Fu Zhen fell silent.
In fact, there were quite a number of such people in the court.
Not everyone had the courage to strive for the merit of supporting the new emperor. After all, behind a general's success lay the bones of countless soldiers. If they won, it would be a cause for celebration, but what if they lost?
It wouldn't be a pity if he alone died, but what about his parents, wife, and children at home?
They couldn't let their families lose their lives with them.
Hesitating might seem cowardly, but at least it brought peace of mind.
At the beginning, didn't these officials have a heart dedicated to serving the country? If this were a prosperous era with a wise emperor on the throne, they would have been fearless even if they had to sacrifice their lives for the country.
Unfortunately, the current emperor was not such a wise one, and the current era was far from a prosperous one.
They didn't want to throw their lives away in a so - called struggle for the throne. Even though they felt sad for the common people, how many people could truly "shelter all the poor scholars in the world and make them happy"?
Survival was the top priority.
Fu Zhen stroked Jin Xianghuan's hair and softly asked, "What do you think? Do you want your brother to get involved in this mess?"
Jin Xianghuan was silent for a long time before saying hoarsely, "Do you have the confidence?"
Everyone knew what she meant. She was not only asking if Fu Zhen had the confidence to win but also asking about Chen Tingfeng through her.
"Yes." Fu Zhen replied firmly.
Even without what happened in her past life, by now, Xie Yan was bound to win.
Don't think that just because Xie Guang now had the support of the queen and the Liu family and had many followers, he was invincible. In fact, the private salt affair alone was enough for Xie Yan to pull the rug out from under his feet and crush him.
Not to mention that now he was colluding with foreign enemies.
Although there was no definite evidence, since Liu Zhengze could meet Helian Zhen in private, it was very likely that there were traces of their communication.
Don't forget that the eldest daughter of the Liu family was on Chen Tingfeng's side.
Jin Xianghuan stood up and stared fixedly at Fu Zhen. Seeing her firmness from beginning to end, she suddenly relaxed, as if the pent - up anger that had been resisting was suddenly drawn out, leaving only a sense of relief all over her body.
She tightened her grip on Fu Zhen's hand and said, "I trust you."
She picked up the tea on the table and gently clinked it against Fu Zhen's cup, as if it were wine. After the clink, she raised her head and drank it.
This bold and fearless look was the real Jin Xianghuan.
Fu Zhen looked at her and slowly smiled.
In the northern border.
Outside the city wall, the yellow sand was billowing, and the Xiongnu army was pressing in. Chen Xuan, wrapped in a cloak, stood on the city wall and frowned slightly at the Xiongnu who were provoking him.
The adjutant stepped forward and whispered, "That's a great general under Helian Zhen. It was him who captured three of our cities before. Helian Zhen bestowed the surname Helian on him, and now he's called Helian Yu. He's extremely ruthless. General Mao calls him a mad dog."
Helian Yu had braids on his head. Above his pair of fierce eyes was a broken eyebrow. He was tall and strong, which made him look even more ferocious.
Calling him a mad dog was really appropriate.
Chen Xuan withdrew his gaze, gave a soft "hmm", and then turned to go down the city tower. "How's General Mao's condition?"
The adjutant shook his head worriedly. "The arrow he was shot with during the previous battle was poisoned. The doctors in the northern border are not very proficient in medicine. Although the external wound has stopped festering, the toxin has not been removed."
"Hasn't the type of poison been identified yet?" Chen Xuan frowned and looked distantly at General Mao's residence. A hint of worry flashed in his eyes.
The adjutant shook his head again. "That poison is very rare. Maybe only Imperial Physician Liu in the capital can tell what it is."
Imperial Physician Liu was an expert in detoxification. If other doctors couldn't tell, General Mao would have to return to the capital for treatment.
However, it was a long and arduous journey, and it was very easy for accidents to happen.
