Jiang Wuyou waited outside the study for He Yunxiao to come out.
She didn't possess He Yunxiao's martial arts-level hearing, and could only catch a few words from the conversation in the study. However, when He Yunxiao actually left, Jiang Wuyou wasn't in a hurry to ask. She waited until He Yunxiao sat down beside her before asking, "Xiao'er, how was it?"
He Yunxiao gave an "OK" sign and said, "It's settled. I'll go in and act intimately with Li Qingmeng. I'm sure Father and Aunt will understand what I mean."
Jiang Wuyou teased, "Is it just feigned intimacy?"
He Yunxiao pulled Jiang Wuyou close by the waist, bringing his face close to hers, so close that they could feel each other's body temperature.
"Is my wife jealous?"
"If I were to say I'm jealous, it's only a little bit; I'm mostly happy."
Are you really happy?
Jiang Wuyou rolled her eyes at He Yunxiao. "Of course. Do you think I'm the kind of jealous, temperamental girl? Xiao'er is marrying an outstanding woman, which means he's forming an alliance with her family. This will not only make Xiao'er happy, but also ensure the He family's power. Why wouldn't he be happy? Besides, if that woman is beautiful and intelligent, Xiao'er's child will also be beautiful and intelligent. This is another happy event. Why wouldn't Wuyou be happy?"
He Yunxiao kissed Sister Jiang's soft cheek and asked, "Aren't you afraid of losing favor in the future, my wife?"
Jiang Wuyou laughed and said, "With more people in the family, husband will naturally have less time to spend with each person. How can you say that I've fallen out of favor? Wuyou thinks that if husband doesn't have time to spend with Wuyou in the future, he will feel guilty and will spoil Wuyou even more."
He Yunxiao couldn't hold back any longer.
Collecting interest!
We must accept it!
Collect it all!
...
It was the dead of night, a time of utter silence. The lights were out, and the night watchman had called out, "The weather is dry," marking the end of the last commotion before dawn. Outside the tightly shut doors and windows of every house, a whistling night wind occasionally broke the silence. After all, it was autumn.
In the garden of the Marquis's mansion, a strong night wind blew up a plump leaf.
It was blown high into the sky, watched to fall, and then immediately blown up again. The night wind clung tightly to the leaf, and in the repeated ups and downs, the airflow had flowed through every corner of the leaf.
The leaves were already exhausted and limp, but the night wind seemed endless, coming and going without letting the leaves off the hook.
Finally, the wind blew the leaves against the wall, pressing them down for a long time until dawn and the temperature warmed up before finally letting them go.
...
Jiang Wuyou's plump body was completely powerless. She leaned against He Yunxiao and gently scolded, "You little rascal, aren't you afraid of your parents hearing this?"
He Yunxiao laughed and said, "There's an internal sound barrier, and besides, Dad is discussing important matters with Li Qingmeng, so he doesn't have time to care about us."
...
After He Yunxiao showed off their affection once, He Yuanhao's attitude towards Meng Qingqian improved significantly.
"Your Highness, why do you need troops? Could you please tell this old minister the reasons?"
Meng Qingqian pondered for a moment, “The current political situation is clear to the General. The Prime Minister is strong in martial arts but weak in literature, while our Meng family is strong in literature but weak in martial arts. Seeking a fierce general to protect the country has always been our Meng family’s wish.”
He Yuanhao nodded. The fact that the Princess had no troops at her disposal was an open secret among all the officials in the court. Everyone knew this; those with civil positions followed the Meng family, and those with military positions followed the Prime Minister.
"But...why now?"
"Because of the assassination attempt." Meng Qingqian lowered her head, took a sip of hot tea, and then slowly raised her eyes.
"General, I am already 'dead,' the court is leaderless, and the Yan Kingdom is about to rise up. Perhaps they have already done so."
He Yuanhao wasn't too surprised. With the eldest princess dead, it would be strange if the Yan Kingdom didn't take advantage of the situation.
"General, after I learned that the Yan Emperor intended to assassinate me, I ordered the prefects of Luoyue, Jubei, and Yushan, where the three passes are located, to investigate the border situation every half day and then report back to me by fast horse."
He Yuanhao's breathing quickened for a moment, and he asked, "How is it now?"
"What we received today was a letter from yesterday. However, I estimate that the letter will not be delivered by tomorrow. Our Qi spies have been monitoring the movements of the Yan army outside the border. Yan has gathered a large army outside the three passes, intending to launch a three-pronged attack on Qi."
He Yuanhao calmly said, "The borders of my Qi Kingdom are not so easy to attack. As the art of war says, 'Surround them when you have ten times their strength, attack them when you have five, and divide them when you have twice their strength.' If the Yan Kingdom really divides its forces into three routes, they won't be able to take down a single border pass."
Meng Qingqian did not refute it further, but simply said, "That's the intelligence."
He Yuanhao thought for a moment, "Does Han Wenxin know?"
"I have never had any dealings with him."
He Yuanhao frowned and said, "Your Highness, this matter concerns the safety of the Qi Kingdom. How can it be confined to the affairs of the party?"
Meng Qingqian said calmly, "The Yan state is a fierce tiger, and the Han family is a poisonous snake. The General should understand this."
Upon hearing this, He Yuanhao immediately understood Meng Qingqian's intentions.
Why was she "killed," and why did she visit in the dead of night? It was all a calculated move to weaken both sides and then reap the benefits. The military power of Qi was almost entirely in Han Wenxin's hands. Xiaoyue wanted him and the Yan Emperor to fight to the death, so she could use the He family's influence to sweep away the defeated troops and unify Qi.
It must be said, this was truly a brilliant move. The conspiracy was intertwined with overt strategies, and those strategies were tinged with ruthlessness.
He Yuanhao raised his head and looked directly at Meng Qingqian. He asked slowly in a low voice, "Your Highness, may I ask a question? And then?"
Meng Qingqian sat upright, her gaze firm and her expression unchanged.
"After that, everything remained the same."
Zhang Jingxian understood as well. She quietly gripped He Yuanhao's shoulders and clothes, her palms sweaty.
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