The bright moon hangs high, beckoning him down from his pedestal.

Zhou Mingxuan himself also felt a bit emotional.

He looked at Wei Zheng and Grand Tutor Yun and continued, "What I just said came from the bottom of my heart. It was what I saw and felt with my own eyes."

"But today, I, Zhou, have come here on His Majesty's orders, and my most important purpose is for the sake of Consort Zhao in the palace."

Wei Zheng's eyes narrowed as he stared at Zhou Mingxuan.

Grand Tutor Yun also raised his head, his face showing concern.

Zhou Mingxuan continued, "I'm sure you two have heard about it as well."

"Not long ago, His Highness Prince Xiaoyao, son of the Empress, not only sent someone to seriously injure you, General Wei, but also openly challenged Consort Zhao in the court."

"He accused the Empress of being the daughter of a remnant of the previous dynasty, a wicked concubine who wreaked havoc in the palace and intended to shake the foundations of the nation."

Wei Zheng's eyes burned with rage, and his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

Zhou Mingxuan changed the subject, his tone firm, "But I don't think so."

"The Imperial Concubine carries the blood of the Yun family, the foremost family of civil officials, and the Wei family, the foremost family of military generals. The fact that His Majesty cherishes her so much must mean she has extraordinary qualities; she is by no means an ordinary woman, much less some kind of bewitching concubine."

"General Wei, Grand Tutor Yun, you are Her Majesty's closest blood relatives in this world. Do you intend to remain here and oppose His Majesty and the Great Zhou?"

"Have you ever considered that every time you oppose the court, those in the court who criticize the Empress will have one more pretext to attack her?"

"They would say, 'Look, Consort Zhao's biological father and maternal grandfather are still enemies of the Great Zhou. How can she be truly loyal to His Majesty? Is she worthy of the position of Consort?'"

"Enough!" Wei Zheng slammed his hand on the low table beside him and stood up abruptly.

He stared intently at Zhou Mingxuan, his voice filled with anger, "You came here just to act as a lobbyist, didn't you?"

"He, Shen Wangxi, is the same age as me, and has been Aruo's father for so many years, yet now... he actually took Aruo as a concubine because of her beauty!"

"And now you expect me to be grateful and submit to him? That's utterly absurd!"

Wei Zheng's forehead veins bulged, clearly indicating that he was still resentful about the matter and found it difficult to accept.

Faced with his anger, Zhou Mingxuan did not back down, but slowly shook his head: "General Wei, beauty may be part of the reason."

"Your Majesty is only human; everyone has a love of beauty."

"But if you had the chance to go to the capital and see for yourself how the Imperial Concubine and His Majesty interact, you might not think that His Majesty was merely lustful at first sight."

Zhou Mingxuan recalled the scenes he occasionally witnessed at palace banquets. The noble emperor's gaze, when it fell upon the imperial concubine, was so focused and gentle, it was definitely not as if he were treating her as a mere plaything.

"His Majesty is very devoted to the Empress," he added.

Wei Zheng's face was still full of anger, clearly not entirely convinced.

Grand Tutor Yun, who had been silent all along, tugged at Wei Zheng's sleeve, signaling him to calm down.

He looked at Zhou Mingxuan, his gaze thoughtful: "Lord Zhou, in your opinion, what is His Majesty's true attitude towards Aruo?"

Zhou Mingxuan pondered for a moment before cautiously replying, "Grand Tutor, the emperor's mind is unfathomable, and I dare not speak rashly."

"But His Majesty, for the sake of the Empress, overruled public opinion, suppressed the turmoil in the court, and even went so far as to confront Prince Xiaoyao in public. This protectiveness is extraordinary."

"Furthermore, if Your Majesty were merely lustful, there would be no need to go to such lengths, sending me here to try and resolve the conflict with you two."

Upon hearing this, Grand Tutor Yun sighed softly and patted Wei Zheng on the shoulder.

Wei Zheng stood there, his face still ashen, but he did not explicitly refuse.

Looking at the two struggling, Zhou Mingxuan knew that the time was right and it was time to add more fuel to the fire.

He sighed softly: "To be honest, the Great Zhou Dynasty seems to be thriving now, with a strong army and a gradually recovering livelihood, but the future is not a smooth road, and can even be described as worrying."

These words caught the attention of Grand Tutor Yun, who looked up at Zhou Mingxuan and asked, "What makes you say that, Lord Zhou?"

Zhou Mingxuan slowly said, "Nowadays in the palace, the eldest princess born to the empress has ambition, but lacks the extraordinary strategies and magnanimity to match it. Her actions are often superficial and she is not capable of shouldering great responsibilities."

"As for His Highness Prince Xiaoyao, although he is shrewd and exceptionally intelligent, his ambitions have never been in the court. Now, for the sake of the Empress and the Eldest Princess, he has begun to painstakingly build up his reputation and win over the court officials."

He shook his head, his tone tinged with regret: "Intelligence and talent, if misused, can become a hidden danger."

Whether His Highness the Carefree Prince's current actions will bring him fortune or misfortune remains to be seen.

"If this continues, the foundation of the nation will be shaken, and this is not an exaggeration."

His words pointed out the potential problems with the future heir of the Great Zhou royal family.

Immediately afterward, Zhou Mingxuan looked intently at the two of them, his voice lowered:

"On the other hand, Consort Zhao is young and beautiful, and deeply favored by the Emperor. His Majesty is also in the prime of his life. If one day Consort Zhao were to give birth to a son..."

He paused deliberately to observe their reactions, and sure enough, he saw their eyes flicker slightly.

Zhou Mingxuan continued, "Think about it, a young prince, if he has a powerful maternal clan supporting him, his future will be limitless."

"And Grand Tutor Yun, General Wei, you are both men of great strategy and vision. Don't you want to seize this opportune moment and achieve unparalleled feats?"

"And your families, the Yun family and the Wei family, are both prestigious families with a history of thousands of years, scholarly families, and families of generals."

"Are we really willing to simply withdraw from the political stage because of the fall of the previous dynasty, watching helplessly as our family's glory fades and is even swallowed up by the annals of history?"

Grand Tutor Yun's wrinkled hands trembled slightly, and he murmured almost unconsciously, "I'm not reconciled..."

The Yun family, with its tradition of poetry and scholarship and generations of officials, were unwilling to decline like this.

Although Wei Zheng still had a stern face, his clenched fists had loosened, and his eyes were filled with complex emotions.

His Wei family has been loyal and brave for generations, dying on the battlefield. Is he destined to be branded as a traitor of the previous dynasty, with even his daughter suffering the consequences?

Zhou Mingxuan took in their resentment without saying anything more and slowly stood up.

"That's all I have to say," he said, bowing slightly.

"This matter is of great importance and requires careful consideration. Mr. Zhou will stay at the border for another half month. If you two have made up your minds, you can send someone to deliver a message to the post station where Mr. Zhou is staying."

Zhou Mingxuan didn't linger any longer, turned around and steadily walked out of the tent.

He was confident.

Because he knew that almost all scions of prominent families hoped to lead their clans to great heights and achieve lasting fame.

The Yun family and the Wei family were no exception.