"This..." The Duke's expression changed repeatedly, and he looked troubled.
The Emperor said, "It stands to reason that since the Northwestern Desert is closest to Beiping and Beijing, if the deployment of troops were to happen, it would certainly be from the nearest to the farthest. I have already arranged it this way, which has put Lingnan and Dongzhou at a disadvantage. If the Duke has reservations... You may want to go back and think about the consequences."
The Emperor's tone remained calm throughout until at the end, when it carried a palpable chill.
The Empress looked anxiously at the Duke, thinking, "The Emperor has already made himself very clear; if he doesn't agree now, it would definitely provoke him. If he gets provoked and passes the throne to Jin Zijin, then real trouble would ensue."
"Grandfather, what the Emperor said is reasonable," the Empress said softly.
With this, the Empress even managed to elicit a gentle smile from the Emperor.
