The low-key prince summons trainees from the Imperial Household Department at the start of the game.

By the time the list was distributed to the princes' residences, dusk had already fallen.

Lights were on in every prince's residence, and under each lamp, someone was repeatedly pondering the deeper meaning behind this list.

In the Grand Tutor's study, the eldest prince Zhou Cong looked at the copied list no less than ten times before finally letting out a bitter laugh.

He gently placed the paper on the table and looked up at Kong Yan sitting opposite him.

"Grand Tutor, this decree from Father is putting us brothers on the hot seat."

"I'm doing alright. Although the North is my second brother's territory, we've always kept to ourselves. If I go to the North, he'll at most give me some embarrassment, but he won't really do anything to me."

"But if my second and fourth brothers go to Jiangxi together, isn't that putting them in the same cage?"

"The Grand Tutor knows the second brother's temperament. He hates the fourth brother the most. The fourth brother has just been punished with three months of confinement and is full of resentment."

"Let the second brother lead the team and the fourth brother be his deputy. The evil spirits in Jiangxi haven't been cured yet, and the two of them might start fighting first."

Kong Yan twirled his prayer beads, a faint smile playing on his lips: "Your Highness has only seen the first level. His Majesty's decision to group the Second Prince and the Fourth Prince together was indeed intended to keep them in check."

"But has Your Highness considered why His Majesty specifically chose this time to order all the princes to leave the capital?"

"The yin energy is rising everywhere, and the people are uneasy. Sending a prince to inspect and appease the people is certainly the ostensible reason."

"But is it necessary to send out all the adult princes to appease the people? Even the eighth and ninth princes have been sent."

"His Majesty has taken all the eggs out of the basket this time, leaving none behind."

"Your Highness, think back, how did the late Emperor treat his sons before His Majesty ascended the throne?"

"The late emperor kept them all in the capital, keeping a close watch on them, for fear that anyone might cultivate power in the provinces."

"But His Majesty is doing the opposite and releasing you all, which shows that His Majesty is not afraid of you cultivating power in the local areas."

"He wants you to go to the local areas to fight, to expose your weaknesses and your abilities there."

"It's clear from this inspection who can truly share his burdens and who only knows how to play tricks."

Zhou Cong remained silent for a while before nodding slightly.

He asked the Grand Tutor how he should deal with the situation when he went to the northern border, and Kong Yan said to talk less and observe more.

The northern border is the territory of the Grand Commandant's mansion. The Grand Commandant's protégés and former generals are scattered throughout the various towns. Your Highness, once you arrive in the northern border, do not rush to point fingers.

First, visit those retired generals who have returned to their hometowns. Although they are no longer in the army, their prestige remains. If you can get a few good words from them, it will be more effective than a hundred things Your Highness does yourself.

In addition, the Sixth Prince accompanied them. The Sixth Prince is the son-in-law of the Marquis of Anxi and is backed by the Northwest Military Region.

Your Highness should take good care of the Sixth Prince, so that the people of the Marquis of Anxi's residence can see that Your Highness is tolerant.

Meanwhile, the clash of swords continued unabated at the Grand Commandant's training ground.

The second prince, Zhou Xun, was shirtless, wielding a heavy sword with great skill until he chopped down three wooden stakes before stopping, panting heavily.

Wiping the sweat from his face with a cloth, he complained to Zhou Jing, who was sitting on the stone bench, "Master, Father's decree is too biased."

"Why should I go to Jiangxi? Jiangxi is my fourth brother's territory. He still hasn't settled all those messy old scores. I'm not going to go there and clean up his mess. I don't want to do that."

Zhou Jing, leaning on his bamboo cane, stood up and walked to the center of the training ground. He bent down, picked up a piece of shattered wood, examined it for a moment, and then threw it to the sidelines. "Jiangxi is the Fourth Prince's territory, but Xu Jie has already taken away most of his power there."

"His Majesty sent you to Jiangxi, not to clean up a mess. Duan Xi is dead, and someone else has already cleaned up the mess for him."

"His Majesty has ordered you to take over the remaining territory."

"Think about it, the Fourth Prince has been operating in Jiangxi for many years. Although he lost Duan Xi, he can't possibly put all his eggs in one basket."

"Those people hiding in the shadows, those industries that haven't had time to leave, those centrists who are still observing—if you recruit them, they will only be grateful to you."

