After the three talked about Bai Su, they talked about Rong Wu’s investigation of Huainan. In order to avoid alerting the enemy, Rong Wu hadn’t sent any news recently.

However, the things sent by the shadow guards last time had already been examined by the Supreme Court’s coroner, Chen Sheng. They were all newly buried bones, and the initial estimate was that the date of death was within two months.

In other words … there was a huge burial pit in Huainan, and at least a portion of the people buried there had died in this winter.

Heh … so many people had died, and they said that the people were deeply grateful to the court?

Duan Changchuan wanted nothing more than to crush the teacup in his hand.

Investigate Huainan thoroughly!

Absolutely necessary.

–

At this time, the three were sitting around a sand map of Datong.

“If we want to investigate Huainan thoroughly, we must send a trustworthy army. Otherwise, there will be many obstacles. No matter how many people we send, we will lose.”

As Yun Xie spoke, he inserted the markers into Huainan, the western border, and the southern border. “Huainan is located in the hinterland of our country, and not close to the western border and southern border armies.”

Feng Yao grabbed a handful of fine white sand and scattered it in a moment to separate the two borders into Huainan.

“If I remember correctly, these two roads are the shortest. But if we look at the straight distance, the south and west are the same, but if we look at the route, the southern border is faster. There are many mountains in the western border, and it is difficult for horses to travel.”

Yun Xie’s eyes lit up, “Then the heavens are helping us. If something happens in Huainan, wouldn’t we have sufficient reason to dispatch the southern border army to assist in the investigation?”

Duan Changchuan looked at the two routes scattered by the white sand and frowned, “If the western border and southern border armies took this route, it would only take two or three days. However, the western border is a natural moat, easy to defend and difficult to attack. The southern border is open land, and there are more enemy invasions. Every sentry post is inseparable from the guards. If discussed it at the court, the ministers would be more inclined to dispatch the western border soldiers.”

And the western border was guarded by Duan Qinxue’s uncle.

If the western border army was dispatched to Huainan, it might not be assistance, it would be an outright cover-up for the Regent. If he wanted to do something, it would be as easy as flipping his hand.

And the southern border was guarded by Duan Changchuan’s uncle.

When it was discussed in court, the Regent would definitely do his best to suppress the southern border and would absolutely not let the southern border armies take even half a step.

Of course, Duan Changchuan would also argue for it. The final result would be transferring the Ministry of War from Shengjing.

Once Shengjing sent troops, it would involve the various forces in the imperial court, and the situation would only become more complicated.

Furthermore, if the Regent knew that Huainan was going to be investigated, he would also send people over to erase the clues. If that was the case, Rong Wu would most likely die in Huainan.

For a moment, the room fell into silence. The three of them frowned and fell into deep thought. None of them spoke.

The young emperor sitting in the middle bit his lips tightly and clenched his fists so tightly that they dug into his flesh.

It was another dead end.

It was not easy to get hold of the Regent’s party, but because the Regent covered the sky with one hand in the imperial court, it became a dead end.

The young man’s clear eyes gradually sank. Their forces on the surface had already been eaten away to the point where very little was left.

Now, the emperor, who had just come of age and needed to show his talent, had become a trapped beast in a cage … He had a pair of sharp claws but was helpless against the prison walls on all sides.

After a long silence, the usually gentle young emperor’s dark eyes were as dark as ink, said, “He has operated in the imperial court for twenty years. I will not meet force with force on the surface. I will play with him in the dark.”

His voice was clear and cold, with a hint of ruthlessness.

“Show him our cards. Expand the Huainan matter to the greatest extent. Investigate it ruthlessly and thoroughly. Those who are guilty will be punished. Those who are innocent, as long as they are under the Regent’s command, will be punished until the end. This time, I will pull out all the chess pieces he has buried in the Southern Border.”

When Yun Xie heard this, he excitedly whistled.

He tossed the jade token in his hand high into the air and teasingly made a “tsk” sound, and said, “Oh, our gentleman has finally thought it through? Like I said, if you want to win, you have to do whatever it takes. Who is honorable here? Is he, Duan Jing’an, honorable? When it’s time to be a gentleman, we will be a gentleman. When it’s time to be a villain, we will be a villain.”

“Say, how will we show our cards? All of them? Everyone in my Bai Mu Palace has been waiting to take care of him for more than ten years.”

The youth was too excited. Duan Changchuan glanced at him coolly and said, “The card I said was not this one.”

Yun Xie almost didn’t catch the jade token he threw out, “If you don’t show Bai Mu Palace, then what cards do you have? Don’t tell me you want to show the hidden guards? Don’t mess around. The hidden guards are called hidden guards, isn’t it because they can’t be exposed? If you send them to do things outside, who else can protect you?”

