Chilled to the Bone

Lily Evans was referring to the military firearms she had shown Alexander Hayes.

Alexander Hayes's expression grew suddenly grave, as if deep in thought. Sean Hayes, sensing the atmosphere, quietly slipped out and left the couple alone.

Standing with his hands behind his back, Alexander Hayes looked serious. "My dear, do you remember what I told you last time? Gregory Gu petitioned Emperor Xuan, claiming a shortage of manpower and asked the Hayes Regiment to go into the mountains for disaster relief?"

Lily Evans nodded quickly. "I remember. It was the mountains near the capital, right? Heavy rains caused flash floods and mudslides that time?"

Alexander Hayes nodded. "Exactly, you have a great memory. When I saw how serious the disaster was, and how the people were in grave danger, I sent a squad into the mountains for rescue. Over a hundred brothers worked day and night, risking illness, doing their utmost to save lives. But the disaster was too severe. Even with their best efforts, they only managed to save a third of the villagers, and most of those rescued were children protected by the adults."

Lily Evans's brows furrowed. She hadn't realized how serious the mountain disaster had been. She comforted him, "Natural disasters are unavoidable. The brothers did their best and should be rewarded for their efforts."

Alexander Hayes let out a heavy sigh. "You also think the brothers deserve recognition. But Gregory Gu petitioned Emperor Xuan, accusing the Hayes Regiment's rescue team of being slow and inefficient, claiming they were deliberately disobeying orders and slacking off, which led to the deaths of many villagers. The Emperor, upon hearing this, was furious. He didn't listen to my defense and reprimanded the Hayes Regiment. Despite my efforts to explain, the Emperor still punished those brothers..."

"What... How could the Emperor punish them?" Lily Evans said angrily. "Floods in the mountains are deadly—anyone who goes in to rescue is risking their life! They're heroes! How can the Emperor punish those heroes just because of a single accusation?"

Alexander Hayes gave a bitter smile. "You understand, I understand, and so do all the officials. Of course, the Emperor understands too. But he insists on making a big deal out of this... My dear, I think the Emperor's wariness of me and the Hayes Regiment is even deeper than I thought."

"I see..." Lily Evans's expression grew serious. She didn't know much about court politics, but she could vaguely sense that, although Alexander Hayes seemed highly esteemed, underneath it all, the court was full of hidden dangers—like walking on thin ice.

Most likely, the Emperor has already decided to strip away their power. Punishing the disaster relief soldiers is just the beginning.

Lily Evans gently took Alexander Hayes's hand. "I've heard that in every dynasty, when an emperor wants to take a general's power but has his concerns, he uses other methods. For example, splitting up the troops and scattering them across the land, sending the most loyal and elite soldiers to the front lines as cannon fodder..."

Just thinking about the Hayes Regiment, who had fought alongside Alexander Hayes for years, facing such a fate in the future made him shudder.

If Alexander Hayes wanted to keep his family's wealth and glory, he could simply hand over his military power. But the Emperor would never trust the Hayes Regiment and would do everything possible to send Alexander's loyal men to their deaths.

Alexander Hayes squeezed Lily Evans's hand tightly. "My dear, I need more firearms. If the day comes when we must fight for our lives, I want my brothers to have a chance at survival."

Alexander Hayes's eyes flashed coldly as he looked at Lily Evans, his expression resolute. "My dear, the military firearms you showed me last time—I need more, as many as possible."