You're the one who wants to marry a mistress, and I'm marrying someone else, yet you still

When Xiao Yan's report of victory reached the capital, the Diligent and Brave Emperor looked at the memorial and revealed a cryptic smile.

"Summon the Crown Prince and Shen Cong'an to the palace."

The Diligent and Brave Emperor put down the memorial and gave the order.

Before long, the Crown Prince and Shen Cong'an entered the hall. Shen Cong'an could roughly guess what the Emperor would say.

With the Third Prince Xiao Yan achieving political success, the Ministry of War will approve the funds for him. It's also time for the Crown Prince to report on the matter of the refugees in the northern border, which he has been in charge of.

The snow that fell at the beginning of the year was thick, but now it has melted, so there is no longer a need for aid like in the depths of winter. The implication is that the Crown Prince will most likely no longer allocate funds and will instead support the Third Prince.

Before entering the hall, His Highness the Crown Prince deliberately slowed his pace, and Shen Cong'an understood.

Shen Cong'an whispered to the Crown Prince, "Your Highness, rest assured, the Emperor will not give the Third Prince too many benefits just because he has made a little bit of merit."

The Crown Prince nodded slightly. "However, I do not wish to harm the innocent as a result. Since he wants to do something to get the Emperor's attention, let him do it, as long as what he does benefits the country and its people."

Xiao Long looked somewhat uneasy.

Shen Cong'an understood the Crown Prince's intentions. He could sow discord between the Third Prince and Lou Li, but he couldn't let these things affect innocent civilians.

If Xiao Yan can effectively suppress the bandits, it would be a good thing.

The two entered the main hall, where Emperor Qinyong was already seated on the dragon throne, scrutinizing them with sharp eyes.

"Your Highness, how is the situation regarding the refugees in the Northern Border progressing?" Emperor Qinyong spoke first, his tone carrying a hint of authority.

He was quite satisfied with this crown prince, but Xiao Long's bitterness was also a major drawback, which would be detrimental to the future.

The Crown Prince respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, the cold snap in the northern border regions has passed, and I am now preparing for the recovery of livelihoods. However..." He paused deliberately, as if choosing his words carefully, "...but the necessary funds will likely require more support from the Ministry of Revenue."

Emperor Qinyong nodded and turned his gaze to Shen Cong'an: "Minister Shen, what are your thoughts on the Ministry of War's allocation of funds to Xiao Yan?"

Shen Cong'an stepped forward and calmly replied, "Your Majesty, the Third Prince is now fighting bravely for the country and the people, and the Ministry of War should provide full support. However, the national treasury is limited, and although I am not clear about the situation of the Ministry of Revenue, I suggest that the funds be allocated in batches. In this way, both His Highness the Crown Prince and the Third Prince can be better protected."

Emperor Qinyong nodded in satisfaction, a hint of appreciation flashing in his eyes. He had long known that the Ministry of War had been holding back Xiao Yan's memorials, and that he himself had even given some of the instructions for this matter.

"That's only right. Suppressing bandits is a major task, and settling the people affected by the disaster in the north is also a major task. Only when the people of the world live and work in peace and contentment can I sit in this position with peace of mind."

As he spoke, Emperor Qinyong patted the table, on which was a report of victory sent back by Xiao Yan. In the report, Xiao Yan directly mentioned that Lou Li was among the bandits.

Although he wanted the crown prince to inherit the throne, his other sons could not be too inferior. When the crown prince ascended the throne, these brothers would have to be able to help him.

So even though he knew Xiao Yan had some shady methods, he still agreed to let him lead troops to suppress the bandits. He just didn't expect Xiao Yan to be so foolish.

He married the Lou family's daughter, but he couldn't control her power. At the slightest sign of trouble, he brazenly told his father, the emperor.

The Lou family is deeply entrenched, and without sufficient evidence, even he can't touch them. His son is too impatient. He originally thought that withholding military pay for a while would teach him some lessons, but his son failed to understand his good intentions at all.

The Crown Prince and Shen Cong'an were unaware of the contents of the memorial. Although they could roughly guess what it contained, they could only pretend to know nothing at the moment.

"Your Majesty is wise! Our Great Zhou will surely prosper!"

The eunuch beside the Emperor Qinyong flattered him.

Emperor Qinyong smiled slightly, his gaze falling once again on the Crown Prince and Shen Cong'an. He knew that Shen Cong'an was the Crown Prince's man and would naturally side with the Crown Prince.

His tone carried a deeper meaning: "The two of you, one dealing with the refugees in the north and the other assisting the Ministry of War in allocating funds, are both my good ministers. However, I also hope that you can put aside your prejudices in important matters so that the people of the Great Zhou can live a good life."

After Emperor Qinyong finished speaking, his gaze was fixed on the Crown Prince.

He placed high hopes on his eldest son, Xiao Long, because Xiao Long had been kind-hearted since childhood, not blindly obedient, and was willing to accept the opinions of others, which made him very satisfied.

But he also knew that Xiao Long was soft-hearted and still needed to be tempered.

The Crown Prince bowed and said, "Your subject understands and will certainly live up to Your Majesty's high expectations."

Shen Cong'an also bowed, but secretly he wondered if the Emperor's move, which seemed to be balancing the various forces, was actually a test for everyone.

For the sake of the future of the Great Zhou Dynasty, every step the Emperor takes cannot be merely superficial.

"Minister Shen," the Emperor suddenly addressed him, "you must put in extra effort to closely monitor the Ministry of Revenue's movements and ensure that every penny is spent wisely. As for Xiao Yan, although there have been reports of victory, the bandit suppression is not yet over. You must constantly remind him and not slacken your efforts in the slightest."

Shen Cong'an nodded in agreement, "Your subject obeys the decree and will certainly do his utmost to live up to Your Majesty's expectations."

Shen Cong'an's voice was firm and powerful, echoing throughout the hall.

Emperor Qinyong nodded in satisfaction, then waved for the two to leave. He had always been very satisfied with Shen Cong'an, and sometimes even felt that all the good fortune of the Shen family should be on Shen Cong'an alone.

Only after the Crown Prince and Shen Cong'an disappeared outside the palace gates did Emperor Qinyong's expression gradually darken, his eyes flashing with a complex look.

"Lou Li, Lou Li, do you know that you have been betrayed? Did you do this on purpose, or is it just that Xiao Yan is being clever? Heh."

Emperor Qinyong chuckled coldly and muttered to himself, his tone filled with both doubt and wariness.

He knew all too well that in this power struggle, any slight movement could trigger a chain reaction.

The Lou family, this powerful and enduring clan, is a formidable enemy he must be wary of.

Emperor Qinyong's gaze grew even more solemn.

Xiao Yan's actions reminded him of the Lou family's background.

Xiao Yan mentioned the attire of the Lou family's assassins, which he had seen many years ago, when he led his troops to capture the palace.

Among the remnants of the previous dynasty, there were people dressed like that.

At the time, he didn't think much about it. But when he thought about these things, he remembered that when he led his troops into the palace, his uncle was still in the harem having fun with a vixen, showing no signs of being a monarch.

When a ruler indulges in sexual activity all day long, his ministers follow suit and become dissolute. The Great Zhou Dynasty was in a terrible state. If it weren't for this, the Northern Barbarians would not have been able to gain any advantage over them.

The events of that year were still vivid in his mind, and the more the Diligent and Brave Emperor thought about them, the more distressed he became, and his heart sank.