Chapter Twenty-Six: A Terrifying Conjecture-Cinco Dragões na Corte: Eu Só Quero Morrer em Batalha na Fronteira(Buscar a iluminação do caminho celestial)

"Knock, knock, knock!"

A series of knocks echoed through Gao Changsheng’s study.

"Your Highness, the daughter of the Chu family has come to pay a visit," Miaofa called out softly.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

"Your Highness?"

Miaofa called out three times, but there was no response.

"Oh no!"

He grew anxious and pushed the door open. Inside, he found Gao Changsheng looking dazed, with books scattered everywhere.

"Miaofa, I’m being driven mad by these books!" Gao Changsheng complained, sounding aggrieved.

"Pfft!"

At the sight, Chu Yunyan couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh. Behind her, Zhu'er also struggled to stifle a giggle. This, it seemed, was the notorious Sixth Prince whom the people of Jinyong City recognized.

"Your Highness, there is no need to fret over military regulations and the Ministry of War’s battle reports. I have come today specifically to help you resolve these concerns," Chu Yunyan said gently after her laughter subsided.

"That’s wonderful!"

Gao Changsheng jumped three feet high. He then ran to the door, grabbed Chu Yunyan’s delicate hand, and pulled her into the study.

"You two are no longer needed. Go on!"

He waved at Miaofa and Zhu'er, then slammed the door shut.

"Young..." Zhu'er looked worried.

"Don't 'young' me. The daughter of the Chu family is destined to marry His Highness sooner or later, so stop worrying about it," Miaofa teased.

Inside the study, Chu Yunyan stood flushed and uncertain of what to do. Meanwhile, Gao Changsheng was busy flipping through books, urgently searching for the problem that had been troubling him for so long.

"Found it!"

"The urgent report from the Ministry of War from over half a year ago mentions that Northern Qi sent a small unit to harass our northern border. At the time, Duke of Liang, Dong Hao, personally led five hundred elite soldiers to respond. However, after the battle, there was no record of our losses, nor any report on the status of the Northern Qi forces. It simply stated that we were victorious. What kind of record is that?"

"I’ve discovered that such entries are quite common in the archives of the Ministry of War over the years. Could this be normal?"

Gao Changsheng asked, his voice full of indignation. Startled by his outburst, Chu Yunyan regained her composure.

"You are correct," she replied. "The fact that Your Highness could identify loopholes in the military system and the Ministry of War’s reports in just half a day shows that you are not one of the incompetent fools in this court. However, have you considered that if you can spot these flaws, Emperor Shenwu and the court officials must be aware of them too?"

"Death on the battlefield is commonplace. To the imperial court, a skirmish involving a few hundred men is trivial—who would care?" Chu Yunyan sighed.

"I care!" Gao Changsheng frowned, his expression grave. "If it was only a small unit of a few hundred men from Northern Qi, why did a high-ranking martial general like the Duke of Liang need to lead the troops himself?"

"Could that small unit have been exceptionally powerful? Shortly after, the Duke of Liang rebelled, and immediately following that, Northern Qi committed almost its entire national strength to attack the northern border. Can this all be a coincidence?"

Initially, Gao Changsheng had simply assumed that Northern Qi had seized the opportunity to invade because the Duke of Liang had been executed and the northern border was left vulnerable. Now, however, it seemed increasingly likely to be a conspiracy involving collusion from both sides. But there was one thing that still didn't make sense to him.

"If this war was a premeditated conspiracy between the Duke of Liang and Northern Qi, why didn't Northern Qi attack the border while the Duke was rebelling? Why wait until after he was executed?"

Chu Yunyan voiced the very question that troubled him. It was true—why wait? If they were working together, shouldn't the Duke have opened the gates to let the Northern Qi forces in?

"It is a pity that when the Duke of Liang’s case was being tried, I was in the imperial prison. I couldn't get any information regarding his situation," Gao Changsheng said, rubbing his temples.

"Your Highness, you think too much. Even if you hadn't been in prison, you would have had no way to access news about the Duke," Chu Yunyan said with a bitter smile.

"What?" Gao Changsheng was astonished. He had assumed that since the case had shocked the entire nation, Chu Yunyan would have known something. Yet, it turned out that even the area outside the prison had been locked down tight.

"A clever move by the Crown Prince." Gao Changsheng chuckled sardonically. "I once jokingly claimed he was in league with the Duke of Liang, but now it seems I might have hit the mark!"

The Crown Prince had been the one to preside over the Duke’s trial. While it was possible that Emperor Shenwu had ordered the news blackout, the Crown Prince was equally suspicious.

"My thoughts might seem wild, but if I’m right, the implications are far more serious than the Duke of Liang’s treason."

"Perhaps the Duke was merely a pawn, someone who was used! And that person could be the Crown Prince!"

Gao Changsheng made a bold inference. Even Chu Yunyan gasped.

"Surely not! Why would the Crown Prince do such a thing?" she wondered. As the primary beneficiary, the Crown Prince only needed to wait for Emperor Shenwu to pass away to ascend the throne legitimately. He had no apparent reason to collude with Northern Qi and allow a foreign power to invade his own territory.

"No, precisely because he is the Crown Prince, he needs external influence to help him consolidate more power. Don't forget, Emperor Shenwu is still in his prime. The Crown Prince does not hold absolute sway in the court. As long as Gao Changwen and Gao Changfei are alive, and with the Empress’s ruthless methods to consider, no one can guarantee that the position of the heir will always belong to Gao Changling!"

"Of course, we cannot rule out the Empress’s motives, but for now, the Crown Prince seems the more likely suspect."

Gao Changsheng analyzed further, his head feeling as if it might burst. Regardless of whether it was the Crown Prince or the Empress colluding with Northern Qi, the situation at the northern border was becoming increasingly dire. He had initially thought this Northern Qi invasion would be no different from previous years, but if his suspicions were correct, their offensive would be far more ferocious.

Furthermore, he had to guard against internal sabotage. Given the influence of the Crown Prince or the Empress, it would be all too easy for them to stir up trouble within the military camp.

"Your Highness must report this to the Grand General immediately. No, to the Emperor himself!" Even someone as composed as Chu Yunyan was now panicked. She realized the situation was spiraling out of control, threatening not only Gao Changsheng’s life but the lives of hundreds of thousands of soldiers. If the northern border were breached, the Great Yong Dynasty would face an unprecedented catastrophe.

"Forget it," Gao Changsheng said. "I said this is only a conjecture; there is no evidence. Tomorrow is the deadline for the three armies to set out, and we must not shake the soldiers' morale. I will find a time to speak with Dou Yuan, but we must not leak this to Emperor Shenwu. At least, not through my people. Otherwise, the Crown Prince and Empress won't need to lift a finger—Emperor Shenwu himself would be the one to end my life!"