WBSGVS Chapter 206 V1

Because the Emperor had suddenly canceled the marriage alliance between Princess Leyi and the State of Chu, and instead appointed her as the Imperial Diviner, news of this change quickly reached Chu.

The welcoming entourage that had been preparing for the marriage simply didn’t show up.

Instead, they sent troops to the border.

War was imminent.

Following the predictions calculated by the Imperial Diviner, the Emperor appointed Yi Han as general. To ensure everything went smoothly, he also assigned Yi Han’s father as the marshal—father and son would go into battle together.

The only problem was that the Prince Regent refused to relinquish military authority or lead the army himself. He still wanted to preserve the peace by arranging a different marriage alliance. He even brought forth evidence of Fu Cheng’s previous assassination attempt on him, claiming that the pro-war faction harbored ill intentions and might even be colluding with the enemy to deliberately lose the war, allowing Chu to trample Jin.

However, Qingli, now the Imperial Diviner, repeatedly divined auspicious signs, indicating that the war could be won. Prince Rui stepped out in full support, and the Prime Minister and many officials echoed her stance. While some remained silent, others argued on behalf of the Prince Regent, but their influence was no longer enough to sway the court.

Meanwhile, the Chu army was closing in, and letters pleading for reinforcements arrived from the border.

The situation was dire, and the people were anxious and outraged. As the Prince Regent continued to stall, public anger reached a boiling point—many even knelt outside the palace gates, begging him to hand over command of the troops.

The public outcry was fiercer than what had been described in the original script. After all, when even the highly revered Imperial Diviner claimed the war was winnable, the Prince Regent’s continued resistance—driven by personal interest—only worsened the already urgent border crisis.

At this critical moment, Prince Duan led a group of officials to surround the Prince Regent’s residence and seize the military seal, which he handed over to Yi Han.

But having the seal wasn’t enough—the next challenge was getting the troops to follow orders. This issue, however, would fall squarely on the Yi family’s shoulders.

With the seal in hand, the call to arms sounded across the land. The Fu family immediately donated ten thousand taels of silver to fund the military, hoping it would absolve Fu Cheng of the crimes he committed in his youth.

At this point, the Prince Regent’s reputation was at rock bottom. The Fu family’s generous donation earned them praise from all walks of life. Some even petitioned the court to plead on their behalf. On the political stage, the royalist faction no longer voiced opposition—despite the Fu and Yi families having once leaned toward the Prince Regent, their recent actions made it clear where their loyalties now lay.

Very few ministers continued to resist.

By now, opposing the war effort meant going against the will of the people. Aside from a few who begged for leniency on the Prince Regent’s behalf, no one else said a word, let alone tried to pressure the Fu family.

And just like that, the crisis was averted.

Yi Han led his troops, along with ample provisions and funding, and departed with hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

That departure lasted an entire year.

By the following September, news came that the Jin army had pushed deep into Chu territory and forced them to sue for peace, prompting celebrations across the court.

In mid-October, Yi Han returned triumphant.

Emperor Sima Heng, still mindful of the many years Jin had suffered under Chu’s suppression, took this victory to heart and honored the returning hero. On the day of his return, the Emperor personally led the civil and military officials to welcome the troops. Qingli, as the Imperial Diviner who had strongly advocated for war, was naturally among them.

Before the army arrived, Qingli appeared. The officials immediately bowed. “Greetings to the Imperial Diviner!”

Qingli’s appearance was now completely different from her days as a princess. She wore a wide-sleeved gown in a soft blue hue with subtle embroidered patterns. Her makeup was understated, yet it did nothing to dull her beauty—her elegant features remained as striking as ever.

She nodded slightly, and the officials rose. The Prime Minister even stepped aside to offer her his place in the welcoming formation.

She stepped forward and stood beside Emperor Sima Heng, with the recently favored Third Prince, Sima Chang, standing on the other side.

Sima Heng had always favored the Third Prince, though he had once treated the Second Prince kindly to appease the powerful Prince Regent.

But over the past year, the Prince Regent had lost his military authority, and Prince Rui’s heir had taken control of the remaining troops, thoroughly suppressing the once-dominant Prince Regent. Naturally, Sima Heng no longer favored the Second Prince.

Thinking of all this, Sima Heng couldn’t help but feel frustrated with his royal uncle.

Why didn’t he allow his adopted son into the court to help earlier? Why wait until the Prince Regent had oppressed him for years to finally act?

Even now, the Prince still refused to hand over his military authority entirely.

Still, overall, the benefits outweighed the frustrations. Sima Heng was in high spirits. When he noticed Qingli walking over, his expression softened. He turned to Sima Chang and asked, “Third, you and Yi Han have been friends for years. After this major victory, what do you think he might want?”

Sima Chang was watching Qingli from the corner of his eye with growing wariness.

Ever since she had made her ambitions clear and taken Sima Yan under her wing at the Imperial Diviner’s residence, he had been on edge, wondering what she would do next.

He hadn’t expected her to help Yi Han gain command of the army. Did she think Yi Han would just hand it back afterward?

With both the Emperor’s favor and military power in hand, Sima Yan—who was already six years behind—would never catch up.

That’s why Sima Chang and Fu Cheng had poured all their energy into managing supplies and logistics during the campaign. Now it was time to reap the rewards. With Yi Han returning as a powerful ally, Qingli’s appearance at this moment could only be seen as a threat.

Still, putting on a smile, he responded to the Emperor’s question, “Naturally, a good match.”

He gestured meaningfully toward Sima Qinghe.

Yi Han’s victory had also emboldened her. She had pleaded with the Emperor to let her come to welcome him, and since she was his most beloved daughter, he agreed.

Sima Heng followed his son’s gaze and saw the young woman’s hopeful expression.

Sima Qinghe blushed, shot a glare at her brother, but then lowered her eyes and smiled without refuting the idea.

“So that’s what it is!” Sima Heng laughed knowingly and nodded.