The pampered heiress holds the script and leads her cannon fodder family to a counterattack.

The King of War's camp.

These days, the War King is all geared up and waiting for news from the North.

He made peace with the northern tribes, and once they broke through the pass, he immediately sent troops westward to attack the capital.

After waiting for several days, no good news came.

A soldier entered and said, "Your Highness, there is news from the Northern Border."

The War King hurriedly stood up, his face beaming with joy. "What news? Have we broken through the pass? Can we now march our troops westward?"

He's waited so long, and this day has finally come!

Finally, there's no need to hold back any longer. Once he sends his troops westward, joins forces with the northern border to conquer the capital, the throne will be his!

The soldier looked troubled and said, "Your Highness, the Crimson Feather Tribe has betrayed us. They colluded with Qin Xiaorong from within and without, and slaughtered their way through the other northern tribes. Now the Crimson Feather Tribe has become the leader of the northern border and is on good terms with the Great Yao!"

The smile on the War King's face gradually disappeared.

"No! Impossible!" the War King roared.

How could something they've planned for so long fail so easily?

This step was unsuccessful. What should we do next?

The soldiers stood still, not daring to utter a single word.

After a while, the War King dismissed the soldiers and sat there blankly.

His supporters in the court had all been purged by his father, the Empress Dowager said she was ill and they couldn't contact her anymore, his mother was imprisoned, and he went blind in the capital.

Now that the Northern Allied forces have been destroyed, it is very disadvantageous for them.

A graceful figure emerged from behind the curtain.

Xiao Dongqian's expression softened considerably when he saw Yan Yuelan.

Yan Yuelan walked behind Xiao Dongqian and massaged her temples.

"Dongqian, calm down. It's just that this move wasn't played well, but it won't affect what comes next," Yan Yuelan said.

Xiao Dongqian's mood calmed down considerably.

He gently took Yan Yuelan's hand in his own. With Yan Yuelan by his side, he felt much more at ease.

Yue Lan's father's family was wiped out, and now she is all alone and relies on him. He is determined to win this battle and make Yue Lan the empress.

“You’re right. We’ve been waiting for this day for a long time, and we’re well prepared. We can’t lose this battle,” Xiao Dongqian said.

"Dongqian, do you think that if the Crown Prince and Qin Wanying die, our chances of winning this battle will greatly increase?" Yan Yuelan asked.

"That's natural," Xiao Dongqian said. Many important matters in the court and the military are handled personally by the Crown Prince.

Even if the crown prince died, he knew that his father would not pass the throne to him, but would most likely pass it to the ninth prince.

However, if the crown prince dies, the court will surely be in chaos.

Then, when he attacks, his chances of winning will be much greater.

Needless to say, Qin Wanying was incredibly shrewd and calculating; he owed his current predicament entirely to her.

If Qin Wanying were to die, he would truly be rid of a major threat.

Xiao Dongqian then thought of the matter of building an irrigation canal on the Jintang River.

At that time, the immortal who died after seclusion told him that there would be a flood in the Jintang River. So he stockpiled grain in advance, thinking that he could use the grain to provide disaster relief after the flood broke out, and thus win the hearts of the people.

As a result, the emperor suddenly issued an edict to build a canal over the Jintang River, which solved the flood problem and caused him to lose a good opportunity to win the hearts of the people.

Xiao Dongqian felt that it was mostly Qin Wanying's idea.

Nowadays, he has a bad reputation among the people and has been labeled as a "traitor and colluder with the enemy," which is very unfavorable to him in terms of public opinion.

We must act swiftly and decisively, and then suppress all dissenting voices.

"You proceed with the campaign as planned. Leave these two to me. My shadow guards have all come with me. Their leader, Ze Xi, is extremely skilled. I'll find a way to take care of them," Yan Yuelan said.

Previously, Xiao Jiye and Qin Wanying were heavily guarded, making it difficult to make a move.

But now, with a major battle imminent, they might appear on the battlefield and take advantage of the weakened defenses to strike.

Besides... it doesn't necessarily have to be done to the person in question.

Once a person develops feelings, they become vulnerable, and there are countless ways to exploit that vulnerability.

