Whether he had admired her from the start or loved her to the extreme, it was all his business.

Whether she responded or not, it did not affect his heart.

Yan Ling understood clearly.

The reason he could always stay by her side was likely because he never demanded anything from her.

He didn’t force her to feel the same as he did.

…Over time, he even vaguely felt that there had been someone like him beside her before.

But unlike him, that person always expected a response with every gesture.

They wanted her to respond passionately, to change herself because of love.

Who this person was, Yan Ling could not know.

But he feared that this person’s ultimate result would be to be shut out from her world.

The past was already gone, and although he was now more irritating than the rain on Gu Yu, some things didn’t need to be overthought.

In the end, the one who stayed by her side was him.

He respected everything about Wen Yue Sheng, even her cold nature, and had grown accustomed to her keeping everything out of her world, but that did not prevent him from loving her wholeheartedly.

He was content with this.

Wen Yuesheng, however, didn’t have much of a reaction. Sometimes, she felt that Yan Ling was really too clingy.

She treated him like an annoying cat—if he didn’t wave his claws in front of her, she could tolerate him running around beside her.

But what Wen Yue Sheng didn’t expect was that a cat, once given an inch, would take a mile.

And Yan Ling was far more cunning than any cat.

First, he lost his home, then spent the whole night playing the zither for her, using this perfectly reasonable excuse to enter her inner palace.

Later, he claimed that the night wind was cold, worried she might catch a chill, and would unconsciously get up to cover her with a blanket.

While covering her, he didn’t know how it led to him holding her waist, sleeping beside her.

One night, Wen Yuesheng seemed to sense something, opened her eyes, and saw what he had done. At that moment, he no longer had any sense of shame.

He only covered her eyes, not letting her see his flushed earlobes and neck, and then became even more daring.

He had been living in the palace for nearly a year and a half.

Whenever they were together, day or night, he was always obsessively clingy.

Sometimes Wen Yuesheng got annoyed and would call his name, and he would withdraw.

But other times, he couldn’t help himself and would disregard her refusal.

If he upset her, the next day he would come to apologize, then quickly forget about it, returning to his previous behavior.

Over time, Wen Yuesheng became too lazy to care about him.

She didn’t expect that now, he even dared to loosen her waistband.

Wen Yue Sheng furrowed her brows, wanting to tell him to stop… to stop talking.

But when she raised her eyes, she saw him releasing his hand from covering her eyes. His black hair cascaded over her waist, and his eyes were sparkling, staring at her intently.

For a moment, Wen Yuesheng was speechless. By the time she came to her senses, he had already leaned in.

The normally expressionless face of Wen Yue Sheng showed a rare frown as she coldly said, “You…”

But the words she spoke were fragmented.

All she could do was watch as he took her hand and whispered in her ear, “Your Majesty, punish me tomorrow.”

Then, he sealed her lips, swallowing all her words.

The night deepened, and outside the room, snowflakes were falling heavily.

The drifting snow covered everything in the world.

Inside, a hot charcoal basin was burning, and by the late night, someone should have added new charcoal to the basin.

However, the person who was supposed to refill it was stopped by Gu Yu.

Gu Yu, blushing, simply told the person it was inconvenient.

Wen Yue Sheng had a lower body temperature than most people, so she wasn’t easily cold, even when dressed lightly in winter, and she never required them to get up in the middle of the night to add charcoal.

But Gu Yu was always worried about her health. After the weather turned cooler, she still got up once in a while to check on her.

However, after tonight, she instructed the palace officials below her to no longer enter the Emperor’s inner palace at night without reason.

She herself also refrained from doing so.

Only on a few occasions, when the days became a little brighter, would she enter and hear the person inside impatiently call out, “Yan Ling!”

After a short pause, she would hear Yan Ling’s satisfied voice saying, “Hmm, I’m here.”

Every time Gu Yu heard this, her ears would turn red, and she would quickly leave the palace.

Luckily, while Yan Ling was persistent, he knew when to pull back.

Sometimes, when he pushed too far, he would be chased out of the Quiet Palace, but he would obediently stay in the side palace and wait for her to soften in a few days before entering again.

This cycle continued, and he never grew tired of it.

After the heavy snow, spring arrived.

Everything revived, flowers bloomed, and it was the best time of the year.

By the end of this summer, it would mark the third year since Wen Yue Sheng ascended the throne.

In these three years, the court had undergone a dramatic change.

The Great Wei had once had many problems, but after the new policies, the situation gradually improved.

In the government, many officials had been replaced in these three years, and the changes were even greater than when the court was cleansed before.

Meanwhile, the people, under Wen Yue Sheng’s focus on agriculture and commerce, lived in peace and prosperity.

In just three short years, this previously stagnant dynasty had burst forth with unprecedented vitality.

