Chapter 839: The World in Chaos

The second year of Great Song Taiping.

Xiao Liang, son of the County Lieutenant of Jiangzhou Prefecture, has rebelled, declared himself Prince of Liang, seized a prefecture, and amassed an army of over ten thousand, shocking the world!

Yangzhou.

Inside the Jiedushi Mansion.

Diyou, Jiedushi of the Xuanwei Army, was holding the intelligence in his hand, pondering in silence.

The content within the intelligence was far more detailed and reliable than the rumors outside.

"Xiao Liang is merely the son of a County Lieutenant, a mere child, yet with the support of the evil Taoist Fang La and Dulongzi, he has actually managed to pull off such a major feat..."

Diyou is in his thirties, with a majestic appearance, dark skin, and the dignity of a commander who holds the power of life and death.

A staff member said: "Now is a heaven-sent opportunity; if one does not take what Heaven provides, one will instead suffer the blame."

Along the way were golden pillars and jade walls; the passing servants and maids were all as elegant as orchids and jade trees, or as beautiful as fish sinking and geese alighting, with indescribably moving complexions, and he realized with a start: "This is no mortal realm!"

"Not to mention... Jiangnan is in chaos now, an Anti-King has emerged in Jiangzhou Prefecture, and the Imperial Court will surely order armies from all sides to suppress them... the spring for the various Jiedushi of Jiangnan is about to arrive."

Dozens of riders galloped on the official road, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Fire arrows!"

"Let me think, let me think!"

He paused, then looked at the surrounding generals: "Hunting in the mountains and forests is a joy in life, but hunting in the Zhongyuan is what a real man should do!"

At this thought, his heart could not help but burn with heat.

After the fresh rain in the empty mountains, looking at the newly opened temple gate, Diyou felt very pleased and walked inside.

Diyou lowered his head and saw that the wine in the jade cup was as green as jade, brimming with Light, and for some reason, a craving welled up in his heart, so he raised the cup and drank it all.

Wanyan Lie was sleeping in the side chamber when, in the middle of the night, a sound suddenly came from the room.

The old Taoist looked at Diyou, suddenly terrified, his legs went weak, and he knelt on the ground.

Diyou touched his forehead and found it covered in cold sweat, then asked: "How long have I slept?"

As time passed, the Qi Number of the Refugee Army dissipated.

And even at this moment, several of his personal guards were still standing guard around the cliff wall, eyes fixed straight ahead, clearly extremely elite.

A cavalryman shouted.

Although he was a Hu, he had gathered many Great Song scholars around him and was not some rude, ignorant brute.

The purple-blue giant seemed to see this intention and asked with a smile: "Does the Noble have an eye for my little daughter?"

"Cavalry, charge!"

"As for Jingshi, the Emperor is young, one of the Gu Ming Ministers died previously, and the one who succeeded, Gao Qiu, was born a head shorter; only when the three are balanced is it stable, but when two are unstable, they are all secretly fighting for power, factional strife is everywhere, and it is not easy to get any real work done."

"I..."

He thought again: 'This Qi Number came suspiciously... and some has not yet been digested, could it be... that someone has come to snatch the old Taoist's spoils?'

He had been weak for a moment back then, but he had lost his foundation!

"In Jiangbei, although Tian Ruhu has been pacified, the civil unrest still remains... Song Gongbao's troops are exhausted from running about, but it is nothing more than adding fuel to a fire."

Diyou said immediately.

After joining the government and quietly becoming familiar with things, Song Gongbao felt some regret.

"This sky, it changes as soon as it says it will..."

"Commander!"

Diyou looked over and saw, sitting on the main seat, a person in blue-purple imperial robes whose face could not be seen; their figure seemed incomparably tall, like a giant.

"Such a bird Imperial Court... it's fine to rebel against it!"

He stretched out a large hand and gave a gentle push.

Diyou muttered, this was an Imperial God recognized by the Imperial Decree, with the rank of Emperor Lord!

"Less than half an hour, the rain has stopped now, we can continue up the mountain."

