Chu Tianze frowned and said, "Mo Yu, go and call Doctor Chen over."
Prince's steward, Mo Yu, bowed and replied, "Yes."
Murong Yuan smiled and asked the Murong family members below, "Has a new residence been found?"
Madam Murong said, "Everything has been arranged."
Bai Chuxiao frowned and asked, "Grandfather, are Grandmother and Grandmother moving away?"
Murong Yuan laughed and said, "I'm getting old, and my health isn't what it used to be. I'll probably be staying in Yongzhou for quite some time, so it's not appropriate for me to keep bothering you at the Prince's residence."
Chu Tianze looked over disapprovingly, "Lord Marquis, Madam Marquis, just stay here in the manor..."
Madam Xu quickly added, "Yes, gentlemen, there's no need for such formality. I owe a great deal to Madam Hou and Madam Murong for their care in the Northwest..."
Madam Murong said, "How can that be? It's really inappropriate for our whole family to live in the Prince's Mansion. The new house isn't far from the Prince's Mansion, and it'll be convenient to move around."
The eldest princess smiled and said, "The Marquis and his wife are right. I have also found a residence not far away... It's not practical for everyone to live in the Prince's mansion."
Bai Chuxiao said helplessly, "My elder sister is moving out anyway. We just got back, and you all want to move out too."
The eldest princess smiled and said, "The residence that I found with the Lady of the Marquis and the others has already been arranged, and we're just waiting for your return."
Chu Tianze was also quite helpless, "Since that's the case, let's do as the Marquis and my elder sister say."
Murong Yuan smiled and said, "I'm quite tired from the journey back. I'll go back and rest now. There's plenty of time ahead; there's no rush."
Bai Chuxiao smiled and said, "Grandfather is right."
Before long, the Prince's mansion became somewhat empty again. However, unlike the Prince's mansions in the capital, the Prince's mansion in Yongzhou was not lacking in stewards, servants, maids, and other maids.
Chu Tianze led Bai Chuxiao back to the main courtyard, where a matron and a group of maids bowed respectfully to the two of them.
"Greetings, Your Highness and Your Highness."
Bai Chuxiao smiled and said, "Alright, get up, everyone."
Chu Tianze turned his head away. "This is Granny Lan. Xiaoxiao, please give any instructions. I'm going to take care of some things at the front."
Bai Chuxiao nodded, "Go."
After Chu Tianze left, Granny Lan quickly stepped forward and asked with a smile, "Your Highness, would you like to rest now?"
As Bai Chuxiao walked into the room, she smiled and said, "I'm new to Yongzhou, so why don't you tell me about the situation in this mansion, Granny Lan?"
By the time they had figured out the situation in the Prince's mansion, it was already dark. The four maids, Lanxiang, Lanxin, Qingzhu, and Qingshuang, who had gone to the Murong family to help with the arrangements, had all returned.
Bai Chuxiao smiled and said, "Granny Lan, I'll still have these four maids serve me personally. You can arrange the rest as you see fit."
Granny Lan respectfully replied, "Yes."
Bai Chuxiao arrived at the front yard, where Chu Tianze was still engrossed in handling official business. He had also brought Yu Fengyang and Fan Ziming with him. Being away from Yongzhou for so long had indeed created a backlog of tasks.
Chu Tianze hurriedly came forward, and Yu Fengyang said with a hint of resentment, "Your Highness, you've come at the perfect time."
Bai Chuxiao raised an eyebrow. "Hmm?"
Before Feng Yang could speak, Chu Tianze said with a smile, "Xiao Xiao, your arrival is indeed timely. I'll have dinner with you."
Yu Fengyang sneered, "Dinner? Your Highness, would you like to see what's on this table?"
Chu Tianze dismissed it, saying, "Such a small matter can be left to you and Fan Ziming."
Fan Ziming raised his head and slowly said, "Your Highness doesn't need to trust me so much."
Chu Tianze said calmly, "I believe you," and then he took Bai Chuxiao's arm and they went out together.
