C12

At dinner time, You can hear the rare appearance of You on the dining table.

You Xin sat in the middle, with Yaoyue and Kuo Zhan on the left and Lan Xin and Yun Chi on the right. The whole family was gathered together, and the atmosphere was harmonious and warm.

Lan Xin stared at him, her eyes curious and kind. Yao Yue smiled and said, "Before we eat, I need to introduce a guest to you."

"I heard that a pretty little gongzi came to the Dao Mansion today," Lan Xin pursed her lips into a smile. Master, my guess is correct. "

Yaoyue and Youxin looked at each other, smiled, and took his hand. "You're right. This is my cousin from a distant family. His name is Su Su-zhan. The year before, when his parents died of illness, my father took him to live in Shangjing. "Today, when I returned home, I liked the look of Xuan Zhan. I thought that our residence was very thin, so I accepted Hong Zhan to stay with me for a while."

Pausing, Yao Yue smiled at You Xin. "You all know that there are only four sisters in my family, and no boys." "My father was afraid that Hong Zhan might not be used to living there. He thought that our master has always been a chivalrous person, and was kind to him, and thus, sent him here."

This remark of Yao Yue caused everyone to laugh happily. You Xueqing even pretended to raise her eyebrows in anger, "Why do I sound like you're teasing me?"

"How dare you? I beg the Prince to take care to teach Su Zhan so that he can grow up to be as brave and fierce as the Prince himself. " Yaoyue smiled coquettishly, turning her eyes towards Su Zhan, "Su Zhan, this is our family. This is your brother-in-law, the Eleventh Prince. This is Madam Lan Xin. Sitting next to him is your brother-in-law's only son, Yun Chi. He's only a little over two years old.

Yaoyue's words were soft and gentle, slightly eliminating the tension in the lake. He timidly raised his eyes to look at everyone before lowering his head and said in a low voice, "Hello everyone."

He sat beside Yao Yue.

When he came to the prince's mansion, his shabby clothes had long since been replaced by a silver-gray robe, which made his lips red and teeth white, and his facial features lovely and beautiful. Yaoyue looked at Lan Xin, who was staring at the lake, and said with a smile, "My brother is only twelve years old, and is unfamiliar with the city for the first time. I ask for your forgiveness, Prince. If there are any rules that do not apply, please forgive me. "

This last sentence was directed at Lan Xin. Lan Xin had always been intelligent. Naturally, she understood the origins of those words. "Mistress, I've been staring at Young Master Zhou for some time now, but the more I look at him, the more guilty I feel. Such a good appearance actually made me lose my looks. In time, he will definitely be even more handsome than our grandpa! "By then, all the girls in the capital would have had their hearts broken!"

Lan Xin shook her head, feigning grief. You Xin and Yao Yue couldn't help but laugh. Although Xuan Zhan was still young, he understood Lan Xin's words. His face flushed red as he lowered his head. Even Yun Chi, who was still young, seemed to be infected by the joy of being an adult. He laughed out loud and was kissed by He Xin in his arms.

The atmosphere was really good.

Though the house was full of secrets and lies. But he was warmer and happier than any rich and powerful family.

As they drank, Yaoyue absentmindedly looked at the people on the table and felt that it wasn't real.

It was like a dream that could be broken with a poke. It was also like a memory from a previous life, so estranged from the world.

The recent smell of gunpowder in the palace was really strong.

The empress dowager saw that the noble Yi was more and more dissatisfied, but the emperor coincidentally wanted to protect the noble Yi. For the sake of a concubine who was born into a servant, the mother and son who had always been close to him became enemies, causing the entire palace to be in chaos.

The empress dowager was already old, so she really couldn't bear such torture. Thus, this evil fire was placed on Yaoyue's head.

At this moment, within the palace, Yaoyue was obediently standing under the phoenix throne, listening to the empress dowager's words. This was the third time he had been scolded in the past few days, and it was also the softer of the three.

However, Yao Yue never complained. He had never retorted back to Her Majesty.

No matter what, she still understood Her Majesty. Since ancient times, when had a mother not been worried about her son? Especially since this son of his was the emperor. Now, seeing her son being bewitched by a fox seductress and being scolded by a court official over and over again, how could she not be angry? He was right to get someone to vent his anger and let the knot in his heart go. If she were the Empress Dowager, she might not have been able to vent her anger on the Emperor.

Of course, she did not have the guts to contradict the Empress Dowager. She still treasured the number of people on her list a lot.

