Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

"It seems you understand the key point now. After all, someone who can impress Prime Minister Ye must not be a pedantic person."

Seeing that Liu Wu kept his eyes closed and remained silent, Wang Zhongsi slowly withdrew his hand from the charcoal basin.

"The Battle of Fengsui Fortress had a wide-ranging impact. When the late emperor was critically ill, the successor was still undecided. Leaving aside whether the reputation of the Bingzhou army was damaged,..."

"If this news had reached the ears of the King of Shu, how do you think the situation would have changed?"

Liu Wu opened his eyes and continued, "Back then, after the late emperor executed the crown prince for treason, he delayed in establishing an heir apparent. The princes in the court resorted to any means to seize the position of crown prince."

Among them, the King of Shu has the strongest backing, with powerful military families providing substantial support. If he were to learn the truth about Fengsui Fortress, he would undoubtedly seize the opportunity to extend his influence to the border troops of Bingzhou.

"If the Bingzhou army were to fall into the hands of the King of Shu, it would inevitably trigger an unprecedented catastrophe, and the one sitting on the throne in the Taiji Hall back then would undoubtedly be the King of Shu."

Wang Zhongsi: "So, if you were in that situation, what would you have done?"

"I don't know," Liu Wu shook his head. "I know nothing about military affairs, but I can still get a sense of how perilous the situation was back then from these few words."

Every step the late emperor took was like walking on thin ice. If we think about it more deeply, this was actually a move he had prepared long ago.

This was a crucial step in clearing obstacles for His Majesty; everyone involved, including the prominent families of Jiangnan, including Prime Minister Ye, and even Prince Jing, was part of the late Emperor's plan.

Wang Zhongsi poured himself a cup of hot tea: "Back then, the seven princes fought for the throne, causing unrest throughout the land."

The final result was four deaths and two demotions, with more than two thousand officials and gentry members in the capital implicated.

The Prince of Shu, who was originally the most likely candidate for the crown prince position, was ultimately granted the title of Prince of a Commandery and sent to the Shu region. If it weren't for this power struggle,

Given that His Majesty had virtually no resources at the time, it was absolutely impossible for him to ascend the throne. This shows that the late Emperor truly placed extremely high hopes on His Majesty.

Liu Wu continued, "Therefore, before his death, the late emperor specifically instructed Prime Minister Ye to assist him, and also secretly wrote to the general not to pursue the matter of the beacon tower."

This is tantamount to hoping that the general will stand firmly on His Majesty's side, even if it's just remaining neutral and not expressing any opinion; it's still a form of support.

In this way, His Majesty will have leverage to maneuver, preventing his power from being completely usurped by powerful clans.

Otherwise, His Majesty would not possess the radiant splendor of basking in the moonlight today.

After speaking, Liu Wu got up and walked to the brazier in the center, picked up the teapot and poured a bowl of coarse tea into his cup.

Wang Zhongsi warmed his hands with the cup in his hand: "But this is far from enough. His Majesty has just ascended the throne, and the late Emperor passed away in a hurry. There are many things that he did not have time to explain clearly."

Even with the assistance of the Prime Minister's office and the border troops, without its own directly subordinate forces, it was still impossible to quell the covetousness of the powerful official families.

Therefore, when His Majesty established the Jingwei Division, the fact that Chancellor Ye secretly supported it was a disguised way of helping His Majesty expand his power.

Of course, there are great risks involved. If Prime Minister Ye does not support His Majesty, even if His Majesty ascends the throne, he will inevitably be manipulated as a puppet.

The Jingwei Division has now expanded throughout the north and south of the Yangtze River, and has even extended its reach to neighboring countries. This is largely due to Prime Minister Ye's behind-the-scenes manipulation and indulgence.

Liu Wu took a sip of tea: "It is also the result of His Majesty's hard work and dedication. In just a few years since His Majesty ascended the throne, the Great Chu has shown signs of revival. Of course, this is inseparable from the strong support of the Duke of Zhenguo."

"Do you think Shen Lang joined the Jingwei Division by chance?"

Wang Zhongsi suddenly said something completely out of the blue.

"The late Emperor had the foresight that relying solely on external forces would not be enough to secure Your Majesty's throne. To prevent a backlash from the vassal states and powerful families across the land,"

He specially dispatched his younger brother, Prince Jing, to inspect the military camps in Bingzhou, and he stayed there for nearly three years. What kind of military inspection team would stay at the border for three years?

Liu Wu frowned: "You mean?"

Wang Zhongsi nodded: "That's right. The real purpose of Prince Jing coming to my Bingzhou camp as military supervisor is to find a candidate for governing the country and the army that His Majesty can completely control."

Looking back now, the late emperor's plans were incredibly sophisticated, anticipating Your Majesty's smooth ascension to the throne and the challenges ahead. This demonstrates the immense importance the late emperor placed on Your Majesty.

Surprisingly, Prince Jing ignored the powerful and influential figures who came to the army for training and instead chose...

