Chapter 25: Laying Plans Part 1

Xun Yisu smiled faintly, her expression unchanged as before. “I’ve been married into the borderlands for so many years now. Great Qi has nothing to do with me anymore. It’s best if the Prince stops probing like this. I only seek a peaceful life, without chasing glory or greed for wealth.”

Ana Xuan’s gaze stagnated, her lips twitching slightly, at a loss for how to respond.

Indeed, over these years, Xun Yisu had been utterly calm, serene as still water. Nothing could stir her interest. She spent her days reading books and admiring flowers, occasionally riding horses beyond the frontier passes. She never meddled in politics or even household affairs.

Having such a “living dead” by her side—someone she couldn’t offend—had nearly driven Ana Xuan to collapse. She couldn’t kill her or drive her away; she could only face her day after day. Now, Ana Xuan only hoped her father would die soon. Once she ascended to the throne, she would have no more scruples. Her first order of business would be to kill Xun Yisu. After all, she had no intention of bowing to Great Qi anymore.

Ana Xuan glanced at Xun Yisu and said, “I hope that’s the case.”

With that, Ana Xuan flicked her sleeves and departed. She had only come to vent her resentment. Xun Yisu slowly raised her eyes, gazing at the endless expanse of grass and sky outside. Her gaze was sharp as a sword piercing through hearts, methodically dissecting the information she had just heard.

The disappearance of Princess Consort Ana Yanran could mean one of two things: either she had seized Great Qi’s military secrets and was rushing back to the borderlands day and night. But if she had obtained them, she should have sent someone back with them while staying to guard the Pingnan Prince’s Mansion. No one dared touch anyone from the Pingnan Prince’s Mansion—not even the Empress, seething with jealousy.

Her departure would only confirm the rumors and abandon Xun Changqing entirely. Xun Yisu had seen it clearly back in the palace: Ana Yanran doted on that child to her very bones. She wouldn’t be so foolish as to do something like this.

By that logic, her departure must have been forced. Who had forced her? Had she taken the secrets with her? Only Ana Yanran herself knew.

More crucially, had Ana Yanran truly brought something back? If so, the borderlands would surely invade Great Qi. War was imminent and unavoidable.

She needed to notify Yuan Man, the garrison commander stationed at Border City on the border between the two nations, without delay.

She couldn’t let anything happen to Yuan Man.

…

The Emperor’s sleeping palace, Splendid Clarity Palace.

The night was abruptly cold, with dewy winds blowing. The attending ministers removed their heavy outer robes outside the hall. Inside, the lamps blazed brightly, doors and windows sealed tight, waves of heat surging. Deeper in, the Emperor sat on a chair carved with soaring dragons, his face somewhat pale. He pressed his lips together and coughed lowly.

The Emperor had fallen ill several days prior, his brows tightly furrowed, a sickly air about him, as if he had just awakened. He looked at the ministers standing in the hall and straightened his posture. “The Princess Consort’s disappearance has been kept secret, but for the sake of Border City’s people, I believe we should dispatch troops to reinforce it, just in case.”

“Indiscriminately increasing troops will heighten the borderlands’ vigilance. The Princess Consort’s sudden disappearance could become their pretext for mobilization, Your Majesty. This move is inappropriate.”

“Inappropriate? Border defenses have always rotated as a matter of course. Paying a little more attention to the borderlands is nothing. If they truly intend to rebel, Great Qi can’t stop them anyway. Hiding it isn’t proper—we might as well send an envoy directly, demand her return, and seize the initiative.”

The two speakers were the Ministers of War and Rites, respectively—their disagreements were commonplace. Right Chancellor Shao Cheng snorted coldly and stepped forward. “Your Majesty, I believe the Minister of War, Lord Qian, is right. The person is already missing; hiding it from the borderlands isn’t a long-term solution. We should demand her back outright. Moreover, I suggest summoning Xun Changqing, the Princess Consort’s daughter, back to the capital. We don’t know where she’s been these years. With borderlands blood in her veins, she might even be with her mother—who knows?”

His words carried layers of implication. If those two were together, their hearts had likely betrayed Great Qi for the borderlands.

The veiled threat silenced the others. They exchanged uneasy glances and lowered their heads, not daring to speak.

The Emperor on the high seat stared fixedly at Shao Cheng, his deep eyes laced with a chill like the night itself. His imperial aura fully manifested. He leaned back slightly. Shao Cheng believed Xun Changqing was a girl—likely informed by the Empress. Everyone knew of the “young master” of the Pingnan Prince’s Mansion these years, not a little County Princess. A male identity might raise suspicions, but Shao Cheng, knowing she was female, was deliberately stirring trouble.

“Xun Changqing is just a child. What does court business have to do with her? Right Chancellor, your words go too far.”

Shao Cheng remained in place, shaking his head toward the Emperor with a deferential expression. “Your Majesty, Xun Changqing has been away for four or five years. There’s no guarantee she hasn’t reunited with her mother. You’re merely summoning her back. She’ll be fourteen next year—we could discuss a marriage alliance and probe Ana Yanran’s whereabouts at the same time.”

“I said, court matters do not involve children. Does the Right Chancellor not understand my words?”

The Emperor’s voice rose slightly, sounding even more abrupt in the silent bedchamber. It startled the palace servants guarding outside into bowing their heads lower; the ministers inside were even more subdued. Only Shao Cheng’s expression remained unchanged as he bowed deeply. “This minister spoke out of turn. I beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness.”

Another voice broke the brief silence. “Your Majesty, why not first transfer troops to Ji Province and send someone to the borderlands to demand her back? This way, we address both issues without inviting unnecessary trouble.”

This glossed over the prior exchange, but now discord arose over who to send to Border City.

The Emperor said nothing more on the matter and dismissed them directly. Discord between generals and ministers was a long-standing issue. If they couldn’t be replaced, then the ministers would be. Leaning back in the dragon throne, the Emperor coughed softly and picked up an urgent dispatch from beside him. Yuan Man had requested reinforcements; the borderlands were showing signs of unrest.

Yuan Qingming entered from outside, knelt with bowed head, his stern face furrowed with worry. He, too, was concerned for Border City and spoke bluntly. “Your Majesty, have you summoned this minister regarding Border City?”