The Northern Rong was eventually conquered by Yusheng, reducing the four warring factions to two, separated by the river and each holding half the territory.
Both Yusheng and Lan Yue chose a period of recuperation, neither making further moves. Each focused on managing the newly acquired lands and integrating the new subjects. The fusion of Northern Rong and Yusheng proved to be not overly difficult, but the union of Lan Yue and Yun Qi presented more challenges.
This was particularly true for Lan Yue, where women had held political power for generations, with men serving as their appendages. Although Yun Qi’s customs were relatively open, women in government were still a rarity. Most of these female officials had been brought up by Dugu Man. Later, following the Yun Qi Young Emperor’s purge of the Dugu family’s influence, the female officials painstakingly trained by Xiao Man were either dismissed or persecuted, with less than a tenth surviving. The complete integration of these two nations would not be achieved in a short time.
At this juncture, the sudden announcement of Wuyue Kingdom’s submission to Lan Yue created another massive wave of upheaval. This further fueled the apprehension of Yusheng’s ministers, who were already wary of Lan Yue, making them increasingly convinced that they could not allow Lan Yue to continue growing. They flooded the emperor’s desk with memorials, urging him to launch an attack on Lan Yue.
Nangong Yu looked at the mountain of memorials on his imperial desk, his head throbbing. They were all urging him to attack Lan Yue. The ministers below, unaware of the true circumstances, had no idea how formidable Xiao Man’s military strength was. Xiao Man had grown up in Yusheng, and it was unclear how deeply she had already infiltrated the empire. A rash attack would inevitably lead to their own detriment.
“Your Majesty.”
“Minister Wen, are you also here to urge me to attack Lan Yue?” Nangong Yu asked without looking up.
Minister Wen smiled and replied, “Your Majesty, I am not here to request that you attack Lan Yue. War is a costly and ruinous affair. While Yusheng’s attack on Northern Rong was successful, the losses were not insignificant. The people of Northern Rong will not easily submit for some time and require time for re-education. To launch a premature attack on Lan Yue at this juncture would likely result in widespread conflict.”
Nangong Yu thought to himself, finally, someone sensible!
“Then, what is the matter that brings you here?”
“Your Majesty, you should establish an Empress and take imperial consorts to ensure the continuation of the royal lineage.”
Upon hearing this, Nangong Yu’s face immediately fell. The court officials were currently focused on two matters: establishing an Empress and attacking Lan Yue. Why did his ministers always insist on displeasing him, while Xiao Man’s ministers always found ways to resolve her problems?
“Alas.” Nangong Yu sighed deeply.
“Your Majesty, why do you sigh?”
“I sigh because I, a dignified man of seven feet, am not as well-regarded by the court officials as a woman,” Nangong Yu said, appearing greatly dejected. “The ministers of the Lan Yue Empress think about how to help Yun Qi and Lan Yue integrate quickly, how to ensure the Empress’s peace of mind, yet none of them are pressuring the Empress to establish an Imperial Husband, nor are they instigating her to attack Yusheng with full force. Why is that?”
“That is because the Empress is carrying the Dragon Heir. Lan Yue has an heir. The most important matter now is the Empress’s health and the Dragon Heir within her. Moreover, the Imperial Husband has only recently passed away, his remains not yet cold. Even if she were heartless, one cannot urge the Empress to establish a new Imperial Husband at this time.”
That was a stab to the heart! Minister Wen’s words were like icy blades piercing Nangong Yu’s heart, both painful and chilling, almost suffocating him. The Empress’s pregnancy and the recent death of her Imperial Husband – each of these facts dealt him a devastating blow.
“Minister Wen, why must you say these things to provoke me.”
“Your Majesty, Xiao Man is no longer the Xiao Man of the past. She is now the Empress of Lan Yue. Your Majesty, you too should let go.” Wen Ruyu had always been by Nangong Yu’s side, and he was aware of Nangong Yu’s feelings for Xiao Man. However, they were now both rulers of their respective nations, with millions of subjects behind them. Neither could abandon their responsibilities for personal desires. Furthermore, in the face of national interests, personal affections were insignificant.
“Minister Wen, I understand these principles,” Nangong Yu replied, continuing to review the memorials. “The reason I am refuting an attack on Lan Yue is due to my own considerations. Although we have taken Northern Rong, its people have always been fierce. A slight misstep could reignite conflict. The immediate priority is to stabilize affairs in Northern Rong. If we grasp too much, we risk breaking it.”
“Regarding the matter of establishing an Empress…”
“This matter, I have my own deliberations. Your Excellency need not worry,” Nangong Yu said calmly. “I already have a suitable candidate in mind.”
Hearing Nangong Yu speak this way, Minister Wen understood that Nangong Yu had conceded. Pressuring him too hard would only be counterproductive. He said no more and chose to withdraw.
“Your Majesty.” A dark silhouette appeared before Nangong Yu.
“How is the investigation proceeding?”
“As Your Majesty predicted, Feng Moran has gone into hiding. However, my subordinate discovered something peculiar.”
“There is someone behind Feng Moran.”
The assassin looked up in astonishment at Nangong Yu, then lowered his head. “Your Majesty is wise. It appears there is someone behind Feng Moran, but no matter how we investigate, we cannot find any clues about this individual.”
“Then that person behind the scenes must be extremely cautious. For so many years, they have not revealed any trace, otherwise, Xiao Man would have discovered them long ago,” Nangong Yu said, worry in his eyes. He was concerned that Xiao Man might be careless and fall for Feng Moran’s tricks again.
“Are there any developments from Lan Yue?”
“There are no significant developments from Lan Yue. They are busy consolidating the officials from both nations. Regarding Feng Moran’s matters, they seem somewhat lax.” Su Dan Fiction Network.
“Lax?” Nangong Yu frowned. Xiao Man would never be lax when dealing with Feng Moran; on the contrary, she would be extremely vigilant. Laxness was impossible unless she was plotting something!
Could it be that Xiao Man had also discovered that someone was behind Feng Moran? If there was someone behind Feng Moran, what was that person’s objective? Was it to take Xiao Man’s life, or to obtain something from Xiao Man? If it was to obtain something from Xiao Man, it should have been acquired by now after so many years. Could it be something that Xiao Man had not yet obtained but could only be obtained by her?
The Qin Treasury! The words flashed through Nangong Yu’s mind. If there was anything that only Xiao Man could obtain, it would be the contents of the Qin Treasury. Could the person behind the scenes be after the items in the Qin Treasury?
“Summon someone. I require all documents pertaining to the former Qin, especially those concerning treasures of the former Qin,” Nangong Yu said. He understood that the answer he sought would lie within these documents. He just did not know what kind of treasure it was that could make someone wait so persistently for so many years and resort to any means.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
When Nangong Yu was finally alone in the room, he let go of his pretense and leaned back in his chair. “Xiao Man, please do not act rashly. The person who can make someone like Feng Moran willingly submit and become a vassal is definitely not a simple character. You must be extremely careful!”