Xiao Chunyu was worthy of being a staff member, knowing a bit about mountain and river Geography: "There is also a Legendary... this mountain range connects to the Yinshan, and this palm is the palm of the Yinshan Fujun!"

Diyou could be considered someone who had seen big scenes, but at this moment, he was stunned.

He saw dozens of bucket-sized night-luminescent pearls emitting brilliance, illuminating everything as if it were broad daylight.

But he didn't really care.

Wanyan Lie was originally very moved, but then thought of something, and his brows furrowed.

The surrounding Hu all shouted in admiration.

Among the Hu, those skilled in archery are called 'Archer of the Sculpture', all of whom are first-class Warriors; to be able to shoot two sculptures with one arrow is even above the ordinary Archer of the Sculpture.

In a troop, a white horse suddenly rushed out, galloping along the road, and shot an arrow into the sky!

The arrow pierced straight into the firmament, then hit a white sculpture, its momentum undiminished, and it skewered another one.

A battlefield.

As a Jiedushi of a regional army, he understood many things better than ordinary people.

"Kill the dog official!"

As the group walked out of the cliff, Diyou recalled the previous Dream, feeling as if everything was still fresh in his memory; having walked far away, he looked at the mountain again and felt it looked like a human palm, and could not help but feel a chill in his heart: "What mountain is this?"

Even when going out to taste tea, Diyou still brought a team of personal guards, so he would not wander about like a dragon in fish scales and encounter any danger.

A group of Hu soldiers returning from raiding were galloping in high spirits.

Diyou felt as if he had fallen from a ten-thousand-foot cliff, his whole body twitched, and he woke up with a start: "Ah!"

At this moment, a messenger ran over quickly and handed over an official document.

"A divine shot, Prince!"

By nightfall, the great army found a place to camp; there happened to be a temple, so Wanyan Lie stayed inside.

This voice carried a power that was hard to refuse, and Diyou followed it into the palace involuntarily.

"So it turns out to be the daughter of the master of this place..." Diyou felt a burning sensation in his heart and laughed loudly: "Exactly so."

While laughing at this moment, there was also a slight stir in his heart.

North of Jizhou.

Diyou calculated secretly: "With Prince Liang of Jiangzhou Prefecture rebelling, the Imperial Court will surely issue a decree for a punitive expedition... I cannot rebel just yet; at the very least, I must swindle them out of another batch of pay, grain, and military equipment... then capture the prefectural city, and I must kill the Prefect! To vent the hatred in my heart!"

"Go!"

"Old Taoist White Cloud, why do you kneel before this Commander?"

"And then... in this chess game of the world, I must have a place!"

Within the territory of this prefecture, a troop of cavalry was enough to provide Protection.

In ancient times, catching a cold from the rain was no small matter; it could even cost one's life.

Just as they were galloping, the weather took an unexpected turn; suddenly, dark clouds gathered, and a torrential rain began to fall.

Diyou shouted, and he saw a person dressed in vermilion robes walking over: "So a Noble has arrived; the Prefect invites the Noble inside to offer wine!"

Wanyan Lie waved his hand.

"Where is this?"

This so-called 'grass-beating' was simply raiding the south; because Great Song was wealthy, the harvest was always bountiful.

Not to mention the brothers, even Song Gongbao felt a bit disheartened, but at this moment, he could only swallow his teeth along with the blood: "The Imperial Court possesses the four seas; they must have at least this much. Tell the brothers to stay calm and wait a little longer..."

"A distinguished guest has arrived; play music, start the dance!"

Immediately, the musicians on both sides struck the chime bells, playing a deep and archaic melody.

'Could it be... that I betrothed the Imperial Daughter in my dream?'

'Half the world as a dowry?'

"The Old Khan is old after all and does not want to stir up trouble... but our future still depends on the Lie Prince."

Once the chaotic times arrived, the status of the Wu would surely be greatly elevated; the scenes of being beaten and scolded at every turn by the Prefect would never happen again...