By the third year, the weather was favorable. Snow had fallen during the festive season, but it wasn’t too heavy and nourished the land well.

During spring, the people were busy farming, and the seeds planted in every corner of the Great Wei took root, growing strong.

The once declining dynasty now showed signs of prosperity.

The government had undergone adjustments, including military power in various regions, and after clearing out corruption, it gradually became a unified system.

At least… the spies from Hao Zhou could no longer easily gather information about the Great Wei’s court, nor could they find out the exact military strength.

And the more this happened, the more anxious they became.

For many, spring was just a good season, but for the people of Hao Zhou, it was different.

Three years ago, during the spring, Hao Zhou had been defeated and forced to sign a peace treaty with the Great Wei.

Now, three years had passed, and the borders between the two countries were clearly separated, with neither side infringing on the other.

However, the emotions of the people on both sides of the border were easy to detect. The Great Wei, under the new emperor’s rule for three years, was thriving, and this was no lie.

As spring approached, the closer they got to the anniversary of the peace treaty, the more uneasy the people of Hao Zhou became.

By early March, amidst the restlessness, a significant border conflict occurred.

If we were to compare this to three years ago, this incident wouldn’t have been considered a big deal.

After all, the border was still engulfed in war three years ago, and it was nothing unusual for Hao Zhou’s iron cavalry to step onto the Great Wei’s land.

But in these three years, the rise of such a conflict was truly a first.

The cause of the conflict lies with the Haozhou side.

In the battle three years ago, Haozhou suffered heavy losses, with one of its three major tribes being completely wiped out.

After three years of adjustments, the position previously held by the Haozhou Bor family was replaced by a newly promoted tribe. Meanwhile, the Jin family, after a period of rest and recovery, had slightly regained strength.

However, even after three years, the Jin family, severely wounded in the past, remained in the lowest position among the three major tribes.

The Jin family blamed the current decline of their tribe squarely on the Great Hui Empire.

Not only did they harbor resentment against the Great Hui, but they also wanted to revive their tribe as quickly as possible, so that when the war came again, they could strike a heavy blow to the Great Hui.

In this situation, the Jin family took desperate measures.

They sent the elite warriors of their tribe under the cover of night to infiltrate Yuwang Town.

Since both nations were in a truce period, Yuwang Town had been recaptured by the Great Hui after General Wen Yue had personally led troops there for battle. Therefore, even the Jin family dared not initiate an attack during this time.

However, Yuwang Town was a key stronghold for the Jin family’s wealth. After the death of Jin Chi, the Jin family had hidden a large amount of gold and silver there.

Now, to strengthen their tribe, the Jin family needed a large amount of wealth.

The gold and silver were hidden very deeply, and except for those within the Jin family, almost no one knew about it.

Driven by the allure of immense wealth, the Jin family ignored orders from the court and snuck into Yuwang Town to transfer the gold and silver.

They had been stationed there for nearly twenty years, and the hidden wealth was substantial.

To make use of the money, all the gold and silver stored there was genuine.

Greed drove the Jin family to attempt to take all of it.

From digging it out to moving it, this activity continued until dawn.

At first light, the Great Hui soldiers stationed in Yuwang Town noticed the disturbance.

The news quickly reached the frontier, and General Li Qingyuan, who was guarding the border, immediately led his men to Yuwang Town to cut off their escape route.

A conflict broke out between the two sides, during which Li Qingyuan was severely injured by reinforcements from Haozhou.

At the same time, Commander Lu Zhengguo, stationed at the border, immediately instructed the Great Hui army to preserve their strength and retreat to the frontier defenses.

Reluctantly, Li Qingyuan had to watch as part of the gold and silver was taken by the Jin family.

Fortunately, the blockade was timely, and most of the gold and silver that the Jin family had hidden was not taken.

However, because they violated the peace agreement, sneaked into Yuwang Town, and injured Great Hui soldiers, the repercussions of this event were profound. The court was particularly enraged.

At the morning court session that day, after learning of Li Qingyuan’s severe injuries, the military officials were especially furious.

Once the matter was brought up, Lu Qinghuai immediately stepped forward without hesitation, saying, “Your Majesty, I believe Haozhou’s actions are a provocation.”

“The peace agreement has already lasted more than half its term, and only two years remain. The enemy chose to act now, clearly with malicious intent.”

“In my opinion, it would be better to immediately tear up the agreement and march to break their defenses.”

His words were met with agreement from many military officials.

The enmity between the Great Hui and Haozhou was already deep. The three years of brief peace were merely a temporary measure because both sides were in a difficult position at the time.

Now, with the court cleansed and the military strong, there was no reason to fear Haozhou.

Everyone knew that, given the situation of both nations, the Great Hui and Haozhou would inevitably fight again. It was just a matter of when.

