I am the champion of palace intrigue, and even the proud prince bows his head in submission.

Chapter 467 Xie Wanning Becomes a Nun

Qin Jiuwei put down her chopsticks and asked Xie Jingchun softly, "Can you tell me?"

This is his business; whether or not to tell others, one should naturally ask for his opinion.

Xie Jingchun lowered his head and said sullenly, "Okay."

Qin Jiu nodded slightly and turned to the two of them. "It's Chu Yi. His background is fake. He's actually from Daliang. He's been deceiving Chun Ge'er and using him all along."

Xie Jingchun remained silent, his fingers clenched so tightly they turned white.

Xie Jue looked shocked. "He even bought me candied hawthorns. I thought he was my friend."

"I thought so too," Xie Jingchun said, his voice low and hoarse.

Qin Jiuwei looked at him, her heart aching.

Xie Jing put down his chopsticks and said softly, "Big brother, you did nothing wrong. Trusting others is not wrong; it is that person who betrayed your trust, and that is his fault."

Xie Jingchun turned to look at him.

“Brother Chun, some people approach you from the beginning with no intention of opening their hearts to you. Every step they take is planned. It’s not that you’ve misjudged them; it’s that they’ve hidden themselves too well, and you’ve just been deceived.”

Qin Jiuwei continued, "But that doesn't mean you're wrong. You have a sincere heart that's willing to trust others, which is very rare. What you should learn is to distinguish between truth and falsehood, and not let this prevent you from trusting people."

"You are still too young. You will meet more people and experience more things in the future. You will become stronger and stronger. Don't be sad about this. This is just a part of your growth, not the whole thing. Your life will not stop because of this."

Looking into her gentle eyes, Xie Jingchun felt a lump in his throat and softly replied, "Okay."

The atmosphere finally eased a bit.

Xie Jue looked at their expressions and sighed softly.

He placed a piece of his favorite sweet and sour pork ribs into Xie Jingchun's bowl and whispered, "Big brother, eat it, or I'll finish it all."

Xie Jingchun chuckled softly and finally picked up his chopsticks.

Even after dinner, the candles in Qinglan Courtyard were still lit.

Inside the study, Meng Ze and Xie Yanli sat facing each other, with intelligence reports that had just been sent from Daliang spread out on the desk.

Meng Ze put down the secret letter in his hand. "I did indeed plant someone in. Emperor Liang has been taking pills for many years and his mind is confused. My person successfully took over his identity. As for the Third Prince, I had also made arrangements, but I did not expect him to die so quickly."

“Li Wuyang is even more ruthless than I thought. He doesn’t plan to scheme or maneuver; instead, he chooses to kill with one blow. He’s here with the intention of mutual destruction.”

Xie Yanli lowered his eyes slightly. "What do you think he will do next?"

Meng Ze pondered for a moment, "If I were him, my first priority would be to stabilize the court. Many of the old officials in the Liang court are loyal to me and the Third Prince. He must kill some and install others to quickly win back the hearts of the people."

"How long will it take for him to turn his attention to the Great Jin?"

"It will take at least half a month, and at most three months." Meng Ze's gaze was deep.

Xie Yanli remained expressionless, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes.

Daliang, early autumn.

In just three months, the political situation changed drastically, like a whirlwind sweeping away clouds.

After the sudden death of the Third Prince and the passing of Emperor Liang, Li Wuyang ascended the throne. In just seven days, he first executed the former subordinates of the Third Prince and then purged the central government officials.

He was extremely ruthless, and anyone who harbored any doubts or had previously attached themselves to the Third Prince was listed as a rebel.

Blood flowed like rivers in the capital, the court was terrified, and all the officials lived in fear, yet no one dared to rebel.

Subsequently, they secretly stationed troops in the western border region and mobilized forces from the five northwestern states, with 150,000 troops in the southern army and 180,000 troops in the western army.

The autumn wind stirs the banners, and a murderous aura presses down on the heavy clouds.

The war between the Great Liang and the Great Jin Dynasty began.

