After driving everyone away, the emperor angrily went to find the empress, who happened to be eating at the same time, so she pulled him to sit down and eat with her.
She's now quite far along in her pregnancy, and her body is heavy. She'll be giving birth in two months, and the baby in her belly needs a lot of nutrition, so her appetite is pretty good.
The Empress generally doesn't concern herself with matters of the court. Firstly, she's pregnant and doesn't want to worry about them, and secondly, it's not her place to concern herself with those matters. Given her current status, she needs to set a good example and not let her restless relatives cause trouble.
However, seeing that the emperor had a sullen face upon arrival and refused to eat after sitting down, the empress couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong? Who made our His Majesty angry?"
As she spoke, she took the initiative to put some delicious side dishes into the emperor's bowl.
She had no intention of inquiring about court politics; she simply wanted to check on the emperor's mood.
"It's all because of those few bastards! I tried to discuss serious matters with them, and they just pretended to be stupid! The situation on the border is so dangerous, how can we joke around with the lives of our soldiers!"
Being an emperor is truly difficult, especially if one wants to be a good emperor. This leads to numerous restrictions, as the power structures within the court are deeply entrenched and complex, and cannot be easily eliminated.
Therefore, even as an emperor, he could not do as he pleased and was still subject to limitations.
At this moment, he thought that his trusted confidants should unite to resist the interference of those forces, and no matter what, quell the war on the border first.
But this was the first time that Lu Baichuan and others were not on his side, leaving him, the emperor, isolated.
How could he possibly swallow this insult?
When the Empress saw him acting like a child throwing a tantrum, she was taken aback for a moment, and then couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Your Majesty is really getting more and more childlike, like a little kid."
Feeling embarrassed by the Empress's words, the Emperor retorted, "Am I acting for my own sake? The border situation is urgent; this is not the time for petty squabbles."
Although the Empress didn't know exactly what it was about, she could roughly guess. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Your Majesty, think about it carefully. When have General Lu and the others ever contradicted you? If things are unusual, there must be a reason for it. If you don't trust others, can you not trust the confidants who have accompanied you all the way?"
The Empress did not speak up for anyone; she merely advised the Emperor to calm down from an outsider's perspective.
The border conflict is indeed tense, but we cannot set off without considering the changing situation in the capital.
The emperor did not answer, but instead pondered the empress's words carefully.
He was indeed angry that Lu Baichuan and the others weren't on his side, but he didn't consider, as the Empress had suggested, the possibility that Lu Baichuan and the others might offer opinions different from his own.
Neither of them are careless people.
Seeing his expression, the Empress knew he had taken her words to heart, so she put more food on his plate and said, "Your Majesty is busy with state affairs, so please take care of your health and eat more."
The emperor looked into his bowl and saw that it was full of his favorite dishes. He looked up and saw his wife's gentle smile, and his fiery temper miraculously disappeared.
She always does that; she can easily cheer him up.
With a wife like this, what more could a husband ask for?
The emperor shook the empress's hand and served her some food. The couple enjoyed a warm meal together.
Meanwhile, Lu Baichuan went home and told Jiang Jiuniang about it. Jiang Jiuniang scoffed and said, "If someone is eager to go and die, then let them have their way. What's the point of stopping them?"
Although Dongting has begun to fall into internal strife, it is still a force to be reckoned with. Even Lu Baichuan and Jiang Jiuniang are extremely cautious about what they are doing. How can these people think they can definitely take a bite out of this pie?
If they really like it that much, then let them give it a try.
Lu Baichuan knew that his wife was definitely on his side, so he said, "That's right. If the people in the court are not united, things will never be stable. Let them make a fuss. I can have a few more days of peace and quiet."
Lu Baichuan wasn't the kind of person who was ambitious and eager for quick success. He had been troubled by the lack of capable people around the emperor and had been cultivating talent in order to replace him so that he could have more time to spend with his wife.
Now that someone has stepped forward, he is overjoyed.
The emperor seemed to have figured it out as well. The next day at court, he directly asked who else, besides Lu Baichuan and the others, was willing to lead the troops into battle. Immediately, someone stepped forward, looking very confident.
"Your Majesty, I am willing to serve you with utmost loyalty!"
The one who stepped forward was General Feng Cheng, who had previously left all the unruly soldiers outside the capital to Lu Baichuan. He and Lu Baichuan were at odds from the start, and he and his soldiers even looked down on the training manual that Lu Baichuan had developed. Other military camps were training according to Lu Baichuan's manual, but he was unwilling to do so, and he often said behind Lu Baichuan's back that it was all just empty talk.
Feng Cheng stepping forward was an outcome Lu Baichuan had anticipated, and he was quite satisfied, so he remained silent throughout the entire process.
Before attending court, Lu Baichuan spoke to Mr. Kang, who remained very composed and did not jump out to criticize.
The emperor did not refuse and said with a smile, "Then I will trouble General Feng to lead the troops out first. General Lu and General Qin can postpone their departure for a few days. It will not be too late to set off after General Qin's wedding."
Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes widened. Why were they still going to film Lu Baichuan and Qin Jian?
Feng Cheng was also very unhappy, feeling that the emperor was blindly biased. Just as he was about to speak, the emperor continued, "General Feng will be the commander-in-chief, and Generals Lu and Qin will be the deputy commanders when we set off. They will follow General Feng's arrangements. As for General Yuan, he has spent his life on the battlefield, so he should rest and recuperate in the capital."
Another bomb was thrown into the crowd, leaving everyone bewildered.
Feng Cheng's position is not as high as Lu Baichuan's, so how could he let Lu Baichuan be his deputy commander?
Would Lu Baichuan agree?
In this way, no one knows who the emperor is truly favoring.
However, regardless of whether Lu Baichuan was willing or not, Feng Cheng was not. He naturally wanted to take all the credit for himself and was unwilling to share it with others, especially Lu Baichuan.
On what grounds?
Don't think he doesn't know that the emperor wants Lu Baichuan to reap the benefits without lifting a finger!
However, this was clearly a concession by the emperor, and he couldn't refuse immediately, so he agreed with a displeased expression.
Lu Baichuan and Qin Jian had no complaints and agreed immediately.
The court was unusually quiet. Many people were quite satisfied with the arrangement. As long as Lu Baichuan wasn't allowed to take the lead and steal credit, they were happy.
As for who gets to take the lead, that's none of their business. They'll just squeeze a few of their own family members into the team, hoping they can get a share of the spoils.
After the court session, many people went to congratulate Feng Cheng, who was very pleased and was flattered all the way.
Some people deliberately provoked Lu Baichuan and Qin Jian, laughing sarcastically: "General Lu and General Qin are truly blessed. His Majesty is so protective of you, even allowing you to take care of your personal matters before the great battle. What a great favor this is!"
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