I am the champion of palace intrigue, and even the proud prince bows his head in submission.

Chapter 470 Jiang Yunzhu is pregnant

"boom--"

The teacup on the imperial desk was suddenly swept off the ground by Li Wuyang and rolled quite a distance.

The palace maids and eunuchs immediately knelt down, pleading, "Your Majesty, please calm down! Your Majesty, please calm down!"

The hall was as still as a frozen pool.

A moment later, Li Wuyang slowly stood up, his gaze as cold as a knife.

"Issue the order to mobilize three battalions of the Northwest Imperial Guard, five hundred Tiger Guards, and one battalion of elite Dragon Cavalry, and have them depart within three days."

"I will personally lead the army!"

border.

The December winds were biting cold, and banners billowed up dust and sand.

Shen Xingjian stood in the command tent, gazing at the unfolded battle map, his eyes as dark as ink.

"This force of 50,000 men was trapped in the Dongshan Valley the day before yesterday. Now they are surrounded by three armies of the Liang Dynasty, cut off from their supply lines and their retreat."

The lieutenant reported in a low voice, his tone grave, "If we don't send reinforcements, and this drags on for another three days, I'm afraid..."

Shen Xingjian closed his eyes, feeling as if a huge rock was pressing down on his chest.

Fifty thousand people...

“General…” the lieutenant looked at him, “What should we do?”

Shen Xingjian remained silent for a long time.

Suddenly he raised his eyes and said, word by word, "Rescue them!"

"Issue the order: prepare for battle. At dawn tomorrow, I will personally lead the troops to the Dongshan Valley for rescue!"

The lieutenant's expression changed drastically. "But General, the situation there is treacherous. What if the enemy has set up an ambush—"

Shen Xingjian interrupted coldly, "I know! But they are my soldiers! They must not be abandoned!"

The lieutenant bowed sharply, "Your subordinate obeys!"

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away in the Dongshan Valley, at the Great Liang Imperial Camp.

Li Wuyang sat in the imperial tent, listening to his subordinates' reports, a cold smile playing on his lips.

The first frost has fallen in the capital, and a chill hangs in the air.

The latest battle report arrived from the palace: a sudden change had occurred on the border.

Shen Xingjian and his men were besieged by the Liang army, cut off from food and reinforcements, and were in imminent danger.

Upon hearing the news, the entire court fell silent. The ministers remained silent, and no one dared to speak out.

Above the court, there was deathly silence.

Not long after the news spread, Qin Jiuwei didn't have time to think much and immediately ordered someone to prepare a carriage so she could personally go to the Shen residence.

She felt a vague unease, and the carriage continued its swift journey without stopping.

When she arrived at the Shen residence, she heard the hurried footsteps of the servants as soon as she stepped into the inner courtyard.

"Young Madam! She's fainted!"

Qin Jiuwei's expression changed, and she quickly walked into the bedroom.

Jiang Yunzhu had been helped onto the bed, her face pale and unconscious.

Several maids knelt to one side, looking panicked.

Qin Jiuwei's gaze was like a knife as she coldly rebuked, "Who told her!"

The group lowered their heads and remained silent.

"She's pregnant, didn't you know?! Why did you have to tell her this?!"

Qin Jiuwei's voice suddenly rose, her eyes filled with anger, "Go, summon Imperial Physician Lin! Immediately!"

Before long, Physician Lin arrived in a hurry with his medicine box. He took her pulse, prescribed medicine, and administered acupuncture. After a series of treatments, Jiang Yunzhu finally woke up.

Her eyelashes trembled slightly as she slowly opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was Qin Jiuwei sitting by the bed.

She reached out her hand, trembling, wanting to grasp Qin Jiuwei's hand tightly.

"Will he be alright? Xingjian... what if he doesn't come back..."

Her eyes were filled with panic, tears streamed down her face, and she was on the verge of collapse.

Qin Jiuwei's eyes also reddened, but she forced herself to suppress her emotions, held her hand tightly, and whispered, "No, Yunzhu, he will be alright."

"You must live well, for him and for the baby in your belly."

