"I'm going to pay homage to the Queen Mother, Empress!" In the Cining Palace in Lin'an, the left prime minister Lu Xiufu, the deputy chief minister Ying Jieyan and the deputy envoy of the Privy Councilor Han Zhen were summoned to the palace, and the three of them bowed together to the palace.

"No gifts, give me a seat!" Empress Dowager Yang raised her hand and asked the small yellow door to send the embroidery pier.

"Thank you, Empress Dowager!" The three of them took their seats before showing their salutes. Lu Xiufu looked upwards. Empress Dowager Yang was a little haggard, and Empress Wu also frowned, putting her hands on her raised belly, thinking that she was worried about the current war.

"Prime Minister Lu, Your Majesty is here to go, and all the state affairs are working hard, thank you for your hard work." Empress Yang also looked at the three ministers, all of whom were tired, especially Lu Xiufu's eyes were covered with bloodshot, and it was obvious that he had not had a rest for a long time.

"Dividing your worries is the duty of the minister!" Lu Xiufu and others stood up again and said.

"Master Lu, the 100,000 Tartars' army suddenly crossed south and invaded the border and penetrated into the hinterland of Jiangdong. What is the current situation of the battle?" Empress Dowager Yang pressed her hands to let them sit down and asked in a deep voice.

"Reported to the Empress Dowager, before leaving, His Majesty had expected that the Mongol Yuan meeting would take advantage of our army's north to attack Yangzhou. Jiangdong's troops were empty, and he had already secretly dispatched the army to be placed on the Pingjiang line, hoping to severely damage the invading enemy here. I also ordered the local people to evacuate the people to avoid military disasters. The Tartars attacked Changshu a few days ago. They fought fiercely for five days and were repelled by our defenders. They had to go around the city south. However, the Jiangdong Division reported urgently yesterday that after the enemy left Changshu, they did not drive directly to Pingjiang, but suddenly turned to Jiading south. After learning about it, Zhao's envoy had dispatched troops to block the attack!" Lu Xiufu reported. The sudden incident also caught him off guard. After receiving the report, he immediately summoned the ministers in the capital to discuss countermeasures, but the specific situation on the front line is not yet clear.

"The enemy suddenly turned, how do you think about Lu Zheng?" Empress Dowager Yang twitched involuntarily after hearing this, but her expression turned back and returned to normal, and she asked again.

"I have discussed with all the ministers, and they all thought that the Tartars were redirecting the road and trying to avoid the heavy troops who were intercepting the front and preparing to raid Lin'an." Lu Xiufu hesitated for a moment, but chose to answer truthfully.

"There are less than 20,000 troops in Lin'an. If our army cannot block it, wouldn't it be in danger in the capital?" After hearing this, the queen Wu Xi, who had been silent, changed color and said.

"Queen, don't panic. I have ordered the military students to distribute weapons. Once the city is in danger, you can go to the city to participate in the war!" Lu Xiufu said with a polite manner.

"There are only three thousand martial arts students, and facing a 100,000 army, it's just a drop in the bucket!" Wu Xi said with a bitter expression.

"The Queen and the Martial Arts students are all elite soldiers who have been strictly trained and can serve ten. Furthermore, Chen Renweng, the Minister of War, has collected newly recruited soldiers and village soldiers who participated in the school review in winter. They can also obtain tens of thousands of soldiers, all of which have been distributed weapons and can participate in the war at any time. Moreover, our army's 200,000 elite soldiers are on the side, and can also rush to help at night." Han Zhen interrupted at this time.

"Empress Dowager, I think these people are either new recruits without war or rural soldiers who are both soldiers and civilians. It is difficult to stop the enemy. It would be better to let Your Majesty return to the army earlier!" Wu Xi was worried and turned his face to the Empress Dowager.

"After Your Majesty conquered Yangzhou, his troops immediately entered Xuyi. Now he has entered Sizhou. Even if he returns to help, it is too late!" Han Zhen replied.

