Three figures entered the He family's secret chamber.
"Lord Duan!" He Wanli's brows unfurled.
The man who arrived was none other than Duan Hong, a core member of the Spring Return Cult!
Behind Duan Hong stood a pair of sisters veiled in silk, but judging by their upper faces, they possessed beauty capable of toppling nations.
Duan Hong's gaze swept over the people behind He Wanli, "I recognize the few ministers, but who are the others..."
Everyone introduced themselves.
He Anding, the newly appointed Minister of Personnel; Ouyang Ping, the Vice Minister of Revenue; and Dugu Xiao, the Vice Minister of Personnel.
"Ye Qingyi has betrayed the Spring Return Cult! These two are our cult's new Senior and Junior Saintesses, Gong Xue and Gong Yu!" Duan Hong explained.
Dugu Qun immediately informed Duan Hong of the court session. Duan Hong listened, his brow furrowed with worry.
"This Liang Xiao is truly difficult to deal with. Could he possibly be the Heavenly General himself?"
Everyone fell into thought. Dugu Qun chuckled wryly, "He's only nineteen, and there are rumors of the Heavenly General appearing in various places, spreading like wildfire..."
Duan Hong merely nodded in agreement.
"Indeed, I've witnessed the Heavenly General's martial prowess firsthand. It's unprecedentedly powerful. How could one possess such divine might without decades of cultivation? He charged through the battlefield as if he knew our formations perfectly. With just a slight probe, he could easily locate the command flag. It's utterly inconceivable! He must truly be a deity descended to mortal realms..."
The others remained silent.
At this moment, they still didn't understand that Liang Xiao, in addition to his naturally extraordinary eyesight and hearing, and a change of divine artifacts, possessed extremely sharp judgment of the enemy's battlefield movements. Before the battle, he had carefully observed the enemy forces from the city walls, accustomed to planning before acting!
"The key now is to break the deadlock. Your decision to temporarily feign compliance is correct. Liang Xiao is at the peak of his power, and our Cult Master even sacrificed himself for righteousness!" Duan Hong sighed.
"What happened to the Cult Master?" everyone asked urgently.
Duan Hong paused for a moment, his face etched with grief, "Because of Liang Xiao, he died amidst the chaos of battle. Our new Cult Master is now Zen Master Long Yue!"
Everyone was aghast.
Even the Spring Return Cult Master, who was as elusive as a dragon and controlled the overall situation, had died because of Liang Xiao??
However, Zen Master Long Yue was also exceptionally capable and commanded respect, so everyone felt a sense of relief.
Duan Hong cautioned, "Besides contacting other nations, we must also strike from within Da Gan. This dog emperor is the sole male heir of the imperial family. If he meets an untimely end, Da Gan will naturally descend into internal strife and collapse!"
Everyone's hearts tightened, and they looked at the two Saintesses.
The elder sister, Gong Xue, said, "My sister and I are quite beautiful and talented, and we are still virgins. That dog emperor hasn't chosen any concubines yet. You lords can facilitate this matter, then subtly maneuver things to guide the selection process to find us and present us to the dog emperor. If we can bewitch him then, so much the better. If not, we will use the pretext of a dance to assassinate him on the spot!"
"But that dog emperor has no plans to choose concubines for now, citing lack of time..." He Wanli sighed.
"Create an opportunity! There is no other choice, do you understand? We came here prepared to sacrifice our lives. You have all been suppressed to this extent, yet you are still timid and clinging to power!" Gong Yu reprimanded.
The people present flushed with shame and were speechless, only able to nod.
"The Southwest and Jiaozhou can launch an offensive at any time in coordination with the Peacock Dynasty and the Kushan Dynasty. The Izumo Kingdom and the barbarians are also ready. We are just waiting for the barbarians to advance south..."
Before Duan Hong could finish, Dugu Qun said with a mournful face, "The barbarians have already suffered a crushing defeat..."
"How is that possible? With the support of your various families for so many years, the barbarians' military strength far surpasses that of Da Gan's soldiers. Without the Heavenly General, how could Da Gan have won?" Duan Hong sounded disbelieving.
