Gu Shanlu smiled bitterly: “This morning in the palace, His Majesty was furious about the matters of the three Annam kingdoms. He instructed the Censorate to impeach the King of Xiping, thereby providing a justification. Moreover, I don’t think the Yanying Hall will necessarily oppose this.”
Fu Shen: “I’m listening.”
Gu Shanlu explained: “The Southwest’s independence is entirely detrimental to the court. First, it’s too close to Jingchu and Lingnan. If the King of Xiping wants to expand, these two regions will be the first to suffer. Second, it connects to Annam and Chen. If the Southwest allies with these small countries, our court will struggle to interact with Southeast Asian nations, both on land and by sea.”
“After the army recaptured the capital, they say you’re being praised to the heavens, that the Northern Yan cavalry are divine soldiers, invincible in attack and undefeatable in battle. So if someone else were to lead the troops, they might hesitate. But if you lead them, they’d have fewer concerns.”
Fu Shen coldly sneered: “You think highly of me.”
“There’s one more thing,” Gu Shanlu said seriously. “The King of Xiping was formerly part of the Northern Yan military and has close ties with you and the Ying State Duke’s residence. Many eyes in the court are watching you, and I’m sure that person is no exception. If anything goes wrong during the western expedition… well, suspicions would be hard to dispel.”
“Do they need to be so calculating?” Fu Shen raised his cup, took a sip, and smiled self-mockingly. “If I wanted to do something, would I have waited until now?”
“It’s precisely because you haven’t ‘done anything’ that makes some people uneasy,” Gu Shanlu said. “General, your current power and reputation are at their peak. When you truly decide to do something, who could stop you?”
He sighed softly: “General, as the saying goes, ‘It’s not the ten thousand possibilities, but the one-in-ten-thousand chance’ that matters.”
