Flowers Bloom from Battlefield

Capital of Ming Kingdom

Inside the hall, not a single official dare to speak. The emperor was angry and throwing another fit. The news had just came, the Jun family declared that they separated themselves from Ming Kingdom. The news instantly shook the entire capital.

The emperor immediately declared a war against Mountain Kingdom. Taking the Jun family away from Ming Kingdom was the same with shaving their military power of thousands of soldiers. The emperor would never take it lightly.

"Emperor, please don't be so hasty."

The emperor didn't want to listen to the officials and kicked them out from the hall. He turned towards Strategist Wu.

"Is this included in your plan?"

Strategist Wu was genuinely surprised. He had expected that the Jun family might do something drastic, but not to this extent. If the Jun family suddenly separated themselves, what would happen with their soldiers? Would they willingly follow their leader to the other kingdom?

"No, please wait for a moment, Your Highness," Strategist Wu quickly sent people to check on something, but the result makes his face turned grim. He really shouldn't have postponed investigating about Jun Family.

"Emperor, it is this subject carelessness."

Seeing Strategist Wu also got done in with this news, emperor felt even angrier. Does this mean that the Jun family was even smarter than the strategist?

"What do you mean?"

"The Jun family had been planning for this for a long time already. It is because this subject didn't pay any attention that the obvious move is passed from us. The families of the soldier under Jun family are inside their territory."

The news hit the emperor greatly. Did this means that the Jun family was planning to separate themselves from a long time already? They were scheming right under his nose and yet he didn't' realize it at all. Somehow, the emperor felt like he was being fooled by those people without him noticing it at all.

Now that the situation had grown until this stage, what can he do towards them? Forcing them to return would require war and he had declared war against the Mountain Kingdom, which meant those people no longer categorized as people from Ming Kingdom.

The emperor truly wished to tear them apart. The only thing that made him calmer was the death of Jun Min.

"At least, their power had weakened a lot."

Strategist Wu wore a complicated face. "It is precisely because they had weakened that they might be the one survive this turbulence."

The enemies would be trying to attack those they seen as threat first. Since Jun family had lost the most important figure who could lead them, they were seen as a weaker threat and would soon find their own demise. With them going out, it's clear that their relationship with Ming Kingdom has ended, making Ming Kingdom weaker.

The weaker Ming Kingdom was seen as an opportunity for them to attack while the Jun family can stay within the Mountain Kingdom calmly. While they want to attack the Mountain Kingdom, they need to consider the terrain since the one who was most proficient in battle on the mountain was Jun family and Mountain Kingdom.

They would not be stupid so as to challenge themselves to pounce towards the people in Mountain Kingdom. Instead, they would try to attack Ming Kingdom. Ming Kingdom was a big kingdom with a lot of resources on the land.

With the military had been strengthening themselves; they were seen as threat especially with that kind of emperor who kept on looking outside. It made them see the Ming Kingdom as an ambitious Kingdom.

Strategist Wu understood all of it perfectly which was why his expression was grim. The Ming Kingdom might become the target of other kingdoms to take revenge at their losses.

The emperor was stumped after hearing Strategist Wu explain things to him. "Why don't they attack the Jun family? The one going to the war is them."

"They don't see the Jun Family as a big threat as long as they stay in Mountain Kingdom," Strategist Wu answered. Without Jun Min leading them, they were only seen as ordinary soldiers who only capable to fight in mountains terrain. Somehow, he felt that the death of Jun Min instead helping the Jun Family rather than sending them into the doom.

The other kingdom would think that way and they preferred attacking those near them first. After all, Ming Kingdom was located in the very center of the big kingdoms. Rather than leaving Ming Kingdom recovered, they might choose to pounce towards them first.

"How about the Jun family?" the emperor felt reluctant to let them go.

Strategist Wu shook his head. "Which one is more important? The Ming Kingdom or your revenge?"

If the Ming Kingdom fell, the enemies of the emperor would surely come to the surface and started to take advantage of the situation. They want to take the emperor head and possibly getting revenge towards what he had done to them. The emperor knew that the other kingdoms wouldn't pass on this chance, so he can only let the Jun family away for now.

"Gather the officials! We need to build strategy!"

…

Ming Xiao felt that he's being left behind by the two of his brothers. They were telling him that he needed to find the chance to go outside, but he is not as sharp as them and didn't manage to find any chance to go.

Going back to his residence, he knew that the possibility of him surviving this time was low. The emperor might use this chance to let the princes contend against each other.

"Xiao'er, are you alright?" Lin San walked towards him with worry. She has been staying in the residence for some time and had gotten used with the etiquette of the palace. Maintaining her demeanor and all, she had become a splendid lady of the imperial family.

Other than that, she has been trying to get close with Ming Xiao. Despite their wedding was the first time they see each other, they respected each other. They didn't love each other, but still warm towards the other party.

"San'er," Ming Xiao said. "We might need to go from the capital."

Lin San frowned. "Is it dangerous?"

"I don't know."

Seeing that helpless expression, Lin San extended her hand and held his hand. "Everything is going to be fine."

"Yeah," Ming Xiao smiled. He stroke Lin San back, feeling the warmth from her. This time, he was no longer alone.