In the Taihe Hall of the Great Jin Dynasty, an urgent battle report arrived.

The imperial guards quickly entered the hall and handed the memorial to the emperor's desk.

"The border is in dire straits." Gao Xian's voice was cold and stern as he glanced at the officials in the hall. "The Great Liang has captured three cities in succession and is now pressing on Jingnan Pass."

There was an uproar in the court.

"Your Majesty, although there are generals guarding the border, the Liang army has mobilized the entire nation this time, and its strength is overwhelming. I fear it will not last long."

"Although the Great Liang has been at peace for many years, Li Wuyang is ruthless. After purging the court, he redeployed his troops and they are now unstoppable. If our army is not united, we may be at a disadvantage."

Gao Xian nodded and looked at his ministers, "My esteemed ministers, who is the best candidate to command the three armies and defend against the great enemy?"

Upon hearing this, the hall fell silent.

The civil officials bowed their heads, and the military officers exchanged glances, but no one stepped forward for a long time.

The Great Liang and the Great Jin have not fought a war for many years, and many veteran generals have retired. Although there are talented generals in the court, they are not able to win the hearts of the people.

While suppressing bandits might be manageable on ordinary days, now that the two countries are at war, victory cannot be achieved by the bravery of one person alone. Only a true great general can turn the tide.

The atmosphere in the hall was heavy, and no one responded.

At this moment, General Deng stepped forward. He was over fifty years old, with graying temples, but his expression remained resolute.

He clasped his hands in a fist and said in a deep voice, "Your subject Deng Qi requests permission to lead the expedition."

The court officials exchanged glances, and some nodded in agreement.

Gao Xian glanced at him and said, “Although Minister Deng is over fifty, his bravery has not diminished. You made a contribution to the suppression of the rebellion in the Northwest in the past. Now that you are willing to volunteer for the battle, I am very pleased.”

"In that case, Deng Qi accepts the decree and, effective immediately, is appointed General Who Conquers Liang, commanding the three armies to rush to the border and protect the land of our Great Jin."

"Your subject obeys!" General Deng bowed deeply.

The main hall of the Marquis's residence.

"Young Madam, I heard that the Second Miss has become a nun." Xiao He said cautiously as she poured tea.

Qin Jiuwei looked up at her: "Become a nun?"

"Indeed, the second young lady has not had a peaceful time in the Li family these past few months. She has been arguing with Li Yuanheng and her third sister-in-law, Lin, every few days. Madam Li and Duke Li have always been on Lin's side. With the second young lady's temper, how could she swallow this insult?"

“A few days ago, she got so angry that she grabbed a knife and stabbed Li Yuanheng!”

"Huh?" Xie Jue's eyes widened, and he almost dropped the pastries on the table.

Xiaohe nodded: "Fortunately, she wasn't seriously injured. Although she's hurt, she'll be fine after some rest. The Li family gave her two choices in a fit of anger: either they would report her to the authorities, or she would go to a nunnery outside the city and never be allowed to return to the Li family again."

"She chose to become a nun?" Qin Jiuwei raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." Xiaohe nodded. "I heard that she was sent to Qingji Nunnery early this morning. The nunnery is extremely austere, and even the breakfast and dinner are just coarse porridge and rotten vegetables."

Worshiping Buddha? Xie Jing sneered inwardly.

Xie Wanning's mindset is not conducive to worshipping Buddha; it would only defile the pure land before Buddha.

Qin Jiuwei remained silent.

I knew Xie Wanning wouldn't have a good life in the Li family, but I never expected her to become a nun.

Xie Jingchun frowned, puzzled. "They've already escalated to the point of stabbing each other, why not just get a divorce?"

Qin Jiuwei raised her eyes and glanced at him.

Xie Jingchun had been silent for a while, but he has finally gotten better in the last few days and is willing to talk.

He looks the same as before, but he's noticeably more composed now.

He was no longer the sharp-tongued, arrogant young man he was a few months ago; his eyes now showed a clear increase in restraint.