"The artillery fire was deafening, and many people were killed or wounded, but it was suppressed and the Ministry of War did not receive any reports."

Su Wanwan was shocked, her heart turning ice-cold.

"Liu Qi and his men have artillery?!"

Zhang Yong shook his head: "It's still unclear."

"Quickly, where are Liu Qi and the others now? Which way are they planning to go? Send someone to report this!"

Seeing that she was unusually anxious, Zhang Yong still tried to comfort her, saying, "Your Majesty, cannons are heavy and inconvenient to move."

"It is also extremely difficult to manufacture and obtain."

"Liu Qi and his group are elusive and incredibly fast; they probably don't possess such powerful weapons."

“No,” Su Wanwan frowned, “Even the military commander of Bazhou and the garrison commander of Zhuozhou dared not fight against Liu Qi and his men, which shows that they were intimidated.”

"Whether it exists or not, we must be extremely vigilant and treat it with utmost caution."

If Liu Qi and his men were to use cannons to bombard and breach the walls of the capital, no one could say how things would unfold.

Chen Xiong, the Earl of Pingjiang who is now in charge of the Nine Gates, has not shown any real ability. Will the capital city be unable to be defended?

Su Wanwan was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, but she tried her best to suppress her frustration and quickly processed the memorials that needed to be dealt with.

She quickly issued an edict that all the civil and military officials in Bazhou who dared not resist were arrested and taken to the imperial prison for interrogation.

At the same time, in accordance with the candidates recommended by the Ministry of War, an official was appointed to specifically manage the military farms in Beizhili and to oversee the military preparations in Bazhou and other places.

We must make Bazhou, this den of thieves, a trap from which no one can escape.

She had no idea that Lu Xingjian, with whom she had spent the entire night in passion, had already quietly done it.

However, he released Liu Qi and his brother, along with the rest of their accomplices.

It was shameful to talk about this, so he decided to keep it a complete secret.

It wasn't until nightfall that news came: "Liu Qi's troops have headed south."

The crisis of the enemy's advance on the capital has been somewhat averted.

Su Wanwan dared not be negligent and quickly issued a secret edict ordering the Ningxia Commander-in-Chief, Earl of Xianning Qiu Yue, to come to the capital and take command of the Three Thousand Battalion.

...

Rumors were flying everywhere in the capital, and people were filled with anxiety.

The most unsettled was Marquis Guo Xun of Wuding.

He has been sidelined for a long time, and now that the capital is in dire need of capable people, there is no indication that he will be reinstated.

Even Chen Xiong, the Earl of Pingjiang, a man with no ability, can hold the important position of guarding the nine gates. Is there any fairness left in this world?

Back then, he strongly advised his uncle Jiao Fang to retire and return to his hometown, and not to follow Liu Jin down the same path.

Li Dongqian invited him to his residence for a chat.

After much deliberation, Guo Xun decided to go anyway.

"Now the court is giving more importance to the border troops, but it is not paying attention to capable ministers like Lord Guo who once commanded three thousand battalions."

"My lord, we have known each other for a while now. Would you be interested in taking charge of the Nine Gates and becoming a pillar of the court?"

Guo Xun's heart skipped a beat.

"Your Excellency, you must not speak carelessly."

"The position of Commander of the Nine Gates is of utmost importance, and it is currently held by Marquis Pingjiang."

Li Dongqian disagreed, saying, "In my opinion, the Earl of Pingjiang looks haggard, which is not a sign of longevity."

Guo Xun's pupils contracted slightly.

He had recently met with Chen Xiong, the Earl of Pingjiang. The man was full of energy and complained that someone was making things difficult for him behind his back. He was very angry and did not look like someone who would die young.

"Guo would like to hear the details."

Li Dongqian dipped his finger in tea and wrote only two words on the table: Prince Rong.

Guo Xun was completely bewildered: "What do you mean?"

Li Dongqian stroked his beard calmly: "Back when Prince Rong was plotting something, among the nobles who secretly pledged allegiance to him, there happened to be the Earl of Pingjiang."

