The military officers in the imperial court were unfamiliar with the Northern Frontier’s conditions. Even after arriving, they couldn’t turn the tide. The invading armies of the foreign tribes had already pressed entirely to the borders. Now in the bitter cold of winter, with the extremely harsh climate of the Northern Frontier, the soldiers were facing far too many hardships.
Meng Fu did not understand military affairs, nor did she interfere. She left the front hall entirely to Li Yue and the military officials of the court. It was only after the officials departed one by one that she received a cup of tea from a palace maid and walked into the Zichen Hall.
Li Yue was sitting behind the desk, flipping through the war reports from the Northern Frontier, his brows tightly furrowed. Meng Fu walked over, only placing the tea gently at his side, then quietly sat to one side, not disturbing him.
Only after quite a while, when Li Yue got up to search for the map of the Northern Frontier, did he realize she was sitting beside him.
“A’Fu, you’re here?” Li Yue’s brows relaxed a little, but his face was still full of worry.
Meng Fu gave a light “mm” and asked him: “How is the war in the Northern Frontier now?”
Li Yue sighed, lowered his head, and said: “Half a month ago, Cavalry General Wu Cheng’an led five thousand troops to battle the foreign tribes at Baihu Ridge and was heavily defeated. Of the five thousand troops, only over seven hundred remain. Wu Cheng’an also died under the blade of the foreign tribes. Ten days ago, someone led three thousand men in an attempt to circle around and strike from the rear, but got lost, wandered in circles for three days, and ended up back where they started. Five days ago, Jiancheng was raided by the foreign tribes, with nearly a thousand killed or injured. Three days ago, heavy snow fell in the Northern Frontier, and the sun was not seen. We have no choice but to—”
From the bronze incense burner in the hall, wisps of white smoke curled upward, slowly dispersing midair. His Majesty hadn’t finished speaking when Meng Fu suddenly spoke, interrupting his narration. She raised her eyes, looking straight at Li Yue in front of her. The winter sunlight shone through the gauze window, and the shadow of the smoke slanted onto the folding screen on the other side.
Meng Fu softly asked: “So you’re planning to personally lead the campaign, Your Majesty?”
Li Yue was slightly stunned. He had originally planned to recite all the current war situations in the Northern Frontier before telling Meng Fu this, so she could accept it more easily. He didn’t expect her to figure it out herself. Li Yue nodded and admitted: “Yes.”
Meng Fu pressed her lips together and did not speak. Li Yue sat down across from her and slowly said: “The war in the Northern Frontier is tense. Several foreign tribes have joined forces and cannot be underestimated. I know I am not the only person in this world who can fight this battle, but there isn’t enough time for me to find such a person. Since I have received the support of the people of the world, now that war has broken out and the common folk are suffering, I must take the responsibility myself.”
If it weren’t for the Fourth Prince stirring up trouble back then, Li Yue should have already wiped out the foreign tribes at that time. How would they have been left to today?
But bringing up those past matters now was meaningless.
Li Yue reached out and held Meng Fu’s hands in his palms. Meng Fu lowered her gaze and softly said: “I understand. Go then, Your Majesty.”
Li Yue had worried that Meng Fu would be reluctant to let him go. He had actually prepared many words to say to her, but since she understood him, those words no longer needed to be spoken.
On the battlefield, blades and swords know no mercy. No one can guarantee they will return safely. Li Yue was no longer that dispensable Third Prince of the past — he was now the ruler of a nation, the master of the world. Precisely because of that, in these past few years, he had never been able to leave court affairs behind and go to the Northern Frontier himself.
Li Yue pulled Meng Fu into his arms, wrapping both arms tightly around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder. His warm breath brushed across her cheek. He said softly: “Though I don’t want to say this, A’Fu, if anything happens to me, and I can’t come back…”
Meng Fu’s body slightly stiffened. She clutched tightly at Li Yue’s robe but did not interrupt him. She only listened as he continued: “I’ve already left a posthumous edict. The throne will be passed to Xiao Jiu. But Xiao Jiu is still young and does not yet understand reason. At that time, the Empress shall act as regent. Can you do that, A’Fu?”
The shadow of trees on the window swayed slightly in the wind. Within the golden beams of light, countless motes of dust floated slowly. With a gust of long wind, all scattered.
Meng Fu opened her mouth. Her throat was dry and for a moment, she couldn’t make a sound. A long time passed before she finally nodded and said: “I can.”
Li Yue kissed her cheek and called her name once: A’Fu.
“I can do it,” Meng Fu said again, her voice firmer than before. She turned her head, looked toward Li Yue, looked straight into his eyes, and said to him: “But I hope you will return well. Do not be defeated, and even more so, do not be wounded.”
His Majesty curved his lips. For the first time today, a trace of a smile appeared on his face. He said: “I will try my best.”
