Chapter 422

Baili Jin's expression was ice-cold, his look sinister, he stared straight at the morning sun streaming in from outside the hall; day had broken.

「The sun rises every day from the east; Great Jin, surely You Prefecture is the first to be lit. 」

Below, everything fell silent all at once; everyone didn't know what the emperor meant by this.

「I think, even Heaven favors the You Prefecture Rebel King! You say it's so? 」

He swept a small incense burner beside the throne with a raise of his hand; the bronze incense burner rolled in the quiet hall for a long time before stopping, the hall grew even quieter, only the sound of the incense burner rolling on the gold bricks remained.

The ministers understood; it seemed again the You King, no, wait, it was the Northern Border King who provoked the emperor.

「If not, how could I constantly hear the court officials speaking for him? Even the common folk outside are gleefully talking about Baili Jing's western campaign? Moreover, the Shangdang Commandery Prince and the Clear River King actually lent Baili Jing passage to attack Fanyang and Pengcheng! 」

Upon hearing this, the chancellor and grand commander, who had thought he was just having his daily fit of madness, were shocked! When did this happen?!

Fortunately, there was no further chance to give Baili Jin a riddling outburst; after a delay of half a day plus a night, the detailed news finally reached Jianzhang Palace.

The news that the Pengcheng rebels had besieged Fanyang had been known in the court for the previous two days; at that time, Baili Jin's first thought was not to send troops to lift the siege, but to first think of Baili Heng.

As the rebels began to expand outward, he felt that Baili Heng, who was in the eastern region, might not stand idly by?

He hadn't forgotten Baili Jing; rather, from a geographical standpoint, You Prefecture is far from Fanyang, indeed farther than Guang Ling.

This fellow couldn't handle Hanshou; when he retreated in disgrace, he had said he would send another fierce general. Upon learning of the siege of Fanyang, he never considered sending troops now for unconditional rescue; Hanshou still hadn't figured it out, he was thinking of watching the tigers fight from the mountain.

He was betting that Baili Heng couldn't just watch Chen Hu grow powerful.

As Chen Hu's strength grew, the first threat would likely be Baili Heng in the south; after all, everyone in Great Jin now knows the Northern Border is poor and tough to crack.

Between the barren wasteland and the densely populated fertile coastal lands, is there even a choice?

The Fanyang Lu clan wasn't that important in his mind; he only worried that Chen Hu, gaining power, would continue to attack Langya and Yu Prefecture, which was his true base.

They had been arguing for two days like this, and when the court still had no countermeasure, the Northern Border cavalry unexpectedly marched south!

He cursed Baili Jing eight hundred times for meddling; Fanyang is a thousand miles away, yet you still stick your foot in—utterly bullying!

The report said the Northern Border dispatched over three thousand cavalry from the Northern Border, passing through Shangdang, Qinghe, and Wei Commandery, all the way unimpeded to Fanyang, wiping out all the besieging rebels, including Chen Hu, in a single encounter. The next day they marched straight south to Pengcheng, taking it in one morning.

No one knew how the court officials felt inside, but Baili Jin grew angrier after hearing the full details.

「We won't speak of Wei Commandery; what are Shangdang and Qinghe doing?! Three thousand cavalry just swaggered through their fiefs! ？」

「You say, shouldn't I summon the Shangdang Commandery Prince and the Clear River King? ！」

The chancellor inquired of the Six Ministries reporting, 「Are the Northern Border cavalry truly occupying Fanyang and Pengcheng? 」

That… also not.

It was said the Lu clan brought all their possessions, the convoy stretching several li as they followed the Northern Border King in flight; Baili Jin also smashed the incense burner on the other side.

On the surface Baili Jing had withdrawn troops, but in reality perhaps only two empty cities remain! I estimate the hearts of the remaining populace are already following Baili Jing; haven't heard of the Northern Border cavalry withdrawing while the populace kneels to see them off!

Baili Jin's face was about to darken with water, 「Immediately proclaim the Shangdang Commandery Prince and the Clear River King to enter the capital! 」

This time no one stopped them; everyone began discussing whether the Northern Border King, the Shangdang Commandery Prince, and the Clear River King had colluded.

Regardless of which side's forces, faces were grim; if the Northern Border truly mastered the lands north of Pengcheng, then Baili Jing would be more than just a grave threat!

Wouldn't half of Great Jin's realm belong to him!

Finally, even that unlucky Fanyang commandant didn't escape; Baili Jin's anger needed an outlet.

The emperor's urgent edict was sent to Clear River, just as the Clear River King's concubine had died and he was handling the funeral; coincidentally, he himself had also fallen ill.

The envoy could only curse his bad luck; what to do about the matter still had to be done.

That day the envoy proclaimed the emperor's edict in the mansion hung with white; the Clear River King, after hearing the edict, pulled the envoy who delivered it and wept, saying he wasn't ill because his concubine had passed, but because he was angered by the Northern Border King.

