"General, that man is a tough nut to crack. Even if you cut him into a thousand pieces, he won't say a word." A soldier-looking man came into Fourteen's tent and reported to him.
"Forget it, if he won't talk now, then he won't. It must be one of his men. Who else could have the ability to plant someone right under my nose right now? Considering he's been with me for over a year, let's give him a quick death." Fourteen said, looking at the map hanging on the screen frame.
The soldier clasped his hands and withdrew, but the few people sitting in the guest seats said to Fourteenth General, "General, we are all ready now, what are you still hesitating about?"
"If I were to lead my troops south secretly right now, cross Tongguan, and approach the capital, that would be treason. Without Father Emperor's decree, to move the army without authorization is rebellion. Are you all trying to force me to rebel?" Fourteenth suddenly turned around and glared angrily at the several soldiers dressed as military advisors sitting in the guest seats.
“General, that’s not what we meant at all. We are just afraid that your position will be taken away. Right now, you are here at the border, while the enemy is in the capital. If something happens to the Emperor, we can’t even guarantee that you will be able to get back in time!” said a soldier wearing a red and white cloak.
“I know what you’re worried about, but Father is perfectly fine right now, so you can’t just make such pronouncements. Otherwise, it would be a grave offense. Father is a wise and capable ruler; he may have already chosen his heir, isn’t it behind that plaque of righteousness? We shouldn’t be hasty. It’s better to make a decision after we’ve clarified the situation. If we send troops without any justification, it won’t be a legitimate act,” said the Fourteenth Prince.
“General, extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. Right now, your disadvantage lies in not being by the Emperor's side. Therefore, we should devise a plan as soon as possible in the face of this situation,” he continued.
“General, Dorhui is right. If we keep waiting like this, by then the die will be cast,” said another soldier in a yellow uniform with red trim.
“That’s right, General. I think we should send a large army to press close to Tongguan. That way, if there’s any movement in the capital, we can immediately leave the pass and head to the capital,” said another older soldier wearing blue armor.
“I think Brother Haorui is right. We should think things through beforehand, otherwise things will become a mess,” said Dorhui.
Fourth Master saw that they were all getting restless and knew that if he didn't agree to something, the meeting wouldn't end.
“Alright, then let’s send people to Tongguan to keep an eye on Kyoto’s actions,” Fourteen said.
After the meeting, Fourteen immediately dropped what he was doing and went back to his "backyard".
"My lord, you look travel-worn. Let me give you a back massage." Seeing that Fourteenth Prince returned with an unhappy expression, Madam Chen thought he had suffered some grievance, so she quickly touched his chest and said.
"It's nothing, I'm just tired. Give me a rub. I haven't spoken to you in a long time," Fourteen said. After saying that, he helped Chen Shi onto the bed, and then he lay down in Chen Shi's arms.
Madam Chen combed through the fourteen strands of hair with a comb, asking, "Is there anything else that's causing you trouble, sir?"
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