My stepsister tried to steal the prince's hand in marriage, but little did she know I had been

Chapter 195

"good."

Prince Xin looked around and found that there was no sign of anyone touching the artificial hill. He also heard from the guards in the mansion that no one had come to the West Garden, so he was relieved.

He had been staying at the restaurant these days, and even though he was worried about the situation at the mansion, he couldn't come over in person.

What important things in the mansion of a prince with a crippled leg could possibly be worth returning to every day?

Therefore, he could only feel anxious and restless, thinking all day about how to get home.

Fortunately, he was finally able to return to Prince Xin's residence, and he could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"In three days, the army will set off." Prince Xin took a sip of tea, his tone low and somber. "After three days, we will begin our operations."

Upon hearing this, the gazes of the people standing below him shifted.

"Are we really going to take this risk?"

Those below him believed that Prince Xin's move was indeed too risky.

Although the main army has gone to the border, there are still 30,000 imperial guards left in the capital. They only have 20,000 soldiers under their command. It will not be easy for them to win with fewer troops.

Moreover... the strength of their troops is somewhat inferior to that of the Imperial Guards, which further diminishes their chances of victory.

However, upon hearing this, Prince Xin chuckled lightly.

Prince Xin sipped his tea leisurely, his tone full of smugness: "I have already thought of a strategy to deal with this matter."

"Moreover..." Prince Xin's eyes sharpened instantly, "Didn't you ever consider a feint attack?"

"Actually, the emperor is most wary of his fourth son, who is far away in Qingzhou."

After Prince Xin finished speaking slowly, the man below had a change in his expression.

"You mean..." the man asked tentatively, "that the Prince of Yan might make a move?"

Prince Xin nodded: "The Northern Di princess died in the capital. The Northern Di army is pressing in. Xie Jinghan and the Chu family led troops to fight back. Only 30,000 Imperial Guards remain in the entire capital."

"If you were the Prince of Yan, could you have held back?" Prince Xin smiled. "If I were the Prince of Yan, I would definitely take this opportunity to lead my troops into the capital. As long as I can take the capital and the emperor's head... the entire kingdom of Dali will belong to him."

"However, if we want to take the capital, the Prince of Yan's men will surely suffer heavy casualties." After Prince Xin finished speaking slowly, the man below nodded in agreement.

"And we can take advantage of this opportunity to reap the benefits while they are both weakened."

The man's eyes lit up. Since the Prince of Xin dared to say such a thing, it proved that he must know the Prince of Yan's movements.

Under the man's gaze, Prince Xin casually explained, "The Prince of Yan's men have already arrived in Qinghe and will reach the capital in two days. This is a secret operation, and he has secretly contacted many of his former subordinates in the capital."

The Prince of Yan also led troops into battle alongside the emperor back then.

However, the emperor was lucky to have a good younger brother—Xie Jinghan.

Thanks to Xie Jinghan, the emperor's military achievements far surpassed those of the Prince of Yan. In addition, the emperor was of noble birth, being the eldest son of the empress, which is why the throne fell into the emperor's hands.

The Prince of Yan had been lying low in secret all these years, waiting for the capital's military strength to be weakened.

He was also resentful, after all... in terms of real ability, the emperor was far inferior to him; the emperor's advantage lay in having a good mother and a good younger brother.

Prince Xin's eyes shifted mysteriously as he looked at the man: "You must keep a close eye on the movements of Prince Jing's residence."

"This plan is going too smoothly," Prince Xin said quietly. "I can hardly believe it."

A chill ran down the man's spine; upon hearing Prince Xin's words, a sense of unease arose in his heart.

However, after saying this, Prince Xin added, "But I killed Yelü Dan with my own hands, and her death cannot be changed. Even if Xie Jinghan has extraordinary abilities, it will be difficult to make the Northern Di retreat."

He had had many dealings with the Northern Di over the years, so he naturally knew the character of the Northern Di king.

The Northern Di king was stubborn, arrogant, and conceited. After Yelü Dan's death, his first thought after his grief was to save face.

Leading a large army to invade the border was the only way for him to regain his face.

Ideally, we should be able to retake those two cities.

The man nodded, but a slight unease lingered in his heart: "What if the Northern Barbarians really manage to advance unimpeded..."

“Even if you don’t trust my deduction, you should still believe in Xie Jinghan and the Chu family’s abilities.” Prince Xin smiled sinisterly. “With them around, the Great Li’s kingdom is as solid as a rock.”

“Otherwise… why do you think I haven’t taken action against them all these years?” Prince Xin asked rhetorically, and the man was stunned.

Prince Xin smiled coldly. He wanted the throne of Dali, but he also knew that only with Xie Jinghan and the Chu family could he protect the throne of Dali.

Therefore, he wouldn't lay a hand on these people unless they were completely unreasonable.

The man nodded: "Understood."

"Keep an eye on Prince Jing's residence." Before entering, Prince Xin gave one last instruction. "With Prince Jing not here, keep an eye on Princess Jing. She's currently under investigation; if she leaves the capital..."

A murderous glint flashed in Prince Xin's eyes: "Then that proves we've been exposed."

The man's expression hardened, and he quickly nodded.

……

Inside the Duke of Wen's residence.

The once bustling Wenguo Duke's mansion is now deserted.

Duke Wen returned to the main courtyard drunk once again. He looked at Madam Wen, who was standing to the side, watching him coldly, and sneered.

"Isn't it all your fault that the Duke of Wen's mansion has fallen to this state?" Duke Wen's voice was filled with anger as he spoke. "You dare to give me attitude? I think you don't know who's in charge in this house!"

Upon hearing this, Madam Wen also gave a cold laugh.

"Since you already know that your once grand Duke Wen's mansion has fallen into decline, how dare you speak to me in such a tone?" Madam Wen's coldness grew even more pronounced. She stared intently at Duke Wen, her murderous intent almost consuming him.

Duke Wen had never seen her like this before, and for a moment he was somewhat frightened.

A cold glint appeared in Madam Wen's eyes. She stood up and stared intently at Duke Wen: "My lord, you seem to have forgotten that now... you are relying on me!"

"Everything you eat, use, and drink now, wasn't it all bought with my money?"

"You should know that you live by my name now."

The more Madam Wen spoke, the angrier she became. She lectured Duke Wen word by word, her eyes filled with anger.

Upon seeing this, Duke Wen's heart trembled.

His intuition told him that Mrs. Wen was plotting something big.

Therefore, Duke Wen's heart immediately jumped into his throat.

For Duke Wen, Lady Wen's presence was indeed indispensable.

That is why he did not divorce Madam Wen.

Just looking at Madam Wen made him uneasy.