pable individuals along the way, which resulted in a somewhat chaotic team dynamic....and the two military squads, Hawk Wing and their group, suffered significantly fewer casualties. They also recruit..."The reason I didn't immediately open the palace gates is that I was worried about my condition fluctuating, and on the other hand, it was also to mislead those who secretly plotted against me. The Phoenix Nest Palace also needed to be cleaned up, which delayed things."

Ripple still explained in a soft and gentle voice.

"Ripple, you did well. The most important thing now is that the children are safe and sound."

The Emperor naturally knew what was most important to himself.

"Your Majesty, my humble self has just finished handling matters in the Fengqi Palace, but now I hear that Liang Bin lost her pregnancy, a male fetus. What is going on Didn't I ask Yue Fei to temporarily take over the palace affairs How could this have happened"

Ripple asked with a worried face.

Upon hearing this, the emperor's face darkened, and he said in a deep voice:

"Don't even mention that fool. He deliberately caused trouble out of spite, making me lose a child."

"Your Majesty, please calm down. Anger harms your health!"

The ripples immediately soothed.

"I wonder what Liang Bin was thinking. She has risen in rank and gained the emperor's favor, yet she would do such a thing."

Ripples also shook its head and sighed, expressing its own incomprehension.

"Let's just not mention it!"

The Emperor waved his hand dismissively.

Seeing that the emperor didn't want to talk about it, Lianyi changed the subject:

"Your Majesty, this time the person said it was for the second prince's revenge, but your servant feels that this matter might not have been done by the second prince."

"Well, I guessed as much. Perhaps it was my third younger brother who did this. He just wanted to frame someone and divert my attention."

At that time, after hearing the report from Grandmother Sun, he came to this guess.

"The Emperor should be careful, after all, you are in the light and he is in the dark. Sometimes, it's hard to guard against hidden arrows."

"Rest assured, I have everything under control."

When the emperor stayed at Fenqich Palace, it once again proved that the Empress's position in the harem was unshakeable and beyond reproach.

The palace saw some ripples due to the smallpox incident, while Meng's army stationed on the border occasionally skirmished with the Qianglang tribe. However, these encounters were on a small scale, primarily serving as probes.

Even small-scale battles result in casualties. The Meng army suffered continuous losses in skirmishes and smaller engagements, which deeply saddened General Meng.

These messages were all New Year's greetings from the Meng family, Lian'er was told. After some thought, remembering a scroll she had unintentionally seen, she instructed someone to relay a message back to General Meng.

When General Meng received the message brought back by Lian Yi, he was silent for a long time. After dismissing the messenger, he summoned his two sons to his study.

The Empress sent word through someone, asking me to stabilize the border for now and avoid engaging in a war with the Qianglang tribe. She said it would be detrimental to our forces, bring no real gain, and might even make the Emperor wary of us.

General Meng spoke directly.

What else did the Empress say

Let's exploit the discord between the First and Second Prince of the Qianglang tribe, manufacture conflict, and plunge them into civil war. That way, we can conserve our strength, monitor the situation closely, and at least give her five years.

"What did she want to do in five years"

Meng Guangdong frowned and asked.

"No need for the messenger to speak. You all know this matter well enough in your hearts. If you have the chance to enter the palace, you can ask the Empress yourself."

Now, the eldest prince and second prince are working together to harass the border. How could they possibly be at odds

Meng Guangshen asked.

The Empress must have known through the Emperor. As for why the Emperor didn't tell us such important news, I haven't a clue at the moment. What do you two think

General Meng pretended to ask.

The two brothers exchanged a glance, understanding each other's thoughts. Meng Guangshen couldn't hold back any longer and said directly:

Of course, it's to deplete the strength of our Meng family army.

"Father, I think what the second brother said is right. The late emperor was suspicious of our Meng family many times. The Emperor marrying Lian'yi is just a temporary measure by the royal family to stabilize our power."

But I didn't expect that after a palace coup, Lian Ri would instead gain a foothold in the palace, and she even gave birth to three sons for the emperor. Her status is stable, and with our support, it will be easier for the eldest prince to ascend to the throne in the future.

"It's just that even the Royal family fears powerful in-laws, so they have already started weakening our Meng family army."

Meng Guangdong is three years older than his younger brother and is more mature. He analyzes problems more thoroughly, so he immediately pointed out the key point.

General Meng was very pleased, nodded his head and then said:

"You're right. I, Meng, have lived a life of war and hardship. Loyalty to the emperor and love for my country are deeply ingrained in me, just as they are with Guang and Shen. But what about your descendants And their descendants after them Will they be able to resist the allure of power"

The two brothers did not reply this time, because they could not guarantee.

"Although I don't know Ripple's intentions, since she sent the message back, there must be her considerations. Even if it's not for our Meng family, for those young men who follow us, we have to give it a try."

Yes, father!

After the two of them had conspired, they began to discuss how to provoke a conflict between the eldest and second princes of the Qianglang tribe. In the end, they used a very ordinary beauty scheme to incite their rivalry, plunging the Qianglang tribe into civil war.

For a time, the fighting at the border lessened. With fewer battles, casualties naturally decreased. As a result, the losses of horses, weapons, and personnel were significantly reduced. Throughout the entire winter, the border enjoyed a rare period of tranquility.

Although the border was quiet, the Emperor was not particularly pleased.

That day, the Emperor came to Phoenix Nest Palace. His words were a bit impolite, and Lianyi also pretended to be wronged. Xiao Yi went along with it. After sending off the Emperor, Lianyi's face sank.

"My Lady, what does Your Majesty mean Are you displeased with how things are going in court and have come to vent your anger upon me"

"Lan Chi wasn't pleased and said,"

"The Emperor is also troubled by the affairs of court. This palace cannot share the worries for the Emperor, so I was only saying a few extra words. It's nothing to worry about!"

No way!

That night, Duo Duo pulled the emperor out of the concubine's bed and threw him on the floor for the entire night. She only put him back in bed when dawn was breaking.

Then the Emperor caught a cold and fell ill, taking five days off from court. He only recovered under Lian Yi's "careful" attention, and on the sixth day, he reluctantly went back to court.

Since then, whenever the Emperor gave Lian Yi a cold shoulder and spoke harshly to her, misfortunes would befall him soon after. He wouldn't be spared from catching a cold or having a fever; getting choked while drinking water or choking on his food were minor inconveniences.

All the eunuchs around the Emperor noticed something was amiss. Every time they faced Lian Yi, they were extremely cautious, fearing that they would make the Empress unhappy.

Because the Emperor had been tossing and turning for two years, there was still no movement in the harem. Zhou Yuanzheng was also baffled and could only retire home in the end. The Emperor's body was fine, he just couldn't have children, and he couldn't cure it either.

Ripple also discreetly hinted to the emperor, suggesting he take care of his health. After all, if a concubine couldn't conceive, it could be her own issue. With over thirty concubines in the palace and none pregnant, it was clearly not the concubines' fault.

The Emperor naturally understood Rìyī's implication, and with a somewhat flustered air of retreat, agreed and then turned to leave the imperial harem.

Five years passed in the blink of an eye, and there were still only three children in the harem. All of them were ten years old.headed for a showdown.General Du remained composed, completely unfazed by the other's rudeness. He turned to Lian Yi and said:"Please explain the situation to General Wu well, and we can discuss your...