My husband, please respect yourself. The princess is here to grab the bride.

A dark cloud suddenly appeared in the originally clear sky.

The dark clouds covered the sun, and the light became slightly dim.

The lotus flowers that were originally standing still in the lotus pond began to sway slightly at this time.

This is when the wind starts to blow.

The wind is not strong.

The flame of the tea stove on the small table swayed gently in the breeze.

The tea smoke from the teapot also floats in the breeze.

Qin Jingtai picked up the teapot and poured tea. He did not answer Bai Shaoqiu's question, but said solemnly:

"Shang Shan... is the grandson of Shang Shu, the head of the Xuanjing Division. Hasn't he been to Xiling City before? He left Xiling City for Kyoto the day before you were assassinated."

"Last time I told you that there was no one left in the Xuan Jing Division. I don't know where Shang Junhou Shanshu took the Xuan Jing Division's people...Now Shang Junhou still hasn't returned to the Xuan Jing Division, and Shang Shan has become the acting chief of the Xuan Jing Division."

"Shi Wen said this was the Emperor's intention."

"Although the Xuanjing Division hasn't made any major moves in recent years, it is still a knife in the hands of the emperor."

"The Red Mansion always needs someone to guard it."

"Shi Wen believes that the Third Prince must have asked the Empress to whisper in the Emperor's ear... saying that they want Shangshan to get familiar with the Xuanjing Division and take this opportunity to train..."

"This is intended to allow Shang Shan to truly control the Xuan Jing Division. Of course, we don't know whether Shang Junhou also intends this... The Xuan Jing Division's traditional practice is for the previous chief to nominate the person, and the emperor then issues an edict to appoint the person."

"This is because of the special nature of the Xuanjing Division."

"The Xuanjing Division has one chief, three gold mirror users, three hundred and sixty-five silver mirror users, and an unknown number of bronze mirror users."

"It's different from any other government office in the imperial court. These people aren't registered in the Ministry of Rites. Only the Chief of the Xuanjing Division knows them. Therefore... the Emperor will rarely reject the nomination of the previous Chief."

"Shangshan is his grandson, so I think he also intends to hand over the Xuanjing Division to Shangshan."

Bai Shaoqiu didn't understand why Qin Jingtai told him the profound meaning of Xuan Jingsi in such detail.

It should be to let him know that the power of Xuan Jingsi is extremely strong.

Shangshan is acting as the head of Xuanjing Division. He needs to pay enough attention to himself as he holds this mysterious and powerful power.

He pondered for three breaths and asked:

"Where on earth did Shang Junhou go?"

"They say he might have gone to the North."

That is to resolve or investigate the matter of Northern Liang raising troops with the intention of invading Xingguo.

Qin Jingtai said worriedly:

"I'm telling you about Shangshan because Shangshan wants to kill you!"

"He's young, and it's precisely because he's young that he's very likely to become a knife in someone else's hands!"

"You have become a household name in Kyoto, not only for your poetry and prose, but also for your gorgeous and incredible transformation."

"Everything Fang Tingzhao did was for your own good. He wanted to pave the way for you to attend the Xiangshan Literary Festival in Kyoto next year, and also to make you famous enough to attract the emperor's attention."

"But now it seems that they have taken advantage of this good opportunity."

"Ye Qionglou took the initiative to propose to the Emperor to invite you to Kyoto. The Emperor also wants to see you because of your talent and the changes you have made, but no one knows whether the Emperor will protect you because of your talent!"

"If he just wanted to see you... then after seeing you, in Kyoto, Shangshan controls the Xuanjing Division, and it would be too easy for him to kill you!"

Bai Shaoqiu asked again, "Aren't you worried about angering the King of Zhenxi?"

Qin Jingtai took a deep breath, his expression even darker than the sky.

"They were worried originally, but now they may not be so worried anymore!"

Bai Shaoqiu was shocked, "Why?"

"Because Shi Wen said that last winter, the southern border troops applied to the Ministry of War for 50,000 sets of armor and weapons."

"After a period of secret investigation, we found that those 50,000 sets of armor and weapons were not used by the Southern Border Army... They weren't even shipped to the Southern Border Army at all!"

