Qi Simiao was stunned for a long while before saying: “Your Highness jests.”

As daylight brightened, the candlelight within the hall grew faint. Wen Yu’s shadow on the hall’s floor tiles stretched long and slender, thin yet revealing a certain cold and sharp toughness: “Does my lord think I am joking?”

Qi Simiao remained silent.

Wen Yu’s voice was cold: “What situation Liang territory is currently in, my lord should know better than anyone. Dou Jianliang betrayed and joined Pei Song, massacred the Wei army, and killed countless of my Great Liang soldiers. The Liang territory people now have nothing but complaints toward your Chen Kingdom and me. Within the Liang camp, morale is also unsettled. If Dou Jianliang’s betrayal was not authorized by your Chen Kingdom, and you still have plans to continue sending troops to Liang territory to attack that traitor, how can you not give an explanation to my Liang territory’s ministers and people?”

Qi Simiao said: “Regarding Dou Jianliang’s betrayal to join Pei Song, our Chen Kingdom truly had no knowledge, and we will certainly send troops to attack this traitor. However, what the Princess Consort has said is truly difficult to comply with. After today’s court session, we will announce Dou Jianliang’s betrayal to the world and escort his relatives to Liang territory to force his surrender. As for your esteemed Liang’s losses, our Chen Kingdom will also fully compensate in other ways.”

Wen Yu laughed coldly: “After Dou Jianliang massacred the Wei army, when your Chen Kingdom sent troops to Liang territory, the claim that it was to steal my Great Liang’s dynastic succession has already been spread throughout Liang territory by those with intentions. If this rumor is not quelled, I will lose all reputation in Liang territory. Whether my ministers will continue their loyalty is still unknown, but if your Chen army enters Liang territory again, they will certainly be viewed by Liang territory’s people as troops stealing the nation!”

How could Qi Simiao not understand what Wen Yu was saying? But he still said: “Rumors stop with the wise.”

A smile floated in Wen Yu’s eyes tinged with faint red, carrying a kind of magnificent yet fragile quality like thin ice cracking on a lake surface. Looking closely within, though filled to the brim, only coldness remained: “For this single phrase ‘stop with the wise,’ how many Chen army soldiers’ lives does Lord Qi plan to fill into the battlefield? And how much wealth will be consumed to support this prolonged war?”

Qi Simiao did not speak.

Wen Yu continued: “Chen Kingdom’s national treasury has been depleted for years. Those rotten accounts piled up in the Ministry of Finance—does Lord Qi truly believe they can be cleared up relying solely on this criminal eunuch matter? Or does Lord Qi want to rely on the bit of silver the Jiang family spits out seeking self-preservation to both support the army dispatched to Liang territory and maintain the people’s livelihood?”

Speaking to the end, the sarcasm in Wen Yu’s tone grew heavier: “I have not been in Chen territory long, yet I have some understanding of Chen territory’s people’s livelihood. Your Chen Kingdom has reached today by relying on heavy corvée labor and heavy taxes, yet the common people below have long been suffering unbearably. That the army could expand to this extent in just a few short years also benefited from my lord’s policy of military service exempting families from corvée taxes. But the money and grain needed for warfare—relying on the bit of silver the Jiang family embezzled is nothing but a drop in the bucket. If the Liang territory war cannot be concluded swiftly, will the future provisions allocated to the army continue to be scraped from the common people’s scalps? My lord is a pillar of the state. How can you not know that under tyrannical government with heavy corvée and heavy taxes, internal chaos must arise? Once this internal chaos arises, dare my lord guarantee that Xiling and the surrounding small nations, who have long coveted Southern Chen, will not attack Southern Chen in a swarm?”

Every word of Wen Yu’s speech was a pearl of wisdom. Each sentence cut directly to Southern Chen’s court’s vital points.

