Lord Liu glanced at Jiang Yulou and thought to himself, you fox are quite smart. Anyway, we can't touch your Black Sail Army, so let us do whatever we want.

Then Prime Minister Liu added, "Since His Royal Highness the Regent is willing to guarantee this matter, then please ask Your Highness and the Princess to stay in Yong'an City temporarily and discuss cooperation after the outcome of the war is known."

Pei Zhiyuan smiled contemptuously and said jokingly, "I just asked for mercy for your son. What's the matter? If your son is incompetent and can't win the battle, do you want to drag me to be buried with him?

Since the person who plotted rebellion is your son, as a father, shouldn't you set a good example yourself?

Regardless of whether Young Master Liu can conquer the southern border, if he fails, shouldn't the Prime Minister resign as well?"

As soon as these words were spoken, they immediately received support from Censor Xu and his group.

Liu Zhang immediately gave Prime Minister Liu a determined look and said sincerely, "Father, I've been hiding in the southern border for the past few years and have already figured out their troop deployments. My heart has always been with the Yanyang Kingdom and with you, father."

Prime Minister Liu frowned, feeling embarrassed. He knew his son was cunning and might not be on his side. But after hearing his son's loyal plea for mercy, he softened his heart.

He began to plead for Liu Zhang, "Now that Nanguan City has been under siege for a long time, it will only waste money and food. It is better to give Liu Zhang a chance to make up for his loss. If..."

He hesitated for a moment, then seemed to have made up his mind. He said, "If we cannot capture Nanguan City on schedule, I will leave this old man to the disposal of His Majesty."

Upon hearing this, Murong Yao looked at Jiang Yulou for help.

Jiang Yulou understood and stepped forward to offer a helping hand, saying, "In that case, then we will follow Prime Minister Liu's wishes and have Young Master Liu lead the attack on Nanguan City. This will also demonstrate Your Majesty's benevolence."

Obviously, Jiang Yulou's words were very helpful, and Murong Yao quickly agreed.

Shen Xu looked at Jiang Yulou indifferently. He always felt that this person seemed familiar, but he couldn't tell where he had seen him.

Prime Minister Liu hadn't given Liu Zhang many troops, and remained extremely vigilant against him. Before leaving, Prime Minister Liu had also instructed the accompanying generals that if Liu Zhang showed any signs of defecting to the enemy, he was to be immediately beheaded and executed.

When Liu Zhang was about to leave, the emperor and his entourage saw him off at the reviewing platform. Prime Minister Liu said with a serious face that Liu Zhang should make peace with his wife A Rao from the southern border. If he could bring back A Rao's body this time, the Liu family would recognize him again.

I thought Liu Zhang would be hesitant, but he agreed with a firm attitude. However, this did not dispel Prime Minister Liu's concerns, but made him more suspicious and worried.

Chen Xu and Pei Zhiyuan did not go to see him off. From their standpoint, it was not appropriate for them to do so.

Lin Fuxue, however, suddenly went to the city gate. When Liu Zhang was about to leave on his horse, she presented him with a dagger with a jeweled scabbard in front of the guards and said meaningfully, "I'll wait for you to come back."

Liu Zhang smiled and nodded in response, "Okay."

In the next few days, Shen Xu and Pei Zhiyuan just visited relatives and friends everywhere, and the place they visited most frequently was Prime Minister Liu's residence.

Suddenly one day, Pei Zhiyuan and Prime Minister Liu mentioned the marriage of Princess Xiling.

"Yesterday, Princess Lin got drunk at the Princess's residence and bluntly stated that she didn't want to marry His Majesty. She saw that among the young men in Yong'an City, only your eldest son was the most outstanding. I've heard her ask the Princess several times about Young Master Liu, so she must be interested in him. But..."

Pei Zhiyuan hesitated to speak. He sighed and said, "Princess, you can never be my concubine."

Lord Liu was stunned, and thought carefully about the two of them flirting at the city gate that day, and they must have fallen in love with each other.

The Liu family has always been arrogant and looked down on the daughters of merchants. Now the Xu family has become their mortal enemy. He wants Liu Zhang to abandon his original wife Jiang Rao before he can return to his roots. He is worried that he can't find a family of equal status to match him.

Now he has been favored by Princess Xiling. Isn't this a match made in heaven?

"Your Majesty, you intend to confer the title of Imperial Consort upon the Princess."

Pei Zhiyuan chuckled softly and said, "Prime Minister Liu, do you know why Miss Xue burned the imperial edict?

This Princess Lin is the most honorable Princess in Xiling City. Who should be appointed as a Royal Consort?

Even when the queen was enthroned, Xiling City was still weighing the weight of the queen's position.

Everyone knows that Prime Minister Liu holds a high position in the Yanyang Kingdom's court. He now commands a 400,000-man Western Wilderness army. If he could gain support from Xiling City, wouldn't that be even more powerful? "

Prime Minister Liu's face darkened and he interrupted Pei Zhiyuan with a heavy cough. However, the Liu clan relatives accompanying him took Pei Zhiyuan's words to heart.

Your Majesty has been on the throne for four years now, but has no children. Although the eldest son of the Liu family has a rebellious nature, he is both virtuous and talented.

It is better to support your own sons and nephews than to support a mediocre king in the court.

"The world of Yanyang Kingdom belongs to the Murong family." Prime Minister Liu immediately stated his position.

Pei Zhiyuan spread his hands and said calmly, "Then Haoyue's world still belongs to the surname Xiao. Lord Prime Minister, guess why I am the regent.

Lord Prime Minister, guess again, will half of the North Sea be..."

He deliberately lowered his voice and asked with a devilish smile, "Your last name is Liu?"

Prime Minister Liu was immediately furious and slammed the table, "Your Highness, please stop trying to sow discord between me and His Majesty!

If you continue to speak so recklessly, I will no longer treat you with courtesy!"

Pei Zhiyuan stood up, shrugged helplessly, and said lazily, "I thought the Liu family of Yanyang State would be so powerful. It turns out that they are also rabbits that grow up in their own circle.

However, regardless of whether your son can capture Nanguan City or not, the Liu family is doomed."

Someone at the table stood up. It was a relative of the Liu family. He quickly asked, "Why does the Regent say that?"

Pei Zhiyuan smiled meaningfully and walked out of the hall, leaving behind a sentence, "When the cunning rabbit dies, the running dog is cooked."

Everyone at the table immediately erupted in discussion. Prime Minister Liu, his face livid, shouted, "Everyone, please be patient. This is simply the Regent's attempt to sow discord between the ruler and his subjects in Yanyang, thereby weakening our nation and allowing Haoyue to take advantage."

Don't listen to his lies and mislead the public!"

"Brother," the man standing there said anxiously, "but His Majesty's intentions in the court recently have become clear.

If Zhang'er had not captured Nanguan City, Your Majesty and Xu's party would have made a big fuss about it.

But if Zhang'er captures Nanguan City, our Liu family will really be like what the Regent said, when the cunning rabbit dies, the running dog will be cooked."

As soon as these words were spoken, the discussion among the people at the table became even more lively. Although the Liu family was now all-powerful, the emperor in the court was surnamed Murong after all. It was a well-known fact that the higher you climb, the harder you fall.

Some people suggested that Lord Liu should plan to propose marriage to Xiling City as early as possible.

Some people were already planning how to depose the emperor and establish another one.

Lord Liu was furious and the banquet ended in a bad mood.