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

Chapter 1097 Trip to the Northwest

Looking at the assembled officials of Shu, Li Che raised his hand in a gesture of support and spoke in a calm voice: "All of you, rise. Shu is in dire need of rebuilding, and it is precisely your efforts to perform your duties diligently and implement new policies that are required."

"Although I am temporarily away, the laws and regulations of the court remain. I hope you will understand them well and not disappoint me."

These words were meant for everyone, especially for those aristocratic officials with wavering minds.

Everyone hurriedly bowed and agreed, indicating that they dared not slack off in the slightest.

On the other side, tribal leaders from Sichuan, headed by several village chiefs, also gathered here.

They were not wearing official robes, but rather their respective ethnic costumes. Their faces lacked the affectation of officials, and their worry was almost written all over their faces.

While the emperor was alive, the things that had been promised progressed quickly, which finally put their minds at ease.

Now that the emperor is leaving, they are afraid that all these benefits will disappear with him, and they are even more afraid that those Qing officials will outwardly comply but inwardly defy them and then find ways to exploit them again.

Seeing this, Li Che deliberately walked up to them, and the chieftains hurriedly bowed.

Li Che softened his tone and spoke in plain language that they could understand: "My word is law, and what I have promised you will never change. I have ordered Prince Jin to oversee the follow-up matters, and the relevant regulations and laws will be issued to all villages soon."

"If any official deceives his superiors or mistreats you, he paused, his gaze sweeping over the Shu officials standing respectfully with their hands at their sides not far away."

"You may go directly to Rongcheng Prefecture to appeal to Prince Jin, or you may submit a memorial to the Emperor."

"I, the Emperor, will avenge you!"

Upon hearing this, the worry in the eyes of the chieftains largely disappeared, and they all kowtowed to express their gratitude.

Only after receiving the emperor's personal promise did they feel truly at ease.

Having calmed him down, Li Che no longer lingered and turned to walk towards the imperial carriage.

Just before getting into the car, he took a fluffy black and white ball of dough from Qiu Bai's hand, which was intently munching on a tender bamboo shoot.

It was Xiao Han, the young panda he adored.

Since we've raised them for so long and developed a bond, we should take them with us and continue to raise them.

Anyway, the palace already has plenty of rare and exotic animals, so one more won't make a difference.

The little guy seemed to have gotten used to Li Che's presence. It twisted in his arms to find a more comfortable position and continued to deal with its bamboo.

"Let's go——"

The Master of Ceremonies' loud voice rang out.

The convoy moved slowly, with the imperial guards leading the way, their armor clanging and their banners fluttering like a forest.

In addition to the original elite imperial guards, the team also included a cavalry force of about 1,500 men from Shu, led by Xiong Tai, a fierce general from Shu.

This man is extremely fierce, and he improved as he fought against Qiu Bai, making him a rare and formidable fighter.

The generals of Shu jointly petitioned, saying that the northwest was far away and the situation was unclear, and they were willing to send a contingent of elite troops to accompany and protect them, in order to fulfill their duty as subjects and to vindicate the Shu army.

Although Li Che believed in Ma Jing's loyalty to the court, he ultimately accepted the gesture and ordered Xiong Tai to lead his troops to accompany him.

The dragon carriage was spacious and comfortable, covered with thick Shu brocade, a gift from the officials of Shu.

The panda was placed in a corner with soft cushions and played by itself.

Li Che leaned back on the soft pillows, looking out the window at the receding scenery of the Sichuan Plain through the slightly lifted side curtain.

The convoy left Chengdu, headed north through Mianzhou and Jianzhou, and passed through Jianmen Pass, thus truly leaving the heart of Sichuan.

The road becomes increasingly treacherous, gradually leading from a relatively flat basin into the embrace of towering mountains.

This is the southern foothills of the Qinling-Bashan Mountains. The ancient road winds around, with a deep ravine and rushing water on one side, the sound of the water is deafening, and the mist gathers and disperses intermittently.

