They both turned around simultaneously to look at the messenger.

The messenger took a few more small running steps, knelt on one knee, and presented his report.

Ying Gua slightly furrowed his brow: “Report!”

The messenger glanced at the young eunuch who hadn’t withdrawn nearby and hesitated to speak.

Seeing this, Meng Tinghui immediately dismounted, walked over to receive the report, and turned to present it to Ying Gua.

He bent down, snatched the document from her hand, unfolded it, and swept his eyes over it. His face instantly darkened as he stared at the messenger and said: “Summon the Two Departments to an imperial audience.”

“Generals Fang, Jiang, and An are already on their way to the Ruisi Hall,” the messenger said with a lowered head. “Someone has also been sent to the Imperial Secretariat.”

Ying Gua dismissed the messenger and turned to her, saying: “Return to Ruisi Hall.”

Meng Tinghui felt doubtful, not knowing what the Military Department had reported, but seeing his rigid expression, an uneasy feeling rose within her heart.

Earlier today, before coming to the training grounds, the Military Department hadn’t received any urgent reports. How had everything changed so dramatically in the blink of an eye?

When they returned to Ruisi Hall, they happened to meet several high officials from the Two Departments at the imperial steps.

When the officials from the Two Departments saw the two of them together, they didn’t say anything, merely entering the hall in sequence.

Meng Tinghui entered last, naturally walking to the right side among the Military Department officials. Feeling awkward, she didn’t dare look at Fang Kai, Jiang Ping, and the others.

The expressions of the Imperial Secretariat officials were visibly unpleasant, but due to the presence of the Military Department and the Emperor, they didn’t say anything to her.

Ying Gua lifted his robe and took his seat, sending someone to pass the document to the officials below to examine.

After the Imperial Secretariat officials had read it, Meng Tinghui finally received it.

Such an urgent report, and she hadn’t been at the Military Department. It had to be presented directly to the Emperor before she knew about the matter. She truly had no face to stand in this hall, and no wonder the Imperial Secretariat officials wouldn’t give her a pleasant look.

Just after unfolding it and glancing at it, Meng Tinghui was startled. Now she understood why his reaction had been so strong.

In the Shuzhou area of Jiankang Route, bandits had gathered and risen in rebellion, claiming that a descendant of the former Zhongwan royal family still survived in this world. They declared that the new Emperor of Daping was ineffective and Prince Ping was unvirtuous, calling upon the people of various routes who had surrendered to rebel against Daping and restore the former country.

She closed the document, her chest feeling so constricted she could hardly breathe.

The new Emperor had been on the throne for just one year and nine months, yet military rebellions and bandit troubles in the north had come one after another without pause.

She raised her eyes to look at the others on both sides and saw that everyone’s expression was displeased. None had expected such an inconceivable rebellion to break out in the north.

Di Nian was currently in the north, implementing bold reforms to reorganize the three route garrisons. For the Jiankang Route to have a rebellion at this time would undoubtedly affect the previously planned troop reductions, deployments, and garrison repairs in the three northern routes.

Moreover, these bandits were raising the banner of restoring the former Zhongwan country, while blaming the current Emperor for being ineffective and Prince Ping for being unvirtuous!

No wonder he had displayed anger before everyone, and no wonder he had summoned the Two Departments for an immediate audience.

When she first entered court service as an editor in the Hanlin Academy compiling local gazetteers of the previous dynasty, she had extensively read various histories and naturally knew the details of what had happened in those years.

When the Emperor Emeritus and Prince Ping unified the four countries except for Northern Jian, they conquered Wuzhou, the capital of Zhongwan. The former Zhongwan ruler, Meng Yu, publicly submitted and became a subject. Later, he died of illness in Wuzhou. After moving the capital to Zuzhou in the third year of Qiande, Prince Ping summoned Meng Yu’s two sons and two brothers with their families to Zuzhou. The Emperor Emeritus bestowed the title of Duke on four members of the Meng family, and people at that time praised the two emperors’ great virtue. In the autumn of the sixth year of Qiande, someone in court presented poems written by Meng Hao (son of Meng) and Meng Jue (brother of Meng) that allegedly contained treasonous content. Prince Ping then exterminated the entire Meng clan because the Meng family still harbored rebellious intentions.

Since then, no one from the original Zhongwan royal Meng clan, whether male or female, old or young, had survived in the world.

Over these twenty years, although there had occasionally been bandits causing trouble in the border regions, never had anyone raised the banner of restoring a fallen country in rebellion. The more she thought about it, the more inconceivable it seemed. She couldn’t understand why bandits in Jiankang Route would carry out such an act of rebellion at this time, and with such a ridiculous pretext.

As she was thinking, she saw someone from the Imperial Secretariat step forward. It was Gu Qin, whom she had never met privately.

