Jiang Yashuang came back at dusk. Qiu Yelan told him with a gloomy face that Jiang Qizhuan was sent away while crying. After hearing that, he didn’t even have time to take a sip of tea and went to Madame Tao in a hurry.

But he was dismissed after a short while. Madame Tao totally evaded the matter and told Jiang Yashuang to talk to Empress Jiang when he went to the palace the next day.

“In my opinion, you going to the palace tomorrow and talking to the Empress won’t make a difference!” After hearing that, Qiu Yelan kept sneering, “Her Majesty has made up her mind. Will she change her mind so easily?” Of course, there was still one way to let Empress Jiang and Madame Tao’s plan fall through. That was to let Princess Yongfu know about it and let her make a fuss about it… They couldn’t do anything to Yongfu no matter how angry and resentful they were.

However, doing so would offend the Empress and Madame Tao deeply and also open up rifts between her and Jiang Yashuang. After all, Jiang Yashuang disapproved of Chu Chunxiao marrying Xiao Su. But he didn’t want Yongfu to marry Xiao Su either.

If he had to choose between Chu Chunxiao and Yongfu, she believed that he would choose Yongfu.

“Let’s talk tomorrow!” Jiang Yashuang sighed. He knew that his wife told the truth. His look was gloomier.

However, when he went to the palace to see the Empress the next day, he was stopped outside of Beique Hall, “Empress Dowager Ye is here and talking to Her Majesty. Young Master Yashuang, please wait!”

Hearing that, Jiang Yashuang knew that Empress Dowager Ye was there for Chu Chunxiao. She was protected by the Jiang Family. She always stayed in and paid no attention to the affairs of human life. She kept a really low profile. At least, Jiang Yashuang never heard of her being in Beique Hall. Who else could make her come here other than the bloodline of the crown prince of the former emperor’s reign, Chu Chunxiao?

As expected, he waited outside for a while. A stooped old woman stumbled out after the door was opened. Empress Dowager Ye wasn’t much older than Empress Dowager Gu. She was the second wife of the former emperor not the first one after all. However, Empress Dowager Gu looked in her prime. Empress Dowager Ye looked like her elder.

The maid who was holding her looked old, too. Their faces were both covered with tears. And they both looked numb. Jiang Yashuang didn’t need to look at their faces. Just judging by their heavy footsteps, he knew that they didn’t get what they asked for.

Jiang Yashuang sighed inwardly and stepped aside to bow. But Empress Dowager Ye was absent-minded at that moment and didn’t notice him. She just stumbled away.

Empress Dowager Ye’s entreaty was fruitless. Jiang Yashuang’s plea was unsuccessful either.

Empress Jiang who was so afraid that Princess Yongfu would insist on marrying Xiao Su refused to compromise in spite of her nephew’s obstinacy, “I would never let Xiao Su leave the city. Xiao Su has been ill since he was born. He can’t stand a long journey! If I dispatch him to someplace far away, it will kill him. How could Yongfu let me off the hook if I do so? If I dispatch him to someplace nearby, Yongfu will be able to find him. Since I can’t separate them, what else do you think I can do other than marrying Chunxiao to Xiao Su which will make Yongfu forget about him completely?”

“But you just suspect it. You didn’t even talk to Yongfu. Perhaps, Yongfu just respects Xiao Su? You will ruin Chunxiao’s life just because of suspicion. The third cousin only has this one daughter…”

“I also only have this one daughter!” Empress Jiang shouted angrily, “You adore your cousin. Can you also adore me? She marries Chu Weishang who is a fool. I marry the Emperor who is also brainless. He is no better than Chu Weishang! She has had a hard time these years. But do you think I have had an easy time being the head of the harem?”

At this point, Jiang Yashuang couldn’t say anything more. He was silent for a while and then said slightly, “Your goal is to make Yongfu forget about Xiao Su, not to marry Chunxiao to Xiao Su. Xiao Su still has to be in mourning for more than one year. Let Chunxiao engage with him but postpone the wedding. If Yongfu marries Bicheng during this period and they have a good time, then we break their engagement. How about this?”

