May this scumbag husband, who favored his concubine over his wife, rest in peace.

In this matter, the Wen family was wronged, and it is only natural to want to get revenge after being wronged. However, Wen Heng knew that this grievance could not be avenged.

At the very least, the Wen family shouldn't be the ones to ask for it.

Otherwise, in the emperor's eyes, it would seem like he was being arrogant and trying to boss people around.

So Wen Heng simply brought Da Zhao into the picture, clearly telling the emperor that even if these people's current target was their Wen family, it was only temporary, and they definitely had bigger ambitions behind them.

As for whether or not to retaliate, that's up to the emperor.

Just as he expected, the emperor was indeed furious.

Since the time of the previous emperor, barbarian tribes have frequently harassed the borders. If it weren't for Wen Heng, this situation would probably still be ongoing.

But after finally driving those barbarians away, we thought they would behave themselves, but to our surprise, they actually extended their reach to the capital!

For the emperor, this threat was far greater than any invasion of the borders.

After much deliberation, the emperor immediately dispatched an envoy to the barbarian tribes, summoning their leader to the capital.

If they dare not come to the capital, then we'll beat them!

They've already bullied us to our very core; if we back down now, we'll look like cowards!

-

Such a significant move naturally spread quickly throughout the court.

The officials were abuzz with discussion about this.

Some people felt it was great, while others thought it was unfeasible.

War is no joke. It may sound exciting, but it involves real lives and money.

Upon hearing this, Grand Secretary Qin insisted on entering the palace to meet the emperor.

Grand Secretary Qin had served two reigns and was a senior figure in the court. The emperor could not refuse to give him face, so he met with him in the imperial study.

The emperor was well aware of Grand Secretary Qin's purpose, so before Grand Secretary Qin could speak, the emperor said, "The imperial decree has been issued and cannot be changed. If this is what you want to say, Grand Secretary, please refrain from speaking."

Grand Secretary Qin cupped his hands in a respectful gesture: "Your Majesty misunderstands. This old minister did not come for this matter, but only to remind Your Majesty of something."

"Oh?" The emperor's eyebrows twitched slightly.

Grand Secretary Qin pursed his lips: "Is Your Majesty certain whether those spies are from the barbarian tribes beyond the Great Wall?"

The Emperor nodded: "Minister Lu has confirmed his identity."

Upon hearing that Lu Chengyuan had personally confirmed it, Grand Secretary Qin knew that he couldn't use this as an excuse.

Lu Chengyuan's master was no ordinary person.

Grand Secretary Qin then said, "Even so, whether they are truly targeting the Great Zhao and His Majesty remains to be seen, but the Wen family has already suffered a loss at their hands."

The emperor nodded.

He already knew that the only girl in the Wen family had been driven to jump into the river.

"Since the purpose of the spies is unclear, it is hard to say whether the General of the Cavalry came here for the sake of the Great Zhao and His Majesty, or just to vent his anger for his own family."

Grand Secretary Qin sighed.

If it's the former, then there's nothing to say. But if it's the latter, Wen Heng's actions of starting a war and risking countless lives just to avenge his daughter seem reckless.

Sure enough, the emperor's face darkened slightly after he finished speaking.

Grand Secretary Qin stopped there, saying only so much, and then rose to take his leave.

The solemn and quiet imperial study was silent. The emperor sat on the dragon throne, motionless for a long time.

-

The wind in Beijing today is more biting and chilling than ever before.

Wen Yuanshu was unaware that she slept until the sun was high in the sky before getting up.

When I opened my eyes, I was met with a pair of eyes that were as red as a rabbit's.

Wen Yuanshu was startled and subconsciously took a step back before realizing that the owner of those eyes was Chunhua.

"Chunhua..." Wen Yuanshu breathed a sigh of relief, "Why are you staring at me like that?"

Chunhua pouted: "Miss..."

Ever since Wen Yuanshu fell into the river, she has been crying non-stop until she has cried all her tears.

She dared not sleep until Wen Yuanshu returned. Even after Wen Yuanshu came back, she was afraid that something else might happen, so she kept watch all night with her eyes wide open, not daring to relax for a moment, until now.