Chapter 435 Delivering Letters
Inside the Hall of Diligent Governance, Wen Zhiming handed a letter to Gu Yan through a young eunuch.
In the past three years, Guyan quelled bandit rebellions and participated in two border battles, both of which resulted in great victories. By the end of last year, he had been promoted to a third-rank general.
There was no war going on in the court at the moment, and Gu Yan was already suspicious of the Emperor's purpose in summoning him alone. Now that he saw the Emperor give him a letter without saying a word, he knew that it must be related to the letter, so he began to examine it carefully.
The letter was written personally by the official stationed on the northern frontier battlefield and sent to the capital with urgent permission.
It details how the new emperor of Lanyu Kingdom, Mo Sixuan, brutally murdered seven of his brothers, and how Mo Sixuan feigned illness for a long time and disappeared for many days, leading officials to suspect that he had infiltrated Jinyue Kingdom.
After reading it, Gu Yan was furious and said, "Your Majesty, Mo Sixuan is vicious and ruthless. He must have come to the capital with ill intentions. In order to prevent him from causing a great disaster, I request that the whole city be searched and this person be found."
Before the news that Wen Zhiming and his guards had brought Mo Sixuan into the palace had spread, Gu Yan assumed that Mo Sixuan was still hiding somewhere in the capital.
"Please sit down first," Wen Zhiming waved his hand and said calmly after Gu Yan sat down.
"Mo Sixuan is now in my palace, housed in the Biyue Pavilion. I have already located him. What should I do next? Does General have any suggestions?"
Gu Yan was slightly startled.
He had always known that the Emperor was highly skilled in martial arts and proficient in both literature and martial arts, but in recent years, Wen Zhiming had repeatedly challenged his understanding of the Emperor's abilities.
He could catch corrupt officials in the court without fail, and his policies to benefit the people and govern the country came one after another. In just three years, not only did most of the people of Jin Yue Kingdom live a good life, but the national treasury was also filled to several times its previous level.
At present, the people of Jin Yue Kingdom are unaware that the monarch of the enemy country has arrived on their territory, and their emperor has already taken him to the palace.
The Emperor's actions were so swift and his strategy so brilliant that Gu Yan dared not show the slightest disrespect. He quickly suppressed his shock and spoke earnestly.
"This man has a grudge against the emperor. If he becomes emperor, the two countries will inevitably go to war. It would be better to take advantage of the fact that he is in our hands and launch a preemptive strike. The Blue Feather Kingdom will be leaderless and fearful of their monarch's life, so they will be hesitant and suffer a crushing defeat."
Wen Zhiming was clearly not satisfied with the answer. He walked around the Qin Zheng Hall with his hands behind his back before looking up at Gu Yan.
“What I say makes some sense. But I’ve forgotten one thing: the world today is not just comprised of the Golden Moon and Blue Feather kingdoms. Even if we can defeat the Blue Feather kingdom, the price we pay will be considerable. Once the world is in chaos, the other three kingdoms will be eyeing us covetously, taking advantage of our misfortune. Then there will be endless wars and countless corpses.”
His tone was calm, but his eyes were like ink, and his analysis made Gu Yan uneasy.
Gu Yan was a military general. When faced with a problem, his first thought was to solve it, but he never considered whether solving the problem might lead to an even bigger one.
"Your subject is dull-witted."
Wen Zhiming took the letter from Gu Yan's hand and pointed to one of the places, saying, "The eighth prince of Lanyu Kingdom, Mo Siyan, was forced into the river by Mo Sixuan. The body that was pulled out the next day was disfigured. It says that Mo Siyan was an excellent swimmer. There are many suspicious points in this matter. I suspect that Mo Siyan is still alive and has just found a place to hide."
“Mo Siyan is different from Mo Sixuan. He is the only one among the eight princes of Lanyu Kingdom who is trustworthy and advocates peace. If I am not mistaken, there are only two people left in the royal family of Lanyu Kingdom: Mo Siyan and Mo Sixuan. Only if Mo Siyan becomes emperor can Jinyue and Lanyu Kingdom turn hostility into friendship and form an eternal alliance.”
"Your Majesty's meaning is...?" Gu Yan understood immediately and said, "To send me to Lanyu Kingdom to secretly find Mo Siyan and help him seize the throne while Mo Sixuan is away?"
Wen Zhiming nodded. "The old emperor of Lanyu Kingdom died suddenly before he could decide which prince to pass the throne to, which led to the struggle for the throne among the eight princes. Before Mo Sixuan ascended to the throne, he killed seven of his brothers, which had already aroused dissatisfaction among many people in the court. However, everyone thought that he was the only prince left, so they had no choice but to honor him as emperor."
"Mo Siyan has just as many supporters in the court as Mo Sixuan, but since Lanyu Kingdom is currently under Mo Sixuan's control, Mo Siyan dares not show his face easily. Once you find the person, just help him find a trusted supporter, and Mo Siyan will know what to do next."
In recent years, Jin Yue Kingdom has become rich and powerful, but the people have only enjoyed a few years of good life. Unless absolutely necessary, Wen Zhiming still does not want the two countries to go to war again and plunge the people back into misery.
It is hoped that Mo Siyan will live up to his expectations, successfully seize power, and restore good relations between the two countries.
Wen Zhiming took out a written letter from his bosom and handed it to Gu Yan.
"You shall set off today with a group of trustworthy soldiers and get to Lanyu Kingdom as quickly as possible. After you have helped Mo Siyan, deliver this letter to him."
This letter not only concerns the important matter of peace between the two countries, but it is also the most crucial step for him and Meng Lingge to leave the palace.
Thinking of this, Wen Zhiming emphasized again: "This letter is of great importance and must be delivered to Mo Siyan personally. Originally, your wife had just given birth and you should not be sent away from the capital. But I do not trust anyone else. After thinking it over, you are the only one in the court who can complete this task."
Gu Yan was loyal to Wen Zhiming, and upon hearing this, his blood boiled even more. He immediately put the letter into his pocket, knelt on one knee, and said in a firm and powerful voice.
"Your Majesty's foresight and strategic vision have led to the establishment of friendly relations with neighboring countries, which is a blessing for all the people. I am honored to serve in this endeavor! Even if I were to give my life, I would not fail Your Majesty's trust!"
Wen Zhiming stepped forward to help him up and gently instructed him, "You must save the person, deliver the message, and return safely to me. Don't forget, your wife and children are waiting for you to come home! If you really can't have both, your life is the most important thing. I can find other ways to handle the rest."
Even if Gu Yan wasn't his and Meng Lingge's brother-in-law, Wen Zhiming wouldn't want Gu Yan to lose his life because of that relationship. All the civil and military officials in the court were his legacy for the next emperor.
He snatched a mess from the former emperor, but he will surely hand over a stable and prosperous empire to the next monarch.
Gu Yan was deeply moved and bowed, saying, "Your subject will obey Your Majesty's command!"
Both knew the matter was urgent. After receiving the order, Gu Yan withdrew to prepare for his journey to Lan Yu Kingdom.
Wen Zhiming then issued two imperial edicts in succession.
Firstly: I, the General, have devoted myself wholeheartedly to the country. Now, with the joyous arrival of a son in your household, to express the Emperor's boundless grace, I hereby grant you a one-month leave. You are exempt from attending court and from reporting to the military camp.
The second event: The new emperor of the Blue Feather Kingdom has arrived in the capital as a guest and has already checked into the Azure Moon Pavilion. Tomorrow, officials of the fifth rank and above will bring their relatives to the palace for a banquet to jointly entertain the distinguished guests from the neighboring country.
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