Gu Qin’s face was calm as he addressed the throne: “Your Majesty, this minister believes this matter should not be publicized. If the whole realm knows that bandits wish to restore a fallen country, this minister fears: first, that the common people will be alarmed; second, that the formerly surrendered southern territories might take the opportunity to rebel; and third, that the wolf-hearted intentions of Northern Jian cannot be guarded against.”

Zhou Bi followed, stepping forward to say: “What Minister Gu says is correct. This minister estimates that these bandits are merely a small group of troublemakers who have gathered some ignorant followers. Though they speak false words, their rebellion lacks method and is not worth worrying about. If the military and civilians in the Shuzhou area are vigilant, this minister believes that within days, they will collapse on their own…”

Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Ping from the other side couldn’t help but step forward, glaring with raised eyebrows: “Regarding suppressing bandits, you need not speak!” Then he turned toward the throne and said urgently: “Your Majesty, although the Imperial Secretariat considers the national interest, they do not know that the Shuzhou area is densely forested and located deep in the heart of Jiankang Route. If troops are not promptly dispatched to suppress the bandits, once they enter the mountains and cause havoc, they will surely hide in the mountains and forests, moving south along the routes. By then, attempting to eliminate them will be extremely difficult. Even a route’s worth of troops would struggle to prevent them from scattering!”

Fang Kai thought for a moment and quickly followed: “Your Majesty, the fact that these bandits chose to start their rebellion in the Shuzhou area suggests they are not an ignorant and disorganized group. General Jiang’s analysis is correct; troops must be promptly dispatched to suppress them. However, Minister Gu’s words also make sense. While suppressing the bandits, we must also guard against Northern Jian and avoid excessive publicity.”

Ying Gua placed both palms on his knees, his eyes cold. “Where is Di Nian now?”

Fang Kai replied: “He should be in Fenzhou on the Jiankang Route.”

Ying Gua said coldly: “Issue a secret edict appointing Di Nian as Pacification Commissioner of Jiankang. He is to remain stationed in Fenzhou and dispatch troops to Shuzhou to suppress the bandits under the pretext of reducing the army. Furthermore, instructed Zhao Pingkong, the Military Commissioner and Palace Gate Guard of Jiankang Route, not to mobilize troops without Di Nian’s orders, to prevent Northern Jian from detecting any signs. When encountering bandits in Jiankang Route, eliminate them; there is no need for amnesty edicts.”

He stood up and paced a few steps before everyone, his eyes showing irritation, and asked: “How many days has it been since this report was sent from Jiankang Route to the capital?”

An Maolin replied: “By express courier, without stopping at postal stations, just over two and a half days.”

Ying Gua thought for a moment, then nodded: “Draft an edict to Jiankang immediately, with my golden tablet. Do not stop at postal stations and do not delay in the slightest.”

Meng Tinghui had been standing at the back listening, and now finally spoke: “Your Majesty, I have a matter to propose, though I don’t know if it is appropriate to speak.”

He turned to look at her, though his gaze was somewhat complex. “Speak.”

She said softly: “Though suppressing the bandits is urgent, stopping rumors is equally important. I think the reason for these bandits’ rebellion is that they are using a surviving descendant of the former Zhongwan royal family as a pretext to gather many surrendered migrants. This time we must ensure that while suppressing the bandits, the ringleaders are captured and sent to the capital for legal punishment, to set the record straight for all under heaven.”

He stood several steps in front of her and didn’t speak for a long time.

Thinking her words might have been inappropriate, she raised her eyes to look at him, and in the instant their eyes met, she saw an indiscernible emotion flash across his eyes. But when she looked more carefully, it was gone, leaving only the previous coldness.

He immediately lowered his eyes and turned around, standing with his back to her as he addressed the officials: “This proposal is excellent.”

Only then did she slightly relax, letting out a long breath.

At least she hadn’t stood there uselessly, unable to help him at all.

After finalizing many detailed arrangements, the sky had completely darkened, and the officials of the Two Departments received their orders and withdrew in sequence.

The secret edict was dispatched that night to Di Nian in the north. Apart from the high officials of the Two Departments who had participated in tonight’s discussion, no one in the court knew about the bandit rebellion in Jiankang Route. The troop reduction in the garrisons at the borders of Chao’an and Linhuai Routes still proceeded in an orderly manner. The Military Department kept its doors open day and night, and everyone only slightly relaxed after receiving Di Nian’s document stating he had swiftly dispatched troops to Shuzhou to suppress the bandits.

However, ten days later, just as the grand archery ceremony concluded, another earth-shattering piece of news arrived from the north, instantly causing huge waves in the previously calm imperial court of the capital.

—Northern Jian had mobilized troops to invade.