The Eldest Daughter of a Rural Family
Chapter 1076 - 244: I Love to Slap Faces_5

Chapter 1076: Chapter 244: I Love to Slap Faces_5

"Loving the empire even more than beauty, there is no fault in the Emperor taking a beauty for himself. Speaking of the imperial heir, the Emperor should marry concubines and establish a queen as soon as possible, to settle the hearts of the people of My Great Chu!" Pei Qin spoke up.

Shen Bi and a few others couldn’t help but frown as the conversation turned towards selecting consorts and marrying, prioritizing dealing with the Rong Clan as more important.

Pei Qin, against the opinions of others, supported Emperor Yongle in taking consorts and marrying, suggesting choosing several daughters from aristocratic families to enter the palace to also strengthen imperial power.

Emperor Yongle naturally understood, "And what about the negotiations with the Rong Clan?"

"If the princesses they send are too ugly, we’ll just fight them!" Pei Qin replied.

The muscles on the faces of several chancellors twitched. Indeed, General Pei’s way of thinking was different from that of ordinary people, and yet so many women were chasing after him in admiration, and now the Rong Clan was considering sending another princess to him...

Although Great Chu currently needed rest and recuperation, Liaodong had been occupied by the Rong Clan and not yet recovered, and this humiliation could not be tolerated!

According to Pei Qin, the answer, of course, was to fight! Enough talk! Xiao Guangzhao had just ascended the throne and would surely want to show achievements; only by recovering Liaodong could he firmly sit on the imperial throne.

However, he was also worried that Pei Qin and Mo Heng would lead a large army to wage war while Xiao Guangjing might use this as an opportunity to start a rebellion and force the palace, as his authority was not yet stable. But indeed, selecting consorts could be a method.

Nevertheless, the Liang family was a small aristocratic family with not much power, even the newly promoted Elder Liang was only elevated after Xiao Guangzhao took the throne. And the daughters of the real prestigious and powerful aristocratic families, how could they willingly enter the palace and submit to others? They mostly disdained the idea of becoming relatives by marriage to the emperor.

In the end, it was not decided to have the Rong Clan send a princess to marry and the strategy for departure was not set.

Pei Qin had just left the Imperial Study Room when she saw Shi Rui coming over with a smile, "General! The Emperor asks you to stay for a word."

She had finished speaking! Pei Qin, feeling spiritless, returned to the Imperial Study Room.

"Beloved official looks so fatigued, is there trouble with your health? Let the Imperial Physician come for a diagnosis!" Emperor Yongle said, noticing her complexion and immediately gave the order.

"Thanks to the Emperor! This servant is just feeling stifled and frustrated, a fight would fix it," Pei Qin thanked him with a hand clasped fist.

"Oh? You were offended today? Who dared to upset my beloved official?" Emperor Yongle asked with a smile.

Since he was showing goodwill, Pei Qin was blunt, "Emperor! This servant believes it’s time to replace the Deputy Commander of the Five-City Soldiers and Horses. Marquis Yongchang has frequented the markets for too long, inevitably tainted by the vulgar air, losing the grace of a noble house. It would be better to give the younger ones a chance. Marquis Yongchang should experience the vigor of military life!"

The Emperor clearly understood her movements, having gone to the Shen Mansion for a gathering, and the Mo family members went too. Without asking more, he nodded in agreement, "I also believe it to be true." In one sentence, he decided the fate of Marquis Yongchang. Seeing her satisfied, he asked again about the Rong Clan matter, "Beloved official, if you have any advice, feel free to speak."

Pei Qin stood up, clasped her hands and responded, "Emperor has just ascended the throne and, though the empire is not yet settled and the national treasury is empty, the Rong Clan’s occupation of Great Chu cities and tormenting of Great Chu’s people cannot be tolerated! Emperor should prioritize the recovery of lost territories!" Quickly build up some achievements! Otherwise, how long could this throne stay warm!?

Emperor Yongle asked this not because he truly didn’t know what was more important, but to test her, seeing that she valued achievements for him at the beginning of his reign, he began to smile, "Then tomorrow’s early court we will discuss this matter together with my ministers!"

Pei Qin responded and withdrew.

When she left the Imperial Study Room, she encountered Old General Dou, and greeted him with clasped hands, "Old General!"

Old General Dou thought of her status as a woman and his smile was as casual as before, he cleared his throat, "General Pei! Is there movement in Liaodong?"

Pei Qin didn’t hide it from him, telling him about the Rong Clan’s request for negotiation, "...They sent two princesses for a marriage alliance, I’ve already discussed with the Emperor, if the princesses they send are too ugly, we will directly attack! That’s the outcome!"

Old General Dou’s mouth twitched, "These two princesses..." He feared one of them was meant for her, the Tiance Marshal in charge of firearms production.

"If the princesses they send are too beautiful, then I can only disappoint the Commandery Princess!" Pei Qin sighed.

Old General Dou coughed a few times.

"Old General! Are you catching a cold?" Pei Qin asked with concern.

"I ate something cold," Old General Dou also had to answer, "General Pei... The Rong Clan negotiation affair..."

Pei Qin chuckled, "They say negotiate and we just negotiate?"

Old General Dou nodded his head, "With General here, we should recover Liaodong soon to restore our honor!"

"The Manufacturing Bureau is already working overtime!" Pei Qin left the palace and hurried to the Manufacturing Bureau.

Xiao Yong greeted her with a smile as she arrived, "General!"

"Hmm! How many long spears have been completed?" Pei Qin asked him as she walked in.

"We have completed a little over a hundred. At this rate, working day and night, it will still take a month to fully equip thirty thousand horsemen with long spears!" Xiao Yong reported as he followed her.

Tomorrow’s early court would surely inquire about the Manufacturing Bureau’s progress on spear production, and since she was already out from the banquet, Pei Qin rolled up her sleeves and got busy inside the workshop. Guns were no good without bullets!

She worked straight through dinner until Jun Suxue came to deliver food. Seeing it was already dark, Pei Qin hurriedly washed her hands, "Let’s tidy up and go home to eat!" She had told several Little Radishes that she would give them spun sugar when she came out.

Going home meant returning to the General Mansion, and Jun Suxue silently carried the food back, watching her return to the General Mansion through the garden. Perhaps when her identity was revealed, it would be the day she completely lost hope. She hoped that day would come later.

With a few Little Radishes at home, dinner was a lively affair, and after eating, Happy was taken away by Pei Yuan. Jiujiu and Xixi clung to their mother for bedtime stories.

The four of them, two adults and two children, squeezed into a big bed, with Pei Qin telling a story and Mo Heng insisting on teaching instead. As soon as he started, Jiujiu and Xixi fell asleep immediately.

Pei Qin also dozed off with her head tilted, as she had to attend the early court tomorrow and get up in the middle of the night.

Mo Heng watched the sleeping trio, his mouth curving into a slight smile before he closed his eyes too.

The next day at early court, Pei Qin arrived yawning.

The ministers greeted her upon seeing her, "General Pei!"

Pei Qin returned a few greetings.

"General Pei! General Pei!" a voice called from behind.

Pei Qin turned her head to see who it was and raised an eyebrow, "Marquis Yongchang!?"

Marquis Yongchang had received news the day before that he was very likely to be deployed with Pei Hansan; following him, he could definitely earn some solid military merits and this would mean more than just being Deputy Commander of the Five-City Soldiers and Horses. He came towards her with a smile, "General Pei..."