The Whole Dynasty Spoils the Tyrant's Beloved Youngest Daughter-Chapter 417: Please Rest Assured, Your Highness
"Going to the battlefield is not a joke! Absolutely not!"
Without even considering, Jun Ning refused outright. Jing Shu was persistent, pulling her and pleading for a long time, but Jun Ning remained unmoved.
One must do what must be done.
In the end, seeing that she could not persuade Jun Ning, Jing Shu had to change her strategy and plead with her royal grandpa, who had loved her dearly since she was a child. After her father died, he loved her even more. Whatever she wanted, he would give her.
If she pleaded with her royal grandpa to go to war with her aunt this time, he would certainly agree.
But the reality was that when she arrived at Emperor Yongning’s residence and conveyed her request, he immediately dismissed her from his palace, telling her to stop joking around. He couldn’t afford such jokes.
When the Crown Prince was alive, he cherished Jing Shu deeply, no less than his legitimate heir. Now the Crown Prince has died, and he died so unjustly, Emperor Yongning has been traumatized.
At present, how could he possibly allow the Crown Prince’s beloved to go to the battlefield? Impossible.
Jing Shu appealed to everyone she could, all to no avail, and could only leave the palace heavy-hearted, returning home.
Though she was now an ordinary citizen, she could still freely enter and exit the grand halls and palaces. This was compensation given after the Crown Prince’s case was reversed, though the Crown Princess Consort refused any other compensation, causing discomfort in Emperor Yongning’s heart.
Even without their formerly noble status, they were still entitled to the same treatments as before and could freely access the imperial palace.
The ministers all tacitly agreed with this and had no objections.
...
After completing the deployment of the ministers, at night, Jun Ning, accompanied by her trusted aides, arrived at the Qianji Pavilion.
The Qianji Pavilion had been developing for many years and had always played a significant role whenever she needed help at crucial moments. Moving forward, the Qianji Pavilion must continue to play its role.
On the battlefield, for certain especially important tasks that could have a decisive impact on the war, Jun Ning plans to have the people from Qianji Pavilion assist the ministers.
Though she has already assigned these tasks to the ministers, making sure those she uses are trustworthy, with a clear history checked through three generations, ensuring there will be no sudden betrayal, intentional negligence, or delays in military operations.
Yet, war changes quickly.
There is no guarantee that ministers responsible for key tasks won’t suddenly die or fail.
She must arrange for members of the Qianji Pavilion to ensure someone can step in if problems occur.
The current manager of Qianji Pavilion is Li Wei, once the confidant of Ye Ying, and now, after Ye Ying’s incident, her confidant.
After outlining the tasks she wants Li Wei and his team to undertake, Jun Ning asked Li Wei, "Li Wei, can you accomplish what I have entrusted to you?"
Li Wei respectfully said, "Pavilion Master, Lord Xi He saved my life, and you have recognized my talent. The tasks you both entrusted to me, Li Wei shall go through fire and water to complete them."
Jun Ning hesitated a little, then asked, "What if, on the battlefield, my stance opposes Ye Ying’s, which side will you stand with?"
"This..." Li Wei didn’t know how to answer.
"Pavilion Master, aren’t you and Lord Xi He together?" Li Wei asked puzzled.
Jun Ning sighed, "We used to be together, now..."
"Pavilion Master, I have followed Lord Xi He for years and understand his loyalty to you deeply." Li Wei said earnestly, "No matter what happens, I believe Lord Xi He will always stand by your side, unwavering."
Li Wei didn’t say what he knew even better: Ye Ying harbored deep feelings buried for years, not daring to express them even to the Pavilion Master.
Jun Ning wished to believe in Ye Ying truly, but since Ye Ying recovered physically, he hasn’t returned to find her, and even married Lan Xihe.
He is already by Lan Xihe’s side.
Whether she should trust him needed reevaluating.
If it was only about her personal honor, relying on the relationship with Ye Ying over the years, she would gamble once and trust him.
But now she was bearing the weight of the entire Eastern Chu kingdom.
If a single step were mistaken, the entire kingdom would suffer.
She did not want to see the disappointment of the people, nor to lose cities or have the citizens slaughtered.
Therefore, she could not take any risks.
Regarding Li Wei’s words, she only said, "Things are different now than before."
"Pavilion Master, regardless, I believe in Lord Xi He," Li Wei said, "and I am certain he will always be by your side, and I will stand with him."
Jun Ning had a headache, something she hadn’t intended to say, but now she had to, "I already got news about Ye Ying; he has married a noblewoman from the Bei Xia Beast Taming Clan. Li Wei, do you still wish to stand by Ye Ying?"
"I..." Li Wei was slightly shocked, unsure of what choice to make amidst his surprise.
Jun Ning didn’t linger, "If you insist on standing with Ye Ying, I won’t blame you, or him. But, for this task, I must find someone else to do it."
Li Wei was silent for a time, finally raising his head, "....Pavilion Master, I stand by you, following your orders, ensuring no betrayal in critical moments. However..."
"There’s no need for however," Jun Ning said, "Ye Ying is forever blameless here; I respect all his choices and positions."
"In the battlefield where blades do not see eyes, if necessary, you send a team to protect him, no one should harm him! I, like you, trust him. However, trust is one thing, what I have to do is another, I maintain my position, not swayed by his choices."
"I want this battle to be flawless, allowing no surprises."
Li Wei understood why Jun Ning required such a definitive answer; if she bore only herself, she could afford to take risks, but bearing the entire Eastern Chu kingdom, no risk could be taken.
So, she stated her case bluntly, demanding a definitive answer from him.
"Pavilion Master, or rather, Princess, the bones of loyalists buried beneath the land, returning wrapped in the horse’s skin. Rest assured, Li Wei, as a citizen of the Eastern Chu kingdom, will place personal feelings aside, offering his head and spilling his blood for the kingdom..."
——
Cannot take even a little risk.
So, she stated her case bluntly, demanding a definitive answer from him.
"Pavilion Master, or rather, Princess, the bones of loyalists buried beneath the land, returning wrapped in the horse’s skin. Rest assured, Li Wei, as a citizen of the Eastern Chu kingdom, will place personal feelings aside, offering his head and spilling his blood for the kingdom..." Cannot take even a little risk.
So, she stated her case bluntly, demanding a definitive answer from him.
"Pavilion Master, or rather, Princess, the bones of loyalists buried beneath the land, returning wrapped in the horse’s skin. Rest assured, Li Wei, as a citizen of the Eastern Chu kingdom, will place personal feelings aside, offering his head and spilling his blood for the kingdom..." Cannot take even a little risk.
So, she stated her case bluntly, demanding a definitive answer from him.
"Pavilion Master, or rather, Princess,
