Nightwatcher

# 379. Prime Minister Sir, a great calamity has struck Chuzhou

*He wasn’t guessing about the Zhenbei King; Duke Wei meant he guessed Emperor Yuanjing...* Xu Qi’an nodded slowly, acknowledging Wei Yuan’s explanation.

*Based on the facts he deduced, even if the Zhenbei King's massacre of the city wasn’t directly authorised by Emperor Yuanjing, it was at least a conspiracy between the two brothers. So perhaps the idea of slaughtering Chuzhou City originated from Emperor Yuanjing himself.*

*Would Emperor Yuanjing go to such lengths solely to aid the Zhenbei King in ascending to Rank Two? Even if he trusted the Zhenbei King implicitly and hoped for his promotion, at most he would tacitly permit the Zhenbei King’s actions. That would align more with Emperor Yuanjing’s cunning and depth, befitting his imperial statecraft...* Xu Qi’an furrowed his brow and asked:

"Un.. understood. Then, does His Majesty have other motives?"

Wei Yuan fell silent for a moment before replying, "Next question."

For an instant, Xu Qi’an thought he saw a flicker of hesitation in Wei Yuan's expression, though he couldn't be sure.

*Does Emperor Yuanjing indeed have other motives? And Duke Wei knows them but is unwilling to share…* Xu Qi’an, ever skilled at reading micro-expressions and psychology, hid his reaction and asked instead:

"Was the information given to me by the spy Cai’er in Sanhuang County false?"