"Prioritizing romance over friendship," Yu Fengyang muttered under his breath.
Chu Tianze and Bai Chuxiao leaped onto the roof. Tonight, a lantern festival was being held in Yongzhou City, which was quite lively. From the rooftop, the entire city was clearly visible.
Bai Chuxiao leaned on his shoulder and said with a smile, "It seems like it's been a long time since I've seen such a lively scene."
Chu Tianze said slowly, "Now that the war is raging, is Xiaoxiao feeling tired?"
Bai Chuxiao smiled and said, "How many ordinary people actually crave war?"
Chu Tianze gazed into the distance, "All we can do is end this as quickly as possible."
...
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the palace did not host the grand banquets and lively celebrations of previous years.
With war raging in both the northwest and south of Great Xia, Chu Tianling is overwhelmed with work every day and has no time for leisure.
All the ministers were gathered in the imperial study. Chu Tianling rubbed his temples. "The Western Yue are coming with great force. After capturing Dingzhou, they took three more cities in Ningzhou. What good strategies do you, my ministers, have?"
This time, Xiyue is determined to attack Daxia. Aside from defensive forces, they have mobilized all available troops. Meanwhile, Daxia's King Yan and King Xiang have both rebelled, leaving them with very few troops besides those to deal with them and defend against Beiyan.
The high-ranking officials exchanged bewildered glances. In the past, the Northwest had been protected by the Prince of Yan and the Murong family; such a dire situation had never occurred before. If the Northwest fell, it seemed only a matter of time before the Western Yue forces captured the capital.
"Your Majesty...why don't we negotiate peace with the Prince of Yan and the Prince of Xiang first, so we can unite against the common enemy?" a minister said cautiously.
Chu Tianling's face suddenly darkened, and he slammed his fist on the table. "Peace talks? Those two traitors are using the banner of purging treacherous officials, but none of us here can escape..."
The minister who had spoken quickly lowered his head, somewhat dismissive. "Purge the treacherous officials? The Prince of Yan named names; he wasn't talking about them at all!"
Wei Junyan hesitated for a moment before saying, "Your Majesty..."
Chu Tianling narrowed his eyes slightly and waved his hand, "You may all leave now."
"Yes," everyone replied, bowing their heads as they withdrew, leaving only Chu Tianling's true confidants behind.
Chu Tianling then asked in a deep voice, "What are your plans, Uncle?"
Wei Junyan said slowly, "I believe that negotiating peace is feasible. Compared to the King of Xiang and the Western Yue, the King of Yan is the real enemy."
Chu Tianling said coldly, "You mean you want to negotiate peace with the Prince of Xiang and deal with the Prince of Yan together first?"
Wei Junyan nodded. "That's right. In fact, what King Xiang relies on is only the troops in the southern border, which is not a concern. It would be better to eliminate King Yan first. If King Xiang suffers losses as a result, that would be even better."
Chu Tianling said slowly, "He might not agree."
Zhang Yu suddenly said, "The Prince of Xiang only wants the throne. Now, the Prince of Yan, the son of the Empress of Qin and the rightful heir, has emerged. Whether he is truly the rightful heir or not, his status is a threat to His Majesty and the Prince of Xiang..."
Minister of War Lü frowned and said, "Even if the Prince of Xiang agrees, he may not actually put in any effort. And the Prince of Yan is said to have returned to Yongzhou, so he probably won't make any moves anytime soon. Perhaps we can eliminate the Prince of Xiang first, since the south is the most important place for Great Xia, and then focus on dealing with the Prince of Yan later."
Chu Tianling hesitated for a moment, "Even if the Prince of Yan doesn't take advantage of the situation after the fight with the Prince of Xiang, it still gives him a chance to recuperate..."
Lord Lü said, "Your Majesty, Shuozhou is right next to Zhenzhou. Perhaps we can use Xiyue to keep the Prince of Yan from causing us trouble..."
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