"My son, you must understand that there can only be one Prince Zhenbei in this court, and only one of them. Do you understand what your mother means?"
Since she couldn't make a move in the harem, she could only try to win over the emperor. Fortunately, he was her own child, so she knew him well and he was obedient.
He looked down on women from the bottom of his heart, and felt that women should be confined to the inner quarters and the world of childbirth for their entire lives.
Huo Xiaolong was an unexpected event, an unexpected event within an unexpected event.
The middle-aged man stood before the Empress Dowager, his bright yellow robe signifying his position at the pinnacle of power in the Great Yan Dynasty. Yet, perhaps unable to overcome his childhood instincts, he could not lift his head before a woman over seventy years old.
The Empress Dowager is right.
Yuwen Xuanhong walked out of the Empress Dowager's palace and looked down at the layers of steps, which looked somewhat dazzling from above.
The man stepped out and onto the place he had dreamed of since childhood.
If women all have their own things to do, how can men be like him?
If it weren't for my mother's unwavering devotion to me, how could I have the throne today?
His eyes were full of ambition, but he didn't notice that the Empress Dowager inside the room turned around, her eyes full of calculation.
“Your brother-in-law has sent a message, Long’er.”
Ruyi hurriedly carried the bamboo tube to the Prince's study and handed the letter to Huo Xiaolong.
The girl in the python robe took the letter and glanced at it from head to toe.
The letter stated that Xiao Lanyi's rear supply lines were currently unstable, and that Da'an would block the road in a few days. The grain stored in their camp was just enough to last for two months.
With the addition of Xiao Xiaogou's tutorial, it should last for a month and a half.
Since arriving at the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion, Xiongzai has become numb, and his dog bowl, which holds the spiritual spring water, has always been coveted by other animals.
The owner's mother's cat was one thing, but now there's an eagle that looks like it's about to die.
At this moment, Xiao Xiaogou used its wings to hold the wooden bowl and drank it in big gulps. It hadn't stopped drinking all the way. As long as it had this water, it felt that it could fly for another twenty years!
The bear cub didn't disturb it; it just sat there and watched.
Anyway, this isn't an outsider; I used to play with it when we were in Pingyang.
Have a drink, and ask your owner for more if you run out.
"Has my brother-in-law sent a message to the Emperor?"
Ruyi nodded.
"It's been sent; it should have arrived by now."
The morning court session the following day.
The Emperor asked in the first seat
"My esteemed ministers, Marshal Xiao has sent word that we are besieged on both sides in the east. Now that we are free from the great threat of the grasslands, and the national treasury and the army are still in surplus, the question is, which general should we send to provide support?"
If the priority is stability, then Huo Xiaolong should be sent; he's a capable and efficient fighter.
But people weren't at ease. Now, the Prince of Zhenbei was like a magnet in the capital; no one could touch her.
Even the King of the Southwest couldn't be touched. The seventy-year-old man didn't attend court at all. If it weren't for his grandson being demoted to a marquis, he would have already given up.
“I believe that the Prince of Zhenbei is the best choice. He is both brave and resourceful, and is the most suitable candidate,” Fan Tiezui’er stepped forward and said.
"No, the Prince of Zhenbei is a vital asset to the nation. If both marshals in the court are transferred to the east, what will we do if war breaks out elsewhere?"
Grand Tutor Xu was the first to object, insisting that Huo Xiaolong could not leave or even move, no matter what.
"Furthermore, I have heard that the Xiao family army uses secret signals to provide support to other troops. The Prince of Zhenbei should not know the Xiao family's secret signals."
Unusually, Chancellor Chen, who rarely spoke in court, stepped forward.
He walked up to the civil officials and spoke to Huo Xiaolong.
The girl in the python robe nodded, clasped her hands in a fist salute to the emperor, and then said...
"As the Prime Minister says, I truly do not know."
Can I say I know at this point?
You must make the emperor think there's a rift between you two, the more the better.
If the emperor knew, he wouldn't be able to sleep well again.
"Then we must send someone who previously served in the Xiao family army."
"The Prime Minister's words make sense."
The two, one big and one small, had their heads down, but their eyes were fixed on the Emperor.
I've already set the criteria for the person; now you can choose.
Yuwen Xuanhong was stunned for a moment, his brows furrowed, before he slowly spoke.
"As far as I know, it seems that none of the military officers in the court have any close confidants of General Xiao."
Huo Xiaolong had a large number of confidants. Before leaving, Xiao Lanyi took all his confidants and their families with him, and sent away those he couldn't take with him.
They were determined to die rather than remain in the capital and become a liability, leaving Ruyi and Lanhua with no other choice.
“Your Majesty need not worry. I have a candidate in mind. Please consider it,” Huo Xiaolong said.
"you say."
"Consort Xiao".
Before the Emperor could even express his opinion, Grand Tutor Xu vehemently objected, loudly rebuking him.
"Nonsense! The Imperial Concubine is now in charge of the inner palace and is also married. How can she travel with men who lead troops?"
The young woman never argued in the court, but she never indulged anyone, especially not the person opposite her, Grand Tutor Xu.
Huo Xiaolong turned around, looked up at Grand Tutor Xu, and said...
"The Imperial Concubine is able to assist in managing the harem for two reasons: first, because the Empress is ill, and second, because she herself is outstanding and commands the respect of everyone in the harem. But can the harem not survive without her?"
"The Emperor has three thousand concubines in his harem. Apart from the Imperial Concubine, is there not a single one who can manage the household?"
“I’ve heard it since I was in the border town that all the young ladies in the capital have been learning about the ways of the inner quarters from their mothers since they were young. Those who can be selected to enter the palace are the best of the best. In that case, why not choose one person to replace them first?”
"Secondly, Your Excellency, what rule in this world states that married women cannot go to the battlefield?"
Which law says it's forbidden?
Faced with the girl's aggressive questioning, Grand Tutor Xu straightened his expression and retorted.
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