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Fei Yanchen handled many things behind the scenes.
Even though Shen Yu’an possessed the advantage of knowing the storyline, the original book didn’t elaborate much on the preparations of the main antagonist. Therefore, she had no clear idea of the extent of Fei Yanchen’s preparations.
What Shen Yu’an didn’t know was that not long ago, Fei Yanchen had already privately sought out General Qi of Xiangnan.
The southern border was adjacent to the Liang Kingdom, and there was relative peace between the two nations. Their interactions were frequent, leading to prosperity along the southern border.
However, the situation was different on the western border of Great Wei, where Prince Wuding used to be stationed.
The Prince Wuding’s family was recalled to the capital, and the administration of the western border was taken over by the forces of the fourth prince’s maternal family.
The people in charge of the western border had never fought a battle before and were unable to resist the raids from the barbarians.
Currently, knowing that Prince Wuding was absent, those barbarians frequently launched probing attacks, causing immense suffering to the local population.
Unfortunately, the old Emperor’s health was deteriorating by the day, and he couldn’t even control his own sons.
The invasions on the western border were hidden and not reported by the fourth prince’s maternal family.
The group of soldiers who had been loyal to Prince Wuding were suppressed because they didn’t easily submit to the authority of the new general.
When Fei Yanchen privately met with General Qi, he presented all the information he had gathered from his subordinates, placing it squarely on the fourth prince’s shoulders for him to see.
Since it was the maternal family of the fourth prince involved, attributing their actions to him wasn’t unreasonable.
Moreover, the things they had done couldn’t be entirely innocent, and the fourth prince couldn’t be absolved of all responsibility.
Fei Yanchen naturally pinned these wrongdoings on him, with the aim of persuading Qi Wenzhen to join his side.
In the dream, Qi Wenzhen’s decision to stand with him in the end wasn’t solely due to his bond with Prince Wuding. It was more about his profound disappointment with the royal family, prompting him to take the risky path of aligning with Fei Yanchen.
On that day, Fei Yanchen arrived uninvited at General Xiangnan’s residence after deep into the night.
Qi Wenzhen was working in his study, with one oil lamp brightly lit while another remained dim. Suddenly, a figure appeared.
As a military general responsible for guarding the border, Qi Wenzhen’s martial skills were naturally commendable. He grabbed the sword by the table and engaged in a fight with the intruder.
And the visitor who had come in the dead of night was none other than Fei Yanchen.
In the dimly lit room, within a moment, the two had already exchanged blows over a hundred times.
After a brief moment, both Fei Yanchen and Qi Wenzhen simultaneously put away their weapons and stood two meters apart.
Qi Wenzhen had only seen Fei Yanchen when he was young, and his ability to recognize him during their skirmish was largely due to the striking resemblance between the grown-up Fei Yanchen and Prince Wuding.
Qi Wenzhen excitedly took a couple of steps forward with his weapon in hand, saying, “Nephew Yanchen?”
Fei Yanchen reinserted his sword into its sheath and performed a respectful bow as a junior, saying, “Uncle Qi, it’s been a while.”
The news of Fei Yanchen’s disappearance and uncertain fate had spread throughout Great Wei, including to Qi Wenzhen.
Upon hearing Fei Yanchen’s response, Qi Wenzhen knew that this was indeed him.
He casually placed his weapon on the table, and the clash between the metal and wood reverberated.
He took a couple of steps forward, standing in front of Fei Yanchen. Seeing that he was unharmed, he raised his big hand and patted Fei Yanchen’s shoulder vigorously twice.
“Being alive is what matters! Being alive is what matters!”
“Since when you are here in the City? Do you know that they’re searching for you in the capital?”
“Where have you been these past few months? There hasn’t been any news from you. I thought you might have lost your life, you brat.”
“For now, let’s put that aside. I can’t often meet with your father either. Since you’re here at Uncle’s place, just stay here peacefully for a while. Tomorrow, I’ll send a letter to the capital. They’ll know that you’re alive.”