An old Taoist came out to greet them: "Greetings, Commander. The old Taoist has just prepared some 'Cloud Mist Tea', only seven taels... eh?"

Song Gongbao opened it to look, and his body instantly went limp, nearly falling to the ground.

"Commander?"

The surroundings were resplendent with gold and jade, with ribbons of auspicious Qi and five-colored Light, looking unlike the human world.

Under the night, that great Buddha actually seemed to be glowing all over, and five-colored Qi appeared in the clouds above it!

At this time, a staff officer knocked on the door and entered, presenting a calling card: "Sanling Temple has sent a card, inviting the Commander to the temple to taste the new tea. Do you wish to accept?"

That person led Diyou to a palace and brought him to the first seat on the left to be seated.

"Good!"

"Your words touch my heart, but I fear my father the King will not permit it!"

Sanling Temple.

The Hu camp also saw this strange phenomenon and began to shout one after another; some even took out their weapons and brandished them, as if expecting something.

As the Regional Commander, Diyou naturally did not need to do anything himself, and he occupied the best position, slowly roasting the dampness off his body.

Diyou felt a stir in his heart; this temple was very famous in this prefecture, and many high-ranking officials and Nobles loved to visit.

The staff officer beside him, Xiao Chunyu, laughed: "But the Lord also has good fortune; wanting to avoid the rain, a place appeared..."

"This place should be Wuzhi Peak... it resembles five fingers, hence the name."

The next day.

Looking again at the lady holding the golden tray, he also felt she was quite lovely, and his heart could not help but stir.

"This rain is too heavy; find a place to hide."

In a trance, Diyou followed the mountain path and arrived at a palace.

"Can't go on living, kill!"

Although the government troops were few in number, they were undaunted; they fired arrows first, then formed an Array and pressed forward.

"Yinshan Fujun?"

The giant in purple robes spoke, his voice like a great bell.

Several months later.

"The Prince is right; the winters have been getting colder in recent years. It is best to go south!"

Song Gongbao issued the order, and a troop of cavalry charged, scattering the refugees; after that, it was time for the cleanup.

As chaotic times were approaching, every bit of strength was precious; he had to seize it if he could, so he said immediately: "Go back and reply, tell them this Commander will go tomorrow!"

"Heaven bless the Prince! Heaven bless the Prince!"

"The morale is usable!"

Song Gongbao sighed: "Last time we attacked Tian Ruhu, we lost the Wu brothers... the brothers all want to retreat, but at this time, we really cannot retreat..."

As he spoke, he felt some sleepiness and leaned against the mountain wall to fall asleep.

And those sitting around him did not look like living people either; one of them turned their face, and half of their face was covered in black patterns.

"Go and fetch the white eagle!"

"Report!"

"Yes!"

"Living long in the wilderness, I was suddenly struck by the Great Marshal's majesty and lost my composure for a moment. Please, forgive my rudeness..." Baiyunzi stood up with the support of a Daoist acolyte: "I invite the Great Marshal to sit for a while in the quiet room; this old Daoist will go brew some tea..."

Xiao Chunyu said.

Several Hu personal guards immediately arrived at Hou Shan, then suddenly froze.

However, thinking of the Prince of Liang in Jiangzhou Prefecture, who also relied on Daoists to accomplish his goals, he changed his mind.

Beside him, Xiao Chunyu and several personal soldiers hurriedly approached: "Were you having a nightmare?"

Wanyan Lie laughed heartily, put away his bow and arrows, and gave an order to his personal soldiers.

At this thought, Diyou felt a surge of heat in his heart.

While heading to the kitchen, his hands were still trembling: 'This is truly strange... This Diyou was originally only destined to be a regional warlord, which is why I befriended him, but looking at him today... although his physiognomy has not changed much, a blue Qi is erupting three feet from the top of his head, faintly nurturing a wisp of purple... This is King Qi, a sign of nobility beyond words!'

Seeing this scene, Wanyan Lie immediately felt confident: "After returning, I must force my father the Khan to abdicate!"