After a long silence, Qi Simiao sighed deeply and said: “What Your Highness has said—how could this old minister not know? However, our Chen Kingdom fled beyond the passes for over a hundred years yet still guards its dynastic succession. Now to have Southern Chen’s dynastic succession end in this old minister’s hands—this old minister is ashamed and dare not bear this guilt. In the netherworld someday, I would also have no face to see the Chen house’s previous kings…”

Wen Yu said: “Since ancient times, a ruler’s foundation for establishing oneself lies in benevolence, and a nation’s foundation lies in the people. Those who treat the people lightly, the people will always treat them lightly. I believe that after your Chen experienced the disaster of fleeing beyond the passes in former times, you should understand the importance of the people. Now it seems my lord would rather Chen Kingdom experience that former disaster again than prioritize the ten thousand people under governance. Dare I ask my lord, when old disasters reappear, with Chen Kingdom’s current state, can it still preserve the royal house and find a chance to rest and recover as in former times?”

Wen Yu dared to question them in this way because she had already seen through Southern Chen’s true situation.

Even if Southern Chen did not send troops to help her attack Pei Song, within ten years, Xiling would certainly send troops to attack Southern Chen.

It could be said that a large part of Southern Chen’s desire to return to the Central Plains also lay in their wanting to save themselves.

Initially when Grand Empress Dowager Jiang sought to marry Wen Yu to the Prince of Chen, she won the support of many old ministers of the royal court precisely because with this marriage alliance, Southern Chen would have the protection of Great Liang, which was still strong at the time, and Xiling would not dare act rashly.

Now that Great Liang was divided into four parts, Xiling naturally also stirred restlessly, repeatedly instigating surrounding small nations and tribes to harass Southern Chen, testing Southern Chen’s current strength.

How could the old ministers of the royal court not know that corvée labor and taxes had nearly broken the spines of the lower-class people? But facing enemies watching from all sides, they could only use this method of self-destructing people’s livelihood and internal governance, burning up national strength to continuously expand the military.

That Xiling had not yet sent troops against Southern Chen was also because they understood that confronting Southern Chen at this time, even if victorious, they themselves would pay a considerable price.

So they had been waiting—waiting for the moment when Southern Chen could no longer support itself and collapsed internally on its own.

The only variable was Southern Chen helping Wen Yu send troops to Great Liang to attack Pei Song.

If Southern Chen won and moved back within the passes, for their Xiling to try to devour Southern Chen again, they would need to face the behemoth that was the Central Plains.

This was the situation Xiling least wanted to see, and also Southern Chen’s all-or-nothing gamble.

In former years when they fled beyond the passes, they could temporarily settle down because the previous dynasty’s national strength also could not sustain further fighting, which was why warfare ceased.

But if they were now dragged down by their own military government and people’s livelihood, Xiling and the surrounding small nations and tribes who had been observing would not give them any chance of survival.

As Southern Chen’s important government minister, Qi Simiao naturally knew all this extremely well. He had held the position of Imperial Censor for over ten years and was known for his “iron mouth,” yet at this moment he could only remain speechless.

Wen Yu’s eyes calmly regarded the old man as she dropped the final heavy blow: “In my lord’s position, you should see clearly the direction the Chen Royal Court will take in the next decade. Whether to gamble on Chen Kingdom’s fortunate survival when that great disaster arrives, or to strive for the Chen clan bloodline to once again become the realm’s sovereign—my lord can carefully consider before giving me an answer.”

The meaning in her words was very clear—her descendants would also carry half the blood of Chen Kingdom’s royal house.

Supporting her as ruler, those who would inherit the dynastic succession in the future would still be Chen Kingdom royal house descendants, just without Chen Kingdom’s title.

After saying all this, Wen Yu put her hood back on and was about to leave the side hall.

As she was about to step out the hall door, Qi Simiao’s aged voice came from behind: “This old minister can agree to the Princess Consort’s proposal, but when Your Highness reclaims the lost Central Plains territories in the future, a new dynastic title must be established.”

Wen Yu’s eyelashes lowered slightly as she understood the meaning in Qi Simiao’s words.

Their Southern Chen could abandon their own dynastic title, but when the realm was settled, they also could not continue using their Great Liang’s dynastic title—a new dynastic title needed to be established to open a new dynasty.

Thus, their Southern Chen’s capitulation would not be too humiliating.

