Jiang Taohua fell silent.
She had been so anxious about her escape that she momentarily forgot the most troublesome obstacles might not be Shen Zaiye, but rather Jiang Suhe and her daughter. Li Jin was right; given Jiang Suhe’s nature, she would rather destroy everything than let Taohua have her way.
This was truly a case of being caught between a rock and a hard place!
Originally, Taohua had planned to meet with Changjue, Jiang Suhe, and the others as soon as she arrived in Zhao’s capital. But now, she changed her mind and decided to send her jade token to request an audience with Mu Wuxia directly.
After half a year of campaigning abroad, Mu Wuxia had tanned a bit, but the heroic spirit in his eyes had only grown stronger. He was now stationed with his troops in the suburbs of Zhao’s capital, refusing to enter the city despite repeated invitations from Zhao officials.
“I’m just passing through and arrived in haste, so there’s no need for a formal audience,” he smiled at the envoy before him. “You needn’t come to invite me again.”
The Zhao ministers were anxious. It was one thing to say he was passing through, but he had brought tens of thousands of troops and refused to enter the palace, instead staying in the suburbs. What if he suddenly decided to attack the capital? What would they do then?
“Your Majesty of Wei,” an elderly minister said helplessly, “You are our guest. Shouldn’t you at least meet with our Emperor face to face?”
“If your Emperor is so sincere about meeting our Emperor, why doesn’t he come out here to our camp for the meeting?” a deputy commander beside Mu Wuxia asked with a smile.
The ministers’ faces turned pale. How could their Emperor dare to come? What if something went wrong? With the ambitious Third Prince refusing to relinquish military power, and now the Emperor of Wei camped outside their gates, the Zhao Emperor was caught between a rock and a hard place, unable to advance or retreat!
“I’m a bit tired,” Mu Wuxia said coolly. “You may leave now.”
“This…” The envoys looked at each other awkwardly. Just then, someone entered with a jade pendant and whispered something in Mu Wuxia’s ear.
His eyes lit up, and Mu Wuxia smiled, his gaze suddenly softening. “Elder Sister Jiang has arrived? Please show her in.”
With a wave of his hand, the group of dumbfounded envoys was “invited” out of the tent.
These men were still pondering who this “Elder Sister Jiang” the Wei Emperor had mentioned could be, their faces full of confusion. “Jiang” was a Zhao surname, after all. How could someone surnamed Jiang be the Wei Emperor’s elder sister?
But when they looked up, they saw Jiang Taohua, accompanied by Qingtai, being respectfully escorted into the tent by guards. This former Second Princess, once treated as a mere palace maid, was now receiving noble treatment, walking past them with her eyes fixed straight ahead, leaving them out in the cold.
“…” The envoys, all of considerable status in court, including supporters of the Lü family and the Grand Princess, were stunned for a moment before hurrying back to report.
Jiang Taohua had returned!
“Elder Sister Jiang,” Mu Wuxia smiled as he stood up, looking her over. “I was just wondering how you would react to my arrival in Zhao. I didn’t expect you to come straight here.”
Taohua smiled faintly, stepped forward to bow to him, and then said, “Congratulations on your great victory, Your Majesty. I just missed home and came back for a visit, and to pay my respects to Your Majesty along the way.”
Mu Wuxia looked at her meaningfully. “Does Elder Sister still take me for a child?”
Slightly taken aback, Taohua shook her head. “How would I dare? Your Majesty is already capable of managing affairs independently. This world will soon be Your Majesty’s world. How could you still be a child?”
“Then why can’t Elder Sister speak plainly with me?” Mu Wuxia gazed at her intently. “You’re worried that I might attack Zhao. Why not just persuade me directly?”
Taohua smiled and looked at him. “If I try to persuade you, will Your Majesty listen?”
Mu Wuxia nodded. “I will.”
In truth, he had no intention of attacking Zhao. He was only lingering here because his advisors kept urging him to take Zhao in one fell swoop, and the army was restless. But there was another reason: Jiang Changjue was truly a good man. After campaigning together for half a year, they developed a friendship. Combined with his relationship with Elder Sister Jiang, he wanted to help Changjue ascend to the throne.
Taohua was a bit surprised and stared at Mu Wuxia for a while. But then she realized that this child had a pure nature, completely different from Shen Zaiye. She couldn’t judge him by the same standards she used for Shen Zaiye. This boy simply believed in right and wrong and thought it would be unjust to attack Zhao after allying with them. That’s why he didn’t want to take action.
That made things much easier.
“In that case, I will indeed try to persuade Your Majesty,” Jiang Taohua said, her expression turning serious as she performed a deep bow to Mu Wuxia. “Zhao and Wei have an alliance, that’s one. After the great battle, Wei’s military strength has been depleted and hasn’t yet recovered, that’s two. Your Majesty is now in Zhao territory, where supplies aren’t as readily available as they would be for Zhao’s army. An army without provisions is destined to fail, that’s three. With these three points, does Your Majesty still see a need to attack Zhao?”
Mu Wuxia smiled, looking at her. “Elder Sister Jiang, you even understand military affairs?”
“I’m just a woman, but I’ve read my share of military texts,” Taohua replied. “If I’ve said anything incorrect, I hope Your Majesty will correct me.”
“Everything you said is correct,” Mu Wuxia said. “But I’ve received news that the Prime Minister is already leading troops towards Zhao, stationed at the Wei-Zhao border. If we truly want to fight, he can come to support me. Once our forces combine, taking Zhao quickly wouldn’t be difficult. As for supplies, I could requisition them from Zhao’s cities. What does Elder Sister think?”
Cold sweat broke out on Taohua’s back, but she nodded. “Your Majesty makes a good point.”
“But even so, I don’t want to listen to Prime Minister Shen’s advice,” Mu Wuxia said, noticing her tense expression and pouring her a cup of hot tea. “I believe we should take things one step at a time. Conquering Wu so quickly was already pushing it; taking Zhao now would be unwise. So I’ve already sent secret orders back, telling the Prime Minister to withdraw his troops.”
Taohua’s heart skipped a beat, and she looked at him gratefully. “Thank you, Your Majesty!”
“My ascension to the throne was partly due to Elder Sister’s efforts, so there’s no need for thanks. After all, this is good for both countries,” Mu Wuxia said. “Besides, I think the Prime Minister cares for you too. He was constantly urging an attack on Zhao before, but recently the people around me have quieted down. Perhaps the Prime Minister is concerned for your feelings.”
Concerned for her? Taohua laughed dryly. “If only that were true.”
“What’s this?” Mu Wuxia was somewhat surprised. “Have you and the Prime Minister quarreled again?”
“It’s not exactly a quarrel,” Taohua sighed. “It’s complicated to explain right now. But, Your Majesty, do you know where Changjue is?”
Jiang Changjue? Mu Wuxia slapped his forehead, suddenly remembering that the siblings hadn’t yet reunited. He quickly sent someone to fetch him.
“Please have a seat, Elder Sister,” he said. “Changjue mentioned this morning that he was going to the palace to pay respects to his father and mother. He should be back soon.”
(End of Chapter)