Lin Xiaowei eliminated possibilities one by one, first ruling out the Emperor or the Grand Empress Dowager.
If it were either of them, it would be impossible to keep anything secret. They wouldn't even have been able to get married in the first place.
If it wasn't them, then who in the court was so important that a princess with a powerful army would be wary of?
Suddenly, a spark of inspiration flashed through Lin Xiaowei's mind.
She knew who it was.
It was Zheng Xiang.
As Prince Duàn, Zheng Xiang was, in Great Chu, second only to the Emperor.
Not only did he command a powerful army, but he also possessed immense prestige.
If one were to say that such a person, along with the Grand Tutor, existed, Lin Xiaowei's reason for not suspecting the Grand Tutor was simple.
If it truly were the Grand Tutor, Grand Princess Zàn Dé would not have repeatedly sought to provoke him.
Although she didn't know what had happened in the past, now that she had a direction, Lin Xiaowei felt much better.
Next, she just needed to find a way to make Zheng Xiang notice Baili Hao.
Naturally, if there was anything else she could do, she wouldn't mind adding fuel to the fire.
Meanwhile, Baili Ziyun, who had just been enfeoffed as Consort Zǐ, was comfortably resting in the main hall she had recently moved into.
She truly thanked her mother now for giving her such a good body.
After only one encounter, she was truly pregnant.
To know that, besides that one time two months ago, the Emperor had not summoned her again.
Thinking of this, Baili Ziyun gritted her teeth in anger. It was all Lin Xiaowei, that little slut. If she hadn't bewitched the Emperor, how would she have ended up like this?
Now it was fine. As long as she successfully gave birth to a prince, everything would be fine in the future.
Sima Zhu might not like her, but it didn't matter. When her son became Emperor in the future, whom would she need to fear?
Her mother had already said that if she gave birth to a son, she would raise an army.
Of course, it couldn't be called a rebellion, but rather a clarification of the ruler's entourage.
And Sima Zhu, who was foolishly happy in the Hall of Diligent Governance, had no idea that the sons he so eagerly anticipated for the coming year would all become his harbingers of death.
As soon as one of them was born, what awaited him would not be the stabilization of his reign, but rivers of blood.
When the news of Baili Ziyun's pregnancy reached the Four Oceans Pavilion, Yizixie summoned everyone to discuss a matter.
Sima Han was destined to inherit the throne.
Not to mention that it was originally his position, but also considering that the entire Shui clan had long since lost the talent to govern Great Chu.
Therefore, Sima Han's return was inevitable.
Since he had to return, there was now an excellent opportunity.
"Lin Xiaowei and Baili Ziyun are both restless women. They will not be content to live peacefully simply because they have given birth to a son who can become the Crown Prince."
"Lin Xiaowei is meticulous in her calculations and ruthless in her methods, both towards herself and her enemies. She despises Sima Zhu, yet she endures him, her ambition undoubtedly being the entire empire."
After Yizixie finished speaking, Shen Xiaoyan's eyes lit up.
She hadn't expected Yizixie to be such a competent Grand Tutor.
After only a few encounters, he had completely analyzed Lin Xiaowei.
If she hadn't been a transmigrator, she would probably just think Lin Xiaowei was a disloyal maidservant who climbed into her master's bed.
Yizixie paused and continued, "As for Baili Ziyun, she is not intelligent, but she is capricious, unreasonable, and wild. We have dealt with her so many times, and she has suffered so much, yet she still isn't honest. Whenever there is an opportunity, she will try to counterattack."
"It is said that like mother, like daughter, and this applies in reverse as well. Like daughter, like mother. Grand Princess Zàn Dé is also no easy opponent. As for Baili Hao, he is a viper hidden in the darkness. Moreover, with the grievances between him and Zheng Xiang, he desires even greater power to launch a decisive blow."
"Therefore, as soon as Baili Ziyun gives birth to a male child, Grand Princess Zàn Dé will likely raise an army in rebellion."
Yizixie's words stunned everyone in the room.
They had never imagined things would develop to this point.
"So, Sima Zhu, who so eagerly awaits his two sons, turns out they are both his harbingers of death. How ridiculous that he cherishes them, sending them golden jewelry, luxurious clothing, and fine food every day, wishing he could hold them in his hands or even have them in his mouth," Lu Taobao said sarcastically.
Although Lu Taobao had once held some reverence for the Emperor, ever since Sima Zhu threatened him by capturing his relatives, he had longed to sneak into the Forbidden City and kill Sima Zhu.
Now, hearing that Sima Zhu was about to face misfortune, he was naturally delighted.
"Your tone is too obviously gloating," Shen Xiaoyan chuckled.
Lu Taobao shook his head at her words, "I am not gloating."
After speaking, he paused and continued, "I plan to twist the knife."
Shen Xiaoyan:!
Indeed, the hatred ran deep.
Just thinking of the way Sima Zhu looked at her back then, Shen Xiaoyan felt that she also wanted to twist the knife.
"Alright, enough nonsense. Listen to me continue," Yizixie interrupted their conversation and said, "Sima Han, do you know what you should do next?"
Sima Han nodded, "I need troops and provisions to turn the tide at the most opportune moment."
Yizixie nodded with satisfaction, "Therefore, you must go to the Grand Empress Dowager and find every way to have the Grand Empress Dowager transfer Zheng Xiang's military power to you."
At this statement, everyone in the room was stunned.
Shen Xiaoyan had thought that Yizixie intended for Sima Han to recruit soldiers.
As if sensing Shen Xiaoyan's thoughts, Yizixie said, "It's too late to recruit soldiers now. Even if we gather enough, they will all be green recruits. Therefore, we must use the best resources we have. The army of Great Chu is no better than the one Zheng Xiang commands."
Even Shen Xiaoyan had to admit that Yizixie's words were very sound.
With enough provisions, one could indeed recruit soldiers. As long as the bounty was high enough, people would be willing to enlist.
However, what use would such soldiers be?
Ordinary soldiers, without a year or two of training, would hardly become effective.
In history, many dynasties had recruited soldiers before battles, but how many had managed to turn the tide?
Even if they won in numbers, they were far inferior in strength.
Therefore, Yizixie's words also earned the agreement of everyone in the room.
Since there was no other way, they had to obtain military power in the shortest possible time and put it into Sima Han's hands.
Although there were at least seven or eight months before Lin Xiaowei and Baili Ziyun gave birth, once military power was in Sima Han's hands, he would need to completely control these people.
Otherwise, if they were disloyal and Zheng Xiang rallied them when chaos erupted, it would be a great joke.
No one could afford such a mistake.
Moreover, opportunities were fleeting. If they didn't seize this chance and strike decisively, it would be very difficult to turn the tide later.
Even if they succeeded, it would be at the cost of countless lives.
Not only that, but they would also likely be branded as rebels.
Sima Han had been deep in thought, and it was unclear what he was pondering.
After a while, he finally looked up and said to Yizixie, "Then, what should I do now..."
"You only have two options now. One is to make Sima Hao trust you, and then persuade Sima Zhu to temporarily hand over military power to you, using the excuse of letting you train."