The empress dowager took a breath and paused for a moment, then Su Rong offered her a cup of tea. A trace of regret flashed across Yao Yue's face. She bitterly said, "What the Empress scolded is that I was incompetent!"

"Alright then!" With a bang, the Empress threw the teacup on the table. "Tell me, how do you plan on doing this?"

Since the Double Sun Festival, Her Majesty seemed to think that only Yaoyue could capture the Emperor. She was the empress dowager raised by the world. If she caused a ruckus for a mere imperial concubine and her son, it wouldn't be worth it! She couldn't afford to lose that person! The best choice would be to find someone to take the lead and settle this matter. With the Double Sun Festival's lesson, the empress dowager had wholeheartedly decided that Yaoyue was the best one to take the lead!

Yao Yue's heart trembled for a moment as bitterness filled the sky. On the surface, however, she still had to respectfully speak up. "Esteemed Empress, you should also know that the reason the emperor doted so heavily on this noble person was probably because of Imperial Concubine …"

Sensing a sharp blade shooting towards her, Yaoyue suddenly stopped and changed her words, "Yuan Shuo has been in the palace for twenty-nine years and has had many new concubines. On the day of the banquet, I saw a few skilled and beautiful concubines. If they knew how to welcome someone on their own good side, and if they were to be obedient and understanding, then I presume the Emperor would not wholeheartedly throw himself at this noble person. "

As she said this, even Yaoyue felt a chill run down her spine! She was just a daughter-in-law who came up with some advice for her father-in-law … What was this?

"Even if we don't look at those new concubines, there are still good ones among the elders in the palace, but the Emperor still doesn't want to go!" The empress dowager heaved a heavy sigh as her gaze shifted to Yao Yue. "Forget it, since you're the one in charge of the ceremonies, I'll leave these matters to you to worry about. This Dowager is old and can no longer control them." However, there is one thing. The body of the Emperor belongs to the subjects of this world.

The empress dowager spoke harshly, looking at Yaoyue with eyes as sharp as knives. Upon hearing these words, Yao Yue instinctively suppressed her desire to bounce back, forcefully suppressing the words that were about to come out of her mouth!

"Yes, your son will definitely give his all," The empress dowager saw that she didn't want to continue this topic, so her mind spun and her expression relaxed. "Empress Dowager, your son has something to ask of you."

"Oh," It seemed that she didn't expect Yaoyue to take the initiative to ask for something. The empress dowager gave her a fresh look and slowly said, "Speak."

"Empress, I wonder if you still remember that in the twenty-ninth year of Yuanshuo, the Emperor betrothed the daughter of the Overwatch Censor Meng Yuan to the Eleventh Prince for the position of secondary wife?"

Yao Yue was a little hesitant, unsure if she should tell the empress dowager about this matter. After all, it involved imperial concubines. But if she was going to listen, she had to bring it up.

The empress dowager stared blankly but didn't speak. On the other hand, Su Rong looked at the empress dowager considerately and smiled as she interjected. However, that day just happened to be the day that the Yuan City Emperor Ji Shu decided to leave the order in the Central Region. "

With Susu Rong's reminder, the empress dowager recalled, "That's right, This Dowager still vaguely remembers that the emperor sent an elegant woman home a few days ago. Is her surname Meng?"

"The Empress's words are very true. That is Meng Caiwei, the daughter of Meng Yuan's praise." His son had long heard that Meng Caiwei was both talented and virtuous. She was a famous talented girl in Shangjing. Her father, the emperor, liked her Song Ci during the talent show, so he pointed her out to the prince. Currently, there are only two servants by the prince's side, Lan Xin and my son. The son is even thinner. He is only one son of Yun Chi. " At this point, Yaoyue became a bit sad, "This child has no morals, and cannot help the prince give birth to a descendant. The Empress and the emperor are merciful. Therefore, this son presumptuously came here to ask Empress, if the emperor has not changed his mind, could you bestow this Miss Meng to the prince as your side concubine? "

The empress dowager looked at Yao Yue and didn't speak for a long time.

But she couldn't help but sigh that her son's judgement was indeed correct. Although this Su Yaoyue looked ordinary, her thoughts were very likeable. Even her words made people feel comfortable. If Song Yi had been half as smart as Su Yaoyue, she wouldn't have been so furious.

Whether she was trying to be virtuous or if she was sincere in her consideration of the matter, the mansion seemed a little too small for her. Regardless of how much she hated Yinshi now, Youxin was still her most beloved grandson, and she had to consider him for her sake.

