Drive a RV and go farming in ancient times.

After the matter of the Crown Prince taking a concubine was settled, new gossips arose in the capital. The people had new topics to talk about after dinner every day and it was never boring.

However, not long after, trouble broke out in the north again. The newly concluded peace treaty was torn up by the Tatars, who invaded the border again and the war reignited.

The soldiers guarding the border were not careful and suffered heavy casualties.

The news was rushed back to the capital over a distance of 800 miles, shocking the entire court.

The former pro-war faction cursed the former pro-peace faction with saliva flying all over the place, wishing they could slap them in the face and kick them a few times to vent their anger.

The court officials who supported the peace talks all kept their necks down, angry but not daring to speak, for fear of being beaten.

At this critical juncture, there is no place to complain after being beaten. It's their unit's fault for having a bad reputation.

They were actually very angry. Wasn't their original intention to do good for Dayong?

They are not spineless or afraid of death. They just don't want the people to suffer anymore. The imperial treasury is empty. If the war continues, who will be in trouble?

It's a pity that no one understands their good intentions.

They hated the Tartars even more for going back on their words and breaking their promises! They had clearly agreed on it, so why did they turn against each other so suddenly?

It is true that this is a barbaric land with no civilization and it is not worth interacting with.

At the grand court meeting, the ministers were in chaos. They said all kinds of things, but no practical and effective solution could be offered.

Emperor Jianxing was seriously ill and had not attended court for a long time. Now the one sitting under the dragon throne was Prince Qi. He looked blankly at a group of people who were cursing and swearing without any regard for decency, and were about to start a fight. He was at a loss and panic.

It was only after Prime Minister Lu reprimanded everyone that the chaotic situation was stabilized.

After that, the cabinet members followed the King of Qi to the Imperial Study to discuss state affairs and how to fight against the Tartars.

The King of Qi was a good listener. He really knew himself well. No matter in terms of scheming or tactics, he was no match for these old foxes. If he rashly proposed any ideas, they would not listen and would only expose his own shortcomings. In this case, it would be better for him to keep a low profile.

At least I can still have a reputation of being open-minded and willing to accept advice, and later...

These old ministers will have to go home and retire sooner or later.

By then, he will be able to take charge of the government and no longer be restricted in various ways.

Several cabinet officials expressed their opinions, and finally left the decision to the King of Qi.

In fact, there is nothing to discuss about this matter. Now that they are attacked, how can they not fight?

But who should be sent to lead the troops?

How to solve the problem of food and fodder?

This is the real issue to worry about.

Several people had different opinions on who to send as the leader of the troops. Some recommended the veteran generals who had fought against the Japanese pirates, thinking that they were prudent, while others wanted to promote young generals, believing that young people were more aggressive and capable.

The figure of Xu Huaiyi flashed through the mind of the King of Qi, and he couldn't help but mention his name.

Several ministers in the cabinet were silent.

It’s not that I think Xu Huaiyi is incompetent. In terms of ability and reputation, he is qualified to lead troops into battle. It’s just that he has fought too frequently in recent years.

He was involved in fighting against Japanese pirates and suppressing rebellions, and he turned the tide and made great contributions. It is not a good thing that his contributions increased too quickly!

Otherwise, why is there a saying that "being too successful will frighten the ruler"?

Xu Huaiyi's reputation now cannot be underestimated. Not only can he win battles, but he also contributed high-yield grain. The people of Dayong must be grateful to him. If they drive the Tartars out, then he...

How else can the court reward?

Minister Sun, who was familiar with the inside story, frowned. He knew it best that in order not to arouse suspicion from the court and the royal family, Xu Huaiyi kept the matter of the sweet potatoes a secret, for fear that there would be no more titles to be given.

If not, wouldn't he want to recommend Xu Huaiyi to lead the troops?

He is a lucky general. With him around, the imperial court can rest easy.

But for Xu Huaiyi, it was just the opposite.

So, he couldn't bring himself to say that.

Who would have thought that it was the King of Qi who proposed it.

Minister Sun was in a dilemma. For the public good, he should agree without hesitation, but for his own personal reasons, he couldn't bear to push Xu Huaiyi to that step.

But the others, after a period of silence, tried their best to agree, praising Xu Huaiyi highly in their words.

Upon seeing this, Minister Sun immediately made a few unpleasant remarks in rebuttal.

Prime Minister Lu also scolded with a cold face.

But the others not only did not back down, but became more and more agitated and aggressive.

Seeing the situation turn out like this, the King of Qi was stunned for a moment, and suddenly became restless. Did he do something stupid?

Did Xu Huaiyi get tricked?

He hesitated about how to make up for it, but before he found an opportunity, Emperor Jianxing's oral order arrived.

Emperor Jianxing did not attend court, but he knew all the court affairs in detail, so everyone had to listen to his oral orders.

The person chosen by Emperor Jianxing was Xu Huaiyi, and he was appointed as the chief general to take charge of the overall situation.

Upon hearing this, the King of Qi didn't know whether he felt relieved or even more anxious.

Minister Sun and Prime Minister Lu looked at each other, and both of them felt heavy in their hearts.

The rewards and trust given by the emperor are not so easy to obtain.

But right now, you have to be serious.

They could only try their best to help eliminate those potential dangers and provide logistical support so that he would have no worries.

The imperial edict was delivered to the Jingning Marquis's Mansion. Xu Huaiyi received it respectfully without any strange expression on his face. He politely sent the person away. After closing the door, he changed his expression and cursed at Gu Huanxi, "Who the hell is trying to harm me?"

