"Deng deng deng..."
Hearing the sound of someone continuously descending the stairs without a pause, Nalan Yiren snorted coldly, feeling frustrated. Anger mixed with a hint of irritation filled her sharp eyes.
For some reason, even though she appeared furious, a wave of indescribable emotion surged in her heart. Feeling the soreness and strange sensation at her collar, she involuntarily raised her hand and, imitating Chen Mo’s earlier actions, began to build a snowman.
Nalan Yiren frowned slightly, wondering why she didn’t feel anything. When that bastard touched her just now, her body went limp, a tingling numbness spreading through her.
She sat down in front of the dressing table and began to unbutton her collar. After ensuring that no one was watching, she pulled down her collar. Without a dudou to cover it, her slightly ample chest was white with a hint of red, as if someone had ravaged it without any regard.
Nalan Yiren’s eyes were unfocused as she bit her lips, which had been kissed by Chen Mo and drained of color.
That bastard dared to be so rough.
Nalan Yiren quickly suppressed the strange feeling in her heart and cursed someone with malicious words in her mind.
...
On the other hand.
After leaving the Observatory, Chen Mo walked along the corridor, still savoring the experience. For someone like him, who enjoyed flirting with many women, it wasn’t anything special, but since the person involved was Nalan Yiren, it was entirely different.
The saying "A wife is not as good as a concubine, a concubine is not as..."
Even though the words were unpleasant, they precisely confirmed Chen Mo’s current thoughts.
Nalan Yiren wasn’t his woman yet. For a man like Chen Mo, each step forward brought a great sense of accomplishment, providing a kind of spiritual satisfaction.
He took out a dudou and sniffed it. The scent of bathing mixed with a faint medicinal aroma. The dudou was of ordinary style and color, nothing special, but it was good for collection.
Chen Mo admitted that he was being somewhat perverse at the moment.
He put the dudou away, headed back to his sleeping quarters, and pondered on the way, realizing that the New Year was approaching. It was time to discuss New Year matters with the Empress.
Weiyang Palace.
A warm stove burned within the inner hall, creating a cozy atmosphere with its rising heat. The Auspicious Beast Bronze Incense Burner emitted a fragrance from the Western Regions, permeating the entire hall and refreshing the heart.
The floor was carpeted, soft and furry, with Wu Mi sitting on it, an array of exquisite Brocade Bags before her.
At that moment, a female official entered the hall and said to Wu Mi, "Empress, Your Majesty has arrived."
Upon hearing this, Wu Mi joyfully stood up, ready to welcome him, when Chen Mo stepped into the hall a step behind the female official: "Mi’er, what are you working on?"
"Your Majesty, you’ve come," Wu Mi approached and pulled Chen Mo by the arm to sit with her on the carpet.
The female official lowered her head and withdrew.
Wu Mi pointed to the Brocade Bags in front of her and said, "Isn’t tomorrow the New Year? I’ve prepared New Year gifts for each of the sisters, a tradition in the palace."
"What are they?" Chen Mo nodded and opened a Brocade Bag embroidered with the character "Shu," revealing a jade bracelet of excellent quality inside.
"Just some bracelets, hairpins, finger guards, and such little trinkets, not very valuable, just for the sake of festivity," Wu Mi said with a smile.
Chen Mo opened several Brocade Bags one after another and found them just as Wu Mi described, though the types and quality of the bracelets and jade hairpins varied.
"You’ve put a lot of thought into this." Chen Mo put down the Brocade Bag and gently took Wu Mi’s delicate hand into his own, playing with it carefully.
Wu Mi was about to speak when she suddenly noticed an unfamiliar scent, remarking in surprise, "Your Majesty, which sister’s palace did you just visit?"
"I was just with Yiren," Chen Mo admitted without hiding.
Wu Mi paused slightly at his words, realizing the scent was unfamiliar because she hadn’t visited Nalan Yiren since arriving at the harem.
"Oh dear, if it weren’t for Your Majesty’s reminder, I would have forgotten about the State Preceptor," Wu Mi exclaimed, realizing she hadn’t prepared anything for Nalan Yiren.
Chen Mo chuckled, gently pulling Wu Mi closer. He admired her mindset; despite the recent incident involving Yang Qingqing’s complaints, she still had the heart to prepare gifts for each woman.
Wu Mi rested her head against Chen Mo’s chest and softly asked, "What New Year gift does Your Majesty want?"
"Anything goes?" Chen Mo chuckled softly.
Wu Mi blushed. After all, they were an old married couple, and from his expression, she could guess something. With a flushed face, she softly agreed.
"Then I want..." Chen Mo whispered quickly into Wu Mi’s ear before waiting for her reply, his lips capturing her plump, slightly parted ones.
Wu Mi’s eyes widened, her heart pounding wildly.
...
Jin Xia, Imperial Study.
"Great Khan, I just received word from a spy in Great Wei. The Great Wei Court has sent troops to resolve the issue of Yang Xian from Shu Residence, who had seized power through his army. Up to now, the Great Wei Court has completely purged the domestic turmoil, and the livelihood and economy of Great Wei are flourishing."
