Chapter 168: Directly Targeting the Qiang Rong.

Chapter 168: Direct Strike Against the Qiang Rong.

Ji Xianshan found himself plunged into deep confusion.

After months of struggle and debate, everyone was exhausted, and so they "called it quits," and things quieted down again.

Over a dozen officials were expelled from the capital, and the vacancies they left behind were quickly filled.

The court ran just fine without them—these officials were not as important as they thought.

Before they knew it, two years had passed since the emperor's grand wedding.

Ji Xianshan and Lu Zuo got along well; whenever he visited the inner palace, he almost always stayed at Fengyi Palace. The only regret was that there had been no happy news of a pregnancy from the harem.

The courtiers still vividly remembered how difficult it had been for the late emperor to have children.

However, His Majesty was still so young, hadn’t even started ruling on his own yet, so there was no need to rush for an heir. Still, occasionally, someone would send a petition inquiring whether an imperial consort selection should be held to expand the imperial harem.

This matter had also been discussed between Lu Zuo and Ji Xianshan.

After some thought, Ji Xianshan said, "No rush. Let’s wait until next year."

Lu Zuo replied, "But we should start planning ahead."

Ji Xianshan nodded. "Then tomorrow, when we go to see Mother, we can ask for her opinion."

The next morning, Ji Xianshan and Lu Zuo went together to greet Huo Ling and brought up the matter.

Huo Ling said, "Very well. Since the two of you have already discussed it, let the Imperial Household Department handle it."

Huo Ling was firm on political matters, to Ji Xianshan’s frustration, but she was by no means a controlling mother who sought to control every aspect of her son’s life.

Ji Xianshan had come to realize that, as long as no one challenged her power, she was more than willing to be a loving mother.

Whether it was selecting an empress or choosing consorts, she was happy to defer to his preferences and let him pick those who pleased him.

But that was the extent of it.

His mother had a clear line in her mind—what she would allow him to touch and what she would not. At times, she made him feel warmth; at others, icy distance.

When she was warm, she was a doting mother; when she was cold, she was the Empress Dowager Regent of the Great Yan Dynasty.

Word got out about the consort selection, and Xu Shidu made a special trip to the palace, hoping to reassure her daughter. But Lu Zuo needed no reassurance.

"I am the empress, and I share years of affection with His Majesty. No one could ever replace me.

"Besides, Mother is there to protect me."

Though Lu Zuo never voiced it aloud, she understood very well that her greatest support in the harem was not the emperor, but his mother.

The empress dowager had named her; she had grown up under her watchful eye, and now she was her legitimate daughter-in-law.

As long as she did not stupidly push her away, no concubine could ever threaten her position.

Xu Shidu patted her daughter’s hand. "It’s good that you understand."

Her daughter resembled her in appearance, but her sharp wit was unmistakably that of the Lu family.

Perhaps it was for the best—such a temperament was far better suited for life in the imperial palace.

Lu Zuo held Xu Shidu's hand: "I heard Grandmother is ill. Has her health improved?"

Since Grand Princess Ningxin fell seriously ill a couple of years ago, her health had never fully recovered, with frequent bouts of major and minor ailments.

Xu Shidu's expression showed faint concern: "Don't worry, she's much better now. It's just that your grandmother is getting older, and her health isn't what it used to be."

***

Ji Xianshan married at seventeen and only began preparing for his first imperial consort selection at nineteen—unusually late for most emperors.

Having received a standard imperial education, Ji Xianshan had a straightforward attitude toward consorts: since he didn’t know any of them personally, he simply assigned ranks according to family status.

Those whose looks matched his preferences or who excelled in arts like music, chess, calligraphy, or painting received slightly higher ranks, though the difference was slight.

By the end of the selection, the highest-ranking consort was only of the third rank.

After all, if any truly pleased him, they could always be promoted later. Starting with lower ranks also made it easier for the empress to manage them.

With these consorts entering the palace, the once-quiet inner palace soon became livelier.

Yet no matter how lively it became, the commotion never reached Huo Ling.

Only daughters of fifth-rank officials or higher were eligible for the selection. Before entering the palace, their families had sternly warned them of one unbreakable rule: never provoke Empress Dowager Huo. A figure like her could never be shown too much respect or deference.

Some even privately sent male attendants to Huo Ling, and over the years, many people had openly or discreetly sought her favor.

Under imperial authority, even the most exceptional hunters were merely prey.

The true hunter, seated high above the clouds, wasn't bothered by being viewed as a stepping stone by those below.

Occasionally, if someone caught her interest, Huo Ling was willing to grant them an opportunity, summoning them for entertainment.

During the selection, Huo Ling also ordered the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Academy to jointly administer an examination, using it to recruit another batch of junior officials.

The noble families of Great Yan still held too much power. She couldn’t confront them directly yet or strip them of their power to appoint officials entirely, so she had to employ this gradual strategy instead.

Some plans required patience, while others had been in place long enough to begin reaping results.

Were honorific titles and changes of titles important?

Naturally, they were.

Whoever controlled the interpretation of rites held the reins of court authority.

But if one’s vision remained confined to the petty court intrigues, allowing factions to form and purge dissidents, it would not only fail to strengthen the nation but also lead to severe internal strife.