In that instant, all of Great Liang’s past floated before Wen Yu’s eyes—there were foolish emperors unjustly killing loyal subjects, the court’s deep maladies and withered people’s livelihood, her father and brother struggling bitterly to support the collapsing great edifice, and Qin Yi’s son lying dormant in treacherous hands for years before raising weapons in rebellion to set Luodu aflame…

Half of Wen Yu’s face was bathed in morning light, half hidden in dim shadow. In the end, she only answered with one word: “Acceptable.”

As she lifted her foot to step out the hall door, Qi Simiao turned and bowed: “Respectfully see off the Princess.”

He addressed her as Princess, not Princess Consort, clearly having already acknowledged Wen Yu’s identity.

Wen Yu’s footsteps did not pause. Not until she walked out of the front hall did she stop in the rustling autumn wind to gaze for a while at the gray misty sky where the sun had not yet climbed up.

Zhao Bai said: “The Princess will soon be able to return to Great Liang to avenge the Prince, Princess Consort, Heir Apparent, Heir Grandson, and Duke Ling and the others for this great vengeance.”

Wen Yu softly hummed in acknowledgment.

That Qi Simiao ultimately yielded, beyond losing the twenty thousand great army in Dou Jianliang’s hands and Southern Chen’s own predicament, was even more because the Liang camp’s army had not scattered.

—That was what Li Yao and Yuchi Ba had desperately preserved for her.

They had paved all the escape routes for her.

Even if Southern Chen refused to lower this head and used forceful means to control her, given the threat of the Liang camp’s forces, they also would not dare truly do anything to her.

And as long as she could escape back to the Liang camp, she would also have the capital to scheme everything anew.

Teacher, is this what you promised at the beginning—to scheme for Yu?

The beating flesh and blood in her left chest cavity felt suffocating and painful. Wen Yu’s throat grew hoarse. Before her eyes could redden again, she closed them and calmed herself for several breaths, saying: “Return to the palace to change clothes and attend the court session.”

Chen Kingdom’s court affairs were currently controlled by the Grand Empress Dowager and the Jiang family. The Prince of Chen did not handle court affairs. The Grand Empress Dowager presiding over court from behind a curtain had become the norm.

With Dou Jianliang’s betrayal having caused such a huge mess, Wen Yu, as the “creditor,” also qualified to participate in this court session.

—

The dragon throne sat empty, a row of pearl curtains hanging in front of the dragon chair, cutting off the view of the ministers below.

The gilded phoenix chair where the Grand Empress Dowager sat to preside over court was placed to the left rear of the dragon chair. Wen Yu’s seat was on the right rear side. Besides the difference of left being superior and right being inferior, her phoenix chair’s position was also one level lower than the Grand Empress Dowager’s to demonstrate proper ritual.

Since the Mid-Autumn banquet, the Prince of Chen had not attended a single morning court session, continuously claiming illness externally. The true reason was clear to all the ministers, who only routinely said words about letting the Prince of Chen rest and recover his dragon body.

But with the emperor absent and both the Princess Consort and Grand Empress Dowager simultaneously presiding over court from behind curtains, the atmosphere was quite delicate.

The ministers followed protocol, holding their official tablets and calling out ten thousand years in obeisance. After Grand Empress Dowager Jiang spoke on behalf of the Prince of Chen who was claiming illness to skip court, saying “All beloved ministers may rise,” the little eunuch holding a horsetail whisk immediately shrilled: “Those with matters step forward to report. If no matters, court is dismissed.”

Wen Yu glanced at that little eunuch. Since the night of the Mid-Autumn palace banquet when Eunuch Li claimed illness and took leave, and after the Prince of Chen lost such great face, recently whether by the Prince of Chen’s side or the Grand Empress Dowager’s side, his figure had not been seen. Those following were all unfamiliar faces.

“This minister has matters to report.”

“This minister also has important matters to report!”

Below, the ministers who had argued from yesterday’s morning court until this morning without reaching a conclusion scrambled to step forward holding their tablets, beginning a new round of denunciations:

“Dou Jianliang was recommended by the Ministry of War and appointed by Prime Minister Jiang. His betrayal to join the Pei bandit—both the Ministry of War and Prime Minister Jiang cannot escape responsibility!”

