We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Chapter 1099 A City Full of White-Haired Soldiers

As the convoy entered the city, the city gate was deep and dark, and the rammed earth walls bore the marks of ancient battles.

The streets were not wide, and there were mostly low mud-brick houses on both sides, with a few scattered shops and sparse pedestrians.

Hearing the noise, some people peeked out from behind their windows, their eyes showing more indifference than curiosity.

This place is too far from the bustling Central Plains, and too far from the majesty of the emperor.

For them, the emperor meant more taxes, corvée labor, and the ever-present threat of war.

Li Che did not linger, nor did he make any gesture of being approachable; it was not the right time yet.

The temporary palace prepared by Ma Jing was originally the rear residence of the Lanzhou General Administration Office. After simple tidying up, it was still quite clean and tidy.

The compound is surrounded by high walls, and the inner buildings are adequate.

When the convoy arrived, Ma Jing had already arranged for people to clean up the inside and outside of the government office, and the clerks who originally worked there were temporarily asked to be relocated elsewhere.

What caught Li Che's attention even more was that the guards outside the government office were not soldiers dressed in the uniforms of the Northwest Army, but a small team of constables from the General Manager's Office.

Ma Jing stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, I have already given the order that all officers and soldiers of the Northwest Army who were originally stationed in the city should immediately withdraw from the inner city and concentrate in the camp outside the West Gate."

"Your Majesty's personal guards shall take over the defense of this palace and inner city."

By completely withdrawing the troops from the area of ​​the emperor's palace and handing over the defense to the emperor's personal guards, the emperor handed over control of Lanzhou to Li Che, demonstrating that he had no intention of disloyalty.

Li Che waved his hand and said, "That's enough. The soldiers have already worked hard enough guarding the area. Why make them move camp overnight?"

"Minister Ma, I trust you and I have faith in your soldiers."

"The defenses here will remain as you originally arranged. My personal guards will only be responsible for protecting the interior of the palace. There's no need to make any further changes."

Ma Jing was taken aback upon hearing this, and looked up at Li Che: "Your Majesty, this is against the rules, Your Majesty..."

Li Che smiled slightly and interrupted him: "In Daqing, whose rules are greater than mine? What I say is appropriate is appropriate. So be it."

Ma Jing's lips moved slightly: "Your subject... obeys the decree."

Upon entering the palace, Li Che quickly washed up and ate some food offered by local officials.

The food consists mostly of beef and mutton, and noodles, with very few vegetables. It's not particularly refined, but it's not bad either.

After Li Che finished eating, he made another round of inspections to make sure that all the Imperial Guards had eaten before he felt relieved.

By this time, it was completely dark.

The night on the frontier seemed to be deeper than in the interior, but the stars were exceptionally clear and bright, and a chill spread with the darkness.

Inside the palace, candles were lit, and Li Che sat on a folding chair covered with thick felt, idly stroking the panda curled up at his feet for warmth.

The little guy seemed a bit uncomfortable in this dry and cold place, rubbing against Li Che's boots.

Li Che pondered for a moment, then suddenly spoke: "Qiu Bai."

Qiu Bai, who had been standing by his side like a shadow, immediately stepped forward half a step: "Your subordinate is here."

Where is Ma Jing now?

"Your Majesty, Commander Ma has not left since Your Majesty entered. He is currently on duty outside the palace gate and has not moved an inch," Qiu Bai said in a low voice. "He only brought two personal guards with him and did not go into the nearby guardhouse to rest. He just stands there in the wind."

Li Che's finger paused on the panda's soft fur for a moment, a knowing glint in his eyes.

He stood up: "Find me some inconspicuous clothes, made of thicker material. Also, call Ying Bu and Ma Zhong, and if Luo Yueniang hasn't rested yet, ask her to come over as well."

"Pick a few alert night watchmen yourself, and remember they must wear civilian clothes."

Qiu Bai was taken aback and subconsciously lowered his voice: "Your Majesty, it's getting late and the air is very cold. Are you going to..."

Li Che had already untied the sash of his outer robe himself: "Ma Jing's behavior must mean something, and it's something I must see with my own eyes."

"He was waiting outside, not so much to guard me as to pique my curiosity."

"Let's go, don't disturb too many people."

A moment later, the side gate of the palace opened silently.

Li Che changed into a dark blue cotton robe, covered it with a sheepskin vest, and put on a felt hat that covered his ears, dressing like an ordinary border merchant.

Qiu Bai, Ying Bu, and Ma Zhong all dressed similarly, and the weapons at their waists were also concealed.

Luo Yueniang had also arrived. She was already dressed in comfortable, close-fitting clothes, but she had put on a hooded cloak over them.

Behind them were several Imperial Guards, also dressed in different clothes, and Night Watchmen hidden in the darkness.

As soon as the group stepped out of the side gate, they saw a figure draped in a black cloak standing like a sculpture under the lanterns of the gate tower at the foot of the stone steps in front of the main gate of the palace.

It was Ma Jing.

He indeed only brought two personal guards, standing in the shadows far from the doorway.

Hearing footsteps, Ma Jing turned around abruptly.

Upon seeing Li Che's attire, he was visibly taken aback, then quickly stepped forward and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty! It's late and the wind is chilly, why are you..."

