After rebirth, I joined forces with my mortal enemy to seek revenge.

Glancing around, Cen Xi smiled. He knew Pei Jiaoran hadn't finished what she said just now. After all, if this matter was investigated further, everyone would be in trouble. But the two of them were in the same boat, so he naturally had to fill in the gaps for her. He stroked his beard and said, "What the Minister of the Central Secretariat said is not unreasonable. The Imperial Guards have a heavy responsibility and cannot be given to others easily. General Xu has made great contributions to the rescue and is also a royal relative. It is most appropriate for him to take charge temporarily. The Shen Ce Army and the Jinwu Guard originally came from the same source. Although they are now like two branches of a river, they each protect the north and the south. They are both powerful weapons in the hands of the emperor. There is no need to distinguish between you and me."

Glancing at the two, Jia Gonglu couldn't help but sneer. "The Jinwu Guard is overwhelmed with tedious tasks, and they also have the responsibility of patrolling both the interior and the exterior. I'm afraid General Xu Jian won't be able to spare the time to supervise the Shen Ce Army. I think it would be better to temporarily merge the Left and Right Shen Ce Armies, with the former Jue Dang in charge. All matters can be reported directly to the Emperor."

Huan Yuanjing listened and said thoughtfully, "Your ideas are excellent. However, such power is not a good thing if there is no one to supervise it. It would be better if Yuan Zhengze were to take unified control and report directly to the emperor, while Xu Yan would supervise all important military affairs and personnel arrangements."

Pei Jiaoran glanced at Huan Yuanjing, his face showing surprise. His attitude was ambiguous, seemingly defending both sides, but in reality, he was speaking from the perspective of imperial authority. Yuan Zhengze, as a close minister to the Emperor, could directly and immediately deliver the Emperor's orders. In other words, he was the Emperor's representative to the Shen Ce Army. Meanwhile, Xu Yan, while serving as the Grand General of the Jinwu Guard, also managed the Shen Ce Army. While he oversaw important military affairs and personnel deployment, matters of national and military importance inevitably required reporting to the Emperor and approval, a process that Yuan Zhengze could not bypass.

She had asked Xu Yan to temporarily take over the position of Grand General of the Divine Strategy Army because the Divine Strategy Army was currently empty-handed, and he was a member of the Crown Prince's faction. By having him in charge of the Divine Strategy Army, he would at least be able to understand the enemy's movements. Having Yuan Zhengze rule on behalf of the Emperor would mean that their actions would be exposed to the public.

At this point, Pei Jiaoran's eyes flashed with sarcasm, and he shook his head and sighed. Political struggles don't follow a set routine, and you can't expect the other side to foolishly fall into your trap. Staying calm in times of crisis and employing alternative tactics is a skill, but more often than not, it's a matter of countering each move.

"During the Ten Eunuchs Rebellion, Zhang Rang and others forged an imperial edict to kill He Jin. Later, Zong Ai abused his power, causing Emperor Taiwu's son, Tuoba Huang, to die of worry. He then killed Tuoba Han." Pei Jiaoran's voice was icy. "Emperor Taiwu was so wise and powerful, yet he was deceived by a villain like Zong Ai. Now that Your Majesty is ill, how can we guarantee that Yuan Zhengze won't be tempted to follow Zong Ai's example? Even if the emperor is watching from behind, Yuan Zhengze shouldn't be in charge."

The Emperor of Wei's gaze darkened slightly upon hearing this, and Yuan Zhengze, who had accompanied him, quickly knelt on the ground. Feeling the Emperor's cold gaze fall upon him, Yuan Zhengze panicked. He regretted even more that he had been too clever, having now found himself in a difficult position.

Yuan Zhengze knelt and frowned, racking his brains to remedy Pei Jiaoran's words, striving to mitigate the impact they might have on the Wei Emperor. "Prime Minister Pei is right. Eunuchs should not wield too much power. My entire life is entirely dependent on the grace of Heaven, and I would never dare to rebel. If Your Majesty needed me, I would be ready to die for you. However, I know I lack the ability to take on this matter, and I dare not take it on. But I'm still curious why Prime Minister Pei insisted on recommending General Xu Jian. The Left and Right Shen Ce Armies have a considerable number of men, so why must an outsider take over temporarily?"