Thus, when it was time to fight, she fought relentlessly.

And when it was time to pivot, she stepped in decisively, making her next move elsewhere to revitalize the entire game.

"Your Majesty, what is your next step?"

Huo Ling stood before the enormous map, planting a red flag on the territory labeled "Qiang Rong."

"The world is vast. Why should our ministers' vision be limited to petty court politics? If they seek merit and advancement, I shall give them the opportunity to achieve both.

"It has been seven years since the last great war, and our dynasty has regained its strength.

"Now, with the nation prosperous, the people content, and our armies strong, it is time to annex Qiang Rong—to let Great Yan’s banners fly by the Wuding River and wave beneath the Helan Mountains."

***

Huo Ling had never

was never one to settle for the status quo.

Her sights had always been set on annexing the Qiang Rong and reclaiming the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan.

The reason for earlier inaction was simply because Great Yan needed time to accumulate strength.

Now, with military and political power firmly in hand, ample provisions, and a surplus in the national treasury, the ideal moment to conquer the Qiang Rong had arrived.

After Huo Ling laid out plans for annexing the Qiang Rong, she immediately summoned her top advisors to discuss the next steps.

When the dynasty was first established, the Qiang Rong, fearing Great Yan’s military might, had quickly surrendered and sworn fealty.

Since then, Great Yan had been steadily expanding influence along the border—establishing trade markets, controlling the flow of tea and salt, encouraging the Qiang people to migrate westward into Yan territory, and promoting integration with the Yan people.

As years of peace passed, the Qiang Rong grew restless. The former Qiang Rong King, Li Xiangdi, had once led troops to attack Xingtang Pass in an attempt to declare himself emperor.

Later, Li Xiangdi was defeated and captured, and his son, Li Yichun, was pushed onto the throne.

Li Yichun was a Qiang-Yan half-blood, with a birth mother who had been taken as a Yan slave.

To survive and protect his mother’s life, Li Yichun, persuaded by Huo Ling, entered into cooperation with Great Yan.

Li Yichun had no power base within the Qiang Rong court, and the Qiang Rong nobility harbored deep resentment toward their mixed-blood ruler. To secure his position, he had no choice but to rely on Great Yan.

Over the years, through Li Yichun’s conscious or unconscious maneuvering and under the increasingly aggressive military pressure from Great Yan, the dynasty established schools in Yanxi, asserted control over border markets, monopolized key trade of essential goods like salt, iron, tea, and horses, and supported nobles sympathetic to Great Yan…

After twenty years of steady cultural erosion, more and more people in the Qiang Rong court spoke the Han language, and Great Yan’s influence over the Qiang Rong deepened.

"Li Yichun is our man. Can we peacefully incorporate the Qiang Rong into our territory?"

"That’s unrealistic. And after ruling the Qiang Rong for so many years, Li Yichun likely has plans of his own."

"Indeed. In my opinion, we should negotiate with the Qiang Rong while mobilizing troops at Xingtang Pass. Try diplomacy first—we must be ready to reclaim the Qiang Rong by military means if necessary."

Great Yan’s territory was vast, but none of it was suitable for horse breeding.

Aside from the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan, the best horse pastures in the world lay in the Helan Mountains, occupied by the Qiang Rong.

To reclaim the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan, Great Yan needed elite cavalry, and elite cavalry needed grazing lands.

Thus, annexing the Qiang Rong was a crucial move in Huo Ling’s northern campaign.

"If we mobilize against the Qiang Rong, Great Mu won’t stand idly by. They will surely send troops to support them."

"That is indeed a risk we can't overlook."

After a thorough discussion, the ministers reached a consensus:

As the suzerain state, they must maintain their dignity—first sending an envoy delegation to negotiate with the Qiang Rong and gauge their stance. If the Qiang Rong refused to submit willingly, they would have no choice but to cut off trade, deploy troops to the border, and settle matters on the battlefield.

…

Without a doubt, the envoy delegation was a plum assignment.

Not only was there no life-threatening danger, but if they could subdue the Qiang Rong through diplomacy alone, promotions were practically guaranteed, if not a place in history.

All eyes turned to the envoy delegation.

Those with capability and status naturally vied for the positions of chief and deputy envoys.

Those who knew they couldn't compete for the chief or deputy envoy positions didn't bother vying for them, instead focusing on securing spots for themselves or younger clan members in the delegation to claim a share of the credit.

Ji Xianshan was once again struck by his mother's political acumen in this matter—

By using the irresistible lure of "annexing Qiang Rong," she roped the opposition, neutral factions, and supporters into a united front.

Before Qiang Rong was fully subdued, no one would openly challenge the Empress Dowager's return of power.

Because to advance such a monumental task as annexing Qiang Rong, a young emperor like him lacked the clout—the Empress Dowager's presence in court was non-negotiable.

Ji Xianshan took a deep breath. When it came to matters of great importance, he knew where to pick his battles.

If reclaiming personal rule was temporarily unattainable, then he would shift tactics—finding ways to sneak more allies into the delegation.

Especially the chief and deputy envoy positions.

He wasn’t greedy, but with one chief envoy and three deputies in the delegation, he needed to bag at least one spot for his own faction.