Li Che raised his hand to stop him from saying anything more: "Minister Ma, there's no need for formalities, let's go."

Ma Jing was taken aback again: "Go...go where?"

Li Che looked at him, a mischievous glint in his eyes: "Take me to see what you want me to see now. Why wait until tomorrow to find another excuse?"

Ma Jing trembled violently, as if struck by an invisible lightning bolt.

He stared wide-eyed at the emperor's gaze in the moonlight, his Adam's apple bobbing a few times.

After a few moments of silence, he took a deep breath of the cold night air: "As expected, nothing can be hidden from His Majesty."

Ma Jing said no more and turned to lead the way.

Instead of heading into the market, he turned into a narrow, dark alley.

The moonlight was fragmented by the earthen wall, and the road beneath one's feet was uneven and bumpy, with the occasional frozen animal dung falling on one's feet.

The cold wind howled from the depths of the alley, stirring up dust and bits of grass.

The group followed in silence.

Qiu Bai, Ying Bu, and Ma Zhong formed a triangular formation around Li Che, their hands always resting on their concealed weapons.

After passing through several winding alleys, the area became increasingly remote, with fewer houses and almost no lights.

Finally, they stopped in front of an adobe building that looked like an abandoned warehouse.

The building was large but dilapidated, with cracks in many places in the earthen walls, which were barely repaired with wooden stakes and straw mats.

There was no door, only an entrance covered by a tattered straw curtain.

A few faint lights shone from inside, and suppressed coughing sounds could be heard.

Ma Jing stopped in front of the entrance, his back looking somewhat heavy in the darkness.

He did not immediately lift the straw curtain, but turned to Li Che.

In the dim light, Li Che could clearly see the conflicted look on his face.

“Your Majesty,” Ma Jing’s voice was terribly hoarse, “inside… is a temporary residence for some of my soldiers who are taking turns to rest and recuperate.”

"Your Majesty, I beg you to see for yourself... I beg you to see for yourself."

Li Che had a bad feeling. He didn't speak, but just nodded slightly.

Ma Jing took a deep breath, as if using all his strength, before reaching out to lift the tattered straw curtain.

A complex and unpleasant odor wafted over, a mixture of sweat, medicine, and blood, almost making one want to vomit.

In the dim light, the scene behind the straw curtain came into view.

This is an extremely low-ceilinged space, which may have originally been a place for storing grain and fodder.

The ground was haphazardly covered with dry grass, tattered blankets, and even just dirt.

Under the dim light of a few oil lamps, one could see many figures lying haphazardly.

Li Che's gaze slowly swept over them.

He first saw an old soldier with white hair, sitting against the earthen wall, wrapped in a tattered military coat whose color was indistinguishable. One of his legs was bare from the knee down, with the severed end haphazardly wrapped with dirty strips of cloth.

Another veteran had a hideous scar on his face, slashing diagonally from his forehead to his jaw, and one of his eyes was just an empty socket.

By the dim light of the fire, he struggled to mend a robe with trembling hands; his fingers were large and clumsy, and his movements were slow.

A heart-wrenching cough came from the corner. A emaciated figure was curled up in a pile of hay, covered with a patched quilt, coughing so hard that his whole body was convulsing.

Some people were groaning in pain in their sleep, mumbling incoherent words, perhaps the names of their comrades, or perhaps their hometown dialect.

Li Che walked in step by step, his gaze sweeping over each face.

The light illuminated the common features on these faces: deep wrinkles like cracks in parched earth, skin tanned dark by wind and sand, and gray or even completely white hair and beards...

The further he went in, the more he saw.

Some people had lost an arm and were groping for water with their remaining hand; some had dirty rags wrapped around their legs that were stained with blood and emitted a slight smell of decay; some sat blankly, unresponsive to the people who came in.

There are no young faces here.

As far as the eye could see, the youngest looked to be over thirty, most were over forty, and there were even elderly people over fifty with white hair.

They were still wearing tattered military uniforms, but the spirit and vigor of soldiers had long been worn away by the endless border defense.

Li Che's breathing became somewhat heavy.

He slowly turned his head and looked at Ma Jing, whose face was as pale as paper.

When Ma Jing met the emperor's gaze, he could no longer hold on, his knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, his voice breaking:

"Your Majesty! I am guilty! I deserve to die ten thousand times!"

"Your Majesty, I dare to request that you personally visit the Northwest, for I wish Your Majesty could see it for yourself!" He raised his head, his face already streaked with tears. "Our Northwest Army has been stationed on the border since the time of the late Emperor, nearly thirty years ago!"

"The backbone of the army are mostly veterans who followed the late emperor in pacifying Longyou! Thirty years have passed, Your Majesty!"

His voice trembled: "The army is receiving very few new recruits, and most of the able-bodied men from within the Great Wall are unwilling to come to this harsh, war-torn land to guard the frontier."

"Although the imperial court recruits soldiers, the number allocated to my Northwest is small and the quality is mostly unsatisfactory."

"How many can be replaced by military children alone? Year after year, injuries, illnesses, deaths, old age... more leave than arrive!"

"Today, the average age of our frontline soldiers in the Northwest is over thirty-five! There are soldiers with white hair, fathers and sons, grandfathers and grandsons... everywhere!"