Chapter 384: Crowned as King

In the endless abyss, countless specters wander. Some are people he knows, others are complete strangers.

Ji Ge knows he is dreaming, yet he cannot wake up.

The deposed Crown Prince Li Ying, the Prince of E Li Yao, and the Prince of Light Li Ju—who were ordered by Ji Ge to commit suicide at the eastern city post—float in the dim half‑air, sticking out their tongues at him and circling around.

The poisoned consort Wu Huifei, whom Ji Ge had secretly ordered killed, stands nearby, her eyes cold, blood oozing from her seven orifices as she watches him, saying nothing.

There are also the Lady of Qin and the Lady of Guo, two beauties who wear no clothes, their pallid skin covered with red blotches. They cannot speak, but their lips move as if saying "I don't want to die" or perhaps "Third son, save me."

The Wei Sanniang forced by Ji Ge to jump to her death looks not so hideously disfigured.

Only, she has become a great general clad in golden armor, sword in hand, advancing toward him step by step! When Ji Ge steps back one pace, she moves forward two, the distance closing.

Cui Qianyou speaks confidently, feeling a sigh of relief. Once this is mentioned, he says, he's no longer troubled!

"Return, Sage, to avoid its sharp edge is the best strategy.

The murderous intent on Ji Ge's face flashes away, and he clenches his fists tightly.

"Where is Cui Qianyou?"

Anaye lowers her voice and exclaims in surprise.

Their organizational structure and command model are ideal for suppressing rebellions and uprisings, while preventing any general from amassing personal troops. The deployment is also highly flexible and controllable, almost a custom‑made elite guard for Ji Ge's "stability maintenance."

And that incredibly sharp sword seems to have its sword‑qi already cutting Ji Ge's hair, causing a stinging pain.

"Don't come! Don't come!"

I am not wrong! This world has always been mine!

I do whatever I please! Dying for me is your honor!

Now the Divine Strategy Army's command structure, after adjustments by Fang Youde, has become a "one supreme, two great, twelve strong" configuration.

Or to put it bluntly, Gao Lishi is usually a hands‑off manager, only conducting periodic checks and ignoring minor matters. After all, his main task is to serve Ji Ge well; he has no energy to oversee the elite guard.

Ji Ge nods in satisfaction.

It is impossible to look at directly.

Stop refusing, come on, I'll take you to the bathing place to change clothes.

At that moment, she sees the door pushed open; Fang Chongyong sticks out half his body and stealthily waves at her.

The "two great" refers to two deputy commanders, each able to command half of the Divine Strategy Army. However, they only have authority to command and lead troops; daily training and marching are handled by the "head of each division" of the Divine Strategy Army.

Ji Ge sighs with emotion.

"Indeed, otherwise what? This was all agreed upon before!"

Cui Qianyou, his face excited, says he didn't expect that in such a short time, answering a few questions would earn more reward than meritorious service on the frontier.

Cui Qianyou is most worried that Ji Ge will ask questions about "loyalty," whether one is loyal to the emperor, which is a very "flexible" topic.

She sighs lightly, feeling that worldly matters are often too complicated for one to see the truth.

Your insight into people is still that sharp.

The power is great because Ji Ge deeply trusts and relies on Gao Lishi.

Ji Ge waves his hand, then lowers his voice to ask, "If… someone rebels in Guanzhong and Chang'an cannot be defended, what should be done?"

After speaking, his gaze burns as he looks at Cui Qianyou, awaiting his answer.

"Hmm, Deputy Cui, you have good foresight."

Ji Ge sighs lightly, wiping the fine beads of sweat from his forehead with his sleeve cuff.

"Your Majesty, I, the junior general, pay my respects!"

In the royal palace of the Stone Kingdom, within the king's sleeping chamber, on the massive bed, Thus Character: Thus Character: Thus Character: Thus Character: Jinsikaiya lies with eyes closed, sleep‑talking, clutching Anaye's pale white calf and thrashing wildly.

At this moment, the court needs to send a battle‑hardened great general to hold Taiyuan City.

"Please, Sage, wait a moment; I will now summon Cui Qianyou."