With a quick thought, the empress dowager's expression softened. "It's good that you have such thoughts. It's not a waste for your family and the emperor to care for you. This young miss Meng's talent was something I've heard a long time ago. Since the Emperor has given such an order, there is no need to joke around. This Dowager will remember your words. When the time comes, the Emperor will come to pay his respects. "

Seeing that the empress dowager had generously promised her, Yao Yue was overjoyed. She knelt down to kowtow and express her gratitude. After exchanging a few more words, she left the palace.

As soon as he left the Palace, Yao Yue saw Sun Hai looking in his direction from afar. Seeing Yao Yue's figure appear, Sun Hai trotted over to her, "Empress, on the orders of the Emperor, this servant has come to request the assistance of the Empress."

Sun Hai's sneakiness made Yao Yue suspicious. Unfortunately, this was the territory of the Palace, so she had no choice but to quickly follow Sun Hai to the Hall of Ginkou.

As soon as they arrived, the main gate of the Venerate Heavens Sect was tightly shut. There seemed to be ministers meeting with the Emperor. Sun Hai led Yao Yue to wait in the side hall. In just half a quarter of an hour, a young eunuch came to invite them.

Chin An Palace was an unlucky place for Yaoyue. It was synonymous with a shadow in her heart. Every time she entered the palace, without exception, her legs would tremble.

Today was the same as before.

Yao Yue entered the main hall with a cautious and respectful expression. After kneeling down in front of the imperial desk to pay his respects, he then stood to the side as per the rules. On the imperial edict, the emperor was currently reviewing the imperial reports. He looked up at her, then lowered his head. "You just came from the Palace of Longevity?"

"Yes." Yao Yue lowered her head, not daring to look directly at them.

"Did the empress dowager scold you again?" Helian Jia didn't raise her head. Her hands quickly wrote the words. Yao Yue couldn't help but curse inwardly. Why was it that both mother and son had no qualms when talking to each other? How many heads did she have to chop if she was heard to the Empress?

"The emperor is joking. The empress dowager doesn't criticize this son of hers." Yao Yue accompanied her with a smile. It was just that the emperor didn't seem to believe her at all. He cast a contemptuous glance at her and laughed at her simplicity. "Otherwise, the empress dowager wouldn't have let you take charge of the ceremonies!"

At this moment, Yao Yue was completely speechless.

She simply closed her mouth and stood to the side. The emperor didn't care about her. He continued writing on the paper. After approximately the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the Emperor's expression relaxed, then he placed the brush in his hand to the side. "There's a piece of paper here. Take a look at it first."

Yaoyue shrank back, not daring to step forward.

If she came forward in a daze, it would be meddling in the imperial government!

The emperor looked at her with great patience and waved the imperial report in his hand. "It's about Tumen. No harm done."

Listening to this, Yao Yue had a rough idea. He bowed towards the emperor and then carefully received the imperial report.

The contents of the imperial report were very simple, just like what Cao Qi had told her a few days ago. It was just that Sulgata seemed to have reached an agreement with Mongolia and was no longer secretive.

That is to say, according to reliable intelligence, the Princess of Mongolia will soon be married to Sulgata.

After reading it, Yaoyue returned it to the emperor with a solemn expression. The Emperor looked at her with a sideways glance and said, "How is it?"

"Your servant's thoughts are still the same as before. Once Tumen married Mongolia, Da Xia Empire would inevitably fight with Tumen or Mongolia. The worst case scenario would be for Tumen and Mongolia to join hands and attack the Da Xia Empire. "

The Emperor seemed to agree as well, nodding invisibly. "From the looks of it, you don't seem to have any confidence in Da Xia defeating Tumen?"

Yao Yue panicked and hurriedly retorted, "No! This servant believes that the present is different from the past. If Tumen and Mongolia join hands, we must prepare for the worst. The Grand Xia has always been the peace of the nation ever since the Emperor ascended to the throne. They haven't fought a big battle for decades. Even the most experienced generals can't match up to the lack of skills of the soldiers under their command. "

Helian Jia raised the corner of her mouth, the light in her eyes gradually grew brighter. "So you're saying that I'm to blame for being careless?"

Yaoyue was surprised. But he wasn't 'shocked'.

She was indeed stunned! She didn't mean that at all! Even if he misinterpreted it, he couldn't possibly misinterpret it to such an extent!

Facing the Emperor's unreasonable provocation, Yao Yue didn't know whether to laugh or cry and could only kneel down and hurriedly admit her mistakes, "This servant doesn't dare! This servant absolutely does not have that intention.

