Chapter 12 Undercurrents

The person who emerged from the bushes was wearing a light green ruqun, with black hair tied up high, clear and beautiful eyebrows, and a proper appearance.

She quickly stepped forward, her expression solemn and respectful.

“Greetings to Your Highness!”

She lifted the hem of her clothes to salute, but was blocked by Pei Yuanshao’s internal energy from a distance.

“No need for formalities,” he said, turning to look at her. His ink-like eyes showed no discernible emotion as he asked in a deep voice, “What happened? What forced you to come personally from Beihuanxian?”

Guan Yunyun cupped her hands and bowed, standing to the side. As she raised her head, she met His Highness’s calm and unfazed eyes.

Her heart skipped a beat, but it didn’t show on her face. Although she had come in a hurry, having received such news, she had to report it in person to put her mind at ease.

She took a deep breath and reported, “Your Highness, news has arrived from the Northern Desert that the Northern Rong are invading!”

Pei Yuanshao rotated the prayer beads on his wrist with his left hand. The beads collided, making a crisp sound.

He didn’t respond, his gaze falling on the prayer beads, his eyes obscure and unclear.

Guan Yunyun continued her report: “General Mo led an army of 100,000 to engage in battle but suffered a devastating defeat. What’s even more unexpected is that the Northern Rong seemed to be well-prepared this time. They dispatched a cavalry unit to infiltrate the Northern Desert army’s camp and burned down all the grain stores behind our army lines.”

Pei Yuanshao’s speed of rotating the prayer beads increased. With a snap, the string broke.

The beads fell to the ground along his fiery red outer robe.

He looked at the scattered beads on the ground as if nothing had happened, his lips curling up, his voice low and deep, yet extremely certain: “Guan Er, the old fogeys in the capital can’t sit still anymore.”

Guan Yunyun lowered her head, a trace of surprise flashing across her pretty face.

From His Highness’s tone, the Northern Rong’s actions seemed to be connected to the capital?

Her heart trembled, but it didn’t show on her face.

This batch of secret guards was personally selected, transferred, and trained by Imperial Consort Qing. A year ago, His Highness divided them into two teams, infiltrating Jinling and the Northern Desert, respectively.

They were all well-trained and knew what to ask and what not to ask.

If it weren’t for His Highness’s overly relaxed and strange expression today, they would never have shown such delight.

The commander of the Northern Desert army was His Highness and the Empress’s biological aunt.

Now that such a major incident had occurred in the Northern Desert, she had thought His Highness would…

The expected fury didn’t come. His Highness’s demeanor was surprisingly calm, as if he had anticipated it.

Guan Yunyun was pondering to herself.

The deep and solemn explanation came from above her head: “The grain and forage were secretly swapped by the scouts I had arranged the day before the Northern Rong’s invasion. The calculations of those old fogeys in the capital are likely to fall through.”

Guan Yunyun abruptly raised her head. It seemed that the amount of information His Highness had just provided was too much. She opened her mouth, her doll-like face showing a complex expression.

After a while, she realized her lapse in etiquette and hurriedly bowed her head to make amends: “Your Highness is truly farsighted.”

Imperial Consort Qing had always been intelligent and never did anything unnecessary. If she did something, there must be a purpose to be found.

Just like a year ago, using a fall from a horse as a pretext, she underwent a drastic change in personality and took the opportunity to retreat behind the scenes.

She smoothly promoted the three-reign senior minister, Grand Tutor Jia, to assist the young Empress in controlling the court. She also brought Grand Tutor Jia’s youngest son into the palace and conferred him the title of Imperial Consort.

The Grand Tutor Cui faction had always been a neutral faction, upright and honest in their official duties, never participating in the struggle for imperial power.

Imperial Consort Qing secretly maneuvered to bring them into the power center, becoming a major force for the Empress.

In the city of Jinling, it was widely rumored that the current Imperial Consort Qing was unable to bear being a man, had a lustful nature, and was obsessed with male concubines.

However, only the court officials who had truly witnessed His Highness’s swift and decisive methods were in awe and did not fully believe the rumors.

Even though Imperial Consort Qing was exiled to the northern region, she was still constantly monitored by people from the capital.

Guan Yunyun raised her eyes and looked at the figure of the red-robed man in the distance, her eyes filled with admiration.

A man with bare hands could stir up the world! Such a person was their master.