Chapter 79: Then Let You Rest Well for a Month or Two…

Chapter 79: At that time, you'll be able to rest well for a month or two...

The moment this topic came up, Chigan Balie grew furious. In the past, the king would always take him on campaigns, but ever since...

He glanced at Jiang Congyan, the Han Princess. He had offended the Han Princess during the journey, and as a result, the king demoted him from his general's position, which was only restored after they returned to the royal court.

He didn't blame her; he knew the king punished him for his own mistake. He was just worried that the king would grow tired of him and no longer value him in the future, but he had no other options.

Wait, no— Looking at the Han Princess before him, Chigan Balie suddenly widened his eyes. Since the king was so deeply infatuated with this Han Princess, maybe if she could put in a good word for him in front of the king, it might change the king's mind.

His spirits rose briefly, only to sink again immediately.

She had said earlier that she didn't blame him, but that didn't mean she was willing to help him...

Jiang Congyan stood a few steps away, watching as Chigan Balie's expression shifted rapidly within a few seconds, alternating between joy and disappointment, more dramatic than a theatrical performance. If she hadn't been afraid of provoking his anger, she might have laughed out loud.

"General Chigan, do you have something to tell me?"

"No," Chigan Balie retorted instinctively, then hesitated, "Uh, yes."

"Do you or don't you have something to say?" Jiang Congyan smiled at him. "If not, I'll be on my way."

"Wait—" Chigan Balie quickly waved his hand, "Yes, yes!"

"Go ahead, General," Jiang Congyan said, turning to face him.

Chigan Balie tugged at his beard, agonizing over his words for a long time. Jiang Congyan noticed several strands of beard hair caught between his fingers, but he seemed completely unaware of the pain.

"Could... could the Khatun persuade the king to let me accompany him on the campaign?"

It was the first time he had addressed her as 'Khatun,' and it sounded awkward. Using this title carried a hint of submission and acknowledgment, which was quite a concession for someone as proud and face-conscious as him.

"No," Jiang Congyan said, shaking her head without hesitation.

Chigan Balie's eyes instantly dimmed, as if covered in a layer of dust, and he deflated like a balloon.

Just as he was sinking into complete despair, he heard a clear voice—

"However, the king not taking you along doesn't mean he doesn't value you, General."

Chigan Balie widened his eyes and stared at her.

What did she mean?

"In addition to the campaign against the Jie, the royal court must also guard against Xiongnu sneak attacks. Naturally, the king must leave the most loyal and courageous general to defend it, and that person, of course, is you, Chigan Balie," Jiang Congyan said with a smile.

"Really?" Chigan Balie was incredulous, his eyes as round as copper bells, his eyebrows nearly flying off his face.

"If you don't believe me, you can ask the king directly."

Hearing this, Chigan Balie had no more doubts. He stomped his feet excitedly, wanting to burst into laughter, but with the Khatun still in front of him, he managed to hold it in.

Jiang Congyan watched as he was easily pacified with just a few words and shook her head with a wry smile.

Before entering the tent, she had naturally noticed Chigan Balie and seen the frustration on his face. If she hadn't happened to come over, he probably would have gone in to speak with Tuo Baxiao. So, after finishing her own business, she casually asked about Chigan Balie, and Tuo Baxiao shared his plans with her.

A month ago, the Xiongnu had been stirring up trouble, and the Murong tribe was also restless. With Tuo Baxiao going on a campaign, it was only natural to be wary of a Xiongnu sneak attack.

She had also asked, "Since the surrounding areas aren't entirely peaceful, why is the king still going on a campaign?"

The man let out a haughty laugh. "I have strong troops. The Xiongnu were just dealt a crushing defeat and would never dare to provoke me again. As for the Murong tribe—pfft!"

The Murong tribe? They’re barely a blip on the radar. Once he’s freed up, he’ll see what trouble the Murong tribe can stir up.

He went on. "Wudati Hou’s power has crumbled, and the other princes are scrambling to knock him off his perch. Amid all the infighting, how could they possibly unite to take on the Xianbei? Unless they come at us with their whole tribe, the cavalry I leave behind will handle them just fine."

It dawned on Jiang Congyan that behind his arrogant front lay great foresight and meticulous wisdom.

She’d been too shortsighted. Tuo Baxiao, who clawed his way up from being a disregarded prince to fight his way through the bloody battle for the throne, and who managed to defeat Wudati Hou and reclaim the land he had occupied under such conditions, could not possibly act on impulse. He’d already mapped out every move, even his alliance with Liang and his calculated marriage to a Liang princess, likely laying the groundwork for what’s to come.

Anyway, unless Tuo Baxiao botches his campaign against the Jie, with his current power and reputation, the royal court should be safe—for now. Still, we can’t afford to let our guard down.

He picked Chigan Balie.

Her praise for Chigan Balie’s loyalty and bravery was pure flattery. Tuo Baxiao wasn’t one to say such things, but he probably thought along those lines. Chigan Balie wasn’t about to go stirring up trouble with the king. He was now wholeheartedly waiting for the king's arrangements.