Helian Jia lazily looked at Yao Yue.

Today, she had combed her hair back into a bun. Her ruby forehead was slightly trembling as it hung between her eyebrows. It matched well with her yellow sleeves and gave off a peach-colored glow.

She knelt on the ground, her face flustered and flustered, as she had always begged for forgiveness. A pair of delicate eyebrows, long and thin, slightly creased together; the lips were pale and slightly pinkish, and when paired with his pale and sickly face, he seemed to have an expression that could be said that he was very happy.

He just liked to tease her.

He didn't know when it happened, but seeing her flustered and helpless appearance, he felt much better for no reason at all.

After a moment of silence, Helian Jia saved her from kneeling. As he spoke, his tone grew more serious. "I'd like to hear it. If what you say is true, how will the Grand Xia deal with it?"

As Yao Yue took a deep breath, the thoughts that Pan Geng had been thinking about for many days became clearer and clearer.

She did not have a deep grudge against Sulgata. But she could not bear to be angry at him.

Perhaps it was for the princess of the spirit realm, perhaps it was for the life of the world, or perhaps it was for … Other.

"In reply to Your Majesty. Servants were a bunch of weak-witted women, and their horizons were not as broad as that of men. They only had a bit of immature thoughts. There was no problem at all for the Grand Xia to fight against Tumen on its own. The Fourth and the Eleventh Princes had both fought against each other before, so there wasn't much to worry about. The scariest part was that they were afraid of joining forces with Mongolia in Tumen. The Mongols were nomads, always fierce, and they called themselves the Golden Family, the descendants of Genghis Khan. They fought bravely and cruelly, were good at riding and shooting, and the Mongolian cavalry was unrivaled! But in the past few years, they have been safe and sound with the Grand Xia. Firstly, the generals of the Grand Xia were very brave, the Emperor knew how to use people, and so they didn't dare to rashly go against him.

Yaoyue paused and raised her eyes to look at the emperor. The emperor's expression was gentle as if he was listening attentively, "They have no money, no land, and no foundation for survival. They only have valiant cavalry and ruthless Mongolian soldiers. For the sake of profit, for the sake of plundering more land and treasure to strengthen their people and become kings, they could do anything. Once Tumen and Mongolia join hands, Tumen will certainly give Mongolia economic support, and Mongolia has been coveting our Da Xia for years, causing trouble at the border several times. With the support of money, they would no longer have any misgivings. The little benefits the Grand Xia gave them every year wouldn't even be enough to satisfy their appetite, they would definitely invade the Grand Xia together with Tumen. At that time, just based on the quality of the troops, the Grand Xia would have a fifty percent chance of being defeated. "

Yao Yue had always had a principle in doing things, which was to consider the worst outcome beforehand. Although the fifty percent rate of defeat was a bit exaggerated, the situation on the battlefield was constantly changing. If one was not careful and did not think carefully, it was possible for them to be completely annihilated. Grand Xia had not fought for many years, and the conflict at the borders before was just a drizzle. Morale had always been low. If the start of the battle was unfavorable, then this fifty percent chance of defeat would turn into a conservative estimate.

The emperor's expression instantly changed.

The military power that he was so proud of was completely useless in front of Su Yaoyue.

Helian Jia coldly laughed, disdainfully saying, "So, it's because of this girl's thoughts!"

"Your majesty's lesson is," Yao Yue wasn't annoyed, but humbly accepted the question, "But, this servant wanted to ask your majesty something. If the Mongolian cavalry arrives, how is your majesty going to block it?"

Helian Jia looked at her sinisterly. Although Yao Yue was also afraid, she didn't dare to take a single step back.

This was a matter of life and death for the Grand Xia Empire. Even as a daughter, she couldn't just stand by and watch the Grand Xia fall into ruin.

"A servant may exaggerate. Servant has always had a habit of taking the worst outcome into account before doing things. If this result is acceptable to servant, then servant will do it; if this result is unacceptable to servant, then servant will take a different approach. This servant knows that this servant's words will definitely cause the emperor to be unhappy, but Your Majesty, the battlefield is constantly changing. Will the Emperor accept this fifty percent chance of defeat? If we accept this, then from now on we will have to come up with a special strategy against the Mongol soldiers. If the Emperor does not accept, then we will not fight. However, if we are to be able to enjoy peace and quiet and not live in peace, then there will be endless calamities and calamities. "