“Absurd! Our Ministry of War recommends based on merit alone. Prime Minister Jiang employs people fairly. How can you, this worthless thing, make such accusations!”

For a time, the court hall once again dissolved into a pot of porridge. Ministers pointed at each other’s faces in denunciation. The arguing voices later almost truly showed signs of coming to blows in the hall.

“Enough! Clamoring and quarreling in the great hall—what kind of decorum is this!”

Seeing the ministers quarreling ever more fiercely, Grand Empress Dowager Jiang spoke sternly, finally making the ministers who had rolled up their sleeves halfway stand properly back in their original positions.

Grand Empress Dowager Jiang’s expression was calm, but the fine lines at her eye corners seemed deeper than before, clearly having labored mentally quite a bit recently.

Suppressing fatigue and anger, she said: “This widow grants you salaries to have you share worries for this widow and His Majesty, to discuss how to attack that traitor Dou Jianliang and give the Princess Consort and Great Liang an explanation—not to have you come here to form cliques to attack dissidents!”

Seeing the Grand Empress Dowager angered, the ministers naturally dared not quarrel further.

Prime Minister Jiang, who had not spoken until now, finally stepped forward: “Having Dou Jianliang lead troops to Liang territory was indeed this minister’s error in judgment. Now that great disaster has been caused, this minister knows there was a failure in appointing personnel. This responsibility, this minister is willing to bear alone. But other crimes being heaped on—this minister is terrified and asks the Grand Empress Dowager to discern clearly.”

The Grand Empress Dowager originally wanted to respond directly, but seeing Wen Yu beside her, when she wanted to speak again, she heard Wen Yu ask: “Dare I ask the Prime Minister how you will bear this?”

Her voice was cold and clear, resonating through the great hall, like icicles hanging from eaves in severe winter being shattered by jade and stone.

All the civil and military officials subconsciously held their breath, their ears inexplicably crawling with a chill.

When no one responded, Wen Yu continued asking: “Twenty thousand Northern Wei soldiers were massacred below Majia Liang Mountain. My Liang army’s commander-in-chief was shot with a poisoned arrow and his life hangs by a thread. His subordinate soldiers were pursued and killed along the way with countless deaths and injuries. The cities captured during months of the northern expedition were all lost. Two great founding old ministers, one of whom was also my teacher, died in battle at Wayao Fort blocking Pei Song’s great army and Dou Jianliang’s traitorous army’s southern offensive… These tens of thousands of lives—dare I ask the Prime Minister what you will use to bear responsibility?”

Speaking to the last sentence, her voice rose sharply, her eyes cold and sharp, faintly revealing murderous intent.

Even with pearl curtains blocking the view, the ministers were still intimidated by the aura bursting from Wen Yu at that moment. The entire hall remained in deathly silence.

Prime Minister Jiang stood below, his expression somewhat ugly. He gave Grand Empress Dowager Jiang a look. The Grand Empress Dowager, also shocked by Wen Yu’s words, finally reacted and cut off the conversation: “This widow knows the Princess Consort is grieving the loss of her mentor and is heartbroken. Prime Minister Jiang’s fault in appointing personnel—this widow and His Majesty will strictly investigate without mercy. But the urgent matter is still to first sort out procedures for how many more troops to dispatch to Liang territory, who to send to lead the army, how to quell the rumors within Liang territory, how much compensation to give the Liang camp and Northern Wei, and various other matters. What does the Princess Consort think?”

Wen Yu tugged at the corner of her mouth slightly, but her face showed no smile: “What Mother Empress says is correct.”

Having reached this point, Grand Empress Dowager Jiang naturally also didn’t care whether Wen Yu truly agreed with her words or was perfunctorily mocking her. She surveyed the ministers and asked: “Do all beloved ministers have ideas?”

When it truly came to offering plans and strategies rather than just blindly pursuing responsibility, the court hall instead quieted down. Ministers occasionally conversed and discussed in low voices, yet not one person stood forward to offer advice.

