The maids outside were arguing non-stop, exposing each other's secrets until finally neither of them had the face to stay any longer and they dispersed in a huff. The two of them had also seen enough of the show and returned to their respective rooms.

  As soon as Huai Yu stepped into the main house, he heard a low, husky voice at the door: "Where did you go?"

  She was startled and turned her head, covering her mouth with her hand: "Right at the gate of the mansion, where can you go? How did you get here? You didn't even light a lamp."

  Jiang Xuanjin carefully examined her all over, making sure she was not seriously injured, before relaxing his expression and saying, "I just finished reading the official documents and came to take a look on my way."

  It's already late. Just finished watching? Huai Yu frowned and reached out to pinch his sleeve.

  A chill ran down his spine, and it had clearly penetrated into his clothes, indicating that he had been outside for a long time.

  "You're such a person." Li Huaiyu cried and laughed, "Don't even know how to change clothes when telling lies?"

  Jiang Xuanjin was taken aback, looked down and seemed to be unaware of what was wrong with his clothes. Just as he was about to reach out to take a look, the person in front of him grasped his fingers.

  The warmth from her palm transmitted to him, warming him up with a start, and only then did Jiang Xuan discover that his whole body was icy cold, subconsciously withdrawing his hand and retreating half a step.

  The person in front seemed to be unafraid of the cold, he retreated and she approached, came up and pulled off his outer robe's sash, opened his collar, then stretched out her hand and pulled him in.

  "Cold." Jiang Xuanjin struggled.

  Li Huaiyu hugged him tightly and said with a smile: "I know you're cold, so I'm warming you up."

  "I'm afraid you'll catch cold."

  "I'm not cold at all, the house has charcoal fire, and I have hand warmers when I go out, not even a slight breeze can blow on me. It's you instead." Huai Yu looked up at him, in the dark room, this person's eyes were slightly shining, "What are you doing standing outside blowing cold wind for so long?"

  Half-supporting her waist, Jiang Xuanjin didn't respond, his mind wandering for a moment before he lowered his head and said: "Will you follow me to the Purple Sun Border City?"

  "Huh?" Huai Yu didn't understand, "What's going on? Suddenly going over there for no reason?"

  "It's close to the city and lively." He said with a straight face and calm tone, "Anyway, there's nothing much to do here, let's just go sightseeing."

  Hua Yu was somewhat embarrassed: "Is it okay to just leave like this? Won't the imperial envoy be coming sooner or later?"

  "It doesn't matter," he said. "Wait until he's almost here, and it won't be too late to deal with him."

  Listening to his casual tone, Li Huaiyu also felt that it was no big deal after a moment of daze, thought for a while and nodded: "Alright. They've suffered with me in the First Line City for so long, they should be allowed to relax too."

  "It's settled then." Jiang Xuanjin said, "I'll have someone make preparations tomorrow."

  "Good." Huai Yu nodded cleverly and sat down on the edge of the bed, seeing that he was about to leave, she stretched out her claws and grasped him, not letting go.

  Jiang Xuanjin looked at her with a puzzled expression. The moonlight shone through the carved window beside him, illuminating her eyes which sparkled brightly.

  "Sleep with me." She said half-jokingly and half-coyly.

  Her body slightly stiffened, Jiang Xuanjin shook his head: "Your belly."

  He's so big, if he sleeps with her in the same bed, what if he accidentally squishes or crushes her?

  "It's all because of this belly, I just can't sleep well no matter how hard I try." Yuanyu pouted and said, "You're by my side, maybe I'll feel a bit better."

  Jiang Xuanjin pursed his lips and stared at her belly: "Why didn't you sleep well?"

  "This won't do." She pointed at her rounded belly, "Putting a pillow under it is too high, and not putting one makes me feel empty."

  He tossed his outer robe over a screen standing nearby and indicated that she should get into bed, then lay down beside her.

  Huai Yu smiled and hugged his arm: "Zi Yang Jun is really easy to talk to now."

  He cast a sideways glance at her and said, "Was I not good with words before?"

  Hua Yu's eyes widened: "You used to be not just bad at talking, but you didn't even let people talk to you! Do you still remember the year when Bai Hua Jun came to Northern Wei in the fifth year of Daxing? In the imperial court, we were discussing how to welcome him with what etiquette. As soon as I opened my mouth, you shut me up."

  Recalling what she said, Jiang Xuanjin said: "You said at the time that you would welcome him with the highest courtesy."

  "That's right!"

  In the past, the eldest princess of the imperial family, dressed in a magnificent palace attire, sat beside the emperor and smiled: "The Eastern Jin Dynasty's Hundred Flowers Gentleman has an extraordinary status. My Northern Wei should also have the grandeur of a great nation, with ten carriages and a hundred horses, opening the gates to welcome him, only then can"

  "Your Highness." Ziyang Jun, with a cold expression on his face, stepped forward and interrupted her words, "Even if Baihua Jun's status is high, she is only a vassal lord, not the ruler of Eastern Jin. If we welcome her with such courtesy, what courtesy should we use to welcome the ruler of Eastern Jin when they come?"

