Jiankang, the imperial capital.
The night wind wasn't very cold. Yan Beimo, dressed in a black robe with gold dragon patterns, stood by the window, his dark eyes gazing at the full moon in the sky, lost in thought.
Ayu climbed up from the couch, poked her little head out and looked at her father by the window, blinking her eyes.
"Father---"
No one responded.
He gripped the bed curtains with his little hands and slowly climbed down.
But he was too weak; he couldn't get his footing on the ground, and when his hands slipped, he fell to the ground.
Yan Beimo turned around and looked at him quietly.
Ayu lay on the ground, raising her dark, moist eyes.
Seeing his father's expressionless face, he twisted his little body and obediently stood up, supporting himself on the ground.
Yan Beimo walked over and pulled down his pants to look.
He fell on his buttocks, but fortunately, the ground was covered with a carpet, so he was not injured.
Does it hurt?
Ayu twisted her little hands and remained silent.
Yan Beimo said calmly, "Next time you overestimate yourself, think about the consequences."
Ah Yu, "---"
Can't understand.
It was already past midnight outside, and the entire palace was completely silent.
Ayu was carried out by her father and sat on the dragon carriage, where she was so sleepy that she kept dozing off.
Yan Beimo glanced at his son who was about to fall, but didn't make a move. He sat casually to one side, looking at the night outside.
Has Xuan Yao reached the border?
The night hawk outside, speaking respectfully through the gauze curtain, said, "According to the journey, we should have arrived. The generals at the border have already received the imperial decree and are making preparations."
What about the northern border?
“Mr. Zhongyuan personally went to the royal court and met with the King of the Northern Frontier.”
Yan Beimo stopped talking and stared at him.
Night Hawk paused slightly, then said with a forced smile, "Qilin has not replied."
Jiankang was brightly lit at night, and the various markets and neighborhoods were bustling with activity, with noise and bustle filling the streets.
They changed to a carriage, walked out of the Vermilion Bird Gate, passed through the West Alley, and parked the carriage in front of the small courtyard.
The two houses were connected together. Although no one had lived there for a long time, the environment inside was quiet and elegant, and it was clear that someone came to take care of it regularly.
Yan Beimo climbed the stone steps and pushed open the door to enter.
The furnishings inside the room were exactly the same as before, even the green sandalwood comb in front of the dressing table was still in its original position.
He glanced at it a few times and slowly walked over.
There were no candles lit in the room, and the light was dim. He picked it up casually and examined it by the moonlight coming from the window.
Night Hawk carried the sleeping prince in and saw His Majesty looking down at something in the moonlight by the window.
He quickly averted his gaze, placed the young prince on the couch, and carefully closed the door before leaving.
Silence reigned all around.
Yan Beimo put down the comb, casually pulled out a chair and sat down.
This round chair isn't very big. Chu Changning complained that he always did things on the chair, so he deliberately made a smaller one, which made it difficult for him to move around and wasn't comfortable to sit in.
He shifted his position and leaned back in his chair.
Ayu couldn't sleep soundly on the tatami. He opened his eyes groggily, rubbed them, and sat up.
"Father."
Yan Beimo ignored him, tilted his head back slightly, leaned against the chair, and closed his eyes.
Ayu peeked at the ground, then dared not move again, obediently lying on the tatami.
The Great Qi had just fought a battle with the Northern Liang, and now it was reinforcing its troops on the barbarian border. Judging from the intention, it was going to fight the Western Regions.
Not to mention the chaos in the northern border states, if the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions were to join forces to resist the enemy, the Central Plains would surely suffer heavy losses. If this were to happen, the situation of the eight kings in the north killing each other would be repeated, and a bloody storm would be inevitable.
The powerful families disagreed and jointly submitted a petition, but the Emperor of Great Qi went his own way and ignored it completely.
Inside the imperial study, Wang Dun and several members of the Yan family knelt on the ground, refusing to rise.
