“Young Master, I’m sorry…”

 

After leaving the gates of the Ye Residence, Ye Ying’er expressed her guilt.

 

“Why apologize all of a sudden?” Ye Chuan replied with a smile, clearly in a good mood.

 

“Because of Ying’er, you gave away the jade pendant that Madam left for you, and you lost the chance to become the future prince consort. I should be the one at fault…”

 

The young girl said, her tears falling.

 

Ye Chuan couldn’t help but smile wryly, gently wiping away her tears. “Silly girl, I did that on purpose. Whether or not it was for you, I would’ve given them the jade pendant anyway.”

 

Ye Ying’er paused for a moment before shaking her head vigorously. “Young Master, there’s no need to comfort me. I know it’s all my fault…”

 

“I’m telling you the truth,” Ye Chuan said helplessly.

 

“But I heard that earlier this morning, you even had a falling out with the master and left the house without handing over the pendant!”

 

“That’s nonsense,” Ye Chuan rolled his eyes. “It’s my property, and whether I give it away depends on my own interests and mood. If they tried to take it by force, even the king himself couldn’t make me give it up!”

 

Ye Ying’er blinked her big, tear-filled eyes, looking confused. “Then why did you give it to them just now?”

 

Ye Chuan chuckled. “Didn’t you see how hot that jade pendant was in their hands?”

 

He paused for a moment and said with a playful tone, “A prince consort, two sons—it’s not easy to divide this.”

 

Although Ye Ying’er was innocent, she wasn’t foolish. She immediately realized what he meant and covered her mouth in shock. “Young Master, you’re deliberately sowing discord between the eldest and second young masters?!”

 

Ye Chuan patted her on the head. “You’re not completely foolish, Ying’er.”

 

Her face flushed with a hint of pink from his affectionate gesture.

 

“But it’s such a loss!”

 

“That’s the future prince consort position you’re giving up just to cause trouble…”

 

The young girl still felt heartbroken.

 

“Silly girl, do you really think that the position of prince consort is some kind of coveted prize?” Ye Chuan sighed softly and spoke in a serious tone, “Right now, the country is facing turmoil.”

 

“To the north, the Rouran cavalry watches closely, ready to strike.”

 

“To the west, the Great Zhou Kingdom has not abandoned its ambition, frequently eyeing us.”

 

“In the imperial court, factions are rising, and the debate over whether to go to war or seek peace is in full swing.”

 

“The worst part is that the imperial harem is also unstable!”

 

“The emperor is aging, the crown prince has not been determined, and there are many relatives vying for power…”

 

Ye Chuan spoke in detail, outlining the internal and external troubles in just a few words.

 

“Ye Zhenghuai belongs to the pro-peace faction, but he’s more of a peripheral figure, not a core member.”

 

“If his son were to become the prince consort, rising into the imperial family, his position would greatly increase, and he would become a central figure in the pro-peace faction.”

 

“At that point, he would certainly become a target for the pro-war faction, which is led by the old generals.”

 

“In the harem, the emperor favors the eldest princess, and her opinion, as well as that of her prince consort, plays a crucial role in determining the crown prince.”

 

“The Ye family is caught between the two powerful forces in the court and the harem. Ye Zhenghuai and his fool of a son, Ye Cheng, are incapable of navigating the political currents without putting themselves in danger.”

 

Ye Chuan let out a long sigh, his eyes clear. “In short, if Ye Cheng becomes the prince consort, the Ye family will be finished. Their fate will be utterly miserable, with no chance of survival!”

 

His words left Ye Ying’er completely stunned.

 

Although she had studied, she had no deep understanding of the political power struggles. But even with limited knowledge, she was struck by the confidence with which Ye Chuan explained the situation.

 

At that moment, she felt a strange sense of reassurance.

 

“Madam, with such a son, I’m sure you’d be smiling in your grave…”

 

“Younger Master, where are we going now?”

 

“We’ll find an inn to stay for a while,” Ye Chuan responded with a smile.

 

In fact, he hadn’t finished his explanation just yet.

 

Giving the jade pendant to Zhao Shi was indeed part of his plan.

 

Now, his goal was to lay low in the capital, continue accumulating resources, and wait patiently.

