With a wave of his hand, the Prince's Mansion's fortune exploded throughout the entire cap

"Your Majesty, my mind is made up!" Xiao Chengyan said firmly, without the slightest hesitation. He looked directly at the Emperor, his eyes full of loyalty and responsibility. "Although I am crippled and cannot ride a horse to fight the enemy, cannot gallop across the battlefield, and cannot fight like my father did to protect the people, I can still organize people to fight the plague, comfort the people, inventory supplies, and coordinate the relationship between the local government and the imperial physicians."

Moreover, the Pingxi Earl's army has only just arrived in the northern border and has not yet established a firm foothold. Although the Pingxi Earl holds military power, he is unfamiliar with the situation of the northern people, and his prestige is insufficient to suppress them. Now that the plague has broken out, the people are panicking. If I were to go there, relying on the prestige of the Jing Prince's Mansion and the Xiao Family Army among the northern people, I might be able to better soothe their emotions, gain their trust in the court, and cooperate with the epidemic prevention work. This would also allow for better coordination of all forces to fight the plague together.

He paused, then continued, "Moreover, the plague is perilous, and the people of the Northern Border are in imminent danger. As Prince Jing and a descendant of the Xiao family army, I should set an example, risk my life, and fight alongside the people of the Northern Border to protect the territory and people of Da Sheng. If I were to be cowardly and retreat, only caring about my own safety, how could I face the fallen soldiers of the Xiao family army, and how could I face the suffering people of the Northern Border?"

How can I live up to the Emperor's trust? How can I fulfill my responsibilities as Prince Jing? I humbly beg Your Majesty to grant my request, allowing me to personally travel north to Youzhou to join the people of the northern border in overcoming this difficult time and to fight the plague with all my might!

"Prince Jing! You mustn't!"

Just as Xiao Chengyan finished speaking, the Crown Prince strode out from the crowd, his expression urgent and his voice trembling with emotion.

"Your Majesty, I implore you to reject Prince Jing's request! Prince Jing and I grew up together since childhood; he is my study companion and my best brother. Our bond is deep and profound. I truly cannot bear to see Prince Jing go to such a dangerous place and die in vain! The plague in Youzhou is extremely dangerous and highly contagious. A slight mishap could lead to infection and death. Prince Jing is disabled and has difficulty moving around. If he goes to Youzhou, he will not only be unable to help but may also become a burden, distracting our subordinates in caring for him and potentially delaying the epidemic prevention plan!"

The Crown Prince and Xiao Chengyan grew up together, studied and practiced martial arts together, and had a deep bond, like brothers. The Crown Prince knew Xiao Chengyan's character well; once he made up his mind, he would not easily change it. However, he could not bear to see Xiao Chengyan go to Youzhou and risk his life to fight the plague—he knew that Xiao Chengyan's leg ailment had not healed for many years, making it difficult for him to move around, and coupled with the danger of the plague, his journey would be extremely risky.

He had promised the three of them, father and sons, that they would fight together during the Southwest War, but one was killed and two were crippled. He couldn't let anything happen to the Xiao family under his nose again.

"Your Highness, thank you for your concern." Xiao Chengyan looked at the Crown Prince, his eyes filled with gratitude, yet he remained resolute as he said, "But on this matter, I cannot back down. The people of the Northern Border are in imminent danger. Every moment of delay could mean more people contracting the plague, and more families being torn apart. As Prince Jing, it is my duty to go to Youzhou, to fight alongside the people, to combat the plague with all my might, and to save them from their suffering. I appreciate Your Highness's kindness, but my decision will not change."

"You!" The Crown Prince, unusually anxious, stamped his foot, his face flushed red, and continued to persuade him, "Prince Jing, you're confused! You have a leg disability and difficulty moving around. If you go to Youzhou, it will be extremely inconvenient for you to go to the quarantine point or coordinate various forces. You'll only be a burden to everyone! Moreover, you are an important official of the court and a descendant of the Xiao family army. If something happens to you in Youzhou, the court will suffer heavy losses, and the old troops of the Xiao family army will be demoralized. At that time, not only will the plague be uncontrollable, but it may also cause even greater chaos, with unimaginable consequences! Just listen to my advice, stay in the capital and take charge of the overall situation. As for the matter of going north to Youzhou, other ministers can go, such as the Duke of Ningguo. He holds the power of the Zhenbei Army and has extremely high prestige in the northern border. It is more appropriate for him to go than for you!"

"Your Highness, I understand your intentions, but I cannot grant your request." Xiao Chengyan shook his head and said firmly, "The other ministers either lack the prestige to suppress the local people, to appease their emotions, or to get them to cooperate with the epidemic prevention work; or they are ignorant of epidemic prevention and cannot effectively organize manpower or coordinate the work; or they harbor ulterior motives, secretly colluding with treacherous officials to cause trouble, and are simply incapable of shouldering the heavy responsibility of fighting the epidemic in the north. Only if I go can I take care of all parties, using the prestige of the Xiao family army to appease the people and organize them to cooperate with the epidemic prevention work, as well as coordinating the strength of the imperial physicians, local officials, and the army to fight the plague with all our might, and also guard against the sabotage of Liu Ruyan and the Marquis of Yongyi, ensuring that the epidemic prevention work can proceed smoothly."

