When they learned that Jiang Nuan was leaving, everyone was surprised but did not object.

Yang Qing, in particular, couldn't hide his joy and was quite clear-headed, wishing he could send her off with great fanfare.

Jiang Nuan is here, and he is the one who feels most uncomfortable.

The banished immortal was highly respected, held a high rank, and had accumulated merits, putting him under pressure in every aspect.

This made him, as the commander-in-chief, very uncomfortable, and he felt restricted in everything he did.

As for Madam Xie, she missed her daughter very much after being away for so many days. Like Jiang Nuan, she was eager to return home. After making their decision, the two immediately headed back.

Before that, Jiang Nuan said goodbye to the eldest princess.

"I'm leaving now. See you again someday!"

Upon hearing this, the eldest princess was taken aback. "Can't we stay a little longer?"

She's been very busy lately, swamped with all sorts of things, and hasn't had time to sleep or eat.

"No, I've been away for a long time, and I'm eager to go home."

Jiang Nuan's feelings were complicated, especially when facing the eldest princess.

Throughout the entire encounter, this person showed no hostility towards me whatsoever; however, given our opposing positions, the two were destined never to become friends.

After a long silence, the eldest princess nodded solemnly, "We will be destined to meet."

Although the chances are very slim.

After much deliberation, Jiang Nuan didn't reply and left with heavy steps.

By the time the capital received the news from the border, the matter had already been settled, and the deal between the Great Zhou and Gandan was almost finalized.

"Gandan is fighting amongst themselves?" Ji Xuan asked in astonishment. "The allied forces were actually torn apart by the eldest princess of Gandan all by herself?"

He never imagined things could develop in this direction.

A war that threatened the entire Great Zhou Dynasty was averted by the internal strife in Gandan. Immediately, Ji Xuan became wary of Gandan's eldest princess.

This is a very ambitious person, and also a person who will stop at nothing. As for more details, we will have to wait and see.

"This is a good thing," Qi Yong said with a smile. "In any case, the Northwest is safe now!"

This is the most important point.

It would be better if Gandan were constantly embroiled in internal strife, as this would alleviate some of the pressure on the border.

"Hmm," Ji Xuan nodded, then continued reading, becoming more and more satisfied. He couldn't help but smile and say, "The Lady Protector's methods are very thorough, practically watertight. Even the Three Grand Secretaries can only do this much."

"The three of them?" Qi Yong disagreed. "Even Liu An wouldn't ally with Princess Gandan. They would never approve of Princess Gandan's actions."

If the three of them found out about such a treasonous act, who knows how furious they would be, and then use the opportunity to advise the Emperor to be careful of the harem...

“Indeed,” Ji Xuan agreed. “Princess Gandan’s behavior is indeed contrary to common sense. For a princess to have such ambition and cunning is not good for Great Zhou, regardless of how it affects Gandan!”

“This servant has other ideas,” Qi Yong said dismissively. “The reason we were pressured by Gan Dan this year is because one thing after another has happened. The strength of the Great Zhou still needs to be improved. Two years from now, things will definitely be a different story.”

"That's right!"

Ji Xuan stood tall and proud, resolute and confident.

Whether it's him or Da Zhou, all they lack is time.

"Your Majesty..." Qi Yong hesitated, unsure whether he should speak or not.

"explain."

Ji Xuan's attitude was clear: he did not want Qi Yong to have any estrangement from him.

"Sichuan is now pacified, and the Northwest is temporarily settled. My lord, have you decided on your attitude towards the Lady Protector's lineage?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Xuan sat down and fell into deep thought.

This is a very serious issue.

One event after another has pushed the immortal to an unparalleled level, and will have a series of subsequent impacts.

Ji Xuan pressed her temples and leaned back slightly. "Qi Yong, what do you think of the Protector of the Nation's attitude towards the Great Zhou?"

"You have done everything you could to be benevolent and righteous!"

“That’s true,” Ji Xuan frowned deeply. “However, I am wary of her, extremely wary of her, and have even had nightmares about her several times!”

"Your Majesty..."

Qi Yong had no idea about this.

"Am I despicable?" Ji Xuan laughed self-deprecatingly. "Even though I know that the Lady Protector of the State has been extremely kind to the Great Zhou and has been kind to me time and time again, I still can't control my fear and suspicion. I have even plotted more than once to find a way to completely suppress her."

By the end, Ji Xuan's voice had become deep and somber.

This is probably a common problem among emperors: they maintain a high degree of wariness towards everyone, and even if they are moved by emotions for a moment, such thoughts will still arise after reason returns.

They are fickle, tormented, and despise themselves.

“Your Majesty, please don’t say that,” Qi Yong said seriously. “You are the Emperor, your position is different, and your stance is different. The Lady Protector of the Nation has made great contributions, but it cannot be said that you are wrong. Moreover, nothing has happened yet.”

The phenomenon of someone's achievements overshadowing their master has existed since ancient times and has occurred repeatedly.

This phenomenon only illustrates one thing: the emergence of an overly powerful and capable person is indeed a cause for concern.

However, there were also stories of harmonious relationships between rulers and their subjects, depending on the fate of the two individuals.

Before the incident involving the eldest princess, Qi Yong did not believe that the Lady Protector of the Nation had the ability to threaten the Great Zhou Dynasty, but now he was no longer certain.

To be honest, Qi Yong was even more conflicted than Ji Xuan about his attitude towards the Immortal Clan.

For a moment, the master and servant looked at each other with a sense of shared misfortune.

After a long silence, Ji Xuan rubbed his eyes and said, "The Great Zhou is in dire need of rebuilding, it's too early to consider these things. Let's talk about this later."

"I agree, but at this moment, we should still give what we deserve."

"That makes sense!"

Subsequently, Ji Xuan announced the news from the Northwest, and the court immediately erupted in uproar.

The peacemakers were overjoyed.

With their status and assets secured, they could finally live a carefree life.

The pro-war faction was also pleased that the war ended without casualties, which was good for everyone.

Seeing this, Ji Xuan muttered to herself.

What happened?

These pedantic people, they always want to curse a woman for three days and three nights whenever she goes too far, why are they acting like this this time?

Clearing her throat, Ji Xuan gave Qi Yong a meaningful look.

After Qi Yong understood, he immediately brought up the topic, "Princess Gandan became Khan and immediately sent a letter to the Great Zhou to seek peace. What do you ministers think?"

Upon hearing this, An Qingyun was the first to speak, "I think this is excellent. Although Gandan is a barbarian tribe, it should not be underestimated. If we can turn hostility into friendship, it would be best for our Great Zhou."

“An Qing is right,” Ji Xuan said, feeling a little disheartened. “Next, let’s discuss how to deal with the old Khan?”

"I believe that taking them hostage is the best course of action..."

An hour passed, and Ji Xuan still hadn't heard what he wanted to hear, so he simply waved his hand and left the court.

"What's going on?" he wondered, genuinely puzzled. "Why hasn't anyone questioned Princess Gandan's actions?"

In the back hall of the An residence, the two Grand Secretaries, An and Zhong, were quite content.

"The storms of the Great Zhou have finally subsided!"

Upon hearing this, Zhong Ping exclaimed, "This immortal is truly unfathomable, like a mountain pressing down on us men, making it hard to breathe!"

“Now is just right,” An Qingyun said with a smirk, “Gandan considers himself a hero, yet he is still being dominated by women.”