717 The Attitude of the Northern Army (2/2)

Ning Que said, ”What kind of idiotic rumor is this? His Majesty had been suffering from a chronic disease for many years, and I'm sure you knew that because you were his most trusted general. Should it have anything to do with Her Majesty, that must've happened many years ago. Since His Majesty didn't mind it, how dare you resent Her Majesty in his stead?”

Xu Chi might have frowned lightly but he looked more relaxed.

He thought about it for long and then spoke to Ning Que seriously, ”You should suggest Her Majesty and the Six Prince to stay in the Northern Military Camp. I swear I'll protect them with my life.”

Ning Que looked him in the eyes and remained silent.

Xu Chi responded to this with calm eyes and expressionless face.

Then Ning Que suddenly said, ”I'm going to ask you one more time, and I want to make sure if it is true—are you really loyal to His Majesty?”

”I'd like to prove it with my life.” Answered Xu Chi.

Ning Que said, ”I don't need your life. Swords and spears are enough. I'm sure you know clearly that the Edict in Chang'an is a fake one because the late Emperor had passed the throne to the Sixth Prince.”

”And what are we going to do now, Mr. Thirteen?”

Xu Chi answered coldly, ”To bring Her Majesty and the Six Prince back to Chang'an for the fight over the throne with the new Emperor? Or to divide the military forces of Tang and let them fight each other?”

”I'll follow the Edict without hesitation, even at the cost of a civil war in the Empire, but not now. And I'll help the Sixth Prince to get on the throne, regardless of Her Majesty being a believer of the Devil's Doctrine, but not now.”

Xu Chi looked extremely severe and continued, ”Now all other countries are coming after Tang. The cavalries of the Golden Palace are coming south. The West-Hill Divine Palace is coming north. Qinghe County is rebelling. The Northeast Border Army has been extinguished. Enemies are storming Tang from all directions, and the thousand-year foundation of the empire is shaking in the coming storm. The empire can't afford any civil war at this very moment.”

Ning Que said after a short moment of silence, ”So what's your plan?”

”We have to be united when facing enemies. I won't allow you and Her Majesty to take thousands of soldiers of the Northern Army to go south to Chang'an. They are supposed to fight bloody battles on the Northern Frontier instead of wasting their lives on civil wars. So I want you to persuade Her Majesty to stay in the Northern Camp with the Sixth Prince.”

Xu Chi stared Ning Que in the eyes and said, ”If you still insist that this was a betrayal of His Majesty, then I can promise that the Northern Army will support the Sixth Prince after Tang has overcome these difficulties.”

Ning Que frowned lightly. He had to admit that Xu Chi had made a point. The Empire of Tang did need the thousands of soldiers to go back south to fight the invasion, but...

The door of the study was squeaking, and someone had just opened it.

The Empress came in and looked at the other two. She said peacefully, ”I am going back to Chang'an.”

Without any hesitation Xu Chi knelt before her, and he kowtowed again and again, till his forehead became bloody.

He said with his pained and shaking voice, ”Your Majesty! I've been loyal to His Majesty throughout my entire life. Now I have to reject the Edict, I am so guilty and I'm afraid I'll be regretful for the rest of my life, but the empire can't afford a civil war now. Your Majesty! Please think twice!”

The Empress smiled and said, ”You overestimated the influence of me and the Prince. The turmoils in Chang'an or in Tang won't start or cease just because of us.”

Ning Que was dumbfounded, and he couldn't understand what that meant.

”The thousands of soldiers going back south originally belong to the Northern Army. They were led temporarily by the Emperor himself to carry out the mission. There's no way I would take them back to Chang'an.”

The Empress said, ”I'll leave you these cavalries I brought back here. Me and the Sixth Prince, we'll go back to Chang'an by ourselves. I'm sure that will allay your worries.”

Xu Chi was shocked and speechless. He thought to himself that since the new Emperor had succeeded to the throne and the Princess Her Highness was in charge of national affairs, Her Majesty's taking the Sixth Prince back to Chang'an would definitely cost their lives for nothing.

Ning Que looked at the Empress and said, ”I'll go with you.”