  Li Huaiyu clearly remembered Jiang Xuanjin's tone at the time, which was cold and ruthless, completely not giving her any face.

  Recalling the scene, Jiang Xuanjin smiled slightly: "I didn't know at that time."

  "What's wrong?" Huai Yu pinched his arm, pretending to be angry.

  He turned his head sideways and naturally placed his hand under her belly, his thin lips opening slightly: "I didn't know the one sitting above was the future king's wife, my apologies."

  With a loud "boom", a burst of fireworks exploded at his heart, drawing out a dazzling display across the sky. Huai Yu stared at him foolishly, and after confirming that these words had indeed come from his mouth, her lips slowly curled up towards her ears.

  Did elegant and refined Zi Yang Jun say sweet nothings to her? Is there anything that can keep this conversation from being spread far and wide? She wants to shout it out loud for the whole world to know!

  "Say it again." she said with sparkling eyes.

  Jiang Xuanjin seemed to have reacted, pursed his lips and said in a low voice: "Go to sleep quickly, it's late."

  "You say so and I'll sleep!" She said with a pout.

  Rubbing her eyes with a headache, he slightly annoyed: "You're making trouble again, I'll go back to the room."

  Flat mouth, Li Huaiyu couldn't help but laugh again, his eyes blinking, eyelashes tickling his palm. He was trying to tease him, but unexpectedly, he got tired first and let out a long yawn.

  Perhaps it was the reason why Jiang Xuanjin was by her side, she always felt that sleeping on her side today was more comfortable than usual, and her stomach was no longer empty. The scent of sandalwood filled her nostrils, making her feel at ease.

  Before long, Huaiyu fell fast asleep.

  His hand under her belly didn't dare move, Jiang Xuanjin slowed down his breathing and turned to look at her face.

  Recently I've been taking good care of myself and haven't had too many worries, so my face has finally become plump. Qi Jin said that if I continue to take care of myself like this until before giving birth, I'll be able to recover some of the physical strength I lost during pregnancy and reduce the risk by a couple of points.

  Since that's the case, Jiang Xuanjin thought. Then let her take good care of herself and keep anything that might disturb her pregnancy out of her sight.

  In the past, he didn't know she was his wife and had wronged her in many ways. Now that he has plenty of opportunities, he can slowly make it up to her.

  Hua Yu slept very well, and when she woke up, Jiang Xuanjin was nowhere to be seen. Qing Si stood beside her bed, respectfully saying: "Master, everyone has already started packing their luggage."

  "Huh? Everyone knows we're going to Ziyang Biancheng?" Huai Yu asked with a yawn.

  Qing Si nodded: "You've already told everyone in the mansion early this morning, Qing Xuan and Bai Ji will leave later, and the rest of you will set off after noon."

  What's the hurry? Hua Yu nodded and didn't ask much, then got up to wash and dress, thinking about what to bring along.

  The princess's mansion is peaceful and serene. The entire city, however, is filled with anxious hearts.

  A large number of officers and soldiers rushed into the city, escorting the elderly, women and children to the Ziyang border town. Among the robust men, some volunteered to put on armor and join the army to help, while others unwillingly followed the women and children to evacuate together. Everyone knew that the imperial court had sent troops to attack the first-line city, and if they didn't leave now, they would inevitably be affected by the disaster.

  Jiang Xuanjin sent successive messages to Pingling, Changlin, Nanping and Gongyi, warning them that the Emperor had intentions of forcefully taking their land. All places became tense, watching from afar the situation on this side.

  After the battle of Wu Zongyuan in the valley, he led his troops to retreat and encountered Jia Liang's rear army on the way. Together with the defending soldiers in the city, they formed a pincer movement from front and back.

  Jia Liang was shocked! He brought the imperial edict, but before he could even enter the city gate of Yi Xian Cheng, they were already preparing for battle? But Zi Yang Jun's murderous intentions had already been exposed, and seeking peace would be useless. If they couldn't break into Yi Xian Cheng, they would be surrounded and killed outside the city gate.

  After a long deliberation, Jia Liang still ordered the army to advance into the city. At least he had to break this stalemate first and protect his own life.

  "Kill----" The shout outside the city gate shook the sky, Jiang Xuanjin stood on the city wall, looking at it while asking the person next to him in a light tone: "Did you see clearly?"

  The scout was covered in cold sweat and repeatedly bowed to him: "I'll go and report back to the various lords now."

  The imperial court has made the first move, and the fact is before our eyes! When lips are gone, teeth get cold. If even Ziyang Jun and Princess Chang can't keep this line of defense, how can the various regional princes protect their own fiefs?

  The people of Yizheng City fled in all directions, and the news that the imperial court had sent troops to attack Yizheng City quickly spread throughout half of Northern Wei.

  However, Jia Liang knew nothing about it. He only felt that the city was too easy to enter, and there were few people in the city. After being puzzled, he began to search for the whereabouts of Zi Yang Jun, but found that he was not in the city, and the princess's mansion in the city was also empty.

