Chapter 679: Imperial Older Brother

People who can calm their minds by writing may exist, but His Majesty certainly isn't one of them!

Even just eating well, drinking well, and writing when he has nothing on his mind is a hard job, let alone with this worry on his heart.

He wrote for a while, then stood up again—the chair seemed to have spikes. He changed rooms, swapped desks, stood by the window posing for a bit, busied himself writing a few characters before stopping soon after, and His Majesty furrowed his brows in an old‑fashioned, stern way……

"Could it be that Your Majesty has grown taller, making this desk height unsuitable? We'll change it tomorrow… Shall I switch it back for you?" The attendant beside him had already prepared an excuse.

His Majesty gave a restrained nod; Bai Ze almost snorted, then held it back. Now that someone's picking up the conversation, this guy will definitely go on a happy strike.

Bai Ze didn't speak; Xiao Jin and Weini were playing in the yard, so it seemed safe—but alas, after he sat back in the chair and had just written a few characters, Lao Si dragged Lao Qi to the door.

As soon as Si Pangzi entered, he shoved the ball‑wrapped Lao Qi forward and shouted, "If you can't afford to raise a child, don't! What kind of weird, bloating snacks are you giving the kid? Is it on purpose? Now you can't even afford meals?!"

When he first arrived, lunch had six dishes; now it's six dishes total for him and Lao Qi combined, and dinner has even fewer courses—our food standards have plummeted in a straight line!

I have to admit the food in Youzhou is excellent, but with smaller portions he can taste fewer dishes; he has to eat together with Lao Qi to sample a few more. Yet Lao Qi's meals are too bland—overall, his treatment has been cut in half.

As soon as His Majesty saw the two of them, he immediately threw down his pen.

He lifted his eyes lazily and said, "Who dares be so rude? It's Si Pangzi, huh?" His big eyes gleamed—he seemed a hundred times more energetic than just before.

Bai Ze rose slowly and went to the inner chamber next door, so as not to get blood on himself.

As soon as Bai Ze's silhouette vanished, Bai Li Hu let out an involuntary sigh. The moment he stepped inside, he locked eyes with San Pangzi's pet—a glance impossible to describe. How to put it? Those deep‑purple eyes seemed to hold too much, as if they could see right through him, making him feel ill at ease, even more present than San Pangzi himself.

In a moment, Zhao Bao, who had been following them, stepped forward and quietly recounted the whole affair to His Majesty.

His Majesty was speechless for a moment, then reached out toward Bai Li Qi. "Lao Qi~"

The Seventh Prince, who was gnawing on his hand, obviously didn't know who was to blame for his day without food. He reluctantly watched Bai Ze leave, then happily ran toward his meal ticket, calling, "Imperial Older Brother~"

His Majesty rubbed his belly and felt fine; the guy had also eaten plenty of goodies from the ranch—wasn't he bouncing around? Probably… he'll be all right once he digests it.

Si Pangzi was dissatisfied. "So you still know how to call 'Imperial Older Brother'?!" Can this guy, who just blurts out a single word, even size people up?

His Majesty lifted his chin and puffed his chest. "He can do it—you're not better than him, are you? Go on, shout 'Imperial Older Brother' for us to hear!

Si Pangzi looked as if he'd swallowed a fly. "San Pangzi, you're not going crazy from too much pressure, are you?

"What pressure do I have?"

"…We can't even afford to raise the kids, so why drag His Highness back here? Food, drink, and allowances have been slashed in half. To be frank, is the cold snap going to drag you down?" Si Pangzi struck a pose as if watching a show.

Can His Majesty let him watch this excitement?

He shouted, "Stop spouting nonsense about big truths!"

Ling Yin and Zhao Bao in the room: ……

His Majesty pulled Lao Qi forward and said, "You're right—I can't afford to raise the children. Look, Lao Qi is your own brother; the noble consort in the palace is Father Emperor's concubine, the sisters are our shared sisters, and we're about the same age. Can't we split the palace's silver expenses fifty‑fifty?"

