The main hall.
Calm and serious, Qingyao scanned the room expressionlessly, finally landing her gaze on An Dingfeng. "General An, we have now broken through the Danfeng Kingdom. What are your thoughts? What are your plans for what comes next?"
Upon hearing the Marshal's name, An Dingfeng immediately stood up respectfully. "Reporting to the Marshal, my humble opinion is that the army should now move east and attack the Wanhe Kingdom. Then, we can deploy troops from the north of Xian Yue to form a pincer movement. We will definitely capture the Wanhe Kingdom."
As An Dingfeng finished speaking, Qingyao fell into thought, carefully considering the possibility. The Wanhe Kingdom was completely within their encirclement, and a pincer attack should be feasible. However, she had a better suggestion. Her lips curved upwards, just as she was about to speak, when Yin Xuan, standing beside her, interjected.
"Actually, there is a better method. I heard that the Wanhe Kingdom is currently attacking the Yueryang Kingdom, and it looks like Yueryang Kingdom is about to fall. We can send envoys secretly to Yueryang Kingdom to negotiate with them. We will join forces with them to attack the Wanhe Kingdom, but from then on, Yueryang Kingdom will submit to Xian Yue, and the royal family will all be demoted to vassal kings. Furthermore, local garrisons will not exceed five thousand troops."
As Yin Xuan finished speaking, Qingyao looked at him thoughtfully. Their thoughts often converged. She had also considered this possibility. As long as they sent envoys to Yueryang Kingdom, this matter would surely be feasible. Since Yueryang Kingdom was on the verge of falling, whether it would be absorbed by the Wanhe Kingdom or submit to the Xian Yue Kingdom, they would surely understand.
Xian Yue's conquest so far had earned them a good reputation among the seven kingdoms. They had not harmed a single civilian. Although casualties were unavoidable in war, they had been kept to the minimum. Thus, people did not resist them, and many cities surrendered automatically. This was because it avoided harming anyone.
"Good, this is a good idea."
Qingyao nodded in agreement. Since the Marshal had approved, everyone below nodded in agreement, and General An also nodded with satisfaction. Finally, Qingyao ordered Zhang Zezhe to lead a portion of the troops to secretly travel to Yueryang Kingdom.
As the generals retreated, and no one else was in the hall, Qingyao looked at Yin Xuan at the side and couldn't help but speak.
"You should return."
He had been out for nearly half a year. The Prince of Nan'an had been impersonating him in the palace, and it was likely that flaws would appear.
"I have been keeping track of the news from the palace, and nothing major has happened. With Prime Minister and the Grand Censorate, and others present, you don't need to worry," Yin Xuan said lazily, resting his head on the back of the chair, his demeanor relaxed, as if he was not concerned about matters in the palace at all.
In fact, he had no worries because Ah Jiu was in the palace. Ah Jiu had always been a loyal eunuch, and he knew his habits like the back of his hand. With him guiding the Emperor's younger brother, there was nothing to worry about, as well as the assistance of the Palace Guard Commander and others.
As the two were talking in the hall, a soldier suddenly rushed in from outside and reported quickly, "Marshal, someone has sent a letter."
"Bring it here."
Qingyao regained her composure, spoke coldly, and her eyes flashed with confusion. Who would send her a letter at this time?
The young soldier presented the letter and then took a step back. Qingyao waved him away and took the letter, reading it carefully. To her surprise, it was from that shameless man, Shangguan Hao. This man had invited her to meet at the Hua Man Lou in the Danfeng Kingdom.
Meet for what?
Qingyao's expression turned cold, and she frowned in thought. She handed the letter to Yin Xuan, who quickly read it. His face also turned grim. Shangguan Hao was his senior brother. Thinking of how this man had deceived him for so many years, he felt a surge of hatred, and his eyes were filled with turbulent waves.
"This damned fellow, we don't need to pay attention to him. Once we get news from the Yueryang Kingdom, we will encircle and attack them."
Yin Xuan, who was usually calm and composed, thought of this man's detestable nature and didn't even want to speak to him. So why meet him?
Qingyao pondered for a moment, and a cold smile touched her lips. "Actually, I can guess what he wants to do. He probably wants to negotiate with us. It's really laughable. Does he think he's so great that he wants to cooperate with us, jointly attack the Yuncang Kingdom and Qingluo Kingdom, and then divide the world with us? If that's the case, I think this man is insane."
"He went crazy long ago."
Yin Xuan said coldly. Since he had shamelessly plotted against him, he had gone mad. A person who could disregard brotherhood was certainly mad. It was a pity that their master, who had always prided himself on his clarity, had ended up teaching such a shameless person. Thus, everyone had a weakness.
"Let's meet him. Avoiding him is not an option. Most importantly, if we can kill this man in one fell swoop, then the Wanhe Kingdom will be much easier to deal with."
Qingyao's eyes darkened, and a bloody, alluring smile touched her lips. However, killing that man would not be easy. After all, he was a disciple of the Elder Chi Xia, and both in terms of intellect and martial arts, he was quite formidable. Therefore, this matter could only be entrusted to Yin Xuan.
Qingyao turned to look at Yin Xuan. His face was as cold and stern as ice, exuding a chilling aura. Finally, he seemed to soften a little and said with a devilish smile, "Alright, when?"
"Tomorrow."
"Okay, then we will meet at Hua Man Lou tomorrow to see what tricks this man is up to. In any case, we must be cautious. Furthermore, I want to kill him."
Yin Xuan said fiercely, his face dark and menacing. Just then, Xiao Yu'er, following Mo Chou, rushed in. Her little face was flushed, and she darted straight towards Qingyao.
"Mom, what's wrong? Your face looks so bad."
Seeing Xiao Yu'er's arrival, Qingyao and Yin Xuan couldn't help but relax. Both of them smiled. "It's nothing."
Qingyao looked at the little girl curiously. She hadn't seen her for a few days. What had she been doing?
"What has Xiao Yu'er been busy with? She's been hiding in her room these past few days." As Qingyao finished speaking, Yin Xuan also looked over curiously. This little girl was very intelligent. She really didn't know why she was so smart.
Xiao Yu'er pursed her lips and smiled mysteriously. "I won't tell you now. It hasn't succeeded yet. I think if I try a bit more, it will be almost there."
"You," Qingyao reached out and pinched her cheek. The little girl's skin was so tender.
"Mom, the flowers outside are blooming beautifully. Let's go out and admire them," Xiao Yu'er said, reaching out to pull Qingyao, and then tugging Yin Xuan along. The family of three then got up and walked out together. The man was tall and upright, the woman was clear and stunning, and the little girl was tender and cute. They were truly a radiant family, and each was smarter than the last. Mo Chou and Bing Xiao, following behind them, couldn't help but admire them.
Under the sunlight, Mo Chou squinted his eyes and glanced at Bing Xiao. "What a beautiful scene."
"Yes, this is when Master is happiest," Bing Xiao said. Having followed his master for so many years, he had always been unfathomable and difficult to fathom. But now, as long as he was with the Empress, he was as radiant and gentle as water.
In the garden, the flowers and plants bloomed in vibrant colors, a riot of reds and purples. Under the pale blue sky, the sunlight cast a warm glow, enveloping the entire garden. The three of them played in the garden, attracting butterflies, a moving scene that held one's gaze.