After a brief hesitation, Ji Ge solemnly asks, "Deputy Cui, I ask you: suppose the western frontier troops rebel, perhaps even colluding with the Tubo, marching to attack Chang'an. If you were the commander of the Divine Strategy Army, how would you quell the rebellion?"

Similarly, Fang Chongyong wants to spare the Stone Kingdom's prince, but the blood‑soaked He Changqi and his men would not allow it, nor would the rank‑and‑file Tang soldiers!

This is a matter of principle.

Cui Qianyou answers without hesitation, almost without a pause!

"Why can't we go to Shu?"

Seeing his agitation, Ji Ge quickly says, "Hey, what are you talking about? I'm not doubting you; it's just a dream."

The "twelve strong" is easy to understand: the Divine Strategy Army is divided into twelve "divisions," each ranging from three to five thousand troops, each capable of being deployed independently for missions around Chang'an and its surroundings.

Given her knowledge of the latter, no matter how Thus Character: Thus Character: Thus Character: Thus Character: Jinsikaiya courts the other side, Fang Chongyong's desire to kill her brother will not waver.

"Hey, tomorrow is the day you ascend as queen; you must wear a fine outfit.

Of course, these cannot be discussed with Gao Lishi.

This is official business, not personal vendetta, so there is no chance of 'spare' at all.

"If there is a rebellion in Hebei, how would you respond?"

Ji Ge throws another question.

"Return, Sage, if trouble arises in Youzhou, it becomes a bit problematic.

Anaye, expression speechless, says that Fang Chongyong probably isn't planning to play that weird game of putting on various outfits and then taking them off again.

Ji Ge gently taps Cui Qianyou, saying.

Unless you relinquish your position and move to the back of the formation.

"Fine, I was merely asking casually. The great Tang is at its zenith; who dares to act rashly, I can crush them with a flick of my hand!"

Exquisitely splendid, exuding a strong exotic flair!

"I've told you, I rarely fancy these clothes that make walking inconvenient.

The latter quickly made a few polite remarks, then left the emperor's sleeping chamber.

"If you go east, leave a senior general to guard Puzhou and the Sage will move his carriage to Taiyuan; if you go west, leave a senior general to guard Fengxiang and the Sage will move his carriage to Liangzhou; if you go south, leave a senior general to guard Wuguan and the Sage will move his carriage to Xiangyang."

Back then, when we were in Shazhou, Fang Chongyong had a conversation with her about the principle of "cutting in line".

"Thank you for the Sage's grace! I, the junior general, will certainly bow and give my all for the Sage!"

At that time, the Sage thought that Cui Qianyou had no ties with any families in Guanzhong, so he summoned him to the Huaqing Palace for an assessment, and decided on the spot.

If someone cuts in line to stand before you, you think it doesn't matter whether you let it happen, but what about the people behind you?

Sure enough, Ji Ge nodded slightly and said, clearly satisfied.

So Ji Ge feels very reassured about this.

How will you prove your loyalty to the Emperor?

If the Emperor doubts you, then even if you cut off your own hands, he will think you are ruthless; if you can cut your own hand today, you could cut off the Emperor's head tomorrow.

…

Every time, she gets a full set of goosebumps.

Sure enough, Thus Character: Thus Character: Thus Character: Thus Character: Jinsikaiya, that foolish woman, moved by the emotion, was again tossed onto the bed by Fang Chongyong to play until she was ecstatic to the point of death, and in her excitement she probably even forgot her own name.

That's why the junior general said that the trouble in Hebei is a bit more troublesome than the trouble in Liangzhou.

The Great-Meal people killed the Prince of the Stone Kingdom—well done!

Anaye recalled that at dinner, Fang Chongyong cursed the Great-Meal people so vigorously that she feared the fellow had already started smiling in his heart.

If nothing major happens, you have to pick a side; who can tell whether you are truly loyal or disloyal?

Mid- and low-level officers in the Shen Ce Army basically act on his word, and they don't need to report to Ji Ge. When a Shen Ce Army unit needs to relocate its defenses, it's decided by his single remark.

Gao Lishi whispered, secretly glad that Cui Qianyou was cautious in his affairs. If Ji Ge asks about it this time and Cui Qianyou is still at Chang'an's Xuanwu Gate, then this Deputy Commander of the Shen Ce Army would probably have reached his limit.

