Volume 2: The mountain has trees, and the trees have branches; one, three, five, forbidden feet (800 votes added)

  "Uncle," she called out, her body tilting to one side, and suddenly fell into the arms of the person who had arrived.

  Liu Ying was startled, the girl in her arms, even though she was separated by layers of clothing, felt a scorching heat emanating from her skin. Her pale face had already taken on a sickly rosy hue. Beautiful as it was, it was also terrifying to behold.

  "Uncle." She vaguely remembered some things, and then pulled Liu Ying's hand and called out, "I have something to tell you, Xiongnu ----"

  Her voice was as thin as a mosquito's hum, and somewhat vague. Liu Ying concentrated her mind to listen carefully, but she only managed to hear her calling out to herself. She reached out to stroke her eyelids and reminded her, "A Yan, you're having a high fever now, don't think nonsense, sleep well, and when you wake up, your uncle will talk with you again."

  He picked up Zhang Yan, turned his head to order the northern army lieutenant to gather the troops and return to the city. The outer garment that Zhang Yan was wearing was very wide and large, with the hem dragging on the ground, causing some obstruction in movement. Liu Ying's gaze fell upon it - it was a gray men's cloak, carrying the scent of grass and sweat.

  "Your Majesty," said Lu Zhi, "it was I who feared that Her Majesty would catch cold from falling into the water, and so I ventured to offer my clothes without waiting for permission."

  "Hmm." Liu Ying nodded, glossing over the slight displeasure in her heart, and ordered, "Today's credit for finding the Marquis of Lü goes to you. I will remember it. However, from now on, you are not allowed to mention this matter to anyone else again." The last sentence was spoken with a stern tone.

  "Agreed."

  "Cháng jiàn." Liu Ying gave a hint with her eyes.

  Han Changyu, who had been by the emperor's side since childhood and understood his intentions best, hastily responded with a "yes" and took off his own silk padded winter robe to cover Zhang Yan. He then returned Lu Bi's outer robe and smiled, saying, "Thank you, Lord Lu, for your kindness."

  He smiled wryly and said, "I don't dare to accept."

  He took the clothes, but did not put them back on. He just lowered his head and didn't look at the emperor holding the girl leaving, feeling a little melancholy in his heart. There was no need to remind him specially. Even if it was only for Zhang Yan's reputation as a lady who was still radiant with high fever at this time, he had already planned to bury today's affairs forever in his stomach.

  Jiāo Fáng Diàn

  Zhang Yan was on fire for a whole day and night before she truly came to her senses.

  "The princess finally woke up." Zuo Yun helped her up with joy, "The princess's status is precious, how can she just leave the palace with only Yin Qin and Bai Yu Jing? I've said it many times, but you wouldn't listen. This time after getting lost, His Majesty and the Empress Dowager were both worried about you. It was fortunate that Hou Ye and the Eldest Princess heard the news afterwards, or else they would have been frightened to death."

  "Alright, alright." She smiled wryly and rubbed her temples, easily waking up but was pulled back by the thought of sleeping again. After a moment of silence, she asked, "Bai Yujing and Yin Qin, what about them now?" These two were innocent, only implicated because of her.

  "What else can be done?" sighed Tong Hua, "Yin Qian was ordered by Your Majesty to kneel in front of the Wei River for a whole night. Now he should return to the palace and wait for his punishment. As for Bai Ze, she blamed herself and voluntarily asked to enter the silk room to reflect on her mistakes."

  "Hmm." Zhang Yan sighed bitterly.

  "Your Highness," said Ji Youn, bringing over a bowl of steaming medicine, "this is the imperial physician's prescription for you, it has been warming in the palace all along."

  She frowned, suspecting that the imperial physician had stuffed all the coptis in the world into this bowl of medicine, and drank it down in one gulp. "And what about His Majesty?" she ordered. "Have Mu Xi go invite His Majesty to come to my Chilli Chamber for a visit, just say..." She emphasized in a serious tone, "I have an urgent matter that requires an audience."

  The Empress Dowager, led by the eunuch Shu Shi, arrived at the Xuanzhidian Hall and saw from a distance that Prime Minister Cao Shen and several officials were coming out of the hall, knowing that the emperor's affairs had been settled. She then asked the attendant to inform the emperor to grant an audience.

  The young servant with a shell-shaped hat, pale and slightly powdered face, slender and delicate like a woman, heard the name of Empress Zhang and snorted, looking up at the sky and walking away.

  Mu Gui was taken aback, Empress Zhang being the mistress of the harem, had also won the favor of Empress Lü and the Emperor. Although she was not very old, she held the position of Zhong Gong Shi's official hostess, inviting the Son of Heaven several times. Even Han Changyuan, the Grand Marshal in front of the palace, had to give her some face. What kind of background did this attendant have that he dared to turn his back on even the Empress?