"You!" The Crown Prince wanted to continue persuading him, but Xiao Chengyan interrupted him, his tone firm and unyielding: "Your Highness, my mind is made up on this matter. Even if it means my death, I will not back down! I beg Your Highness's permission, and I also beg His Majesty's approval!"

Looking into Xiao Chengyan's determined eyes, the Emperor felt both gratified and worried.

He knew that Xiao Chengyan was right. In the court today, there was indeed no one more suitable than Xiao Chengyan. Xiao Chengyan was calm and resourceful, cared about the people, and had the prestige of having served as a general in the northern border. He could appease the people, coordinate the forces of all parties, and was cautious in his actions, which could prevent treacherous officials from causing trouble.

However, he couldn't bear to send Xiao Chengyan to the dangerous Youzhou and risk his life to fight the plague. After all, Xiao Chengyan had a leg disability and difficulty moving around, making the trip too dangerous.

The Emperor hesitated, his brow furrowed, and the hall fell silent once more. Everyone bowed their heads, not daring to speak, only able to silently await the Emperor's decision. Just then, a series of steady and powerful footsteps sounded outside the hall. The footsteps grew closer, and then an elderly man in armor, with a robust build and a resolute face, strode into the Golden Palace. He bowed deeply, his voice ringing out: "Your subject, Ning Qing, pays respects to Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

This old man was the Duke of Ningguo, who held military power in the Zhenbei Army. He had served as the General of the Zhenbei Army and had been stationed in the northern border for many years. He was highly respected and deeply loved by the people of the northern border and the soldiers of the Zhenbei Army.

Upon learning of the sudden outbreak of plague in Youzhou and Prince Jing's request to personally travel north, he immediately put aside his work and went to the palace that very night. He was well aware of the suffering of the people in the north, understood Xiao Chengyan's intentions, and knew that as the previous General of the Northern Garrison, it was his duty to protect the people of the north.

"Duke Ningguo, you may rise," the Emperor said hastily, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes. "You've come at the right time. Prince Jing has requested to personally go north to Youzhou to fight the plague, but the Crown Prince is firmly opposed. I'm hesitant. You've been stationed in the northern border for many years and are familiar with the situation there. You also hold military power over the Zhenbei Army. What are your thoughts?"

The Duke of Ningguo stood up, looked at Xiao Chengyan with admiration in his eyes, and then turned to the Emperor, saying solemnly, "Your Majesty, I believe that what Prince Jing said is absolutely right. The matter of the plague in Youzhou is urgent and someone must go there in person to take charge of the situation. Prince Jing is the most suitable candidate."

"Duke Ningguo, why are you siding with Prince Jing?" the Crown Prince asked urgently, his tone tinged with confusion and anxiety. "The plague in Youzhou is fierce and highly contagious. Prince Jing has a leg disability and difficulty moving around; it would be too dangerous for him to go to Youzhou. How can you let him take such a risk? You hold the military power of the Zhenbei Army and have extremely high prestige in the northern border. It would be more suitable for you to go to Youzhou to oversee the epidemic prevention work than for Prince Jing. Why are you supporting Prince Jing?"

The Duke of Ningguo looked at the Crown Prince and said in a gentle yet firm tone:

"Your Highness, I understand your intentions and know that Prince Jing's journey to Youzhou is fraught with danger. I also feel sorry for Prince Jing. However, I have been stationed in the northern border for many years and know the nature of the people there well. They have suffered greatly from the war and have been displaced. They are wary of court officials. Without sufficient prestige, it is impossible to appease their emotions and get them to cooperate with the epidemic prevention work."

Prince Jing is a descendant of the Xiao family army, whose valor is known to all the people of Dasheng. Moreover, Prince Jing fought valiantly in the northern border during his youth, protecting the people and earning their deep love and respect. Prince Jing's prestige is enough to suppress the local people, appease their emotions, and make them trust the imperial court and cooperate with the epidemic prevention work.

He paused, then continued, "Moreover, as the previous General of the Northern Garrison, I held military power in the Northern Garrison and enjoyed a certain prestige among the people of the northern border and the soldiers of the Northern Garrison."

Your Majesty, I humbly request permission to accompany Prince Jing north to Youzhou to assist him in combating the plague, pacifying the people, and organizing epidemic prevention efforts. With me present, I can not only assist Prince Jing in handling various epidemic prevention matters, coordinate relations between the Zhenbei Army and the local government, mobilize the Zhenbei Army to assist the local government in sealing off cities, isolating patients, and curbing the spread of the plague, but also protect Prince Jing's safety, take care of his daily needs, and prevent him from being burdened by his leg ailment.”