Wang Chong spent quite some time giving Sun Ji emotional reassurance before sending for his two teachers and recounting what Sun Ji had said.
Gao Gun said decisively, "This is by no means the best time to go to war with An Dushan, but we must make arrangements to contact An Xuming in advance. I'll handle this. A disciple of our Way of Great Peace is currently at An Xuming's side."
Wang Chong immediately admired this master of his even more, thinking, Teacher Gao Gun has developed the Way of Great Peace quite well! He even managed to plant someone there?
Qiguan Sui nodded too. "Junior Preceptor Gao is right. This is indeed no good time to go to war with An Dushan. If we raid his home base, he'll inevitably counterattack like a madman, but your Mother Empress may not necessarily save you."
Wang Chong pondered for a long time, then said, "That isn't my Mother Empress's fault."
The three shared an unspoken understanding and said no more about it. This was politics; all familial affection had to take second place.
Clever people would not test affection against interests, placing that affection in danger.
Only fools would repeatedly test others, believing those close to them ought to pay unconditionally for their stupidity, no matter how enormous a hole they poked.
Although Wang Chong was the Empress's own son, was not nominally rebelling, and had even been invested by her as Tongba-Yan Three Provinces Military Governor and concurrently Nine-Bend Protector-General, he was still a rebel in essence. If it were only mother and son, of course everything could be discussed, but this matter would inevitably involve many people. The best approach was not to force the Empress into such a difficult choice.
Wang Chong then asked, "How should we recruit