"Mother, I am back."
Seeing that Emperor Qianyuan looked unhappy, the Empress Dowager asked Yun Gu to serve him a cup of calming tea. "Did Shangguan Yu make the unreasonable request of moving the mausoleum again during this visit to the imperial mausoleum?"
"No." Emperor Qianyuan picked up the calming tea and took a few sips. He felt warm in his stomach and his uneasy heart calmed down temporarily.
The Empress Dowager frowned at his expression. Whenever her eldest son had something on his mind, he would come to her and sit for half an hour to chat about family matters.
"Don't keep anything in your heart, talk to mother."
Yun Gu hurriedly sent out the senior palace maids and others who were serving in the palace.
Fu Xuan stood guard at the palace gate as usual.
Emperor Qianyuan then realized that the Empress Dowager had lost a right-hand man, but he didn't care too much.
"Mother, the Eastern Seal may still be alive."
The Empress Dowager and Aunt Yun were shocked when they heard this. How could this be possible?!
"Impossible!" The Queen Mother felt that it was impossible for Dongfang Yinzhang to escape death twice.
"Mother, every time the Dongjun royal family sent people to pay their respects to Shangguan Rui'an, they would bring up the matter of moving the mausoleum, and they always ended up parting on bad terms. But this time was unusual. They didn't even mention moving the mausoleum, they simply came to pay their respects. Furthermore, your son hinted at Shangguan Yu returning to Dongjun quickly, but he mentioned the Eastern Seal..."
The Empress Dowager frowned and her eyes darkened. If Dongfang Yinzhang was still alive, would he use Dongjun's power to threaten her and her son?
"Even if he's alive, what does it matter? He's a man who hides behind a mask and hides from the public. Who can prove his identity? Just by his looks? It's a joke."
Forty years have passed. His maternal grandfather's family has fallen on hard times and almost all of them are dead. No one in the court can prove his identity.
Even if someone could prove his identity and wanted to compete with her son for the throne, it would be impossible!
More than 20 years ago, when the late emperor was still alive, he still had this possibility!
"Yanzhi, you've been sitting firmly on the throne of Beiyi for over twenty years. Even if Dongfang Seal returns, do you think he has the strength to do so?"
He really doesn't have this ability, but Prince Shun does, after all, he is his eldest son.
"Dongfang Yinyin understands metaphysics. If he could see Shangguan Rui'an back then..."
"Impossible!" the Empress Dowager interrupted him harshly, "He's a human, not a god. Shangguan Rui'an died in childbirth, and he lost two lives. If he dares to talk nonsense, he's using mystical magic to deceive the public. The scholars of the world can drown him with a single spit."
The Empress Dowager suddenly had a solution. "Since he suspects that Dongfang Yinzhang is still alive, who knows if he'll show up one day and spout nonsense. After all, he only has one mouth. Can he defeat ten thousand mouths?"
Emperor Qianyuan was unresponsive for a moment. "What does the Queen Mother mean?"
The Empress Dowager looked at him with a look of dismay, "Gossip can melt gold. The common people believe everything they hear. How dare Dongfang Yin come out and spout nonsense? How many people do you think he can convince with just a mouthful of his own?"
Emperor Qianyuan was surprised. "Mother, I understand, but this assumes he has no witnesses or physical evidence."
"He won't have any witnesses or evidence..." The Empress Dowager suddenly lost her confidence. Lin Fang disappeared for no reason, and she must have fallen into the hands of Dongfang Yinzhang or Shangguan Yu.
Lin Fang would not betray her, but it was hard to say under torture.
"Mother, what's wrong with you?"
"Arrange for someone to keep a close eye on the Duke of Huguo's Mansion and Shangguan Yu. If the Eastern Seal appears, seize it immediately!"
Emperor Qianyuan was puzzled, "Why are you keeping an eye on the Duke of Huguo's Mansion?" Could it be that the Queen Mother discovered that Su Xingyi was her biological grandson?
"On the day Lin Fang and Yun Gu went to pay respects to Princess Xiao on my behalf, he disappeared for no apparent reason. His whereabouts remain unknown to this day. My mother is worried that he was captured by either Shangguan Yu or Dongfang Yinzhang."
