Chapter 137 I received an answer myself: Everything was of my own free will. ...
Huan Xun's words struck her like a thunderbolt, leaving her ears ringing.
Everything around faded and fell silent in an instant.
His words kept crashing into her mind, each one making her head spin.
She was more than a little shocked: "You mean Xiao Chengyan...supports the Northern Expedition?"
Huan Xun hummed in agreement and turned to Xie Cheng to fetch the letter that Xiao Chengyan had handed over.
This was too much of a change. Yu Nie murmured, "Xiao Chengyan... how could he?"
It's no wonder she was so shocked. From a standpoint of opinion, Xiao Chengyan had always been worried about the endless war between the two countries and did not want to see people suffer.
A few days ago, when they met in secret, he said that he must argue with his elder brother, the emperor, to stop his brother, Xiao Daozun, from launching a northern expedition.
How could someone who had worked with the two of them to devise a plan to end the war suddenly turn to the opposite position?
In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, Xie Cheng had already brought the letter.
She quickly took the letter, opened it, and read it carefully.
The more she looked, the more the last glimmer of hope in her heart vanished, like embers doused with cold water, hissing and turning to nothing but cold ashes.
When she learned from Gu Xiangzhi yesterday that Nan Yin had mobilized troops, she felt heavy-hearted, but she still held onto hope that as long as they made an effort and as long as the channels for peace talks were not completely closed, there was still room for maneuver.
But the current situation made her feel a chill in her heart.
She recalled Xiao Chengyan's past words and asked in confusion, "Didn't Xiao Chengyan disagree with his brother's national policies? How come he suddenly agrees with his brother's actions?"
The change was too fast and too drastic for her to accept.
Huan Xun looked at her disappointed face, picked up the teacup from the table, and ran his fingertips along the inside of the cup.
He said, "His change is not surprising." He spoke calmly and analyzed, "The battle between Nan Yin and Bei Ye was bound to happen sooner or later. Unifying the world and sweeping away the chaos is the grand ambition of every emperor. Zhao Yunfu was like that, and so was Xiao Daozun."
"The Xiao family has been planning for many years, waiting for this uniquely opportune moment."
Yu Nie: "A uniquely opportune moment?"
"Um."
Huan Xun said, "Beiye is undergoing a major reshuffle, with old and new forces alternating, making its foundation extremely unstable. In addition, the war in the northern border is in full swing, and the Xiutu people are tying down a large number of our elite troops. For Nanyin, there is no better opportunity than now."
As he spoke, Yu Nie understood that faced with such a huge temptation and absolute strategic advantage, personal disagreements would ultimately have to succumb to practical considerations.
Xiao Chengyan's dramatic change in his life may be due to this, which ultimately led to his being persuaded by his brother.
Opportunity knocks but once; he... was ultimately a man of Nan Yin.
Thinking about this, a sense of sorrow suddenly welled up in her heart, and she got up and walked slowly.
Soon, Huan Xun's words coincided with her thoughts.
“Xiao Chengyan may have had some benevolent intentions…” he continued, his words carrying a profound meaning that was difficult to express: “But he was ultimately a man of Nan Yin. After weighing the pros and cons, it was only natural for him to choose to follow the trend of the times and support his elder brother, the emperor.”
“He may have underestimated many things before, including… his own position. Now, he is simply making decisions that are more in line with his identity and circumstances.”
Throughout history, it has been futile to try to stop a chariot with one's bare hands.
Every emperor who ruled over a region dreamed of conquering the Central Plains; no one was willing to have the vast land divided and forever relegated to half-rule.
Unification has always been inevitable; it is an unstoppable trend that cannot be changed by individual will.
Bei Ye and Nan Yin are like two surging rivers that will eventually flow into the same ocean. Either Bei Ye will move south or Nan Yin will launch a northern expedition. War between the two is inevitable.
As Huan Xun said, the war in the northern frontier is not yet over and internal power struggles are rampant. For Nan Yin, this is indeed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If Xiao Daozun does not seize it, he will be going against his imperial instincts.
Thinking of this, Yu Nie's tangled thoughts seemed to be somewhat cleared up.
Although she didn't know what kind of information the two Xiao brothers had conveyed in their letter that could cause Xiao Chengyan's attitude to change so drastically, she no longer had any desire to speculate.
Speculation was useless now, she thought. Even so, she had to see Xiao Chengyan in person and ask him why he had suddenly changed his stance.
She wanted to get a definite answer from him herself.
When she told Huan Xun about this idea, he got up and walked up to her.
"You want to ask Xiao Chengyan yourself?"
She nodded: "I think, in any case, his character makes me feel that there is still room for maneuver. Perhaps we can still try to get him to think it over again and continue to persuade Xiao Daozun."
His tall and straight figure naturally cast a shadow over her.
“Tell me…” he said in a steady voice, “If you go to see him and his answer remains the same, or even worse, what will you do?” He asked directly, getting straight to the heart of the matter.
She met his gaze, her face bearing an almost stubborn determination.
She took a deep breath and replied, "As long as I've tried my best, I'll have no regrets even if we meet on the battlefield in the future."
Her eyes showed no sign of flinching.
Huan Xun gazed at her silently for several breaths. A very subtle ripple seemed to pass through his eyes, but after a moment, they returned to calm.
“Okay,” he agreed. “Then let’s go see him.”
He didn't ask any more questions, nor did he try to stop her. Even though he didn't want them to meet, he still chose to go with her.
＊
The people from the Imperial Horse Administration looked at Xiao Chengyan. With Gu Xiangzhi as their contact, it wouldn't be difficult for them to get in.
