Chapter 167 Harmony

Sun Wei was puzzled: "I am just a woman, and I know nothing about marching and fighting. I am afraid..."

"Your Highness is indeed too modest." The Crown Prince smiled. "At this point, who doesn't know that Your Highness is more powerful than a thousand troops? I am happy to help Ziheng escape from his predicament as Your Highness just suggested. However, I know Ziheng's character best. He is a victorious general and has his own ideas about military operations. But if I were the commander-in-chief, I would have to take into account the court and the public, and my thoughts and concerns could not be limited to the battlefield. If we have different opinions, I need someone to help persuade Ziheng."

Sun Wei understood.

The Crown Prince was a wise man. He knew that his title of Commander-in-Chief was merely an honorific title, and none of his officers were his own. And the first one who was difficult to manage was Sima Jun.

"Your Highness, you are worrying too much." Sun Wei said hurriedly, "The prince has always been loyal to Your Highness. He will not dare to disobey Your Highness's orders."

"Princess, there's no need to cover up for Ziheng. He's my cousin, and I know his character best," the Crown Prince said. "The current deployment of the Three Wus is entirely his own. He was once known for his tendency to disobey the emperor's orders. Even when his father, Prince Yuzhang, was still alive, he rarely listened when disagreements arose. Consequently, when his side triumphed, Prince Yuzhang would be the one to clean up the mess he had offended. This is why there's constant talk within the court of him becoming a treacherous leader. I know his every move is driven by the desire for victory, but once a battle breaks out, it's not just his own. This military campaign against the Three Wus is the largest in recent years, and the resistance from all sides will undoubtedly be the greatest. As someone who bears the title of personally leading the expedition, my primary responsibility is to mediate the interests of all parties behind the scenes. Ziheng and I, though we are king and subject, and brothers, disagreements are inevitable. When such times arise, we need someone with a say to mediate. I believe the princess is the perfect choice."

Sun Wei pondered for a moment and said, "I'm afraid the Crown Prince might be stubborn and not willing to listen to me. For example, in this case, the Crown Prince didn't want me to know, so he ordered his officials to keep it a secret from me. For over half a month, I had no news. I went through tremendous effort to finally find out the Crown Prince's whereabouts. I'm afraid I'll have failed to live up to his trust."

The prince looked at her and smiled.

"In that case, I will reconsider the matter we just discussed," he said. "If my position as commander-in-chief is unpopular, then it's better not to be. Princess, please don't worry about Ziheng's matter. Let me think of other solutions."

Sun Wei was stunned.

I thought to myself, this prince is really a man who doesn't want to suffer a loss. He actually looks like he will give up the talk if we can't reach an agreement.

She wanted to say something, but when the words came to her lips, her mind changed again.

The prince's action was unlike his usual reserved style, and it seemed like he was forcing her to make a decision.

The more anxious he was, the less anxious she should be.

"I am ashamed." She bowed her head and said, "Your Highness, I am deeply grateful for your compassion."

It was the prince's turn to be silent for a moment.

"What are your plans next, Princess?" he asked.

Sun Wei showed a look of disappointment and said, "I have thought about this a long time ago. The Crown Prince's affairs concern the court and the harem, and are extremely influential. Even if I try my best, I am afraid it will be useless. At this point, I can only give up. Knowing that the Crown Prince's life is safe, I am relieved for the time being. Jiankang is a place of trouble, and I have come here secretly against orders, so I cannot stay for long. Tomorrow, I will return to Xunyang."

"Oh?" the Crown Prince asked, "Could it be that the Princess is no longer worried about the war in Kuaiji?"

Sun Wei smiled bitterly: "The prince is unable to do it, so what's the point of me worrying?"

The prince smiled faintly, "I wonder if the princess still remembers that when we were in the quiet courtyard, the princess said she would give me some advice, even if it was just a small contribution. Was that just nonsense back then?"

Sun Wei hurriedly said, "I dare not. What I said at that time came from my heart."

"If that's the case, Princess, you shouldn't retreat out of fear," the Crown Prince said. "Ziheng is stubborn and I doubt he'll ever completely obey you. However, I didn't ask you to join me on this expedition solely for this reason."

"oh?"

"Lately, I've often thought back to what happened in Jingkou," the Crown Prince said slowly. "Back then, I knew full well of the Northern Army's rebellion, but I felt no fear. Why? Because no matter what difficulties we encountered along the way, the princess always managed to overcome them. With the princess by my side, I was worth the entire Northern Army."

After saying this, he looked at Sun Wei and said, "Is Princess willing to accept my words?"

Sun Wei breathed a sigh of relief.

After all, I didn't agree easily, otherwise I would be the passive one.

In fact, the prince was only interested in her divination skills.

"Being able to share His Highness's worries is something I have only dreamed of. How dare I refuse?" She bowed to the Crown Prince again. "Your Highness has given me an order, and I will do my best."

The prince finally showed a look of satisfaction.

He looked at the surrounding garden scenery and continued walking.

"The princess wants Ziheng to come out, so why shouldn't I want him too?" He spoke with a touch of emotion. "Not only do I want him to come out, I also hope that Ziheng will achieve great things, surpass his father, and become an important official in the court, so that he can lend a hand to me. I think the battle of Kuaiji is the best opportunity."

The prince's idea was not wrong.

Sima Jun has always wanted to assist the crown prince and unify the precarious world.

In his previous life, Sima Jun had indeed gained great fame thanks to the Battle of Kuaiji. However, due to Huan Yi's attack on Jiankang through Jiangzhou, Sima Jun gained a handle within the court, and his power was greatly reduced due to his actions against Huan Yi. With Wang Han taking control of the Northern Prefecture and Lüqiu Yan taking control of Jingzhou, internal friction within the court intensified, forcing Sima Jun to continue to contend with the rising power of various factions, unable to fully exert his influence.

With Sima Jun trapped, the prince's grand ambitions were out of the question.

At the moment, Wang Han did not get the Northern Palace, but he was not willing to give up and stretched his hand to Jiangzhou.

More importantly, the Queen Mother condoned Wang Han's actions.

"I wonder what the Queen Mother's plans are for the Crown Prince now?"

"The Queen Mother is quite angry with Ziheng," the Crown Prince said. "The Huan family is a thorn in the Queen Mother's side. She thought that with Huan Yi seriously ill and the Huan family embroiled in internal strife, she could take over the Huan family and Jingzhou in one fell swoop. She also thought Ziheng would agree with her, but unexpectedly, Ziheng firmly opposed it."

Sun Wei said, "Although the Huan clan is in turmoil, they still control the military forces of Jingzhou. The imperial army approaching the border will only encourage the Huan clan to put aside their disputes and confront the imperial court. Furthermore, with the war in the Three Wus currently underway, the imperial court should not engage in two fronts. I believe the Crown Prince's idea is not wrong."

The prince smiled bitterly and shook his head.

"In the eyes of the Queen Mother, disobedience itself is a grave fault," the Crown Prince said. "But even if the Queen Mother is wrong, how can Ziheng be completely blameless? He knows the Queen Mother's temperament, but he doesn't know how to be flexible and adaptable. This is not the right way to deal with things."