Mother, I have returned to the throne.

Chapter 354 Pretending to be sick

"Come here, please prepare your writing!"

Upon hearing such good news, Song Youji's face showed a hint of joy. Without saying a word, he waved his hand and asked someone to bring the four treasures of the study to prepare to draft the decree on the spot.

The third prince, who was standing by, couldn't sit still after seeing this scene.

After hesitating for a moment, he finally spoke out to stop him.

"Father, I don't think we should rush into this matter!"

"What do you mean by that?" Song Youji frowned slightly and looked at the third prince with a hint of anger in his pupils.

The Third Prince's heart trembled, and he quickly explained, "Father, I simply feel that this matter is a little too strange. How could that barbarian princess, of noble status, fall into my eldest brother's hands so easily?"

"So I think it's better to send someone to confirm this matter first, so as to avoid falling into the barbarians' trap in vain..."

As soon as Song Qi said this, Lin Fu beside him quickly spoke up to help: "That's right, Your Majesty. The barbarians have been cunning and scheming before, and we have suffered many losses at their hands. If this matter is not confirmed, it will inevitably lead to unnecessary trouble!"

When Lin Fu finished speaking, he did not forget to turn around and glance at the entire audience.

As the head of the civil servants, someone immediately came forward to help.

"That's right, Your Majesty. This matter involves a lot of things. It's a good thing to be cautious!"

"Your Majesty, those barbarians suffered such heavy casualties before, and I'm afraid they are filled with resentment. Under such circumstances, how could they easily give up Sanbian City? There must be a trick!"

"That's right, Your Majesty. It's not spring yet, and the barbarians are no fools. They must know that after spring, the Qin will definitely send reinforcements. Those three border cities are vulnerable and difficult to attack. If they surrender now, won't they be left with no defenses?"

"Your Majesty, please think twice. Don't forget how much we have lost to the barbarians!"

There were quite a few people present, and they all came forward at this moment, thinking that something was fishy!

Even General Zhao hesitated for a moment and frowned slightly, thinking that this matter was somewhat unlikely.

After all, in the eyes of others, the real decisive battle will take place after the spring.

Once the Peacock River thaws, it will take a lot of energy to cross this turbulent river!

In this way, with this defensive line, if the Qin Dynasty wants to launch a large-scale attack, it can only rush directly from the direction of Zhenbei City!

By then, the three border cities will be natural barriers that are absolutely impossible to cross, and the barbarians only need to send out a large army to defend here.

Even if the Qin Dynasty mobilizes a million troops, it will not be able to take it down easily in the end!

Just talking about the value of these three border cities, how could they be easily exchanged for more than just a princess?

As the saying goes, when something is abnormal, there must be something wrong. Now, with such a simple truth right in front of everyone, everyone naturally feels that something is wrong!

After hearing what everyone said, even Song Youji's expression gradually calmed down.

He frowned and thought for a moment, then he looked intently at General Zhao.

"General Zhao, you've been to the barbarians before, so you should be most familiar with the situation there. What do you think? Is there something fishy going on here?"

"Your Majesty, to be honest, I think this matter might be a little strange, but if you think about it carefully, it's not impossible!"

"Oh, is there something involved?" After hearing what General Zhao said, Song Youji's pupils flashed with some doubt.

The people around him were all leaning forward to look in the direction of General Zhao, just waiting for the final answer.

General Zhao coughed lightly and then began to explain.

"Your Majesty, you may not know that when I was at the border, Your Highness and I planned an ambush against the barbarians. I'm sure you all know this. We killed many people by the Peacock River and also captured two prisoners!"

"It was from him that we were able to find out the identity of the barbarian princess. And according to him, this princess is quite beloved among the barbarians!"

"In the Khan's eyes, this princess is like the bright moon in the sky. I think, since the Khan values ​​her so much, it is not impossible for him to sacrifice three border cities for her!"

The Third Prince, who was standing by, immediately questioned after hearing this: "General Zhao, don't you think what you said is a little too ridiculous?"

"No matter how important the barbarian princess is, she's just one person. I just can't believe that the barbarian Khan doesn't even have this much vision."

"Your Highness, please don't be impatient. Just listen to me first!"

General Zhao's plan was to retire and return home after solving the current problem, so he naturally did not have to fear the power of the prince.

He laughed at this moment and then began to explain.

"Because of the previous losses, the barbarians are now suffering from a severe food shortage. They have a huge population and can immediately mobilize a million-strong army with just a single call from a high place, but food has become a huge problem!"

"Without food supply, the barbarians naturally dare not recruit too many warriors. In this case, with insufficient manpower, how can they defend the three border cities?"

"The barbarians have long seen their own shortcomings. Since they can't defend it, why not trade it for the princess?"

"That being said, it seems to make some sense!"

When Song Youji heard this, his eyes became deep.

Lin Fu, standing aside, quickly spoke up, "Even if it's possible, I don't think this matter should be rushed. Your Majesty, why don't you hold off on the rewards until Your Highness truly reclaims the Three Border Cities? Then it won't be too late to act then!"

Faced with such a proposal, General Zhao nodded immediately: "That's right, Your Highness, it's not too late to reward you after everything is ready!"