In the middle of the night, the Xiongnu suddenly launched an attack. Chen Xuan immediately got up from behind his desk and went to meet the enemy.
Outside the city, the cannons roared continuously, shaking the earth as if it were trembling. The firelight illuminated half of the sky.
A dark figure quietly sneaked into General Mao's residence. With ruthless moves, he quickly killed the guards at the door with a few stabs, then quickly pushed open the door and went in.
When he saw the protruding figure on the bed, a glint of excitement flashed in his eyes. He tightened his grip on the dagger in his hand, raised it high, and the dagger glinted coldly in the darkness.
He suddenly stabbed at the bed!
Unexpectedly, just as the dagger was about to fall, a person suddenly rushed in from the window and instantly sent him flying. He hit the wall heavily!
He suddenly looked up at the person who came, then quickly got up from the ground, picked up the dagger, and stabbed at the bed again.
The newcomer hooked his hand and easily defused his attack. Then he kicked out, but the attacker twisted his waist, dodging the kick. He flipped his hand, broke free from the newcomer's restraint, and stabbed the cold - glinting dagger directly at the newcomer's face.
The newcomer quickly dodged backward, did a backbend and supported himself on the ground with his hands. Then he kicked up his right foot to block the attacker's move towards the bed.
The two fought back and forth in the room. In the end, both of them got angry, and there was a fierce look in their eyes, each determined to kill the other.
The loud noises outside the city covered up the commotion here. The newcomer was impatient to entangle with him any longer. He flew forward and threw himself on the attacker, twisting his wrist. The attacker's dagger immediately fell to the ground. The newcomer kicked it away with one foot, then raised his hand and punched the attacker hard, making him turn his head and spit out a mouthful of blood!
Seeing that he was no match, the attacker's eyes flashed with determination. Suddenly, he waved his sleeve and scattered a handful of powder at the newcomer's face.
The newcomer was startled and immediately retreated. Seizing the opportunity, the attacker quickly got up from the ground, and like a cheetah, he pushed open the door and rushed out!
"Where do you think you're going!" the newcomer shouted in a low voice. He turned around and shot a sleeve arrow at the attacker's back.
Suddenly, a chill came from his back. The attacker was greatly startled and dodged to the side. But he was a bit slow, and the sleeve arrow scraped across his arm and was firmly nailed to the tree.
He covered his arm with one hand and didn't dare to delay any longer. With a few leaps, he disappeared into the darkness and was gone.
The newcomer chased for a few steps. Seeing that the attacker was out of sight, he angrily tore off the black cloth on his face, revealing a somewhat sinister face. "Damn it!"
He still let him get away!
This person was the Third Prince who had returned to the northern border not long ago.
He looked distantly at the outside of the city where the fire was raging, then turned around and returned to General Mao's courtyard. Without blinking an eye, he stepped over the corpses on the ground and picked up the dagger in the room.
It was just an ordinary dagger. Apart from being sharp, there were no other obvious marks on it. It could be bought in the best blacksmith shop in the city.
Xie Wuyin tossed it on the ground in annoyance, making a "clank" sound.
He walked to the bedside, looked at General Mao, who was pale and motionless on the bed, clicked his tongue, and unceremoniously pushed him inside. Then he lay down on the bed and put his hands behind his head.
"Chen Tingfeng is such a stingy guy. He asks me to do things but doesn't give me any rewards. How am I supposed to eat!" he cursed in a low voice. God knows how he had come all the way here. The money he had been given earlier was long gone. Along the way, he had either picked some wild fruits or sneaked into villages to steal a few steamed buns. It made him extremely angry!
When had he ever suffered such hardships when he was a prince?
Thinking of this, he thought of Xie Guang, that sinister villain, and angrily pounded the bed.
He turned his head and glanced at the unconscious General Mao. A hint of disgust flashed in his eyes. "Idiot. You didn't even know when your own adjutant was replaced. You just stupidly trusted him... No wonder you can't compare to Chen Xuan!"