Forcing me to become a concubine? Remarrying the Ninth Prince, she'll be pregnant all over the

Shen Huai'an had already planned and arranged everything.

Of the many foreign states in the southeast, northwest, and southwest, only the Western Liao Dynasty truly gained power and posed a challenge to the emperor and his court officials.

Because the Western Liao territory was vast and had been peaceful and law-abiding for nearly a century, never harboring any disloyal intentions, but the area was mostly barren and desert, and the people suffered greatly when natural disasters struck. The Western Liao had repeatedly submitted memorials to the emperor, earnestly requesting that he find a way to improve the situation. They also intended to build a trade route to peacefully communicate with the Central Plains, which would benefit the people of both sides.

Unfortunately, the emperor was old and in recent years he had been preoccupied with alchemy and the pursuit of immortality, and his attention to state affairs had declined. Therefore, the memorials submitted by the King of Xiliao had long been suppressed by Shen Huai'an.

The King of Western Liao was waiting for news from the emperor for a long time, and he could only watch as his people suffered. If a plague were to break out, the people would die. Could the King of Western Liao just sit and wait for death?

The uprising was merely one part of Shen Huai'an's plan.

As for the recent plague in the Western Liao Dynasty...

Shen Huai'an suppressed the smirk on his lips and looked at Wei Wujiu with ill intent: "Lord Wei, do you understand? The national treasury only has so much silver left. To put it simply, it's not enough to mobilize a large army for reinforcements, unless..."

He drew out his words in a sinister tone, then slowly said, "Unless Lord Wei has some other brilliant idea, this situation can not be resolved."

Wei Wujiu was unsure whether the recent turmoil in Western Liao was related to Shen Huai'an, but judging from his expression, there was likely something fishy going on.

He frowned in deep thought, and after a moment he pondered, "Your Majesty, the empty treasury is not a reason for our dynasty to be weak and ignore the fighting in the western border. More than half of the 500,000 troops in the west have already been lost, and the rest are still fighting fiercely, determined not to give up an inch of land. If we don't send troops to our aid now, when will we?"

"Your Majesty, regarding the matter of provisions, I am willing to discuss and coordinate with the Crown Prince, Minister Cui, Minister Xie, and others. We will try to gather the necessary provisions within two days. I humbly request Your Majesty's permission to dispatch 800,000 troops from the northern border to immediately reinforce the western border!"

The hall erupted in uproar, with the officials discussing the matter amongst themselves.

But after a short while, Wang Hong stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I second that proposal!"

With someone taking the lead, the other veteran ministers who advocated war also stepped forward one by one: "We second that proposal!"

"I second that proposal!"

Shen Huai'an frowned in annoyance. He originally wanted to smooth things over, make Wei Wujiu suffer a setback, and then push the task of providing reinforcements and raising supplies onto Wei Wujiu. This thankless task would at least keep him in check, if not kill him.

Who would have thought that Wei Wujiu would actually drag him into it!

Shen Huai'an wanted to speak again, but the emperor, having listened for a long time and taken two golden pills, was still too ill to continue. So he said, "Alright! Let's do as Minister Wei says for now, but... let's be polite first, then resort to force. The envoys for peace negotiations should go first..."

The emperor struggled to stay upright, his vision blurring and his mind becoming hazy. He glanced at the officials below and finally looked at Xie Zhi: "You are chosen, Minister Xie. I appoint you as the envoy to the Western Liao. Go immediately and receive the decree."

Xie Zhi was a little dumbfounded and subconsciously looked at Shen Huai'an, but his eyes darted to Wei Wujiu out of the corner of his eye.

Wei Wujiu subtly closed his eyelids.

Xie Zhi dared not utter a word and hurriedly kowtowed to accept the order.

The emperor, on his deathbed, gave Shen Huai'an and Cui Lijian a final instruction, instructing them to cooperate well with Wei Wujiu and to quickly coordinate the allocation of provisions. Finally, he issued an edict to immediately mobilize 800,000 troops from the northern border, to be personally led by the third prince, Shen Huaicheng. He also appointed a General of the Cavalry, and finally, the emperor bestowed the position of commander-in-chief upon Lin Rucong.

Wei Wujiu was taken aback upon hearing this. Lin Rucong was not even in the palace, and had been ill for more than two years without attending court. In this upheaval, the emperor actually... dispatched Lin Rucong to accompany the Third Prince on his personal expedition.

It seems the emperor intends to use someone else's strength against him, to kill someone with a borrowed knife.

Wei Wujiu harbored resentment, but he couldn't show it. After the council meeting, the emperor kept him behind alone and, despite his illness, gave him a heartfelt lecture, the gist of which was that this battle must be fought, and must be won.

Otherwise, how could the land built by our ancestors have been reduced so drastically in the hands of the emperor, and how could he face his ancestors after his death?

"Throughout my life, I've never really liked war. My father disapproved of this about me, always saying I was weak and incompetent. But in the end, wasn't it me sitting on this throne?"

"I simply refuse to fight unprepared battles... The Western Liao Kingdom, at most two years, I will take it down! I want to expand the territory I already hold into fifty more prosperous prefectures!"

Wei Wujiu clenched his teeth, his jawline revealing sharp lines. But his long-standing feud with the emperor was no match for the fate of the country, much less for the common people. With war as the priority, the greater good should take precedence.

"Your humble servant obeys."

The emperor muttered a few more words, then dismissed Wei Wujiu and had Hua Ershisan summon Shen Huai'an.

After leaving the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Wei Wujiu went to the Grand Council. He first spoke a few words with the Vice Minister of Revenue, and then waited for Cui Lijian and Shen Huai'an to arrive. The group argued among themselves about how to raise grain and fodder, each with their own concerns.

Wei Wujiu was not only going to exhaust himself. In the end, he overruled the objections and insisted that the wealthy merchants in the capital pay first. As for who would communicate with those bloated and smug merchants, he naturally left the task to Shen Huai'an.

Shen Huai'an was so angry he could hardly bear to look at himself. At this critical juncture, he couldn't refuse, so he had to give half of it to Wei Wujiu, citing the abundance of wealthy merchants in the capital.

After much back and forth, the two men each assigned three wealthy businessmen to negotiate with, leaving the remaining dozen or so to Cui Lijian.

When the day finally ended, it was almost dawn the next day. Cui Lijian was filled with resentment and wanted to confide in Shen Huai'an alone, but Shen Huai'an instructed him: "Remember what I told you."

"Maybe it'll be time soon."

Cui Lijian was taken aback for a moment, then immediately realized what was going on and said with a serious expression, "Yes, Your Highness, I will remember this. I have also discussed it privately with several ministers. Please rest assured."

Wei Wujiu didn't hear what the two were saying. He was really exhausted after being busy for so long, but his mind was still full of the war in the western border. He wondered how many soldiers would die in the next day or two of delay.

He decided to postpone his grand plans until after he had conquered the Western Liao Kingdom, avenged the fallen soldiers, and ensured that the border people would no longer be displaced.

Wei Wujiu made up his mind and walked heavily. Suddenly, he heard Li Jinzhi paying his respects and realized that he had not intended to return to Chentingxuan. Instead, he had walked to the palace gate.

His mind was in a jumble of thoughts, and he shook his head slightly with a self-deprecating smile. He was about to wave goodbye to Li Jinzhi, who was on duty, and continue walking into the palace when he heard Li Jinzhi say, "Where is Your Excellency going? Someone is here to meet you outside the palace."

Wei Wujiu paused, slightly startled, and turned his head to see a beautiful figure stepping out of a carriage outside the palace gate.