"Ah...whether the Jiangdong army stationed in Jiankang, Jiangzhou and Wuhu?" Wu Xi spoke in surprise and asked for a moment.

"The troops stationed in Jiangdong and the troops stationed in Huguang have all been ordered by the saint to cross the river and enter the two Huaihe Rivers, and recover the lost land!" Han Zhen replied again.

"This..." Wu Xi's face turned pale after hearing this, and she murmured at a loss.

"The queen still needs to take care of herself. Even if Lin'an is not protected, we can still follow the example of traveling to the sea. Why are we panic?" Empress Dowager Yang said unhappily when she saw Wu Xi losing her composure.

"Yes!" Wu Xi also realized that she was confused and said embarrassedly.

"What should I think?" Empress Yang experienced the rebellion of the Song Dynasty and the destruction of the country, the pain of losing the young emperor, the pain of going to the sea, and the difficulty of starting a business in Qiongzhou. She has been in power behind the curtain for more than ten years, and has been suffering for many years, but she will not be scared by the current crisis. She stabilized the queen and turned to ask Yingjie Yandao.

"Empress Dowager, I think the current situation is not yet at the risk of going to the sea, and there are still 200,000 elite troops in Jiangdong, how can we allow only 100,000 enemy troops to be rampant? Besides, there are Jiang Governor who is familiar with military affairs and politics to be in Pingjiang, Zhao Zhizhi and Ni Dutong lead troops, and Ruyun generals who have followed His Majesty in Qiongzhou can protect Jiangdong from being safe. As long as the Empress Dowager sits in the capital, he can make the people feel at ease and wait for good news!" Ying Jieyan stood up and said with courtesy.

He had already heard from the conversation between several people that the queen had insufficient political experience. In addition, she was young and panicked in the face of the sudden arrival of the crisis. She completely ignored the strategy they adopted to respond to the enemy. If she continued to talk, it would not only embarrass several important officials, but also affect the emotions of the ministers. If it was transmitted, it would naturally cause panic among the military and civilians, and thus would disrupt his own position before the battle.

Now that Your Majesty is personally expeditioning, the Empress Dowager is the governor. Although he lacks the skill of governing the country, the emperor has accumulated rich political experience in many years. He knows which is more important and will not panic when the crisis suddenly appears. This is also the reason why the emperor personally expeditions to the capital and chooses the Empress Dowager to supervise the country rather than his own queen, so he wakes up the empress dowager from the side in his words.

"Okay, I will pass on the imperial edict of Ai's family. On the Yuan Dynasty, I will set up a colorful shed, tree a mountain, and set up a light for seven days to congratulate Your Majesty to personally conquer Yangzhou and recover the great victory of the two Huai Rivers!" Ying Jieyan was the imperial teacher, and could also be called the Dinghai magic needle of the Song Dynasty. His words made Empress Yang suddenly realize that the most important thing at the moment was not to consider countermeasures, but how to stabilize the hearts of the people, maintain stability in the rear, and let the young emperor have no worries in the northern expedition.

"I will follow the Queen Mother's decree!"

"The Empress Dowager..." Wu Xi was stunned. Last year, she took the initiative to hold the Lantern Festival, which made His Majesty angry and almost dismissed her subordinate. However, the Empress Dowager did not think about how to resist the enemy in this difficult time, but instead wanted to hold the Lantern Festival. This made her difficult to understand. Just as she was about to dissuade her, Lu Xiufu and others had already received the order in unison.

Next, Lu Xiufu and others reported on the situation of the Ministry of Revenue raising food and food, the details of the preparations for the new officials of the Lianghuai River to take over the appointment of the Ministry of Personnel, the appointment and training of several independent divisions reorganized by the Ministry of War, etc.; while Han Zhen reported in detail on the advancement of the various departments involved in the Northern Expedition and the defense measures of Lin'an City. However, the strictness of the stern was as stable as Mount Tai, and he rarely interrupted. The Empress Dowager almost didn't say anything without asking, but just squinted her eyes and stroked her beard and listened quietly.

