Pei Zhiyuan stood there in a daze. The woman in front of him was so thin that she was almost unrecognizable, with sunken cheeks, dark circles under her eyes, red eyes, skinny limbs and withered hair.
The originally lively cat's eyes were completely dull, and the whole person seemed to have lost the luster of the soul.
"Pei Zhiyuan, it's time to clean up this world."
Her voice was not loud, without any emotion, but it made people feel icy cold, and the chill went straight up their spine.
Pei Zhiyuan responded hesitantly, "Miss Shen...if the war continues, it will inevitably shake the foundation of the country. The famine in the north has not yet subsided, and relations with foreign countries are tense.
The people are now very much against the war, and the imperial court has been putting pressure on us, saying that there is no legitimate reason to go to war with Jiangling. We should let the royal army retreat to the imperial city first and recuperate..."
Shen Xu didn't answer and walked in unsteadily. She grabbed the small blue flag on the sand table that was inserted at the location of Jiangling Mansion and pinched the small wooden pole into two pieces.
"Master Pei, the female prime minister is dead. She didn't die from Liu Ziren's attack, but from the bounty the Yang family posted on the Yunnuan Pavilion. Can this be a reason to start a war?
"What do you want to do? If we continue to fight like this, our national strength will be exhausted."
Shen Xu stepped forward and grabbed Pei Zhiyuan’s arms, his eyes wide and red, “They are refusing the disarmament order, which is also a waste of national strength.
Why don’t we make a concerted effort now to capture Jiangling and put out the sparks of rebellion once and for all?
Yang Chonghu said I was dead, so I was dead.
But what if the female prime minister is dead? We in Haoyue Kingdom still have the Grand Marshal Pei Zhiyuan!
He can also control wolves and scare tigers, and he can also clean up the government!
His ancestor was Pei Zhengyu, a famous general who destroyed Yan, and his adoptive father was General Yu Huan, a pillar of the state. He was a legitimate Haoyue noble.
He is qualified to command the troops of the world and to call the shots in the court!"
“Miss Shen, what do you want me to do?”
She clutched his arm tightly, her pale lips moving in and out, "Pei Zhiyuan, are you afraid of being criticized?"
“Miss Shen, you saved my life. I will do whatever you ask me to do, even if it means dying.”
"Well, Pei Zhiyuan, I want you to stand up, to a height higher than your ancestor and adoptive father, to the pinnacle of power.
Let the traitors who intend to disrupt the government give up completely.
Make those aristocratic families who claim to be nobles but only care about family interests bow down to you.
Make all those who oppose you crawl at your feet, either surrender or die!
I want you to...force the palace to seize power and shock the court."
Pei Zhiyuan's breathing stagnated and his whole body stiffened. He looked at her haggard face in astonishment.
The woman before him had been seriously ill and was extremely weak, but she burst out with a powerful murderous intent that made him breathless.
He exclaimed softly, "Are you crazy? This will cause chaos in the world!"
Shen Xu roared, tears suddenly burst out from her eyes, big drops rolled down, she cried loudly: "Isn't the world chaotic enough now?
Did we mess it up? Did my husband's uncle mess it up?
She calmed down for a moment, raised her hand to wipe away her tears, sniffed, and said calmly, "Pei Zhiyuan, let's go back now and let Cheng'er hand over the imperial power to you. Go and gather the army and take down Linzhou and Jiangling."
Pei Zhiyuan said without confidence: "Miss Shen, Yang Chonghu threatened the people of the two cities, we can't attack..."
"You can do it! I will help you. I will find a way to minimize the losses.
To cure a stubborn disease, we must drive out the evil. At this time, we must not make a choice."
Pei Zhiyuan said bitterly, "Are you...going to abandon the people of these two cities?"
Shen Xu’s eyes were red, and he said with difficulty: “I am not a saint, I cannot protect every citizen of Haoyue Country.
If every rebellious noble family used the people in the city as a threat to achieve their own goals.
Are we all so indecisive that we can withdraw our troops just because he says so? Then how can we govern the country?"
Pei Zhiyuan suddenly felt short of breath. He shook his head and said, "Why do you have to ask me..."
She just sniffed and said, "Pei Zhiyuan, I do this for the future of Haoyue Country.
Now Xue Yan has been abducted and his life or death is uncertain.
Cheng'er was from the Yang family and was still young and unable to manage the government.
I come from a humble background. Even if I don't die, I have already affected the interests of too many nobles. If the court officials were not afraid of the power of the royal army, no one would obey me.
Now that the king's army has suffered a defeat in Jiangling, Linzhou, and its combat effectiveness is far less than before, it is inevitable that some people will think of joining forces with the two tigers to overthrow the king's army.
But you are different, you are a noble, and you will have the support of the secret guards and the nobles of Rock City.
You and I killed Master Hua together and put down the rebellion together. You also have the support of the people and will surely get everyone's support.
After this incident, whether you want to become emperor or return power to Cheng'er, I have no objection.
I only hope that this time you can help me, overcome all opposition, capture Jiangling, and avenge my husband."
Pei Zhiyuan pursed his lips and remained silent for a long time, then acquiesced.
He was very confused. The Mirror Envoy he sent to Yanyang Kingdom to investigate brought back news that the royal family of Yanyang Kingdom had not lost the princess at all!
That Prince Yan also didn't have a sweetheart.
So who is she, where does she come from, and why does she know so much?
Just then, Xue Yu also walked in.
She had also lost a lot of weight, and her originally round face had become much sharper. The scratches on her face had almost healed, leaving only red marks after the scabs had fallen off.
"Master Pei, is there any news about my brother?" She would come to ask almost every day. Even when she was unable to sleep at night due to the pain after the bone reconnection, she would still insist on coming to find out the news.
Pei Zhiyuan shook his head and told Xue Yu that the state governments had stopped shipping relief supplies.
"Aren't we in the north the people of Haoyue Kingdom?" Tears welled up in her eyes, and she was extremely disappointed with the court's actions.
Shen Xu looked at Xue Yu, and there seemed to be light in his eyes, "Pei Zhiyuan, we still have the Black Armored Wolf Riders."
"The North is suffering from disasters and can't take care of itself. How can they help us?"
Shen Xu said to Xue Yu, "Miss Xue, your brother is now in the hands of the Beihai people and has no news. I will not give up asking the Beihai Kingdom for his return, but we must first stabilize the court.
You are the eldest daughter of the Northern Xue Family. You must shoulder the responsibility of governing the three northern prefectures for your brother, rally the people, command the Black Armored Wolf Cavalry, and become our strength."
Xue Yu nodded bitterly and said sadly: "My brother heard about your death in the attack and was going back to the north to gather troops to avenge you.
Lady Prime Minister, the Northern Army has always been your strength."
Shen Xu detailed the upcoming deployment with several people. She detained Lin Si and Lin Wu, who had finally been rescued from the desert. She wrote a letter to the Lord of Xiling City, asking them to defend Haoyue Kingdom regarding the missing envoy and requesting a new date for negotiations to stabilize the situation between the two countries.
She sent another letter to Beihai State, asking Beihai to return Xue Yan.
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