Whether war will break out or not, Xie Changshi has no way of knowing.

Moreover, Chief Secretary Xie knew in his heart that this time it was not up to the Emperor or the Prince of Chu to decide whether to go to war or not.

But the closure of the Jiangnan Rice Shops was like forcing the King of Chu to go to war.

Chief Secretary Xie said softly, "Regardless of what the Emperor thinks, we have not found any evidence that the Prince of Chu is colluding with the enemy."

Everything was deduced from their purchase of salt from Jiangning and their subsequent trip to the area outside the Great Wall.

Gu Yuzhi listened blankly as Xie Changshi speculated: "Therefore, at this time, the Emperor cannot take the initiative to attack the Prince of Chu, because it would be illegitimate and improper."

"Similarly, the King of Chu cannot act arbitrarily against the Emperor's people. Not only is it illegitimate, but more importantly, he must wait for news from the Northern Di."

"So Your Highness, you don't need to be in such a hurry. Even if war were to break out, there's no need to rush."

Both sides will wait for a suitable opportunity.

Gu Yuzhi responded with an "oh," rested his chin on his hands, blinked his large eyes for a while, and then suddenly said, "But Chief Secretary Xie, you also said that the Prince of Chu wouldn't act rashly against my brother's people. What if he finds a reason?"

So many rice shops, closing down just like that.

There is also Prince Qi.

When Gu Yuzhi thought of Prince Qi, he couldn't help but think of Guard Qi.

If Guard Qi were still in the manor, he would know exactly what happened in Jiangnan.

Gu Yuzhi pouted and couldn't muster any energy for several days until Hei Yuan returned and saw his brother's reply. Only then did Gu Yuzhi jump up suddenly.

Holding the letter aloft, she walked briskly to find Chief Secretary Xie.

"Chief Secretary Xie!" Gu Yuzhi ran from the front yard to the stables in the back yard with the letter in his hand. He saw Chief Secretary Xie and Mr. Huo chatting, and the two of them patted the horse from time to time.

"Thank you, Chief Secretary!" Gu Yuzhi came running over, his cheeks still flushed. He raised his letter and said, "My imperial brother has replied to me!"

He didn't actually mention going to Jiangnan to provide support when he wrote the letter, but his elder brother replied that he would send three hundred elite soldiers to escort him all the way to Huizhou.

What does this tell us?

He said cheerfully, "My brother and I are truly of one mind. I was thinking that after my brother replied to my letter, I would explain my trip to Huizhou to him, but he told me about it beforehand."

Chief Secretary Xie and Mr. Huo exchanged a glance, and Chief Secretary Xie said softly, "Mr. Huo, what do you think of this matter?"

The Emperor's decision was too abrupt; it was clearly sending the young prince to the battlefield!

Your Highness is still so young...

Never before had Chief Secretary Xie felt so strongly that the Emperor's decision was far too hasty!

Mr. Huo lowered his eyes and thought for a moment, then said in a low voice, "I think His Majesty may have considered all aspects and felt that the Prince of Chu's military strength and other aspects were not as good as the Northern Di, so he sent the young prince to the Jiangnan area first."

With winter approaching, there will definitely be tough battles to fight in the Northern Di. If Your Highness cannot even adapt to the battlefields in Jiangnan, it would be best for you to hide away as soon as winter arrives.

Although Mr. Huo did not believe that the young prince would abandon the people of the northern desert and escape alone, those who have been on the battlefield and those who have not are truly two different things.

Xie Changshi then glanced at the note, handed it to Mr. Huo, and whispered, "The war in Jiangnan is not easy either, after all, Jiangnan is under the rule of the King of Chu. The Jiangnan navy is too familiar with Jiangnan, and three hundred elite soldiers are just a drop in the ocean."

Teacher Shu and Manager Wen exchanged a glance, both of them looking worried.

Especially Teacher Shu.

Regardless of why the Sang Dynasty did not appear in history, this was the era of cold weapons, where wars were fought by manpower.

All Shu Xiaohan heard about the epic wars Mr. Huo had described were stories of human lives lost.

At first, large armies can rely on military strategy to fight battles, but once the enemy is at the gates of the city, what use are those formations?

Even Mr. Huo said that by the end of the war, everyone had become numb.

The movements of wielding a knife are numb, watching others' heads fall to the ground is also numb; perhaps only when one is about to die will there be any emotion in one's eyes.

The longer a soldier stays on the front lines, the more reverence he has for life.

Shu Xiaohan sighed softly, "Your Highness's three hundred elite soldiers are indeed a drop in the ocean!"

Gu Yuzhi scratched his head: "I know, the Jiangnan navy has always been said to have 100,000 men! Even if it doesn't have 100,000, it still has 100,000 men if you add my brother Chu's private army! I only brought 300 men. If my brother Chu finds out, I'm doomed."

He shrugged, stuck out his tongue, and then straightened his back: "But I'm not afraid! I may not be the king of Jiangnan, but I am the king of the Great Sang Dynasty! When the people of the Great Sang Dynasty are in trouble, of course I will stand up for them!"

Besides, whether it's the Jiangnan navy or the private army of the King of Chu, these people are all citizens of the Sang Dynasty.

Gu Yuzhi thought optimistically that maybe if he talked to these people properly, they would put down their weapons.

Just as Chief Secretary Xie was about to speak, a fighting sound suddenly came from outside the door. Guard Shen shouted sternly, "Who is it? How dare you eavesdrop outside my Wen residence!"

The location of Wenfu was a very safe street in Changzhou. The back gate of the street was sparsely populated, and even if people passed by, they rarely lingered there.

But Guard Shen said that someone was eavesdropping.

The sound of weapons clashing rang out, and the guards in the mansion rushed over, but they did not hear the sound of the thief being captured.

Mr. Huo's expression hardened, and he took a slight step, about to go out to help, but then suddenly withdrew his foot.

For Your Highness, Wenfu in Changzhou is a very safe place. Most of the guards in the mansion have been transferred to Xinliang to train the city's garrison, and there are far fewer guards left in the mansion than before.

The man outside had already engaged most of the guards in the mansion. If he went out again, His Highness would be in danger.

Mingli was trembling slightly, but he still stood firmly in front of the young prince, his eyes fixed on the back door.

If the thieves manage to break through the defenses of the guards and rush in, he will risk his life to ensure the young prince escapes.

Gu Yuzhi bit her lower lip, then turned and ran towards the bedroom.

He didn't know who was eavesdropping outside, but since this person was able to fight with Guard Shen and the others, it meant that this person had ill intentions. He didn't want to be like last time when he was assassinated and could only passively take a beating.

But to Gu Yuzhi's surprise, he didn't even have time to get back to his bedroom.

He had just turned through the moon gate when he heard Mr. Huo shout sternly, "Your Highness, come back!"

Gu Yuzhi paused, tapped his toes, and abruptly turned back. Just as his back touched the wall, a soft sword suddenly thrust towards him.

If Mr. Huo hadn't reminded him, the sword would have pierced him!

Gu Yuzhi's heart was pounding violently, and the scene of the attack on that snowy night seemed to reappear, making him tremble uncontrollably...