Empress Dowager Yang rarely interfered with the arrangements of the ministers, and basically approved everything. She also made the decision to allocate 3 million guan from the warehouse for emergency expenses in the court, and took out 500,000 guan for the expenses of the lantern festival. Although she believed that the situation was not as bad as she imagined, she still made some emergency arrangements, saying that she would defend the siege with the military and civilians and live and die with the Song Dynasty.

After the question was noon, Empress Dowager Yang did not leave food, but moved to the back hall, and the other emperors' concubines were waiting here. Since the young emperor went to war, his mother and son often gathered together for food and talk. Before the New Year, the empress dowager often asked them to stay in the Cining Palace. First, the empress dowager also felt lonely, and everyone could relieve their boredom; second, the three pregnant concubines were getting heavier, and the emperor was not at home, so she was also easy to take care of; third, everyone was tacit. Now that the battle situation was in a critical position, the young emperor was alone and entered the enemy territory, and they also had the intention of comforting each other and holding a group to keep warm.

"Are the Empress Dowager tired?" When he arrived at the back hall, Dou Xing was preparing to pass the meal, but found that the Empress Dowager was exhausted and had no calmness as before. His fingers kept trembling and could hardly hold the cup. He stepped forward and asked softly.

"It's okay, the Ai family is a little tired. Just wait a little while and just take a break!" Empress Dowager Yang took a sip of tea, looked at the concern of the daughters-in-law, looked at her anxious eyes, put down her cup, squeezed out a smile and said.

"The Empress Dowager works hard for the country, and now she is in charge of the country's safety. She also needs to take care of herself. Should she call the imperial doctor to take the pulse?" Wu Xi stood up and said.

"Don't make a fuss, you're suspicious of others!" Empress Dowager Yang moved her body, let Dou Xing put a soft cushion behind her back, and waved her hand.

"Empress Dowager, is there something wrong with me? I will also share my worries for the Empress Dowager!" The imperial concubine Chen Shu seemed to see something and leaned forward and said.

"I have something to say, you must be obedient." Empress Dowager Yang nodded and shook Dou Xing. He shut all the maids and small yellow gates who served in the palace and closed the palace gates.

"The Empress Dowager gave me instructions, how dare I disobey me!" Seeing that the Empress Dowager was like this, everyone knew that there was something important, and they all respected them seriously.

"Now the Tatar army suddenly turned to Jiading south, and the magistrate Fencheng led the troops and civilians to retreat south, and our dynasty was stationed on the Pingjiang line. Although Zhao's envoy had sent troops to help, the outcome was unpredictable. If the interception was not enough, the enemy could drive directly to Lin'an City without any obstacles. We must also make good plans for response!" Empress Dowager Yang glanced at everyone and said in a deep voice.

"The Empress Dowager wants to share the hardships with the military and civilians of Lin'an, and live and die with the country. Although my concubines and concubines are useless, they will not retreat, which will bring shame to Your Majesty!" Wu Xi realized at this time that the Empress Dowager had just tried to calm down in front of others. In fact, she knew that the situation was critical in her heart, so she quickly expressed that the rest of them agreed to go to the national crisis together.

"Concubine Shu!" Empress Dowager Yang waited for everyone to say that before looking at Li Sanniang.

"I am here!" Li Sanniang responded.

"Ai's family knows that there is a guardian army formed by your tribe in Lin'an City. Do you have any contact with them?" asked Empress Dowager Yang.

"What the Empress Dowager said is right. When Your Majesty led his troops to recover Jiangnan, there was indeed a army composed of Qiongzhou Li soldiers led by the officials to assist in the war. After entering Lin'an, he was incorporated into the imperial guards. In recent years, all the additional soldiers were recruited by Qiongzhou Li soldiers. Now they are stationed in the old imperial city. The commander is also a relative of my concubines. They still have connections with me and will attack and pay their respects during the New Year." Li Sanniang replied in confusion that it is not a secret that the mountain brigade composed of Li soldiers was stationed in the capital. I don't know why the Empress Dowager asked about this.

