Wen Long stood before a fresh grave. His most trusted advisor lay there. With him gone, there was no one to tell him the truth directly. Among the old foxes that called themselves ministers, Lai Jianhong was like a ray of hope shining between the dark clouds. Wen Long was heartbroken and devastated inside. However, the situation he found himself in didn't give him the luxury of mourning anyone. Life had to go on, and there was work to be done. Lai Jianhong's death was a great loss, not just emotionally but stately as well. He brought the Emperor undoctored news and a consul untainted by personal interest.
In this war between the Yao Dynasty and the Wen Dynasty, one of the Yao Dynasty's advantages turned out to be its internal unity. After the purge, they had cleansed their capital from a lot of scum. In normal circumstances, these scum would've become the Wen Dynasty's eyes and ears and monitored the Yao Dynasty's movements.
