Meanwhile at the Xiangyang Mansion.

Long Xiao’s advisors appeared before him after Long Chi left.

“What are your thoughts on this, Master Wu?” Long Xiao turned to one of his advisors.

“I think this is indeed a great opportunity. This may be a great stepping stone for you to take action, My Liege.”

“However, it is quite obvious that the Prince of Xuyang is trying to use you. If you go through with his plan, you will just be handing everything to him on a plate.” Some of the advisors were less agreeable to this.

“You can’t tell who will be getting the spoils until it’s over. You shouldn’t pour cold water over this and belittle the power of the Prince of Xiangyang. This is undoubtedly a rare and advantageous opportunity. The Emperor’s always had an iron hold on all the lands and districts. Even minor territories are almost inescapable from him.”

“However, the situation at the frontier has essentially distracted him. With the Prince of Xuyang creating disorder, His Majesty might not be able to pay full attention to us. When that time comes, we will attack when he least expects it. There’s a good chance we can seize victory.”

“So, Master Wu is saying that we should sit back and wait? And then gear our army for an attack at the critical moment once Long Chi distracts the soldiers in the capital?” Long Xiao’s tone was eager.

“Exactly,” Master Wu said confidently, running his fingers through his beard.

Long Xiao fell silent for a while before finally making the decision. “We’ll do exactly as Master Wu says.”

The next day.

Long Chi waited at the inn until it was close to noon when one of Long Xiao’s subordinates finally came over with a message.

“Our Liege wishes the Prince of Xuyang success in your endeavors,” the man said.

Long Chi immediately understood what this meant and sneered. “I never imagined Royal Uncle to be such a coward. I was wrong about him.”

With that settled, Long Chi left Xiangyang with Jiang Chong in tow.

“My Liege, is the Prince of Xiangyang really so cowardly?” Jiang Chong was a little skeptical.

“Of course not. Just wait and see. The moment our troops go for the attack and get the capital army’s attention, that Royal Uncle of mine will begin his revolution and stir up a storm from Xiangyang,” Long Chi said firmly. He sneered again. “He’s thought this out pretty well. I had initially planned for him to be the decoy, so the same thought must have crossed his mind. This is why he hesitated so long to cooperate with us. He isn’t willing to be reduced to a tool. He’s clearly biding his time, watching while waiting for me to act as his cover. Just you wait and see who will have the last laugh!”

They mounted their horses and headed straight for Xuyang without stopping.

…

The sixth month of the lunar year was a scorching hot summer.

The weather got hotter by the day and Lu Liangwei was sweating buckets after taking only a few steps. She was not willing to walk any further.

Recently, the Dowager Duchess had been visiting Lu Liangwei at the Palace whenever she was free.

When she saw how lackadaisical Lu Liangwei was, she did not force her granddaughter to continue moving and instead suggested, “Rest a little if you’re tired, but don’t just sit there like a statue. Have a walk up and down the corridor once the weather cools down. It will be good for you.”

“Alright, Grandmother.” Lu Liangwei felt a little embarrassed.

Grandmother had come to the Palace specifically to accompany her, yet she refused to move because of the hot weather.

“Pregnant women are more affected by the heat, especially when the weather is this hot. You’re not the only one suffering from it; my old body is sweating all over from this heat,” the Dowager Duchess said benevolently.

Lu Liangwei noticed the Dowager Duchess was indeed sweating all over and quickly took the hand fan from Zhu Yu to fan her.

She could not help but reminisce about the modern era’s air conditioners and electric fans.

The Dowager Duchess did object to Lu Liangwei fanning her.

It was not a good thing for a pregnant woman to stay still. Lu Liangwei should move about more to gain the stamina she needed for childbirth.

Both of them walked around the corridor and eventually sat down on a bench in the corridor when they were tired, and they chatted away.

“By the way, Grandmother, Mother sent someone to deliver a letter. She said that the illness suffered by the soldiers is not a plague. They were poisoned. She is currently trying to produce the antidote for it. The soldiers’ illness should be put under control very soon.”

The Dowager Duchess gave a long sigh of relief when she heard this. “It’s good news that this isn’t a plague. It’s lucky that your mother is able to help at the frontier this time. But since it’s not a plague, how did so many soldiers get poisoned? This sounds like it was planned by someone.”

The Dowager Duchess went deep in thought.

“That’s right.” Lu Liangwei nodded as she stared at the clear skies. She had a feeling something was about to happen.

“There’s no need for you to overthink about this as it’s not your responsibility. You should focus on having a smooth birth.” The Dowager Duchess held her hand and reminded her earnestly.

“I know, Grandmother.” Lu Liangwei nodded. She understood her grandmother’s worry.

She lowered her head to look at her huge, bulging belly and frowned.

Two days later, news of the Prince of Xuyang starting a military coup began to surface.

The officials of the imperial court were all shocked.

The situation at the frontier had yet to be resolved, and now news of the Prince of Xuyang’s coup was making the rounds. Bad news was being delivered one after the other.

The officials immediately submitted Palace Memorials, requesting for Long Yang to send over some soldiers to curb the uprising.