Luo Wei had destroyed everything in the room, caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, his mind in chaos. After destroying everything he could, Luo Wei sat exhausted on the bed, finally able to think about what to do.
Zhao Fu had been waiting outside the door, listening for any movement inside. When the noise ceased, he waited a while longer before ordering someone to open the door and entered to see Luo Wei.
“Get out!” Luo Wei was sitting on the bed in the inner room. Hearing footsteps but not bothering to see who it was, directly telling them to leave.
Imperial Physician Wei was following behind Zhao Fu, but hearing Luo Wei’s command to leave, quickly pulled Zhao Fu back outside.
“The room needs to be cleaned up,” Zhao Fu said, standing outside the door.
“Let’s wait a bit longer,” Imperial Physician Wei said. “His Highness is still furious.”
“Can His Highness’s body withstand it?” Zhao Fu asked.
“If he still has the energy to curse, then he should be fine,” Imperial Physician Wei said.
Seeing the palace guards about to lock up the room again, Zhao Fu said, “No need, His Highness is fine now, why are you locking up?”
The palace guards hurriedly removed the lock again at Zhao Fu’s words.
“What should we do now?” Zhao Fu asked Imperial Physician Wei anxiously.
“This can be considered good,” Imperial Physician Wei said quietly. “Just one room destroyed. Didn’t you see that he’s already sitting on the bed thinking?”
Zhao Fu pulled Imperial Physician Wei a few steps away from the palace guards and said, “Do you think His Highness can figure it out?”
Now Imperial Physician Wei thought of Luo Wei, feeling uneasy himself. He had followed Luo Wei to Northern Yan and could imagine how much Sima Qingsha hated Luo Wei. “How should I put it?” Imperial Physician Wei stood there thinking for a while before saying to Zhao Fu, “Prince Jin was taught by Lord Luo after all. He knows what is important and what is not. His Highness is a smart person and will figure it out.”
“You stay here,” Zhao Fu said, looking at the sky, which was showing it was already late. “I’ll go to the main hall. His Majesty might need Imperial Physician Wei later. His Majesty must also be feeling uneasy about Prince Jin’s situation.”
Imperial Physician Wei watched Zhao Fu leave before returning to the door of Luo Wei’s room, listening carefully but hearing no sound inside.
Zhao Fu hurried to the main hall and heard voices inside, but the doors were closed, so he couldn’t make out who was speaking.
“Steward,” the eunuch guarding the door greeted Zhao Fu when he arrived.
“Has Lord Luo left?” Zhao Fu asked quietly.
“Lord Luo has already left,” the chief eunuch replied. “His Majesty asked him to rest for a while.”
“Then who is inside?”
“It’s His Second Highness.”
Second Highness Long Xuan? Zhao Fu immediately thought that Long Xuan was coming to add fuel to the fire against Luo Wei. “How long has His Highness been inside?” Zhao Fu asked again.
“He just went in,” the eunuch said. Seeing Zhao Fu’s concern, he added, “His Highness came to see His Majesty.”
Young Master, Zhao Fu sighed to Luo Wei in his heart, it’s not that Zhao Fu doesn’t want to help you, it’s just that Zhao Fu is just a servant and cannot help you.
In the hall, Emperor Xingwu looked listless. He glanced at Long Xuan and said, “Are you also here to persuade me to send Prince Jin to Northern Yan?”
Long Xuan shouted, “Imperial Father!”
“If that’s the case, you can leave. I don’t want to hear such words anymore,” Emperor Xingwu said.
Long Xuan knelt before Emperor Xingwu and said, “Imperial Father, you must not send Prince Jin to Northern Yan. Your son implores you to reconsider.”
“You’re saying I should not send Wei’er?” Emperor Xingwu was somewhat surprised to hear this from Long Xuan, saying, “What do you mean by this? Don’t you know the current situation of our Great Zhou?”
“Imperial Father,” Long Xuan said, “setting aside how much Sima Qingsha, the new emperor of Northern Yan, hates Prince Jin, just think about the cold in the north. Prince Jin is afraid of the cold. How can he endure the wind and snow of the north?”
