The women proceeded to investigate one by one, and any woman who had had contact with Chen Mo was among their suspects.

The one with the greatest suspicion was undoubtedly Wu Xin’Er of the Wu Family.

After all, in their impression, anyone who had close contact with Chen Mo had either gone to Nanyang or left the Canglan Continent. The only one still in the Capital was Wu Xin’Er.

"The master really is hypocritical, saying he doesn’t want to marry Xin’Er but secretly having an affair," Chun Lan said softly.

"It must be her. Back in Qinyang County, she told me that she had read countless books as a child and remembered everything at first glance. This poem must be her work," Jiang Ruoqing asserted.

Chen Mo didn’t explain, letting them misunderstand that it was Wu Xin’Er, which was better than Yunxi being discovered.

And his silence was naturally taken as tacit approval by the women.

...

Day 145 of the Great Turmoil.

Xiao Yunqi and the ministers decided together to submit a proposal to Your Majesty, planning to negotiate peace with the Desolate Kingdom, ceding the Southwest.

As soon as the news spread, the entire Bianliang was shocked, and the people cursed Xiao Yunqi for betraying the country. On that day, the Dragon Guards and the Imperial City Department arrested many people, and many officials’ homes were searched.

Among those searched were even quite a few of Xiao Yunqi’s own people.

In their eyes, they could tolerate Xiao Yunqi scheming for power and usurping the throne, but they absolutely couldn’t tolerate him ceding the Great Song’s territory to the Desolate Kingdom.

Even though the Southwest was currently occupied by the Desolate Kingdom, the implications of an official cession were entirely different.

Zhao Chong looked at the memorial submitted by Xiao Yunqi and defiantly refused to agree, even at the cost of his own life.

This really angered Xiao Yunqi, who then went to find Xiao Yunxi.

To Xiao Yunqi’s surprise, Xiao Yunxi was also against him.

"Father, you’re confused! If this negotiation succeeds, you’ll be labeled a traitor, and then..." Xiao Yunxi advised earnestly.

"This is a desperate measure, my child. Once I settle things with the Desolate Kingdom, I’ll have the hands free to resolve the Jizhou rebellion and personally recover the Southwest," Xiao Yunqi explained.

To Xiao Yunqi, this was merely a stopgap measure: first appease the Desolate Kingdom, then level the score once domestic stability was achieved.

In Xiao Yunqi’s heart, he hadn’t really ceded the Southwest to the Desolate Kingdom; he was just temporarily giving it to them, since they couldn’t retrieve it right now anyway.

"Father, if you sign it, don’t blame your daughter for not recognizing you," Xiao Yunxi said firmly.

Xiao Yunqi’s face darkened.

Having no choice, he personally took Zhao Chong’s Heirloom Seal of the Realm, stamped it on the edict, and sent envoys to the front line for negotiations with the Desolate Kingdom.

Seeing Xiao Yunqi’s insistence, Xiao Yunxi was so angry that tears welled up in her eyes. Although she didn’t completely disown Xiao Yunqi, she led Zhao Chong to abstain from the daily court assembly, as a form of protest against Xiao Yunqi.

Yong’an Palace.

Hu Mei’Er lounged lazily on a couch, holding a hand warmer, smiling charmingly at Die Wu who knelt below her on one knee. "Haha, that old fox is courting his own demise. His end is near."

When Xiao Yunqi initially staged a coup, though he claimed it was to clear out the court of traitors, many saw it as rebellion, with public opinion against him.

Now, without resolving his issues, he wanted to negotiate with the Desolate Kingdom to cede the Southwest, a move tantamount to playing with fire.

If this news spread, the entire world would plunge into chaos.

"Die Wu, use all our organization’s power to spread the word that Xiao Yunqi has disgraced the country by ceding the Southwest; also, ensure the safe passage of the envoys he sent for negotiations to Qingzhou City," Hu Mei’Er instructed after some thought.

"Yes, ma’am."

...

Soon, the news that Xiao Yunqi intended to cede the Southwest spread as if the whole world knew.

Xiao Yunqi was thoroughly condemned by the world as a national traitor, and everyone shouted for his downfall.

The Imperial Court was also despised by heaven and man alike.

Coincidentally, King Yan Zhao Jiang raised an army again, under the pretense of eliminating traitors.

He quickly seized several counties adjacent to Youzhou.

Countless heroes and talents flocked to join him.

In the eyes of many, if King Yan inherited the throne, the agreement to cede the Southwest would be null.

Fengzhou State Governor Zhao Mu raised an army in response.

The news caused a sensation across the land.

...

Meanwhile, the negotiations between Xiao Yunqi and Loulan did not succeed.

In Loulan’s view, the Southwest was already within their grasp.

Why would they agree to ceasefire when it involved what was already theirs?

However, Loulan didn’t reject the idea of negotiation entirely. Instead, they demanded that Xiao Yunqi cede the territory north of the Yao River to Loulan and compensate with one billion taels of silver, after which Loulan would declare a ceasefire.

To show sincerity, they even promised to send troops to help him suppress Zhao Jiang and Zhao Mu’s armies if he agreed.

The news reached the Capital, shocking the entire court and public.

Now, even ministers who initially supported Xiao Yunqi’s negotiations didn’t agree anymore.

If all the territory north of the Yao River were ceded, it would mean losing a third of the Great Song Dynasty’s land - an unbearable concession.

Additionally, the National Treasury was tight.

They certainly couldn’t come up with a billion taels of silver for compensation.

To pressure a quick decision, on the 160th day of the Great Turmoil, Loulan’s 300,000-strong army crossed the Yao River, capturing seventy-two cities of the Great Song swiftly and decisively.

During Loulan’s advance, Zhao Jiang and Zhao Mu also continued their attacks, although they didn’t advance towards the Capital and instead seized cities to widen their territories.