Chapter 344

"Princess, Princess!!" The court lady’s frantic voice rang out.

"Royal Physician Mu, please help check on the princess!" Seeing their princess faint, the court lady immediately pleaded to Yueqian for help.

The proud and upright demeanor she once held had completely vanished. At that moment, she used to believe that her and the princess’s status in the Hu Region would be extremely high. This was evident from how the Hu Region tried their best to care for the princess, and even now, they continued to show unwavering attention. Perhaps after this... her princess might become a high-ranking concubine of the Emperor of the Hu Region!

Yueqian paid no mind to the court lady’s sudden change in demeanor, much like a chameleon that changed color when it found gold. She simply went to check on the other party and found that this woman was just very shocked.

This further convinced Yueqian that the princess of the Wang Region was indeed a thoughtful person. She was a smart woman, truly pitiful. Upon hearing what had happened, she understood immediately the future implications for herself!

"She’s only fainted from shock," Yueqian informed the Empress, who was waiting for an update. The other party nodded in understanding, watching the physician with something on her mind that she seemed to want to discuss.

“That’s good. Let her rest,” the Empress said, then led Yueqian out of the palace. The princess’s court lady stayed by her bedside, worried. She was also from the Wang Region, and if her princess was in trouble, she herself would surely not survive.

The atmosphere in the princess’ palace was now extremely tense. No one knew what karma the princess had accrued. After enduring severe poisoning and not even having time to fully recover, she now faced another crisis affecting her ?egion and her life. It was a cruel twist of fate.

Yueqian followed the Empress out, keeping a slight distance until they reached a small pavilion in the garden of the princess’ palace. It seemed they had only left the princess’s bedroom to let her rest and had no intention of discussing anything significant.

The high-ranking woman invited Yueqian to sit and then dismissed her own court lady. Once they were alone, the Empress sighed, as if unsure how to handle this shocking situation.

Her phoenix-like eyes looked at Yueqian seriously once again.

“What do you think will come of this?” Faced with such a straightforward question, Yueqian smiled simply.

For her, whatever happened was a decision for the Hu Region. She was merely a person from the Bai Region, who had officially escaped from her previous fears by securing the position of the first ranked furen.

Because of this, even her long-time rival, the Young General, couldn’t afford to be rude to her now. Even her husband held a higher position than her rival now.

Moreover, the Deng family’s position was shaking, and the Du Region was led by the Wang who supported her and her husband. This showed that she had done everything she needed to do and had succeeded.

Now that guilt solidified, seeking power was no longer something she needed to strive for. However, she couldn’t forget that she had a daughter and a son. Even if it wasn’t for herself, the children still needed a stable status. She didn’t want to get involved, but she also couldn’t turn a blind eye.

What Yueqian chose to do was to remain neutral and live as comfortably as possible. She had heard about her son’s current status as the fiancé of the princess from the Hu Region. Even if he had to return to the Bai Region, the Wei woman couldn’t bully him!

Therefore, as long as the Hu Region remained powerful and could continue leading the Bai Region as it did now, everything would be smooth.

“I have no particular thoughts, Your Majesty. I only know that the Hu Region will likely face inevitable war.”

Yueqian responded neutrally, showing no disrespect towards her son’s future mother-in-law but also not indicating any desire to get deeply involved.

“Do you not think there is another way to avoid war? Both the Wang and Fu Regions are allies of the Hu Region. We might use this position to remain neutral,” the Empress voiced her thoughts.

The Empress did not want war because everyone knew that if the Hu Region started a war, chaos would ensue within the Region itself. Even tax collection would have to increase.

While the Hu Region and its neighboring states had recently faced multiple crises, whether it was plagues, floods, internal disputes, banditry, rebellions in the cities, and so on, they had not yet fully recovered. Wouldn’t mobilizing troops and increasing expenses only exacerbate the suffering of the people?

And that’s not even considering the possibility of joining the war and ending up on the losing side!

“Do you really think it would be like that, Your Majesty? If the Hu Region were to go to war and call on its allied regions for support, and the allies chose to remain neutral and not get involved in the war, how would you view those Regions?” Hearing this question, the Empress didn’t understand at first, so Yueqian needed to elaborate.

“What I think is that the Region that remains neutral is the most suspicious!”

“What every region fears most right now is being betrayed. This means that if a war breaks out, and troops are heavily depleted, that region will be at its weakest. It would be the perfect opportunity for a region, with comparable military strength, to conquer it. If left alone, when that region regains its strength, the chance to conquer it will be much less, doesn’t it?”