  "He's like that." Han Changyu said with a bitter smile, "Huan Shiqing has been favored by Your Majesty lately and often attends to writing. He's become somewhat arrogant, indeed."

  "It's just a small servant," Mu Xi frowned and said, "Even if Your Majesty wants to promote him, the Empress is the mainstay of the motherly virtues of the world, how can she tolerate his disrespect."

  Han Changyu wanted to speak but stopped, and sighed, "This Huang E, had a past grievance with Empress Zhang."

  On that day, Zhang Yan had not yet entered the harem and happened to meet Yun Ru in Weiyang Palace. For some reason, he was extremely displeased with him and ordered the eunuch-in-charge of the imperial court, Chang Xi, to move him to Tianlu Pavilion where no sunlight could reach. However, it was unexpected that later on, His Majesty personally went to Tianlu Pavilion to fetch books and brought him out, appointing him as a Servant within the Imperial Court.

  After Huan Wen gained power, he remembered the humiliation of those years and several times in front of Emperor Huai of Jin, he found it difficult to tolerate Xiang Yu. Han Yu knew the emperor's mind and understood that the emperor had some affection for this young servant, so he gradually tolerated him.

  He smiled to himself, thinking that in terms of imperial favor, no one in the Un央 Palace could surpass Empress Zhang. Ah, Huang'er, if you don't know your own limitations and try to outdo Empress Zhang, I wonder if His Majesty is fond of you, this unknown attendant, or if he's just holding his little empress in the palm of his hand?

  Liu Ying stepped into the Pepper Chamber when Zhang Yan was leaning on the bed drinking tea.

  Because she was ill, she only wore a white undergarment, with a head of black hair hanging down, and hadn't yet styled it into a bun, which made her look even more delicate and beautiful than usual. Also because she had just recovered from a serious illness, her face was pale and thinner, making her oval-shaped face look even more pitiful and lovely.

  "Your Majesty." Zhang Yan saw him and hastily stood up.

  "It's all right." He hastily helped her up, "Just take good care of your illness."

  She bowed her head and said quietly, "This time Ayan fell into the water by accident, causing Your Majesty to worry, it was my fault."

  Liu Ying comforted, "It's not like you wanted to, Ah Yan doesn't need to take responsibility." Zhang Yan felt guilty and said frankly that it was indeed her own will to jump into the river. She couldn't help but scold Tiamat in her heart, but she looked up at him with a pleading expression, holding his hand, "Your Majesty, this time I fell into the river by accident and had nothing to do with others. Yin Qin and Bai Yu Jing are innocent, please spare them?"

  Liu Ying shook her head, "If the guards failed to protect their master, it was their fault. Although the crime did not deserve death, if they were not punished, how could they convince the public? Let the officials demote them by one rank and transfer them out of the imperial palace for reassignment. Ah Yan, this incident has caused quite a stir, from now on you will no longer be allowed to sneak into the Imperial Academy in disguise."

  Zhang Yan nodded gloomily, "I understand."

  "Besides," Liu Ying said, hardening her heart. "In the past when you secretly left the palace, the Empress Dowager was always aware of it. She only let it slide because you were young and lonely, turning a blind eye. But after what happened the other day, she is very angry. Although on the surface she defended you, in private she scolded you for being improper. You are forbidden from leaving the palace for half a year, unless it's with the proper etiquette as the Empress."

  She pouted her lips in discontent, but still said softly, "Okay."

  Lü Hou had always doted on Zhang Yan, this granddaughter-in-law and daughter-in-law of hers, to the point where she almost never refused her anything. This time, however, the words of reprimand were extremely severe. Liu Ying was worried that Zhang Yan would not be able to take it and couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you angry?"

  "Hmm?" She smiled and raised her head, asking, "Why should I be annoyed?"

  As the empress, while enjoying the glory and loftiness brought by this honorable name, she also has to bear her responsibilities. This is a fact that she knew when she entered the palace. The leisurely life of the past year was his considerate favor and grace to her, as well as the happy time she stole from heaven. Now that the time has come, it's time to return the favor. We should still be grateful instead of complaining.

  Liu Ying actually didn't know that she yearned for the freedom and bustle outside the palace walls, but she also didn't mind staying in Weiyang Palace. Because he was in this palace, so staying in Weiyang Palace wasn't a bad thing for her.

  Liu Ying was stunned for a moment and smiled, "A Yan, you really are very sensible."

  But it was precisely because of her thoughtfulness, beauty and all that was good about her that he felt even more distressed and at a loss.

