Wang San's voice rang out from outside the door, "My lord, princess, Commandant Zhang has returned and is currently in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. His Majesty has summoned you to come with him."
Lu Cijian responded, changed into a clean robe, and then went to the Hall of Mental Cultivation with Jiang Yimian.
At this moment, inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Xie Jingxuan sat at the table, listening to Zhang Shan's words from the seat below him, his face showing little expression.
Until someone outside announced, "Your Majesty, the Princess and Lord Lu have arrived."
Xie Jingxuan then said, "Commander Zhang has been traveling for many days and must be exhausted. Let's go back today and make sure to take good care of the wounded soldiers and the families of the deceased soldiers."
Zhang Shan quickly responded and then slowly withdrew.
As Jiang Yimian and Lu Cijian entered, they were about to bow when Xie Jingxuan said, "Sit down. There are only the three of us here, so there's no need to be so formal."
Jiang Yimian glanced at Lu Cijian again before sitting down with him on the rosewood chair next to them.
The palace servants outside quickly served tea to the two of them and then quietly withdrew.
Xie Jingxuan then looked at the two of them, his gaze landing on Jiang Yimian.
This was the first time he had seen the Princess Ning'an, whom he had personally bestowed the title upon, so close up.
He had previously heard a lot about how amazing this princess was, but he was actually skeptical at the time.
He was truly astonished when he witnessed it firsthand at the archery banquet.
And today's composure under pressure, which delayed things for so long, allowed the palace to successfully receive reinforcements.
These deeds made him overlook the other person's appearance; such a bright and beautiful appearance didn't quite match the fighting and killing involved.
However, as Xie Yu said, she was indeed a stunning beauty. No wonder his cousin, who had always been indifferent to women, had changed so much; she was practically unrecognizable from the Lu Cijian of the past.
Seeing Xie Jingxuan staring at the person beside him without saying a word, Lu Cijian frowned, placed the cup lightly on the small table next to him, and asked calmly, "Has the Prince of Chu been captured?"
Xie Jingxuan then withdrew his gaze and said seriously, "No, judging from Zhang Duwei's words, this person had already planned the route."
That mountain connects to the mountain range that leads to Lingquan Temple; it's probably already gone around the mountain by now.
The Hidden Dragon Guards and the Southern Guards were not very familiar with that mountain and had already been left behind by those people. Even if they went in again now, they would probably have a hard time finding the other side.
Xie Yang is a meticulous person, and I will not let myself fall into his hands easily.
This result wasn't too unexpected for him.
Seeing Xie Jingxuan's relaxed expression, showing no sign of worry about not being able to catch the person, Jiang Yimian asked curiously, "Isn't Your Majesty worried that the Prince of Chu will make a comeback?"
Once the King of Chu leaves, it will be very difficult to capture him again.
Xie Jingxuan just smiled and said, "Princess, there's no need to worry. Even if we don't capture the Prince of Chu, after today he will only be like a rat crossing the street in the Great Jin. It will be difficult for him to make a comeback."
Without the support of the Great Jin Dynasty, the King of Chu was merely a figurehead and not a threat.
Even if he fails to capture the King of Chu this time, it will not hinder his next move.
He will only reform the government and eliminate all bad practices, and will never give Xie Yang any more chances.
This guy isn't going to cause any trouble.
Jiang Yimian hesitated upon hearing this, and after thinking for a while, she said, "The King of Chu has a close relationship with the people of Xiliang, and now it seems that he also has a lot of connections with the eldest prince of Tuyuhun. If he really escapes this time, I'm afraid he will continue to retaliate."
Although it is unclear what deal the Tuyuhun and Xiliang people reached with Xie Yang, given Xie Yang's defeat, these two forces will likely not easily give up on the King of Chu and will certainly use him for some purpose.
Now that Xie Yang has no more scruples, he might become even more arrogant.
This person is a madman; no one would be surprised if he did something crazy.
It would be best if they killed this person as soon as possible.
Xie Jingxuan nodded. "The princess's concerns are not unreasonable. I will order people to search carefully for the whereabouts of the Prince of Chu. As for the Xiliang people and Tuyuhun, they are enemies. The Prince of Chu will be attacked sooner or later."
He wasn't worried about what the King of Chu might do next; instead, he was worried about Tuyuhun and Xiliang. These two groups were hostile to the Great Jin, and even without Xie Yang, they couldn't easily befriend the Great Jin.
Now that Xie Yang is involved, it will likely exacerbate the deterioration of relations between the two countries.
They really need to prepare early.
Lu Cijian, who was standing to the side, said, "Aguzan is currently in my residence. He wants us to send him back to Tuyuhun. What do you think?"
Originally, they helped him because they wanted to learn more about the King of Chu from him, but now they don't need to anymore. Whether or not to send Aguzan back to Tuyuhun is in their hands.
Xie Jingxuan thought for a while before saying, "Since you have made up your mind, then make your own arrangements. It is not a good thing for the Great Jin to have Tuyuhun controlled by Aliji."
If Aguzan can do what he said, sending him back wouldn't be a bad idea.
However, this person is cunning and calculating; you should be extra careful when dealing with him.
Lu Cijian responded and didn't say anything more.
Xie Jingxuan turned his attention back to Jiang Yimian and said casually, "I heard from Commandant Li that the princess used a weapon similar to gunpowder to hold back a lot of the rebels."
He had heard the explosion in the Golden Palace just now; it shook the ground so much that it was hard to ignore.
Jiang Yimian simply smiled and said, "Your Majesty misunderstands. That's just flour. When flour reaches a certain concentration, it will cause a huge explosion when it comes into contact with a flame. It has nothing to do with gunpowder."
The situation was urgent, and this was the only option we could use, but fortunately it worked.
Xie Jingxuan was taken aback, then just smiled, unsure whether he felt relieved or somewhat disappointed.
Jiang Yimian noticed his emotions and simply asked, "If Ning'an had used gunpowder, what would His Majesty have done?"
If gunpowder were to appear in the Great Jin Dynasty, the Great Jin Dynasty could essentially turn all the surrounding countries into its own territory.
Nowadays, neither Tuyuhun nor other neighboring countries have gunpowder.
There are many families in the Great Jin Dynasty that make fireworks and firecrackers. If they study them carefully, they could also make powerful bombs and gunpowder. It all depends on whether Xie Jingxuan wants to or not.
Xie Jingxuan thought for a while before saying, "If what you just used was indeed gunpowder, I will leave it for defense. Other countries have it, but Great Jin cannot be without it. If other countries don't have it, Great Jin will not use it on its own initiative."
The use of such a powerful weapon on the battlefield would be a huge blow to any country.
War is always cruel, and he actually hates it, but sometimes it's not something he can control.
Therefore, if a powerful family in the Great Jin Dynasty were to produce gunpowder, he would naturally keep it; this was simply a means of self-protection.
If not, he won't force it.
Jiang Yimian raised an eyebrow, not too surprised by Xie Jingxuan's answer.
This person has never been the kind of person who likes war, so it's normal for him to think this way.
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