Bai Shaoqiu's eyes widened. "You mean... those 50,000 sets of armor and weapons were sent to the Western Wasteland and given to the barbarians there?!"

Qin Jingtai nodded:

"A powerful tribe is rising in the Western Wilds!"

"The leader of this tribe is Wanyan Bing, the son of the Golden Staff Chanyu, who was captured by the King of Zhenxi!"

"He inherited the throne of the Golden Staff Chanyu and rebuilt the Golden Staff Royal Court on the grasslands. Within a year, he unified almost all the tribes on the grasslands and assembled a cavalry force of 50,000 men."

"Those 50,000 sets of armor and weapons are used to equip his army!"

"The intention is to contain the King of Zhenxi!"

Bai Shaoqiu was stunned.

How ridiculous this is!

Using Xingguo's weapons and equipment to support the enemy, just to prevent the King of Zhenxi's army from moving?

Are those people in the court really so cruel and crazy?

Is all this done just so that the third prince can enter the East Palace and ascend the throne as emperor in the future?

The King of Zhenxi has gone to Dasan Pass...

"The prince also knows this news?"

Qin Jingtai nodded: "The prince must know, because this news was told to Shi Wen by the prince's second son Dongfang Lie."

Bai Shaoqiu suddenly realized that this was the real reason why the prince went to Dasan Pass.

Well, before Wanyan Bing is eliminated, the prince's western border troops will never leave his fiefdom.

If Dasan Pass falls, Xiling City will definitely be captured by Wanyan Bing, and that will be a brutal massacre!

"Is the Emperor so foolish?"

Qin Jingtai looked around and whispered, "But he thinks he's incredibly smart!"

"Our emperor...is an excellent calligrapher, poet, and even composer!"

"If he hadn't become the emperor, our Xingguo might have had another great scholar, but he chose to become the emperor..."

Bai Shaoqiu asked again, "Doesn't he know that someone in the court is committing this act of treason?"

Qin Jingtai smiled bitterly: "Perhaps he doesn't think it's treason... He might even hope that Wanyan Bing will defeat the Prince of Zhenxi!"

"Then he'll think he's safe."

Bai Shaoqiu frowned, "Does the Emperor and the Prince really have a grudge against each other?"

Qin Jingtai pondered for ten breaths!

I looked up at the sky and saw that the clouds were getting thicker and lower.

The wind is also a bit strong.

"The King of Zhenxi was conferred by the late emperor."

"When the late emperor was alive, the Prince of Zhenxi had a very good personal relationship with the then Crown Prince."

"However, no one could have predicted that the late emperor would suddenly pass away on that autumn night six years ago. The next day, the Imperial Household Department announced that the throne would be passed to the then-second son of the emperor, who is now the current emperor."

"The Crown Prince has been imprisoned by the new Emperor."

"When this news reached Xiling City, the prince was furious!"

"He led an army of 100,000 out of Xiling City and headed towards Kyoto, but he met a man on the way."

"Who?"

"Shang Shu, the military marquis!"

"and then?"

"Marquis Shang and the prince stayed in the commander's tent for a day and a night. Marquis Shang returned to the capital, and the prince returned to Xiling City."

“No one knows what they said.”

"But after that, the prince sent the second son, Dongfang Lie, to Kyoto, and the western border troops were stationed at Dasan Pass, occasionally seeking revenge on the barbarians in the Western Wilderness."

"The Emperor didn't do anything excessive to the prince...On the surface, everything seemed peaceful."

"But the emperor's attitude seems to be changing. For example... he has given you to the royal family as a son-in-law!"

"Of course, the one who suggested this to the Emperor was Ji Youwen, the Grand Secretary of the Imperial College in Kyoto. However, this Grand Secretary has close ties with the Left Prime Minister's Office."

"Now it's time to decide who will take over the East Palace."

"A lot of people are ready to make a move."

"Just like this rain, the clouds have already moved in before the rain has fallen. If you go to Kyoto... it will become even more dangerous!"

Bai Shaoqiu's face was solemn. He picked up the teacup, took a sip, and asked:

"So what does Prime Minister Qin suggest?"