By the time Shen Zhaoquan rushed over, the imperial study, which had been noisy moments before, had fallen into a deathly silence. The eunuchs serving inside were covered in fine beads of sweat, standing there frozen in place, at a loss. When they saw Shen Zhaoquan enter, they looked at him as though he were a lifeline, casting panicked glances his way.
Seeing this, Shen Zhaoquan signaled for them to withdraw. He went in himself and gathered the shards scattered across the floor. His actions finally broke the atmosphere, which had almost frozen solid. Li Xuanming swept his gaze around the room and said in a low voice,
“Du Yunsong, remain. Ming Zhang, wait outside. Everyone else, withdraw.”
Military affairs outweighed everything. No matter how anxious the ministers were, no one dared say another word. They bowed and took their leave. Only after Du Yunsong was left alone in the imperial study did Li Xuanming pick up the military report that had just been delivered,
“Read it yourself.”
Du Yunsong took the report and with just a glance, he immediately understood why the Emperor had flown into such a rage. King Qin’s forces were in dire straits, barely holding on. King Wei had indeed sent reinforcements, but the report stated that those dispatched were all old, weak, sick, or injured. Not only were they unfit to fight, they would also remain in the city, consuming provisions. The malicious intent was plain for all to see.
“Zhen knows King Wei has always feared King Qin and wished to see him destroyed, but he cannot resort to such underhanded schemes when an external threat is pressing.” Li Xuanming had calmed down, yet his gaze was cold as frost, sending a chill down one’s spine. “For the sake of his own interests, he would act without restraint, watching the Northern Di seize our lands, all in the hope of weakening King Qin’s forces.”
“King Wei’s ambitions are plain for all to see. He no longer even bothers to conceal them. In this minister’s opinion, he intends to use the Northern Di as a sword to strike at King Qin and…” Du Yunsong hesitated, then carefully continued, “and Your Majesty as well.”
“Is it only Zhen and King Qin who would be harmed? What’s really harmed is the very foundation of the nation!”
Though blunt, it was the truth. Li Xuanming’s chest rose and fell. After a moment of silence, he sat back down on the Dragon Throne, slowly leaning against the chair, his index finger tapping the armrest in silence. After a while, he lifted his gaze to Du Yunsong.
“Then what does General Du think should be done at present?”
Du Yunsong had not expected the Emperor to ask for his advice first. He hesitated, appearing deep in thought, before finally speaking.
“King Qin has been guarding Yunchang Prefecture[mfn]t/n: The original text here is actually 昌云郡 (Changyun Prefecture), but it’s likely a typo as last chapter mentioned that King Qin’s residence was in 云昌郡 (Yunchang Prefecture), so I’ll just keep it as Yunchang Prefecture unless 昌云郡 is more commonly used in the following chapters. 🫡[/mfn] for over ten years now and has always conducted himself with propriety. Even now, faced with such overwhelming disparity, he continues to fight bravely.” After saying this, Du Yunsong frowned slightly and looked up at Li Xuanming. “This minister believes that with the great enemy pressing upon us, only King Yan can provide assistance.”
As he spoke, Du Yunsong dropped to one knee and clasped his fists, “This minister also requests permission to lead troops and drive those northern barbarians back north of Mount Mulang!”
“General Du thinks it should be… King Yan?” Li Xuanming slowly repeated the words “King Yan,” his tone heavy with meaning. Silence spread across the room, and Du Yunsong’s heart sank, uncertain of the Emperor’s thoughts. He pondered carefully before deciding to speak again.
“Your M—”
“Very well. King Yan it is.” Li Xuanming’s sudden voice cut him off, yet he did not allow him to rise. Instead, he remained calm, staring at Du Yunsong kneeling before him, his expression unreadable.
“King Yan will undoubtedly send Yan Zheng to the front. General Du, you will remain in the capital to oversee things here. Du Cheng’en shall go in your stead.”
“Cheng’en?” Du Yunsong exclaimed in surprise. “He’s only ever commanded the Imperial Guards. He has no experience leading troops in battle, he might not be up to the task!”
“Didn’t General Du also take command during the Battle of the Wei Capital when the situation was critical? At that time, you were about the same age as Du Cheng’en is now,” Li Xuanming said calmly. “You earned fame in your first battle. Why would you not give your son the same opportunity?”