The Grand Empress Dowager looked at such a group of ministers and truly felt somewhat weary in her heart. She pressed her forehead, aching from not having slept well all night: “All of you…”

The words had just left her mouth when Qi Simiao, who had been standing silently at the front of the civil officials, stepped forward: “This old minister has a plan that can quell Liang territory’s public opinion, can also help the Princess Consort regain popular support in Liang territory, and reinvigorate both armies’ morale.”

Though Grand Empress Dowager Jiang had always disliked the old ministers of the Prince faction, she also knew that at critical times she still had to rely on these old fellows. Her expression softened somewhat: “Beloved Minister Qi, please speak.”

Qi Simiao said: “Confer upon the Princess Consort the title of our Chen Kingdom’s Regent Princess Imperial. Externally declare His Majesty to be Great Liang’s Prince Consort.”

Once these words were spoken, the entire hall was shocked.

The Grand Empress Dowager even rose with a sweep of her sleeve, drinking in great anger: “Absurd!”

She directly called out Qi Simiao’s given name: “Qi Simiao, do you know what you are saying? Where do you place His Majesty and Chen Kingdom’s successive ancestors?”

Qi Simiao held his official tablet and bowed respectfully: “What this old minister advises is precisely for our Great Chen.”

What Wen Yu had said earlier to persuade Qi Simiao was something every Chen Kingdom minister knew in their hearts.

But when Qi Simiao so nakedly laid out Chen Kingdom’s current predicament in the court hall, the blindly loyal old ministers inevitably still became angry from shame and joined with the Jiang faction ministers to verbally attack and criticize him, cursing that his actions were no different from selling out the nation.

Those with agile minds, facing the situation of great profit with minimal cost that could be obtained by abandoning the dynastic title, versus the dead end of depleting national strength with internal worries and external threats, naturally extremely agreed with Qi Simiao’s method. After all, it was just externally claiming to honor Wen Yu as ruler—they hadn’t handed over actual power.

Once Wen Yu gave birth to a royal heir, they would have plenty of methods to support the royal heir to the throne.

But the cursing from the blind loyalty faction and Jiang faction was too severe. For a time they also dared not easily take a stance.

Qi Simiao’s disciples quite understood his painstaking efforts and tried their best to argue on his behalf. Unfortunately, compared to the cursing voices, their voices were too small and were directly drowned out.

Wen Yu sat above observing this farce. In the end, the court session ended with the Grand Empress Dowager in fury throwing a cup that shattered Qi Simiao’s forehead, leaving behind the words “This matter will be discussed again tomorrow” before sweeping away.

After the ministers withdrew with various expressions, rustling as they left, Qi Simiao knelt in the great hall, still with no intention of rising.

When Prime Minister Jiang passed by his side, he mocked: “In the past, Lord Qi always had the two words ‘loyal to the ruler’ hanging on his lips. When wind and rain approach, Lord Qi is quicker than anyone to find a way out.”

Qi Simiao did not defend himself again and remained silently speechless.

After Prime Minister Jiang finished that mocking sentence, he led a group of his faction members away with heads held high.

Qi Simiao’s disciples surrounded him, sorrowfully calling him “Teacher.” At this time, however many words of comfort they spoke would only seem pale. The disciples lifted their robes wanting to kneel together with Qi Simiao, but he shooed them away: “You all need not kneel with me. Go back.”

The disciples naturally were unwilling to leave like this. Situ Wei, who was on good terms with Qi Simiao, understood his old friend’s calculations and sighed, saying to those young officials: “All go back. Don’t let his painstaking efforts go to waste.”

The disciples heard this as if in a fog, but serving as officials in court, they could more or less hear the implications. Knowing that if they knelt in the great hall it might ruin Qi Simiao’s grand plan, they reluctantly all departed.

With no other people in the great hall, Situ Wei sighed to his old friend: “At this age, why ruin your lifetime’s reputation?”

Qi Simiao said: “Sacrificing myself alone to gamble on a future for Great Chen—Heaven has already yielded half a piece. We’ve taken all the advantage.”

Just as Wen Yu had said, with Chen Kingdom’s national strength, it was no longer enough to support prolonged warfare.