To avoid suspicion, they approached Gu Xiangzhi, explained their purpose, and finally decided to carry out the operation at night.
Before going to the Siyi Residence where Xiao Chengyan was located, Yu Nie returned to the residence.
At lunchtime, Cui Miaochang, who had left in the morning, had already returned.
When Yu Nie asked her where she had gone, she simply said that she had traveled around Jian'an, and then mentioned that she wanted to build a cenotaph for A Hui in Huaiyuan.
Ah Hui is now buried in Jian'an, and Cui Miaochang does not want to disturb his rest any longer.
Upon hearing this, Yu Nie agreed.
Seeing the bottles and jars in the inner courtyard, as well as the stove, Cui Miaochang quickly realized what her disciple was doing, based on her actions in Huaiyuan.
When asked about her involvement in gunpowder production, Yu Nie no longer concealed the fact that Nan Yin was planning a northern expedition, explaining that she was producing gunpowder for the upcoming war.
If one side possesses a powerful weapon, it might reduce casualties or even prevent war from breaking out.
Cui Miaochang did not react much to the news of the turmoil in the country.
She simply said, "Trouble in the world is inevitable; perhaps only when we see our coffins will we know when to retreat."
This was the first time she had supported Yu Nie's gunpowder production, and no one would have expected it to happen under such circumstances.
Because there was an operation to be carried out that night, Yu Nie made an excuse that he had to go to the palace after lunch, and ordered Song Ai to take good care of Cui Miaochang and Aunt Liu, and then left with Cuiwei.
She first went to the Jiheng Mansion, creating the illusion that she had gone out with Huan Xun to enjoy the autumn scenery. The two changed clothes at a house that Huan Xun had found, and then went to the residence of Prime Minister Gu.
Gu Xiangzhi naturally did not refuse her request. After asking her why she did so, he took them to Siyi Residence again.
The Siyi Residence was in a special location, and there were not many powerful and wealthy people living around it.
In addition, since this place is under the supervision of the Imperial Horse Administration, all the people who could be dismissed nearby were moved elsewhere.
The person guarding Xiao Chengyan was another junior supervisor who was on par with Gu Xiangzhi. Fortunately, this person was not very clever, and they had Gu Xiangzhi, a close minister of the emperor, in front of them.
After some questioning, they were allowed to go inside.
When they entered Xiao Chengyan's room, Gu Xiangzhi deliberately left Mei Nian outside to guard the door.
Outside the courtyard of the Four Barbarian Residence, guards dressed in Imperial Horse Administration uniforms and with curved blades at their waists were everywhere.
The three of them stepped into the room and saw Xiao Chengyan sitting alone in front of the candlestick. The food on the table was untouched, and his figure was extremely thin.
He looked up at the sound, his chin covered in stubble, and his eyes no longer held their former dashing air.
His gaze swept over Gu Xiangzhi, and then landed on the other two people behind him.
He stared at Yu Nie for a long time as if he didn't recognize her in her armor, until her eyes lit up when she took off her helmet.
Half a step behind Xiao Chengyan stood a man like a shadow; it was none other than his close follower, Han Jie.
The door closed silently.
Suddenly, the dimly lit room became much more crowded.
"lush……"
Xiao Chengyan's voice was hoarse and dry, almost out of tune. He suddenly stood up, his movements so hurried and unsteady that the chair behind him made a jarring sound.
He completely ignored everyone else, took a few steps to Yu Nie, grabbed her arm, and exclaimed excitedly, "You... how did you get here?"
Huan Xun, who had been standing quietly to the side in ordinary guard armor, took half a step forward without making a sound, placed his hand on Xiao Chengyan's wrist, and with a slight force, pushed his hand away without saying a word.
Upon catching a glimpse of this scene, Gu Xiangzhi slightly lowered his gaze.
Xiao Chengyan's arm was pushed away. He was taken aback at first, then glanced at Huan Xun, but ultimately did not make any further moves, only slowly withdrawing his hand.
The friendship between them now seems to have vanished.
Yu Nie glanced at the two of them, ignoring the slight pain in her arm and the subtle atmosphere in the room, and looked at Xiao Chengyan, who was obviously much thinner and more disheveled.
She asked with concern, "Cousin...are you alright? Did they give you any trouble?"
Xiao Chengyan was unaware of her true identity at this time.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Chengyan lowered his head and smiled self-deprecatingly, then turned and moved away: "A prisoner under the guard, what is there to talk about good or bad?"
Seeing him so dejected, Yu Nie felt nothing. After all, he had treated her well, and seeing him fall to such a state made her uneasy.
After speaking, Xiao Chengyan's gaze returned to Yu Nie's face. As if he had thought of something, he said, "Qiqi risked coming here, surely not just to ask me if I'm alright?"
Before she could answer, he continued, "It's because of that letter, isn't it? You want to ask me why I suddenly changed my mind, right?"
Having her intentions guessed, Yu Nie no longer concealed anything. She stepped forward and said, "I know you're not that kind of person. Is there some reason why you're doing this?"
Hearing her words, he suddenly smiled, a bitter smile.
“There was no hardship,” he said. “It was all of my own free will.”
She held him tightly, refusing to let go: "Why?"
Xiao Chengyan remained silent for a moment, then met her stubborn gaze.
The lamp wick crackled twice, casting flickering light in his eyes. His gaze, almost imperceptible, swept over her shoulder and across the spot where Huan Xun was.
Yu Nie did not notice this, but Gu Xiangzhi did.
There must be something he doesn't know about these two things.
Xiao Chengyan looked at her and continued, "I'm just recognizing what reality is."
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