The messenger arrived after a long journey, covered in dust and grime. Fortunately, due to the special circumstances, no one held it against him, and he quickly explained the message he had brought.
There are three main news items.
"Prince Jia secretly contacted the barbarians, and the two conspired to launch a pincer attack from both inside and outside, control the border, and then advance on the capital."
This news was within their expectations. After all, they were going to rebel eventually. Even if King Jia had many subordinates, he would be easily controlled by his own strength. The barbarians were an excellent temporary partner for him.
However, this practice of so easily handing over reserves to the enemy is truly hard to understand.
Even if he successfully led his troops to the capital, would the barbarian tribes following closely behind let it go so easily?
At that point, it might not be as simple as ceding cities; it could even lead to a change of dynasty, leaving nothing behind.
Wen Hemian shook his head: "It's a waste of the salary spent on him. He is supported by the people, but in the end, he never thought that starting a war would cause so many people to be displaced. The country that has finally achieved stability may be destroyed because of this."
That's what they say.
But power itself is like a bottle of arsenic wrapped in honey. Even knowing it's poisonous, some people still fly like moths to a flame, hoping to seize the opportunity to rise to the top in one step.
“He doesn’t care about any of that; all he cares about is this position.”
Xie Lang had been emperor for many years, and his journey had been full of hardships, but he had also become more adept at seeing through people's hearts. He understood that if it hadn't been for the circumstances that forced him to sit in this position, he probably wouldn't have been able to do so.
Wen Hemian's gaze sharpened slightly as she looked at him: "Your Majesty, please don't underestimate yourself."
She seemed to have said nothing, yet she also seemed to have said everything.
Xie Lang could sense the reassuring meaning in these words.
He smiled nonchalantly: "I never intended to compete with him. Since we've chosen to take action, we must be prepared to bear the consequences."
His tone became serious, carrying a hint of imperial majesty and ruthlessness.
If Prince Jia had had enough courage to act two years earlier, he might have had a chance. But he chose this time, so he can only blame his bad luck.
The second piece of news concerned a regional king.
Prince Jia was also good at winning people's hearts. I don't know what benefits he promised, but most of the neighboring vassal kings joined his cause and contributed their manpower and resources. The total amount was actually quite considerable.
"According to information gathered by my subordinates, they are planning to launch a joint operation in the next few days, probably to catch us off guard."
Wen Hemian remained calm, but frowned slightly upon hearing the news: "Father and Mother should have made preparations. Now it's up to us."
Knowing that trouble would arise, after dealing with so many barbarian raids, the border is no longer the border it used to be. After the renovations, even the people in the city don't know what's going on, let alone the barbarians.
Upon hearing this, Xie Lang tightened his grip on her hand: "Grand Tutor, don't worry."
"I don't."
Wen Hemian calmed herself down and asked, "What about the third message?"
The scout who came to report said, "Prince Jia has an advisor who is exceptionally knowledgeable about news in the capital, but he usually wears a mask, so we haven't been able to find out his identity yet."
"Are there still some that slipped through the net?"
This was the first possibility that Wen Hemian thought of.
Xie Lang acted quickly back then, but communication was still limited, and there was always a lag in information delivery. It's also possible that someone managed to slip through and escape.
Judging from this, it might be someone I know.
Xie Lang hesitated for a moment, then waved for the scouts to leave. He then turned his gaze to Wen Hemian and said, "It was my oversight."
How can you blame yourself for this?
Wen Hemian disagreed with his statement: "A cunning rabbit has three burrows. You are the emperor, not an omniscient and omnipotent god. There are bound to be places you can't take care of. We'll know once we capture that person and take a look."
It's not that we shouldn't look for problems within ourselves, but back then, the capital was in complete chaos, so it's normal to have some oversights.
Wen Hemian was eager to know which old acquaintance had managed to slip away right under their noses.
"That makes sense," Xie Lang asked. "Shall I summon someone to discuss matters now?"
They estimated they would have to wait a few more days before taking action, but by then it would be too late. They were already prepared, everything was ready except for the final push, and they were going to delegate all the tasks that needed to be assigned.
Although they were not happy to see this day come, they had already agreed on what to do, and there was no time to back out.
Suppressing her unease, Wen Hemian nodded: "Okay."
There's a mole in the capital, and acquaintances a thousand miles away. It just goes to show how incredibly small this world is.
Lu Zishen, the six ministers, and several important officials in charge of the defense of the capital were all summoned to the Imperial Study.
The rain had just stopped outside, but they were still a little damp from rushing over. The adults simply took the handkerchiefs that Xi handed them and wiped themselves before going over to meet the Emperor.
Lord Wen also brought a bowl of tea and sat down calmly and dignifiedly next to His Majesty. When he saw them arrive, he smiled politely.
Everyone knew what they had been busy with these days. They had initially thought something urgent had happened and were a little uneasy, but seeing the two of them so calm and composed, they immediately felt much more at ease.
Even if the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. Why are Lord Wen and His Majesty so calm and collected? What's the point of them panicking here?
"Please sit down, everyone."
Wen Hemian's personality is what it is; since she returned, she has always played the bad cop, and this has left a deep impression on people, making her quite convincing.
As soon as she spoke, the ministers breathed a sigh of relief and found a seat. Soon after, palace servants brought them hot tea to warm them up.
Lu Zishen spoke first: "His Majesty summoned us here, is there some movement in the north?"
Lu Zishen held multiple positions, and his wife also assisted the emperor, so he had the most information. It was most appropriate for him to speak up.
Having served in the court for many years, he had come to understand the current emperor's personality. His methods were somewhat ruthless, but he never made things difficult for capable ministers.
Perhaps much of this is thanks to the teachings of Professor Wen.
Lu Zishen felt a mix of emotions.
Xie Lang nodded and explained the situation to them in general terms.
The ministers looked at each other in bewilderment after hearing this.
They had heard about Prince Jia's intentions, but they never expected that he would do something that was tantamount to treason and usurpation. He was truly audacious.
Minister of War Wu Zongding pondered the emperor's meaning and after a long while spoke: "May I ask Your Majesty, have you made a decision?"
Wu Zongding was a cautious and prudent man. He had helped a lot in the past and was a staunch royalist. He was very perceptive and had long suspected Xie Lang's recent close association with military officers.
This conjecture was rather alarming, and someone had to bring it up, so he asked.
As expected, as soon as he finished speaking, the emperor sitting behind his desk nodded: "Yes."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com