The old Duke thought for a moment and agreed, "Grandmaster, your words make sense. The Jiang family is loyal to Da Gan. Now that we are in this passive situation, we should stop being suspicious."

Looking at the Prime Minister beside him, he whispered, "Prime Minister, Dagan is now facing internal and external troubles. If we continue to be on guard against each other and do not use the Jiang family, who do you think we should use to solve the crisis?"

"The Huo family and General Liu are both fine."

"Oh, if it were possible, the Huo family wouldn't be unable to deal with the Xiongnu. Didn't you see the casualties reported? They were far greater than what the Jiang family suffered back then."

The Prime Minister's face darkened, and he was about to lose his temper when a voice interrupted him: "That's enough, stop talking! I asked you to come here to think of a solution, not to quarrel!"

"The situation is tense right now. The Jiang family is truly skilled at training and leading troops. They have been loyal to Da Gan for so many years, so I don't think they would do anything outrageous."

"If there are no objections, have the Jiang family recruit and train more soldiers in the Northern Wilderness as soon as possible and send them to Southern Xinjiang. Southern Xinjiang must be defended by me. As for the empty treasury, it will naturally be alleviated after the harvest."

The moon-viewing platform had to be temporarily put aside and rebuilt when the treasury was full. Thinking of the Huo family, he became more and more dissatisfied. They were all useless and could not seize the opportunity even if they were given one.

Emperor Gan had a plan in mind and said, "Grandmaster, I'll leave the task of sending an envoy to Beixia to you. Who would be the most suitable person to send?"

"...Well, this old minister thinks that since the Second Prince is tactful and has a noble status, it would be better for him to go to Beixia. As for the person accompanying him, it would be better to let Jiang Ling go. The eldest son of the Jiang family was once the top scholar."

"Since you want Beixia's help, then you must show your sincerity and see if they have any conditions. It won't be too late to discuss it then."

After the tutor finished speaking, the prime minister's face changed. The second prince was the son of the imperial concubine and the most likely person to ascend the throne. If he was sent to Beixia, he would be favored.

Whether to send the person or not, for the sake of Da Gan, I am afraid that His Majesty will give up the Second Prince in exchange for Beixia's support for Da Gan...

Without waiting for the prime minister to speak, Emperor Gan frowned and refused.

Yuan'er is his favorite prince. He is first-class in ability, means and intelligence. He is also his most preferred candidate for the crown prince. There is no way he can be sent to Beixia.

He refused outright: "No, I have several princes, there is no need to let the Second Prince go to Beixia."

After Emperor Gan finished speaking, he glanced at the Grand Tutor, hesitated for a moment, and whispered, "The Third Prince is proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and has a very gentle temperament. Why not let him go with the eldest son of the Jiang family?"

What?

The Grand Tutor raised his head and looked at the Emperor. He didn't expect that he would let the Third Prince go. If he was spotted, his situation would be worse than that of a hostage. Is His Majesty going to give up Qing'er?

If my daughter knew, she would probably make a scene...

Her lips moved, and before he could say anything, the Emperor spoke: "Grandmaster, I know you care about the Concubine Chen and the Third Prince, but this is a place to discuss state affairs, not personal matters."

"You can't be selfish just because Concubine Chen is your daughter. I made this arrangement for a reason. If the eldest son of the Jiang family accompanies us."

"Even if Beixia has any intentions, it should be Jiang Ling. As for the third brother, he's just going there for a visit..."

When the Grand Tutor heard these high-sounding words, he felt a chill in his heart. His Majesty clearly had selfish motives and wanted to protect the second prince born to the imperial concubine.

It is really disheartening to hear such words being said now. Why can't the eldest prince go? Other princes can't go, but only his grandson can go.

The old Duke noticed his anger, reached out and tugged at his sleeve, signaling him with his eyes not to talk nonsense, saying that His Majesty had already made a decision and it would not be easily changed.

Emperor Gan narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice, "This matter must not be spread outside. Do not mention it to anyone, especially the concubines in the harem. All of you can leave now."

"I have issued an edict to Beihuang, sending Jiang Ling as an envoy to Beixia. Other accompanying ministers must also be selected. We will discuss this at the morning court tomorrow. You all may return."

Several people said in unison: "Yes, Your Majesty."

After walking out of the hall, the Taifu looked very ugly.

The Prime Minister came over and chuckled softly, "Grandmaster, you don't look well. You must rest well when you return. Don't collapse from exhaustion."

"Alas, Grand Master, there's no need to be so pessimistic. If the Third Prince can truly capture the Northern Xia princess, then he'll have a powerful force to support his future efforts, and there's no need to worry about Dong Lin anymore."

The Grand Tutor looked at him sternly and snorted, "Oh, Prime Minister, you have a point. Why don't you go with us as an envoy? With the Prime Minister's eloquence, he will definitely be able to serve as an envoy."

The Prime Minister's expression froze: "...?"

"You are kidding, Master. My old bones can't stand the torture."

"Then shut up. I don't want to waste my time with you."

Seeing that they were about to quarrel, the old Duke pulled them aside and said, "Taifu, let's go out for a drink. Don't worry. Prime Minister, please take care. We'll go ahead."

The Prime Minister looked at their receding backs, the smile on his face faded, and he snorted coldly.

Inside the Donglin Palace

Emperor Donglin looked at the eagle flying over, raised his arm to let it land, and skillfully took the note from its feet. There were only a few words on it.

[Beixia rejects the alliance, only one word: Get lost]

Seeing the word "get out", Emperor Donglin clenched his fists and a fierce look flashed in his eyes: "You don't know what's good for you. I am willing to share the world with it, but I think Beixia is strong enough."

"I didn't expect you to be so arrogant. Okay, very good. Once I conquer other countries, I'll take Beixia into my possession."

"Come here, go and invite the Imperial Master."

Not long after, a man in a white robe appeared with a jade pendant hanging around his waist. If Jiang Sheng was there, he would recognize at first glance that this man was from the temple.

When Emperor Donglin saw someone coming, his tone became more respectful: "The Holy Son is here. I want to discuss something with you."

Fanyin nodded, and there was a hint of indifference on that extraordinary face of his, aloofness that made people dare not look directly at him.

"Well, please speak, Your Majesty."

"I wanted to cooperate with Beixia to divide the entire continent, but they refused. I heard that Beixia also rejected the Temple. So we have a common enemy, don't we?"

"So, Your Majesty, you want the Temple to help you deal with Beixia?"

The Emperor of Donglin said frankly, "Yes, I am a believer of the temple. All I seek is immortality. The Donglin Kingdom has unified the world, and Beixia is blocking our way. Doesn't the Holy Son want to teach them a lesson?"

Fanyin's lips curled up slightly, a smile flashing across his face. "Alright, I'll go to Beixia. If they still don't know what's good for them, then I'll make them into puppets."

"As long as the result is good, it's fine. In the future, the Temple and the East Lin Kingdom will have long-term cooperation. The Temple needs believers, and His Majesty needs to unify the world. Our alliance is inevitable."