"Who?" The Emperor of Liang's voice was cold and icy.
Gu Yi bowed deeply and respectfully cupped his hands, saying, "This person is none other than His Highness the Third Prince."
The emperor frowned impatiently, seemingly annoyed by his words. His voice grew even colder as he said, "General Fuhu, what time is it? Are you still joking?"
Even with the nation in peril, he still had the mind to joke around!
Xiao Ziwu is a newborn calf, he has never even been on the battlefield, and he was given such a heavy responsibility right away. How can he possibly handle it?!
Gu Yi maintained his bow and said sincerely, "Your Majesty, I am not joking, but truly recommending His Highness the Third Prince. I have witnessed this most directly from working with His Highness these past few days."
The Third Prince is brave, resourceful, meticulous, and possesses superhuman strength and archery skills; he is truly an excellent candidate.
That bandit suppression outside the city had already demonstrated Xiao Ziwu's military talent to the fullest, but the battlefield was a thousand times more dangerous, so he still couldn't be careless.
"No." The Emperor of Liang refused without hesitation. "My harem has few heirs, and the Third Prince's foundation is still weak. I absolutely cannot let him take this risk!"
There are countless wise men in the army; surely it must be my son who goes?"
The Emperor of Liang intended to cultivate Xiao Ziwu into the future God of War of Liang, and would not let him go to his death in vain.
Gu Yi, undeterred, continued, "But right now there is no one more suitable than the Third Prince. Moreover, the Third Prince is of imperial lineage. If he leads the troops into battle, it will be as if His Majesty himself is present, and our army's morale will surely be greatly boosted!"
"Your Majesty, I am also willing to serve as your deputy commander and assist you in fighting the enemy. I will offer you advice and strategies as needed. With me here, I will never let you be in any danger!"
Gu Yi was quite willing to take on the position of military supervisor, as long as he didn't have to shoulder the main responsibility. He might even forge a life-or-death bond with the Third Prince during battle, giving him a pretext to ask Xiao Ziwu to take good care of Ye'er in the future.
Gu Yi was happily making plans.
Emperor Liang was secretly thinking: with Gu Yi guiding him, Xiao Ziwu would not act rashly and easily fall into the enemy's trap. Only then could he have a chance of winning this battle.
But he did not nod immediately, only saying, "I will consider it further."
"Sending troops to provide assistance is of utmost urgency. We hope Your Majesty will make a decision as soon as possible."
After saying this, Gu Yi and the others all left.
After the group left, the Emperor of Liang instructed Wang Yu, "Summon the Imperial Observatory."
The Imperial Astronomical Bureau was summoned to an audience by imperial decree, but the Emperor of Liang dismissed his attendants and left only the Imperial Astronomical Bureau official to question him.
※※※※
After the Imperial Observatory left, a long time passed—
Wang Yu strolled in from outside the door. He saw that the emperor's face was solemn, as if he was in an internal struggle, and he remained silent for a long time.
He swept his whisk aside and tentatively spoke in a low voice, "Your Majesty, the Second Prince outside requests an audience."
"Summon them." The Emperor of Liang rubbed his furrowed brow and said calmly.
"Summon the Second Prince to an audience!"
Before arriving, Xiao Ziyan had been thoroughly berated by Huyan Hongxue, and he was already seething with resentment, eager to vent it. Then, he heard a report from his spies planted by his father's side: "His Majesty intends to appoint the Third Prince as commander-in-chief and General Fuhu as deputy commander-in-chief, to lead the army to support Xihai City, fight against Xihuan, and reclaim the three continents that Xihuan had conquered."
Now Xiao Ziyan could no longer sit still. He left Mu Yaozhi, who was still crying and blaming herself for not being able to help her brother Ziyan, and hurriedly ordered a sedan chair to return to the palace to meet the emperor.
He still retained his senses, and knelt down on both knees to pay his respects to the Emperor of Liang on the throne, saying, "Your subject greets Your Majesty."
"Rise."
Even a fool could guess the purpose of his visit.
