The Founding Secrets

The sky stretched vast and boundless.

They were now far from the Qing River.

Zhuang Gaoxian turned around. Du Ruhui had just stepped up beside him.

"Why did the State Chancellor stop me just now?" he asked in a calm voice.

"Our kingdom has just won a war and expanded its borders. But General Duan has been crippled, General He died in battle, and Dong A has met with misfortune. Zhuang Kingdom still greatly needs Song Hengjiang," Du Ruhui said. "By blood, he is Your Majesty's great-uncle. That makes Zhuang Kingdom's need for him all the greater. A warrior of his strength should not die at Your Majesty's hands."

He noticed that Zhuang Gaoxian frowned when he said "great-uncle."

A ruler like Zhuang Gaoxian never let his feelings show. He rarely revealed his emotions. The only reason Du Ruhui had noticed was that the frown was meant to tell him: mind your words. The ruler did not want to hear such things again.

Du Ruhui was clever enough to understand, yet his expression remained composed. Whether the ruler liked hearing it or not, he still needed to hear it. Sometimes the facts did not matter, and neither did the ruler's mood. What mattered was whether it benefited the state of Zhuang.

Zhuang Gaoxian understood that, of course.

So, after a brief pause, he changed tack. "But his act of raising a demon remains a hidden danger."

He had always treated Du Ruhui with respect, no matter how he treated others. Du Ruhui had been his teacher when he was still Crown Prince. When he had withdrawn to recover from his injuries, it was Du Ruhui who had held the state together.

From his attainment as a True Person to the campaign against Yong Kingdom, Du Ruhui had played the most