On the second day after Xiao Heng’s wedding, two major events occurred in Luoyang.

The first was intelligence reports that the former Chief Minister of the Court and Lieutenant of the Imperial Guards, An Youliang, had led the Imperial Guards to Fengxiang.

The second was that the Director of the Bureau of Astronomy, Gao Cheng, suddenly submitted a memorial stating, “The comet is in the sky, disaster will soon follow.” Upon hearing this, the regent, Li Jichang, became very worried and asked, “What do you think we should do, my dear minister?” Gao Cheng responded, “Relocating the capital to Bianzhou will solve this.”

Everyone knew that Bianzhou was where Li Jichang had started his career, and it was the capital of his military command in Henan.

Li Jichang couldn’t help but feel overjoyed at the suggestion. Despite numerous objections from the old ministers of the Yan dynasty, he concluded the discussion with a decision to “choose a good day and move the capital.”

Since entering the capital, he had first slaughtered the royal heirs, then proclaimed himself regent, and now, he was deciding to move the capital to Bianzhou. Everyone could see that the next step would be for him to declare himself emperor.

That night, Duan Yunfeng gathered several of his generals at his residence to discuss these two matters.

“As I see it, we should just march straight in! What need for an imperial edict? Just give me ten thousand troops, and I’ll send An Youliang’s head over!” The man speaking was Gao Tai, a man in his thirties, with a powerful build and a very fierce demeanor. He had once been Duan Yunsheng’s deputy and had a deep hatred for An Youliang.

Many of the generals under the King of the North’s command were descendants of nomadic tribes, and like Gao Tai, they had come from humble origins, displaying an extremely aggressive fighting style.

Zhou Ye, a seasoned strategist from the Hedong faction sent by the King of the North to assist Duan Yunfeng, shook his head. “That’s not wise. Right now, the court is without a ruler, and the situation is chaotic. If we attack Fengxiang rashly now, we’ll be acting without justification. Moreover, to get to Fengxiang, we’ll have to pass through Western Capital Chang’an or Yan Zhou. The governor of Western Capital, Yin, hasn’t made his stance clear and might not allow us to pass. As for Sun Haohan, the governor of Yan Zhou, he’s a traitor and has a deep blood feud with the king, so he’ll surely try to stop us.”

Gao Tai countered, “What does the strategist suggest then?”

When Duan Yunfeng’s father had sent Zhou Ye to Luoyang, he had given him one important instruction: everything else was secondary, but it was essential that he bring Duan Yunfeng back to Hedong safely. If it weren’t for Duan Yunfeng’s father being injured in the battle at Hangu Pass, it would have been him leading the charge now. Duan Yu had been adamant that his precious son must not come to harm, and if he found any trace of An Youliang, he would personally lead the charge.

Zhou Ye replied, “In my opinion, it’s better for the heir to first lead the troops back to Taiyuan, meet up with the King of the North’s forces, and then wait and observe the situation, gradually planning our next steps.”

Gao Tai was the first to object. “If we return to Hedong like this, what happens if Li Jichang really relocates the capital to Bianzhou and claims the throne? Do you expect us to continue paying tribute to him? He’s only been regent for a few days and is already acting like an emperor. If he can become emperor, what will happen to our king…?”

“Do not speak recklessly!” Zhou Ye immediately interrupted, seeing Gao Tai becoming increasingly unrestrained in his words.

As Zhou Ye and Gao Tai began to exchange sharp words, Duan Yunfeng remained silent and instead turned to Xiao Heng, who was sitting beside him. He asked, “What do you think, Princess?”

All the generals turned their attention to Xiao Heng.

The Prince of the North’s camp typically traveled with the princess, and it was common for him to discuss strategies in front of the generals with her. To them, since the Yan princess had married their heir, she was considered one of their own.