Yan Yuelan thought of Qin Wanying, her nails digging deep into her flesh.

It's all Qin Wanying's fault.

If it weren't for her, how could her father have died?

She was determined to make Qin Wanying pay the price.

-----------------

With the war in the north quelled, the Emperor was overjoyed.

This time, thanks to the suggestion of the Marquis of Dingbei, these tribes gathered their troops in one place and cooperated with the Chiling tribe from within and without to defeat them in one fell swoop, thus bringing stability to the northern border.

Qin Xiaorong also performed exceptionally well, commanding the troops with composure and calmness, indicating that he had thoroughly studied the military treatises from the upper kingdom that had been given to him beforehand.

At Xiao Jiye's urging, he directly drafted an imperial edict and sent it to the Marquis of Dingbei's residence.

When the people of the Marquis of Dingbei’s residence saw Eunuch Luo arrive, they knew he had come to deliver another imperial edict.

He hurriedly knelt down to receive the imperial decree.

"The Emperor Fengtian Chengyun issued an edict:

I believe that the vastness of the universe and the peace of the nation truly depend on the concerted efforts of civil and military officials and the diligent work of loyal and virtuous ministers. Marquis Dingbei, Qin Yezhong, has always been loyal and upright, possesses exceptional wisdom and strategy, and has devised excellent plans to secure the borders; he has also achieved remarkable feats in pacifying the country.

His son, Qin Xiaorong, was the bravest in the army, with the fiercest gaze of an eagle and the fiercest eyes. He personally donned armor and led his elite troops to sweep across the northern border, achieving great success. Father and son worked together, their merits benefiting the nation. I am delighted and hereby bestow this honor upon them to express my special gratitude.

He is hereby granted the title of Duke of Anguo by the Jin dynasty, with increased salary and official robes, and his position is hereditary, so that his merits may be forever remembered. Qin Xiaorong is promoted to General of the Valiant Cavalry, a third-rank official, and given a tiger tally to command a powerful army, so that he may continue to display his talents and forever guard the northern frontier.

Admire this! "

After the imperial edict was read aloud, the family was still somewhat taken aback.

It wasn't until Qin Yezhong received the imperial decree and Eunuch Luo left that Qin Xiaoyan said, "Does this mean that Father has become the Duke of Anguo and Second Brother has become a Third-Rank General of the Valiant Cavalry?"

Qin Rufeng said, "So our Marquis's mansion has become a Duke's mansion?"

"Congratulations, Father!" Qin Yonghua said.

Qin Yezhong remained calm, Yang Xiurong was beaming with joy, Qin Xingyuan was also quite happy, while Qin Yunzhu remained indifferent.

That evening, the Duke of Anguo's mansion hosted a simple family banquet to celebrate, which Xiao Jiye and Qin Wanying also attended.

At the dinner table, Xiao Jiye and Qin Yezhong discussed the war situation. Xiao Jiye admired Qin Yezhong very much, thinking that he was indeed a man who had once quelled the war in the northern frontier.

Qin Yezhong also grew to appreciate the Crown Prince more and more. During their conversations, he discovered that the Crown Prince had outstanding military abilities and was no less capable of commanding troops than a seasoned general.

Xiao Jiye watched Qin Wanying chatting warmly with her family, and could tell that she was very happy today.

Seeing Qin Wanying happy makes Xiao Jiye happy, and he hopes that Qin Wanying can be this happy every day.

The two returned to the Crown Prince's bedroom, and Qin Wanying said to Xiao Jiye, "Thank you, my husband."

Xiao Jiye asked, "Why are you thanking me?" His smile was gentle, like melting spring water.

"If it weren't for my husband speaking well of me to the Emperor, the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion wouldn't have been promoted to a duke's mansion so quickly, would it?" Qin Wanying gently took Xiao Jiye's hand.

Xiao Jiye used his other hand to lift Qin Wanying's chin: "Then, how will my wife thank her husband?"

Qin Wanying looked up at Xiao Jiye with a charming smile, a smile so beautiful it could topple kingdoms, making Xiao Jiye's heart flutter.

"How would my husband like me to express my gratitude?"