When Jiang Yunzhu heard the word "child," her tears flowed even more freely.

She lowered her head, gently stroking her abdomen, and sobbed uncontrollably.

After a long while, she finally sniffed, her voice choked but firm, "I will, I will hold on..."

"I need to be strong and wait for him to come back."

Qin Jiuwei reached out and hugged her, gently pulling her into her arms.

After calming Jiang Yunzhu down, Qin Jiuwei hurriedly returned to the Marquis's residence.

At this moment, in the study of Qinglan Academy.

Several maps were spread out on the table behind him. Meng Ze sat at the table, talking quietly with Xie Yanli.

"This deployment is treacherous, luring the enemy deep into our territory, then cutting off reinforcements, and encircling them from three directions... Such an arrangement doesn't seem like the work of a general from the Great Liang," Meng Ze said in a deep voice.

Xie Yanli closed his eyes briefly. "It's probably Li Wuyang's scheme. He's always been insidious, so it's only natural that he would do that."

Meng Ze turned to look at him, "So how do you plan to deal with this now?"

Xie Yanli did not answer immediately. As if sensing something, he turned to look at Qin Jiuwei at the door.

Their eyes met.

Xie Yanli looked at her, a deep sadness flashing in his eyes.

Qin Jiuwei immediately understood what he meant.

He prepared to set out to rescue Shen Xingjian...

Evening, Qinglan Courtyard.

The dishes on the table were steaming hot, but no one touched them.

The room was so quiet that you could almost hear the wind rustling the curtains.

Xie Jue's eyes were red, her little hands clutching the hem of her clothes, her voice trembling with grievance and sobs: "Father, are you really leaving?"

Xie Yanli nodded. "Yes, Father is going to rescue Shen Xingjian."

"But..." Xie Jue sniffed, "Why does it have to be you among so many people?"

He didn't understand any grand principles; all he knew was that he only had one father, and he didn't want him to leave...

Xie Yanli remained silent for a moment, then reached out and gently pulled him into his arms.

He didn't try to fool Xie Jue like a child, but began to explain seriously, as did he explain to Xie Jingchun and Xie Jing.

“The Great Jin Dynasty doesn’t have many capable military generals right now. The Great Jin and the Great Liang Dynasty haven’t fought for many years, and it’s been too peaceful, so it’s gradually become more focused on civil affairs and less on military matters. Most aristocratic families and commoners send their children to study literature and seek official positions, while very few practice martial arts. That’s one reason.”

"Furthermore, it is because of Li Wuyang, who used his power and wealth to bribe many border generals."

"For example, Xie Zhongzhi?" Xie Jing asked.

"Not only Xie Zhongzhi, but many other generals have also defected to the Great Liang. Do you remember the disaster that happened during the spring hunt?"

“We lured out Li Wuyang’s men, but their numbers far exceeded my expectations; there were simply too many. After killing them all, the Great Jin Dynasty suffered a severe blow, and there were very few capable generals left. That’s the second point.”

"Thirdly, there was the rebellion of the Prince of Qi. Although the turmoil was quelled, it also implicated many generals with disloyal intentions. They were either killed or dismissed, and the Great Jin Dynasty suffered another loss of resources."

Xie Yanli looked at them and said, "The Jin Dynasty has very few capable generals right now."

"Li Wuyang was well aware of this, which is why he immediately raised an army after ascending the throne. He knew that after two upheavals, the Great Jin Dynasty was now at its weakest. In war, the worst thing for a nation is not a strong enemy, but having no one to rely on, leaving it vulnerable to being slaughtered."

Xie Yanli pursed his lips tightly.

The Jin Dynasty had been in a state of financial ruin for many years under the late emperor.

When Gao Xian ascended the throne, the situation was already riddled with problems.

He was willing to implement reforms, but due to his unstable foundation, his policies were merely a drop in the ocean, addressing the symptoms but not the root cause.

Meng Ze's expression turned serious upon hearing his words.

He had not expected that the Great Jin Dynasty, though seemingly peaceful and stable, was actually so weak.

Xie Yanli looked at them seriously and said, "So, this is the reason why I must go to war."

"I must go."