Xiao Heng picked up a brush and wrote on a piece of paper:

— “Now, with Li Jichang purging the old ministers and suggesting a move of the capital, it is clear that he intends to become emperor. The court has long been divided, and forces across the land are stirring. After his appointment as regent, the majority of the Guanzhong region, including Fengxiang and Western Capital Chang’an, only recognize the Xiao family’s emperor and do not acknowledge Li Jichang’s regency. The rebel forces in Shu have killed the governor of Jiannan and all other officials appointed by the court. The leaders of the Shuo Fang and Long You military commands, who each command tens of thousands of troops, have received the imperial edict but have neither responded nor paid tribute, instead choosing to wait and see, leaving themselves room to maneuver.”

— “This is the best opportunity for the King of the North to support the Xiao family. All we need is to support a Xiao emperor, then rally the old Yan faction, and we can seize Fengxiang in the name of removing the unfaithful and destroy An Youliang.”

Gao Tai immediately slammed the table. “Well said! What’s the use of that eunuch An Youliang issuing orders in the name of the emperor? No matter how much he relies on the heavens or the earth, it’s far better to get our own emperor!”

Zhou Ye thought for a moment. “But in this case, the alliance with King Chu may be broken.”

Gao Tai responded, “Let it break! What are we afraid of? The alliance only called for joint action against the three-town coalition. It never said anything about recognizing him as emperor! Doesn’t this mean he’s the one who broke the alliance first? Besides, if he hadn’t used the momentum of our army’s alliance to take over Hebei and Shannan, could he have succeeded on his own?”

When Duan Yunfeng led his troops to aid the King of the North, Li Jichang had neither sent troops nor mentioned an alliance. It wasn’t until Duan Yunfeng’s decisive victory, breaking the coalition army, that Li Jichang proposed an alliance and then used that to strengthen his position by attacking the coalition forces, ultimately taking control of Hebei and Shannan, doubling his power.

Xiao Heng continued writing on the paper:

— “The struggle for dominance in the Central Plains will inevitably lead to conflict in the future. Right now, Li Jichang is eager to declare himself emperor, but his foundation is unstable. Forces from all directions are stirring. If you support the Xiao royal family now, you will be recognized as the legitimate ruler, as the one who upholds loyalty and righteousness, the one who has the people’s support and the mandate of heaven. With the legitimacy of the Xiao dynasty and the King of the North’s power, you only need to raise your hand, and the forces still loyal to the Yan dynasty, those who fear Li Jichang, will naturally come to your side. If you hesitate, show cowardice, and fail to act, you will miss the opportunity and allow Li Jichang to continue expanding his influence. Once he has firmly secured half of the empire, will those wavering regional powers still listen to you?”

Zhou Ye looked at the words Xiao Heng had written and couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe. The person before him had a deep and unfathomable mind, and he felt a bit shocked as he said, “Princess, you… are you planning to seize the world?”

Xiao Heng wrote:

— “If you aim for the highest, you will gain something; if you aim for something in the middle, you will gain something lower; but if you aim too low, you will gain nothing.”

Now, with the imperial court in decline and the Xiao family weakened, in these chaotic times, if you don’t actively compete, you will be crushed underfoot, at the mercy of others. First, it was An Youliang, now it is Li Jichang.

If you aim to be a minor regional lord, you must still see whether others will allow you to occupy Hedong, a strategically important region with tens of thousands of troops at your command.

Zhou Ye fell silent.

Gao Tai immediately expressed his support, “I agree with the princess’s view!”

He was used to being straightforward and detested losing out in strategies, especially when arguing with cultured individuals. Seeing Zhou Ye, usually so eloquent, left speechless, Gao Tai couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction and almost wanted to applaud the princess.

Xiao Heng glanced down at Duan Yunfeng, who was absentmindedly playing with his hair, furrowing her brows. She reached out and turned his face toward her. The words she had just written weren’t for Gao Tai or Zhou Ye.