If it weren't for the strong support of the Yan clan, how could Yan Beimo have ascended to the throne so easily?
Now he's nothing but a wolf, and he's raised a pack of jackals who bite anyone they see.
"Your Majesty is aware that the war in the north has just been quelled. The most urgent task is to take over the northern capital and unify the northern and southern regimes. The matter of the barbarians can be discussed later."
"What the Prime Minister says is absolutely right. The surrounding countries of our Central Plains are in turmoil and divided. Emperors of all dynasties have taken it as their duty to recover lost territories. I hope Your Majesty will think twice before acting."
In the hall, Yan Beimo sat high on the dragon throne, his eyes closed and his chin propped up, seemingly not listening to what they were saying at all.
The Yan clan members were indignant, but dared not say anything, and swallowed their anger.
Wang Dun's expression was also unpleasant. This world belongs to the powerful families. If the emperor is disobedient, then just replace him. But unfortunately, the current emperor comes from a powerful family in Yandu.
He said in a deep voice, “Your Majesty, we are all thinking of the people of Daqi. Once war breaks out, the people will suffer from the hardships of war. Daqi has just fought such a long war and also needs to recuperate.”
The hall was eerily quiet.
The eunuch standing beside the palace pillar lowered his head, his back sweating with fear.
The people kneeling on the ground were all old and frail. After kneeling for so long, they really couldn't take it anymore; their knees ached, and their bodies ached too.
Wang Dun knew that their emperor was arrogant, but since his uncles were among them, he let them kneel there for half an hour.
"His Majesty!"
The former prime minister was arrogant and, backed by the Langya Wang clan, often put on airs because of his advanced age.
The eunuch saw His Majesty, who had been resting with his eyes closed, slowly straighten up and lower his head even further.
Incense smoke curled inside the room, filling the air.
Yan Beimo leaned back in his chair, glancing at the person still kneeling. His dark eyes were clear as ink, without a trace of light.
Wang Dun saw that his expression was clear, indicating that he had not fallen asleep at all, and his eyes were slightly glazed.
Yan Beimo picked up the teacup and said calmly, "From what you say, it is for the sake of the people. Then why don't you go to the southeast tomorrow to deal with the flood?"
"I am too busy with court affairs to attend to them. The floods in the southeast are under the jurisdiction of the governor."
"The Prime Minister is kind and benevolent. His decision to go to the southeast on my behalf to understand the people's plight is perfectly appropriate."
Wang Dun paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
The Yan clan members remained silent. They were not worried about the common people. This war was not only expensive and complicated, but also involved many aristocratic families and scholars who did not like war.
"Your Majesty, the Western Regions and Northern Liang—"
Before Yan Shiji could even speak, he felt an intense pressure from above, and the words caught in his throat, preventing him from uttering them.
Yan Beimo's voice remained calm, "Although Beiliang has been destroyed, Yuwen Yong has come all the way out of the pass. It is hard to guarantee that he will not start another uprising. We must nip it in the bud to prevent future troubles."
Upon hearing his words, Wang Dun recalled the messages he had received over the past six months and asked a question.
"The Empress died in Yancheng before the investiture ceremony could be held. Half a year has passed now. Your Majesty should also think about the future of our Great Qi Dynasty."
Yan Beimo leaned back in his chair, looking at him lazily.
Despite his seemingly indifferent expression, Wang Dun felt a chill run down his spine. He had served as prime minister for several dynasties, yet he was still being looked down upon by a junior.
"Now that the person is dead, Your Majesty should establish a new empress and expand the harem."
Yan Beimo asked gently, "Who do you think should be the empress?"
"The women of our noble families are all beautiful as flowers. Your Majesty's Empress should be from a prestigious family, well-educated and courteous. The court once suggested that a woman from the Cui family should be Empress. I wonder what Your Majesty thinks?"
Yan Beimo thought for a moment, "Cui woman? What's her name?"
"Cui Yuan, the eldest daughter of the Cui family."
"Cui Yuan?"
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