Jian Yang looked at Liu'er kneeling on the ground and felt a little uncomfortable. She quickly helped her up.
It seems I misunderstood. She's just a timid and cowardly palace maid, Jian Yang thought to herself.
On the day of the court session, the military governor sent a message.
It is said that the southwestern border is unstable, and a small border country called Agil has repeatedly tested the border line. Although no casualties have been caused, its ambitions are evident.
The emperor felt something was amiss, so he summoned Jian Hong and Jian Yang.
"What do you think?" Zhou Jingzhi asked after briefly explaining the situation.
Jian Yang and Jian Hong exchanged a glance, both feeling that something was amiss.
"This Agil is just an insignificant little country. Neither its military strength nor its national power can support them declaring war on us. Why would they want to humiliate themselves?"
Jian Yang couldn't understand this behavior at all.
Zhou Jingzhi nodded. This was the problem. In the past, there would occasionally be minor frictions on the border, but no country had ever acted so recklessly as Agil. He didn't know what was going on now.
Jian Hong pondered for a moment and said, "There's probably something fishy going on here. The Kingdom of Agil must have some other purpose this time."
In his experience, small border states generally do not invade unless they have a powerful backer.
Thinking of this, Jian Hong spoke up again: "Why don't you stay in the palace and let me go to the border to investigate and see what this Agil Kingdom is up to?"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Jingzhi looked at Jian Yang, seemingly seeking her consent.
Jian Yang was initially reluctant to let him go to the frontier, but Jian Hong was adamant in his decision, so after giving him a few instructions, she let him go.
That same day, Jian Hong led a group of men toward the border of Agil.
Ever since Jian Hong left the capital, Jian Yang had felt uneasy, sensing that something was amiss, and she hadn't been sleeping well each night.
That evening, Zhou Jingzhi was busy with official business and didn't return to Weiyang Palace until midnight. Jian Yang was already asleep by then.
He quietly took off his coat, lay down next to Jian Yang, and seeing her slightly furrowed brows, reached out and pulled her into his arms.
Jian Yang had a dream.
She stood on the boundless Gobi Desert, surrounded by fallen soldiers, their blood flowing like rivers, with not a single survivor present.
Jian Yang looked around and suddenly saw a flag planted not far away. She looked closely and saw that the flag had the pattern of the Zhenbei Army. Jian Yang's breath hitched.
She hurriedly ran towards the flag, and although it looked so close, it took Jian Yang a long time to get there.
What happened next made her heart stop.
Underneath the flag, there was a person stuck in the ground. Jian Yang ran over in disbelief and wiped the blood off his face.
After seeing the man's face clearly, Jian Yang trembled all over. The man stuck under the flagpole was Jian Hong, and blood was still gushing from his mouth.
Jian Yang burst into tears: "Brother!"
She suddenly woke up from her dream and sat up, her whole body drenched in cold sweat and tears still on her face.
Jian Yang curled up, hugged her legs tightly, and sobbed softly.
Zhou Jingzhi woke up from his sleep when he heard her shout. Seeing her distraught appearance, he quickly pulled her into his arms and gently patted her back.
"Ayang, don't be afraid, it's just a dream," Zhou Jingzhi comforted her.
After an unknown amount of time, Jian Yang finally calmed down and then described the dream she had just had to Zhou Jingzhi.
"I assure you, such a thing will absolutely not happen. I will definitely send people to protect General Jian," Zhou Jingzhi promised.
Jian Yang finally relaxed a little and drifted off to sleep again.
The following day, Zhou Jingzhi suddenly received a message from the secret guards he had previously sent out to track Zhou Jingan, and he rushed to the Imperial Study.
"Is there any news about Prince Chen?" Zhou Jingzhi asked.
The guard handed over some documents and replied, "According to my investigation, His Highness Prince Chen fled southwest, and all the checkpoints he passed through are here. Inside are the testimonies of officials from various places."
Zhou Jingzhi took it and looked at it, and found that these locations were connected by a line on the map, which eventually led to the southwestern border.
"Where was the last place where we found traces of him?" Zhou Jingzhi asked.
According to the guards, they tracked Zhou Jing'an all the way to Yuncheng, but then they could not find any trace of him. All signs indicate that Zhou Jing'an did not leave Yuncheng.
The emperor looked at the map. Yuncheng was located on the southwestern border, bordering many small countries, including the Kingdom of Agil. Beyond these small countries lay the Liao Kingdom, which lived a nomadic life.
They have always maintained a peaceful coexistence with the Liao Dynasty and have no intention of waging war against it.
"I've also discovered that His Highness Prince Chen had close ties with General Wei before leaving the capital, and this matter is likely related to him," the guard added.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Jingzhi narrowed his eyes.
Wei Wenzhe, the General Who Guards the West, has been guarding the southwestern border for ten years. Thanks to his presence, Yuncheng has not been disturbed by neighboring small countries for a long time.
But how did he get involved with Zhou Jing'an? Zhou Jingzhi was somewhat surprised, as he remembered this man as someone who was dedicated to serving the people.
His gaze returned to the map, and Zhou Jingzhi suddenly remembered that this was the place Jian Hong had gone to. He also thought of the dream Jian Yang had, and felt a little uneasy.
He pondered for a moment, then ordered, "Gather troops and head to Yun City immediately. Be careful not to let the news leak out."
"Also, once you arrive in Yuncheng, go find General Jian first, and do not act rashly."
After receiving the order, the guard gathered a large group of men and headed out of the city.
No one knew what had happened or where the troops were headed; the imperial court claimed that they were merely conducting drills.
"Yongfu, give the order that this matter be forbidden to be mentioned in the palace, especially in front of the Empress," Zhou Jingzhi said.
The matter is still unresolved. If Jian Yang finds out now, she will be so worried about Jian Hong that she will lose sleep and appetite. He plans to tell Jian Yang after the matter has been investigated.
Everyone was worried about this, and no one noticed a figure flash past in a corner outside the door.
Recently, some rumors have begun to circulate in the palace.
The rumor, which came from somewhere unknown, spread like wildfire, and everyone became panicked, saying that war was about to break out on the border.
Although these matters had nothing to do with the palace maids and eunuchs, they still discussed them privately, speculating about the purpose of the war.
Sure enough, the palace maids sweeping the imperial garden began to whisper among themselves again.
"If you continue to discuss these things casually in the palace, you'll regret it," Eunuch Zhang reprimanded as he walked over.
The palace maids hurriedly apologized and then dispersed, not daring to utter another word.
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