The emperor's brow twitched. He had only spoken casually, yet she actually dared to make a request. But the words were already out, and there was no taking them back. He could only say with a stern face, "General Xu, what do you want? As long as I can give you, General Xu, just name it." The implication was clear: if I can't give you something, you'd better not even mention it!

Bi Xie considered it for a moment, then smiled and said:

"What I want is easy for Your Majesty. All Your Majesty needs to do is give the order for the soldiers of Yexi Kingdom to create the illusion of a large-scale attack on Kuiyang Kingdom, so that the Queen of Kuiyang Kingdom will concentrate her troops on the border."

"General Xu wants me to send a large army to press on the border of Kuiyang Kingdom..." The emperor's face changed drastically. Changing the deployment of troops at will was no joke.

Ye Xi Kingdom was plagued by internal strife for many years. If his uncles and brothers had not all died in their infighting, he would not have been the emperor. The fact that troops were mobilized from the capital and stormed the imperial city to usurp the throne had happened twice in Ye Xi Kingdom. How could he not be familiar with the implications of this?

Bi Xie stood with his hands behind his back in the hall, looking at the emperor calmly. "Your Majesty need not panic. Simply gather your forces and have the Queen of Kuiyang send reinforcements to the border. The Queen of Kuiyang is naturally suspicious. Even if the soldiers of Yexi do not make a move, they will not sit idly by when they see the Yexi army pressing in." He paused and added, "Your Majesty also need not worry about the Yexi soldiers suffering losses. As long as Yexi does not take the initiative to attack, Kuiyang will not be the first to challenge us!"

She knew the Empress too well. She was as cunning as a beehive, suspicious of everyone around her, and ruthless and decisive in dealing with her own ministers. But when enemy countries attacked, she became hesitant and timid. If the original owner of this body hadn't been summoned back by the Empress after winning a battle in her previous life, she would have already taken advantage of the victory and seized several cities of the Ye Xi Kingdom.

"General Xu, do you think I will agree to the conditions you have set?" the emperor asked in a deep voice.

"Without Xu Xie, does Your Majesty still fear defeat in the Kingdom of Kuiyang?" Bi Xie retorted.

"presumptuous!"

Bi Xie fell silent, then slowly said, "Your Majesty..." Before he could finish, Lin Jinwei's voice came from the study doorway, "Your Highness, you cannot go in. His Majesty is speaking with General Xu, you..."

"What conversations can't I listen to?"

The group didn't dare to forcefully stop him. The boy, pale-faced, stepped into the study. Seeing Bi Xie standing there unharmed, he breathed a sigh of relief before greeting the emperor, "Father."

When the emperor saw him come out wearing only a cloak and looking frighteningly pale, he hurriedly got up from behind his desk and went to help him. "You're still sick. Why aren't you resting in bed? What are you doing out in the wind?" He was more precious than a money tree or a treasure trove. This was the root of his lineage!

"Guard Lin, take the young prince back."

"Your Highness," Lin Jinwei looked over with a troubled expression.

Han Yun coldly withdrew his hand from the emperor's palm, coughing a few times with a pale face, "Father... what are you talking about with A-Xie? Why does Father look so bad? Is Father going to punish A-Xie?"

The Emperor, seeing his youngest son standing protectively in front of Xu Xie, was annoyed that his "son" was siding with outsiders. His face darkened further as he frowned and said, "General Xu, it's not impossible for you to ask for my help. Jin'er has just regained his status as Crown Prince, and I intend to send him to the Ministry of War for training. I will give Jin'er this opportunity to lead the army into battle, but it's not appropriate for an outsider like General Xu to accompany Jin'er—"

He glanced at Bi Xie meaningfully: "I have heard that General Xu was engaged to the young master of the Ningguo Duke's mansion in Kuiyang Kingdom. But since General Xu is willing to escort Jin'er back to the country, he must have feelings for Jin'er. A great man does not concern himself with trivial matters. General Xu is brave and resourceful, a great man of our time. I will forgive General Xu's past and betroth you to my son as a concubine. I wonder what General Xu thinks?"

