Chapter 6

Princess Zhaohua Min Ruoxi placed the delicate porcelain cup, still steaming, on the redwood table in front of her. Her long eyelashes fluttered as she looked at Guo Ziling, who was seated beside her. "Old Master Guo, what are the chances of victory for the Western Border Army in this battle?"

Guo Jiuling smiled and nodded. "Your Highness, there's no need to worry. This battle will be a sure success. I'm afraid the Western Qin is still basking in the belief that they have a mole in our high ranks. And the intelligence this mole has sent back has been genuine and reliable. They would never imagine that this person has long been captured by us. Once the Western Border Army achieves a great victory, the Second Prince's influence will surely grow. The Eastern Border Army, led by the Crown Prince, has suffered consecutive defeats against Dong Qi. In comparison, a great victory by the Western Border Army will clearly show the difference. I believe the balance in the King's heart will tilt further towards the Second Prince."

As Guo Jiuling spoke, Min Ruoxi's brows furrowed. Her beautiful phoenix eyes flashed with disgust. The competition between her elder brother, Crown Prince Min Ruocheng, and her second brother, Min Ruying, had become increasingly intense. In the court, the civil officials who supported the Crown Prince had the upper hand, but in the military, it was the Second Prince who had more power. Even the Imperial Guards, who were directly under the King's command, now showed a clear inclination.

The Crown Prince was a scholar, refined and dignified, unlike the Second Prince, who had been both literate and martial since childhood, and was bold and chivalrous, deeply admired by military leaders.

The competition between her two brothers made it difficult for Min Ruoxi, who was caught in the middle. In Nanyue, the royal family was not large, and although Min Ruoxi was a woman, she still had to take charge. The Jiyingtang, which she controlled, was a gathering of talented people and the central hub for the Nanchu court's control over the martial world. Princess Zhaohua Min Ruoxi herself had practiced martial arts since childhood and was a first-class expert.

"Princess, I understand your dilemma, but in the struggle for the throne, only one side can win. You cannot remain neutral. If you were just a princess, it would be different, but the Jiyingtang under your control is a powerful force, and the two princes cannot ignore it," Guo Jiuling advised.

"They are both my brothers!" Min Ruoxi sighed.

"Princess, the Second Prince shares the same mother as you, which makes him closer to you than the Crown Prince," Guo Jiuling pointed out the subtle differences between the two princes and the princess.

"But the Crown Prince has always been kind to me since childhood, taking care of me in every way," Min Ruoxi said with a hint of melancholy. "How can I betray him?"

"Princess, I understand your difficulties, but deep down, you are still more inclined towards the Second Prince. Otherwise, you wouldn't have requested to come to the Western Border Army this time," Guo Jiuling smiled. "I'm afraid the Crown Prince's strategists have already listed you as a target."

"You're talking nonsense. I requested to leave the capital this time just to avoid the endless power struggles in the capital. Being in the capital, it's impossible not to get involved, so I had to leave to stay out of it," Min Ruoxi shook her head and sighed.

"But the Left Commander of the Western Border Army has always been a staunch supporter of the Second Prince," Guo Jiuling laughed.

Min Ruoxi was silent for a moment, lowering her head to look at the steam still rising from the cup on the table. The fragrance of the tea filled the tent, but her heart was bitter. Deep down, was she still more inclined towards her second brother?

"Princess, there's no need to worry; it's only natural," Guo Jiuling consoled her.

"Old Master Guo, why has the Imperial Guard also become involved in the struggle for the throne? Aren't you afraid that Father will find out and punish you?" Min Ruoxi changed the subject.

"In fact, it's just me supporting the Second Prince, while the other deputy commander, Yang Jian, is a staunch supporter of the Crown Prince. As for the commander, he only recognizes His Majesty. How could His Majesty not know about the internal struggles within the Imperial Guard? With His Majesty's wisdom, he is well aware of everything. However, His Majesty tolerates it all because he knows what kind of person must sit on that throne. Under the premise of not endangering the state, the competition between the two princes will clearly show who is better."

"Does it have to come to fratricide to choose such a person?" Min Ruoxi shook her head slightly.