"In addition, His Majesty has also assigned you two assistants, the Fourth Prince and the Eighth Prince."

"The Fourth Prince will be your deputy, and his rank will be below yours. If he dares to cause you trouble during the inspection, you should report him directly. He has just been released from confinement, and what he fears most is being punished by His Majesty again."

"The eighth prince is young, so you should take good care of him. His mother is a woman who lives a peaceful life in the palace. If you treat the eighth prince well, it will let the ladies in the harem know that the second prince is not only skilled in martial arts, but also has the responsibility of an elder brother."

Zhou Xun put the heavy sword back on the weapon rack, remained silent for a while, and then suddenly asked his master if he wanted to lead the troops.

Zhou Jing shook his head and said, "No need. You are going to Jiangxi for inspection, not to fight. Leading troops will only make the local officials think you have ill intentions."

"But you need to bring a few veterans with you from the Grand Commandant's mansion. These are all old soldiers who have served on the northern battlefield for decades."

"You don't need to show your badge. Just by standing behind you, those veterans from the northern border in Jiangxi will come to see you on their own initiative."

"Han Chong had been operating in the northern border for many years, and his old troops were scattered throughout various towns. There were many of his old subordinates in the Jiangxi Green Standard Army."

"Go and establish these connections, so that the military area of ​​Jiangxi will no longer be the Fourth Prince's private domain."

Zhou Xun's worry immediately turned to joy, and he bowed deeply with his hands clasped.

In the study of the Fourth Prince's residence, Zhou Bin slammed the list in her hand heavily onto the table, splashing tea that soaked half of the Xuan paper.

With a livid face, he complained to Marquis Zhao Xi of Wu'an, "Father is humiliating me."

"You want me to be my second brother's deputy and inspect Jiangxi? Jiangxi is my territory. Why should my second brother lead the team? What does a mere military man know about Jiangxi's political affairs?"

Zhao Xi sat opposite him, toying with a bronze arrowhead in his hand. His white eyebrows trembled slightly in the candlelight. After a long silence, he slowly spoke: "Your Highness, please calm down. His Majesty's decree is indeed unfavorable to Your Highness."

"But from another perspective, His Highness has just been released from confinement, so it is already quite remarkable that he is on the inspection list."

"At least Your Highness can return to Jiangxi legitimately. If we can take this opportunity to replant those 'nails' that Xu Jie removed in Jiangxi, reintegrate the people who are still usable, and completely destroy the account books that should be destroyed."

"Then His Highness's losses can be minimized."

He paused, then lowered his voice and said, "I will have someone personally escort Your Highness to Jiangxi, and also have someone keep a close eye on the Li family's businesses. Even though Duan Xi has fallen, the Li family's business in Jiangxi is still there. If we can get in touch with the Li family's people in Jiangxi, Your Highness will have another way out."

Zhou Bin remained silent for a long time before finally nodding.

He then asked how to deal with his father-in-law and second brother. Zhao Xi replied with utmost respect, showing absolute respect on the surface.

His Highness is the deputy, and the Second Prince is the leader. All decisions are made by the Second Prince.

He wanted to incorporate the people of Jiangxi into his own people, and when His Highness allowed him to do so, not only did he not stop him, but he also offered to cooperate.

Because some of the people he recruited were His Highness's men, he himself couldn't tell them apart.

When he returns to the northern border after the inspection, those who have been lying in wait will still be in Jiangxi. At that time, Jiangxi will still be His Highness's Jiangxi.

Zhou Bin fell silent, leaning back in her chair and gazing at the cold moon outside the window, a complex light flickering in her eyes.

In the courtyard of Guihua Lane, the Third Prince Zhou Ying looked at the list several times, then gently placed it on the table and picked up his teacup.

He remarked to Liu Wenzhao, who was sitting opposite him, that all of them had been arranged perfectly by their father.

He volunteered to go to Yangzhou, but his father insisted on sending him to Qingzhou.

He had never been to Qingzhou, which was the most severely affected area by the heaviest Yin energy and also the place where his power was weakest.

The Emperor is testing him, to see if his practical skills honed in the Ministry of Personnel and the Imperial Horse Administration can allow him to gain a foothold in a completely unfamiliar environment.