"Emperors are indeed all cunning," was Bi Xie's first thought. She was about to refuse when someone beat her to it, saying, "Father, I am weak." The young man blushed and said, "Let's wait a little longer."

The emperor glanced at his son with exasperation, wanting to scold him but afraid of scaring him into a serious illness, so he had to grit his teeth and bear it. "Marry General Xu first, and it's not too late to consummate the marriage later." Why was his son so stubborn? Look at the crown prince, who hadn't come to court for several days. His health was failing, yet he was still indulging in sensual pleasures.

How could he have given birth to two such bastards? They're going to drive him crazy!

Han Yun's face flushed red. He didn't know what he was thinking, but his ears turned red with guilt. He coughed heavily a few times and said breathlessly, "Father, she belongs to me. Whether I marry her or not, she is mine. I will not let her go. I will only marry her in this life. If I can't marry her, I will become a monk."

"Stop talking nonsense!" The emperor was so angry that his vision blurred. The Imperial Guard Lin, quick to notice, stepped forward to support him. "Your Majesty, don't upset yourself..."

Just before the emperor was about to faint from anger, Bi Xie said at the right moment: "Your Majesty, I am willing to marry the young prince, but I do have a marriage in Kuiyang that is only in name. I need to go back to Kuiyang and give Young Master Ning a letter of divorce before I can marry the young prince cleanly."

The boy turned around abruptly, staring at her with overwhelming joy and surprise. "A-Xie, are you really willing?"

Bi Xie smiled at her: "Yes, Your Highness."

A smile, the happiest he'd had in days, bloomed on his lips. It was a mixture of shyness and satisfaction. He reached out and took her hand, carefully slipping his fingers between hers to intertwine with hers. "I believe you, A-Xie."

Bi Xie stared blankly at the boy in front of him, whose cheeks were flushed and who was bubbling with happiness. Suddenly, he remembered when they first met, the boy said "I don't believe you" and "I will never believe you again." At that time, his face was full of despair and sorrow. He had really been abandoned and betrayed for too long, so long that he had made the act real.

Ru Hualang announced the good news in a flirtatious tone: "Ah~ How pretentious~ Ah~ Congratulations, host, the villain's blackening value has dropped to 40 points, and the happiness value has increased to 55 points."

"so much?"

"Oh my, when the host and the villain were making rings and being all lovey-dovey in the carriage, the villain's corruption level dropped and his happiness level increased. Last night, when the host and the villain were kissing, the villain's happiness level suddenly increased by 15 points, and it just increased by another 15 points."

"The villains in this world have such a fast happiness index!" Bi Xie exclaimed.

Ru Hua: "Yeah, it feels like you could be coaxed into bed with just a piece of candy. This host got off easy." (Dangerous statement.)

"Who the hell taught you to swear?" Calling her a dog!

"Host."

"Discover my strengths, understand?"

"No."

Bi Xie didn't want to communicate with this damn system anymore. He looked up at the emperor, whose expression of sorrow and shock was exactly the same as that of Lin Jinwei back then. It was as if Bi Xie was the wild boar that had stolen his little cabbage. He remained silent for a long time with a constipated look on his face before letting out a long sigh and walking wearily behind the desk. "Fine, as long as General Xu keeps his promise, I will help you this time!"

If Xu Xie is truly willing to divorce Kuiyang Kingdom's official husband and marry Jin'er, then Yexi Kingdom will gain an eagle and Kuiyang Kingdom will lose a tiger, which would be entirely beneficial to him. On the other hand, if Xu Xie breaks his promise, then Jin'er will completely give up on him. The two countries are already at odds, and romantic feelings should be severed when necessary.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will not let the young prince down." Bi Xie winked at Han Yun. Although she would have persuaded the emperor even if he hadn't appeared, who wouldn't love such a considerate little puppy?

The boy's ears turned red at a visible speed.

The Emperor and the Imperial Guards couldn't bear to look away, but the Emperor couldn't help but speak, "Jin'er, your father won't eat her. Since you like her, your father will grant your wish. Don't be anxious, go back to your room and rest." An heir is of utmost importance.