The atmosphere was tense and the weather hot. After everyone had eaten, they dispersed.
Once all had left, Consort Hui took Consort Cheng Pin’s hand, consoling her.
"Don’t take it to heart. The Emperor is at the front lines and has more important matters to attend to. Once the Emperor returns, he will surely name the Second Prince as soon as possible!"
In fact, Consort Cheng Pin wasn’t very concerned about it and just smiled.
"Consort Hui, what are you saying? The state of the nation is of utmost importance. As long as our Imperial Son is safe and healthy, I am content!"
Seeing that she did not seem to be speaking falsely, Consort Hui also smiled.
"I’m relieved that you can think this way. In this palace, there are many times when one has no control over their life. Even the Emperor isn’t always free to do as he wishes. All we can do is show understanding towards each other."
"Thank you for your guidance, Consort Hui."
Consort Cheng Pin bowed her head in gratitude.
Consort Hui smiled, gave a few words of advice, then left.
The palace returned to its usual tranquility.
However, with the Noble Consort confined, Consort Ning couldn’t help feeling smug. After all, she was the senior-most in the palace. She was not content with Consort Hui in charge of The Six Palaces. But Consort Hui was a clever person. No matter how much Consort Ning nitpicked, she would steady herself and not respond.
After her repeated provocations met with no response, Consort Ning grew tired of it. Finding it meaningless, she just stayed put, behaving herself.
As for everyone else, they had even less to say. The Emperor wasn’t in the palace, so there was nothing to fight over. The weather was hot; it was better to conserve one’s energy.
While the Harem remained calm, Guangnan was showing signs of unrest.
It only took Shih Heng ten days to travel from the Capital City to Guangnan. Already frail, the non-stop journey left him extremely ragged upon arrival. Furthermore, what awaited him was not the command of troops in battle, as he had expected. Instead, upon his arrival, the Emperor had him confined. He was not allowed to leave and was watched day and night by two soldiers, making him dependent on them for his every need.
Shih Heng was nearly driven mad.
This is practically house arrest!
He bribed the two guards with the last two Jade Pendants he had on him, and only then did he pry a few words out of them.
"Your sister offended Consort Xian in the palace! Consort Xian is a Favored Consort of the Emperor, a person close to his heart! The Emperor cannot take action against the Noble Consort and the Empress Dowager, so he took it out on you!"
Having heard this, Shih Heng felt a chill in his heart.
So I wasn’t brought here to lead troops into battle!
His sister had previously said that Lady Xia’s brothers could lead troops and achieve merit, but he couldn’t. He had been disdainful at the time, claiming that given the chance, he certainly could.
Now, look at this! I’ve arrived at the military camp, alright, but I was immediately locked up. Earn merits? What a joke! Who says a hoodlum doesn’t have aspirations? I had plenty, alright! But now, what good are aspirations?
Shih Heng’s arrival didn’t stir any noticeable disruption within the military ranks. Even Zhao Junyao had entirely forgotten about this trivial matter. He was too busy. With a battle imminent between the two armies, he simply couldn’t spare the time.
On this day, the weather was scorching, and the air stifling. In Zhao Junyao’s tent, officials of varying ranks and skilled generals from the Imperial Court were gathered.
They were discussing battle strategy. The discussion was heated, and everyone voiced their opinions. Naturally, everyone’s expressions were solemn, as if facing a formidable enemy. Indeed, the enemy was powerful.
Zhao Junyao had poured over the histories of the Southern Ocean Kingdom and Lvsong Island several times. He had also sent many people to the area to gather intelligence. In the end, he summarized the information as follows:
Both the Southern Ocean Kingdom and Lvsong Island were island nations, highly skilled in naval warfare but not adept at land warfare.
Moreover, the Southern Ocean Kingdom had just undergone a coup. The new Monarch’s name was Arubasi. He was a man of pirate origins who, with his brave and adept fighting skills, had overthrown the old Royal Family. This Royal Family had ruled the Southern Ocean Kingdom for over a hundred years before Arubasi made himself Emperor.
Zhao Junyao had also discovered that this man was naturally courageous. Not only was he brave and good at fighting, but he also used his troops cunningly. The fact that he had managed to defeat the old Royal Family in just a few decades demonstrated how formidable he was.
If I’m not mistaken, the instigator of this war is none other than this bastard!
The Southern Ocean Kingdom was nothing more than an island. Resources were extremely scarce. Most common people did not farm, living off the mountains and the sea instead. Being able to fill their bellies was already a stroke of luck, let alone any sort of prosperity.
And this bastard Arubasi must have learned from merchants that on the other side of the ocean, there was such a prosperous place, like a fairyland on earth. He grew covetous, and a desire to plunder was born, which is why he sailed across the sea to strike.
Indeed, a thief is always a thief. Even if they don the guise of a legitimate Royal Family, he’s nothing but a monkey dressed in silks.