"Hou Andu's carriage has left his residence. He must be headed for the palace."
In the Attendant Tower, Li Duoshou looked at the intelligence slip and turned to Prince of Ancheng, who sat in the main seat.
Prince of Ancheng nodded.
Li Duoshou added, "His Majesty is holding discussions in the Imperial Study today. Several Central Ministers will attend to discuss the war in the Northern Lands. I expect this man won't make his move until after the Imperial Audience."
"The Zhou Kingdom and the Qi Kingdom are about to fight another great battle. What a pity..."
Prince of Ancheng shook his head and sighed. After a long while, he said, "The Hou Jing Rebellion planted the seeds of the former dynasty's downfall, but it also routed countless elite troops. The population plummeted, remnants of the rebellion continued to tie us down, and we lost Shu as well. Our Primordial Vital Energy was badly sapped. When the two great powers of the Northern Lands clash, we may not even be in a position to interfere."
He took the intelligence slip and glanced at it. "Hou Andu is a capable man. Cutting him down is like severing one of our own arms. A pity he cannot be put to use by us."
Shen Zunli, who was attending him nearby, said, "Hou Andu is a hidden danger. He has drawn us into fighting among ourselves. Keeping him would do no good; it would only weaken Great Chen's fighting strength. A black sheep like him cannot be allowed to stay!"
Prince of Ancheng nodded and glanced at the sky outside the window. Then he rose with a smile. "It's nearly time. We should set out for Green Willow Garden and wait there. We'll see whether Hou Andu is fated to die or our