Emperor Qianyuan's face paled instantly when he heard this. "Mother, this is such a big deal, why didn't you tell me earlier?"
Emperor Qianyuan believed that it was Su Xingyi who took Lin Fang away!
The purpose was to investigate the incident of Shangguan Ruian's difficult childbirth.
"My Queen Mother is worried that you will be distracted from state affairs. Don't worry, Lin Fang won't say anything nonsense. Okay, my Queen Mother is a little tired, and you are tired too. Go back and rest."
After Emperor Qianyuan took his leave, the Empress Dowager quickly arranged for people to monitor Shangguan Yu and the Duke of Huguo's Mansion.
Emperor Qianyuan returned to his bedroom and spent a quarter of an hour making some arrangements.
Seeing that Emperor Qianyuan had gone to bed, Li Haiying quickly arranged for the palace servants to bring in dinner.
Li Haiying was setting the table when he caught a glimpse of the young eunuch working in the imperial study hurriedly entering the yard.
Just as he was about to open his mouth, he saw Li Haiying's stern eyes and quickly closed his mouth.
Li Haiying held Emperor Qianyuan's body tightly. No matter how big the matter was, he could not delay the emperor's dinner.
Li Haiying allowed the young eunuch to speak only after seeing that Emperor Qianyuan was eight-tenths full.
"Your Majesty, the Minister of War has an urgent matter to discuss with you and is waiting in the Imperial Study."
Emperor Qianyuan's heart was lifted again. It was definitely not a good thing for the Minister of War to come over at dinner time.
Emperor Qianyuan rushed to the imperial study and felt a headache after hearing the urgent report from the Minister of War.
"Dongjun's 100,000-strong army is merely stationed outside the pass, without attacking the city?"
"No, I received two urgent reports, only a quarter of an hour apart. The Dongjun soldiers arrived outside the pass three days ago and did not attack the city. I think Dongjun is plotting something bad and wants to catch us off guard."
Emperor Qianyuan narrowed his eyes. The Dongjun royal family must have known Su Xingyi's identity.
"Immediately go to the Jingji camp and inform the old virtuous king to dispatch 50,000 troops to reinforce the eastern border. Then dispatch five troops from the Yibei garrison to defend Wuyu Pass in the western border."
The Minister of War was surprised. If another 50,000 troops were transferred from the Western Territory, plus the Xiao family army stationed there, the total would exceed 100,000. "Your Majesty, all the soldiers from the Western Territory have withdrawn. Now that Prince Fu enjoys the fiefdom of five cities in the Western Territory, the Western Rong royal family will not make any moves in the short term. I suggest that these 50,000 troops be transferred to the Eastern Territory."
"Fifty thousand will suffice. Even if Dongjun has a hundred thousand troops at the gates of the city, it won't be easy to attack it. The western border must be defended and we can't be careless."
Emperor Qianyuan was worried that if Dongjun and Xijing joined forces, it would be a big trouble.
The Minister of War was unsure of what the Emperor was thinking, so he had no choice but to do as he was told. "I will go back and make arrangements."
"Another 30,000 more from the Western Territory."
That’s eighty thousand!
The Minister of War wanted to say that the emperor was confused, but he didn't dare to say it. After all, the military strength of Xirong was stronger than that of Beiyi, and more troops should be sent to garrison.
"Okay, Your Majesty. Now that the two Generals Xiao are coming back to attend the funeral, the Xiao family army is now led by the deputy general."
Emperor Qianyuan's mind shifted slightly, and he decided to let his trusted general take over the remaining Xiao family troops. "I will immediately order He Zhongkai to lead 80,000 soldiers and the Xiao family troops will be under his command."
The Minister of War was shocked, thinking that the Emperor was going to incorporate the last tens of thousands of Xiao family troops.
Even if the two generals of the Xiao family were granted the title of marquis, the Xiao family was destined to gradually decline.
"Send someone to find out what the young Prince Fu and his mother are doing in Rongcheng?"
He must not know that Xiao Lingyu was dead.
"...If we find them coming to Beijing, find a way to stop them..."
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