"Ah Jun?" No one agreed with the Crown Prince, and he desperately wanted to find someone who could relate to him.
Zhao Shu looked at him and said heavily, "Crown Prince, this is a trap."
"Ah Jun, aren't you worried about Uncle Nineteen? Aren't you worried about Miss Sun?" the Crown Prince asked excitedly.
For the first time, he felt that Zhao Shutai was ruthless and frighteningly calm.
Zhao Shu looked directly at him, her eyes firm and cold. "I'm worried, I'm worried to death. But Crown Prince, one wrong step could lead to an abyss. Zhao Bi is convinced that we have no choice but to compromise, which is why he dared to try and get something for nothing."
The prince took two steps back, his reason agreeing, but his emotions prevented him from doing so. The pain and struggle in his eyes were like withered leaves in autumn, devoid of any vitality.
Yan Shiren and Chen Jianbo's eyes lit up at the same time, and their faces showed their approval of Zhao Shu. She had courage and boldness, and was no less than a man. It was a pity that she was a woman. If she were a man, her achievements would be immeasurable in the future.
The crown prince was caught in the middle of the situation, struggling and in pain.
Yan Shiren and Chen Jianbo felt that Zhao Shu was no less capable than a man.
Wang Jize was far more brain-dead; whatever A-Jun said or did was right, she was always right.
Only Wei Tingsi knew how much pain she was in. He placed his large hand on hers and said, "It's alright. Even if it's a trap, it's alright."
“How can life be complete without making foolish mistakes?” he continued. “Even if it’s a bottomless abyss, it doesn’t matter. With me here, I’m not afraid of any conspiracy or scheme.”
Is it alright to speak so bluntly in public? Yan Shi coughed twice. "General Wei, the Kings of Shu and Jing have already raised an army. The other vassal kings will certainly not sit idly by. You should set off."
He had to remind them that if the Weiting Division continued to delay, Emperor Mingde would be displeased.
"Ah Jun, I have a plan." He ignored Yan Shiren and focused on Zhao Shu, speaking gently.
Since receiving Zhao Bi's message, Zhao Shu had been thinking of a solution. Just then, she finally came up with one. Not having heard his previous words, she looked up and said, "Give him the person, but on the condition that he sees Father and A-Yun before giving him the person, otherwise, forget it."
“Yes, we have to see the person no matter what.” Wang Jize finally found a chance to speak and nodded in agreement.
Instead of speaking to him, Zhao Shu continued, "Is there any further news?"
The information that Jiecao Jushi had obtained was naturally also available to Wei Tingsi, but it was Yan Shiren who answered, "Some trouble has arisen in Beiding Prefecture, but with Lord Wang here, things won't get out of control. The most important thing now is the various vassal kings. If the vassal kings unite their troops and approach the capital, things will be bad."
"Has the disaster relief been handled well?" The most important thing is whether the people can be resettled. At this critical juncture, we must not cause public resentment, otherwise, the situation will be even more difficult to manage.
“There’s no problem in Jiangnan.” Prince Yong had returned to his fiefdom years ago, and the Weiting Division had cleaned up the strongholds of various forces in Jiangnan. Although they couldn’t eradicate them completely, they had restored most of Jiangnan to peace. And since no vassal king wanted to rebel in Jiangnan, there was naturally no problem.
Zhao Shu nodded after hearing this. Jiangnan is prosperous. If it doesn't fall into chaos, then the foundation of Dayong will at least be preserved by one-third.
"Your Highness, please make your preparations. We will depart for Beiding Prefecture next month. I reckon it will be within the next few days." Wei Tingsi suddenly interjected, "Lord Yan, please take good care of the affairs in Jiangnan."
A moment of silence fell over everyone; it seemed war was truly imminent.
After a long while, Yan Shiren finally spoke, "General, rest assured, Jiangnan is my hometown, and I certainly cannot let it be in chaos."
Although the words were concise and without any impropriety, both of them tacitly understood that Wei Tingsi meant that the Crown Prince would deal with the aristocratic families, while he would deal with the vassal kings. Warfare required provisions, and Qiu Tangshi was the official in charge of provisions, while Yan Shiren, who was in Jiangnan, was secretly transporting military provisions to them.
With double insurance, this battle can be won without any suspense.
Who among those who serve in the imperial court, especially those who hold high positions, is not exceptionally intelligent?
When wise people talk to each other, they don't need to say much. As long as their goals are aligned, there's no need for back-and-forth probing.
In just a few words, which others might not understand, the future cooperation and division of labor were already determined.
The Crown Prince was too worried earlier, but now that he heard that Zhao Shu and Wei Tingsi both agreed to Zhao Bi's proposal, he felt relieved and calmed down a lot. Remembering the arrangements he had discussed with Wei Tingsi earlier, he took the lead and returned to his own courtyard.
Among the crowd, apart from Wang Jize, most of them were shrewd and could see that the Crown Prince had been too agitated and even lost his mind. His departure now seemed like an escape.
Zhao Shu and Wei Tingsi exchanged a glance and left the front hall. On the way, Wei Tingsi said, "The Crown Prince has not lost his composure for many years, but he was a bit agitated today."
"You don't think he's inferior to Zhao Bi, do you?" Zhao Shu became agitated upon hearing this. She had seen the praise Yan Shiren had shown for Zhao Bi earlier and felt sorry for the Crown Prince. Someone like Zhao Bi couldn't even compare to a hair on the Crown Prince's head.
Marrying Sun Si, secretly having an affair with Consort Hao, and even trying to seduce Sun Yun—if these can be understood as the inherent flaws of men, then his relationship with Zhen Qizhong at the same time is utterly repulsive.
“What are you thinking? The Crown Prince is upright and will surely become a wise ruler in the future.” He took Zhao Shu’s hand and they arrived at the small study in the courtyard. Fearing that Zhao Shu would ask about the previous question again, he changed the subject. “It seems that Xiao Guozi has something to report.”
Xiao Guozi did indeed have something to report. He entered the small study, closed the door, and said, "Speak, what is it?" Zhao Shu asked.
These days, Xiao Guozi had gotten used to General Wei following their princess around all the time. The princess didn't hide anything from him when she needed something, so he bowed and reported, "Princess, here is the list you requested."
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