Diyou made a prompt decision and led his men over, discovering it was not a cave, but a recessed cliff face with a large area, more than enough for dozens of people to take shelter from the rain.

Zhongyuan.

Above the plains.

Wu Xing offered his congratulations from the side.

"This Baiyunzi associates with the powerful and influential, yet he didn't seem Weak in his Array; could it be that he is old and has grown Weak?"

"Great Marshal, there is a cave ahead where we can take shelter from the rain!"

"Sanling Temple?"

So, the Great Song was already this Weak?

Even if I accept amnesty, as long as I stubbornly refuse to leave Little Yellow Mountain Stronghold, I will surely be able to become a regional warlord; will I not have a chance to vie for the world in the future?

Boom!

"The honored guest's Qi Luck is flourishing; you will surely be noble beyond words in the future. Today, I specially offer you a cup of thin wine!"

The giant continued speaking, and a woman who appeared to be a maidservant came to Diyou holding a golden plate and a jade cup.

"Where are my personal soldiers? Where is Xiao Chunyu?"

"Is this... my opportunity?"

"Sigh... these refugees come in wave after wave; when will it ever end?"

"Prince?"

Several personal soldiers rushed in and saw Wanyan Lie's forehead covered in sweat, yet his eyes were bright and piercing: "I dreamed... a great Buddha emitting Light; this is an auspicious omen. You must go and see it quickly."

A group of the Refugee Army held sharpened wooden sticks and bamboo poles as weapons, charging wave after wave toward the smaller number of government troops.

Diyou looked outside, seeing the sky was dim and the rain was pouring down like a waterfall, and nodded: "This rain is heavy, but it won't last long; it's a good time to rest..."

Two rows of dancing girls draped in light gauze with half-exposed shoulders walked into the hall, their beauty even surpassing the previous maidservants, making one almost think they were celestial maidens from heaven.

This temple was quite ordinary, but on the cliff behind the mountain, a huge Buddha statue had been built, standing three zhang (ten meters) high, quite magnificent and spectacular; the Hu soldiers found it strange, and many secretly came over to watch.

He had joined the army in his youth and fought his way up to become a Great Marshal; not to mention the dangers involved, how much humiliation had he endured from the Civil Officials?

That Prefect, who was inferior to him in every way, simply because he understood a bit of poetry and song, considered himself noble and pure, openly suppressing and insulting him... making him wish he could cut him down with one blade.

Diyou sat there, paying no mind to the old Daoist, thinking about his own affairs.

The group dismounted, hid inside the cliff wall, found dry firewood, lit a campfire, and roasted their clothes.

A staff officer beside him spoke, using the official language of the Great Song: "The Great Song is now ablaze on all sides; it is said that not only is there civil unrest in Jiangbei, but an Anti-King has also emerged in Jiangnan. We should take advantage of the chaos!"

Diyou was also puzzled.

Wu Xing also knew his brother regretted it, but at this moment he advised: "Times are different now... Privy Councilor Gao Qiu has gradually gained control of the Imperial Guard, and since we have no foundation, we can only serve the Imperial Court wholeheartedly. But after fighting so many battles, many of our brothers have died, yet the Imperial Court's compensation is long overdue... the brothers are a bit disheartened."

The soldiers in the front row were all wearing armor; not to mention wooden spears, they could even defend against iron blades and swords, remaining unmoved even when the enemy stabbed them, and with every blade they swung, they took a life, like reefs in a flood.

"Congratulations, General, you have won another battle."

The blue-purple giant also revealed a smile: "But if you wish to marry my daughter, you must offer half the world as a dowry. Go!"

"General?" Wu Xing hurriedly supported him, shocked: "What happened?"

"Another regional commander has rebelled in Jiangnan and even killed the Prefect... The Hu Prince in the north has seized power and has already led his troops south..." Song Gongbao's eyes were filled with tears: "I fear this means... the world is about to fall into chaos!"

If I had known it would come to this, why accept any damn amnesty?

(End of chapter)