Upon hearing this, ministers belonging to the Li King's faction echoed his sentiments. They all knew how much Qingfeng Village helped the Li King and couldn't just stand by and watch it be taken down by the imperial court.

Pei Qingyan chuckled twice, his words devoid of any emotion, "Lord Li, you are mistaken. Qingfeng Village has committed evil for many years, and everyone has the right to kill them."

Now they've gone so far as to kidnap the son of a high-ranking official. If we turn a blind eye to such provocation, it will only embolden them and make them even harder to eradicate in the future. Lord Shen, do you agree with what I've said?

Pei Qingyan smiled, her eyes expressionless as she looked at Shen Feng, but every word she uttered struck at his sore spot.

"When faced with matters of great importance, I will never be confused. The most important thing right now is to resolve the foreign threat from the north. As for Yan Xi, if he really cannot be rescued, then that is his fate." Shen Feng spoke with righteous indignation, willing to sacrifice a son to prioritize the affairs of the court.

He has many sons; if one dies, another will come. But if he loses the King's trust, he will have nothing left.

Shen Feng has always been ruthless. A son who is of no benefit to him is no different from a useless pawn.

Hearing this, Pei Qingyan wasn't surprised. He already knew Shen Feng's character well, and giving up Shen Yanxi was indeed his best choice.

The emperor, high above, remained silent, but he took in every change in the expressions of those below him, understanding their every thought.

He was well aware of the ulterior motives of these people who were doing everything they could to prevent the imperial court from sending troops to attack Qingfeng Village, and he had warned Prince Li on several occasions.

Unfortunately, this son still disappointed him.

Emperor Yun sighed inwardly, still intending to give Prince Li another chance.

"What are your thoughts, Grand Tutor?" Emperor Yun looked at Grand Tutor Chu, who was standing quietly to the side, wanting to hear his opinion.

Grand Tutor Chu pondered for a long time, “Your Majesty, I believe that Lord Li’s idea is not without reason. The Northern Kingdom has been eyeing our dynasty covetously and has been causing trouble in the northern border area for many years.”

Now they have colluded with the State of Chu and other small, insignificant states, intending to invade our territory. Their wolfish ambitions are emboldening; if our dynasty does not take deterrence, they will likely become even more arrogant.

The words of Grand Tutor Chu, spoken after much deliberation, surprised King Li. He had assumed that after the incident with Chu Sangyue, Grand Tutor Chu would continue to oppose him, but unexpectedly…

After a moment, Grand Tutor Chu stroked his white beard and changed the subject, "Moreover, deciding who to send to lead the troops to attack Qingfeng Village is also a problem."

Upon hearing this, the court fell silent instantly; everyone realized the problem.

This person must be carefully considered; ideally, they should be able to capture Qingfeng Village in one fell swoop and eliminate any future troubles.

The court officials discussed amongst themselves, but their gazes all fell upon Su Jinyang.

They glanced at Prince Li discreetly; none of them wanted to be the first to stick their neck out.

Just then, a clear and gentle voice slowly rang out, echoing in the spacious hall.

"Your Majesty, I believe that General Su is both brave and resourceful, and he is the most suitable person to lead the troops to Mingyin Mountain."

Pei Qingyan stepped forward, quickly exchanged a glance with Su Jinyang, and then pushed him forward.

After the words were spoken, some were happy and some were sad, but they all breathed a sigh of relief.

With Pei Qingyan taking the lead, they no longer held back and nodded in agreement. "Your Majesty, I think Lord Pei is right. General Su has just won a great victory and is in high spirits."

"With him leading the troops to attack Qingfeng Village, and with Lord Pei's strategic advice, we're sure to achieve twice the result with half the effort."

Pei Qingyan excels in literature, and his wisdom and strategy are unparalleled. Su Jinyang is skilled in martial arts and has excellent combat skills. With the two working together, they will have no trouble taking down Qingfeng Village.

King Li had obviously thought of this as well, and his expression was no longer as calm as before, but he forcibly suppressed it out of consideration for the occasion.

If these two really join forces, Qingfeng Village probably won't last long.

Knowing their abilities, Li Wang tried to win them over multiple times, but they remained stubborn and unyielding, no matter how he threatened or bribed them, or even offered them great rewards.

Li Wang was furious, but there was nothing he could do. No one could question what Emperor Yun had decided.

"Your humble servant will certainly not fail in his mission." Su Jinyang gladly accepted the imperial decree to suppress the bandits. With Qingfeng Village destroyed, the Prince of Li would lose a great help.

When he's cornered and resorts to desperate measures, revealing the mine's secrets will be enough to ruin him forever.

*

Night falls at Songxi Courtyard.

"Third Brother, I'll go with you to suppress the bandits in three days." Song Zhiyu handed the embroidered sword tassel to Su Jinyang and explained her plan word by word.

Su Jinyang paused, then blurted out a refusal, "No, it's too dangerous."

The reason why Qingfeng Village was able to occupy Mingyin Mountain for many years without being wiped out by the imperial court was not only due to the intentional or unintentional protection of Prince Li, but also because the terrain they occupied was easy to defend and difficult to attack, as well as the excellent skills of the bandits.

Song Zhiyu doesn't know martial arts, so he can't put her in danger.

"Third Brother, you know the terrain of Mingyin Mountain better than I do. It's simply impossible to enter unscathed without alerting them."

And those villagers being held hostage—if this situation isn't handled properly, they'll become your puppets. I have a way to solve this problem; let me go with you.”

Song Zhiyu sighed and kept taking out medicine bottles from the medicine box, taking out almost every poison she could think of.

“But…” Su Jinyang was still worried, a hint of hesitation showing on his handsome face.

"Just let me go. There are some things I want to settle." Song Zhiyu tugged at Su Jinyang's sleeve and shook it twice, acting like she was a child and being affectionate with him.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!