Upon hearing this, the Emperor of Wei remained silent, but his expression softened.

Outside the official residence, Jia Gonglu took up the topic, "Your Majesty is not old and blind now. Besides, Yuan Zhengze is only responsible for supervision, with the same power as the Lieutenant of the Guard. He is only a link between Your Majesty and the Shen Ce Army. Why did Prime Minister Pei insist on letting Xu Yan take over?"

"Does Prime Minister Pei feel that Yuan Zhengze is untrustworthy, but General Xu is?" Huan Yuanjing licked his lips and glanced cautiously at the nearby public housing. He wondered how much his brother had taken in his words.

Following his gaze, Pei Jiaoran looked at the closed door. "I also have questions about this matter. Yuan Jue was once deeply trusted by Zhang Rang. Before Zhang Rang was convicted, he was arranged by him to temporarily serve the emperor in his place. You all know that eunuchs have no roots. If they want to avoid being bullied, they can only serve as the sons of those in higher positions. I recently looked through the palace registers. There was a major reshuffle of the Jinwu Guards and the Shen Ce Army, and many people were sent to the Prince of Wu's palace. These people were the soldiers who were on duty that day when Zhang Rang left the palace late at night. I am curious about who this person was that made Zhang Rang go out of the palace so late at night to meet him."

"Since none of the Zhongshumen knew about this, how did Prime Minister Pei know about it?" Jia Gonglu scolded him harshly. He had been waiting for this moment.

In the public house, Emperor Wei stood up and walked to the door. He opened his eyes and stared at Pei Jiaoran, pursed his lips, and ignored Yuan Zhengze's shouts behind him.

Terrified and helpless, beyond this door lies the battlefield of verbal battles among the courtiers. Each word, seemingly uttered for the sake of the state and the maintenance of imperial rule, is in reality a defense of their own power. The fingers pressing on the doorbolt are stiff and painful from holding the same position for so long. He spent the first half of his life like a hunter playing chess, casting bait amidst the officials' precariousness, letting the three provinces gamble, the six ministries, nine temples, and five administrative offices contend, letting the central government conspire to formulate guidelines and implement them from top to bottom. But no matter what, the fire would never burn him.

Not only did he enjoy this, he also used it like a duck in water. The only one who also understood this tacitly was the young Zhongshu Ling.

Looking at the door that hid the emperor's palace, Pei Jiaoran smiled and said, "Of course it was the current eunuch Yuan Zhengze. It was he who told me about Zhang Rang's late-night exit from the palace."

Yuan Zhengze in the room lowered his head even lower. He no longer dared to look at the Emperor of Wei, and his mind was full of thoughts about how to escape.

"This little raccoon is truly astute." The Wei Emperor seemed to have sensed something and walked over to Yuan Zhengze. "What's the point of kowtowing? I know your loyalty. Let me ask you again, are you truly unwilling to control the Shen Ce Army for me?"

"I dare not..." Yuan Zhengze said in a low voice.

With a light sigh, the Emperor of Wei pushed open the door and walked out. As soon as he appeared, everyone in the room looked at him, and they all knelt on the ground, praying respectfully.

"Mr. Pei, do you think Xu Yan is more suitable?" The Emperor of Wei looked at Pei Jiaoran with a gentle tone.

This question was tricky and difficult to answer. Pei Jiaoran was the Prime Minister of the Southern Court after all, and his close relationship with Xu Jian and others was reasonable.

Pei Jiaoran bowed his head and spoke respectfully, "No, it's just that Xu Yan has a more legitimate title. Only with a title like this can one have power."

"I am not as good as you in thinking of this. Since Mr. Cen also thinks so, then let's do as you wish." said the Emperor of Wei.

"Yes." Everyone spoke in unison.