After Dugu Xiao's detailed explanation, the three from the Spring Return Cult felt their scalps tingle, "Liang Xiao... can also summon the Heavenly General to appear? Could he truly be the Heavenly General himself!"
Faced with rumors of divine manifestations from various regions, and Liang Xiao not yet having reached adulthood, they ultimately couldn't believe it, merely reminding each other to be wary of the Heavenly General in the future.
Duan Hong sighed, "The barbarians are truly useless! It seems the plan for a joint offensive will require further deliberation."
As the military commander, Duan Hong did not blame the barbarians for their southern advance. The invasion was logical, as winter was approaching, the deep desert environments were harsh, and the Tian River would freeze over, facilitating an attack.
However, such a devastating defeat was utterly inconceivable.
Dugu Qun's eyes gleamed, and he grinned sinisterly, "Don't panic. We still have the two moves of Xichuan and the Southwest. We'll await news!"
Everyone's hearts tightened.
The three from the Spring Return Cult returned to the secret chamber of the civilian residence, gazing at the candlelight, silent.
Duan Hong sighed, "The Cult Master has lost contact while infiltrating Liang Xiao's ranks. Before her mission, she said she wouldn't hesitate to disguise herself for ten or twenty years! Such deep-seated hatred could make one abandon everything..."
"I am willing to sacrifice myself for righteousness, to beguile and assassinate the dog emperor!" the two sisters declared in unison.
"Select concubines?"
The next day, Xiao Qing received memorials from a hundred officials.
Wang Canghai forced a bitter smile, "It was He Wanli who led the proposal. Moreover, His Majesty's public identity is male. Next year he will be eighteen by traditional Chinese reckoning, and it would be improper not to select concubines then. Ordinarily, with the imperial family being so sparse in numbers, one should select concubines shortly after ascending the throne. The populace is also anxious..."
Xiao Qing wore a look of helplessness.
She had been so engrossed in her sweet moments with Liang Xiao that she had forgotten this matter.
The absence of a harem and empress would indeed raise suspicion from the outside world, as to outsiders, she was the sole male heir of the imperial family.
Xiao Qing secretly glanced at Liang Xiao, her pretty face blushing, "Brother Xiao, think of a solution quickly..."
Liang Xiao remained calm, "Let's stall. If we are truly to select concubines and appoint an empress, we must find a loyal and trustworthy woman. I do have a candidate in mind..."
Xiao Qing seemed to understand, saying, "Brother Xiao, you're not referring to the second daughter of the Zhuo family, are you?"
Liang Xiao nodded and explained.
"I heard from Zhuo Lingjun that although Zhuo Yun is spirited and unwilling to marry, she is ultimately righteous and has not been tempted by the fame and talent of Da Liang. If we brought her back sooner, along with Zhuo Lingjun, and discussed it with her, we could confess your true identity as a woman when the time is right, and perhaps let her be a fake concubine. It might be the best of both worlds."
"My second mother is in the Liang residence, and she is also her senior sister. She can accompany her in her chess studies. I myself know a little about chess. And there's also Xiao Xun and the others who can occasionally keep her company. She won't be lonely, as she was reclusive at the Zhuo residence, dedicating herself entirely to the study of chess."
Wang Canghai and Xiao Qing's eyes lit up, "Perhaps it's feasible!"
The Zhuo family were true loyalists for generations. Zhuo Yun, deeply influenced by her family's teachings, would undoubtedly be the most suitable candidate for a fake consort or empress if handled properly, and it would also resolve Zhuo Yun's lifelong refusal to marry.
"I will first send an imperial decree to Da Liang, promising that the Zhuo family will never be forced to arrange a marriage for the second daughter, and persuade her to return!"
After discussing with Liang Xiao and Wang Canghai, Xiao Qing immediately drafted an imperial decree and dispatched someone to Da Liang.
Xiao Qing then received the warrior Alagade from the Kingdom of Guizi.
Once Xiao Qing promised to dispatch border guards to assist the Kingdom of Guizi, Alagade was satisfied and immediately set off for his homeland.
Meanwhile, on the border of the Western Regions, over a hundred thousand soldiers from the Kushan Dynasty were arrayed, preparing to advance into the Western Regions!