“Ah…” Duan Yunfeng gently pried her fingers from his cheeks, watching the usually composed strategist, who had served with his father for many years, falter in front of Xiao Heng. He found it quite amusing. He slowly smiled and said, “The princess is correct. As loyal subjects of Yan, we must make it our duty to restore the Yan dynasty. Now that the emperor is missing, the court cannot remain without a ruler.”

His words had clearly indicated his stance.

Xiao Heng, of course, was well aware.

Duan Yunfeng had been so decisive because he had already formed his own opinion.

Duan Yunfeng’s deputy, Song Shiyu, who had been silent during the previous debate, spoke up at this point. “But the Emperor Jianing has no heirs, and his brothers were all executed by King Chu for treason. Who, then, in Luoyang is fit to succeed?”

Xiao Heng picked up the brush and wrote:

— “He can kill, but you can’t find someone? The world is so vast, can’t you find a Xiao family descendant? Just follow the family tree and search.”

Song Shiyu: “…”

Why did it feel like when the princess mentioned the imperial heirs, it was as casual as picking a pig from the market? Is that… really the right approach?

Duan Yunfeng laughed, glancing sideways at Xiao Heng. “I see the princess’s surname is ‘Xiao.’ How about I conquer the world and let the princess sit on the throne? With your abilities, aren’t you far better than those imperial heirs?”

A trace of mockery flashed in Xiao Heng’s narrow eyes. She sneered as she wrote:

— “Then why don’t you go to the temple and find a few powerful priests, have them pray to the heavens sincerely, and perhaps, moved by your devotion, even the missing emperor might be found.”

Duan Yunfeng burst into laughter, shaking his shoulders. “In that case, I really will pray hard, hoping that the heavens will help me.”

After a while, he wiped away the playful expression, turned to Song Shiyu, and said, “Leave the task of finding an imperial heir to you. Until it’s done, not a word of this should leak.”

“Understood.”

After the discussion, Duan Yunfeng escorted the group out of the residence. Xiao Heng returned to her study. After dismissing the attendants and confirming there was no one outside, Li Jinxi spoke to her:

“Your Highness, are you really going to let the Heir of the North establish a new heir?”

Xiao Heng lowered his gaze, scanning the stack of invitations and gift lists in his hands. Most of them were sent by people attempting to establish connections with him and Duan Yunfeng, with the majority coming from former officials of the Yan dynasty.

Since Li Jichang had proposed the relocation of the capital, these officials had all become increasingly anxious. If Li Jichang moved the capital to Bianzhou, they would inevitably lose their power. Given the severity with which Li Jichang had dealt with the former officials of the Yan dynasty, their survival was uncertain. Many had placed their last hope on the King of the North, who was the only force capable of resisting Li Jichang. They hoped that Duan Yunfeng would quickly establish an heir and reject the proposal to move the capital.

With a calm expression, he said, “No.”

Li Jinxi asked, “Then, Your Highness, what are your intentions?”

Xiao Heng lifted his gaze. “Issue a decree to let them know that the emperor is still alive, and that will suffice.”

What Duan Yunfeng and the others needed was a legitimate name to resist Li Jichang and to punish An Youliang. And when it came to legitimacy, who could compare to the emperor himself?

No matter how reckless Emperor Jianing Xiao Huan had been, as long as he was alive, he was the least controversial heir to the Yan dynasty, the symbol of imperial power that “received the heavens above and responded to the state below.” His claim to the throne was far more persuasive than any Xiao family member from the royal clan.

Of course, it wasn’t yet the time for Xiao Heng to personally intervene, but by issuing a decree through others, claiming she had been kidnapped by An Youliang and taken to Fengxiang, it would be simple for Duan Yunfeng to rescue her and rally support for the royal cause.

With this thought in mind, his eyes slowly moved over the invitations…

The most pressing matter now was to find someone in the court with enough prestige and unwavering loyalty to the Yan dynasty to handle this task for his.

But who could that be?