"My seventh brother is coming with me. He is young and has no power base. Father Emperor put him by my side. On the surface, it is to let me take care of my seventh brother, but in reality, it is to let my seventh brother supervise me. Only in this way can Father Emperor feel at ease."

Zhou Ying put down her teacup, looked at the clumps of bamboo swaying gently in the autumn wind outside the window, and suddenly laughed, "However, the fairer the game, the more you can see a person's true ability."

"Father-in-law, please have the Ministry of Personnel select a few people familiar with Qingzhou for me. Do not select those recommended by the court; directly find those low-ranking officials in the Ministry of Personnel's archives who have served in Qingzhou and whose performance evaluations are above average but not particularly noteworthy."

"This time when I go to Qingzhou, I will not bring any attendants or staff, but only a few people who truly understand Qingzhou."

Liu Wenzhao agreed, and then cautiously asked what to do about Yangzhou. Since His Highness wasn't going to Yangzhou, should arrangements be made for Qiu Wu and Shangguan Jin Hong?

Zhou Ying said there was no need for that. With Lu Zhi in Yangzhou, there was no need to worry for the time being. He would write a letter later to mention the secret location at the Tongzhou dock, so that Lu Zhi would be aware of the situation.

After Liu Wenzhao left, he sat alone in his study, spread out some stationery, and wrote a short letter to Shangguan Jin Hong.

"My father has sent me to inspect Qingzhou. The matter in Yangzhou is currently beyond my reach. The underwater cave at the dock must remain sealed off. Do not go underwater to investigate. Report any abnormalities immediately."

"The contract for the workers' association to transport ordnance has been approved, and their share of salt and iron transportation remains unchanged, so they can rest assured."

He put down his pen, leaned back in his chair, and a hint of barely perceptible expectation appeared in his eyes.

In the pavilion in the back garden of the Taibao Mansion, Yuwen Lie was lost in thought, staring at the chessboard.

The Fifth Prince, Zhou Gui, hurried into the pavilion, clutching the copied list in his hand, and asked Yuwen Lie what the purpose of his father's decree was.

He originally thought that the Grand Tutor's Office had drafted a memorial for him to go to Qingzhou, and that the matter was a sure thing. Unexpectedly, his father did not send him to Qingzhou at all, but instead sent him to the northern border, along with his ninth brother.

Yuwen Lie placed a white piece in a corner of the chessboard, saying that he had long expected that the Grand Tutor's draft would be completely overturned by His Majesty.

His Majesty never follows the path laid out by his ministers. He asked the prince if he thought going to the northern border was worse than going to Qingzhou. Zhou Gui honestly replied that the northern border was the territory of the Grand Commandant's office, and he was afraid he wouldn't be able to achieve anything there.

Yuwen Lie slowly analyzed that the Grand Tutor wanted to fight for Qingzhou for His Highness, and he did not object at the time because he knew that even if the Grand Tutor did not mention it, His Majesty would not allow His Highness to stay in the capital.

The important thing is to let His Majesty see that His Highness is willing to do things, and that is enough.

There are two major events currently unfolding in the North.

Border defense and yin energy.

The border defenses are manned by the Second Prince's former subordinates; Your Highness need not interfere.

However, Yin energy is where Your Highness can exert your power. The strange events recently reported by various towns in the northern border have been handled improperly by local officials, causing widespread resentment among the people.

After Your Highness goes there, you will investigate one case at a time, ask questions of each household, and do things in a down-to-earth manner. Even if you only accomplish one thing, His Majesty will see it.

Most of the lower-level officials in the towns of the North are locals without any aristocratic backgrounds. If Your Highness can discover a few capable individuals during this inspection, they will become Your Highness's own people.

He picked up a white piece and placed it on the chessboard, then added, "As for the Ninth Prince, he is your younger brother. Take good care of him, and His Majesty will think you have the responsibility of an elder brother."

"The court officials will also think you are kind and benevolent, and the Ninth Prince is young and poses no threat. One more or one less will not make a difference."

Zhou Gui nodded and then asked the Grand Protector who he should take with him. Yuwen Lie said to choose two capable young retainers from the Grand Protector's residence.

Then select a scholar from the Imperial Academy who is knowledgeable in the geography of the northern border to serve as his scribe. He need not bring troops; he can travel light and simply. A person who gets things done doesn't need too much pomp and circumstance.