The Empress listened quietly, and upon hearing that the Huai’an Prince Mansion sent soone to make contact, her eyes sparkled with unexpected delight.
When she heard that Zhao Douan had hunted and killed a group of supervisors led by Wang Qi, she nodded slightly; killing the supervisors and avoiding Zhao Shixiong was indeed a wise choice.
And when she learned that after Zhao Douan killed, he faced a full-scale manhunt but did the opposite, not only did he not hide, but he actively created chaos to attract the rebels’ attention, secretly transported people from the prison... after a confrontation with Zhao Shixiong... the Empress’s face did not show delight, but rather held a hint of anger:
"Why did you do this?"
Zhao Douan curiously asked, "Does Your Majesty think it’s inappropriate? Should I not have done this?"
Xu Zhenguan, sitting opposite him, stared at him with a stern face, took a deep breath before speaking seriously: "The Yongjia Prefect and other officials, faced with rebels, remained loyal to the court. I am deeply moved and also willing to do everything possible to rescue them. But... it also depends on how much of a price we have to pay!"
She was sowhat emotionally disturbed, not angry at Zhao Douan, but worried.
Just like before Zhao Douan sneaked into Yongjia with repeated assurances of taking no risks, but ended up using his own life and feigning attacks with the Five Army Camp, causing such a commotion just to rescue a group of local officials...
"Your life is more important than theirs," Xu Zhenguan calmly said, "Such unwise decisions are not like your usual style."
Zhenbao cautiously remarked... Your words are sowhat politically incorrect... But the feudal era protects you... Zhao Douan criticized, but felt a warmth in his heart.
He smiled and said, "Your Majesty also knows this is not my style? I am no good person, nor one who would risk my life and mobilize the Three Armies just to save so local officials."
Xu Zhenguan was slightly taken aback; the anger on her pale face eased a bit, and she suspiciously asked, "You weren’t saving people? Then why make such a fuss? Surely you weren’t just testing Zhao Shixiong’s martial power?"
Zhao Douan, calm and collected, said, "Testing his cultivation was just one purpose, and a secondary one at that. The Yunfu Rebel Army, its leader seems to be Mu Prince, but in reality, the true threat is this Zhao Shixiong. Therefore, understanding his martial power is indeed very important; just from tonight’s test, I surmise that even if he is not a ’Half-step Celestial,’ he likely has similar combat power, which ans any attempted assassination against him is aningless."
Xu Zhenguan remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
Zhao Douan paused and, with a sly smile, said, "However, my true purpose was neither rescuing people nor testing him, nor even assassinating Wang Qi and others to weaken the rebel army. It was... ’division.’"
"Division?" Xu Zhenguan was taken aback.
"Yes, or ’disunion’ might be more appropriate," under the lamplight, Zhao Douan’s ethereal figure suddenly exuded profound aning, and he said, "I told Your Majesty last ti that within the Yunfu Rebel Army, two power groups exist, naly Mu Prince Manor and the Southwest Border Army. When facing the court, both hold consistent positions, making them extrely difficult to deal with, but if these two groups can be divided, causing Mu Prince Xu Jingtang and Zhao Shixiong to beco estranged, suspicious, or even turn against each other... At the least, the Yunfu Rebel Army would lack the capability to support Prince Jing; at worst, the internal collapse of the Yunfu Rebel Army, and we could watch them fight without losing a single soldier, reclaiming half of the Huai River!"
Dividing Xu Jingtang and Zhao Shixiong? ... Xu Zhenguan’s gaze beca serious: "This strategy, it’s not sothing no one in the court has thought of, but it’s extrely difficult to implent. Mu Prince indeed does not completely trust Zhao Shixiong; the assignnt of Su Dan as the commander on the front line is a pri example, and the insertion of nurous ’supervisors’ among the rebels in Yongjia City also reflects this. Everyone knows this, but rebellion is a capital offense, and now both are in the sa boat; Mu Prince would not dismiss Zhao Shixiong over re rumors, nor would Zhao Shixiong."
Disunion tactics alone, the courtiers are not fools, how could they not think of it? It’s just too difficult to achieve.
Zhao Douan said calmly, "Your Majesty is right, this matter is extrely difficult, and the two are unlikely to turn against each other easily, so it requires gradual breakthroughs, needing more thods and ti. I infiltrated Yongjia and did everything just to make so small breaches in the dam of trust between Zhao Shixiong and Xu Jingtang."
He slyly said, "Does Your Majesty feel, when Xu Jingtang at the rear learns that in Yongjia City, a large number of supervisors were killed, Yongjia Prefect and other prisoners were rescued, and the one who fought with Zhao Shixiong escaped unhard... after these ssages, what would Xu Jingtang think?"
What would Mu Prince think?
Xu Zhenguan recalled her impression of this Imperial Uncle, pondering: "Xu Jingtang appears outwardly as bold, fond of befriending heroes and scholars, thus enjoying a good reputation in Yunfu. But I rember, so years ago, when the late Emperor still reigned, during a festival, all princes gathered in the Capital. After the banquet, the Crown Prince, brother to this Empress, ntioned privately once due to intoxication, that Xu Jingtang is internally self-righteous, inherently suspicious, quite different from his exterior."
She paused, then said, "I understand your aning; you want to say Xu Jingtang might suspect whether Zhao Shixiong intentionally ’let things slip’ to arouse suspicion against him. But that’s not enough."
Zhao Douan nodded with a smile, "Just this, indeed not enough. But if, on top of everything, Xu Jingtang receives reports from the Embroidered Robe Envoy, learning Zhao Shixiong secretly contacts the court...?"
Sudden thunder in a clear sky!
Xu Zhenguan stared at him, exclaiming, "You intend to use the Embroidered Robe Envoy to convey false information?"
She knew Zhao Douan recently converted an Embroidered Robe Envoy, Nie Yurong.
If using Nie Yurong to relay false information to Xu Jingtang...
"No, this is not feasible; Xu Jingtang is not a fool. He won’t rely trust the words of an Embroidered Robe Envoy; he would certainly verify through various ans, and by then, not only would Nie Yurong be exposed, but Xu Jingtang would also know all are disunion tactics, making him even more trustful of Zhao Shixiong." The Empress shook her head, dismissing the assumption.
She found this plan insufficiently ticulous, with flaws too great.
However, Zhao Douan’s next words changed her expression.
Zhao Douan quietly said:
"Who said we need to convey false ssages? What if... the news of Zhao Shixiong secretly communicating with the court is... true?"
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