Chu Tianze removed her hand and held it in his own large hand. "Stop fooling around. How could a mother be so accurate in such matters!"
"Hmph, if you won't tell me, I'll go ask Mother myself..." Bai Chuxiao said, getting up.
"Xiaoxiao..." Seeing that he hadn't fooled her after all, Chu Tianze grabbed her and called out helplessly.
Bai Chuxiao turned her head angrily, "So what did you mean when you said the Empress was just teasing me...?"
Chu Tianze cupped her face in his hands and said firmly, "How could that be? I was serious!"
Bai Chuxiao slapped his hand away, "You said you were willing to let your daughter inherit the royal family, but it was all a lie..."
Seeing that she was truly angry, Chu Tianze panicked and quickly held up a few fingers. "Xiaoxiao, you can't wrong me. I'm speaking from the bottom of my heart. Besides, Mother only said it was possible; who knows for sure..."
"Heh!" Bai Chuxiao simply responded with a cold laugh, not believing his explanation at all, and assuming that he was just deliberately agreeing with her back then...
"How can I convince you?" Chu Tianze said helplessly. Although he was mostly trying to make Xiaoxiao happy, his viewpoint was not unacceptable.
"Liar, I don't believe you anymore!"
Chu Tianze forced a smile that looked more like a grimace. "No way!"
Bai Chuxiao sneered and shoved him out. "Get out of here, you stinky man! I'll never let you see Xiao Huanhuan again!"
"How can that be! No, Xiaoxiao, let me explain..." Chu Tianze pressed down on her shoulders, "Sit down properly first, don't be angry..."
Bai Chuxiao sat in the chair, arms crossed, looking at him with a "let's see how you explain this..." look.
"What I said back then, although it might be met with skepticism from the outside world, was something I could accept. Do I look like someone who would say something against my conscience?" Chu Tianze shook his head and said softly.
Seeing his serious expression, Bai Chuxiao reluctantly accepted, "Alright, I'll believe you for now!"
"Your Highness, Your Highness!" came a knock at the door.
"Enter!"
Mo Yan handed over a confidential letter with both hands, saying, "Princess Zhaoyang has sent another letter..."
Bai Chuxiao raised an eyebrow, "This Princess Zhaoyang is really good to Zhang Yu, she actually swallowed her pride and pleaded for him three or four times!"
"I think he's worried about his own position..." Chu Tianze sneered, "Just burn it and send news of Zhang Yu's death back to the capital!"
"yes!"
"What are you thinking about Zhang Yu? He killed both of his sons, and he only knows a limited number of secrets. There's no point in keeping him around..." Bai Chuxiao asked casually.
"He, Bai Chuwan, and Mu Linfeng are all staying by Chu Tianling's side. If it's true, the information these three reveal will be equal. Let's keep them around for now; I think they'll be useful!"
Bai Chuxiao nodded. Those two were very determined to survive, enduring all kinds of torture and living well. In contrast, Zhang Yu was much more indifferent, having already resolved to die.
...
Just a few days before the end of the year, good news finally came from the front lines. Song Fei and Cui Hao, leading hundreds of thousands of troops, joined forces with Lü Fengxian's army to attack Xuanping Hou from both sides and successfully crossed the Huai River. Xuanping Hou fled the battlefield and returned to the capital with some remaining soldiers.
However, there was also bad news: Gu Songyue, the King of Huainan of Xiyue, had already led his troops through Zhenzhou in the northwest and officially entered the pass, stationing himself in Jinzhou. Meanwhile, the army's commander-in-chief, Pang Kun, and deputy commander, Zhang Tuo, had abandoned the city and fled to Cangzhou.
By this point, Chu Tianling, the new emperor who had been on the throne for a year, no longer controlled much territory. However, all three armies ceased their operations, as the war had lasted for nearly a year and none of them could withstand the strain.
Inside the study of the Prince of Yan's residence, Chu Tianze, Murong Yuan, and the others looked at the battle report from the front, showing no joy whatsoever.
Murong Yuan said in a deep voice, "If Gu Songyue enters the pass, he will either continue to advance and attack Cangzhou, or he will turn south and attack us. Our situation will not be optimistic after next spring..."
Chu Tianze nodded. "With the behemoth Bei Yan in the northeast, there are too many variables. Gu Songyue will most likely turn around and attack us."
"With this obstacle in place, we can only slow down our attack on the capital..." Murong Yuan sighed.
If it weren't for Xi Yue causing trouble, according to their original plan, they would have been able to enter the capital in just one more year.
"However, the new recruits are training well. After spring, we can reassess our troop strength," Murong Xuan added.
After glancing at the map, Chu Tianze pondered, "As long as Chu Tianling doesn't interfere, I think we can take this opportunity to drive Xiyue out of the Northwest again..."
Internal strife was one thing, but ever since he let Xiyue into the pass, he hadn't been feeling well. Compared to taking the capital, he would rather drive these foreigners out. With the territory they now occupied, they wouldn't be as passive as before, so he would naturally prefer to attack Xiyue first...
"The imperial army has suffered repeated defeats this year and is severely weakened. The only force that has been completely preserved is the Northern Army under Wei Junyan's command. However, these hundreds of thousands of Northern Army soldiers will absolutely not be used unless absolutely necessary..." Murong Yuan said, squinting his eyes.
"Your Excellency is agreeing with my opinion..."
"My attitude towards people from other countries is the same as the prince's!"
"But Chu Tianling probably doesn't think that way. Just look at Pang Kun and Zhang Tuo abandoning the city and fleeing; you can tell he has no intention of driving the Xiyue people out. He's probably already planning how to sabotage us while we're fighting Xiyue..."
On the palace wall, Chu Tianling, dressed in a purple-gold brocade robe, stood with his hands behind his back. This was his second year on the throne, and also the second year without any festive celebrations or lively celebrations.
He, who had always been arrogant, began to doubt himself. He suffered defeats to Chu Tianze and Xi Yue one after another. He lost countless territories under his rule. Was he really the right person to be emperor?
"Tianling!"
Empress Dowager Wei, dressed in a deep purple palace gown, ascended the city wall surrounded by palace servants, with a nanny beside her carrying a baby wrapped up tightly...
"Mother!" Chu Tianling said softly.
"Tianling, we haven't lost yet. You are the emperor of Great Xia, you can't be discouraged!" Empress Dowager Wei comforted him softly.
"Having lost the Northwest and the South, I, the emperor of Great Xia, am nothing but a joke in the eyes of others..."
“No one can claim to be the winner until the very end. You don’t need to feel so much pressure. Now that everyone has agreed to a truce, you should take this opportunity to rest for a while and spend more time with the children…”
Empress Dowager Wei gestured to the nanny to bring the child to Chu Tianling. "He is not your last child. For your mother's sake, and for the child's future, you must pull yourself together!"
Chu Tianling looked at the baby in the swaddling clothes and nodded, "I understand, Mother!"
If he doesn't become emperor, he will lose more than just the empire. He, his mother, the entire Wei family, and his children will all suffer a terrible fate. He cannot easily admit defeat!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com