Xiao Yi pondered for a moment before asking, “Is it urgent?”
Duoduo nodded. “Mm-hmm. The sooner, the better!”
“Is there anything else? You only want him brought in?” Xiao Yi asked uncertainly.
Duoduo thought for a moment, then shook her head.
“No.”
“Thank you, Father!” she said obediently, giving him a formal bow.
“Yunxiao, arrange for someone to bring Shitou in!” Xiao Yi instructed toward the door.
Yunxiao, who was standing guard outside, was somewhat puzzled.
He lowered his head and answered, “Yes, Your Highness. I’ll have someone take care of it right away.”
Yunxiao left to arrange for Shitou to be brought into the residence.
Duoduo saw her father lower his eyes to the official document in his hand without saying anything to her.
She couldn’t help feeling curious.
“Father, has anything important happened lately?”
Xiao Yi raised his eyes and glanced at her.
“What do you want to know?”
Duoduo blinked.
Why did she feel that her father was in a strange mood?
Could it also be because of the situation at the border?
Duoduo edged closer to Xiao Yi.
Without showing any reaction, Xiao Yi closed the official document in his hand and looked at her.
The strange feeling in Duoduo’s heart grew stronger.
Was Father hiding something from her?
Duoduo tilted her head back and studied him.
Xiao Yi remained completely still, simply allowing her to look her fill.
Seeing that there was nothing unusual about him, Duoduo stopped investigating.
“Father, can you tell me about the fighting at the border?” Duoduo asked, voicing the question she cared about most.
The look in Xiao Yi’s eyes changed.
“Why are you suddenly concerned about that?” Rather than answer directly, Xiao Yi asked her a question in return.
“Weren’t you looking at that just now?”
Duoduo had sharp eyes and had immediately recognized the color of the document.
Xiao Yi remembered that he had once taught Duoduo how to distinguish the contents of official documents.
He nodded.
“That’s right.”
“But which aspect do you want to know about?”
“All of it!” Duoduo replied firmly.
For now, her information network extended only throughout the capital.
As for news from the border, she could learn about it only from her father.
Xiao Yi’s gaze flickered.
“The border forces have been defeated. The Xiongnu have seized one of the cities and are continuing to advance toward the capital.”
A worried expression appeared on Duoduo’s face.
“Father, what does the court say?”
“The court is divided into two factions.” Xiao Yi’s voice was slow and heavy.
“One faction believes that since we’ve already lost a city, we might as well sue for peace and cede the lost city to the Xiongnu.”
“The other faction believes that seeking peace without even fighting will only encourage the Xiongnu to press their advantage.”
“We should fight first. If we can’t win, then we can sue for peace.”
His tone was filled with mockery.
Duoduo slammed her palm onto the table in anger. “How outrageous!”
Xiao Yi raised his eyes and glanced at her.
“Be careful. You’ll hurt your hand.”
Duoduo was indignant. “Father, do the military officials think the same way?”
“What happened to their courage? Aren’t they afraid the common people will curse them for it?”
Xiao Yi had been in a poor mood as well, but when he saw Duoduo’s righteous fury, his heart instead grew calm.
“Even those with courage must go along with the circumstances if they want to survive.”
“Those who couldn’t adapt to the situation resigned or took leave long ago.” Xiao Yi was merely stating the reality.
Duoduo found it difficult to accept.
“Father, do you really think Grandfather can just watch as the people at the border suffer terribly?”
“They’re all his subjects!”
Seeing that Duoduo was becoming overwrought, Xiao Yi raised a hand and stroked her hair.
“Yes, that’s a good question.”
“But neither you nor I are your grandfather, so we can’t understand him.”
Duoduo’s little face fell.
“Anyway, I don’t think Grandfather would be that heartless!”
Xiao Yi gently patted Duoduo, as if comforting her—or perhaps agreeing with her.
After a while, Duoduo raised her head again.
“Father, will Fifth Uncle send troops?”
Prince Rui had committed a grave taboo. The next person to oversee the state would be the Fifth Prince.
“He will,” Xiao Yi answered without hesitation.
Duoduo’s eyes immediately lit up.
“That’s wonderful! Then the people at the border will be saved!” she cheered, jumping up.
Xiao Yi’s gaze deepened as he looked at her.
He did not say what was on his mind.
At that moment, Yunxiao knocked on the door from outside.
“Your Highness, Princess, Shitou has arrived at the residence.”
When Duoduo heard this, she immediately bowed to Xiao Yi.
“Father, I’ll go talk to Shitou first. I’ll come back and chat with you later!”
Xiao Yi watched Duoduo hurry away, then signaled to Yunxiao.
“Follow her secretly.”
Yunxiao nodded and quietly followed her out.
Xiao Yi lowered his head and continued reading the official document in his hand.
He had not finished answering Duoduo’s question just now.
The Fifth Brother would indeed send troops, but the military officials at court had either resigned or taken leave.
At present, the army was nothing more than a scattered mess.
Unless the Fifth Prince personally led the troops into battle.
Unfortunately, with the struggle for the throne reaching a critical stage, the Fifth Brother certainly would not go to war himself for the sake of his future prospects.
Therefore, this so-called campaign would ultimately end in defeat.
Moreover, since the court currently favored suing for peace, the Fifth Brother’s actions would undoubtedly put him at odds with the ministers.
Once the campaign failed, opposition within the court would grow even louder.
With the Second Prince stirring things up from the shadows, the Fifth Brother would not remain in power for long either.
As for the Sixth Prince…
Xiao Yi’s fingers tapped lightly against the table.
Like the Seventh Prince, this Sixth Prince was either fond of money or fond of pleasure.
Normally, the two of them stayed outside the sphere of the struggle for power.
At one point, even Xiao Yi had believed that neither of them desired the throne.
It seemed that he, too, had misjudged them.
“Someone!”
An imperial guard pushed open the door and entered.
“Investigate the Sixth Prince’s recent movements,” Xiao Yi ordered. After a moment’s thought, he added, “And report on the Seventh Prince’s movements as well.”
“Yes.”
The guard left.
Meanwhile, Duoduo brought Shitou to the reception hall.
“Lüdou, you and Qingliu stand guard at the door.”
“No one is to come near, no matter who it is,” Duoduo instructed Lüdou.
“Yes.”
Lüdou and Qingliu took up positions on either side, guarding the entrance securely.
Duoduo led Shitou inside.
Yunxiao, who had followed close behind, scratched his head.
What could the Princess be planning to discuss that required such secrecy?
He changed direction and walked to the other side of the wall, then leaped onto the roof.
Crouching low, Yunxiao carefully made his way across the roof of the reception hall and stopped above it.
There was no sound from inside.
Could he have gone to the wrong building?
Yunxiao looked around and confirmed that he had not.
Even more puzzled, he thought for a moment before cautiously lifting a roof tile and looking down.
