In the Imperial Study in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
There were already a crowd of palace maids and eunuchs kneeling at the door. They were all prostrated on the ground, trembling all over, fearing that with just an order from Sikong Ting, their heads would be severed from their bodies.
Even Xu Xian stood silently to one side, not daring to make the slightest sound.
As soon as Dou Yuan arrived, he noticed the extremely oppressive atmosphere in the entire Imperial Study. He couldn't help but shoot a questioning look at Xu Xian who was standing at the door.
Xu Xian slightly raised his eyes and saw that Sikong Ting was standing with his back to him, looking down at the map spread out in front of him. Seeing that Sikong Ting was too busy to care about him, Xu Xian quickly walked to one side and winked at Dou Yuan.
Dou Yuan understood. He followed and whispered, "What's going on?"
Xu Xian shook his head and sighed, "Concubine De refused to see the Emperor. The Emperor is really angry." He motioned towards the broken porcelain shards that had been swept to the door. "This is already the third batch of tea sent in..."
"Concubine De again?" Dou Yuan asked in surprise. "Wasn't it said that the Emperor stayed in the Kunning Palace last night? What happened today?"
Xu Xian shook his head. "I don't know, Your Honor. The Emperor was fine even when he came back from the morning court. Who would have thought that after he went to review a memorial, Concubine De said she didn't want to see the Emperor when he came back."
Dou Yuan nodded. Having just been refused by Concubine De, when Sikong Ting returned to the Imperial Study and received news from the spy that Huyelu had led his troops into Loulan, it was no wonder he was so angry.
Dou Yuan patted Xu Xian on the shoulder and then walked in. Xu Xian took the opportunity to let the kneeling palace maids and eunuchs withdraw. Then he gently closed the door of the Imperial Study.
"Your Majesty, you summoned me." Dou Yuan bowed respectfully to Sikong Ting. Although his relationship with the Emperor was special, he didn't dare to be casual at this critical moment.
Sikong Ting stood with his back to him and showed no intention of turning around. He just reached out and pointed forcefully at the map in front of him and said in a deep voice, "Come here."
Dou Yuan stood up and walked towards the Emperor.
On the map in front of Sikong Ting, there were already many marks. In the area of the Protectorate General to Pacify the West in the west of the whole map, there were even more obvious marks made by him.
"You've received the news, right?" Sikong Ting said without looking at him. Instead, he frowned and stared at the map.
Dou Yuan nodded. "Yes, I have. General Qin Feng has applied to send troops immediately. Your Majesty, you didn't approve?"
Sikong Ting shook his head and instead of answering, he asked, "I haven't received the memorial from the Ministry of War yet."
Dou Yuan understood. He pondered for a while and sighed, "The Huns are putting pressure on our Great Sheng from different regions. The generals in the Hetao and the northwest regions can't spare any troops to support the area of the Protectorate General to Pacify the West. Moreover, the Protectorate General to Pacify the West is connected to the Silk Road. Once it is lost, one of the life - lines of Great Sheng will be cut off. The Ministry of War doesn't dare to report the matter with ordinary generals."
"Dare not report?" Sikong Ting snorted coldly. "Wu Qiuyang asked me to arrange for Qin Huaiqiu to lead the troops! Don't you know?"
Dou Yuan was stunned for a moment and then said honestly, "I know. General Wu has discussed it with me. Qin Huaiqiu... Concubine De is indeed the best candidate."
"You also know that he is my Concubine De." Sikong Ting gritted his teeth, turned his head and glared at him. "Don't you know how dangerous the area of the Protectorate General to Pacify the West is? It's not like ten years ago. This time, the Huns and Loulan are joining hands against Great Sheng. You want him to go to the battlefield? He's only sixteen years old!"
Dou Yuan frowned and couldn't find any words to refute.
Sikong Ting glared at him for a while and then sighed dejectedly. He turned back, propped his hands on the edge of the table and finally let out a long sigh.
"General Qin Feng is old, Your Majesty." Dou Yuan said. "Veterans never die, but they fade away. He is no longer suitable to go to the battlefield. It's very dangerous."
"I know." Sikong Ting covered his face. "That's why I didn't approve his request to send troops."
Dou Yuan looked at him. "Your Majesty, I know you don't want Concubine De to take risks, but Concubine De is General Qin's son. Do you understand?"
Sikong Ting didn't say a word.
Dou Yuan thought for a while about how to phrase his words and then said, "Concubine De is different from Qing Luo. Qing Luo can always follow me and is willing to stay in my mansion. But Concubine De is the son of a general. He was even married into the palace by you when he first came to the capital. It's like an eagle that was soaring in the sky has been locked up. He may find it novel and interesting at first, but an eagle is still an eagle. He still yearns for the sky."
Sikong Ting trembled all over. He stared at his eyes painfully and began to tremble uncontrollably. Finally, he couldn't bear it anymore and covered his mouth. He said tremblingly, "Let's discuss this matter later..."
Dou Yuan said worriedly, "Your Majesty..."
"Let's discuss this matter later." Sikong Ting still covered his mouth. He was afraid that once he let go, his full - hearted pain and torture would make him cry out uncontrollably.