"And I think that how to bestow the rewards now will probably be enough to give Your Majesty a headache!"

"Your Majesty, please don't forget that you haven't yet rewarded the eldest prince for his two previous achievements. Now that his merits are piling up, Your Highness should carefully consider them!"

When these words came out, Song Youji was slightly stunned, and his pupils suddenly straightened.

I have made two contributions before, didn’t I reward Song Yuan?

After thinking about it carefully, it seems to be true!

For a moment, Song Youji felt a headache when thinking about how to deal with this problem.

But after a moment, his brows relaxed and he waved to the commander of the Royal Guards.

"Draft an order and instruct General Wei..."

Although the reward to Song Yuan can be postponed for the time being, it is better to issue an imperial decree to express the importance of taking back the three border cities!

According to Song Youji, this time, it was Song Yuan who came forward, and General Wei was only responsible for assisting!

As soon as these words were spoken, the Third Prince beside him immediately showed a look of worry.

"Father, this arrangement might not be a good idea, right?"

"No matter what, General Wei is the commander-in-chief of the frontier. Now he is serving as an assistant..."

"What's wrong with that?" Song Youji glared at him before Song Qi could finish his words. "I'm just in charge of the handover. From now on, the defense of these three cities will still be fully under the responsibility of that guy surnamed Wei!"

Lin Fu, who was standing by, saw that the Third Prince had caused His Majesty's dissatisfaction, so he hurried forward and scolded Song Qi.

"Your Highness, this is your fault. Didn't you hear what General Zhao said before? There is a strange man beside the Crown Prince. The reason why Your Majesty made such arrangements is simply to let Mr. Leng come up with advice!"

"Your Majesty, I am grateful for your advice. It is I who am stupid!" The third prince understood the profound meaning of this, and then he put on a stern face and bowed slightly, approving the arrangement.

"Listen carefully, I don't care what you're thinking, but there's one thing I want to say: regaining your strength is more important than anything else!"

Song Youji narrowed his eyes and spoke to Song Qi in a meaningful tone.

"Those three cities were lost from my hands, so I absolutely cannot afford to fail in this matter. Otherwise, how can I face my ancestors?"

"You can do whatever you want, but you absolutely cannot make the slightest mistake in this matter. Otherwise, I'll punish you!"

"My son, I know!"

Seeing that Song Youji was getting angry, the Third Prince quickly bowed and pretended to be convinced.

But I already started cursing in my heart.

Seeing the third prince like this, General Zhao beside him couldn't help but shook his head for a moment!

As a bystander, he naturally noticed the prince's thoughts, but he felt that the prince's demeanor was still a little lacking.

No matter what, the country comes first and personal interests always take second place.

Ordinary people may not be able to see this clearly.

But as the crown prince, how could Song Qi have such a deviation?

He is the King of Chu, the future emperor!

By then, the entire Qin Dynasty will fall into Song Qi's hands.

But now, facing the gains and losses of the country, Song Qi is still concerned about his personal interests. If he does this, I am afraid it is not acceptable!

For a moment, General Zhao couldn't help but think of Song Yuan before. Even though Song Yuan was extremely dissatisfied with General Wei's various behaviors, apart from the embarrassment on the surface, he was not vague at all when it came to major issues!

Comparing the two, General Zhao was even more certain of his previous thoughts.

The Zhao family must not interfere in the struggle between these two princes!

Now is the best opportunity. If you don’t pretend to be sick, what are you waiting for?

"Cough cough cough..."

General Zhao was cunning and treacherous. Without any warning, he suddenly started coughing violently.

The sound was heard from far away, and the prince who was originally scolded by Song Youji was rescued because of it.

Song Youji's sharp gaze slowly shifted to look at General Zhao and asked with concern, "General Zhao, are you okay?"

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I must have been rushing along the way, so I caught a cold. I guess... cough cough cough..."

On the surface, General Zhao puffed out his chest and looked fearless, but his cough was getting worse and worse!

After hearing this reason, Song Youji couldn't help but reveal a hint of guilt on his face.

"I was too impatient. It's all my fault! So, General Zhao, go back and rest. I'll send the imperial physician to your house to treat you!"

"Then I will take my leave first. Thank you, Your Majesty!"

General Zhao hurriedly bowed and greeted him, and even as he retreated, his whole body was trembling.

But after a while, General Zhao had already returned to the mansion at full speed.

Without saying a word, he called his youngest son to his side

Lie down and whisper in the other person's ear!

"Dad, why did you make such an arrangement?" The youngest son's face was full of confusion.

General Zhao glared at him fiercely. "Why are you talking so much nonsense? Just do what I tell you to do. Hurry up! The doctor will arrive soon and it will be too late!"

"Remember, this matter must not be made public. No one except you can know about it!"

General Zhao glared at his youngest son fiercely, and the other turned away with some helplessness.

A moment later, the youngest son returned with a wine bag in his hand, which was filled with boiling water.

General Zhao didn't mind the heat either, so he took it directly and stuffed it into the quilt.

Then he pretended to be listless and waited quietly for the imperial physician to come!