Jiang Congyan had other matters to attend to and left after saying these few words. Chigan Balie watched her departing figure and suddenly understood why General Modolou had liked her before.

——

Returning to her tent, Jiang Congyan relayed the task she had received from Tuo Baxiao to Gan Luo, asking her to work hard for a period of time and lead the craftsmen under her to speed up the progress, repairing as many weapons and military equipment as possible.

"...The king will order Su Li to gather their damaged weapons and send them over in batches. When they arrive, we'll categorize them first, following the assembly line model we used in Liangzhou, letting skilled workers handle familiar tasks. This should significantly improve efficiency."

The importance of weapons to soldiers goes without saying. Even though it's just a matter of repair, doing it well can have a significant impact.

The grasslands have fewer iron mines compared to the Central Plains, and the smelting technology is relatively backward. Naturally, there aren't enough resources to equip everyone with brand-new swords, arrows, and armor.

Many of their weapons have been used for years, inevitably showing nicks or becoming loose. Not everyone can wear iron armor; more often, it's leather armor, which is much more prone to damage and thus requires more frequent repairs.

Once autumn trade begins, the Xianbei people will have more raw iron, and then they can forge more weapons.

The Emperor of Liang exchanged iron with Tuo Baxiao for horses. On the surface, it seemed like neither side lost out, but with the iron, Tuo Baxiao became even more formidable and unstoppable. Could the Emperor of Liang build a strong army with these horses? Even if he had the intention, given the current state of the court, it was probably impossible.

Jiang Congyan was still concerned about the matter of the three thousand slaves and said, "The craftsmen alone won't be enough. I plan to select some people from the slave camp and assign them to various workshops, but we need to consider who to choose. You have a lot on your plate, and I imagine you're already overwhelmed. I intend to send A Chun and Si Zi to you, along with a few Imperial Guards, to first compile a roster of these slaves, see if any have specialized skills, and then assign them accordingly. They might not be able to handle technical work, but they can certainly assist..."

Gan Luo said, "My lady, you have considered everything very thoroughly."

"Alright, that's about it. I won't keep you any longer. You may go."

Gan Luo took her orders and left to attend to her tasks.

Jiang Congyan then had A Fei summon He Zhou and explained the matter of the slave camp to him as well, asking him to go with A Chun to handle the handover.

A Chun was young, not as experienced and steady as Ruo Lan, and with her youthful appearance and being a woman, even though Tuo Baxiao had said to hand over the slave camp to her, there was no guarantee that the Xianbei people wouldn't give her a hard time. Sending He Zhou along, one for civil matters and one for military, would ensure they had nothing to fear.

Having been at the royal court for a month without doing anything other than drills and patrols, not even getting a chance to go to Tumochuan, He Zhou was thrilled to finally have a task again. He thumped his chest and assured, "My lady, rest assured, I will definitely complete the task you've assigned me."

Jiang Congyan smiled and encouraged him with a few words, finally saying, "If only you had this much enthusiasm for studying, I would be even happier."

He Zhou's expression froze.

Jiang Congyan chuckled. Indeed, everyone in the world who is urged to study falls silent.

She couldn't really understand this sentiment. In her previous life, no one urged her to study; she just needed to live well. It was the same in this life. Sometimes, seeing her usually lively cousins being scolded by their uncle and looking miserable, she, as an observer, seemed to find a bit of amusement in it. Thus, she also enjoyed teasing her subordinates in this way, a little quirk of hers.

"Alright, alright, go on and get to work."

He Zhou then bowed and left in a hurry.

Afterwards, Jiang Congyan carefully explained her requirements to A Chun, asking her to compile the details of these three thousand people. This was no small task and would require several days of hard work, even forcing her to suspend her small classes.

In short, everyone worked together to push through this hectic time. Once the workshops were developed and the land of Tumochuan and these slaves were securely under their control, they would have a firm foothold among the Xianbei.

After a whole day of hectic work, though it wasn't physical labor, Jiang Congyan was still exhausted. Tuo Baxiao was also swamped, hurriedly ate at her place and then left again, not returning until she had finished bathing, which made her somewhat relieved.

Jiang Congyan had A Fei return her bathtub. The one Tuo Baxiao had made was too big; she couldn't use such a large one alone, and it wasted hot water, which also took a lot of effort to heat.

The bathroom wasn't very large. Originally, her small bathtub fit just fine, but now with the addition of the large one, it suddenly felt a bit cramped.

When Tuo Baxiao went to take a bath and saw this scene, he chuckled in a way that was hard to interpret.

After bathing, he climbed onto her bed and pulled her over.

Jiang Congyan was forced to open her eyes and plead with him, "I'm a bit tired today, can we rest?"

She wasn't entirely refusing; she was genuinely exhausted and just wanted to sleep well.

Tuo Baxiao saw her lightly furrowed brows and indeed looked somewhat delicate. He also knew she had been busy recently, but—

"In a few days, I will be going on an expedition. You can push through a few more exhausting days, and then I'll let you rest well for a month or two, is that enough?"

"..."