She organized her thoughts and instead of answering, asked, "That depends on what the Grand Eunuch thinks. If it's for the short term, taking Nanlin in one fell swoop is indeed a good idea. But now Yushang is still facing Beiwu to the north and the Western Barbarians who are eyeing it covetously to the west. The war has lasted for nearly half a year and the stalemate has lasted for a month. I think the real concern is not the Second Prince of Nanlin, but the appeasement of the Nanlin towns that have just been occupied. The commercial decline and the people's suffering in recent years may very well trigger a popular uprising."
In the history she had studied before, there were many countries that were good at attacking but could not defend, all because they underestimated the power of the people.
After being enlightened by her, Cao Anmin finally understood what had been troubling him. He had been too eager to achieve quick results and deal with Bei Wu and Xia Jingfeng. He had waited ten years, so what was a few more years?
It's getting late.
Judging from his expression, Xia Yixin guessed that she might have succeeded in persuading him. That's how people are; if you just state things directly, he might doubt your good intentions, but if he's the one who started the conversation, it's much easier.
Knowing that further discussion would be pointless, she suggested taking Cao Anmin's pulse.
Sure enough, these past few days have taken a toll on his health, but fortunately, she had taken good care of him beforehand, so it didn't affect his health at its core.
After administering acupuncture to him, she instructed, "Master, your health is indeed much better than before. And conservatively speaking, in another month, you will be able to remove your mask and let me administer acupuncture directly to your eyes. At that time, you may be able to see objects clearly. However, before that, you must avoid long-term overexertion and do not take any pills indiscriminately, otherwise it will be a loss."
She paused, glancing at the dark sky outside. "Besides, it's getting late, sir, you should rest."
After she finished speaking, seeing that he was sitting there without saying a word or interrupting, she was about to leave when, unexpectedly, the man suddenly stood up and said, "This governor will escort you back."
She stared in astonishment at the composed man, and was still somewhat dazed even after Cao Anmin took her back.
Looking at the cold figure of the man wearing the black and gold beast-carved mask, she felt inexplicably guilty. However, when she heard the system notification, "Male supporting character's happiness level has increased by 10 points, currently at 4%. Keep it up, host, the light is in sight!" she put her guilt out of her mind.
Although she did conceal some things, her intentions were good. Besides, if Cao Anmin is indeed a key figure in the main storyline, she has contributed to his career.
The next day.
At the court meeting, everyone was puzzled by Cao Anmin's sudden loosening of his grip.
But the result was good.
The young Emperor Qi Lin immediately issued an imperial edict, ordering the Yu Shang army to cease its offensive and to sign a ceasefire agreement with the Second Prince of Nan Lin. He also promulgated a series of measures to allow the people of the occupied cities to recuperate and regroup.
At the same time, Bei Wu's official letter of pledging peace was also delivered. This time, Cao Anmin did not hesitate and let Qi Lin make the decision himself.
Therefore, Qi Lin issued an imperial edict, the gist of which was to put aside past grievances and invite Xia Jingfeng to personally lead a team to Yushang Capital. Under the witness of all the officials, the two sides signed an alliance agreement and discussed important matters together.
Except for the western region, Yushang, which had endured numerous wars of varying scales over the years, finally ushered in a period of peace that the people had been eagerly anticipating.
Immediately, all the people of Yushang breathed a sigh of relief, after all, they were the ones who suffered the most from the war.
The people of the capital city were all smiles, and the constables of the Eastern Depot were able to catch their breath, as the war was still raging and they dared not let their guard down.
Xia Yixin breathed a slight sigh of relief. If things continued on this trajectory, the future of unifying the four kingdoms was promising.
A few more days passed in the blink of an eye.
Suddenly, a maidservant arrived from the palace, saying, "His Majesty wishes to see her." A sedan chair was also parked outside the governor's mansion.
She was a little suspicious and keenly sensed that something was wrong, but she still had to go when someone from the palace came.
The sedan chair swayed and rocked as it entered the palace.
She did indeed arrive at the Zhenggan Palace and met the young emperor, as well as the Imperial Noble Consort, Shen Ruyu.
After bowing, Xia Yixin obediently allowed the two men to look her over.
When Xia Yixin first met the female lead, besides marveling at her stunning beauty and the aura of a female lead, she also paid close attention to the dimples on the female lead's cheeks, which seemed to be deeper than her own. Xia Yixin felt a chill run down her spine from the way the female lead looked at her.
The young emperor Qi Lin's face showed pure curiosity. His appearance was nothing like Qi Yu's, but he was still quite handsome. However, the dark circles under his eyes indicated that he had indulged in excessive sexual activity.
He circled around Xia Yixin curiously a few times. "You're from the Li family? I never expected the Chief Supervisor to have taken a liking to someone like you."
To Qi Lin, who was used to seeing beautiful women, this woman looked too ordinary.
Xia Yixin's lips twitched slightly as she respectfully replied, "This humble woman dares not presume to be worthy of the position of the Grand Supervisor."
Qi Lin snorted lightly, seemingly finding her boring, and waved his hand dismissively, "Alright, I've seen her enough, you can leave the palace now, so the Grand Eunuch won't come looking for trouble with me."
When Cao Anmin was mentioned, the young emperor was not afraid, but unlike most emperors, his words showed apprehension.
Xia Yixin was still a little flustered when the nannies led her out of Zhenggan Palace, so the young emperor just wanted to see her?
Halfway there, the old woman suddenly stopped, said, "You wait here," and left.
A short while later, an unfamiliar palace maid arrived and said, "Madam Li, please come with me."
Xia Yixin narrowed her eyes slightly. Sure enough, this trip to the palace was not simple.
The palace maid led her to another palace that looked like it had been abandoned for a long time. Waiting for her there was none other than Shen Ruyu.
Just like before in Zhenggan Palace, Shen Ruyu had a smile on her face, but her eyes sent chills down her spine.
She met the challenge head-on, bowing respectfully to her.
Unexpectedly, as soon as she finished her curtsy, Shen Ruyu smiled broadly and stepped forward to help her up. "Li Shi, I felt very close to you the moment I saw you, which is why I specially called you over to have a chat. Don't tell the Eunuch."
Xia Yixin felt that Shen Ruyu was acting strangely, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She calmly replied, "This humble woman thanks you for your kind words, Madam."
Shen Ruyu smiled even more brightly, leaned over and grabbed her arm, "You're older than me, can I call you Sister Li?"
"This humble woman dares not." Xia Yixin felt that Shen Ruyu was being too enthusiastic, so she subtly avoided her and took a half step back.
Shen Ruyu gave a sarcastic snort, "What are you afraid of? I won't do anything to you. In this palace, apart from having the title of 'Divine Messenger,' what's the difference between me and a servant here? Neither of us has to depend on others."
Shen Ruyu's words confirmed her previous guess.
Shen Ruyu's life in the palace was not good, so why didn't she leave? If Shen Shaoyang took her away, she could still escape with the remaining half of the female lead's halo.
While Xia Yixin was lost in thought, she suddenly felt her arm being entangled again, and she was so frightened that she took several steps back.
A sharp pain shot through her arm; Shen Ruyu's sharp nails had scratched it. She seemed to snap out of her daze, panicking, "Sister Li, are you alright? Look, it's all because my nails are too long! Are you alright?"
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