“I’ve said everything that needed to be said. Given Father’s temperament, he will surely adopt my plan.”The Third Prince gently fanned himself with a paper fan, exuding confidence.Li Zhong, upon hearing this, revealed a sly smile. “Your Highness, this is a plan that kills two birds with one stone. The most important target is King Wei. When the barbarians invade, neither King Wei nor Prince Qi will be able to stop them. Once Qi and Wei fall, the barbarians, driven by their greed, will inevitably continue to seize the remaining lands in the north. The territories north of the Yangtze River will be lost.”“Therefore, if we can take this opportunity to weaken King Wei, the fertile lands south of the Yangtze will belong to your uncle, King Chu. When the time comes, all we need to do is wait for the right moment. If the barbarians reach the gates of Chang’an, the Emperor will have only two options: perish with the city or flee to Lin’an and establish a new capital. At that point, he will

By the lotus pond, the blood that once stained the ground had long been washed away by a heavy rain.The serene scenery made it impossible to tell that a brutal battle had taken place here not long ago.The King of Wei smiled as he watched Xiao Ming, waiting for his response.“Third Uncle, if Cangzhou cannot be held, can your fiefdom truly withstand the onslaught? Or are you still counting on the Kings of Yan and Chu to come to your rescue?” Xiao Ming said coolly.Now, he no longer needed to spare the King of Wei’s pride. The recent court debate had made it clear to him that the Great Yu Empire was overrun with treacherous ministers, its vassal kings harboring nothing but malice, while his father, the Emperor, clung to his lofty ambitions yet refused to relinquish his extravagant luxuries.No one could help him—he would have to endure this alone.The King of Wei looked awkward. “Nephew, you know full well my relationship with the Kings of Yan and Chu. If they don’t take this chance to

“Luo Xin?”Xiao Ming was also slightly startled. Luo Quan was the leading figure of the Great Yu Empire’s hawkish faction. Every time the barbarians invaded, General Luo Quan was always the first to advocate for war.In fact, this general had clashed with the barbarians multiple times, with victories and defeats evenly split, earning him immense prestige within the imperial army.Luo Xin was Luo Quan’s second son. Back in Chang’an, Xiao Ming and Luo Xin had been quite familiar with each other—though not in a friendly way. Rather, they had been mutually antagonistic.At the time, Luo Xin had despised Xiao Ming’s reckless behavior in Chang’an. On several occasions, Luo Xin had thwarted Xiao Ming’s attempts to forcibly take common women for himself.The King of Wei composed himself and sighed. “General Luo is truly a pillar of the state. He must have sent Luo Xin here to assist Your Highness.”“General Luo has always advocated using war to stop war against the barbarians. Unfortunately,

“Your Highness, will this gunpowder really explode?”In the dim night, only the side hall of the palace was illuminated. Lu Luo, who was naturally timid, looked on the verge of tears.Ziyuan glared at Lu Tong. “Shame on you—handpicked by His Highness to study chemistry, yet you’re so useless. Move aside, let me do it.”Without waiting for a response, she took over Lu Tong’s task and began carefully grinding the saltpeter.Lu Tong’s expression turned awkward. As a man, how could he lose to a woman? Steadying himself, he silently picked up another rolling pin and resumed grinding.Xiao Ming had summoned Lu Tong tonight for hands-on instruction. Though gunpowder wasn’t a secret in the Great Yu Empire, not everyone knew how to make it.The formula he was using—one part sulfur, two parts saltpeter, and three parts charcoal—was the optimal ratio for black powder.Over the past few days, Xiao Ming had researched the various gunpowder formulas used in the Great Yu Empire, only to find a chaot

“Sigh… For the sake of the people in my fief, I’m willing to do anything.”Xiao Ming responded righteously as Ziyuan and Luluo looked at him with puzzled expressions. But after hearing his words, their faces turned serious, filled with admiration. In their eyes, Xiao Ming now truly had the bearing of a wise and noble ruler.In ancient times, what girl didn’t secretly admire a handsome prince or a refined scholar? You could see this kind of fantasy everywhere in the old romantic novels.Xiao Ming smiled with satisfaction. His former self only knew brute force and never understood the heart of a woman. You can’t force love—going with the flow brings true joy, he thought.Leaving behind a tired figure, Xiao Ming returned to his room to rest. It wasn’t time yet to “sleep on a beauty’s lap.”***The next day, at noon, a loud boom! suddenly echoed through the Prince Qi’s residence, shattering the peaceful air. The guards rushed toward the sound, weapons drawn.When they reached the side hal