The winter sunlight was bright and gentle, like a handful of warm spring water, spilling into every corner of the hall. Smoke curled gently, and shadows fell across the floor.
On the third day of the twelfth lunar month, in the fifth year of Da Zhou’s Xihe reign, the current Emperor led a hundred thousand troops to the Northern Frontier to personally command the battle, leaving the Empress in charge of the nation. As the Empress had already been involved in political matters for many days, the officials did not voice many objections.
Only, they had always assumed that the Empress’s methods were much gentler than His Majesty’s. Now that the Emperor was absent, they realized that the gentleness was only on the surface. The Empress’s attitude was just as resolute as His Majesty’s. Once she set her mind to something, she would never back down.
In the first month of the following year, just after Spring Festival, the Empress began selecting female officials from among the families of court ministers to participate in government affairs. At the same time, she initiated the establishment of women’s academies among the common people. As the Empress was a woman, she indeed needed female officials to assist within the palace — the court officials had no strength to oppose.
In the same period, His Majesty arrived at the Northern Frontier and led troops into battle. On the way, he encountered a small group of foreign tribesmen. Upon hearing only his name, they threw down their weapons and scattered in retreat — a victorious first battle.
In the third month of the same year, unrest broke out again in Yun and Gui [short for Yunnan and Guizhou provinces]. The Empress discussed with court officials and decided to dispatch soldiers to Yun and Gui to cultivate wasteland and civilize the barbarians. [夷民 (yímín) – “barbarian people,” a historical term often used for non-Han ethnic groups]
At the same time, the Northern Frontier’s battles eased. Tang Mingqi recovered his health and split forces with the Emperor — one overt, one covert, one leading the front, one from the rear — and they heavily defeated the enemy troops.
In the sixth month of that year, Jiangnan was hit by several days of continuous rain. The Empress completed preparations for military supplies for the Northern Frontier and also arranged in advance for two kinds of disaster relief funds. She discussed with the Ministry of Works for several days and compiled the Ten Strategies for Water Control — digging waterways, repairing river embankments, changing diversion to guidance, and channeling water into proper paths.
During the same period, His Majesty led the army in the Northern Frontier, turning defense into offense. Tens of thousands of foreign tribes fled in disorder.
In the eighth month of that year, the Empress presided over the autumn imperial examination, and all went smoothly.
At the same time, news of a great victory came from the Northern Frontier — His Majesty led five thousand light cavalry to charge three thousand li, striking directly at the royal court of the foreign tribes. Hundreds of their royalty were all cut down beneath horse hooves. The united army of the foreign tribes had long since collapsed and scattered in defeat. Thousands of li of land to the north of the Northern Frontier from then on all fell under Da Zhou’s domain.
This prolonged and fierce war finally drew to a close. What it exchanged for was hundreds of years of peace at Da Zhou’s borders.
In the autumn of the sixth year of Xihe, His Majesty returned victorious from the Northern Frontier.
Meng Fu had already received a letter from Li Yue early in the palace, knowing that he would return tomorrow.
From the time he left the capital last twelfth lunar month until now, it had already been eight months.
During the day, she finished handling government affairs, and at dusk returned to her bedchamber wanting to sleep early, to properly welcome His Majesty tomorrow. But as midnight approached, Meng Fu still felt not the slightest sleepiness. She sat on the bed, by the dim lamplight, rereading the letters His Majesty had sent back from the Northern Frontier over the past months, one by one. A faint smile surfaced on her face.
She became even less sleepy. After organizing the letters, Meng Fu draped on an outer robe and got up to walk outside the palace.
The moon was cool as water, the night deep and silent, only a few autumn insects chirped from within the grass.
The palace stretched endlessly, the lanterns dim and sparse, casting broken shadows of trees under her feet.
Meng Fu didn’t know where she wanted to go. She slowly descended the white jade steps. Within the vast courtyard, her figure appeared slightly lonely.
But Meng Fu did not feel lonely — she only missed His Majesty a little.
Clearly knowing he would return tomorrow, the closer the time approached, the more anxious her heart became to see him.
Meng Fu lifted her head, wanting to know just how much longer it would be before dawn broke, before the sun would rise.
And then, she froze.
In the vastness of night, moonlight fell like a light veil. She actually saw Li Yue, wearing a long robe of dark black, sitting atop the tall vermilion palace wall. The gentle evening breeze swept across the tips of his hair, and for a moment, the flowers in the courtyard seemed to bloom all at once, their fragrance intoxicating.
For a moment, it was as if she were in a dream.
Li Yue waved at her, then leapt down from the palace wall, ran over, and pulled Meng Fu into a full embrace.
His breath even carried a smile as he said: “A’Fu, I’m back.”
The flowers and the moon mirrored each other — it was the perfect time.