The news of General Mao's death somehow leaked out, shocking the entire court.
Xie Yan slammed his fist on the table. "I knew that treacherous villain would spread it around!"
Although Chen Tingfeng had indeed intended for the news to be leaked, Xie Yan still felt extremely annoyed when he first heard it.
Not only was it reported that General Mao was dead, but also that his death was extremely miserable, and the murderer was unknown.
Dying such a pathetic death was simply an insult to General Mao's dignity!
Xie Yan paced back and forth in the hall twice. Unable to contain his irritation, he was about to go out to find Chen Tingfeng when Fortune came crawling in. "Your Highness! It's a disaster, Your Highness!"
Before Xie Yan could kick him, Fortune shrieked, "The Marquis lost the battle, and now the city has been recaptured by the Xiongnu!"
Xie Yan's face turned ashen.
The Emperor was furious.
Lying in bed all year round, although his appearance was maintained by pills and didn't show much aging, his body was actually hollowed out. His breath carried a putrid smell.
"Ridiculous!" he roared, then coughed violently as if he were about to cough out his lungs.
The court officials knelt on the ground in the Zichen Palace. Seeing this, they all advised the Emperor to calm down.
Xie Yan stepped forward and bowed. "Father, the Marquis injured his hand after all. Now the Chanyu of the Xiongnu is cruel and war - like, with a strong army and traitors within. It's reasonable for him to have lost. I hope Father will be magnanimous and give the Marquis a chance to atone for his sins."
Before the Emperor could speak, Xie Guang stepped forward. "Father, in my opinion, it's a fact that the Marquis of Wuan lost the battle. But as the second brother said, now is not the right time to punish him. We should quickly send a capable general to support the northern border."
The old Emperor took a few breaths. His cloudy eyes scanned the two of them, and finally he slowly nodded. "Then according to Guang'er, who should we send to the northern border?"
Xie Guang pondered for a moment. His eyes slid past the frowning Xie Yan, and he gave a barely perceptible malicious smile. "I think... it's most appropriate to send the heir of the Marquis of Wuan."
Xie Yan suddenly clenched his hands tightly. "Father! The Marquis of Wuan's family has a single - line inheritance for generations. Now the Marquis has lost the battle and his whereabouts are unknown. If we send the Heir Chen, in case something unexpected happens..."
This was indeed true. Everyone in the capital knew that the Marquis of Wuan's family had a sparse population. It was just that Chen Tingfeng was so capable that no one had ever criticized them before.
But now, in this critical moment, bringing up this matter would inevitably make people sigh that a family should have more children.
The Emperor frowned, obviously hesitating.
After all, the old Marquis of Wuan had helped him pacify the world. Now his son was still on the border. If he sent his grandson, it would seem that he was only relying on this family, as if there were no one else available.
Seeing the old Emperor's hesitation, Xie Guang cursed him secretly for being muddle - headed. He bowed and said in a deep voice, "My words are not groundless. Now the situation on the border is urgent. If we rashly send a general who is not familiar with the situation and he has a conflict with the Marquis, it will be even worse for the situation. But the Heir Chen is the Marquis's own son. I've often heard that they practice martial arts together, so they must know each other well. Moreover, I've heard that the Heir Chen is both civilly and militarily talented, a rare prodigy. It's most appropriate for him to go."
Xie Yan gritted his teeth. Chen Tingfeng's intelligence had now become the thing that forced him into a desperate situation. It was really hateful!
He looked up and was about to say something when he saw the Emperor raise his hand. The Emperor's eyes fell on him, full of coldness and irresistible. "Guang'er makes sense. What about the other ministers?"
The court officials below glanced at each other. They all understood the Emperor's intention. Although he was seriously ill, he still held the power. If they spoke out against it at this moment, they might be punished by the Emperor later.
Thinking of this, the ministers all lowered their heads. "Your Majesty is wise and mighty. I'm convinced!"
"Very well," the Emperor coughed lightly. His chest seemed to be vibrating. "It's settled then. Three days later, the Heir of the Marquis of Wuan will lead ten thousand troops to defend the northern border!"
"Long live Your Majesty! Long live! Long live!"
After the court session, Xie Yan walked out quickly, but was blocked by Xie Guang. Xie Guang smiled sinisterly. "Second brother is in such a hurry. Are you going to the Marquis's mansion to deliver the news?"
Xie Yan sneered. "None of your business!"
The vulgar words made Xie Guang's face change. After a while, he snorted. "I'll see how long you can be so stubborn!"
Xie Yan rolled his eyes at him, bumped into his shoulder, and walked away quickly.
Xie Guang watched his back and clenched his hands tightly. Just then, Liu Zheng passed by him and said softly, "Your Highness, I have something to discuss with you."
Xie Guang then withdrew his cold gaze. "Got it. Let's go."
At the Marquis's mansion, Xie Yan kicked open the door of Chen Tingfeng's courtyard. "Chen Shaochuan, come out!"
Chen Tingfeng tightened his grip on the pen. He put down the pen and looked up. "Did you get bitten by a dog?"
Fortunately, Fu Zhen wasn't here today. Otherwise, he would have let Xie Yan experience what it was like to be bitten by a dog.
"I think it's you who's going to be bitten by a dog," Xie Yan lifted his robe and sat in front of him. He said in a rush, "The Emperor wants you to lead ten thousand troops to the northern border in three days. Give me an honest answer. Is this part of your plan?"
Half of his performance just now was real and half was fake. He vaguely guessed that from the death of General Mao, Chen Tingfeng had been leading Xie Guang step by step to suggest sending him to the northern border.
After all, there weren't many generals in the court who could support Chen Xuan. Counting it all up, Chen Tingfeng was indeed the most suitable one.
Xie Yan's greatest ally was the Marquis of Wuan's family. Now the Marquis had gone to the northern border, and only the Heir was left to support him in the capital. If the Heir also went to the northern border, he would really be left with no one.
It was obvious to everyone that this was extremely disadvantageous to Xie Yan. That's why his angry performance just now played right into the hands of people like Xie Guang.
Xie Guang was trying to force Xie Yan into isolation step by step.
So that he could take action.
However, while the mantis stalks the cicada, the oriole lurks behind. Would Chen Tingfeng, a man who could plan ten steps ahead, just watch the situation develop like this without making any preparations?
That's why Xie Yan suspected there was something fishy about it. Everything was going too smoothly, so smoothly that it made his hair stand on end.
Chen Tingfeng looked calm. He poured a cup of tea for Xie Yan. Seeing that he was really angry, he didn't play coy and directly said, "Yes."
"I'm also worried about Father being alone in the northern border. So I decided to turn the tables," he said. "I originally planned to go secretly, but there are too many people watching the Marquis's mansion now. I'm afraid they'll cause trouble. There are only women left in the Marquis's mansion, and Father and I won't be able to help in time."
So he decided to go openly. It wasn't that he wanted to go, but that others had forced him to.
Everyone knew that the Marquis of Wuan's family had been wronged in this matter. So even if he wasn't around, those who wanted to take action against the Marquis's mansion in the capital would have to think twice about whether they could bear the consequences of public condemnation.