Perhaps because she had been disciplined so often, Dongfang Xiao stopped almost reflexively upon hearing Xu Shi's command.
But she was indeed a little confused.
"What... do you mean?"
What did he mean by using his subordinates to finish this game of chess? What game was Cheng Gujian trying to play?
Hadn't he already lost? Why was Xu Shi stopping her from killing him?
"Can't you see it yet?"
Xu Shi's expression was far from pleasant. "He's using his own life to pave the way for you, Her Imperial Majesty."
"What did you say?!"
The little empress thought she had misheard. Even after confirming it, she still found it unbelievable.
Cheng Gujian was using his life to pave the way for her?
Who would believe that?
She certainly did not. In her heart, he had long been firmly branded as a powerful and treacherous minister. How could he possibly do something like this?
"I know you don't believe it. I didn't believe it at first either."
Xu Shi explained, "But if he really intended to rebel, then his timing was simply too awful."
That was right.
When they had been locked in battle with the Church earlier, he had already felt that something was off. But at the time, his focus had been on the Saintess, and he had not had time to think too deeply about it.
Only after calming down afterward did he realize that Cheng Gujian's timing for raising an army was wrong!
In the present Hualan Empire, there were only three forces with real power: the Church, the royal faction led by Cheng Gujian, and himself, the outsider.
Under such circumstances, there were only two best ways to maximize one's gains.
The first was alliance: two sides joined hands to eliminate the third, then slowly wore