“This time, we are going to peel off a layer of the Regent’s skin in one fell swoop. What if that old fellow loses his mind and directly kills the monarch?”

Sending out all the hidden guards was the same as removing Duan Changchuan’s protective umbrella in the palace. And his faction’s General Rong Wu had been ordered to Huainan to investigate.

If Duan Jingan was really driven mad and directly forced to abdicate, Duan Changchuan might not even have a rescue in the depths of the palace.

Although the imperial bodyguards were all carefully selected men of Datong, and each of them could fight against a hundred people. However, Duan Jingan had many soldiers in Shengjing under his control. If something really happened, they would be unreliable.

Moreover, it was hard to say whether this group of people was loyal or not. Only the hidden guards who had been by his father’s side since childhood and had been personally trained by him could be trusted with their lives.

The young emperor was not afraid at all. He said casually, “Taking a risk out of desperation can also be considered a method. As a monarch, I naturally have my own luck. If I fall here, then I am destined to not obtain this position.”

Yun Xie was about to go crazy, “When did you start to believe in luck? Besides, even if there is such a thing as luck, can it be used like this? You know that there is a tiger in the mountain, but you want to bet on whether this tiger will come out of its nest today?”

“What’s wrong with calling a few more people to fight the tiger together? No matter what, you have to keep your life first. Otherwise, what’s the point of Aunt and I working so hard for so many years? Could it be that it’s to collect your corpse more properly? I don’t agree.”

Hearing the words “collect the corpse”, Feng Yao, who had been silent all this time, said sternly, “Yun’er, don’t talk nonsense.”

The youth hugged his folding fan and resentfully shut his mouth. He dared to be angry but didn’t dare to speak, but he was still angry.

Feng Yao was much calmer than him. She had been silent and thinking.

Then she slowly said, “Your Majesty’s decision this time is not impossible. Although this decision is risky, the southern border has Your Majesty’s uncle as a deterrent and they are famous for their prowess. If the Regent wants to abdicate the emperor, he will have to consider whether the country he seized can be stable. Besides, Yun’er and I don’t know how many hidden guards Your Majesty has. The Regent also doesn’t know.”

Duan Changchuan said, “But Father once left the hidden guards to me. Everyone in the court knows this.”

“The matter in Huainan is indeed no small matter. But for the Regent, even if he loses, he will only lose his right arm. But in the Regent’s heart, Your Majesty has bet everything. If you lose, you will no longer have the confidence to make a comeback.”

The two sides’ chips were actually not much different, but if the other side underestimated the enemy, then it would be different.

The young emperor who had been gloomy just a moment ago suddenly raised an arrogant smile. With a crack, he folded the blue flag of Huainan and replaced it with a bright yellow one.

Duan Changchuan said, “I am not afraid of losing, but I will win.”

–

Duan Changchuan discussed the countermeasures with Feng Yao and left the Imperial Astronomical Bureau. Outside the courtyard, the hibiscus flowers bloomed just right.

The two people bowed one after the other, “We respectfully see you off, Your Majesty.”

One of them spoke respectfully, while the other’s voice was frivolous.

Duan Changchuan curved his lips and said, “No need to see me off. Next time, I will come to drink Aunt’s tea.”

“Feng Yao respectfully awaits Your Majesty at any time.”

The young man then turned and left. The Imperial Astronomical Bureau’s door also slowly closed.

The two people’s conversation could be heard across the vermilion wall.

“Still angry?”

“How would I dare? You are so powerful. I am just a firecracker.”

“Then you’re still angry.”

“I already said I’m not angry.”

“Oh.”

“Oh … what? What do you know about it?! Give me money, I want to eat at Yu Jin Restaurant.”

“What do you want to eat? Can’t the cooks in the bureau make it?”

“I want to go to Yu Jin Restaurant to see the girls and listen to the songs. Are you going to get the cook to sing for me?”

Duan Changchuan couldn’t hear what Yun Xie said after that. But, he had already walked far away when he heard Yun Xie’s angry shout. His voice was so loud that all the birds in the garden were scared away.

Duan Changchuan stopped in his tracks and shook his head helplessly.

As the saying goes … in this world, there is always something to overcome another.

–

When he returned to Ming Sheng Hall, he received a message from the Grand Tutor in the evening, saying that the Spring Examinations had ended and the examination papers had been sent to the Cabinet for review by several selected graders. The results could be released in seven days at most.

When it was time for dinner, the Empress Dowager walked over leisurely, saying that she had asked Imperial Physician Fang and personally cooked medicinal porridge for him.

During this period, the mother was kind and the son was filial. The two of them got along quite well.

Duan Changchuan rarely experienced the feeling of being cared for by his mother. He was still a little absent-minded when he saw the Empress Dowager out.

Chang Le wiped the corners of her eyes, “That’s great … I’m happy that the Empress Dowager cares so much about His Majesty.”

