“We have already sent someone to the Jing Ning Marquis’s residence to announce the edict,” he coldly stared at Yan Xiaohan, “If you have thought it through, kneel and accept it.”
Fu Shen and Yan Xiaohan – one a famous general, one a spy; one upright, one hypocritical; one with a heart for the world, one calculating; one renowned, one infamous – two people on different paths, now bound together by this absurd imperial marriage.
More absurd than the marriage edict was Yan Xiaohan’s first reaction upon seeing it: not anger, but a cold sense of pleasure.
He thought maliciously about what Fu Shen’s reaction would be when receiving the marriage edict. This pillar of the court, carrying the weight of responsibility and duty, being trampled by the monarch he serves – could he still maintain his broad-minded composure? Would he swallow his grievances or raise the Northern Yan military flag and rebel?
This statement seemed to have a hint of loosening, and Emperor Yuan Tai’s heart secretly breathed a sigh of relief: “Fu Shen is indeed a loyal minister, but he is not loyal to me.”
For a general, he is a sharp weapon in the monarch’s hand.
Fu Shen may be sharp and difficult to stop, but if a knife has too many thoughts, it becomes unreliable. Some ministers are loyal to the monarch, while others are loyal to the world. Fu Shen, like his uncle Fu Ting Xin, is a minister loyal to the world.
Yan Xiao Han cursed Fu Shen in his heart once again. This blockhead had probably done something thankless that offended the emperor. His Northern Yan army was as tight as an iron bucket, and the Flying Dragon Guard found it nearly impossible to gather any information. If he had known what happened earlier and prepared countermeasures, he would not have been caught off guard by the emperor and the crown prince today!
“Meng Gui, you have been by my side for a long time and are my most capable minister,” Emperor Yuan Tai said, “You are different from Fu Shen. As long as you take this step, your future will be limitless.”
“If you are unwilling, I will give you another choice.”
Yan Xiao Han raised his eyes and looked at the emperor sitting high on the dragon throne.
