Chapter 445

No one could lie and deceive her.

Ma Yiyang left the palace and immediately arranged for the little palace maid who had killed Noble Consort Jin to work as a cleaning maid in the Ministry of Punishment.

On one hand, the little maid herself wasn’t a bad person. She had served Noble Consort Jin in Qingyang Palace, but because her beauty outshone others, Noble Consort Jin had burned her throat with charcoal, rendering her mute.

After Jiang Xinyue found out, she casually mentioned it to Ma Yiyang, who immediately understood her intentions. He used the people Jiang Xinyue had given him to provoke the maid, filling her heart with resentment.

Ma Yiyang even felt that the word "provoke" wasn’t quite appropriate. After all, who wouldn’t hate someone who, without any reason, had ruined their life and made them mute?

Ma Yiyang merely provided her with a way out—whether or not to kill Noble Consort Jin was the maid’s own choice.

However, even though the maid was innocent, Ma Yiyang wasn’t about to silence her permanently. Still, to be safe, it was better to keep her under close watch.

The little maid took a gamble and, realizing she still had a chance to live, kowtowed to Ma Yiyang in gratitude.

Meanwhile, the King of Goguryeo, Jin Fengyu, had intended to take advantage of the emperor’s absence from the capital to launch a sneak attack. However, not only did the attack fail, but it also tarnished Goguryeo’s reputation.

“These… these fools! They’ve all been used by the Empress of Great Yan. They’ve even issued a proclamation to sever ties with us,” Jin Fengyu roared, slamming a memorial onto the table. “Idiots! They’re claiming that I killed my own sister and framed the Empress of Great Yan. My sister and I shared the same mother and were deeply close. How could I possibly kill her?”

“That Jiang Xinyue—she’s the consort who helped the Emperor of Great Yan translate during our tribute mission years ago. She’s truly formidable. In just three years, she’s risen from the lowest-ranking consort to become the Empress, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the Emperor of Great Yan.”

“We underestimated her, and now we’ve paid a heavy price.”

“What do we do now? The other vassal states have already taken their side, believing we killed the princess and framed Jiang Xinyue. How do we prove our innocence?”

“Bang!”

Another heavy object was slammed to the ground as Jin Fengyu’s chest heaved with rage. “Prove our innocence? They killed my sister, and now I have to prove my innocence? Hmph! Summon the vanguard general. I’m declaring war on Great Yan.”

“But… on what grounds?”

“My sister went to Great Yan less than half a year ago and died under mysterious circumstances. Shouldn’t I seek justice for her?”

After a pause, Jin Fengyu added, “Write two letters—one to Fusang and one to the Emperor of the Jin Kingdom. From this day forward, Goguryeo will be a vassal state of the Jin Kingdom, but the Emperor of Jin must send troops to help us attack Great Yan.”

The Jin Kingdom and Great Yan were evenly matched, with the Jin Kingdom coveting the vast and resource-rich lands of the Central Plains. The two nations had long-standing tensions, but neither had dared to escalate into full-scale war, fearing that smaller states might take advantage of the chaos.

Fusang had already been swayed by the Jin Kingdom, and now Goguryeo was following suit, much to the Jin Kingdom’s delight.

Upon receiving Goguryeo’s letter, the Emperor of Jin immediately sent a reply and began mobilizing troops along the border in preparation to assist Goguryeo.

On the city walls, General Yan Qianjun and his eldest son, Yan Daoming, watched the thick smoke rising from the other side of the Black River with a sense of foreboding.

Yan Daoming lowered his telescope. “Father, the smoke is meant to obscure their movements. I suspect they’re mobilizing troops.”

The Jin Kingdom’s desire to conquer Great Yan wasn’t new. Since the founding of Great Yan, the Jin Kingdom had sought to subjugate it, but every attempt had ended in failure, leaving them weakened.

Now, they had grown smarter, focusing on turning Great Yan’s vassal states against it, aiming to isolate Great Yan and leave it surrounded by enemies.

Fusang had already severed ties with Great Yan. After their last defeat at the hands of Great Yan’s army, they had been receiving aid from the Jin Kingdom to rebuild their strength.

General Yan took a deep breath. “Once night falls, send someone to cross the river and see what they’re really up to.”

The Emperor of Jin was cunning. It was possible that he was doing nothing but trying to mislead Great Yan’s army. If Great Yan made the first move, he could play the victim, claiming that Great Yan had initiated the conflict.

Yan Daoming nodded, his weathered face resolute. “And if the Jin Kingdom is preparing to attack us?”

A sigh drifted in the wind as the aging general replied, “The war between Great Yan and the Jin Kingdom is inevitable. If it must happen, it’s better sooner than later. I don’t want to leave this burden for my sons or grandsons.”

He hoped that the bloodshed would end with his generation, sparing the people of Great Yan further suffering.

“Father, husband, I knew I’d find you here.”

A cheerful voice interrupted their thoughts. Both men turned to see Princess Weishu, her belly swollen with child, approaching. They exchanged a smile.

Yan Daoming thought to himself, *Yes, the war should end with us. I don’t want to pass this burden on to the next generation or to families like ours.*

He hoped that their children could grow up in a world of happiness, stability, and peace.

When the emperor had left the palace, the seventh prince and third princess had been mere newborns. By the time he returned, they were already a month old.

Jiang Xinyue didn’t throw a grand feast. Instead, she invited the eldest princess, who had married and left the palace, along with Lady Ruan, Consort Liang, Consort Shu, and Lady Ye for a simple gathering. Each guest brought a small gift, and that was how the twins’ one-month celebration was held.

The moment the emperor returned, he refused to let go of the third princess. The crown prince and the fourth prince didn’t even get a chance to hold her.

The ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‍little princess’s features had become more defined since her birth. Her large, dark eyes sparkled like grapes soaked in ice water—bright, round, and utterly adorable.

When she gazed up at the emperor with those big eyes, his heart melted. He wanted to give her the very best the world had to offer.

The crown prince pouted, crossing his arms and glaring at the doting father. “Father is so annoying. Before he came back, my sister loved me and Mother the most. Now he’s taken her away, and she’ll end up favoring him over me.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The fourth prince glanced at him. “To be fair, I think our sister loves Mother and me the most. But you’re right—Father is really annoying.”

Before the emperor’s return, their mother had spent time playing with them and taking care of the twins. Now, all her time was monopolized by the emperor.

How irritating!

When would he leave again?