Yu Mingyue handed the letter to Uncle Zhong. Uncle Zhong quickly took a step back, his face serious. "This old servant dares not overstep his bounds."
The master is the master, and the servant is the servant. Although the Duke trusted him to continue managing the secret guards of the Duke's mansion, he could not overstep his authority.
"I asked Uncle Zhong for help. Uncle Zhong understands Fifth Uncle's personality better. Please help me make a decision. If I misunderstand, Fifth Uncle will be even less likely to come home." Yu Mingyue directly placed the letter into Uncle Zhong's hand and then nodded.
Only then did Uncle Zhong unfold the letter. After reading a few lines, he looked up at Yu Mingyue, then lowered his head to finish reading.
"Little Master, Fifth Master is going to... request to leave the clan?" Uncle Zhong asked in surprise.
He had occasional contact with Fifth Master over the years, but he didn't know where Fifth Master was or what he was doing. Even the Duke's mansion's secret guards couldn't find out Fifth Master's identity, and Fifth Master had never mentioned this before.
"So, I don't understand either. Fifth Uncle said he thanked me for letting Madam Hai enter the Yu family ancestral hall, yet he himself wants to leave. Why should their adult matters trouble me? He said not to let Father and Brother see it, but in the end, I still have to tell them. Fifth Uncle's actions are truly ungentlemanly." Yu Mingyue pouted, observing Uncle Zhong's expression.
Uncle Zhong looked bewildered. Fifth Master requesting to leave the clan, he was afraid it was due to some difficult situation.
"Little Master, could it be..." Uncle Zhong wanted to explain for Fifth Master, but he didn't know where to start. His own mind was a mess, and he couldn't figure it out.
As they were talking, Chi Hua entered and said, "Miss, Lord Xie has arrived."
"Please invite him in quickly," Yu Mingyue said.
Uncle Zhong saw Xie Jia Yan and quickly thanked him. If not for his help last night, he would have committed a grave error.
Xie Jia Yan nodded. "Uncle Zhong, you are too kind."
"Then this old servant will take his leave." Uncle Zhong bowed to Yu Mingyue and withdrew.
"Last night, the Northern Army and the rebels fought, suffering heavy losses. The Sage was enraged, and has dismissed General Han from his post, ordering Feng Qirui to temporarily assume command and lead the army to resist."
"With a change of command on the battlefield, how will the Northern Army obey Feng Qirui's orders?" Yu Mingyue asked with concern.
Although General Han was somewhat wronged in this matter, Phoenix Mountain was only a hundred miles from the Northern Army. It was just that General Han had not fought for too long and had lost his vigilance.
"Sixth Lady, speak with caution," Xie Jia Yan reminded her.
The Seventh Prince had withdrawn the military power of the Luo family in Youzhou. The military power in Jizhou and Bingzhou had also been successively reclaimed by the court. The unification of the realm was a good thing.
However, the provincial governors of various regions must be in a state of panic, fearing they would suffer the same fate as the Luo family.
The fact that Duke Han could lead the Hanzhong Army to the capital secretly, besides the Wang family's cooperation, these people must have turned a blind eye.
"Feng Qirui was the former provincial governor of Jizhou. The Sage's decision to promote him at this time is likely meant to stabilize the forces of all parties. Brother Jia Yan, are you worried about my old grievances with the Feng family?" Yu Mingyue asked.
"Although Brother Mingjing is the Seventh Prince's deputy general, he is subordinate to the Northern Army. General Song and Feng Qirui also have many disagreements," Xie Jia Yan said meaningfully.
Yu Mingyue instantly understood. The Sage's move was truly killing three birds with one stone.
Using Feng Qirui to stabilize the morale of the troops from all sides, and also to restrain Song Wei, preventing his Qianniu Guard from becoming too powerful.
Father and Brother have made contributions this time. Although the Sage has not rewarded Father, Father is still in Jizhou. If there is no suitable candidate, it is likely that Father will not be able to return to the capital anytime soon.
The former provincial governor became a general of the Northern Army, making him Brother's superior. This not only restrained Father but also put a shackle on Brother.
Although this move was very annoying, it had to be said that it was very clever.
"Then Duke Han will be sent to Youzhou..." Yu Mingyue stopped herself in time and changed the subject. "I won't say this to anyone else, only to Brother Jia Yan."
Xie Jia Yan smiled helplessly. He didn't know whether to praise her for her intelligence or her naivety. She always trusted him so much, making him feel that he was not upright enough.