Their main concern was the old Emperor's prolonged refusal to return north. Could it be that the old Emperor intends to relocate the capital back to Yingtian Prefecture?

Once this thought took root in their minds, it grew wildly like weeds.

For the Northern powerful and noble scholars, a relocation would undoubtedly be a catastrophic disaster.

Without the halo of the Capital, the North would lose the substantial financial support of the South. Even more frightening is that they would be completely out of the power core of the Great Yu Dynasty.

From both an economic and political perspective, this is absolutely intolerable for them.

And the Border Town Aristocratic Families of the Nine Borders also have their complaints.

For two centuries, these military families have been expanding their influence by taking advantage of border troubles, gradually forming a situation where they hold significant power.

The geographical location of the Capital is of utmost importance, deemed the national gateway.

Once border troubles break out, enemy troops could drive straight in, directly threatening the ruling core of the Great Yu Dynasty.

This special geopolitical situation makes the border town military families increasingly arrogant.

They know very well that the Court cannot do without their military strength, thus the military pay demanded increases year by year. Yet strangely, the border troubles have never abated and instead become more severe.

Nowadays, the Border Town has become a heavy burden for the Great Yu Dynasty, weighing down the Court to the point of gasping for breath.

Even if the Northwest is ravaged with disaster victims, the Court dares not cut the military pay of the Border Town, for fear of these military families causing further turmoil.

…

…

In the delicate situation where Northern powerful nobles and scholarly gentry are anxious and the Nine Borders military families are dissatisfied, Prince Yu is holding a closed-door secret meeting with the wise Lama in his residence in the Capital.

The flickering candlelight cast their figures on the wall, making them appear particularly deep and remote.

"Master, now the Southern development is rapid, my father has stayed in the South for a long time without returning. The North is in panic, the Border Town military families are restless. In your opinion, how should I respond?" Prince Yu frowned, his eyes revealing a trace of anxiety and an almost imperceptible hint of anticipation.

The wise Lama slightly narrowed his eyes, rolling the Buddha Beads in his hand and said slowly: "Prince, as of now, the South has risen and is hard to suppress. But the Northern foundations run deep and cannot be underestimated. As the Regent, your primary task should be to stabilize the Northern situation. Though the Border Town military families are arrogant, they can be utilized."

"Utilized? How to utilize them?" Prince Yu inquired further.

"The Border Town military families care about nothing but power and military pay. Prince, you could promise them that if they assist in stabilizing the North, you will strive for more benefits for them in the Court in the future, even promising them some regional governing rights, similar to the treatment of previous dynasty's regional commanders. This way, they will side with Your Highness and serve you." The wise Lama's eyes flashed with cunning.

Prince Yu pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly: "This strategy is feasible. But as for the South, where my father and Xu Qing control the situation, how should I maintain balance?"

"The key in the South is Xu Qing. This person is now in the limelight, holding great power in the South and deeply trusted by Your Majesty. Prince, you could secretly instruct the Blood Dripper to gather incriminating evidence against Xu Qing. When the opportunity arises, make your move in the Court to weaken his influence." The wise Lama lowered his voice.

Prince Yu smiled wryly, "Master, you may not be aware of Xu Qing's position in my father's heart. From my perspective, unless Xu Qing leads a coup like the Xuanwu Gate incident, my father would never believe Xu Qing harbors treasonous intentions."

The wise Lama: "Why does Your Majesty trust Xu Gongming so much? Could it be, as rumors suggest, that he is…"

The rumor that Xu Qing is the old Emperor's illegitimate son has some traction in the Great Yu Dynasty, with many powerful nobles and scholarly gentry holding similar beliefs secretly.

Otherwise, there is no way to explain the old Emperor's trust in Xu Qing.

Prince Yu: "For over thirty years, my father has favored many, but no Princes or Princesses have been born in the harem. Xu Qing is barely in his twenties, the timing just doesn't match. Although I am unaware of why Xu Qing enjoys such trust from my father, Xu Qing is positioned to oppose me at every turn. Alas…"

"Indeed, the conflicts between the Emperor and the Crown Prince have always grown over time, becoming irreconcilable. Even if Xu Qing were resolved, it wouldn't dispel Your Majesty's suspicions of you, my Prince." Teacher Dai sighed lightly as he drifted in.

The wise Lama was well aware that Teacher Dai was Prince Yu's closest confidant, even more trusted by Prince Yu than the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Public Works in the Court, Shen Mo.

Many of Prince Yu's strategies were crafted by Teacher Dai.

And the reason Prince Yu was willing to accept him was due to Teacher Dai's analysis of the situation, leading Prince Yu to make the choice himself.

The royal family is merciless.

Teacher Dai completely foresaw the old Emperor's intentions.

The birth of a royal grandchild undoubtedly marked the beginning of the end for Prince Yu.

It was from this moment that Prince Yu's mind began to resign.

He chose not to sit and wait for death.

Teacher Dai actually knew Prince Yu's odds of success were slim, but to repay Prince Yu for his kindness, he chose to not leave.

In truth, deep in his heart, the true wise master was someone else, but a loyal minister does not serve two lords.

He could only follow Prince Yu on this dark path.

The wise Lama smiled upon hearing this, "Prince Yu has seen the essence of the problem. However, removing Xu Qing, the most effective claw of Your Majesty, would be greatly beneficial to the Prince. I also have good news to relieve the Prince's worries."

"What good news does Master have?"

"Not long ago, the Primordial Spirit of the Demon Palace Master from Changbai Mountain roamed the world and had an encounter with Xu Qing in the Southern Ocean. Although the Demon Palace Master retreated at that time, they planted the Innate Divine Fire Spell on Xu Qing. Once the Palace Master exits seclusion, the Innate Divine Fire Spell can be triggered at the right moment, making Xu Qing's life unbearable."

"The Black Mountain Demon?" Prince Yu exclaimed in shock.

Teacher Dai remained calm, having long suspected that the wise Lama, on the surface a representative of the Snow Domain Secret Sect's Living Buddha, had another powerful figure behind him.

Just as he thought.

The wise Lama is indeed an important chess piece the Black Mountain Demon buried in the Capital of the Great Yu Dynasty.

This fearsome presence, renowned throughout the world as the strongest being, also feared Xu Qing so much?

Teacher Dai could not help but sigh silently, deepening his anxiety.

He didn't believe that the Black Mountain Demon could take down Xu Gongming with the so-called Innate Divine Fire Spell alone; it's unrealistic.

Alas, the situation grows increasingly complex and difficult.

Even if he sees through the layers of fog, he still feels pessimistic and despaired about Prince Yu's ending.

This is one of the most tragic things in the world.

Knowing the outcome but still rushing towards it like a moth to a flame, irrespective of consequences.

Even though a profound sense of despair and depression filled his heart, Teacher Dai would not reveal the slightest hint to Prince Yu.

Moreover, in his view, even if Prince Yu fails, the bloodline still exists and even has a significant chance of reaching the great throne. And he deduced from all sorts of minute clues that Your Majesty must possess some incredibly powerful force to entrust Xu Gongming so completely, unafraid of rebellion.

Whether it is Prince Yu or Xu Gongming, they are merely tools of Your Majesty.

And all of Prince Yu's actions as Regent are still part of Your Majesty's grand scheme.

The more clearly Teacher Dai sees, the deeper his reverence for Your Majesty, and the more he dares not reveal the truth.

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