  "It all seems rather strange." He muttered to himself, "Didn't someone say before that the city's garrison was extremely large?"

  "It's just that our people are too powerful, they were so scared that they ran away with their tails between their legs!" Someone nearby flattered with a smile.

  "No." Jia Liang shook his head, "If it were someone else, that would be fine, but Zi Yang Jun has no reason to be afraid of us."

  Even if they entered the city, they didn't dare to do anything to Jiang Xuanjin. He had already prepared himself to plead guilty early on. As a result, it's good now that the whole city is empty and Ziyang Jun has disappeared directly.

  Jia Liang was anxious and uneasy, but his subordinates were overjoyed as soon as they entered the city. Taking advantage of their leader's inattention, they began smashing and looting civilian homes, seizing property.

  "That's going too far!" Chang Lin Jun said angrily after hearing the news, "Yi Xian City is a solitary city. If it weren't for Princess Chang and Zi Yang Jun, everyone there would have been killed long ago. Now that things are finally looking up, the court thinks this way, sending troops to take over, clearly they're trying to seize by force!"

  "Isn't that so? Some time ago, Your Majesty promised to reduce taxes, but after reducing the salt tax, it was increased elsewhere, and in the end, nothing changed. What a great favor indeed." The attendants whispered among themselves, "If I may speak frankly, our emperor is really being too greedy."

  "What's going on in Pingling?"

  "Pingling Jun is in a difficult situation, the Emperor has taken troops from him to deal with Ziyang Jun, he is not willing at all and is thinking of ways to resist." The aide thought for a moment and said, "In my humble opinion, this time Your Highness can take advantage of Ziyang Jun's situation."

  "Oh?" asked Zhang Linjun. "What kind of sales method is this?"

  "Ziyang Jun is now the strongest military force, he's not unable to fight, but doesn't dare to confront the imperial court head-on for this line of city, fearing to give an excuse for rebellion." The aide said, "Your Highness can work with Nanping Jun together, to help Ziyang Jun out. Suppressing Pingling's military power, in this way, you'll not only give Nanping Jun a step down, but also help Ziyang Jun, both sides will have their favors returned, and with Ziyang Jun's grateful nature, won't he definitely give Changlin benefits?"

  That makes sense! Chang Lin stroked his beard and deliberated for a long time before nodding: "It's worth a try."

  It just so happens that Nanping Jun also wants to help the eldest princess, he hides behind Nanping Jun and shows his face. The matter is settled, nothing will fall on his head.

  As soon as it was said, Zhang Linjun sent a letter to Nanping and integrated more than 3,000 people. After merging with the army of Nanping, they went to Yizheng together.

  This decision wasn't a big mistake, Jiang Xuanjin had indeed prepared generous gifts for Chang Linjun, but since the two lords' military strength matched that of the Imperial City, they became in the Emperor's eyes genuine "co-conspirators with Prince Zi Yang".

  Li Huailian was thousands of miles away and wouldn't know whether they came to persuade or do something else. He only knew that these several princes not only jointly petitioned for tax reduction, but also protected Ziyang Jun in every move, completely disregarding him as the emperor.

  The officials all became tense, and everyone knew what it would mean for the court if Feng Jun made a move. If one vassal king was rebelling, there was still room for compromise, but with so many people joining forces to rebel, wasn't it likely that they wanted to overthrow the Northern Wei dynasty?

  Li Huailian was also getting anxious. He just wanted to bring his sister back, but somehow he got entangled with Prince Ziyang and even more people were involved.

  If I retreat, the imperial court will lose all face. If I don't retreat, then I can only use both soft and hard tactics to show these people some color.

  Li Huailian also wanted to use Pingling's people, but unfortunately, Pingling Jun directly pretended to be dead and no longer listened to his orders. If it were someone else, it would be fine, but even Pingling Jun helped Jiang Xuanjin, Li Huailian was really angry.

  "By imperial decree, Pingling Jun has disobeyed orders and violated national law. He is to be arrested immediately and brought back to the capital for punishment!"

  He didn't dare to use Jiang Xuanjin's knife, so he could only kill the chicken to scare the monkey from Li Fangwu. Huai Lin thought it was simple, after all, they were brothers, and he couldn't really deal with Li Fangwu. He just wanted to catch him back and ask him what he meant.

  However, he did not know that Jiang Xuanjin's letter arrived at Pingling before his imperial edict, reminding the Lord of Pingling to be careful, for accompanying him was like accompanying a tiger.

  Li Fangwu was still hesitant about whether to follow Zhang Linjun's example and make peace with Zi Yangjun, but after hearing the imperial edict of inquiry into his crimes, he no longer hesitated. He immediately sealed off the border city of Pingling and contacted Zhang Linjun.

  "What are you laughing at?" Huai Yu stood in the courtyard, turned her head to look at Jiang Xuanjin beside her, and shivered, "Why did you suddenly laugh so eerily?"

  Jiang Xuanjin hooked his lips and stretched out his hand to tidy up her cloak: "It's just that the weather is nice today."