Chapter 1004

Chapter 1004: Change of Times (Part 2)

"Minister Shangguan Wuji pays respects to Her Highness the Princess!"

Inside the grand hall of Mingyu Palace, the leader of the Hanhai army, Shangguan Wuji, performed a deep bow to Princess Qingyun.

"General Shangguan, please rise and take a seat."

Princess Qingyun, having learned the background of the situation, managed to suppress her inner fear and unease in the presence of this General Who Stabilizes the West, who commanded fifty thousand troops. She displayed the demeanor expected of royalty.

Of course, standing beside her, Wang Chen provided her with the greatest courage!

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Shangguan Wuji sat down in the chair and then spoke in a deep voice, "Your Highness, I have surrounded Mingyu Palace with my troops not with ill intent, but by the order of the Empress Dowager. If I have offended anyone, please forgive me."

The Empress Dowager!

His words instantly stirred up a storm within the hall.

No one could comprehend why the current Empress Dowager would act in such a manner.

Even though Princess Qingyun was not born of the Empress Dowager, her marriage to Dayan was meant to cement an alliance between the two nations. The sudden intrusion of the Empress Dowager’s order to besiege the marriage envoy was truly beyond comprehension!

Wang Chen’s gaze flickered: "General Shangguan, just speak plainly. What exactly happened in Daye?"

Such an event would not occur unless there had been a significant upheaval in the imperial capital.

Wang Chen’s intuition told him that Emperor Shaowu was most likely in trouble!

Shangguan Wuji glanced at Wang Chen and then back at the astonished Princess Qingyun, a hint of sympathy flashing in his eyes. "Ten days ago, a coup occurred in Daye Palace. The Empress Dowager has resurfaced to rule from behind the curtain, deposing the Emperor and reinstating His Highness, Prince Jing as Emperor!"

"Three days from now, His Highness, Prince Jing will officially ascend the throne!"

Princess Qingyun immediately felt darkness cloud her vision and fainted on the spot, fortunately supported by her maid.

This news was so shocking that her already strained nerves completely broke down, making it impossible for her to bear.

"You all, assist Her Highness the Princess to rest."

Wang Chen spoke in a deep voice, "Summon the royal physician at once; there must be no mistakes!"

After the maids took Princess Qingyun away, Wang Chen ordered the guards present to leave the hall, leaving only Sun Zhengheng behind.

Although Shangguan Wuji was accompanied by his guards, he uniquely entered the hall alone, so now only he, Wang Chen, and Sun Zhengheng remained.

Wang Chen spoke lightly, "General Shangguan, what does the Empress Dowager mean by this?"

His question lacked any respect, causing the corner of Shangguan Wuji’s eye to twitch, revealing a glimmer of suspicion.

Given that Hanhai County was located on the edge of Dayan, thousands of miles away from Daye, regular communication was not easy, relying on eagles and swift horses for messages, resulting in low efficiency.

Thus, Shangguan Wuji had some limited knowledge about Wang Chen as the marriage envoy.

As a teenager, Wang Chen’s shrewdness and composure surprised Shangguan Wuji.

What astonished him even more was that he couldn’t see through Wang Chen’s background!

After all, Shangguan Wuji was one of the few sixth-level martial honors in Dayan.

This made the General Who Stabilizes the West feel a hint of caution.

After a moment of thought, Shangguan Wuji said, "The Empress Dowager’s intent aligns with His Highness, Prince Jing’s wishes. Princess Qingyun can no longer head to Dayan; she is to marry the King of the Nanman!"

The King of the Nanman!

Wang Chen’s mind was in a state of turmoil, as if a thousand horses were galloping through it.

The Nanman referred to the barbarian tribes in the southern region of Dayan. These tribes, composed of various smaller groups, were united under the strongest tribe, which proclaimed itself the King of the Nanman. They could barely be considered a nation.

