Almost as soon as Qi Country confirmed that Kang Country had sent people to interfere, it decided to strike first and destroy You Country. As long as You Country lost all hope of restoration, and Kang Country had no evidence proving that their troops had been sent at You Country's request, Kang Country's expedition would no longer be justified—and might even provoke a united resistance from the southwestern countries.
This operation concerned the National Fortune. Only trusted confidants could be entrusted with it.
Naturally, it had nothing to do with Shen Tang's disguise.
Her disguise was still under observation during its probationary period. There was no way such an important task would be handed to her. It would naturally go to Qi Cang.
When Mei Meng heard about this, she requested an audience with the Sovereign that very night.
She said, "Qi Yanqing is no match for Gongxi Chou."
Mei Meng had always kept an eye on Kang Country. She knew that Gongxi Chou, once the most dazzling general on the Northwest Continent more than a decade ago, would only have grown stronger by now. She didn't doubt Qi Cang's ability to command troops; she was simply worried he would suffer a loss against Gongxi Chou. It didn't matter if he suffered a loss in itself. The problem was that it would greatly undermine Qi Country's show of strength, affect the morale of its troops, and harm the bigger picture.
The Sovereign sat beside the latticed window, gazing at the moonlight beyond the mottled shadows of the trees. She took a drag from her pipe and exhaled a swirl of smoke that blurred the thoughts between her brows. "Jinghe, don't you think you put too much stock in Kang Country? They're better than us at everything, are they?"
Mei Meng