“In a crisis like this, this minister fears he might make mistakes,” Du Yunsong said anxiously, his tone sincere. “Your Majesty, it would be better if this minister—”
“Zhen’s decision is final.” Li Xuanming’s words were resolute. He raised his hand, signaling Du Yunsong to rise, a gesture that made it clear the matter was no longer open to debate. “Among his generation, Du Cheng’en’s mastery of military strategy is second to none. He cannot remain merely the commander of the Imperial Guards forever. With both King Qin and Yan Zheng on this campaign, I appoint him General Huaiyuan. Once he achieves merit in battle, further rewards will follow.”
At this point, Du Yunsong could no longer refuse. With the imperial decree soon to arrive, he had no choice but to accept it, offer his thanks, and hurry back to inform his son. The imperial study was now empty. Exhausted after days of nonstop affairs, Li Xuanming leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh.
He raised a hand and rubbed his tightly furrowed brows. Although the hall had quieted, the echoes of recent disturbances still buzzed faintly in his ears.
Sending Du Cheng’en was, in fact, the only option. Li Xuanming had never fully trusted Du Yunsong. By having him propose a plan himself, he wanted to test both his loyalty to King Qin and his intentions.
Years ago, when King Qin was still the Crown Prince, Du Yunsong had served as his retainer. At that time, after the internal rebellion had been suppressed and everything was in need of rebuilding, a sudden uprising broke out along the southwestern border. Du Yunsong had stepped forward to take command, quelling the uprising with decisive action.
Although he had been a promising general and went into battle whenever required, he had always remained a dutiful retainer, until the late Emperor ascended the throne. Because King Qin had lost the struggle for succession, his top generals could not remain in the field. Du Yunsong was thus appointed Protector General and recalled to the capital.
Yet, even after all these years of service, Li Xuanming still believed that Du Yunsong’s true allegiance remained with King Qin.
Now, with King Qin and King Yan’s forces assembled, if Du Yunsong were to command the troops again, the enemy defeated would not only be the Northern Di.
Li Xuanming lifted his head and habitually turned to the right. When he saw the empty desk, he suddenly remembered that he had sent Yan Yihuan out earlier.
No wonder it was so quiet at this moment. A faint smile touched Li Xuanming’s lips. He stood and walked to the window. Normally, when not in the imperial study, Yan Yihuan would often sit at that desk lost in thought. But now, looking out, aside from a few plates of pastries on the table, the room was deserted.
Seems like he was truly upset.
Li Xuanming shook his head helplessly. The argument that day had come suddenly and ended just as abruptly. Afterward, there had been no chance to talk things through, or perhaps he himself didn’t quite know how to start.
He had always thought Yan Yihuan was simple-minded and carefree, always lazy to think too deeply. So when Yan Yihuan suddenly declared he could never be with him that night, Li Xuanming was first angry, then surprised. This seemingly lighthearted boy had actually thought through so much.
But Yan Yihuan was not wrong. As a ruler, marriage was never just a matter between two people. Even with male consorts in the past, there had never been a male empress.
It was understandable that he didn’t trust himself.
Li Xuanming had already considered the matter in his own mind, but with recent affairs leaving him little leisure time, he decided it was best to wait until the war situation stabilized a little before dealing with it.
After pondering for a while, he glanced over again. Yan Yihuan had not yet returned. Just then, there was a knock on the door of the imperial study. He turned around and saw Ming Zhang standing there.
“Enjoying this moment of quiet, forgot you were still outside.”
“Your Majesty, is seeing me like a reminder of all those troublesome matters?” Ming Zhang said with a smile. “I noticed General Du looked a bit unsettled when he left.”
Suppressing the urge to go look for Yan Yihuan, Li Xuanming informed Ming Zhang of the orders he had just given to Du Yunsong.
Ming Zhang paused thoughtfully, then said, “Once King Yan’s reinforcements arrive, the situation will surely change. This is Your Majesty giving Du Cheng’en a chance to achieve merit. As a father, he should be pleased.”
“But Du Yunsong clearly doesn’t want his son to go,” Li Xuanming’s gaze sharpened, as if to pierce through someone. “Then our previous suspicions might be correct.”
“That means Du Cheng’en is completely unaware of Du Yunsong’s plan with King Qin and King Yan.” Ming Zhang’s expression grew colder as well,
“Or… he doesn’t support it.”