However, compared to Dayan, Daye, and Da Qi, the Nanman were extremely primitive, akin to the difference between a feudal dynasty and a primitive tribe, with the latter still practicing customs of eating raw flesh and drinking blood.

Yet, the Nanman were born warriors, brave and fierce, often raiding the southern border counties of Dayan.

They were also one of Dayan’s primary external threats.

Dayan had attempted to completely eliminate this menace, but the Nanman tribes took refuge in the mountains and forests, holding a significant geographical advantage. Moreover, the Nanman sorcerers were skilled in curses, leading to heavy losses for the Liang army during repeated attempts to suppress them.

The Nanman were rough and brutal, many lacking any semblance of humanity, and the King of the Nanman was notoriously bloodthirsty and cruel.

The fact that the Empress Dowager and His Highness, Prince Jing planned to marry Princess Qingyun to the King of the Nanman felt like pushing her into a fiery pit—how malicious of them!

Wang Chen finally understood why Shangguan Wuji wanted to surround Mingyu Palace.

He feared that Princess Qingyun would learn of the news and refuse to comply with their decree!

After all, the 3,000 elite Yulin guards escorting the marriage envoy belonged to Princess Qingyun. If a conflict arose, it would be a scene difficult to control, with casualties being unavoidable.

Shangguan Wuji clearly sought to defeat the enemy without a fight!

"It was likely the county governor’s idea to use poison."

Shangguan Wuji clearly perceived Wang Chen’s thoughts and said, "I don’t think it’s real poison, right?"

Wang Chen did not respond either way.

He didn’t want to discuss this topic, as it was now meaningless. What mattered was: "General Shangguan, Supreme General of the State, don’t the Empress Dowager and Prince Jing fear that Dayan will retaliate?"

Shangguan Wuji paused for a moment before answering, "His Highness, Prince Jing likely plans to ally with Da Qi to destroy Dayan, waiting for Dayan to turn hostile and then striking together with Da Qi."

Wang Chen was left speechless.

The image of Prince Jing, who was as fat as a mountain, surfaced in his mind. He had not expected his opponent to conceal his intentions so deeply!

Wang Chen had also misjudged the situation.

He remembered that Prince Jing had joined the most elite Tiger Ben Army at the age of thirteen, serving in the military and fighting bravely at the front lines against Da Qi, achieving great merits.

Thus, many people believed that Liang Shijie was the most suitable prince to inherit the throne.

However, after Emperor Shaowu ascended the throne, the Empress Dowager had summoned Prince Jing back to Daye to prevent him from gaining power in the military and threatening Emperor Shaowu.

Now, Prince Jing was actually planning to ally with Da Qi to destroy Dayan; the implications were incredibly profound!

"You may not know, but His Highness, Prince Jing’s mother is the Empress Dowager’s niece!"

Shangguan Wuji explained, "Furthermore, the Empress Dowager’s family originally belonged to the exiled nobility of Da Qi, but the Emperor insisted on fighting Da Qi to the death. Over the years, countless resources and lives were spent, and Dayan is on the verge of collapse."

Wang Chen immediately understood why the Empress Dowager wanted to change methods and establish a new emperor!

He scoffed, “What would Da Qi gain from this?”

Dayan and Da Qi had been foes for generations, and Prince Jing had fought many battles against Da Qi; even with the Empress Dowager’s family ties, why would Da Qi want to ally with Dayan?

Shangguan Wuji fell silent for a moment before replying, "Prince Jing may intend to cede three northern counties to Da Qi."

This time, Wang Chen truly laughed: “That’s like negotiating with a tiger for its skin!”

“Knowing it’s poison, yet still wanting to taste it.”

A hint of helplessness seeped into Shangguan Wuji’s voice: “Otherwise, our Dayan might very well be annihilated by the combined forces of Da Qi and Dayan.”

He looked at Wang Chen: “Taibao Wang, given the circumstances, what are your plans?"