Chapter 136: The Decision of King Changwu

Wu Muxue heard this and hurriedly kowtowed in response.

"Your Majesty, of the eleven cities in the Northern Frontier, the Prince of Jiangyuan has lost one, while the fiefs of the Prince of Beichang and the Prince of Changwu have each lost five."

"Oh?"

Feng Yewu let out a soft sound of doubt upon hearing this. Hanyue paused her movements, waiting for further instructions.

"It is nothing, continue."

Feng Yewu nodded toward Hanyue, then asked, "And what do the Prince of Beichang and the Prince of Changwu have to say about this matter?"

Wu Muxue immediately produced two memorials, which were the explanations sent to the capital by the two princes. Feng Yewu lowered her eyelids slightly, gazing coldly at the documents in Wu Muxue's hands, and said in a languid tone, "Just summarize them for me."

Wu Muxue complied, opened the two memorials, read them through, and replied, "The Prince of Beichang claims that the Northern Frontier is frozen and impassable, making it difficult to dispatch troops. The Prince of Changwu claims that he encountered heavy snow while on an inspection tour and was trapped at the Prince of Beichang’s estate, unable to return to his own territory to mobilize his forces."

Feng Yewu sneered, mocking them, "The mighty Prince of Beichang and Prince of Changwu are actually hindered by the weather? Do they truly take me for a three-year-old child?"

Wu Muxue remained silent; such evasive excuses clearly indicated their unwillingness to fight.

"Your Majesty, there is also a matter regarding the court."

Feng Yewu nodded slightly and said, "You are referring to the position of the Minister of War, I presume."

Wu Muxue’s urgent letters had mentioned that the Vice Minister of War had been murdered and the Minister of War had claimed illness. The court officials were taking advantage of her absence to go on a strike.

"Your Majesty, I have finished." Hanyue said respectfully.

"Wu Muxue, notify the civil and military officials—hold court!"

Feng Yewu waved her long sleeves, her imperial aura instantly reigniting. With cold brows and a piercing gaze, she headed toward the throne room.

...

"Lord Wei, there is no need to see me off any further."

Outside the Prince of Beichang’s estate, Chen Sinian smiled and waved at Wei Siyuan, then mounted his horse and led his troops toward the east.

The heavy snow had mostly subsided over the past few days, and Chen Sinian had immediately proposed returning to guard his fief. Wei Siyuan did not press him to stay, and after a brief farewell, the two parted ways.

Once Chen Sinian had cleared the city, an inconspicuous figure merged into the ranks. He slowly approached the rear of Chen Sinian’s horse and whispered, "Your Highness, the Emperor has returned to the palace."

Chen Sinian did not look back, though he knew exactly who it was. "You must continue to follow the Heir Apparent in the days to come."

The man did not slow his pace, but his expression grew strange. He looked up slightly at Chen Sinian’s back with a hint of hesitation. It was Yang Guang.

"What is it?"

It was as if Chen Sinian had eyes in the back of his head. He tilted his head slightly, his peripheral vision cold as he questioned him.

Yang Guang was startled by the icy tone. As a Grandmaster, he was surprised to feel a flicker of panic, but he quickly steadied his nerves and replied, "Lu Jue has also reached the realm of a Grandmaster."

Yang Guang was hesitant, fearing Chen Sinian would blame him for failing to kill Lu Jue in time, thereby allowing Feng Yewu to gain a Grandmaster as an aide. Surprisingly, Chen Sinian did not fly into a rage. He simply turned his face forward and gave a calm, "Hmm."

"Your Highness... your subordinate failed to kill Lu Jue in time. Please punish me!"

Unable to gauge Chen Sinian’s reaction, Yang Guang immediately confessed his guilt. Chen Sinian remained silent, seemingly lost in thought.

The procession continued to advance. After a long while, when the group stopped for lunch, Chen Sinian finally spoke in a gentle, kindly tone toward Yang Guang.

"Guang'er, you are my foster son after all. In my heart, you are no different from Pingwu."

Yang Guang stared at him blankly, unsure why he would suddenly say this. He looked at Chen Sinian with confusion and replied respectfully, "Guang'er understands."

Seeing this, Chen Sinian nodded with a hint of satisfaction and continued earnestly, "I have heard of Lu Jue’s martial prowess; it is on par with your own. Thus, I am not surprised that he has ascended to the rank of Grandmaster, and you need not blame yourself."

Yang Guang finally understood that Chen Sinian was worried that a rift might form between them over this matter. He immediately kowtowed and replied, "Rest assured, Foster Father. If you truly wish for his head, I will not fail the mission."

Chen Sinian hurried to lift Yang Guang up, smiling as he said, "I understand your intentions, Guang'er. But my reason for keeping you in the capital with the Heir Apparent was not merely for the sake of Lu Jue. A single Lu Jue is not worth such painstaking arrangements for you and Pingwu."

Yang Guang felt a surge of doubt upon hearing this.

Chen Sinian stood up, looked at the soldiers resting behind him, narrowed his eyes, and quietly asked Yang Guang another question.

"Is the Heir Apparent still so obsessed with the Emperor?"

Yang Guang thought for a moment before replying, "The Heir Apparent now has Lady Wang by his side. Perhaps in time, he will forget about the Emperor."

Yang Guang’s words were subtle, yet they indirectly answered Chen Sinian’s doubts. Chen Sinian sighed softly, turning away with eyes as dark as a bottomless abyss.

"Let us hope so."

Over the past few days, Wang Jia and Chen Pingwu had been laughing and chatting at the Heir Apparent’s residence. Even the cold-hearted Yang Guang had thought that Chen Pingwu’s affections had shifted, but in the dead of night, he had inadvertently discovered Chen Pingwu staring blankly at a portrait of Feng Yewu. The depth of the longing in his eyes was something he never showed when looking at Wang Jia.

"Guang'er, I have spoiled Pingwu into being somewhat willful since he was young. You are a few years his senior; you must ensure he does not commit any grave mistakes."

Chen Sinian looked at Yang Guang, pointedly hinting at him. Yang Guang only half-understood, assuming Chen Sinian did not want Chen Pingwu to fall in love with Feng Yewu. He nodded and asked, "Your Highness, the Heir Apparent is well-versed in the arts of war and a fine candidate for a general. Why send him to the capital? If he were to follow you to the battlefield, he would surely become a renowned commander."

Chen Sinian offered a bitter, weary smile and sighed, "That is his fate. It is not just him; the heirs of every vassal king are sent to the capital to serve. It is merely a tactic for the Emperor to keep the vassal kings in check."

Though Chen Sinian looked weary, a flicker of coldness appeared in the depths of his eyes at the end of his sentence—a look only he could see.

Yang Guang remained silent; after all, such political maneuvering between monarchs was not a subject for a foster son of a vassal king to discuss.

"Yang Guang, in my capacity as the Prince of Changwu, I have a task for you."

Chen Sinian shed his weary expression, turning serious as he spoke in a low voice.

Hearing this, Yang Guang knelt and kowtowed immediately, replying respectfully, "Please, Your Highness, give your command!"