The boundless red wave rolled across the sky, pouring in from the snow-colored end to this end.
The gates of all the prefectures and counties of Jin State that they passed along the way were closed, and everyone climbed up on the walls, as if they were facing a formidable enemy.
In fact, in troubled times, in northern places like Qi Jin, local wealthy families with a little strength formed strongholds to protect themselves, but they still recognized the court and listened to its orders.
If a prefecture or county is invaded by rogue bandits or foreign enemies, those forts that have formed a stronghold to protect themselves will send people to participate in the defense of the city, or send people to deliver a large amount of food and grass.
But this is not absolute. A good part of the villages have different thoughts.
For example, the empress led a thousand and five fine cavalry straight into the Shan Dynasty, and then turned back in a swaggering manner. Many villages that thought they had some clues secretly sent people to meet the empress, and at the same time they also sent some things such as healthy horses, food and grass needed by the army, etc.
The empress didn't refuse. She accepted the order without making any promises.
Both parties acted on the principle of your love and my will. The people of the Jin Dynasty sent a favor to King Tangtang Qi to sell it well. If the situation in the future really reached a point that they didn't dare to think about, it would be better than such a social interaction.
Whether the empress recognizes her or not is another matter.
Along the way, Chi Meng clung to Li Jing and chattered small talk.
She is a Miao woman, and she has never been as subtle and tactful as a daughter from the Central Plains. She expressed to Li Jing every detail of her longing for Li Jing's absence for the past two months.
When it comes to grievances, I just open my mouth and cry.
Although Li Jing felt a little helpless in her heart, as her beloved wife who had traveled thousands of miles to Qi Country with him, she had to coax her well no matter what.
We will probably arrive in Fengxiang tomorrow, but since we have already reached the border between Qi and Jin, we no longer have so many worries. The empress ordered us to set up camp and rest early before the night was completely covered.
When Li Jing strode out of his and Chi Meng's tent, the bonfire burning late at night was in full swing, and little sparks rose with the breeze, and then slowly dissipated.
Chi Meng had been strumming her strings these days and was on her way in such a hurry. Li Jing felt sorry for her because she was too tired, so he let her rest early.
The camp of more than 1,500 people, plus a large number of horses used to carry armor and supplies, is naturally quite large.
The empress and his tent were both set up on the top of a slightly higher slope, allowing them to have a panoramic view of the camp and the surrounding fields.
As for some servants or generals, they all stayed below and then spread them out in an orderly and reasonable manner.
Li Jing stood outside the tent, and could still see many tall soldiers holding spears, patrolling attentively. The cold-light spear tips flickered as they moved and were illuminated by the firelight.
Li Jing looked at it quietly for a while, and was about to go to the empress's tent, but she heard the sound of flags ringing in her ears.
He raised his head and saw that in the center of the top of the square slope, the large scroll with Tang characters standing high up was being blown by the evening wind and stretched out towards the east.
The patterns embroidered with gold threads also come alive.
The Chinese character "Tang" with flying dragons and phoenixes is flying in the wind.
Li Jing was stunned for a moment and silently looked at this flag, which he had never seen before and was rare to see.
Perhaps a hundred years ago, when this flag was raised, it would have subdued all the tribes and frightened all the vassals.
But now, Datang has been destroyed for nearly six years.
Even if the insignificant emperor of Chang'an is still there, this flag will be useless if it leaves the center.
Sighing slightly in his heart, Li Jing could not imagine a time when one person could destroy a country just by being an envoy of the Tang Dynasty.
At that time, the great Tang Dynasty was the real conqueror of the barbarians from all directions, and all nations came to court.
With this thought in his mind, Li Jing fell into a trance for a moment. He just stood there with his hands behind his hands, staring intently at the large scroll fluttering in the wind.
After a long time, he suddenly realized that outside the tent not far away, there was a tall figure standing quietly with his hands behind his back.
The crackling bonfire emitted light, fully displaying the empress' waist and long legs. The breeze was still blowing the hem of her clothes, and the belt hanging downwards moved sideways with the wind.
The face that outlines the makeup of a man is nothing but heroic and handsome.
A pair of charming phoenix eyes looked at the dumbfounded Li Jing quietly.
Li Jing smiled, showing her white teeth, and walked towards her, hugged the empress's waist, and then lowered her head slightly.
"Reincarnation Paradise"
"I don't even wear a robe. What if I get cold?"
He didn't say it in vain. At the moment, the empress was standing outside the tent, wearing only plain clothes. The python robe she usually wore outside was probably hanging inside.
But the empress just raised the corner of her mouth, looked at Li Jing's chest that was so close to her, and chuckled.
When she and Li Jing reached this stage, they were no longer afraid of the cold, and most of the clothes they wore were mainly for decoration. But Li Jing was just looking for a reason to hug her, and she didn't bother to point it out.
Gently pushing Li Jing's cheek away, the empress looked at the large scroll that was still being blown by the wind and remained silent for a while.
Li Jing stood beside her, put his arm around her shoulders, and whispered.
"It shouldn't be like this. From now on, Qi Country will become a lost cause..."
The empress raised the corners of her mouth a little, tilted her head, and looked at Li Jing's gaze with a pair of phoenix eyes.
"Then what should I do? Is it to watch you bow down to others in Taiyuan?"
Li Jing suddenly became speechless. He had previously written a letter to the empress and Chi Meng. Although the contents of the two letters were different, they both deliberately concealed his actions in Taiyuan City. However, he did not expect that the empress would know his whereabouts...
In this case, then myself and Bago...
Li Jing's heart suddenly condensed, and she turned her gaze with a slight guilt.
The empress raised her long eyebrows in a funny way, but as if she knew Li Jing's little thoughts, she looked at him and smiled without saying a word.
A smile appeared on Li Jing's face, and he was about to tell her the reason why he entered Tongwen Hall before and after, but he heard the empress suddenly groan.
"When I return to Fengxiang this time, why not put up this flag... I will help you become emperor as King Qi, and then I will gradually remove my identity as King Qi."
Li Jing's face straightened and became serious.
But the empress didn't wait for him to say anything, and said slowly: "As long as you get the upper hand, half of the princes in the world will take advantage of you first. The one in the hands of the bad commander is still too young. It should be noted that your reputation in the army is also slow. Stand up slowly..."
Li Jing just put her eyes on the big scroll, with all kinds of thoughts running in her heart.
What he wanted to say just now was the later strategy of "accumulating grain widely and becoming king slowly".
But now, whoever proclaims himself emperor first seems to take over the title of Tang Dynasty first.