He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, only to see Gao Lishi kneeling on the ground in the candlelight, refusing to rise.

The northwest lacks grain, fodder, and cloth; most weapons cannot be produced locally, and the first wave is the fiercest. As long as it can be held, once Guanzhong gathers heavy troops, quelling the rebellion within a year won't be a problem.

"Returning to the Sage, the Sage previously consulted Wang Zhongsi for a candidate for commander of the Shen Ce Army; he recommended the Deputy Military Governor of Hedong, Cui Qianyou, who is the Military Commissioner of the Datong Army, saying he comes from a modest background, is diligent in royal affairs, and has repeatedly achieved great merit.

Cui Qianyou had just about to kneel and pay his respects when Ji Ge quickly pulled him back. Ji Ge, who clearly had forgotten who the deputy commander of the Shen Ce Army was, now acted as if he were very familiar with Cui Qianyou.

Of course, that's only a theoretical statement. Since Gao Lishi knows nothing about warfare and cannot arrange troops, in practice he has to rely on those who truly know how to fight to handle military affairs for him.

His status dictates that he cannot be close to the Guanzhong aristocratic families.

Cui Qianyou spoke frankly: "Sage, the road through Shu is hard to travel; going is difficult, returning is even harder. When the rebellion is quelled, whether the Sage can still return from Shu to Chang'an may be uncertain. Therefore, the junior general will not mention this retreat route."

Fang Chongyong stared at Anaye with a puzzled expression and asked back.

Anaye, woken up by the commotion, rubbed her eyes and cursed, pulled her calf out of Thus Character: Thus Character: Thus Character: Thus Character: Jinsikaiya's embrace, then walked over to look under the oil lamp at the other's delicate face marked with tear stains, and felt her heart soften.

But when it comes to professional matters, the standards become very strict. Warfare, strategy—if it works, it works; if it doesn't, it doesn't!

Ji Ge asked in a deep voice.

Cui Qianyou didn't know how to respond, so he pretended he hadn't heard.

How pitiful!

"Holy Maiden and the like truly are……………

Gao Lishi bowed slightly and gave a salute, then stepped out of the bedroom. From the corner of his eye, he saw Ji Ge's face clouded with indecision, as if contemplating something major, perhaps something very bad!

After a short while, Cui Qianyou was brought in; because he could not don armor in the presence of the Sage, he wore only a black military uniform, appearing tall and steady, giving a very reliable impression.

"It's not just me; tomorrow, the generals of the Western Expeditionary Army, the local magnates of the Stone Kingdom, and the envoys of neighboring minor states will all be present.

Cui Qianyou is at best a confidant of Wang Zhongsi, but his ties are shallow; he was born in Hebei, and his family is not in Guanzhong.

"Alang, don't go! Alang, Alang, please don't leave!

I'm so scared, so scared!"

"I am the Son of Heaven; the Son of Heaven cannot err! Everyone, get out of my way!"

This joke has gone too far!

Although there was a hint of sweetness in her heart, she also thought Fang Chongyong was being way too reckless.

The junior general will lead troops to block Fengxiang, advancing camp by camp, defending step by step, buying time for the other frontier armies of the Great Tang.

And the latter's leg happened to press onto Thus Character: Thus Character: Thus Character: Thus Character: Jinsikaiya's chest, threatening to crush her full bosom.

"What nonsense are you spouting! I just got you a fine set of clothes, plus a crown and a veil! Look!"

Ji Ge shouted hoarsely, waking up from a nightmare!

Anaye whispered softly.

Ha?

Anaye thought she had misheard.

Each "Du" is set as a chief and deputy "Du Commander"; they can act on the Sage's orders individually, or several "Du" can combine into one army, unified under the Deputy Commander of the Shen Ce Army.

Fang Chongyong had told her that he would definitely kill the Prince of the Stone Kingdom; at that time, Thus Character: Thus Character: Thus Character: Thus Character: Jinsikaiya had not yet rolled onto a bed with Fang Chongyong.

Fang Chongyong, like a magician, produced a wooden box from behind, containing a pale‑yellow gauze dress studded with numerous gold and silver leaf pieces.

