Song Yue carried Liu Cheng gracefully to Dou Miao and Madam Dong, then bowed slightly.

"This concubine, along with Prince Cheng, pays respects to the Empress Dowager and the Holy Mother!"

"No need for formalities!"

Dou Miao raised her hand and said in a deep voice, "The Empress has come at the right time. Do you know what the Emperor is planning to do in Juyan?"

Song Yue replied respectfully, "Yes, Your Majesty!"

"It's good that you know. I was just about to issue an edict to summon him back. The Empress should also issue an imperial decree!"

Song Yue shook her head: "Mother, I will not issue an imperial edict, and I beg the Empress Dowager not to issue a decree either!"

"Um?"

Dou Miao frowned: "What do you mean by that, Empress? Are you going to watch the Emperor get into a dangerous situation?"

As Dou Miao finished speaking, the entire hall fell silent. Everyone was terrified and dared not make a sound.

Don't be fooled by the fact that Empress Dowager Dou now spends her days listening to operas, watching performances, and playing with the imperial grandson, seemingly uninterested in politics.

However, the fact that Empress Dowager Dou repeatedly issued edicts to purge the court remains fresh in people's minds.

However, Song Yue's expression remained unchanged, and she said respectfully, "Mother, His Majesty is my husband. How can I bear to see him in danger?"

I did this simply because I trust Your Majesty and the soldiers around you.

Now that Your Majesty is at the Juyan outpost, the soldiers on the frontier are in high spirits and will not allow Your Majesty to suffer even the slightest mishap.

If Your Majesty summons him back, it means you don't trust His Majesty's abilities, and you also don't trust the soldiers' loyalty in swearing to defend His Majesty to the death.

This will inevitably create a rift between Your Majesty and the soldiers, which is the last thing Your Majesty wants to see.

Moreover, I know that His Majesty will definitely not return, and even if the Empress Dowager issues an edict, it will be of no use..."

Song Yue's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.

Dou Miao frowned: "It seems that the Empress knew the Emperor's thoughts a long time ago?"

Song Yue nodded: "Yes!"

"They really are a united couple!"

Dou Miao suddenly laughed and turned to look at Dong Shi beside her: "It seems that things are no longer under my control here. Now that I have a wife, I've forgotten about you and me!"

Madam Dong smiled and said, "The emperor is no longer a child, so naturally there are some things he doesn't want to tell us!"

"Empress Dowager, Holy Mother, His Majesty simply didn't want you two to worry any more, he didn't..."

"Alright, there's no need to speak up for your husband anymore. We know our son well enough!"

Before Song Yue could finish speaking, Dou Miao smiled and raised her hand to interrupt her, then turned her gaze to the imperial grandson.

"Come here, bring the imperial grandson over!"

"Yes, Mother!"

Song Yue smiled slightly and carried Liu Cheng to Dou Miao.

The moment Dou Miao took the imperial grandson into her arms, her face immediately lit up with a smile, and she completely forgot about what had just happened.

In the harem, no disturbance occurred because of Song Yue's intervention.

However, outside the palace, it caused a huge uproar.

First, the entire Imperial Guard left and headed west, followed by a group of officials who hurriedly followed behind.

In addition, there has been a series of actions and war mobilizations by the government and the imperial court recently.

Anyone with a modicum of sense could tell that the emperor was about to personally lead another military campaign.

The last time the emperor personally led an expedition, the people saw it as a minor skirmish.

But this time was different. This was a decisive battle, a great battle to completely wipe out the grasslands, and a crucial battle to end the confrontation between the grasslands and the Han Dynasty.

Such a once-in-a-century event would be a great regret in life if one could not personally witness or participate in it.

Imperial Academy.

All the students of the Imperial Academy also chose to strike and gathered in the Imperial Academy Square.

A young student from the Imperial Academy stood on the high platform, looked down at the crowd below, and shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Fellow members, His Majesty is now risking his life, far away in Juyan, to wage a decisive battle against the grassland tribes. His Majesty is doing this so that our Great Han will no longer suffer from border troubles, and so that we can live in peace."

We, the students of the Imperial Academy, have always been highly valued and cared for by His Majesty. Now, we should closely follow His Majesty, wielding our three-foot swords, to slay all the barbarians of the grasslands and contribute our share to our Great Han!

"That's right, it's our duty!"

"We must immediately proceed to Juyan and follow His Majesty!"

The students in the audience below the stage also echoed the sentiments with great enthusiasm.

The man on the stage said loudly, "Very well, everyone, go back immediately and prepare your own horses, weapons, and provisions."

Those who can't afford it, let's pool our money and buy it together. Make sure it's ready by noon tomorrow.

"good!!"

The group of students agreed and then quickly dispersed.

"Sigh, these young people are truly better than the last!" Zheng Xuan sighed as he looked at the enthusiastic students from afar.

"Haha, isn't that great? Young people should be like that."

Zang Yan, standing to the side, burst into laughter, his gaze towards the young people filled with satisfaction.

Zheng Xuan smiled and nodded: "That's true. Young people are the hope for the future. If they lose their passion and enthusiasm, then our Han Dynasty will really be in danger!"

Zheng Xuan, as the head of the Imperial Academy, was not displeased at all by the students' strike; on the contrary, he was quite pleased.

Although he is old, it does not prevent him from being just as passionate.

Seeing these young people actively participating in national affairs, he seemed to see a reflection of his own youth.

On the other side, students from the engineering, agriculture, and medical colleges also spontaneously gathered together.

Aside from the Imperial Academy and the three other academies, many martial-minded young people in the countryside also called on their friends, prepared their own horses and weapons, and prepared to go together to follow the emperor and pacify the grasslands.

With the rise of Neo-Confucianism in recent years, the idea of ​​taking responsibility for the affairs of the world has also taken root in the hearts of contemporary young people.

In particular, the emperor's "Speech to the Young" and "Oath Before the Palace" became compulsory courses for every young person.

Now, a great war that will determine the future stability of the Han Dynasty is about to begin, and the emperor is in Juyan.

Young people who idolized the emperor naturally followed suit.

For a time, the horse markets and weapon shops around Luoyang were packed with people.

The young men who bought horses and weapons did not ask about the price; they only wanted to buy what they needed and then set off as soon as possible.

Upon learning of the situation in the city, Chen Fan, who was in charge of the government, was greatly pleased and immediately ordered Liu Biao and the royal transport team to allocate a batch of weapons and horses to provide to these young people.

Although they are unlikely to go to the battlefield and will not play a significant role in the final battle, the actions of these young people are still worthy of encouragement.

The next morning, before the city gates were even opened, countless young people, carrying weapons and leading horses, formed a dense crowd, numbering in the tens of thousands.

Before long, the city gates opened, and the young people who had left the city excitedly mounted their horses and galloped westward...