Empress Jiang choked back her anger and said, “Unless Yongfu is pregnant before they get married!”

“Then how about postponing the wedding a little more, like three years?”

When the Empress was about to answer, Nijin went in a hurry. She said in a serious look, “Your Majesty, an urgent report came from the Western Army. Her Majesty asked you to go to Hall of Taishi to discuss it!”

Hearing that, they were both shocked. They stood up together, “How urgent is it? Do you know what it is about?”

“Three hundred kilometers express!” Nijin said in a low voice, “It should be about the attack of the western savages!” Messages delivered at that time were divided into four levels according to the urgent level and importance of the message. The four levels were traveling one hundred and fifty kilometers a day, traveling two hundred kilometers a day, traveling three hundred kilometers a day and traveling four hundred kilometers a day. Four hundred kilometers express was the fastest and most urgent one. Three hundred kilometers express was already important enough to hold a meeting for.

However, Empress Jiang wasn’t nervous after hearing that. Instead, she sneered and said to Jiang Yashuang, “Qiu Jinglan’s mourning period is over. The Kuang Family can’t sit tight as expected!”

Jiang Yashuang said flatly, “Guilty of the crime!”

“It’s obvious that although the Ruan Family and the Qiu Family are in decline, they still have a huge impact on the Western Army. Because no capable offspring of these two families went to the Western Army back then, Kuang Shihan is able to be the leader until now!” Empress Jiang sneered, “Otherwise, Kuang Shihan won’t send an urgent message to the city right after the rumor of Qiu Jinglan’s appointment coming out! He’s obviously afraid of Qiu Jinglan going there!”

Beique Hall and Hall of Taishi were all inside the imperial palace. But they were located in two different areas and were far away from each other.

So, all the important officials who were alerted by the three hundred kilometers express arrived before the Empress. Premier and Chief Imperial Secretary Xue Chang, Scholar of the Hanlin Academy Cheng Jin, Duke of Huainan and Minister of the Ministry of Revenue Earl of Jingchuan were from the neutral party. Deputy Premier and Privy Counselor Tang Zimo, Censor-in-chief Qiu Dian, Assistant Minister of Ministry of Justice Duan Qun and Minister of the Ministry of War Yin Ming were from the Empress Dowager’s party. Marquess Qin, Deputy Premier and Head of the Secretariat Jiang Tianao, Assistant Minister of War Jiang Tianqi, Imperial Edict Editor of the Central Secretariat Jiang Tiancan and Chancellor Dou were from the Empress’s party… Hall of Taishi was full of high-level officials. The servants guarding the hall were silent.

Just when the Empress and Jiang Yashuang went through the door, they heard Assistant Minister of Ministry of Justice Duan Qun saying vehemently, “Shazhou is where the main camp of the Western Army is. And it has been a military stronghold since ancient times! If we lose that place, the western savages will be able to attack the mainland! When that time comes, the people will be plunged into an abyss of misery. Who can afford such a fault? Ruan Qingyan is just twenty. Even if he is brilliant, how could he handle a real military matter?”

Qiu Jinglan took up an appointment as the Chief of Staff of Shazhou.

According to the official hierarchy of Darui, the Chief of Staff was the assistant of the Prefectural Governor who was a local military governor taking charge of the prefectural military.

Of course, the Western Army was located outside of Shazhou city and Xingkang Grand Princess’s Mansion was even built inside the city. But the military force which the Chief of Staff of Shazhou was in charge of wasn’t the Western Army. On the contrary, it could be counted as the Western Army’s enemy. They didn’t need to worry about the savages’ invasion because the Western Army was there. They worried if the Western Army would rebel.

In simple terms, they were the means of how the government prevented the border army from insurrection.

This army was certainly no match for the Western Army in a real fight. But since the government put them in such a position, they surely gave them the means to restrain the Western Army. For example, when the army provisions of the Western Army arrived at Shazhou, the provisions were all stored inside the city on the ground of insecurity outside of the city. If the Western Army wanted to take the provisions, they needed to get the permission from both the Prefectural Governor of Shazhou and the Chief of Staff of Shazhou. And they weren’t allowed to take a large amount if there was no war!

