TPITWOHEF

Chapter 97

In the past regime of Jing Country, there were two issues encountered during military expeditions. One was entering the malarial jungle during the scorching summer, where the high temperature could easily cause severe illness among the soldiers. The other was fighting at the border during the bitter cold, where many soldiers would freeze to death amidst the ice and snow.

"Your Majesty, did you just mention winter expeditions?"

Duke of Dingguo was startled by the Emperor's words and looked up in astonishment.

"What can a dress made by Concubine Liu do?!"

Not only Duke of Dingguo, but all the military generals present at the morning court had stopped their clamor. Even the Minister of War, Ma Rui, was staring at Emperor Xiao Yunzhou without blinking.

Xiao Yunzhou, with an expression that seemed to say 'Didn't I just tell you not to rush?', stood up from his throne.

"Since Duke of Dingguo is curious, let's go to the drill ground together."

Duke of Dingguo was taken aback, and the other generals and ministers of the War Department who stayed in the capital followed Xiao Yunzhou out with curiosity.

The group of civil ministers followed with twitching lips.

"Mr. Liu, haven't you heard about the fur coats that the Empress developed?" Jiang Li curiously squeezed next to Liu Wenchang.

"I don't know," Liu Wenchang waved his hand and firmly closed his mouth, "I don't know anything, I'm also very surprised."

The civil ministers: "..." They were really fed up with this old man!

The morning court session had just started not long ago, and daybreak was just beginning. All the civil and military officials followed Xiao Yunzhou out of the Hall of Humble Administration, shivering in the cold.

The North wind was howling, and their official robes were no match for it.

When the ministers entered the palace, they were covered in fur or cloaks made of mink or rat fur. But since they had just had an audience with the Emperor, they had taken off their cloaks and handed them to the young eunuchs when they entered the Hall of Humble Administration.

Now, the morning court session was not over yet, and the young eunuchs dared not appear. The ministers, without their cloaks and furs, were shivering from the cold, and had to tolerate it!

"Hisss—" The frail civil ministers had already shrunk their necks and dared not speak.

The moment they opened their mouths, the cold wind would pour directly into their throats.

The generals were okay, after all, they were used to the hard days, hunger, and cold.

"Your Majesty, let's walk a bit faster, so we don't freeze the elderly ministers to death," Duke of Dingguo still had the leisure to care about the civil ministers.

But after saying this, Duke of Dingguo also sucked in a breath of cold air.

The nape of his neck felt like it was frozen by the sudden drop in temperature outside.

His limbs were stiff, and his movements were slowing down.

Ah, he was old.

He couldn't even stand the cold in the capital.

Think about the border, with few trees and low walls, the ice was three or four times thicker than in the capital.

During the reign of the previous Emperor, when the armies of Jing and Chu were at a standoff, he had led his soldiers to guard in the icy land for an entire night. By the next morning, many of the soldiers had frozen stiff.