Hearing this, Gu Huanxi was stunned for a moment, "You don't want to go?"

Xu Huaiyi's eyes widened and he asked, "Are you willing to let me go?"

Gu Huanxi glared at him fiercely, "Am I crazy? I don't want you to go to war, right? Isn't it nice to just hang out in the Imperial Guards? You have a title and rank now, so you don't need to take risks to gain a better future. I wish you would never go to war in your life."

Xu Huaiyi immediately grinned and said, "I knew my wife wouldn't want me to go on a long journey, hehe, but she always says one thing and means another and dislikes me for being annoying..."

Seeing that he was beginning to lose his temper, Gu Huanxi interrupted him speechlessly, "Let's talk about serious matters, stop talking nonsense. Why don't you want to go to the war this time?"

Shouldn't this be exactly what we want, rushing to the battlefield immediately?

Xu Huaiyi's face fell all of a sudden, and he said gloomily, "I am afraid that my achievements will shock the emperor. Otherwise, I would definitely want to lead the army to fight and drive out the Tartars. It would be best if I could scare them all at once. This is also one of my ambitions, but now, it is really not appropriate for me to make great achievements."

Gu Huanxi's expression changed, "Are you afraid that Emperor Jianxing will... destroy the bridge after crossing it?"

Xu Huaiyi nodded, "His health is getting worse and worse. Although the imperial doctors are hiding it, the court officials know it in their hearts. In order to frame the King of Chu, he had eaten poison as a trick, and was stabbed again on the night of the palace coup. He has suffered from all sides, and there is no elixir. He is now at the end of his strength and is just holding on.

He should have doubts about me, but he has no evidence, and he is also wary, yet he wants to use me. He can see my abilities, but he is also worried that the King of Qi will not be able to control me in the future, and I will retaliate, so...

He may very well flatter me to death after he has used me up, or simply give up on fame and, before dying, play the game of "when the birds are gone, the good bow is hidden away."

Gu Huanxi was shocked when he heard this, and was at a loss for a moment, "What should I do? The imperial decree has been issued, it's too late to refuse, how about you pretend to be sick?"

Xu Huaiyi shook his head. "No, Emperor Jianxing is not a fool. He won't give me this opportunity. If I am exposed, I will be abandoned. Besides, I can't let go of the war in the north. Once the Tartars break through the border and go south, the people will suffer. The world will also be in chaos. Who knows, the King of Chu will take advantage of the fire to rob..."

"So, you still want to go, right?" Gu Huanxi said with a wry smile, "You did it even though you knew it was impossible. How do you plan to deal with it afterward?"

Xu Huaiyi's eyes flashed coldly, "Think carefully, if Emperor Jianxing really has that intention, I will definitely not sit and wait for death. What do you mean by "If the emperor wants his subjects to die, the subjects must die"? I don't believe in such blind loyalty. Don't worry, I am prepared and will arrange a way out."

"What's the escape route?"

"How about letting the King of Qi take the throne early?"

"..."

When things cannot be changed, all we can do is work hard to face and solve them.

Xu Huaiyi quickly calmed down and went to the Sun family to have some secret talks with Minister Sun.

Afterwards, they began to busy themselves with organizing their troops and preparing for the expedition.

Many students at Jingwu Academy recommended themselves, and even some military generals' families sent their sons to him.

This shows how deeply Xu Huaiyi's reputation as a lucky general is rooted in people's hearts.

This is because they are certain that he will win the battle, so they seize the opportunity to take advantage of him.

Before leaving, the King of Qi met with him again at the club.

After Xu Huaiyi came back from his appointment, he complained to Gu Huanxi, "Guess what the King of Qi said to me when he saw me? He apologized to me with a conflicted look on his face, saying that he shouldn't have recommended me to be the commander. Tsk, he thinks too highly of himself. He let me lead the troops. Does that mean he has the final say?"

It was his father who gave the order!

I don’t know why he is taking the blame for Emperor Jianxing!

A loving father and a filial son? Humph, I think he is almost brainwashed by Emperor Jianxing and is about to forget the cold treatment he suffered in the past years.

Don’t you think that if Emperor Jianxing really valued him and treated him as his son, would he have treated him like that in the past?

Belated family affection is cheaper than grass. Unfortunately, he is likely to fall into it.

He also said a lot of good things about Emperor Jianxing, but little did he know that his father was clearly using him as a gun.

Before leaving, you still want to set up this kind of maze for me. Do you think I am stupid?"

"So how did you deal with it?" Gu Huanxi asked, "You didn't give me a cold shoulder, did you?"

Xu Huaiyi said, "How can I be so inconsiderate? I'm just pretending to be nice. Who can't act?

Later, he also talked about Xiaoyu. Xiaoyu had been summoned to the palace and had met Emperor Jianxing several times. From what he said, Emperor Jianxing liked Xiaoyu very much and kept her to talk to him a lot. Only the King of Qi couldn't tell whether she was good or bad. Alas, he thought that Emperor Jianxing really liked her, but he was just testing her with words..."

"Is Xiaoyu okay?"

"Xiao Yu is so clever. Don't worry. Eighty percent of it is true and two percent is false. That's enough. It doesn't matter whether Emperor Jianxing believes it or not. He has been wary of me for a long time anyway. Let him doubt it. It would be strange if the emperor didn't doubt it."