That was a very frightening dream; he only vaguely recalled that many enemies were coming to kill him, but he couldn't recall the specifics.

Cui Qianyou spoke frankly, his attitude very sincere, without exaggeration.

"So you were being serious after all; I thought back then you said that just to make me attend to you in bed!"

So I, the Son of Heaven, am somewhat…

"Who is currently the Deputy Commander of the Shen Ce Army (Deputy Military Commissioner)?"

His question was so abrupt that even Gao Lishi was stunned for a moment. This 'old slave', who had served as the Emperor's personal eunuch for decades, also failed to follow Ji Ge's divergent line of thought.

Upon hearing this, Cui Qianyou's expression softened slightly; he stood up and stepped aside, awaiting further instructions.

For example, quelling the northwestern rebellion means making moves here at Fengxiang, holding the front line, and using a delay strategy to await change.

Ji Ge suddenly asked Gao Lishi.

It was a bit cowardly, but this was the correct way to fight. Clashing head-on with the Northwest Army would be exactly what the other side wanted!

Brother Ji asked with some dissatisfaction.

This battle-tested general immediately dropped to his knees and cupped his fists in salute to Brother Ji, saying, "Rest assured, Sage. If anyone seeks to harm the Sage, they will first have to ask whether your humble servant's blade agrees, and whether the loyal and brave soldiers of the Divine Strategy Army agree!"

As a result, his appearance frightened Cui Qianyou!

Perhaps feeling that further questioning would be pointless, Brother Ji waved his hand at Cui Qianyou and said, "Beloved Minister Cui is devoted to his duties. I hereby appoint you Special Commissioner and Loyal and Brave General, and bestow five hundred qing of hereditary estate land. Go and take your post; I do not need you standing watch here."

"Mm, it is not that which I am worried about."

"Rise, I am unharmed. I merely had a nightmare."

This is not something your humble servant can decide or control.

"What wicked scheme are you cooking up again?

I warn you to exercise restraint! Tonight was already wild enough!"

Would they mind very much? When you let someone cut in line, did you ask them?

So letting someone cut in line becomes a 'public matter' that concerns everyone queued behind you — it is not simply yours to allow.

Gao Lishi answered respectfully.

Reaching the corridor outside the bedchamber, Anaye wrapped her body in a great cloak and watched Fang Chongyong with a wary expression.

He put on an indifferent expression and said to Gao Lishi, "Go summon Cui Qianyou for me. I wish to inquire about his military affairs."

"General Cui, I had a dream tonight. I dreamed that bad men sought to harm me.

The beauty was like this, truly endearing to behold — a pity that a certain someone had a heart of stone, and Thus Character: Thus Character: Thus Character: Thus Character: Jinsikaiya was completely barking up the wrong tree.

That slut lying on the bed would like it, though. Just put it on her and be done with it. I would absolutely not be jealous — I can swear a venomous oath."

"I am crowned queen — Queen of the Stone Kingdom?"

"To answer the Sage, they reside in that row of houses outside Huaqing Palace, available at your summons."

"What the hell are you yelling about, not sleeping in the middle of the night!"

Luoyang likely cannot be held. Your humble servant will lead the main force of the Divine Strategy Army to garrison at Tong Pass and hold the chokepoint, forcing the rebel army to take the Hedong route to Puzhou. And to pass through Hedong, they must capture Taiyuan City — otherwise the rebel supply line will be in jeopardy.

One had to admit, serving at the emperor's side was still the most thrilling!

"Mm, Beloved Minister Cui must be devoted to the king's affairs. My rewards go only to loyal, brave, and fearless generals."

Anaye felt this was a pitiful person too — she had fed her body to the wolves without even knowing it, still thinking she had found a good man.

The 'one superior' referred to Gao Lishi; he had always been the proper Commander of the Divine Strategy Army, no matter how often the Deputy Commander changed. Gao Lishi kept the power of personnel appointments and military dispatch firmly in his hands.

How could this possibly be false?"

Fang Chongyong said with a straight face.

Though the matter was somewhat outrageous, it was not him talking nonsense — the entire coronation ceremony had already been arranged!

They were just waiting for Anaye to try on the ceremonial robe for the coronation!

(End of this chapter)