Lieutenant General Yang Yi's attention was strangely focused on Emperor Zhao, because Zhao Jiu's expression did not change at this time. Compared with Du Chong's collusion with the enemy, this matter seemed to make him more inexplicably uneasy.

Zhao Jiu nodded and asked again: "Which road did you come from? Did you encounter the Jin army? How long did it take you to walk?"

"I dare not take the northern route, so I took a detour from Caizhou, went through Xiping, passed Zhongyang Mountain, and went back to Nanyang from Qingtai across the Dushui Stone Bridge... This is the route that Yelu Mawu used to attack Ruyang... I did not see the Jin army along the way. As for the time it took..." Du Yan obviously thought for a moment. "I decided to leave after seeing my father report to Nanyang that the three generals were attacking each other and the three armies were unstable. I have not calculated the specific time!"

"It's only two and a half days." Zhao Jiu sighed. "Don't go back to your residence. I'll ask General Yang to find you a secluded place to live immediately. When this matter is settled, I'll arrange for you to go to Bashu to be a county magistrate..."

Perhaps he realized something, but Du Yan suddenly started crying: “Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty… Your father… Your father…”

"Go down!" Zhao Jiu sighed rarely.

Du Yan felt as if his heart was being cut by a knife, but he kowtowed and followed Yang Yizhong away.

After a while, seeing Yang Yi Zhong and Du Yan leave, Emperor Zhao paused for a moment before turning back to the hall. But when he took his seat, facing the nervous reception of Lu Haowen and Chen Gui, he waited for more than a quarter of an hour without saying a word.

Just when Chen Gui was becoming increasingly intolerable, Yang Yizhong turned back, and Emperor Zhao, who had been thinking for a long time, finally spoke again slowly: "Call the Deputy Envoy of the Privy Council, Lü Yihao; call the Privy Council's Chief Secretary Liu Ziyu, the Privy Council's Editor Hu Hongxiu; call the Palace Attendant Censor Li Guang, the Imperial Academy Scholar Li Ruopu, the Secretary of the Central Secretariat Fan Zongyin; call the Chief Censor Hu Yin, the Imperial Academy Scholar Lin Jingmo, the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard Liu Yan, the Deputy Commissioner of the Privy Council Wanqi Xie; call the Acting Governor of Nanyang Prefecture Yan Xiaozhong, the Nanyang Four Wall Defense Envoy Wang De, the Commander Fu Qing, the Commander Xin Yongzong... Be careful, and tell them not to alarm too many people."

Although the order of the call-up list was very strange, basically all the key figures who could make final decisions on military and national affairs were present.

Yang Yizhong, who knew the inside story, did not dare to delay and took action immediately, but Lu Haowen and Chen Gui became more serious because it meant that Du Yan must have brought great news.

It is said that Yan Xiaozhong and the three generals who were in charge of the treasury lived quite far away, especially Wang De, who lived outside the east city wall... But the other main officials were all in the palace square, and they gathered quickly. While Yan Xiaozhong, Wang De and others were not there yet, there was naturally a lot of discussion... They didn't even know that Du Yan had arrived.

Besides, Emperor Zhao was annoyed and sighing when he saw these people making so much noise. At the same time, he was reminded of something that had puzzled him more and more these days - if these people were taken out individually, they might not all be wise men, but at least they were all useful. But why was it that when they got together, there were always troubles of one kind or another?

And why is it not as useful as imagined in terms of overall effect?

However, the closer it was to such a critical moment, the more he should not be held hostage by his emotions. Zhao Jiu took a deep breath for a long time, but suddenly stood up and went to the back without caring about anything. The palace was stunned for a moment, but it continued to become noisy... No one could control what happened to the emperor. God knows whether he went back to the harem to drink water or catch up on his sleep.

But in fact, Zhao Jiu did not go to the harem as these people thought, but came to the area between the harem and the front hall.

Originally there was a small forest and a corridor in this place. The forest was full of wild pigeons, so much so that one could always hear the cooing sounds when working in the palace. After Nanyang began to prepare for war, all the trees in this place were cut down and used as materials and fuel, but a pile of wood piles were left behind.

Emperor Zhao simply walked out of the back hall and came directly to the wooden stake in the middle of the treeless forest. He sat down with his hands clasped together. He could still clearly hear the movements in the front hall.

Lan Gui, Feng Yi, and Liu Yan followed suit and saw the emperor coming here again. They looked familiar with each other. Lan Gui returned to the front hall, while Feng Yi and Liu Yan stood in the corridor. As Yan Xiaozhong, Wang De and others finally arrived, Lan Gui turned back to ask for instructions. Emperor Zhao had been there for a long time.

"I will not go to the front hall, I will summon you here." Zhao Jiu looked up and said, "Pass on my order. When I summon my ministers here, no noise or discussion is allowed in the hall."

Lan Gui bowed his head and said yes, but then he asked, "May I ask, sir, which ones do you want to summon first?"

"Summon Liu Yan first!" Zhao Jiu responded. "Master Lan, you and Feng Yi should go out and wait first."

Lan and Feng looked at each other, but then lowered their heads together, turned around and left, leaving Liu Yan behind who was a little unprepared.

"Pingfu." Zhao Jiu waved as the palace fell silent after Lan Gui announced the order. "Come here. I only have three questions for you."

"Yes." Liu Yan hurried forward and came to the forest.

"Are the Red Heart Team's cavalry available?" Zhao Jiu stared at the other party and asked calmly.

"I am willing to die for the government!" Liu Yan answered frankly.

"Then let me ask you again, in your opinion, is the Jin army's 10,000 cavalrymen heading north today to lure Nanyang more or to support Wanyan Talan more?"

"There are more strategies to lure the enemy."

"Is the Jin army stronger here with Wanyan Wushu, or is the Jin army stronger here with Wanyan Talan?"

"If there really was no reinforcement, then the enemy outside Nanyang City would naturally be stronger." Liu Yan answered immediately, but then corrected himself. "No... Even if they did, it doesn't mean that Wanyan Wushu's side is stronger, because Talai's troops are too scattered, while Wushu's side has a large camp, and his troops are carefully selected."

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It’s even more exciting later!