"However, this person was very well hidden. He joined the party a little late and had not yet been involved in any specific matters when Prince Rong was brought under control, so he was never exposed."

"If the remnants of Prince Rong's faction were to take advantage of the chaos and cause trouble in an attempt to control the capital, do you think the Earl of Pingjiang would have any chance of survival?"

Guo Xun could no longer sit still.

In his memory, the Earl of Pingjiang was Empress Su's man.

It turns out he had once served under Prince Rong!

Li Dongqian patiently persuaded, "I once worked with your uncle Jiao Fang, and I'm also acquainted with the Marquis. I've heard that the Marquis is still unmarried, but I do have a niece..."

Guo Xun wouldn't listen to anything anymore.

He understood what Li Dongqian meant.

By marrying Li Dongqian's niece, he was essentially siding with Li Dongqian. Once the Earl of Pingjiang died, Guo Xun might be promoted to the position of Commander of the Nine Gates by Li Dongqian.

In the future, he will be inextricably linked with Li Dongqian, sharing both glory and ruin.

He had just escaped unscathed from the sinking ship of Liu Jin last year, so why would he dare to wade into this mess?

Guo Xun patiently listened to Li Dongqian finish speaking, and then said earnestly:

"I need to discuss the matter of getting married with my mother. Please allow me to go home and plan it out, and I will give you an answer tomorrow."

Li Dongqian narrowed his eyes.

He could easily hear the excuse in his words.

In reality, it wasn't that easy to get Guo Xun into the position of Commander of the Nine Gates.

There's also Liu Yue, the Earl of Ningjin, who is the Deputy Commander of the Nine Gates. He's the grandson of Liu Ju, the nephew of the eunuch Liu Ma'er. His family has been loyal to the emperor for generations, so it's very unlikely that he can win them over.

If Guo Xun doesn't follow the rules, it doesn't matter to him; there are other candidates.

"Then I will await good news."

After leaving the Li family, Guo Xun did not go directly back to his residence, but instead went to Zhang Yong's private residence.

Zhang Yong was still on duty in the palace.

However, his servants were very helpful. Upon hearing that Guo Xun had something urgent to report, they went to the palace and knocked on the door.

Su Wanwan met with Guo Xun that very night.

After listening to him, he merely raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is there anything you desire, Lord Guo?"

Guo Xun knelt down and performed a grand ceremony, saying, "Your Majesty, I am still unmarried. I only beg Your Majesty to bestow upon me a female official from the palace. I will certainly marry her with great ceremony and dare not fail you!"

Su Wanwan pursed her lips.

This is Guo Xun surrendering to him.

But I just didn't feel quite right.

Guo Xun once proposed to He Ying.

Now that Heying is no longer valued by her, he seeks to marry someone else.

In the eyes of scions of powerful families, love and affection mean nothing; only power and profit matter.

Feeling somewhat disheartened, she did not immediately agree: "I understand."

The next day, a palace maid who was helping to take care of Yan Ge'er came to her for help:

"Your Majesty, I am willing to marry you!"

Su Wanwan frowned, "You're still young, you'll need to be raised in my presence for a couple more years."

The young palace maid had just turned fifteen; her face still held a touch of childishness, yet her expression was solemn.

“Your Majesty is in dire need of manpower right now, and I cannot only think of myself. Besides, the title of Marquis of Wuding is hereditary and can be passed down without fail. I come from a poor family, and it would be a great honor for me to marry into that family.”

Su Wanwan did not speak.

In her mind, marriage must be based on love and mutual consent for a good life together.

How can a marriage based solely on self-interest last?

The young palace maid, named Meilu, was one of the most intelligent and sensible maids besides Chu Heying. She was reliable, which is why Su Wanwan arranged for her to take care of Yan Ge'er.

“Your Majesty,” Meilu said, her eyes filled with tears, “Yan’er is growing up quickly, and he needs someone who is loyal to him.”

“This servant is willing to be the link, to help Yan Ge’er unite a group of people who are willing to support him.”