Of all the restrictions, the biggest problem of the Empress Dowager’s party was that the Western Army wasn’t allowed to go into the city. But the soldiers of Shazhou were allowed as long as they had the warrant from the Prefectural Governor or the Chief of Staff!

In that case, as long as Qiu Jinglan arrived at Shazhou city safely, Empress Dowager’s party would start to worry about Kuang Shihan’s safety. After all, Xingkang Grand Princess was inside the city. Kuang Shihan couldn’t keep staying away from the city, could he?

At that moment, Duan Qun hoped to stop Qiu Jinglan from going there taking advantage of the urgent military situation.

However, just when he finished speaking, Imperial Edict Editor of the Central Secretariat Jiang Tiancan contradicted at once, “The saying goes that man’s will doesn’t depend on the number of his age. Ruan Qingyan got the Jinshi title at eighteen. He was recruited to Hanlin Academy by the Emperor. His ability is evident! Why can’t he be the Chief of Staff of Shazhou? Do you think that what you couldn’t do when you were young couldn’t be done by others?”

The Empress went in when they were about to start mocking each other. Duan Qun had to shut up sullenly and greeted the Empress with others.

Empress Jiang was happy that she arrived in time that everyone was there. But the war hadn’t begun yet. She asked them to stand up nicely and then greeted Empress Dowager Gu casually. She went up the red stairs and instructed others to arrange her seat.

And Jiang Yashuang walked towards Marquess Qin gently and stood behind him.

He was the only junior there. He couldn’t help attracting attention.

Especially Jiang Tianao and the other two, they looked calm. But they all felt some remorse, “We should have gotten along with Tianluan if we had known she would have such power. The Fourth brother and his wife aren’t in the city. Just because Yashuang is raised by the second aunt, he gets to participate in all the big events because of Tianluan’s support! He’s already brilliant. And Tianluan adores him. Our kids will be suppressed by him in the future!”

Empress Jiang’s power was suppressed by Empress Dowager Gu now. And Marquess Qin was the real leader of the Empress’s party. She couldn’t do whatever she wanted. But Jiang Yashuang had already taken a lot of advantages because of her favor. When the Empress became Empress Dowager, how bright his future would be?

But that moment wasn’t the time to bother about it. Regret and envy passed quickly through their minds. Then they focused on the current matter. The Empress was there. She hadn’t read the report yet. Of course, the discussion couldn’t continue until she had finished reading.

Empress Jiang took over the memorial from Maid Zheng and looked through it. She frowned a bit, “This report really makes it sound like a big deal. It’s said that there were wildfires on a few main pastures of the western savages in late spring, which led to severely short of food and grass for the livestock!”

If that was all, they could arrange the trade caravan to exchange winter supplies for the cattle and sheep that they couldn’t keep alive in order to stop the war.

But Kuang Shihan mentioned another problem, “Brothers and nephews of the current chief of the western savages rebelled years ago. And he killed them all. Maybe he was cursed by his relatives before they died. His sons and grandsons all died young. Now he only has a daughter. Let alone how beautiful Princess Asemu is in the savages’ eyes, marrying her will have a chance to be the chief. Just this one reason is worth of all the leaders of the western savages striving to be the first in pursuing her!”

But there was only one princess. All those people wanted to marry her. Most of them were in the same status. If they wanted the chief and the princess to pick them, it was inevitable for them to pick a fight with Darui since they believed in bravery and strength all along.

Especially, now they had a good reason!

“If what he said is true, wars will definitely break out in Xijiang this winter!” Empress Jiang didn’t know what to do. Although she was born in a family of generals and she could fire an arrow and tame a horse, she knew a little about how to fight a battle. Judging by the military report, it was concrete and logical. She was in a pickle, “We must take over the Western Army. And Xijiang can’t be in chaos… If Kuang Shihan gets what he wants this time, what if he increases his military power year after year?”

Empress Dowager Gu asked flatly, “Empress, since you’ve finished reading, you were born in a family of generals. Now you administer affairs of state. I wonder if you have any good idea.”