Feng Jie stood there in a daze.

He was powerless to look into the distance.

At this moment, I just feel the biting cold wind.

He also had a lot of dealings with Emperor Feng.

As the second generation of a general, he also studied in the palace.

From what he could see, Fengdi was actually quite a good person. He had shown remarkable talent since childhood, and was among the best in both civil and military strategy. Crucially, Fengdi was kind, and even if a baby bird fell from a tree, he would take the trouble to return it to its nest.

Later, Fengdi was sent to the military camp. Although he was a prince, he never looked down on the rough and tumble people. He had been living a life of luxury since childhood, yet he was able to get along well with the soldiers. Sometimes, he would take out his annual salary to reward the troops.

It was popular expectation that Emperor Feng would ascend the throne.

Since ascending the throne, Fengdi has been diligent and conscientious. He personally handles every matter, big or small. He never rests until he's finished his work. With Ning Que's support behind the scenes, he personally oversees the reforms of government. He boldly appoints many talented young officials and encourages open communication. He even personally issues an edict, rewarding officials and common people who point out his mistakes to his face.

The previous emperor's death and the subsequent failure of the Eastern Expedition to Goguryeo left the people destitute. However, upon ascending to the throne, Emperor Feng quickly restored the country's strength. The people prospered, with many households having enough food to last them two or three years. Such prosperity was unattainable even for three generations before him.

But now...

The Emperor's mask was torn off!

Revealing his true face full of insidiousness and cunningness!

"Dad, could it be that Xiao Ning was deceived?"

"Do you think he's reckless?" Feng Wuze looked at him coldly. "These things were confirmed by him and Tian Zhongxun. And don't forget, he has the Shenji Pavilion behind him. With their spies all over the world, they can also get some intelligence. We all know that Xiao Ning has been investigating the truth of Hulu Valley for years."

"Too……"

"Besides, Xiao Ning also has a basis for his claims. After he put down Tian Zhongxun's rebellion, Emperor Feng immediately dispatched troops to transport Tian Zhongxun back to Chang'an. He charged him with treason and quickly executed all nine of his clans. He also dispatched numerous officials to serve as high-ranking officials in the three counties of Qi. What do you think was the reason for Emperor Feng's actions?"

"Be careful that Xiao Ning becomes too powerful and dominates Qi!"

"Clever." Feng Wuze nodded and continued, "Also, a lot of things happened in Chang'an City. An assassin attacked the Queen Mother in Yongning Palace, and she was injured. The Emperor Feng was furious and sent the imperial guards to protect Yongning Palace. At the same time, all the maids and servants were killed."

"The situation at court has changed dramatically. Grand Tutor Yu Ji has resigned, and the Minister of Personnel has been replaced by newcomer Wang Wu. Minister of War Jiang Quan has been sidelined. As for this Eastern Expedition, Jiang Quan had no say in it at all. It was entirely a decision made by Emperor Feng and the Vice Minister of War, bypassing him as the Minister of War."

"Tell me, what is the purpose of serving the emperor?"

“…”

Feng Jie was completely petrified.

His thoughts were quite confused at the moment.

I even feel confused about the future...

When Ning Que inherited the throne, he'd specifically gone out for a drink with him. While they were drunk, they contemplated the future. Ning Que had made it clear that he intended to emulate his father and brother and become the most outstanding general in Dafeng. He also intended to assist the Emperor and reform the government. He wanted to ensure a better life for the people of the land and usher in a truly prosperous era!

"Emperor Feng has already eradicated the Prince of Qi, and he's now beginning to eliminate dissidents in his quest to monopolize power. The attack on the Queen Mother was likely just a pretext; their real goal is to imprison her in Yongning Palace. Xiao Ning has already stated that his plan is to use the Eastern Expedition as a pretext and then find an opportunity to fake his own death. Once he's successfully escaped, he'll head to Lingnan and lie dormant."

"He also warned us that Emperor Feng might also take action against us." Feng Wuze looked at Feng Jie and whispered, "Our Feng family has been stationed in the north for many years, dealing with the Liao Kingdom all year round, and we also have a very high appeal in the army. The key is that your father is Ning Que's uncle, and you are his cousin. If Emperor Feng really did all this, he will never let my father and I go."

"So what do we do?"

Feng Wuze sighed, "Emperor Feng cultivated a mysterious spy organization, the Ghost Guard, long ago. Even within the military, there are likely spies. If we fake our own deaths and escape, Emperor Feng will surely notice, and Xiao Ning might even be harmed. Even if we wanted to lead an uprising, all members of our Feng family are still in Chang'an..."

"Then... I can only wait to die?"

"No, Xiao Ning told us to carry on as usual and pretend we knew nothing. He will make plans in secret and keep our Feng family safe."

"What's the solution?"

"He will have the Liao Kingdom send troops and find a way to besiege Shuofang. By then, the Feng Emperor will be forced to let you and I, father and son, continue to lead the troops. After all, Ning Que's fake death will cause turmoil throughout Dafeng. The Liao people are like wolves and tigers, so it is normal for them to send troops at that time. The Feng Emperor has no one to use, so you and I can survive."

"But will the Liao Kingdom listen to Xiao Ning?" Feng Jie seemed a little anxious and said quickly: "After all, it was Xiao Ning who led the troops to recapture Shuofang."

"Xiliang owes him a favor, so he will ask Xiliang to come forward to help and force the Liao Kingdom to agree. Moreover, the Liao Kingdom also knows that if they let Emperor Feng completely loose, they might not even be able to protect their ancestral land, Longcheng. Therefore, the Liao Kingdom has no choice but to agree. Even if Xiliang does not come forward, the Liao Kingdom will send troops. Take advantage of the weakness of the Great Feng Kingdom and find an opportunity to bite hard."

"That's good... That's good..."

"What's good?" Feng Wuze just glared at him coldly. "Xiao Ning, this is just a temporary solution. After all, our Feng family members are in Chang'an City. Even if we lead the troops back to Shuofang, we have to find a chance to bring them out."

"Alas..." Feng Jie let out a long sigh, "I never thought that Emperor Feng would be such a person. Our Feng family originally supported him in his ascension to the throne, but now we are being controlled by him."

Feng Wuze was calm and said calmly, "Since ancient times, serving an emperor is like serving a tiger. How many people who can sit in that position are simple? Take Emperor Wen for example, his methods were equally ruthless. And the former Emperor Taizong also killed his father and brother to ascend the throne. If Emperor Feng is really not the previous emperor's son, but a child of the Gu family, then he would most likely kill Xiao Ning to consolidate his power."

He had lived so long and had seen a lot. But this was the first time he had ever experienced something like Emperor Feng. The key point was that even he had misjudged Emperor Feng. It could be said that Emperor Feng's acting had fooled everyone!

Fortunately, Tian Zhongxun told Ning Que everything, otherwise no one would have known the truth. After all, everyone knew that Tian Zhongxun and Ning Que had always been at odds. Who could have expected that they could confide in each other?

"I'm afraid I'll be sad in the future..."

Feng Wuze looked up at the night sky and sighed softly.