Qingtai and Zhanlu were startled and quickly retreated. Taohua swallowed nervously, hesitated for a moment, then suddenly thought of something. She looked up at Shen Zaiye and said, “My lord, have you considered that we could work together?”
Leaning his hand against the palace wall behind her, Shen Zaiye replied with a half-smile, “That depends on what you have to offer.”
Gathering her courage, Taohua grabbed Shen Zaiye and ran to a secluded corner. With a sincere expression, she said, “This concubine believes that since Zhao and Wei are allied through marriage, we should stand together. Now that Wu is in turmoil, why not seize the opportunity to attack them jointly? Zhao’s national strength is inferior to Wu’s, so wouldn’t it be more beneficial for Great Wei to take down Wu first?”
Considering her words, Shen Zaiye looked down at her and asked, “What benefit would you gain from this?”
Surely she understood the principle that when the lips are gone, the teeth grow cold. If Wei were to destroy Wu, Zhao wouldn’t survive much longer either.
Taohua smiled and rubbed her hands together. “This concubine thinks that Zhao is currently not fit for major tasks. The only one capable of waging war is the Third Prince, Jiang Changjue. If my lord truly has such intentions, why not discuss it with Zhao?”
“Jiang Changjue?” Shen Zaiye raised an eyebrow. “You want your royal brother to go to the battlefield?”
“A man should ride horses and fight in battles,” Taohua said firmly. “How can one be considered a true hero by always hiding in the palace?”
Shen Zaiye: “…”
Realizing that she too was someone who always hid in the palace, Taohua chuckled nervously and quickly softened her tone. “Of course, someone like you who plans strategies is also a hero. It’s just that Changjue is brave and skilled in battle. It would be a waste for him not to go to the battlefield. If the Prime Minister has such thoughts, why don’t we discuss it further and each take what we need?”
“You’re the first woman who dares to scheme with me like this,” Shen Zaiye said, looking at her with amusement. “Aren’t you afraid I might include you in my plans as well?”
“That depends on one’s abilities,” Taohua replied, gazing at him intently. “If my lord is willing to scheme against this concubine, then I have no power to retaliate.”
Of course, not retaliating was impossible. Her battle with Shen Zaiye was about who could plan more thoroughly. Jiang Taohua had some confidence that she could match Shen Zaiye, although she wasn’t sure where this confidence came from. However, if she didn’t take a chance now, Zhao would be destroyed, and Changjue wouldn’t have a good outcome either.
It was better to seize this opportunity to help Changjue through Shen Zaiye.
Shen Zaiye looked at her thoughtfully for a long time before saying softly, “If you can help me with something, I can grant your request.”
“What?” Taohua’s eyes widened. “Aren’t we already cooperating? Why do I need to help with something else?”
She spoke as if she had gained a great advantage, when in fact she was helping him too!
Shen Zaiye shook his head and frowned worriedly. “If you don’t help, I won’t be able to carry out the joint attack on Wu, and we’ll have to let things take their natural course.”
“No, no, no!” Taohua gritted her teeth. “Whatever you need from this concubine, my lord, just say it!”
With a smile curling his lips, Shen Zaiye leaned in close and whispered a few words in her ear.
Meanwhile, Mu Wuxia was kept in the emperor’s presence, respectfully listening to him speak.
“Wuxia, what kind of country do you think Zhao is?” Emperor Mingde asked.
“In response to Father Emperor, Zhao is the weakest among the three countries,” Mu Wuxia replied frankly. “Either Wu or our Great Wei could easily swallow it.”
The emperor nodded and asked again, “Then do you think we should swallow it now, or leave it for Wu to take?”
Mu Wuxia frowned, taking a moment before responding, “A tripod is most stable with three legs. Losing one leg would inevitably cause it to tilt. If Father Emperor wishes to swallow Zhao, we must be cautious of Wu taking advantage of the situation.”
“I understand that, which is why I wanted to consult with you and Prime Minister Shen. Before he arrives, I’d like to hear more of your thoughts.”
Was this a test? Mu Wuxia pressed his lips together. He didn’t support attacking Zhao, considering that Sister Jiang was from Zhao. Moreover, given the current situation, launching an attack on Zhao might result in more losses than gains.
After pondering for a moment, Mu Wuxia said, “Since ancient times, when the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits. This son suggests that Father Emperor postpone this matter for now. After all, we have a marriage alliance with Zhao. It would be better to observe Wu’s movements before making a decision.”
Emperor Mingde frowned, about to say something when Gao De brought Shen Zaiye in.
“This subject pays respects to Your Majesty,” Shen Zaiye said.
“Rise,” the emperor said with a smile. “You’ve come at the right time. Prime Minister, please share your views on the matter of Zhao.”
Shen Zaiye cupped his hands respectfully and said, “This subject has observed the Zhao envoys and gathered intelligence on Zhao’s situation. I hope Your Majesty will reconsider the matter of attacking Zhao.”
Oh? Emperor Mingde was somewhat surprised. When Mu Wuxia had spoken this way, he had thought the prince was being indecisive. But for Shen Zaiye to say the same thing, what could be the reason?
“Is it because of the Jiang family?” he asked.
“Not at all,” Shen Zaiye raised his head, speaking seriously. “Although conquering Zhao wouldn’t be difficult, its weakness means that taking it would be of little use. Your Majesty would instead have to worry about how to manage that broken land. It would be better to observe Wu’s attitude first. If Wu is preoccupied with internal strife, we could ally with Zhao to attack them. Taking down Wu would make Zhao even less of a concern. But if we move against Zhao first, the situation becomes unpredictable.”
The emperor fell silent, his gaze moving between Shen Zaiye and Mu Wuxia. Suddenly, he chuckled lightly. “Did you two plan this together?”
Mu Wuxia shook his head firmly. “This son has not discussed this matter privately with the Prime Minister.”
To have such consistent opinions without prior discussion? Emperor Mingde lowered his gaze. He didn’t want to move against Wu, as despite their internal troubles, Wu’s strength was not to be underestimated. Attacking them would mean a hard-fought battle, far less easy than conquering Zhao.
“Let me think about it some more,” the emperor finally said after a long pause. “You may both go rest now and attend to the Zhao envoys.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Shen Zaiye and Mu Wuxia responded, then withdrew.
As soon as they reached a secluded spot, Mu Wuxia frowned at the man beside him. “What is the Prime Minister plotting now? Why do you want to attack Wu?”
“Don’t you think this is the best choice?” Shen Zaiye smiled. “If we conquer Wu, Great Wei will be yours as well.”
“But…” Mu Wuxia furrowed his brow. “Isn’t this going too far?”
“Too far?” Shen Zaiye raised an eyebrow, looking at him meaningfully for a moment before shaking his head. “Your Highness seems to have forgotten the pain after the wound has healed. You’ve encountered far worse things, have you not?”
Mu Wuxia’s expression changed slightly as he lowered his gaze. “Let’s not speak of those things. Father Emperor is unlikely to agree to attack Wu at present.”
“Then we must find a way to make him agree,” Shen Zaiye said in a low voice. “If that’s truly impossible, perhaps you should become the one to lead Great Wei.”
Alarmed, Mu Wuxia’s face darkened. “Does the Prime Minister wish to reach the top in one step again?”
(End of Chapter)