Moreover, initially when their Liang, Chen, and Wei three-way forces formed an alliance in Great Liang’s southern border, they were barely able to suppress Pei Song’s forces. Now, Pei Song’s momentum was flourishing, and he had gained the traitorous army in Dou Jianliang’s hands, while they and the Liang army had lost soldiers and generals with low morale, on top of greatly losing popular support.

With both sides’ forces engaging in this condition, they would certainly be defeated. Externally acknowledging the Prince of Chen as Great Liang’s Prince Consort and honoring Wen Yu as ruler was the best strategy to break this deadlock.

But if Chen Kingdom thus abandoned its dynastic title and the Prince of Chen still took the Prince Consort position, when people of the world discussed their Southern Chen, there would inevitably be mockery and ridicule.

Qi Simiao wanted to be that “treacherous minister” who “monopolized great power” and forced the Prince of Chen to comply. Thus, if the world wanted to mock, Chen Kingdom could also push all the blame onto him alone.

Situ Wei understood all this, which was why upon hearing those words, he sighed again.

Though today’s court session was filled with cursing voices, anyone with a bit of perception could see clearly—with Qi Simiao as this willing target to be the eternal sinner, once the interests of the court’s various factions were clearly divided, agreeing to confer upon Wen Yu the title of Regent Princess Imperial would just be going with the flow.

He wanted to say something, but the words stuck in his throat. In the end, before leaving, he only said: “If Chen Kingdom truly can be handed to the Princess Consort and return to the Central Plains to unify the two domains, it would not be a vain hope.”

Qi Simiao still did not speak. On his face with its long beard, every wrinkle was deep as if carved by a blade. He gazed at the gilded dragon chair directly ahead and the relief carvings on the wall, yet his expression was surprisingly calm and peaceful.

His old friend’s words further confirmed his thinking—his choice was not wrong.

How many years had it been? The Grand Empress Dowager and the Jiang faction had never seen the precarious people’s livelihood after the national treasury was depleted, yet that princess who came from Great Liang had seen it.

After an unknown period of silence, footsteps sounded again in the great hall. Qi Simiao did not turn back to look, only heard the owner of the footsteps order: “Bronze Sparrow, go summon an imperial physician for Lord Qi.”

It was still that voice clear as fresh snow, only with less of the earlier coldness from the court session.

After the court session dispersed, Wen Yu had not hurried back to Zhaohua Palace. Instead, she rested in the rear hall for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, waiting until everyone in the front hall had left before coming over.

She walked to Qi Simiao’s side and said: “I have caused my lord to suffer.”

The bloodstains on Qi Simiao’s forehead had already dried. Though his aged and withered body was kneeling, his back remained straight as a rod, like an aged yet still standing pine. He said: “This old minister does these things not for the Princess, but for our Chen Kingdom. I dare not accept the Princess’s words about suffering.”

Wen Yu naturally knew he agreed to support her as ruler for Chen Kingdom’s sake.

But she had initially thought that after Qi Simiao understood the stakes involved, he would directly lead the Prince faction ministers to turn toward her. Thus, even if the Grand Empress Dowager and Jiang faction opposed, given the failure of Dou Jianliang, a Jiang faction member’s betrayal, the Prince faction ministers could still gain the upper hand in court.

Who could have imagined he would use this method to preserve Southern Chen’s remaining reputation?

For an instant, she actually saw in Qi Simiao a bit of Li Yao’s shadow—the same stubbornness, and the same attempt to use those ancient, failing arms to support collapsing rivers and mountains.

Wen Yu’s mood was rarely complex as she said: “Regardless, my word of thanks—my lord deserves it.”

Even if it was the result of benefit calculations, if it had been other high officials in court, they might not necessarily have had the courage to agree to her request, then promote everything with such swift and decisive momentum.

She wanted to return to Liang territory, wanted to execute Pei Song, and did not wish to wait even a moment longer.

After Wen Yu left the great hall, she headed directly back to Zhaohua Palace. Halfway there, her phoenix palanquin was intercepted by people from Lingxi Palace: “Princess Consort, the Grand Empress Dowager requests you visit Lingxi Palace to sit for a moment.”

That Grand Empress Dowager Jiang would seek her out was no surprise to Wen Yu. She nodded lightly: “Lead the way.”