“It’s not hard to understand. Both the Wang and Fu Regions would first suspect the Hu Region. Before officially starting the war, they might decide to deal with the oriole first.” (The oriole in the idiom refers to a mantis stalks a cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.)

The Empress considered Yueqian’s words and understood the situation more clearly. Given the near-conflict between the Hu and Wang Regions, the Wang Region would certainly suspect the Hu Region. If the Hu Region didn’t side with the Fu Region, it would seem unusual. Why choose neutrality instead of seeking revenge? Such thoughts would naturally arise.

The Fu Region was also aware of this situation. They must be wondering why the Hu Region didn’t ally with them to seek revenge when they were being pressured. Why did the Hu Region wait to reap benefits from just one side? If the Fu Region defeated the Wang Region, the Hu Region would benefit as well. But did they really expect to gain without any loss? That must be their thought process.

This complex relationship put the Hu Region in a position where they couldn’t avoid making a choice. They had to choose a side; the question was how to make that choice!

“In that case, the Hu Region will have to go to war. But... the Hu Region might face severe consequences,” the Empress said worriedly.

“You might not know this because you are from the Bai Region, but the truth is that our Hu Region is aware of certain Regions plotting against us.”

“If the Hu Region joins this war, another canary should be the target. This war between the Wang and Fu Regions is not a trivial matter. They have strong military forces and allies as well.”

“Initially, we were comrades-in-arms, a strong force resisting external threats together. Therefore, other major Regions farther away didn’t dare to provoke us. However, after this...”

The Empress revealed this truth to Yueqian, unaware that Yueqian and the Bai Region had already considered this scenario and made preparations. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been in such a hurry to appoint a new general to replace the Wang!

Knowing the situation in the Du Region wouldn’t resolve quickly, the Bai Region had to promptly establish a trustworthy general. This led to Mu Heng and the Hui family being sent to prove themselves, so that the people would trust them as soon as possible. The Emperor wisely didn’t hold onto these positions himself, understanding the difficulty in taking action once an issue arose.

Hearing the Empress’s words, Yueqian listened calmly, showing no surprise or suspicion about this matter, which intrigued the Empress.

“Since your husband is the Deputy Great General of the Bai Region, your husband should participate in this war. You must be well aware of the situation, yet... you don’t seem worried at all.”

Yueqian offered a faint smile.

"There’s no reason to worry, Your Majesty."

"Hmm? Are you not afraid that your husband, yourself, and your children might face disaster? By simply sending your husband to battle, he has a chance of dying in the war. Not to mention that you and your children would need to provide resources to the Hu Region’s army. There’s also the risk of the Hu Region losing the war, and you could all become prisoners."

"Knowing this, can you still remain calm?"

The Empress couldn’t understand Yueqian. She seemed intelligent and aware of every situation. Why couldn’t she grasp the gravity of this one?! Even the Empress herself was fearful. Yet Yueqian, merely a royal physician, and her husband as the Deputy Great General who had to go to war. If they lost, he would certainly be beheaded. So why...?

"Forgive me, Your Majesty, but none of what you said will happen."

"Hmm?"

"Neither will my husband die in battle nor will my children and I become prisoners."

"What makes you so confident? Do you not know that war always involves life and death? No matter how strong you are, there is always a chance of losing."

"No, Your Majesty. For my family and me... we will surely win."

"You..." In fact, the Empress wanted to ask what made Yueqian so confident, but seeing the cunning look in her eyes, she felt a slight shiver.

Had the Empress known Yueqian’s history, she wouldn’t have questioned “why she believed they would win.” This woman had faced everything, fleeing her homeland with her husband and his family, starting from lowly positions, and overcoming immense pressure. And look at her now! Look at what they had become!

The first ranked furen was a position equivalent to the Empress of the Bai Region. Her commoner husband was now the future great general, and their child, possessing special powers, was engaged to a princess.

If she could start from nothing and get this far, why should she fear failure? Well... her family was exceptional, after all!

“Well, it’s good that you have such a positive outlook. I should try to think like you, so I can live happily without constant fear,” the Empress did not to voice her thoughts further, allowing Yueqian to remain confident in herself and her family.Yueqian simply bowed as the Empress left, saying nothing more. She watched the back of this high-ranking woman, surrounded by enemies yet skilled only in poetry and music. Truly... what a pitiful woman.