Emperor Xingwu said, “Wei’er is the prince of our Great Zhou. Even if Sima Qingsha has a deep hatred for Wei’er, he won’t let Wei’er suffer from the cold.”
“How can Father be sure that Sima Qingsha is a man who cares about face?” Long Xuan said, “He has countless ways to torment Prince Jin. In any case, I don’t trust this man!”
Emperor Xingwu suppressed his surging anger and said, “Then what do you want me to do?”
“Your son is willing to lead the army back to Wushuang,” Long Xuan said, “even though our Great Zhou’s fortunes are at a low ebb this year, I don’t believe that, with the Iron Cavalry of Yunguan, I cannot resist Sima Qingsha’s army!”
“You have been to Yunzhou yourself,” Emperor Xingwu said. “You know how severe the plague there is.”
“There is still some distance between Yunguan and Yunzhou,” Long Xuan said. “If Imperial Father permits the army to march, it will only take a longer route to transport provisions and grass. But Yunguan itself has provisions. As long as your son and Luo Shiyi use them sparingly, they can hold out until the provisions and grass sent by a longer route arrive.”
“Can our court afford another war now?” Emperor Xingwu asked Long Xuan, “If the Iron Cavalry of Yunguan leaves, and the north falls into chaos again, what will we do?”
“As long as we can fight a quick battle,” Long Xuan said, “your son believes that there will be no chaos in the north, and the court will not be without troops.”
“What if you and Luo Qi cannot achieve a quick victory?”
“Your son will do his best, and Luo Shiyi and Prince Jin also have many years of brotherhood. They will also do their best.”
“What if you try your best and still cannot force Northern Yan to withdraw its troops?”
“Does Imperial Father not trust his son?”
Emperor Xingwu sighed deeply, raised his hand to let Long Xuan rise, “It’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s just that I cannot take risks now.”
Long Xuan’s face seemed to flush with urgency, and he said, “Imperial Father said that he cannot take risks. What if Prince Jin goes to Northern Yan and Sima Qingsha still doesn’t withdraw his troops?”
“If such a thing happens, I will fight him to the death,” Emperor Xingwu said. “This is the worst outcome, it may not happen.”
Long Xuan was speechless.
“I understand your intentions,” said Emperor Xingwu, his voice unconsciously softening as he spoke to Long Xuan, “You may withdraw. This matter has nothing to do with you.”
“Is there really no other solution?” Long Xuan stood still, not leaving, and asked Emperor Xingwu, “Imperial Father, why not reconsider?”
Emperor Xingwu had already thought overnight, considering everything Long Xuan had mentioned last night, but none of these solutions seemed feasible. Luo Zhiqiu had also pondered all night, finally stating that the country’s well-being was paramount. Neither the Emperor nor the Senior Chancellor could come up with a solution. Was there anyone else in the world who could devise a win-win solution?
After waiting for Emperor Xingwu for a while and seeing that he remained silent, Long Xuan knelt before him again and pleaded, “Then, may I implore Imperial Father to let me go to Northern Yan in place of Prince Jin?”
“Xuan’er?” Emperor Xingwu stood up.
“Imperial Father, after all, I am also Sima Qingsha’s father-killing enemy,” Long Xuan said, “I have been practicing martial arts since childhood and I am strong. Compared to Prince Jin, I am more suitable to go.”
The idea of letting Long Xuan replace Luo Wei had never occurred to Emperor Xingwu. Even though he cherished Luo Wei deeply, Long Xuan was also his son. He couldn’t bring himself to do such a thing. “Are you willing to go to such lengths for Wei’er?” Emperor Xingwu asked Long Xuan, “Wei’er is not Long Xiang. Why do you protect him like this?”
“I’m not protecting Prince Jin,” Long Xuan said earnestly, “Prince Jin and I studied together since childhood. To say there is no camaraderie between us would be a lie. I know he has distanced himself from me for the sake of the Luo family, and now we’ve become estranged. It is fate, not my fault or his. It’s only today that I realize he is also my brother. As brothers, I cannot bear to see him suffer in Northern Yan.”
So, could this be the right way to handle it? Emperor Xingwu questioned himself after hearing Long Xuan’s words.
Boundless Dao 
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