Bai Li Hu widened his eyes in disbelief, Zhao Bao stared at the carpet on the floor, and the great hero Ling Yin pulled out a cloth to wipe his sword……

His Majesty blinked and asked, "Is that not okay?"

Si Pangzi once again updated his opinion of San Pangzi.

At this moment he felt San Pangzi was invincible.

He wanted to say something to needle San Pangzi, but when the words reached his lips he changed tack: "Release me, and I'll give you two hundred thousand taels—consider it my allowance for Lao Qi." He had even worked out the rationale.

"Tsk~"

"Two hundred thousand? I don't even look at that. Add two more zeros and I'll reluctantly consider it. After all, you're still quite important—if the Cui clan, for your sake, turns back from rebellion, the land of Jingzhou could spare a hundred thousand men."

"You!"

"What's with the 'you'? Do you think the Cui clan is merely rebelling, not for the sake of your nephew, you? Heck, Marquis Wei Ting isn't like that, and the Southwest Army—my word is law there~"

Bai Li Hu dragged Lao Qi away in anger, and only after leaving Lantai Hall did his expression change.

Lao Si left, and His Majesty grew quiet. He propped his chin, pondered a while, and muttered, "Si Pangzi needs some stimulation……

Zhao Bao, hearing this, felt terrified; from then on he worried every day that His Majesty would stir up trouble. Xie Xiang had warned him—if His Majesty were to cause trouble again, he should give advance notice, not wait until His Majesty had left the capital while the court remained clueless.

Xie Xiang also meant well for His Majesty, and Zhao Bao knew it, but His Majesty's penchant for stirring things up is swift and decisive—he never gave Zhao Bao a chance to give him a heads‑up!

Zhao Bao's heart had been strained for days; Bai Li Hu stopped taking the initiative, and His Majesty showed no sign of seeking trouble, so after a while Zhao Bao finally relaxed his guard.

The Northern Border gradually emerged from the cold wave's impact, suffering losses but ultimately pulling through. Divine Doctor Zhang, who had been rushing about to treat frostbite among the populace, returned to Youzhou, and His Majesty temporarily set aside pondering the steppe's movements, launching a grand drive to gather grain and fodder. After all, every extra month Bai Li Qi lived, His Majesty felt he was getting a great bargain while he himself suffered a loss.

His Majesty could let go, but the steppe was truly impossible to relinquish.

This cold wave came from the north; the steppe tribes were hit harder than those of Yi and Bing prefectures. Moreover, their nomadic life made them suffer more than the Great Jin. The icy blast swept over the steppe, freezing countless cattle and sheep, as well as weak children and women.

The steppe lacks big trees; normally the only burnable material is accumulated brushwood and sheep dung. Ordinary folk can't even burn cow dung—that's reserved for the chanyu and nobles.

Once the herders' stored supplies burned out, they could only endure; though they began with wails, within three days the tribes fell into utter silence. Even the ambitious Chanyu Punu had to halt his grand plan to unify the steppe—starving neighbors couldn't immediately rescue the Xiongnu from their current plight.

Although Bai Li Jing is tough to deal with, if they don't think of a solution, many tribesmen won't survive until the pastures turn green.

In the face of great disaster, the Xiongnu and the Tufa Xianbei immediately ceased their frivolous tug‑of‑war and instead went to bargain with those who had grain. The two sides clasped hands and made peace, temporarily setting aside the poor neighbors, then together turned their horses south.

Ultimately out of concern for the Northern Border's armored cavalry, these bearded fellows chose the invasion point for their surprise attack north of Yunzhong Commandery, midway between Shanggu Pass and Shuofang Pass.

The border region stretching to Yunzhong Commandery is a vast expanse almost devoid of inhabitants; the steppe tribes, who usually march straight ahead and station troops at the border on a whim, rarely bothered to think—yet to avoid the Northern Border's main force they actually had to use their brains.