On the other side are steep cliffs, ancient trees reaching for the sky, and the sounds of monkeys crying and birds singing can be heard all the time.

This is the famous northern section of the Shu Road, a route that is extremely difficult to traverse. Although it has undergone initial repairs, it still forced the large convoy to slow down.

The roads were difficult to traverse, making riding in the imperial carriage a form of torture. Li Che dismounted and rode a horse, which allowed him to truly appreciate the perilous nature of the mountains and rivers.

Yue Yun led his cavalry ahead, while Xiong Tai's Shu cavalry, more familiar with these mountain roads, proved quite effective as guides and rear guards.

After traveling for more than ten days, the terrain finally began to change.

After crossing the last majestic mountain ridge, a breathtaking view suddenly opened up before us.

Although there are still rolling hills, the continuous green mountains are gradually being replaced by more exposed brown rocks, followed by large areas of relatively flat plateaus, ridges and mounds.

The sky appeared higher and farther, the clouds were thin, and the sunlight shone directly down, making it drier and brighter.

The wind has changed its scent; it no longer carries the damp smell of grass and earth, but instead carries dust, bringing a sense of desolation and wilderness.

The village houses are also quite different from those in Sichuan, with most being flat-roofed houses made of rammed earth and bricks, and few being exquisite wooden buildings or bamboo pavilions.

The crops in the fields have changed from rice to more drought-resistant millet, sorghum, and wheat, and the clothes and faces of the people coming and going have become more rugged, weathered by the wind and sand.

Li Che knew that they had already set foot on the edge of Longyou.

The lush mountains and clear waters of Sichuan have been left behind; ahead lies the even more vast and desolate Northwest.

He lowered the carriage curtain and looked away.

The panda had fallen asleep in the corner, hugging a bamboo shoot, and was emitting soft snores.

Li Che closed his eyes, his fingers tapping unconsciously on his knees.

Just as the caravan was about to enter the Longyou official road, a cloud of dust rose on the distant horizon, and the dull, dense sound of horses' hooves came like the beat of drums.

"alert!"

The imperial guards, who were protecting the imperial carriage, simultaneously let out a low shout.

The formation changed instantly, with long spears erected on the outer layer and muskets loaded on the inner layer, their blades gleaming coldly in the harsh northwest sun.

Yue Yun spurred his horse and led dozens of his personal riders forward like arrows released from a bow, galloping more than a hundred paces. His hand was already on the hilt of his sword, and his eyes were fixed on the source of the dust.

Xiong Tai immediately restrained his Shu cavalry to protect the flanks of the caravan, his expression grave.

Li Che, who was inside the carriage, naturally heard the commotion.

His expression remained unchanged; he simply pushed open the side window and looked outside.

The panda beside it stopped eating bamboo shoots and looked around curiously with its big black eyes.

As the dust settled in, it became clear that it was a light cavalry unit, numbering around two hundred.

What made the Imperial Guards relax a little was that the knights' attire was rather shabby, unlike what one would expect from an elite force.

The leather armor was old and patched in many places, and the coarse cloth robes covering it were faded by the wind and sand, making it almost impossible to see the original color.

Most of them carried two or three short javelins on their backs, scimitars at their waists, and bows and quivers hanging from their saddles.

There was no unified, clear banner; only the faded red scarves tied around the necks of the leading men were somewhat conspicuous.

But as the cavalry drew closer, the crowd's vigilance only increased.

Because of their superb horsemanship and masterful control of their horses, the formation remained wedge-shaped even while galloping.

Looking at the mounted cavalry, each of them had a dark and rough face, but their eyes were as bright as those of eagles in the Gobi Desert, exuding a fierce spirit that had been repeatedly tempered by wind, sand and blood.

This is a true veteran of countless battles; even in tattered armor, his battlefield aura cannot be concealed.

The lead rider was a wiry and strong man. He was not wearing the armor of a general, but dressed like his subordinates, except for a slightly worn black cloak draped over his shoulders.