 

He was waiting for Ye Cheng to become the prince consort and for the Ye family to become the target of everyone’s criticism.

 

When that moment came, he would use his accumulated resources to fan the flames and add fuel to the fire.

 

At that point, he could seize the opportunity to deal with Zhao Shi and take revenge for Chen Shi!

 

…

 

The next day at the morning court.

 

In the Golden Luan Hall, Emperor Xiaowu sat high on his dragon throne, wearing his dragon robe.

 

The magnificent hall, with its gold and jade, exuded grandeur. The court officials were arranged in an orderly fashion, kneeling and calling out “Long live the emperor!”

 

“All rise!”

 

“Long live the emperor!”

 

Emperor Xiaowu scanned the room and nodded in satisfaction.

 

The general in charge of the military stood tall, his armor sharp and his posture proud.

 

The old man thought to himself, ‘You want to challenge me!’

 

‘You’re still pretending to be sick!’

 

‘Even if you die, I can drag you back from the underworld and have you attend court properly!’

 

Emperor Xiaowu cleared his throat and said in a deep voice, “Today, we will only discuss one matter!”

 

“The Rouran has sent peace envoys, and they will arrive at the capital soon.”

 

“Now, the nation’s strategy has yet to be determined!”

 

“Should we go to war or seek peace? A decision must be made!”

 

“All ministers, speak your minds!”

 

As soon as the emperor’s words were spoken, the ministers below immediately started debating.

 

The situation in the court was no surprise, with civil officials favoring war and military officials supporting peace.

 

When it came to the attitude towards Rouran, the officials had long formed their factions. However, no one wanted to speak first, unsure of what the emperor’s thoughts were.

 

General Li Xuanwu didn’t join the debate but stood arrogantly, glancing scornfully at the civil officials.

 

Emperor Xiaowu’s eyes swept across the ministers, and suddenly, his gaze sharpened as he noticed a figure that caught his interest.

 

“Minister Ye from the Department of Rites.”

 

The emperor’s sudden address startled everyone. The court officials fell silent and turned to look at Ye Zhenghuai with surprise.

 

Ye Zhenghuai himself was stunned, his heart skipping a beat.

 

Why did the emperor suddenly call on him?

 

“I am here!” he quickly stepped forward and knelt in the center of the hall.

 

“I remember, Minister, you were among the top three in the imperial exam,” the emperor said, with a hint of fondness in his tone. “I personally reviewed your answers to the national strategy question, and I found your insights refreshing.”

 

“Now, with the matter of Rouran, I would like to hear your opinion.”

 

The hall fell silent.

 

Everyone was pondering the situation.

 

The emperor’s reasoning seemed sound. After all, it was not unusual for the emperor to call on a minister when he felt like it.

 

However, Ye Zhenghuai didn’t think so.

 

He was merely a lowly minister in the Department of Rites. Although his promotion had been steady, he was far from an important official.

 

His role was related to ceremonial matters, so why was he being asked about a military issue?

 

There must be a reason!

 

Ye Zhenghuai immediately thought he had figured it out.

 

It must be because of the marriage proposal!

 

The emperor knew he was from the pro-peace faction, and at the moment when the Rouran envoys were about to arrive, the emperor suddenly decided to ask about the marriage issue…

 

This was a signal!

 

It meant that the emperor was also leaning towards peace!

 

With the marriage matter being discussed yesterday and now calling on him today, it was clear that the emperor wanted to use his words to set the tone for peace!

 

Thinking he had deciphered the emperor’s intention, Ye Zhenghuai became even more confident. He quickly organized his thoughts and spoke with great conviction.

 

“Your Majesty, I believe peace should be our priority!”

 

“Rouran is a barbarian nation, ungoverned and uncivilized. We should teach them the way of our great and benevolent empire!”

 

“War would waste time and resources, causing suffering to the common people, especially those at the border!”

 

“Your Majesty has always been a compassionate ruler, so why not use your benevolence to win them over?”

 

“After many years, the people of Rouran will surely come to understand and submit to our grace!”

 

“This is what is meant by winning without fighting!”

 

After his speech, the hall fell into an even deeper silence.

 

Ye Zhenghuai himself was full of confidence, pleased with his words.