“If you trust me and Shushu, we’ll go to Wucheng. You write the imperial edict, and we’ll get the military tally and fight a few small battles,” Xia Hua said directly.
As soon as she finished speaking, An Shuyi glanced at her, then subtly looked away.
“Of course I trust you,” Xiao Zili said. “I owe my current success to the contributions of both of you. I’m even thinking of bestowing upon you the title of First-Rank Imperial Lady when the time is right.”
"You two are still so capable. If you could help me stabilize Wucheng, that would be wonderful. However, I can only appoint you two aunts as second-rank generals for now. After you have made contributions, I will appoint you as first-rank generals."
He has now appointed his two aunts as second-rank generals, which is already a very high rank. After all, no one is appointed as a general from the beginning; they all climb up the ranks step by step.
But he trusted his two aunts; he was sure they could defeat Prince Cheng and Prince Ming. If they could also restrain Uncle Xiao, that would be even better.
Xia Hua nodded, "Alright, then you go back and write the imperial edict. We'll take the edict with us. Don't arrange for anyone else to go. Having too many people will not only waste time, but it will also alert General Wu."
Xiao Zili nodded, "Then I'll go back and send someone to bring the imperial edict tomorrow. You two aunts can decide the time. I wish you both a successful start." After saying that, he opened the door and left in a hurry.
After he left, the guards also disappeared. Only then did An Shuyi say, "Huahua, isn't it unfair to say that?" As long as they have made contributions, it's fine in the short term, but in the long run, Xiao Zili will start to suspect them.
With several generals in one family and hundreds of thousands of troops under their command, if they wanted the throne, the two armies could join forces and quickly attack the capital. He didn't trust Xiao Yubai. It was fine if his uncle had no ambition, but if he did, he only had 60,000 troops stationed in the capital.
As soon as he becomes suspicious and no longer trusts them, that's when they'll make their move. That's why Hua Hua is doing this – she's only accelerating Xiao Zili's suspicion of them.
Do you still want to go back?
"think!"
Xia Hua said directly, "If you want to, then don't overthink it. So what if we have many generals and officials in our village? As long as he trusts us enough, what you're thinking about won't happen."
"That emperor has no ambition. It's perfect that we take back the soldiers under Wu Quan's command. Apart from his uncle, I can say that I have the world in my hands. Getting the throne will be a piece of cake."
"Perhaps we can also recover the wild and remote territories beyond the Great Wall, and wouldn't it be better to unify the world?"
An Shuyi nodded, "You're right, that's what I was thinking. We'll bring the thousand iron cavalry outside the city as well. They've been training for so many years, they should get some exercise. The secret guards will be dispersed. Besides those who monitor the ministers, we'll also send two guards to Wen Liu and the others."
Although Wen Liu was already a first-rank Right Chancellor and the Emperor had bestowed upon him a mansion, he had never lived there. The same was true for Wen Fan and others; they all bought courtyards but never lived there.
"We'll make arrangements tomorrow morning. Go to sleep!"
The next morning, the two of them went to the neighboring house to handle some matters, and then went out of the city to their training grounds. They ordered a thousand iron cavalry to set off for Wucheng that day, and also to find a way to join the army.
Although Xiao Zili said he trusted them, they didn't know if he was telling the truth. So they let the thousand cavalrymen join the army on their own. Once they were in the army, they would find a reason to recruit them to their side.
That way, no one would realize that these were their people, but rather soldiers recruited later.
After things are settled, I'll talk to Wenliu and the others about it during dinner tonight.
"Mother, are you going to war? Isn't it too dangerous?" Wen Liu asked cautiously.
Although he has only been in officialdom for a short time, he has become extremely good at speaking, avoiding offending people with his words, and is also better at reading people's expressions.
“Yes, Auntie, isn’t this too dangerous? The Emperor doesn’t have anyone he trusts. We can arrange for Brother Wenshi and Brother Da Niu; they’re very capable,” Wen Fan added.
An Shuyi had no choice but to explain, "The Emperor has people he trusts, namely your aunt and me. We want to get our hands on the military tally. Although Yan Zhen is still young, it won't be more than a few years. It's better to prepare early."
"Don't worry, we're not in any danger. There's no one who wants to kill us yet. But we're not in the capital, so if you have any issues, discuss them with us. Don't act rashly."
"If you can't make a decision, or if you encounter any trouble, just tell the guards. We know and will come."
"Mother, don't worry, we will definitely discuss things together. But Mother, your son..." Wen Liu said for a long time, but couldn't finish his sentence.
"What do you have to say? Just say it!" An Shuyi said helplessly. Why was this grown man so hesitant to speak?
"You have someone you like," Xia Hua said bluntly from the side.
Upon hearing this, the others looked at him with great interest, waiting for him to say which family's girl it was.
Wen Liu nodded, but her expression was troubled.
"Whose daughter is this that makes you so hesitant to speak?" An Shuyi was initially very happy, but judging from his expression, she knew that the girl's identity was not simple.
"Mother is not a conservative person. As long as she is not a prostitute, she can accept anything else."
“Mother, it’s not what you think,” Wenliu said after looking at her. “It’s Hua Manman, the granddaughter of the Duke of Dingguo.”
An Shuyi turned her head. "Huahua, this name seems familiar. Do you remember it?" She was somewhat familiar with the name, but for a moment, she couldn't quite place it. She was getting old, after all.
Xia Hua nodded. "The one the Emperor Emeritus betrothed to Xiao Zicheng as Crown Princess, Hua Manman, do you remember now?"
“I remember now!” An Shuyi nodded. “After a series of events, they didn’t get married. Although the Duke of Dingguo still held the position, he just went through the motions and didn’t show his face.”
"But Wenliu, how did you end up meeting that girl? Besides, she almost became the Crown Princess. If you marry her, it will affect your career." She was the Crown Prince's chosen Crown Princess, and the Crown Prince is dead.
Although they knew they weren't dead, in the eyes of the world, they were. The girl should have shaved her head and become a nun, or at least stayed at home and never came out.
Seeing that Wen Liu remained silent, Xia Hua said from the side, "That girl is quite lively; she's not the kind of person who can stay at home all day. She probably just happened to meet him while traveling, and over time, she fell in love with him." Perhaps this is fate!
Is that what your aunt said?
Wen Liu nodded, "Auntie is right. After court, I go to the bookstore to read for a while, and that's when I happen to run into the pretty girl..."
"Stop, call her 'Full-Full Girl,' not 'Flower Girl.'" That sounds a bit strange.
Although he didn't know why his mother wouldn't let him call her "flower girl," Wen Liu still obediently did as she was told. "I just happened to meet Miss Manman. She came to buy storybooks, but she couldn't get any, so I helped her." Even though he was scolded for being a bookworm.
“I’ve met her a few times in bookstores and on the street. Over time, my son has come to like her.”
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