The Empress has abandoned me? I'll support a new emperor and destroy your kingdom!

Under the bleak winter light, the dome of the Linde Hall appeared exceptionally high and oppressive.

The air was no longer filled with the usual somber atmosphere of court discussions, but rather with a heavy, almost stagnant atmosphere, a mixture of surprise, panic, and the deathly stillness before a storm.

The throne remained vacant, and the emperor, gravely ill, had been unable to attend court for many days. This deprived the court of its ultimate arbiter and authority, and the latent conflicts and schemes among various factions, like rocks exposed after the tide recedes, became even more acutely apparent.

Below the imperial steps, civil officials are on the left and military officials on the right.

At the front of the military ranks stood Marquis Zhao Qingcang, his beard and hair bristling, his face ashen. He stood with his hand on his sword, exuding a fierce aura of someone who had been through countless battles. His gaze swept across the fickle faces of the civil officials opposite him.

The civil officials were led by the Third Prince Yun Huan. Today, he was not wearing the usual princely attire, but rather a purple embroidered python robe symbolizing "assisting in the administration of state affairs." His hair was tied up with a jade crown, and his face was as handsome as jade. However, his brows were slightly furrowed, showing just the right amount of concern for the country and its people.

In the center of the main hall, the Minister of War was reading aloud the urgent military report from the southern front, delivered with a slightly hoarse voice:

"...The rebel king Yun Tao acquired superior weaponry of unknown origin, especially powerful crossbows and iron armor, the design and craftsmanship of which are suspected to be of Northern Di origin. The government troops were caught off guard, their vanguard suffered a setback, and they retreated to Anqing. The rebels are arrogant and boast that they will cross the river within a month... We earnestly request the court to send reinforcements immediately and thoroughly investigate the source of the weaponry..."

The words "suspected to be from the Northern Barbarians" exploded in the court like cold water poured into boiling oil!

"Northern Barbarians?! How is this possible?!"

"Luan Di Maodun has just suffered a defeat and is too busy to even look after himself, how could he...?"

"Could it be a secret deal made by the remnants of the Northern Barbarian tribes?"

"Or...is someone colluding with foreign enemies, supplying provisions to the thieves?"

A murmur of discussion arose, and many eyes, intentionally or unintentionally, drifted toward the woman at the front of the civil officials' procession, a woman dressed in the black court robes of a princess, with an upright posture and a calm expression—Princess Yun Jin, the Guardian of the Nation.

Yesterday he was a "righteous official" who investigated the Ever-Normal Granaries and spoke out for the people, but today he is shrouded in the shadow of "Northern Barbarian Armory".

The political climate at court instantly became delicate and treacherous.

"Silence!" the eunuch shouted, silencing the noise.

The Third Prince, Yun Huan, coughed lightly, stepped forward, and bowed to the empty throne. His voice was deep and clear.

"Your Majesty is unwell, yet the military situation in the southern border is dire. Your Majesty and I, your ministers, dare not remain silent. The rebels have obtained weapons from the Northern Barbarians; this is no small matter. If this is indeed the case, it is not merely a rebellion in the south, but may involve foreign interference and threaten the very foundation of the nation! A thorough investigation is imperative!"

He turned around, his gaze sweeping over everyone before finally settling on Yun Jin, his tone becoming serious and inquisitive.

"My dear sister, you just returned victorious from the northern frontier a few months ago and are most familiar with the situation of the Northern Barbarians. In your opinion, with Luandi Modu severely wounded and defeated, and his tribe embroiled in endless internal strife, who would dare, and who could, secretly transport such a large quantity of standard-issue weapons into the south to aid the enemy in their rebellion?"

That's a tricky question.

It seemed like she was asking for advice, but in reality, she was drawing everyone's attention to Yun Jin, and there was a hidden veil of sarcasm in the conversation.

You are most familiar with the Northern Barbarians, so tell me, who can do this?

Countless gazes instantly focused on them.

Marquis Weiyuan frowned, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Li Gang, Zhou Bo, and others looked worried.

Pang Xiaopan and Yin Wujiu hid behind the crowd, their eyes wary.

Yun Jin met Yun Huan's gaze with a calm and composed expression, as if the hidden sharpness did not exist.

She stepped forward, bowed slightly towards the throne, then turned to Yun Huan and the assembled officials, her voice clear and unhurried:

"Third Brother's concerns are absolutely correct. The fact that the Northern Barbarian weapons are now in the hands of the rebels is indeed a major threat and must be thoroughly investigated."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the officials in the hall, before continuing.

"Luan Di Modu was defeated by our imperial army at Heifeng Gorge and fled north in panic. His tribe suffered heavy losses and his prestige was greatly damaged. His sons and tribal leaders were busy fighting for the succession to the Khanate and had no time to attend to anything else. Logically speaking, the Northern Di royal court at this time had no spare strength and no motivation to take such a dangerous journey of thousands of miles to support a rebellious vassal in the south."

She first ruled out the possibility of official action by the Northern Di royal court, which was both a fact and logical.

Many officials nodded slightly.

"However,"

Yun Jin abruptly changed the subject, her gaze suddenly sharpening.

"The fact that Luan Di Maodun could not or was unwilling does not mean that other Northern Di forces could or were unwilling!"

The Northern Di were not a monolithic entity; they were comprised of numerous tribes, each with its own interests.

When Luan Di Maodun was in power, he was still able to suppress the situation.

Now that he has been defeated and seriously injured, a power vacuum has emerged within his ranks. Some tribal leaders who were originally suppressed by him or had conflicts with him are now vying for an advantage in the future struggle for the Khanate.

Or perhaps, in pursuit of tangible benefits, they might take risks, collude with unscrupulous forces, secretly engage in arms trade, or even... reach some kind of shady agreement—it's not impossible!

She mentioned "certain sinister forces" without naming them, but it sent a chill down many people's spines.

"Your imperial sister refers to..." Yun Huan's gaze narrowed slightly.

"for example,"

Yun Jin looked directly at Yun Huan and said, word by word, "The Right Wise King, Tuoba Wugu, who has a long-standing grudge against Luandi Maodun and preserved considerable strength during the southern invasion, and may even have benefited from Luandi Maodun's defeat and escape!"

Bald and black!

This name was mentioned again, and in such a sensitive court setting!

Many officials familiar with the situation in northern Xinjiang changed their expressions.

The Iron Wall Pass traitor case vaguely involved Bald Wugu's undercover agents!

"According to the battle reports from the northern frontier and post-battle intelligence, before the Battle of Black Wind Gorge, Tuoba Wugu had already fallen out with Luandi Maodun due to unfair distribution of spoils, and even led his troops to break away from the main force."

After the war, his troops suffered far fewer losses than Modu's main force, and his strength remained relatively intact.

If they are ambitious to seize the Khanate, then they will seek external support through some means.

For example…would it be a worthwhile deal for him to trade with the rebel king in the south, exchanging the northern barbarians' weapons and even artisans for the king's promised money and provisions, and even future ceded border territories?

Yun Jin's analysis was meticulous and reasonable, leading the possibility of the rebels obtaining Northern Di weapons to the specific goals of internal struggles within the Northern Di and Tuoba Wugu.

This not only cleared him of suspicion of acting as an official of the Northern Di royal court, but also provided an explanation for his "familiarity with the Northern Di".

Post-war intelligence analysis is an essential part of the job.

More importantly, she cleverly shifted the suspicion of "colluding with the enemy" from herself to the collusion between "internal forces of the Northern Di" and "the rebel king of the South," and implied that "certain ulterior motives" might be acting as intermediaries.