As this situation develops, it won’t take many years before the Emperor of Da Wei might compare himself to the Song Taizu of four hundred years ago, becoming a nightmare for our Jin Xia. Great Khan, we can’t ignore this."
Wanyan Xiaji said in a grave tone.
Four hundred years ago, Song Taizu "invaded" Jin Xia, and that battle nearly broke Jin Xia’s backbone. If it weren’t for the newly established Great Song, which was still unstable and couldn’t sustain its supply lines, Jin Xia would have been annexed at that time.
Yet, even in these circumstances, Jin Xia couldn’t straighten its back for hundreds of years, and it’s only in recent decades that it has managed to shake off its decline, yet still faced setbacks at the hands of Chen Mo.
Wanyan Xiaji regarded Chen Mo and the Great Wei he established as a formidable foe.
What happened four hundred years ago must not happen again.
And in his perception, Chen Mo would definitely seek revenge, so preparations must be made beforehand. If possible, it would be best to strike preemptively and not allow the newly established Great Wei too much time to grow.
The Great Khan of Jin Xia, Tuoba Hui, was not a shortsighted person. Judging by the current information about Chen Mo, he was very much like the Song Taizu of four hundred years ago.
Both came from humble origins, seized opportunities to rise swiftly, and swept across the land undefeated.
And Chen Mo is even younger than Song Taizu was.
From the news just reported by Wanyan Xiaji, Chen Mo also has the qualities of a wise ruler.
For Jin Xia, this makes him a dreaded adversary.
However.
Tuoba Hui sighed: "Our previous failure in attacking the Great Song resulted in nearly half of our elite troops being wiped out, along with the depletion from the Ping Beidi campaign. Over the years, the accumulation in our national treasury has all vanished, and now the treasury is depleted. The previous defeat has caused great panic among the troops, and the people are weary of war. It’s impossible to organize an external campaign in the short term."
The main issue is the scarcity of resources in Jin Xia. More than half of the domestic land is unsuitable for farming, with expenses exceeding gains. In recent years, the war against Song was financed by our reserves, but unfortunately, we lost.
The resources currently used by Jin Xia are all the spoils of war from external operations by the army in recent years.
Jin Xia needs time to recover its vitality.
Even though it was predictable that the treasury was empty and Jin Xia couldn’t engage in external warfare again, hearing Tuoba Hui’s response, Wanyan Xiaji couldn’t help but sigh: "Great Khan, given this situation, we must slow down the development pace of Great Wei to ensure they don’t progress faster than we do."
"Does General Xia Ji have a solution?" Tuoba Hui raised his eyes to Wanyan Xiaji.
"There is a way, but it greatly damages one’s virtue and harms celestial harmony."
"At this point, what talk is there of virtue or celestial harmony? These are matters for later. Quickly, speak."
Wanyan Xiaji bowed to Tuoba Hui: "Great Khan, it’s time for the Plague God to descend upon the Central State."
Tuoba Hui furrowed his brows, pondering for a while before saying: "Proceed according to General Xia Ji’s plan."
"Understood."
Wanyan Xiaji withdrew.
After Wanyan Xiaji left, Tuoba Hui fell into deep thought.
Matters like celestial harmony and virtue were abstract concepts that Tuoba Hui did not care about, but the descent of the Plague God, if not executed properly, could easily affect themselves.
It requires careful planning.
"Great Khan, the Queen requests to see you." At this moment, a eunuch entered the Imperial Study and spoke to Tuoba Hui.
"Quickly, summon her." Tuoba Hui promptly responded.
...
"Great Khan." Wanyan Ya, carrying a food box, entered with a radiant smile from outside the room.
Wanyan Ya was dressed in a simple fur garment with a white cape, her lower body in a very short skirt. Although the fur garment could cover her legs, in motion, her long and round, flexible beautiful legs were visible emerging from the fur garment.
The waist of the fur garment was cinched tight, with the upper part open, revealing a white undergarment inside. The neckline of the undergarment was very low, faintly showing a curve and depth, accentuating a voluptuous figure.
Of course, this sight was only privileged to Tuoba Hui, as the eunuchs in the palace dared not lift their heads, only able to see Wanyan Ya’s legs.
According to the customs of Jin Xia, Wanyan Ya’s attire was not considered shameless or provocative, but a normal expression of beauty, nor would anyone feel it violated moral standards, despite Wanyan Ya having a foxy face.
"Er Ya has arrived."
Tuoba Hui’s face broke into a smile. Whenever he saw Wanyan Ya, his attention was drawn to her, forgetting everything else, seeing nothing else, as if everything could be forsaken as long as Wanyan Ya was by his side.
"Great Khan, the Imperial Household recently sent some osmanthus flowers from the Great Song. I’ve made them into Osmanthus Cake for you. Great Khan, please taste it." Wanyan Ya placed the food box on the desk.
Though it was just a simple intimate phrase, when spoken by Wanyan Ya, it carried a trace of allure.
She was like a reincarnation of a fox spirit, with every gesture exuding charm and enchantment.