"Thank you, Your Majesty."
With Liu Xie's permission, Guo Jia's expression relaxed considerably.
He had actually been worried about this all along.
After all, rulers and subjects, fathers and sons each had their proper place. These were rules of propriety that had to be observed throughout the ages, and overstepping them could easily arouse the Son of Heaven's suspicion.
Fortunately, the sovereign he now served was not so hidebound.
Having finished discussing this matter, Liu Xie pressed on. "But Fengxiao, once Zhen Mi enters the palace, what if she discovers our dealings and plans? What should we do then?"
"If we want to seek the Zhongshan Zhen Family's help, we'll have to let her know, won't we? But doing that will also increase the risk of exposure."
This was what worried Liu Xie most.
Why could he trust Zhang He, Gao Lan, and Guo Jia?
Because the historical records gave fairly detailed accounts of them, and at this particular point in time, none of them had yet been won over. That allowed him to bring them under his command using his status as the Son of Heaven and promises of grand prospects.
Most importantly, none of them was attached to any faction.
But Zhen Mi was different. First, he knew little about her, and the historical records were not particularly detailed either. Second, she was entering the palace by summons, not of her own free will. Third, she came from the Zhen Clan, and the marriage alliance was meant to secure benefits for her family.
Yet as the Son of Heaven, he currently had neither power nor influence. What was there to gain from him?
On the contrary, learning of his plans with Guo Jia and reporting them to Yuan Shao would bring greater benefits to the Zhen Clan behind