Ji City, the city lord's mansion.
Shen Qianxue, travel-worn and without even having a sip of water, rushed to Zhou Ji's bedchamber.
Throughout the journey, he was on tenterhooks, worried that something might have happened to Zhou Ji.
Although Su Jin's description of Zhou Ji's actions was disheartening, it was ultimately just speculation. The reasons behind it needed further investigation, and he couldn't make hasty conclusions that would ruin their relationship.
However, when Shen Qianxue saw Zhou Ji with a rosy complexion, leisurely sipping tea, her heart sank to the bottom.
Zhou Ji was stunned when he saw Shen Qianxue; he hadn't expected her to return so quickly.
Seeing Shen Qianxue's unshaven appearance, Zhou Ji looked distressed and quickly said, "Come sit down and have a cup of hot tea."
"Why does Your Highness want me to return immediately?" Shen Qianxue asked calmly.
Zhou Ji felt a little uneasy, but then he became dissatisfied and his face turned cold. He felt that Shen Qianxue was angry when she spoke to him, but he was also angry inside.
After a while, Zhou Ji called someone in and instructed, "Go and summon all the generals. We will discuss matters with the commander-in-chief tonight."
He then said to Shen Qianxue in a low voice, "Go back and wash up and change your clothes. Come over later to discuss matters."
The direct orders and their respective cold attitudes brought the atmosphere between the two to a freezing point.
Shen Qianxue looked at herself covered in dust and felt only irony.
He didn't say anything more, and turned to leave.
In the evening, Shen Qianxue entered the main hall of the city lord's mansion. The hall was exquisitely decorated, with one table for each person and excellent food and wine.
All the generals rose to their feet and congratulated Shen Qianxue on capturing Qilin Pass, an important military stronghold.
Shen Qianxue returned the greeting simply and sat down in her seat.
Zhou Ji was positioned on the high platform, while Shen Qianxue was positioned first below the high platform.
This arrangement is reasonable, after all, Zhou Ji is the king.
But thinking back, everyone used to gather together to discuss the war. Zhou Ji even said that there was no need for empty formalities, which would only make things seem more distant. But now...
Zhou Ji then said some words of praise for Shen Qianxue, making everyone eat and drink to their heart's content.
Shen Qianxue clearly sensed that Zhou Ji had a problem with him and was unhappy, but Zhou Ji still managed to praise him in front of everyone with a smile.
The generals and officials all toasted Shen Qianxue.
Shen Qianxue responded indifferently; with war raging, he did not like such occasions.
Moreover, he returned because of the word "return quickly," is that the reason he should return quickly?
Su Jinxia had repeatedly said that Zhou Ji was unworthy of his position, but Shen Qianxue never agreed, because he believed that he understood Zhou Ji better than Su Jinxia and had seen more of him.
But at this moment, Shen Qianxue dared not insist any longer.
He seemed to genuinely not understand the person on the platform.
After several rounds of drinks, Zhou Ji finally got down to business. "Right now, the fighting in the Northeast is fierce, and Zhuang Jun is about to seize half the country. Su Jinxia has even unknowingly recruited two princes. As for Zhou Chen, he's an incompetent man, so let's not mention him. The important thing is Zhou Lin. His reputation in the court is not low. As far as I know, some people in the court have begun to support him and even secretly contact him. Generals, how should we resolve this matter?"
A general with a full beard stood up and said, "Zhou Lin is a major hidden danger. We should eliminate him as soon as possible before he grows up."
"How can we eliminate them? Zhou Lin leads 100,000 valiant Tiger Forest Army soldiers, whose strength is extraordinary. Moreover, he is far away in the Northeast, beyond our reach." Zhou Wenshu was worried. He felt that Zhuang's army was growing stronger day by day, and its momentum was about to overtake the Ji Army.
The bearded general slammed his fist on the table in anger, “I told you back then we should have attacked Zhuang Jun as soon as possible. If we had acted a year earlier, none of this would have happened!”
Everyone's gazes drifted towards Shen Qianxue, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
It has always been Shen Qianxue's insistence not to attack Zhuang Jun. However, Shen Qianxue bears an undeniable responsibility for the growth of Zhuang Jun.
Shen Qianxue sighed softly, her heart sinking even deeper.
So that's why I wanted him to return so quickly.
Zhou Lin's appearance made Zhou Ji feel a sense of crisis!
The Ji Army has always appeared more orthodox and enjoyed greater popular support because of Zhou Ji's presence.
But now, Zhuang Jun also has imperial relatives.
Moreover, Zhou Lin was stationed on the border, fighting against the brutal barbarians, and protecting the peace of the region with his iron-fisted military discipline. His reputation in the court was higher than that of Zhou Ji.
Therefore, Zhou Ji was afraid again.
Shen Qianxue gently raised her eyes to look at Zhou Ji, feeling extremely unfamiliar with him.
He clearly remembered that Zhou Ji hated the tyranny of the court and was determined to relieve the suffering of the people, which was why he had the idea of raising an army.
But now, the plight of the common people has long been forgotten; Zhou Ji only thinks about unifying the world.
The bearded general pondered for a while and said, "I think it's not too late to attack Zhuang's army now. It's much better than waiting until Zhuang's army has unified the entire East before we attack. Sending troops to Zhuang's army is only a matter of time, so it's better to do it sooner rather than later."
The others nodded in agreement, agreeing that it made sense.
Zhou Ji wholeheartedly agreed, saying, "The general is right; it's better to do it sooner rather than later."
As he spoke, Zhou Ji turned his gaze to Shen Qianxue and asked casually, "What does Qianxue think?"
Shen Qianxue's gaze fell on the area three inches in front of him, without looking at anyone. He took a breath and said, "The Zhuang army has a million soldiers, ample supplies, and high morale. They are probably just looking for an opportunity to use their strength. If we take the initiative to send troops, not only is the outcome uncertain, but the losses will inevitably be heavy. On the other hand, the imperial court is deeply mired in a media storm and is in turmoil. Therefore, taking the Central Plains and capturing the capital will be a piece of cake."
Shen Qianxue's words made sense, but Zhou Ji didn't want to listen. He retorted, "Zhuang Jun is difficult to fight now, and it will only get more difficult in the future. How long do you plan to drag this out? Or is your initial plan to share the world equally with Su Jinxia?"
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