Even if they didn’t fight now, in five years, war would certainly break out. It was better to strike now, while the Great Hui was in a strong position, and make Haozhou fearful.

In three years, the Great Hui was no longer the same as before.

“Your Majesty.” Qi Fang paused for a moment before slowly stepping forward. “I believe this matter should depend on Haozhou’s attitude.”

“During the peace agreement, breaking through the defenses already constitutes a breach of the contract. If Haozhou wants to maintain the current situation, they must pay a price. I believe whether we take action should depend on the price Haozhou is willing to pay.”

Lu Qinghuai frowned. “We’ve been pushed to the brink; how can we not retaliate? Moreover, what price could make our soldiers swallow this insult?”

Qi Fang paused slightly before responding. “If we’ve been wronged, compensation must be made.”

“The price is that Haozhou must return all the gold and silver taken from Yuwang Town and compensate the Great Hui with five hundred thousand taels of silver.”

Upon hearing this, not only Lu Qinghuai but even Li Qingyuan was momentarily stunned.

He had a broken rib, and this was worth so much money?

Before he could react, he heard Fu Yubai say, “Lord Qi’s words are reasonable.”

“Now is not like the past. The Great Hui is no longer in a weak position. If Haozhou wants to settle this, they must show their willingness to do so. Five hundred thousand taels is not too much.”

Lu Qinghuai couldn’t help but exchange glances with Li Qingyuan.

It seemed that the civil officials were cunning. While Lu Qinghuai and the others wanted to strike back, the civil officials were demanding money from Haozhou instead.

As Fu Yubai said, five hundred thousand taels was not much for Haozhou.

However, in the context of the two countries at odds, losing the position and having to pay money would be quite embarrassing.

…It made one wonder what the Emperor of Haozhou would think.

Wen Yuesheng, sitting at the head of the hall, listened to their words but did not express her opinion.

In the Ministry of Revenue, Jiang Lu spoke softly, “Your Majesty, the harvest last year was abundant, and after the implementation of the new policies, the national treasury is full.”

She only mentioned the treasury being full but did not elaborate further.

Below, Yan Ling spoke up. “Your Majesty.”

In the first year of Wen Yue’s reign, Yan Ling had already entered the cabinet. Now an official in the inner cabinet, he held a prestigious position in the court.

When he spoke, Jiang Yan couldn’t help but glance at him.

“I believe that this sudden movement from Haozhou is probably not just an accident.”

These words caused an uproar in the hall.

The courtiers paused for a moment, then frowned.

Lu Qinghuai’s expression changed, and he couldn’t be bothered to continue his feud with Yan Ling. He immediately asked, “Lord Yan, do you mean that this event was deliberately orchestrated by Haozhou?”

The information they had, including Li Qingyuan’s own account, suggested that the Jin family acted without the knowledge of the Haozhou court.

Having guarded the border for many years, Lu Qinghuai was familiar with Haozhou’s soldiers. Given the Jin family’s decline, such actions seemed entirely reasonable to him.

But if what Yan Ling said was true…

Yan Ling paused briefly before replying coldly, “In the past three years, all the spies that Haozhou had planted in the Great Hui court have been removed. However, the Great Hui still doesn’t know what’s happening within Haozhou.”

“After Yuwang Town was recaptured, the Jin family withdrew to Haozhou’s capital. Given the level of control Haozhou’s emperor has over the capital, the Jin family couldn’t have acted without his knowledge.”

Qi Fang’s eyes grew deeper as he considered Yan Ling’s words.

Though he had little contact with Yan Ling, he found himself agreeing with this analysis.

Fu Yubai paused, then asked, “If that’s the case, does it mean that Haozhou is trying to tear up the agreement?”

Qi Fang shook his head. “This action may be intended to force the Great Hui to break the agreement first.”

Although, given the state of the two nations, who broke the agreement no longer mattered.

However, war was never good for the people. The side that initiated the war would bear more pressure.

In three years, Haozhou had clearly grown impatient with its ambitions and wanted to face the Great Hui in battle.

After a long silence, Zhang Yulin stepped forward.

He was a large and imposing figure, easily standing out in the court. Now, kneeling on one knee, he spoke without hesitation: “Your Majesty, I, Zhang Yulin, am willing to lead 300,000 troops to crush Haozhou.”

After him, Jiang Yan and Lu Qinghuai also stepped forward.

“I am willing to lead troops to the frontier!”

In the main hall, Wen Yue, holding a white jade Buddhist bead, paused as she turned it. When the others had stepped forward, she raised her eyes coldly and said:

“Order my command, assemble 500,000 troops at the frontier’s main city.”

Under the watchful eyes of countless courtiers, she coldly said: “Prepare for war.”