Yet, they chose Shen Lang, who had no background and was merely of commoner origin, and ultimately helped him become the son-in-law of the Great Chu Emperor.

"The fact that he successfully helped His Majesty quickly consolidate his throne shows that Prince Jing's foresight is extremely shrewd, completely inconsistent with his past actions."

Liu Wu: "The late emperor was inherently suspicious, yet he trusted Prince Jing implicitly. This shows that Prince Jing possesses abilities unknown to us."

He won over Shen Lang, guided him to serve the Jingwei Division, and ultimately arranged his marriage to the Emperor. Every step he took was carefully considered.

It can only be said that Prince Jing's ability to judge character is truly exceptional; he is definitely not as lazy and incompetent as he appears. Without him, His Majesty might not have achieved his current status.

Wang Zhongsi said, "When Shen Lang served in our army, he demonstrated extraordinary abilities, not only in military matters, but also in his unique insights into political views and the development of the nation."

A mere elite vanguard battalion is insufficient to fully utilize his talents. I have long intended to petition the court to appoint him as the governor of Jizhou, in charge of local military and political affairs, which would also serve to intimidate the other prefectures in the Far East.

Unfortunately, his humble origins meant that doing so would only harm him and the Bingzhou army. Only with Prince Jing's intervention could the situation be salvaged.

Liu Wu narrowed his eyes: "It seems that the General also played a significant role in enabling the Duke of Zhenguo to become the Emperor of Great Chu."

“He has great potential, how could I bear to let him go to waste like this?” Wang Zhongsi sighed. “It’s just that the betrayal of the Sharp Knife Battalion dealt him an unprecedented blow.”

Since that battle, he has become extremely cold and taciturn, seemingly indifferent to everything. But I know that the more cold-blooded a person is, the more they care about those around them.

His indifference was merely a disguise for his inner sorrow. I know he simply wanted to avoid the same tragedy from happening to him again, and didn't want to suffer that kind of torment once more.

After all, the fourteen-year-old Shen Lang and the seventeen-year-old Shen Lang are completely different people.

Liu Wu: "I can see that. The Duke of Zhenguo acts decisively and leaves no room for retreat."

But that only applies to enemies; he shows warmth and gentleness to those he trusts.

Wang Zhongsi: "So, you've found out the results of your investigation into the Battle of Fengsui Fortress?"

Liu Wu nodded, glancing at the charcoal brazier in the tent: "The hundred-mile plain was burned by the Black Stone. I thank the general for not removing the traces, which allowed me to so easily piece together the cause and effect of the entire war."

I never imagined that the Duke of Zhenguo could single-handedly hold off the Northern Yan army for over a month under such circumstances. For an ordinary person, that would be impossible.

As for the claim that the Duke of Zhenguo ate people, that doesn't stand up to any scrutiny; what I'm more curious about is the detailed process of annihilating the enemy.

Wang Zhongsi: "They used grass and trees to cover the charcoal fire, turning it into smoke, and then used the wind to startle the iron cavalry's mounts, causing the horses to become agitated and trample each other."

Then, using a fire attack with litharge, they seized the opportunity to annihilate the Northern Yan Iron Cavalry Camp in one fell swoop. Shen Lang was truly cunning; he single-handedly defended a fortress and slaughtered ten thousand soldiers.

Unfortunately, the true details of this battle are destined to remain unknown to the public; otherwise, it would surely have been recorded in history.

Liu Wu stood up and cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you for your explanation, General. I have troubled you greatly these past few days. Now that the truth has been investigated and cleared up, I should return to the capital to report back."

Wang Zhongsi looked at him and said, "Remember what you promised me."

Liu Wu: "Don't worry, I will only report this matter to His Majesty privately. I will find an excuse to deal with the Ministry of War."

Wang Zhongsi stood up: "Since you're here, why don't you bring some things back for Shen Lang as well?"

"What?"

"Come with me."

Wang Zhongsi led Liu Wu to a side tent, took out a straight knife wrapped in white silk from a box, and handed it to him.

"This is?"

"This is the sword Shen Lang carried when he joined the army. It's called Bingzhu, and he forged it himself using meteorite iron from outer space mixed with the Blazing Lotus Heart Fire."

Shen Lang abandoned this sword after returning from Fengsui Fortress, because it was stained with the blood of his former comrades.

Since his departure, no one in the army has been able to control the bloodlust emanating from that blade's edge. I've kept it with me all these years, and now five years have passed.

He should also move on from the shadows of the past and find a suitable opportunity to personally hand it over to Shen Lang.

Tell him that he did nothing wrong back then at Fengsui Fortress, and that he shouldn't blame himself anymore.

Liu Wu took the straight sword and felt its weight.

"Alright, when the time is right, I will personally hand it over to the Duke of Zhenguo. Farewell."

Liu Wu put away his weapons and left the military camp.

As Liu Wu's carriage gradually drove away from the military camp, Wang Zhongsi couldn't help but sigh.

"Shen Lang..."

(Ten updates today)