Duan Changchuan looked at the leaving luxurious carriage and whispered to himself, “Is that so …? I’m happy too.”

However, he was thinking of another person.

Yun Xie said that she was the one who had single-handedly challenged all the officials at the banquet and had rendered everyone speechless.

Perhaps … it was because of her quarrel with the Empress Dowager that his mother showed her concern which had been delayed for many years …

Bai Su.

The young man silently chewed on this name in his heart …

What was she doing at the moment?

Had she eaten yet?

The day before yesterday, the teacher told him that the Empress had a photographic memory and was extremely intelligent. She had read books and had her own opinions. When it came to politics, she was sometimes more original than his teacher.

In short, she was a woman who was not inferior to men at all.

He didn’t know if it was because he felt it in his heart … but he saw it in front of his eyes.

Just as his mother left, he dazedly saw another figure.

In the dark night, a bright red brocade embroidered with a flapping phoenix walked towards him with a lantern.

“Why are you standing at the door in a daze? I heard that the Empress Dowager came to see you. Why, did she bully you again?”

The woman stood on the ivory-white stone steps and looked up at him quietly. Her curved eyebrows seemed to be filled with stars in the sky.

The young man blinked and came back to his senses. He quickly stepped aside to let her in, saying, “No … why are you here?”

The woman smiled and said, “Nothing much. I just came over to take a look.”

Then she followed him into the inner hall.

When they were outside, they didn’t find it obvious. After entering the room, they found that the Alpha emitted a strong pheromone.

He smelled it all the way from his nose to his lungs and into every inch of his blood.

She was comforting him.

He had experienced this a few nights ago when he was suddenly attacked.

This morning … there was one as well.

When he woke up, his whole body was soaked in this kind of pheromone.

Meanwhile, the person who was hugging him was still subconsciously releasing comforting pheromones from the back of her neck in her sleep.

“You …” The young man pursed his lips and spoke softly. But he didn’t know what to say …

Feng Yao said that his union with Bai Su had given the Emperor Star a new lease on life. They were destined to give birth to a prince who would carry the heavy responsibility of the country.

If it was fated …

If it was her.

The young Emperor was decisive when it came to political matters, but when facing his new wife, he only dared to sneak a peek at her, but he couldn’t say a word. Her face was suspiciously red.

“Hmm? What happened?”

Bai Su saw that he only said one word and did not continue, so she decided to speak directly.

Seeing the young man hemming and hawing, saying, “Uh … I just want to ask, if releasing so much of that pheromone will affect the body?”

It was obvious that this was not what he wanted to say.

But Bai Su still answered patiently, “It won’t.”

“Oh …”

The two of them were silent for a moment.

Duan Changchuan sat at the table and looked at the students of the various sects in the examination, preparing to write some notes.

Bai Su had nothing to do, so she took over Chang Le’s job and helped him grind the ink.

The ink stick rubbed gently against the flask, making a delicate rustling sound.

Red sleeves with fragrances … And a beauty by his side …

Especially the fragrance of peony, which came from his side in wisps …

Duan Changchuan held the weasel brush in his hand. His head was blurry, and his concentration was much worse. After a long time, he didn’t notice many people.

“Something on your mind?”

He was staring blankly at the booklet in his hand when he heard Bai Su ask him softly.

It was probably because he had been distracted too many times that it attracted her attention.

The next moment, a slender and beautiful hand appeared on the booklet. She pointed at the words on it and asked him, “Lin Qing …? Is there a problem with this person?”

Only then did he realize that he had unknowingly turned to the page with Lin Qing’s name written on it, and the tip of the brush had been hovering on it for a while. It was also an inexplicable fate.

He pursed his lips and deliberated before speaking, “He’s a scholar from a poor family. I heard that … he has a very high reputation among the students.”

As he spoke, he observed the woman’s reaction. However, the other party didn’t have any special reaction.

She only said, “Oh, he failed the examination four years ago? After working hard for another four years, he should be able to enter this year.”

In fact, Bai Su’s reaction was completely understandable to anyone else.

There were countless scholars like Lin Qing in the whole of Shengjing, let alone the whole of Datong.

So what if he was famous among the students? He had no status or background. If he couldn’t shine in the examination, how could he enter the eyes of the emperor of the imperial family?

But he was Bai Su’s lover.

A lover who had privately pledged to be with her for life …

The young man turned to look at Bai Su. His eyes were blank and dark, hiding an inquisitive look.

Bai Su was a little confused by his gaze and asked, “He … uh, is there something special about him?”

In response, she heard a soft voice, “No.”

It sounded like a cat scratching, and there was some grievance in it.

Bai Su:???

What … was going on?

She clearly didn’t do anything, but why did she have an inexplicable feeling … that she had done something shameful?

This child’s reaction …

It was as if she was a scumbag.