Prefect Mo Ke of Zhonggui Prefecture was worried. He was deploying troops to resist the Red Guards, but he suffered repeated defeats and had already lost two cities.

If this continues, the Zhonggui Mansion will be swallowed up by the Red Guards sooner or later.

Mo Yuhua rushed in: "Brother, is there any news about Zhaolun?"

Mo Ke said with a mix of annoyance and helplessness, "Yu Hua, I've been looking for you, but your people handed Zhao Lun over to strangers and don't know where they took him. I've been looking for so long and there's still no news."

Mo Yuhua's eyes were red. She had been leading people out to search day and night, and only returned today.

"Brother, I only have Zhaolun as my child, and I won't be able to have any more children in the future."

Mo Ke pressed his aching forehead and advised, "How could I not know that my elder brother is also in a terrible predicament?"

Mo Yuhua also knew that the situation was not good, so she calmed down and asked about the details.

"Brother, I'll lead the troops to the front lines. I refuse to believe we can't stop these traitorous Red Guards!"

Mo Ke hesitated for a moment. The prefecture city couldn't do without him. If Mo Yuhua represented him to lead the troops, it wouldn't be a bad idea.

Moreover, this younger sister had studied literature and martial arts since childhood, was well-versed in military strategy, and had led troops to suppress bandits before she got married while her father was alive, with a remarkable record.

Her father said back then that it was a pity she wasn't a boy; if she were, she could have become a general if she had stayed in the family.

Her mother disapproved of Mo Yuhua's involvement in martial arts and was even less willing for her to lead troops into battle. She often taught her to be a lady from a prestigious family and a refined young lady.

Now that her mother is still alive, with Mo Yuhua's abilities, she can naturally hold up the sky if no one restrains her.

Mo Ke finally nodded in agreement. The safety of the family and the Zhonggui Mansion was the most important thing. As for his mother, he would comfort her properly later.

"Yu Hua, you can go and lead the troops with peace of mind. I will send more people to look for Zhao Lun."

Mo Yuhua nodded. She was naturally anxious about Zhao Lun's disappearance, but given the current situation, she had to stabilize Zhonggui Mansion first.

“Brother, there are many refugees in the country, you still need to appease them.”

If the Zhonggui Mansion is not stable internally, it will inevitably descend into chaos sooner or later.

Mo Ke was troubled again: "I know, but where am I going to get food? Those noble families have food, but we can't just rob them!"

Mo Yuhua sneered: "Why can't we rob them? You are the governor, you can't openly rob them, but you can find a way to get them to pay."

Mo Ke shook his head: "I've already launched several donation drives, but everyone cries poverty to me, saying they have no money or food. What can I do?"

“Brother, this time when I was looking for Zhao Lun, I was mainly in Ai County, Jianming Prefecture. Do you know that it’s a small county town, but now everyone is well-fed and clothed, and many deep wells have been dug. The people live in peace and contentment.”

Mo Ke exclaimed in surprise, "Jianming Prefecture is already quite chaotic, with just as many refugees as we do. How could a small county town possibly be able to live in peace and prosperity?"

Mo Yuhua recounted in detail what she had seen and heard to Mo Keting.

Mo Ke became interested: "You mean, the person in charge of Bian'ai County now is a teenage girl?"

"Yes, when I first inquired, I didn't believe it either, until later, when the people praised their leader for being so good and capable, saying he was a god descended from heaven."

"A god descending to earth?" Mo Ke snorted. "Anyone would believe that? If a god were to truly descend to earth, it would have to be from the current royal family."

Mo Ke's interest waned: "Yu Hua, you actually believe someone who put this up?"

Then he changed the subject: "Alright, what great abilities can a little girl have? If you lead your troops well, hold off the Red Guards, and recover two more counties, that will be a great achievement for you."

Mo Yuhua knew her elder brother's temperament well, and seeing that she couldn't reason with him, she stopped bringing it up.

"Alright, I'll follow your orders, brother."

Mo Ke nodded, finally managing a smile, and handed her the military token: "Yu Hua, don't disappoint me!"

"I will definitely not let you down, brother. Don't worry, brother!"

Having decided to help his elder brother stabilize the situation, Mo Yuhua didn't think about anything else and gathered his troops to head straight to the front lines.

Wu Aimin, the prefect of Jianming Prefecture, suddenly received a message from the third prince, instructing him to prepare troops, as the emperor was critically ill.

The Crown Prince has not yet returned, the Third Prince is fighting Xie Ning, and the Emperor has suddenly fallen critically ill. Who will benefit the most?

It's obvious that it's the Eighth Prince. The Eighth Prince, relying on the Emperor's favor, befriends the Ninth, Tenth, and Twelfth Princes.

The twelfth prince's mother was also not to be underestimated; she was the emperor's favorite concubine, and her family's influence extended to Jingchuan Prefecture, Yanqi Prefecture, and Yuzhang Prefecture.

The tenth prince's mother was Consort De, whose family held absolute power in Yizhou Prefecture.

The Emperor had previously favored the Eighth Prince, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, the position of Crown Prince would soon be passed to the Eighth Prince.

Lu Daxu is already attacking Muyuan Prefecture, which is adjacent to Liangzhou Prefecture. Once Muyuan Prefecture falls, the capital will be right where Lu Daxu's sword is pointed.

At this time, instead of thinking about how to fight the enemy, the princes were still fighting each other without restraint.

Wu Aimin burned the secret letter and summoned his advisors.

"The Third Prince means that we should prepare our troops and wait for his orders. If the Eighth Prince makes any unusual moves, we should join forces with Xianghe Prefecture to attack Yuzhang Prefecture."

The advisor Kong Jie bowed and said, "Lord Ge of Xianghe Prefecture has a history of conflict with us. Will he join forces with us in the future?"

Wu Aimin waved his hand: "Who cares? If the Third Prince wants to fight, then let him fight!"

The staff members fell silent; they had only come to Wu Aimin's place to earn a living.

Wu Aimin then summoned the garrison generals, as the prefect needed the generals' cooperation to fall ill.

General Tao Feng of Jianming Prefecture walked in with dark circles under his eyes, his body emptied by wine and meat.

Still drunk.

He yelled, his throat full of alcohol, "Wu Aimin, did you come here to invite me for a drink?"

Wu Aimin frowned, clearly disliking his fair-weather friend.

He loves to eat, drink, and have fun, but he wouldn't get drunk like this every day.

"The Third Prince has given orders that we should assemble our troops and await further instructions!"

"I know, how many times have we been made to wait for orders?" Tao Feng said impatiently. "Bring us the best wine and food."

Wu Aimin snorted: "You should drink less. If there's a war one day, will you still be able to lift your sword?"

Tao Feng staggered and patted Wu Aimin on the shoulder, his eyes still blurry with drunkenness: "It's alright, killing a thousand or eight hundred is no problem."

"You should drink less these next few days, or you might cause a big mess at any time."

Tao Feng ignored him and kept clamoring for wine and food, and then for beautiful women.

Speaking of beauties, Wu Aimin suddenly remembered: "I just happened to get two beauties yesterday, let's enjoy them together."

After Wu Aimin finished speaking, he ordered someone to bring him a hangover soup, but did not prepare any more wine or food.

Then he summoned two beauties, and he and Tao Feng embraced them and went directly into the inner tent to indulge in lewd pleasures.

They have always shared the beauties between them.

A haven of gentle pleasures is a graveyard for heroes. Besides, neither of them were heroes.