"This is the best!" Queen Mother Yang nodded and said, "You must meet with your clan members as soon as possible, select your trusted soldiers from them to form an army. The palace will also transfer them to the vicinity of the palace city in the name of maintaining the order of the lantern festival. Once the situation changes, you will personally lead the army to escort the queen and several concubines out of the capital secretly and move them to a safe place."

"Empress Dowager, I am not a person who is greedy for life and fear of death. I am willing to personally lead the clan members to defend against the enemy, live and die with the empress dowager, and never live alone!" Li Sanniang was stunned after hearing this, and then said angrily.

"I know that you are familiar with military affairs, so that you can entrust everyone's safety. The descendants of Zhao are entrusted to you!" Empress Dowager Yang said sternly, "When the Mongolian Yuan invaded the south, Lin'an fell near to him. Old Empress Dowager Xie secretly ordered the palace to leave the palace with two young sons, so that the descendants of Zhao's clan were not cut off. The revival of the Song Dynasty is on the rise. Now the crisis has reappeared. I cannot let Zhao's clan be cut off from me, and if you cannot protect everyone, you are also a sinner of the Song Dynasty!"

"The Empress Dowager is unparalleled. Even if there are thorns in the ground and fire in front of me, I should live up to my expectations!" After hearing this, Li Sanniang was silent for a moment, realizing that the Empress Dowager was asking the orphan to arrange the funeral. She bit her lip with tears in her eyes and said resolutely.

"Well, I believe it!" Empress Dowager Yang smiled and nodded, then turned to Concubine De Zhang Ping and said, "Concubine De, you have been in charge of the finances of the inner palace since you entered the palace. You must also make plans early and collect valuables for expenses on the way and in the future."

"Yes, I will take care of it!" Zhang Ping nodded and said with a sad expression.

"Pin Hui!" Empress Dowager Yang knew that Zhang Ping was careful and did not need to give any advice. She looked at Su Lan, who was sitting in the last place.

"Empress Dowager, I am here!" Su Lan stood up and politely said.

"Hui Pin, you entered the palace when you were in Qiongzhou. You have been in Da Nei for the longest time and are familiar with the people in the palace. This time you leave the palace to take refuge is not as dangerous as before. You have to choose some loyal and brave people from them to follow you. Remember that there should not be too many people, but you should be capable and smart, and diligent." Empress Dowager Yang pressed her hands to sit down, and reminded her kindly, "Your Majesty has been fighting in the past, and you are mostly with you. You know the difficulties and you have to worry more."

"Well, I understand!" Su Lan nodded vigorously.

"Oh, the most useless thing is me. I don't understand everything and can't help with anything!" Seeing the empress dowager arrange everything, she was ignored, Chen Shu sighed.

"The imperial concubine also knows that she is frivolous and is reckless in doing things!" Empress Dowager Yang was amused and said little, "But it is not useless, and she can still do something!"

"Empress Dowager just tells me, I will do my best!" Hearing that he was still useful, he hurriedly said.

"The imperial concubine was born in the army since she was young, and her father and uncle were also an important minister in the court. She was familiar with many ministers and generals of the court and could be responsible for contacting local officials and generals in the army." Empress Dowager Yang knew that the Chen family was the first to enter the General's Mansion, and Chen Shu grew up in the General's Mansion when she was young. Not only was she familiar with Yingjieyan, but she was also familiar with all the people in the mansion. At this time, those people were either Mushou, or even the powerful generals in the army. In addition, her father and uncle also had many disciples, old officials and generals from the old department, so it was most appropriate for her to come forward to communicate.

"Well, I understand, but I don't want to separate from the Queen Mother..." Chen Shu was not happy after hearing this, but shed her head and tears.
Chapter completed!