperial Physicians say this epidemic originates from miasma, with cold poison invading the lungs, making medicine difficult to be effective…”
“It’s just an attempt; it still needs verification.” Xue Sui rolled up the plain paper. “Prince Duan is familiar with the regulations of the Imperial Court and is deeply trusted by His Majesty. If you report it to His Majesty, perhaps… there will be a glimmer of hope.”
Li Huan stared at her fixedly, as if truly seeing this woman for the first time.
“How did Ping An come up with this?”
“Observing the celestial timing, assessing the geographical advantages, and pitying the people.” Xue Sui’s answer was concise and powerful.
“What I learned in Old Mausoleum Swamp before was nothing more than seeking a way to survive in desperate situations. The method of the ice sled also originated from this. As for medicinal materials, the Imperial Hospital can immediately prepare some urgently needed concoctions and send them by express horse…”
She spoke without any emotion, as if stating a fact that had been deduced thousands of times.
The cold wind blew on Li Huan’s face, bringing a faint sting.
The unwillingness and resentment buried deep in his heart were, at this moment, drowned out by a grander, heavier shock and complex emotions…
Xue Sui, however, seemed oblivious, her voice calm and steady.
“These three strategies are interconnected, and a single move affects the whole. As for success or failure, we can only leave it to fate.”
After speaking, she lowered her eyelids, clasped her hands together, like a meditating Buddha statue.
“The key to implementation lies in speed! In accuracy! And even more so in whether Your Highness can persuade His Majesty and all the princes and ministers to abandon factional disputes and personal gain, and unite with one heart to save the common people from suffering!”
Li Huan held the prescription and the marked map, his fingertips trembling slightly.
To save Li Zhao, she had thought of all this?
Or was it that… what she held in her heart was never just romantic love?
Such a woman, with a broad mind and unyielding integrity, had made him miss…
“Your Highness.” Xue Sui seemed not to notice the turmoil in his eyes, her voice clear as she pulled his thoughts back.
“The suffering masses are crying out for salvation. Will you make a move in this game?”
The night wind swept through the hall, causing the candlelight in the guest hall to sway violently, and casting long shadows of their confronting figures on the wall adorned with Buddha statues, like two swords about to be unsheathed…
Outside the monastic room, the mountain wind wailed, like the lament of countless lost souls, or like the clash of armor and horses, breaking through the ice river and galloping forth.
“I will.”
Li Huan’s Adam’s apple bobbed violently, his gaze fixed on Xue Sui, his eyes churning with stormy waves—
Finally, it coalesced into a look of desperate resolve.
He almost gritted his teeth, spitting out three words from between them, then took a sudden step forward, grabbing the marked map from the desk.
He took a deep breath.
“I will enter the palace now and present it to His Majesty!”
Xue Sui’s gaze was like lightning, piercing directly into Li Huan’s eyes.
“Then this nun will wait for good news at the nunnery.”
Li Huan said nothing, gave Xue Sui a deep look, then turned and left.
The sky gradually darkened, and the sound of horse hooves rang out urgently again, shattering the mountain’s silence.
Jinshu and Xue Sui stood on the cliff, watching the receding figure, and could not help but ask in a low voice.
“Young Lady, do you truly believe Prince Duan will go all out to aid the Western Frontier? This servant believes it is not advisable. To put it bluntly, if Crown Prince meets with misfortune, Prince Duan will be the one to reap all the rewards…”
Between rivals, it has always been a fight to the death.
There are many who kick a person when they are down, and few who offer help in times of need.
Jinshu did not understand why Xue Sui would hand over the blade that could turn the tide to Li Huan.
Xue Sui smiled knowingly, “It is naturally good for him to do it; with the power of the Imperial Court, it will be most effective. If he doesn’t, it will not affect our subsequent arrangements…”
After speaking, she turned her gaze back to Jinshu.
“I asked him to come only to use his hand.”
Only by acting through Li Huan could the entire matter become reasonable, allowing herself to remain behind the scenes and proceed smoothly, avoiding suspicion…
As for how far Li Huan would go with her strategy, she would not stand idly by.
Jinshu understood after hearing this and bowed respectfully, her heart filled with admiration.
“Young Lady’s heart is devoted to righteousness, and her plans are far-reaching. This servant is not even one-ten-thousandth of your capability.”
The March wind blew through the bamboo forest, carrying the fresh scent of new bamboo shoots, and also the chill from afar.
The codonopsis root seedling by the wall, buried by the winter snow, stubbornly broke through the frozen soil in spring…
This vitality reminded her of the land thousands of miles away, shrouded in ice, snow, and smoke.
“In this vast mortal world, someone must ferry them across.”
Xue Sui chuckled softly and slowly ascended the steps, stepping over the threshold of the monastic room, closing out the howling mountain wind and the boundless twilight.
Li Zhao: See? Ping An loves me.
Xue Sui: …
Li Huan: Do you understand what it means to have the world in your heart?
Li Zhao: What is “having the world in your heart”? Does it mean she sends medicine to me but gives you a letter of divorce?
Xue Sui: It’s the end of the month, please vote, please vote, please give double votes…
