Central Plains inland.

The most influential officials in the entire Central Plains gathered together, all high-ranking officials, any one of whom would be a renowned figure in their region.

At this moment, he could only keep his head down as much as possible, not daring to touch his official hat even slightly, for fear that if he made a single move among so many people, the person above would notice, and then it wouldn't just be a matter of not dressing properly, but he might lose his entire official hat as well.

The high-ranking officials and ministers who were out in the country and had connections everywhere all kept silent at this moment, not daring to show any of the eloquence and charisma they displayed in the capital.

The one sitting on the dragon throne is the emperor of the Central Plains. All these people's family fortunes were bestowed upon them by the emperor. Who would risk their future? At this time, saying the wrong thing could cost them their jobs.

When the plague struck Xiliang, the Central Plains first cut off its food supplies, and then launched a large-scale military attack, completely tearing away the paper-thin facade between Xiliang and turning against it.

Unexpectedly, even a remote place like Xiliang could train doctors capable of treating the plague. According to the information gathered, the raging plague ultimately only managed to conquer one city in Xiliang.

His Majesty the Emperor had too high expectations for this plague, and the higher those expectations, the harder it was to quell his discontent when things didn't go as planned.

The emperor on the dragon throne harbored deep apprehension about the growing power and strength of the Western Liang, but he was troubled by the severe imbalance in the distribution of civil and military talents in the Central Plains. There were few civil officials who could command effectively, but few military generals who could strategize on the battlefield.

The aged voice of the emperor from the Central Plains came down from above, "I told you to come up with a solution, and you all just lowered your heads. Is Xiliang so terrifying that you don't even dare to fart?"

The only capable military general had already been shot dead by the prince of Xiliang in front of thousands of troops. In order to intimidate the Central Plains, his head was cut off and his body was hung high above the north gate of Xiliang for all to see.

A renowned general was defeated by the young prince of Xiliang. After his death, his body was not able to return to his hometown and was hung in a foreign land, receiving the contemptuous gaze and scorn of the world.

In the imperial court, the civil officials silently closed their eyes, unwilling to think about the matter any further.

The emperor of the Central Plains, seated on the dragon throne, played with the jade ruyi in his hand, unaware of the crowd below who hung their heads and dared not utter a word.

After a long silence, someone finally stepped out of the queue. "Your Majesty."

The person above didn't look up. "Speak."

"After the battle of Beicheng in Xiliang, the Central Plains and Xiliang have already broken off relations. The only plan now is to continue to suppress Xiliang before it has fully recovered its strength."

"Continue to suppress them..." The elderly emperor, holding a jade ruyi, looked over. "How do we suppress them? My only trump card is hanging at the gates of their Western Liang city. Who will go to suppress them? You?"

The minister who had stepped forward knelt on the ground, saying, "Your Majesty, I do not possess that ability..."

The emperor lifted his slightly droopy eyelids and snorted coldly, "Of course you don't have that ability. A bunch of armchair strategists, none of them are of any use when it comes to an emergency."

After looking around, he said, "It's easy to find a thousand soldiers, but hard to find a good general."

The only person to speak out and offer advice ended up in this situation. The court fell silent again, as if the cicadas were trembling with fear.

The prime minister, who had been silent all along, stepped out from the ranks of the officials, bowed respectfully to the emperor seated above, and then calmly said, "Your Majesty, the Western Liang has long harbored rebellious intentions. After that battle, both countries have been on high alert against each other. Currently, there are no suitable generals in the Central Plains to lead troops into battle."

“I know all that you’re saying,” the emperor said, looking at him. “What exactly are you trying to say?”

The prime minister looked up at the emperor without fear and said, “The matter of suppressing Xiliang that I just mentioned is simply because I am worried that the Xie family of Xiliang will hold a grudge and cause trouble for our Central Plains. That is why we should take this opportunity to pursue them. However, if we want Xiliang to stay peacefully in that remote corner of the country, war is not the only way to go.”

Their eyes met, one looking down and the other up, colliding in mid-air. Together they plotted to seize power and dominate the Central Plains. Having cooperated for decades, the two understood each other's thoughts with just a glance.

The old emperor looked down at the white-bearded prime minister standing ramrod straight below, a hint of a smile appearing in his aged, hoarse voice, "Old man..."

He ran his hand over the smooth surface of the jade ruyi, pondered for a moment, and said slowly, "It seems I have no princess of suitable age under my wing..."

The prime minister continued, "The late Consort Xiao's son, Prince Gong, has a daughter, Princess Ningheng, who is of the right age and a perfect match for Xie Fu, the heir of Xiliang."

The Emperor nodded in satisfaction. "That's perfect. Then bestow upon Princess Ningheng the title of Princess Jinghe, and from this day forward, place her under the care of the Empress. You shall also draft an imperial edict for me and deliver it to the Xie family of Xiliang, making sure to clearly state my intentions."

The prime minister bowed and said, "Yes, sir."

The two men, oblivious to their surroundings, made a decision concerning the fate of two nations and the life of a princess, in just a few words.

The emperor is old, and his princes are restless. Many ministers have already secretly chosen sides and are offering advice to the princes they support. The prime minister, whom all the various factions are trying their best to win over, remains silent.

Some people looked down on him behind his back, thinking he was just being cautious and afraid of getting involved in the disputes, so he had to protect himself. However, the old ministers who had participated in the previous generation's struggle for the throne always held the old emperor and this prime minister in awe and quietly advised these ignorant new ministers not to provoke the old man who was still the prime minister.

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