Dou Yuan looked at him and felt a bit sorry. "Then, I'll take my leave first."
He slowly pushed the door open and walked out. What he didn't know was that at the moment when he walked out of the Imperial Study and closed the door, Sikong Ting, who had been holding on strongly, finally couldn't help but bend down and tremble violently against the table.
Dou Yuan walked out of the Imperial Study and looked up at the sky. The moon had just emerged in the east. The white crescent moon looked peaceful and serene in the sky that hadn't completely darkened yet. But under the same sky, the area of the Protectorate General to Pacify the West was already on the verge of war.
A general in the field may not always follow the imperial orders. If Loulan launches another attack, can Qin Feng really hold back and wait for the news from Great Sheng? The situation on the battlefield changes in a split - second. What if something unexpected happens to Qin Feng after he sends out his troops?
Everyone knows that the undefeated war god is old. Qin Feng can't guard the Protectorate General to Pacify the West for a lifetime. From all aspects, Qin Huaiqiu is the only best candidate to replace Qin Feng.
What choice will Sikong Ting make at that time?
Dou Yuan sighed again. He stopped thinking about it and walked towards the Meridian Gate, thinking only about going home to hug his wife.
In the Kunning Palace.
Qin Huaiqiu finally calmed down his mood and began to listen to Qin Lan tell him completely the news she had found out during her trip out of the palace.
"Chang Lin is indeed one of the eunuchs who entered the palace recently. I bribed an official in the Grand Secretariat and got the information of all the eunuchs who entered the palace at that time. I found that the information about Chang Lin was very brief. It only said that his parents were both dead." Qin Lan said.
"It's very suspicious." Qin Huaiqiu curled up in the bed, hugging the quilt and muttering. "When the palace selects eunuchs, the background of those who enter the palace directly will be investigated very clearly. If it's just like this, it's too perfunctory."
Qin Lan nodded and continued, "So I asked someone to draw a portrait of Chang Lin and sent people to inquire secretly in the capital. Unexpectedly, Chang Lin turned out to be the son of Chang Gaotai."
Qin Huaiqiu was stunned for a moment and exclaimed, "Is it the number one scholar who passed the three - level imperial examinations in a row?"
Qin Lan sighed. "Yes, a once - in - a - century talented scholar. It's a pity that he died of illness just one year after taking office. It's already very sad. If the common people knew that his son finally entered the palace as a eunuch when he grew up, I don't know what would happen in the folk."
Qin Huaiqiu asked again, "Is his name really Chang Lin?"
"No, it's not." Qin Lan said. "He changed his name. Otherwise, it wouldn't have taken so long to investigate. His previous name was Chang Zixuan. According to the records in the Ministry of Revenue, he died five years ago."
"Faked his death and then entered the palace with a new identity?" Qin Huaiqiu murmured. "What's the purpose of a number one scholar's son becoming a eunuch?"
Qin Lan looked at him and sighed, "Maybe it has something to do with Concubine Shu."
She reached out and rubbed her hair. "Chang Lin and Concubine Shu seem to be very close. There seems to be some kind of friendship between them. But Liu Cheng is the Minister of Rites after all. I have no way to investigate further. I can only make a guess."
Qin Huaiqiu nodded. "Entering the palace for Concubine Shu and even becoming a eunuch. It must be either a debt of gratitude for saving his life or being trapped by love."
Qin Lan was stunned for a moment and then burst out laughing. "How did you guess that, Young Master?"
Qin Huaiqiu buried his head in the quilt and murmured, "I read it in a storybook."
Qin Lan looked at him and knew that he was thinking about Sikong Ting again. She reached out and stroked his head and comforted him, "Do you want to go back to the Protectorate General to Pacify the West, Young Master?"
Qin Huaiqiu yanked the quilt off and said loudly, "Of course I do!"
Qin Lan said again, "Do you want to ride a horse in the Gobi Desert and shoot arrows on the city wall of the Protectorate General to Pacify the West, Young Master?"
Qin Huaiqiu nodded vigorously. "I haven't been back for a long time. When you mention it, I really want to go."
Qin Lan said, "So, Young Master, you don't belong here. You belong to the vast borderlands. This place is just a fleeting moment in your life. You don't need to be so sad about it."
Qin Huaiqiu opened his eyes and looked at her. Finally, he lowered his eyes and gave a heavy "um".
Seeing this, Qin Lan didn't say anything more. She changed the topic and said, "By the way, I investigated a bit more."
"What?"
"Guess who the second - place scholar was in the imperial examination when Chang Gaotai became the number one scholar?" Qin Lan winked at him.
Qin Huaiqiu was stunned for a moment. After thinking for a while, he said, "I don't know. Tell me."
Qin Lan laughed. "You must never guess. It was Zhang Zhe, the father of Noble Consort Zhang."
Qin Huaiqiu gasped and clicked his tongue. "What a coincidence."
"It's really a coincidence." Qin Lan poked him. "So, shall we visit Noble Consort Zhang tomorrow? Maybe she knows Chang Zixuan. After all, we still haven't found the direct evidence of Concubine Shu and Chang Zixuan colluding with the people of Loulan. Noble Consort Zhang may be a breakthrough."
Qin Huaiqiu nodded. "Okay."