"Actually, His Majesty has probably already made up his mind," Guo Jiuling said confidently. "The Crown Prince has been in line for the throne for a long time, but his governance philosophy increasingly diverges from His Majesty's. The Crown Prince is benevolent and advocates governing with leniency and maintaining good relations with neighboring countries. This is not wrong, but it is not a blessing for the state in the current era. However, the Crown Prince has a strong base and never makes mistakes, so His Majesty has no excuse to replace him. But if the Second Prince leads a great victory in this battle and captures the southern territories of Western Qin, His Majesty will have an excuse to push for a change in the heir."

"What is wrong with the Crown Prince's governance philosophy?"

"Princess, in the current world, the four major powers are in a standoff. Nanchu, Western Qin, and Beiyue have similar strengths, while Dong Qi, which inherited most of the territory of the former Tang Dynasty, is the strongest. All three countries are striving to resist Dong Qi while also scheming against each other to expand their own power. The Emperor of Dong Qi is determined to restore the former glory of the Tang Dynasty. In such a dangerous situation, benevolence could be a sign of national decline. Nanchu needs an ambitious emperor, one who can lead the country in wars and unify the world."

"Is it also an opportunity for your military to achieve glory and gain titles, is it not?" Min Ruoxi said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Yes," Guo Jiuling said without any shame. "Soldiers yearn to achieve glory on the battlefield, which is why the Second Prince has a strong base in the military. Everyone hopes to achieve great things with the Second Prince."

"When heroes rise, it brings ten years of suffering to the people. Can this world not have a few years of peace?" Min Ruoxi's eyes were filled with pity.

"Princess, this is the trend. If we do not follow it, Nanchu will be swept into the dust of history like fallen leaves. The Tang Dynasty was once so powerful, but once it lost its ambition and clung to the remnants, it ultimately led to its downfall and the destruction of its royal lineage. We cannot repeat the same mistakes. In the struggle for the nation, not advancing means death," Guo Jiuling said calmly. "Princess, as a member of the Nanchu royal family, you were born with an inescapable duty. To put it bluntly, if the country falls, people like me might still have other paths, but what about you?"

"For over a hundred years, the royal family of Dong Qi has had an organization continuously pursuing and killing the Li clan members who have fled. Is this necessary? After a hundred years, the Li clan has long since disappeared. Even if there are remnants, they can no longer pose a threat. The Cao clan, though they have the throne, are so narrow-minded. It is truly lamentable and sad!"

"Your Highness, this is related to a legend. The founder of the Li clan, Emperor Li Qing, was wise and brave, unmatched in the world. He rose from nothing and became famous in just a few years. By the time he was forty, he had unified the country and established the Tang Dynasty, which lasted for a thousand years. However, the origin of this great emperor has always been a mystery. The personal history he narrated was later found to be false by historians. It was as if the emperor had suddenly appeared from nowhere. It is said that the Tang Dynasty left behind a prophecy, stating that a thousand years later, the emperor would be reborn, and the reborn person would be a descendant of the Li clan. Cao Wending, a high official of the Tang Dynasty, had close ties with the royal family and was likely aware of this prophecy. For a long time, people thought it was just a rumor, but after Cao Wending usurped the throne, he not only ruthlessly pursued and killed the Li clan members who had fled but also did not spare those with Li clan blood in his own clan. This made others believe that the prophecy was not a rumor. Otherwise, Cao Wending would not have killed his own clan members. For example, a branch of Cao Wending's direct lineage was killed because it had married into the Tang royal family and had the blood of the Tang royal family." Guo Jiuling sighed. "Princess, as someone well-versed in history, if such a person as Emperor Li Qing were to appear again, who could stop him?"

"The Li clan has had a thousand years of lineage and countless descendants. How can they all be killed?" Min Ruoxi shook her head.

"Killing one more means one less possibility," Guo Jiuling said. "In fact, it's not just the Cao clan of Dong Qi. The other three countries also kill any Li clan members they find. No one wants the prophecy to come true. It's just that they don't take it as seriously as Dong Qi, which has a dedicated organization for this purpose."

"The legacy of one person, even a thousand years later, can still震慑 the world. Emperor Li Qing is truly admirable and respectable, but I am born a thousand years too late and have no chance to see his face," Min Ruoxi said with regret.

"Even if he was a great emperor, he could not ensure the continuous prosperity of his descendants. Instead, his legacy has brought endless disasters to future generations. I wonder what Emperor Li Qing would think if he knew this," Guo Jiuling smiled. "When a person dies, it's like a lamp going out. They can only focus on the present and cannot see the future."

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