Seeing that Fei Yanchen had survived to this point, Qi Wenzhen was also surprised and rambled on with many words.
Fei Yanchen sat down across from him at the table.
In a serious tone, he said, “I came to this area some time ago, but I’ve been pursued and hunted down recently. I got injured and couldn’t move around easily, which is why I haven’t come to visit Uncle. Please don’t blame me.”
Qi Wenzhen naturally wouldn’t hold such a trivial matter against him, but he still exclaimed, “Hunted down! What happened? Who is chasing you?”
Qi Wenzhen’s hand gripped the hilt of his sword again, seemingly ready for a battle the moment Fei Yanchen mentioned a reason.
Fei Yanchen didn’t reveal who was chasing him; instead, he talked about the situation in the western border.
Listening to Fei Yanchen’s words, Qi Wenzhen’s initial anger gradually subsided.
He looked at Fei Yanchen, his tone hesitant, “Are you implying that the people pursuing you might be from the capital?”
Fei Yanchen was straightforward, “They are from the imperial court.”
Since he wanted to persuade Qi Wenzhen, Fei Yanchen wouldn’t conceal this fact.
Only by letting Qi Wenzhen see the fate of those who risked their lives for the royal family would his conviction waver.
Having shared a lifetime of collaboration with Qi Wenzhen in his dream, Fei Yanchen knew what kind of person he was.
Qi Wenzhen fell into silence, and it took nearly half a pot of tea’s worth of time before he spoke again, “Nephew Yanchen, could you have misunderstood?”
Fei Yanchen shook his head and dropped another bombshell.
“Before they summoned us back to the capital, my father received invitations from different princes.”
“I don’t know if Uncle Qi is aware that due to the Emperor’s serious illness, officials in the capital are pressuring to crown a crown prince.”
“My father and the imperial uncle share a deep brotherly bond, so they naturally wouldn’t take sides while the Emperor is gravely ill and the crown prince is undecided. That’s when we received the order to return to the capital.”
“And my reluctance to return is also because my family members haven’t simply been summoned to the capital. Currently, my father, mother, and little sister are being held captive in the mansion, and my sister is trapped within the palace…”
Prince Wuding (Fei Yanchen’s Father) and the current Emperor had a close bond since childhood. Before the current Emperor ascended the throne, Prince Wuding didn’t hesitate to support his faction.
This is why Fei Yanchen could address the current emperor as “imperial uncle,” and they received imperial favor. Their family members were all stationed in the western border, so there was no need to leave hostages in the capital.
Yet, they still couldn’t escape the fate of being suspected by the monarch after achieving great power.
For military commanders like Qi Wenzhen, who held significant forces, leaving a hostage behind in the capital was a common practice.
In the case of the Qi family, Qi Wenzhen’s eldest son and Qi Wenyong’s second son were left in the capital.
Qi Wenzhen looked at Fei Yanchen solemnly and asked, “What do you mean?”
Fei Yanchen smiled and asked, “Uncle Qi should understand that imperial uncle (Current Emperor) is currently in a weak position, yet he has not chosen a crown prince. The princes in the capital must all be vying for that position.”
“Nephew Yanchen wants to ask Uncle if you have already decided which side to stand with?”
Qi Wenzhen tightened his lips and lowered his gaze.
He was contemplating the purpose behind Fei Yanchen’s sudden visit to his residence tonight.
After being missing for so long and not showing himself to the public, could it be that he came tonight solely to ask about his stance?
At the same time, Qi Wenzhen indeed pondered over the princes in the capital, both the of-age and underage ones.
But, to speak quite irreverently, other than the relatively better reputation of the fourth prince, the other princes who had already come of age were either foolish or wicked, or perhaps both.
If someone like that were to become emperor, the suffering of the people of Great Wei could be easily foreseen.
He had thought it through in his mind and was prepared to speak.
However, Fei Yanchen suddenly stood up and handed him a book, cutting off the words he was about to say.