Xue Daohong frowned impatiently. "Now is not the time to assign blame. I summoned you not to punish anyone, but to hear your suggestions. What measures should we take now?"
Huang Beishan fell silent again. He no longer dared offer suggestions lightly. Grand Tutor Xiang Liren said nothing either. Why did the emperor summon me? He doesn't trust me at all. He called both me and the Seventh Prince, Xue Daoming, here today. Does he expect us to plug this hole? This is a thankless task. One wrong step, and it could turn out to be a trap.
Seeing his imperial elder brother turn his gaze toward him, Xue Daoming immediately said, "Our imperial uncle has broad knowledge and experience. Let us hear his opinion first!" At a time like this, only Xue Shengjing and Xue Lingjun could speak with any degree of safety. It was awkward for anyone else to offer an opinion.
Xue Shengjing was still wiping away sweat. Hearing Xue Daoming's words, he sighed. "I know nothing about warfare. If you ask me to speak, where would I even begin?"
Xue Daohong said, "Imperial Uncle, I remember that you and Hu Xiaotian are sworn brothers."
Xue Shengjing cursed inwardly. I only swore brotherhood with him to play along, a measure suited to the occasion. Are you actually going to use that as a handle to stab me in the back? He plastered a smile across his face. "My sworn brotherhood with him was entirely the late emperor's idea. It was a relationship founded on interests. What brotherly affection could there possibly be?" Cunning as he was, he pushed everything onto his deceased imperial elder brother. The dead could give no testimony, after all. However capable Xue Daohong might be, surely he could not dig his father out