204 One Summer's Night

Something was wrong. Initially, Zhang Xiu hadn't realised it. Ever since the emperor had declared war on the north on the day of the empress' coronation ceremony, he'd been waiting for Liu Yao to call him in as a confidante. The sixth prince and his supporters had predicted that Zhang Xiu would be of great use to the emperor at this point; who better to send to the north to assist in the unrest with the unruly barbarians than the envoy responsible for establishing diplomatic relations with them in the first place? 

The sixth prince'd had it all planned out. Zhang Xiu position as a negotiator familiar with the north wasn't just a commodity to the emperor but also to him. With Zhang Xiu there to influence the ebb and flow of the fighting, there would be little trouble in manipulating the situation in their favour.