  She smiled slightly, and a shallow dimple appeared on her cheek. "Actually, Your Majesty, I asked you to come over because I wanted to tell you something," she said with a lowered gaze. "Those people I met at the restaurant that day... they were Xiongnu."

  "Hmm, I see." Liu Ying replied absent-mindedly, suddenly stunned, "What did you say?"

  "They were Xiongnu."

  Liu Ying's face showed a strange expression, "Could it be true that you are actually a Xiongnu person?"

  "What?" Zhang Yan was surprised this time, "Has someone guessed that they are Xiongnu people?"

  "That's not it." Liu Ying shook her head and sat down on the edge of her bed, "It's just that this time things have gotten so big, I need to give an explanation to the outside world."

  He smiled wryly, "I can't say that the empress is missing, so I had to think of a way to shift the blame to the Xuanping Marquis's residence. A group of Xiongnu people sneaked into Chang'an, intending to assassinate me and the Empress Dowager, but because the guards at the Weiyang Palace were too strict, they couldn't get in. They found out that Princess Ruyuan was my sister, so they brazenly kidnapped the young master of the Xuanping Marquis's residence."

  News spread, the people of Chang'an were skeptical about whether the Xiongnu really dared to sneak into Chang'an, but they all hated and feared the Xiongnu. Some people even volunteered to do corvee labor to continue building the northwest corner of the missing section of the Chang'an city wall.

  "This----" Zhang Yan's eyes widened in shock, "But Yan'er is only eight years old."

  "So," Liu Ying blinked her eyes, "I didn't say which young master of the Xuanping Marquis Manor it was."

  Zhang Yan couldn't help but burst out laughing.

  The eldest son of the Marquis's estate, Zhang Yan, was only eight years old, but his two younger half-brothers, Zhang Zhi and Zhang Shou, were both the same age as him.

  "'Only,' Liu Ying's eyes couldn't help but reveal a hint of gloom, 'I didn't expect that the Xiongnu people would actually be so bold as to dare to raid Chang'an. However, it doesn't matter----'"

  "What's wrong?" Zhang Yan interrupted his words and sighed, "Do you know who the Xiongnu people are coming to Chang'an this time?"

  Liu Ying's expression gradually turned solemn, "Who is it?"

  Modu

  He and his wife, Shi Shi, who he married a year ago.”

  Liu suddenly stood up.

  He clenched his fists, unable to contain the indignation he felt when he heard that name. He paced back and forth in the hall, shouting loudly: "In the past, Modu Chanyu led 400,000 troops to besiege my father at Pingcheng. After I ascended the throne, he sent a humiliating letter insulting my mother. What great audacity! He dared to sneak into Chang'an with only a few followers. If, if I had dispatched a troop of soldiers to capture him that day, we could have destroyed half of the Xiongnu. Alas, alas..."

  "It's just that Zhang Yan had a high fever and was unable to speak yesterday, so she couldn't report the true situation to Your Majesty in time. It's all Zhang Yan's fault."

  He stared blankly, loosened his grip, and looked at her with a soft gaze. "A Yan has been frightened for a long time, how can this matter be blamed on you? I'm just a little unwilling to give up. By now, he's probably gone far away. Even if I send someone to chase after him, they won't catch up."

  "Your Majesty," Zhang Yan asked, "Have the Xiongnu people recently invaded the borders of our great Han?"

  Liu Ying said disapprovingly, "If the border is truly peaceful for a long time, I would be surprised."

  Zhang Yan furrowed her brow and asked again, "May I dare ask, are they invading Jiuyuan County?"

  Liu Ying was taken aback, turned around and ordered, "Bring all the battle reports of the Xiongnu's border offenses near Tianlu Pavilion in the past half year."

  The Xiongnu's invasion of the border is indeed a frequent occurrence. However, in reality, although they are all invasions, their scale is different. Some are just small groups gathering to plunder the people and livestock before leaving. Others have thousands of archers attacking cities. If the Han dynasty's defenders are brave and strong, they can also repel them. But if the Xiongnu defeat the Han army and enter the city, they will inevitably slaughter everyone before retreating.

  According to records, from the fourth year of Emperor Hui's reign in spring to now, the Xiongnu have invaded the border a total of 13 times, with 10 being small-scale and 4 occurring at Youyuan. Among them were two large-scale attacks on cities, one of which was also at Youyuan Commandery.

  "What's going on?" Liu Ying asked in confusion. "Jiuyuan is just a poor county, could it be that the Xiongnu are still lurking around?"

  "Yes." Zhang nodded, "Iron."

  Finally finished coding and updating. Tears of joy.

  Woo, thinking about the emotions of two people having a nearly clear explosion, I'm so excited that I'm clenching my fists.

  Cough.

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