「……Everyone is a prince of the Baili clan, and Baili Jing is still this king's junior generation; he openly led his cavalry through his uncle's fief! What face does this king have left to live? Better to just smash his head and die! 」 After shouting "ga", he fainted……

The envoy saw his behavior and still didn't understand, silently cursing, you call yourself what kind of imperial uncle? So confident, come with me to Everlasting Peace to clang, imperial uncle, let's see the emperor's reaction.

When the Clear River King collapsed, the Clear River Princess Consort shouted and rushed over to wail; dressed in the mansion's decor, it looked as if the Clear River King were the one who died.

The entire Clear River Prince's mansion descended into chaos like a pot of porridge.

Without a returning person, the envoy refused to leave; he not leaving meant the Clear River King couldn't get out of bed; finally the princess consort stepped in, letting the Clear River King's eldest son replace his father to go to Everlasting Peace.

The envoy inquired and found the eldest son was born of a maid; he strongly demanded to switch to the legitimate son to accompany him to Everlasting Peace to plead guilty.

In the afternoon the princess consort personally brought the Clear River King's legitimate son; the child, not having eaten enough, was forced to leave the wet nurse, now wailing with heart-rending cries……

At this age…… can he speak?

Finally the envoy could only take the prince's eldest son; Shangdang was much the same.

The two neighbors, without prior agreement, chose the same move.

The Shangdang Commandery Prince struggled up from his sickbed to receive the edict, saying he had been day and night worried about the northern rebel king, and fell ill.

His complexion was waxen and sallow, paired with gray-white hair, as if a gust of wind would topple him.

The Shangdang Commandery Prince didn't actually collapse; he was helped to rest, the old man didn't even bother pretending, the cost was too high.

The next day, after the old man woke up, he summoned the angel and immediately stuffed three thousand taels into him, startling the angel.

Even spending so much money is useless; the emperor is furious; this trip to Long Peace, the Upper Party Commandery Prince absolutely must go—he dare not accept this money.

The angel declined, and the Upper Party Commandery Prince waved his hand weakly, saying, "First hear me out: at my age and in this condition, I can't make it to Long Peace; I might die before reaching halfway there!"

I'm already this old, that's fine, but now the outside is in chaos; several rebel kings are waiting for Long Peace to slip up so they can raise their armies northward under a righteous pretext. My death wouldn't matter, but if it drags down Your Majesty's reputation, what can be done?!

Even if I go to the underworld, I won't rest easy!

Angel: … You're even threatening the emperor?

"Then let the Heir Apparent take your place and go to Long Peace?" the angel said, holding back anger.

Ah! Angel, you don't know: I've been frightened by the rebel kings of the Northern Border so badly that I can't sleep day or night, afraid that one day I'll fall asleep and have my throat slit silently.

Angel, you don't know: those Northern Border cavalry are extraordinarily fierce—even the Xiongnu iron cavalry can't handle them—and now they're being demanded annual tribute by Bai Li Jing.

I really can't sleep! I've already sent the Heir Apparent with my one thousand personal guards to defend Deep Valley. You also know that, since Shangdang came into my hands, the quota of personal guards has been reduced to a thousand—that's my last reliance; only by entrusting them to the Heir Apparent can I rest easy!

After all this talk, Upper Party Commandery Prince, are you going to defy the imperial edict?!

This is wrong; I've already chewed up the difficulties and explained them to you, yet you still don't understand! I can't go; the crown prince is guarding the city. How about this: could you trouble the Heavenly Envoy to submit a petition on my behalf, asking the court to send heavy troops to guard Gu Yuan? Then the crown prince could withdraw. Guarding the northern border rebel king, I'm really afraid.

The Heavenly Envoy flicked his sleeves and left.

Returning to his residence, he immediately sent a letter back to the capital; the mission couldn't be completed, so he didn't dare leave.

After the Heavenly Envoy left, the crown prince who should have been in Gu Yuan entered through another door: "Father, if we really don't send anyone, will we completely provoke Chang'an?"

The Prince of Shangdang Commandery rose refreshed and energetic, got up briskly, showing no sign of having just been about to faint.

If he's capable, let him withdraw his fief; perfect, I'll rebel too!

Crown Prince: ……

While they were wrangling, the Great King's large farm in Longxi had already commenced construction in full swing.

Bai Li Jin also received the Great King's message, knowing that this person had left Youzhou and gone out to inspect some drought situation. You think he'd sourly remark that the Great King is diligent? No.

He spent the time of a cup of tea scolding in the study, mainly accusing the Great King of false benevolence and buying popular support.

After scolding himself tired, reflecting that before the intelligence arrived, Bai Li Jing had already left Xihe Commandery, he hurriedly ordered someone to fetch a map.

Further west of Xihe?

He immediately summoned the Grand Minister of Works and a few close aides.

Bai Li Jin didn't know that his bitterly hated third brother, Old Three, was currently staying not far above his head. After crossing the Wei River, a fast horse could reach Longxi in a few days.