As expected, after Xiao Ziyan stood up, he changed his usual gentle tone and forced a smile, saying, "The border war is tense, and I am very worried. Does Father have a plan?"
"Not yet." The Emperor of Liang put down the memorial and glanced at him indifferently. "What? What brilliant idea do you have?"
"Your subject is willing to serve Your Majesty with utmost loyalty and lead troops to support Xihai City!" Xiao Ziyan immediately volunteered, demonstrating his own loyalty.
It wasn't that he wasn't afraid of the bloodshed on the battlefield. It was just that since Gu Yi was willing to assist the commander-in-chief and accept the position of deputy general, changing the commander-in-chief wouldn't be a big deal.
He only needed to sit comfortably in the camp, and Gu Yi would offer advice on marching and fighting. The only thing the left and right sides of the Great Liang lacked was a commander who could stabilize the morale of the troops and boost their spirits.
Xiao Ziwu is capable of this task, and so am I!
Emperor Liang slammed his fist on the imperial desk in anger and sternly rebuked his arrogant son below.
"Nonsense!" "Do you think going to war is child's play?"
Xiao Ziwu was highly skilled in martial arts and capable of protecting himself. Even the emperor hesitated, let alone Xiao Ziyan, a weak scholar who was only stabbed in the abdomen and was unconscious for some time.
On this battlefield, swords and spears have no eyes; one wrong move and you could be killed on the spot! The Emperor of Liang would never allow Xiao Ziyan to lead the troops into battle.
Seeing the emperor's firm stance.
Xiao Ziyan said urgently, "Your subject is not afraid! With the blessing of the true dragon emperor, your subject will surely defeat the Western Huan and return in triumph!"
Xiao Ziyan had only one thought in his mind: he absolutely could not let Xiao Ziwu leave.
The odds of winning this battle are 30%, but even if the odds are only 30%, Xiao Ziyan must prevent it.
If Xiao Ziwu wins this battle, his chances of becoming the heir apparent will become even more distant. Xiao Ziwu's power is growing stronger, while he himself is stagnating. Sooner or later, there will be more people supporting Xiao Ziwu than supporting him!
Yuwen Yi and Gu Yi are examples of this.
If on the day he regained his senses, Xiao Ziyan still thought of Xiao Ziwu as the useless person he could manipulate at will, now he has truly changed his opinion.
Xiao Ziwu has learned to fight back!
Hongmei Garden was where he made an extremely successful comeback.
Instead of making a deliberate effort to win over Huyan Hongxue, he silently let his entire scheme go to waste when Huyan Hongxue extended an olive branch to him. He was truly insidious!
Exhausted, the Emperor of Liang waved his hand and said, "You may leave." He clearly did not want to listen to any more of his nonsense.
Xiao Ziyan was still recovering from serious injuries, and his face was still somewhat pale.
At this moment, he clutched his chest, deeply hurt, and said, "Father, do you not trust your son?"
Here we go again—if you can't beat them, show weakness.
Emperor Liang slammed his fist on the table and stood up, as if he could no longer contain his anger. He questioned Xiao Ziyan in a harsh voice: "It was I who disregarded the warning signs of the heavens and entrusted the matter of escorting the grain to you, which has resulted in this great disaster!"
The grain supplies have been seized, and the border is in grave danger. How can I trust you again? How can the people of the world trust you?
Xiao Ziyan's lips moved awkwardly, and it took him a long time to utter a complete explanation, "Your subject... Your subject has taken strict precautions, but unexpectedly... Unexpectedly, the villain still succeeded. Your subject is guilty and begs Your Majesty for punishment!"
Emperor Liang's face was ashen. He was shocked to recall his foresight in consulting the Imperial Observatory's interpretation earlier.
The eternal lamp at Wanfo Temple, belonging to Xiao Ziyan, was always extinguished, and the prophecy for this trip read: "Plans will not succeed, and even if they do, they will be harmful!"
Xiao Ziwu, however, commented: "Reborn from the ashes, he is capable of great responsibilities!"
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