"Notify them to search for the Ninth Prince of Jiao Ren with all their might. If they find him, keep him well hidden. The hatred of a fallen nation is not easily dispelled."
"We'll plant a seed of trouble for Nanyue. If they grow too fast in the future, this Ninth Prince can stir up trouble then."
On the way back, Prince Ding traveled by boat.
The more he experienced this, the more he felt that Bai Shanwei was a rare talent.
This speed was more than ten times faster than traveling by land.
However, it was difficult to apply this to army transportation. If they had such national strength, the Great Jin might truly dominate the land.
When they arrived, they had traveled non-stop, so it took very little time.
Now, returning to Dongdu City with their achievements, they were not in such a hurry.
The victory report had already been sent ahead. It was likely that everyone in the capital now knew that the Southwest campaign, which began with the allied forces pressing forward, ended with the allied forces slaughtering each other.
It was a spectacular turn of events that even storytellers couldn't imagine, and it had now appeared before the eyes of the world.
In this campaign, Prince Ding's abilities were deliberately downplayed. Therefore, many people believed that it was merely Nanyue and Jiao Ren falling out with each other, and Prince Ding's army had simply reaped the benefits.
However, only the high-ranking generals knew how difficult it was to win without a fight, and their admiration for Prince Ding was etched even deeper into their bones.
They believed that Prince Ding's actions were to prevent turmoil in the court. With Emperor Qi gravely ill and the Crown Prince overseeing the state, if an uncle were to suddenly emerge and turn the tide, wouldn't he become a thorn in the new emperor's side?
Therefore, it was best for outsiders to think that he had merely made a trip and hadn't played a significant role.
This way, he wouldn't arouse suspicion or affect the current situation.
To be honest, Prince Ding had no intention of overthrowing the Crown Prince and taking the throne himself. Otherwise, with so many supporters behind him, it would have been easily accomplished.
He would rather live a peaceful life like this than be constantly under scrutiny and supervision by thousands of people.
What's more, he still remembered Feng Jinyao's desire to travel the world. If he truly became the supreme ruler, that would be forever impossible.
Therefore, he not only downplayed his contributions to this campaign but also deliberately directed people's attention to the Crown Princess of Nanyue.
The emergence of a formidable enemy in the southwestern border, though Nanyue would not be able to fight another war in the short term, still required vigilance.
So, when the capital received news of the great victory in the southwest and that Nanyue had also annihilated Jiao Ren.
Everyone was petitioning to strengthen the defenses in the southwest, lest the threat from Nanyue erupt at any moment.
The Crown Prince agreed wholeheartedly and immediately ordered Su Cheng to arrange this matter.
The reason Su Cheng was chosen was thanks to General Su's "timely rescue."
Although Prince Ding's achievements were downplayed, General Su's surprise arrival and encirclement of the allied forces' sneak attack had already spread throughout the capital.
Therefore, the Su family was now highly sought after.
The Su family's ancestral motto of never having pledged allegiance to anyone but remaining loyal to the emperor was most favorable to the Crown Prince.
Thus, the commendation of Su Cheng was expected.
Upon learning that he was about to be dispatched to the southwest to reinforce the border defenses, Su Cheng, while outwardly grumbling, was inwardly immensely grateful for Prince Ding's arrangement.
In the past, for the sake of Prince Ding's mansion, he had abandoned the path of "righteousness" in the army and became the deputy commander of the secret guard camp, spending his days idly and indulging in debauchery.
Now, to be able to return to the army, and to the Prince Ding's army he admired most, was simply too good to be true.
Therefore, even though the Prince had not yet returned to the capital, he specially sent a letter to Prince Ding through the secret guard camp.
His gratitude was overflowing.
On the first day of snow in early winter, Prince Ding and his entourage finally returned to the capital.
The Crown Prince held a grand banquet in the palace to welcome the victorious returnees.
All the ministers were present. The Crown Prince offered much praise to Prince Ding in front of everyone, but secretly, many said that Prince Ding's achievements this time were merely coincidental and not worth mentioning.
Prince Ding himself expressed the same sentiment.
The Crown Prince was quite pleased with his uncle's humble attitude.
Therefore, he bestowed some congratulatory gifts as betrothal gifts to the Feng family.
On the surface, it still appeared as immense imperial favor, but in reality, compared to the tangible promotions of the Su family, the meaning was self-evident.
As a result, those court officials who spent their days trying to fathom the emperor's intentions quickly sensed the Crown Prince's intentions.
They naturally began to avoid Prince Ding's "cold stove" of more than ten years, while many eagerly sought to warm the newly repaired "hot stove" of the Su family.
Everything was proceeding according to Prince Ding's calculations, and he showed no displeasure whatsoever.
The Feng family's attention was now focused on the marriage of Feng Er and Xu Mingyue.
Previously, they had been hesitant to make a fuss due to the ongoing war on the front lines. Now that the southwest was stable, it was an opportune time to hold a wedding banquet.
Therefore, three days after Prince Ding's return, the wedding between the Feng and Xu families was grandly celebrated.
For this occasion, Yin Canwen specifically took leave from Liangzhou in the northwest to return and escort Xu Mingyue to her new home.
He was now the adopted grandson of Elder Xu, making him the most suitable person to escort the bride.
On the wedding day, joy and festivity were everywhere. While Yin Canwen was at the Feng family for wine, he happened to meet Feng Jinyao.
It seemed that Yin Canwen had let go of his past affections. He deliberately approached her and said,
"I heard that your wedding date with Prince Ding has been set."
"Yes, next March."
"It will be lively to hold a wedding when the flowers are in bloom. Unfortunately, it will be a busy time for the officials in Liangzhou then, so I probably won't be able to make it. I'll prepare your wedding gift these few days, and you must not refuse it."
"How could I? Young Master Yin is both my second brother's close friend and my second sister-in-law's brother. We are family, after all."
Yin Canwen smiled. He felt the same.
To be able to speak with Feng Jinyao like this after everything had been clarified was indeed a form of unfulfilled desire.
They stood together and chatted for a while before Feng Jinyao was led away by Yun Xu, who had come to find her, saying that the madam wanted to speak with her.
Feng Jinyao excused herself and left. When she reached the backyard, she realized it wasn't her mother who was looking for her, but Xiao Tingyi.
Yun Xu discreetly left the scene, leaving the two of them to have a private meeting.
"Ayao, I don't like you talking to Yin Canwen, not even a single word."
"Your Highness, aren't you being unreasonable?"
"I don't care. If you still chat and laugh with him next time, see how I deal with him!"
His jealous and possessive tone was incredibly headache-inducing. Feng Jinyao wondered why a man nearing thirty was still so prone to petty jealousy.
It wasn't until many years later that she realized that jealousy had nothing to do with age and everything to do with the person.
Prince Ding lived to be eighty-eight years old, and he would still cast a disdainful glance at any young man who asked Feng Jinyao for directions on the street.
He was just like a jealous old man.