It was none other than the commander-in-chief guarding the Northwest—Ma Jing.

When he was still a hundred paces away from the emperor's entourage, Ma Jing raised his right fist.

The two hundred riders behind them seemed to have crashed into an invisible wall, reining in their horses in unison. Their hooves kicked up clouds of yellow dust, but their formation remained perfectly intact.

Ma Jing dismounted on his own, threw the reins to his personal guard, and strode forward.

When he was about fifty paces away from the convoy, he did not hesitate to lift the hem of his battle robe and kneel down like a collapsing mountain of gold and jade pillars in the direction of the imperial carriage.

"This humble general, Ma Jing, respectfully welcomes Your Majesty's arrival!"

Inside the carriage, Li Che's eyes flickered slightly.

Ma Jing was a straightforward man. His excuses, such as "I am in armor and cannot perform the full ceremony," were merely that of arrogant and unruly soldiers.

Look at Ma Jing, he didn't even wear armor just to pay his respects!

This move was a grand gesture, with the troops greeting the delegation from afar at the border of the jurisdiction, removing their armor and kneeling in welcome, and speaking with utmost respect.

Moreover, he only brought a mere two hundred light cavalry, appearing so disheveled, just to show Li Che that he had absolutely no intention of harming him.

"Your Majesty, although Commander Ma's troops are few in number, they are all fierce and courageous warriors. This place is open and spacious, so we must be on guard."

Yue Yun spurred his horse closer to the imperial carriage and whispered, "Please allow this humble general to go first..."

Li Che raised his hand to stop him from saying anything more, and reached out to lift the beaded curtain hanging in front of the carriage, intending to get out.

"Your Majesty!" Hu Qiang interrupted in a deep voice, and Qiu Bai and the others also looked worried.

In such a wilderness, facing a group of border troops who have just dismounted from their horses, even if they are there to greet you, it is difficult to guarantee your safety.

“It’s alright.” Li Che’s voice was calm. “Minister Ma is a general left to me by my father. Since he has come to welcome me with sincerity, it would not be the way to treat a meritorious official if I were to cower in my carriage and greet him with armored soldiers surrounding him.”

He didn't want to appear suspicious and defensive from the very first meeting, even though Ma Jing's behavior was indeed quite unconventional.

As he spoke, Li Che bent down and stepped out of the imperial carriage.

Today he was dressed only in a black, arrow-sleeved casual suit suitable for riding, with a leather belt around his waist, and no longsword was worn.

His hair was simply tied up with a golden crown, making him look more like a noble young master on an inspection tour than an emperor who ruled the world.

Li Che walked forward alone, past the innermost guards, and toward Ma Jing, who was kneeling on the ground.

Yue Yun, Qiu Bai, and the others were so nervous that their palms were sweating. They almost couldn't resist following, but Li Che stopped them with a look, so they had to stay where they were and keep their hands on their swords.

Although Ma Jing kept his head down, he took in everything out of the corner of his eye.

When he saw that the emperor was not wearing any armor and was walking towards him alone and calmly, he was slightly shaken.

A surge of heat rushed to his eyes, making his nose sting.

He never expected that after he sent his secret letter, His Majesty would not only actually come, but also entrust him with such trust.

"Minister Ma, please rise," Li Che said gently.

Ma Jing took a deep breath, suppressed the sob in his throat, and knocked heavily one more time before getting up.

He dared not raise his head to look directly at the emperor, but lowered his eyes slightly, clasped his hands and said, "Your subject thanks Your Majesty!"

"The winds and dust of the borderlands are harsh and disturbing Your Majesty's presence; I deserve death!"

Li Che looked him over. Compared to the brief meeting he remembered a few years ago, Ma Jing looked darker and thinner.

The wrinkles around his eyes were deep and etched, but his eyes remained calm and sharp.

Time waits for no one, and this border general has aged considerably.