After speaking, Commander Lei returned to the reception room.

A short while later, the servant brought two people. They were dressed in commoners' clothes. One of them was an old man who was thin and not younger than himself, while the other was a strong man with broad shoulders and a thick waist, who was no more than thirty years old.

Commander Lei sized up the newcomer and felt that he looked very familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before, but he couldn't remember where.

The two people who actually came were Ge Kaishan and Lord He, who had been following Yelü Khan and had disguised himself as a Taoist priest.

At Mabushan, the group had devised a sound action plan. They thought of a key figure in Yanjing City, namely Grand Commandant Lei.

If Grand Marshal Lei were willing to lend a hand, things would be much easier, and Yelü Khan's great cause could be accomplished.

Finally, they met Grand Commandant Lei, and the two quickly stepped forward and bowed in greeting.

"Greetings, Commander Lei."

Grand Commandant Lei remained seated in his armchair, motionless, and looked at the two men before speaking:

"I just heard from my servant that you two are old friends of mine. May I ask who you are?"

Lord He glanced at Grand Commandant Lei, sighed, and said:

"No wonder Grand Commandant Lei doesn't recognize me. If I count, it's been about twenty years since we last met. So many years have passed, and we've both grown old."

Although I wish to enjoy my retirement, I have no choice. With the nation in peril, I must continue to serve the country and dare not slacken my efforts.

Only then did Grand Commandant Lei recognize the person in front of him. He quickly stood up, came to Lord He's side, and carefully examined him.

"You are Lord He. I thought you were no longer alive. I never expected you to still be alive. How have you managed to survive for more than twenty years?"

Lord He sighed and said:

"Over the years, I have been in exile and have died countless times. Today, I risked my life to see Grand Commandant Lei for the sake of the country and its people."

What do you mean?

"Does Grand Commandant Lei really not know the reason? For so many years, I have followed the Second Prince Yelü Khan to fulfill the late emperor's last wish."

"The late emperor's last wish." Grand Commandant Lei was taken aback.

"Grand Commandant Lei is a veteran of three reigns. When the coup occurred in the court, Grand Commandant Lei was still a local official and was not very clear about what happened at the time."

"Does Grand Commandant Lei know nothing about the fact that the Fourth Prince, Yelü Wu, killed his father and brothers in his struggle for the throne?"

"Of course I had heard about this matter, but when I was ordered to return to the capital to take up my post, I learned that those things were all rumors."

"Has Grand Commandant Lei ever considered that if what happened back then was just a rumor, then why did the Second Prince flee Yanjing and go into exile, and why did most of my family of over a hundred die an unnatural death?"

"I really don't know about this. The late emperor died of illness. He neither established a crown prince nor left a will. I really don't know what happened between the princes."

What Grand Commandant Lei said was true. At that time, he was still a local official and was indeed unaware of what was happening in the imperial court. Even if he knew something, it was all hearsay.

Upon hearing this, Lord He sighed and said:

"Grand Commandant Lei, you may not know this, but the late emperor did not establish a crown prince. However, he left behind a will. It was because of this will that the princes killed each other."

The second prince, Yelü Khan, was a benevolent ruler. He never expected Yelü Wu to be so treacherous. In order to save his life, the second prince had no choice but to flee.

The Eighth Prince, Yelü Lang, knew the truth, and in order to survive, he had no choice but to feign madness and live on until now.

"This is the first time I've heard Lord He say this. Do you really think the late emperor left a will?"

"This is absolutely true. We have brought the imperial edict. Does Grand Commandant Lei really wish to see it?"

"Where is the imperial edict? Please allow me to see it," Grand Commandant Lei said urgently.

Lord He looked at Ge Kaishan, and Ge Kaishan nodded.

He walked up to Grand Commandant Lei, bowed deeply, and said:

"Greetings, Commander Lei. My name is Ge Kaishan."

Only after Ge Kaishan introduced himself did Grand Commandant Lei recognize him.

"So it's General Ge. I was blind and didn't recognize you. General Ge was always at the border. I didn't expect you to be following the Second Prince now."

"Grand Commandant Lei, you may not know this, but after the defeat of the foreign kingdom, I retired from the army and returned to my hometown. Later, I met a wandering Taoist priest who gave me something and told me to go find the Second Prince."

Following the Taoist's directions, I found the Second Prince. Only then did I realize that what the Taoist had given me was the late Emperor's edict.

As Ge Kaishan spoke, he took something out of his body and unfolded it.

"The late emperor's edict, all ministers, listen to its proclaim."

Upon hearing this, Lord He immediately knelt down, and Grand Commandant Lei, seeing this, also quickly knelt down.

Next, Ge Kaishan began to read the contents of the will.

"The late emperor's will passed the throne to the second prince, Yelü Khan. This is the imperial decree."

After Ge Kaishan finished reading the edict, he came to the two men and handed it to Grand Commandant Lei for review.

Grand Commandant Lei knelt on the ground, carefully examining the edict. He had seen the late emperor's handwriting and seal before, and could confirm that the edict was genuine.

At this moment, Lord He stood up, helped Grand Commandant Lei to his feet, and said:

"The late emperor did not establish a crown prince because he was in good health and felt it was not the right time. Perhaps he later discovered some problems and made a will. Maybe it was this will that led to the coup."

In their struggle for the throne, the fourth prince not only turned against his own family but also purged his political opponents, resulting in the deaths of many of the late emperor's veteran ministers in that coup.

Lord He's words left Grand Commandant Lei speechless for a long time before he finally spoke:

"Lord He's words have made me understand the truth of what happened back then, and now I have a clear plan in mind for what to do."

However, at this time, the vassal state was suffering from an invasion by the Northern Dynasty, and its fate was hanging by a thread. To rise up now was truly ill-timed.

"The Second Prince has been on the run and has been biding his time. He has already gained considerable strength, but he is unwilling to wage a major war and deplete the national strength of the foreign kingdom."

As for the overwhelming army pressing in, the Second Prince already had a plan to repel them. The Northern Dynasty's army is currently hesitant to attack because they fear the Second Prince's strength; otherwise, Yanjing would have already fallen.

Lord He's words shocked Grand Commandant Lei. Although he didn't believe it, the facts were undeniable, leaving him no choice but to accept them.

"Where is the Second Prince now? May I pay him a visit?" Grand Commandant Lei asked.

"The Second Prince is not in Yanjing. He is in a village thirty miles outside the city. Grand Commandant Lei wants to pay him a visit. I can take you there."

"Very well, I will make preparations and go to pay my respects to the Second Prince."

Thirty miles outside Yanjing City, there is a very large lake, and on the shore of the lake is a small fishing village inhabited by fishermen.

This village used to be home to many people, but due to the current war, some of the able-bodied young people in the village have either been conscripted into the army or fled. Those who remain are mostly the elderly, the weak, and the disabled.