Chapter 506

Sima Zhi suddenly became hot to the touch, and even turned purplish-red.

As a prince who could be so bored as to play bird-snaring games in the offices of the Capital Garrison Command, whose daily pleasure was going to restaurants after work to eat and drink, Sima Zhi had once been like a salted fish...

No, he was a salted fish, a salted fish with no aspirations whatsoever.

But the shifting tides of the court suddenly made this old salted fish juicy and plump, and instantly attracted countless drooling cats.

Grandly and openly, one splendid carriage after another drove out from the mansions of nobles and aristocrats in Anyang City, clattering into Sima Zhi's princely mansion, and then one splendid gift box after another flowed out of the carriages like water, swiftly entering the treasury of the Xuanwang Mansion.

Precious Dao pills one by one, divine weapons one by one, heavenly divine weapons, postnatal spirit treasures, even those priceless innate items that ordinary people could never hope to see.

And there were gorgeous, lively beauties one by one, rare birds and beasts with terrifying cultivation one by one, and even various exotic beauties full of charm... all flowing in like water into the Xuanwang Mansion, taking up residence in pavilions and towers, moving into the spotless animal pens.

Then, according to the value of the gifts sent, these nobles and aristocrats received from Sima Zhi's radiant hands appointment documents stamped with the great seal of the Capital Garrison Command and Sima Zhi's personal seal.

The three imperial gardens' forbidden armies—West Garden, North Garden, South Garden—each had one first-rank general-level colonel, twelve second-rank general-level deputy colonels, and civil and military officials of every rank numbering in the thousands—these were all choice positions.

Besides the reestablished three garden forbidden armies, the Capital Garrison Command also had to reestablish the Twelve Guards Forbidden Armies—the Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao Twelve Guards Forbidden Armies—each guard having three first-rank general-level guard commanders, thirty-six second-rank general-level deputy guard commanders, and civil and military subordinate officials of every rank numbering in the tens of thousands.

For many years, the Linghu clan had controlled the military department of Great Jin, and many key positions in the Great Jin military were held by elite generals from military families.

The descendants of the Sima clan of the Great Jin imperial family, although some served in the military, were everywhere restrained by generals from military families, and their influence in the military was far inferior to that of the military families.

And the reestablishment of the three garden forbidden armies and the Twelve Guards Forbidden Armies by the Capital Garrison Command was overseen by Prince Xuan, Sima Zhi.

Countless imperial relatives and nobles, seeing the enormous benefits here, came rushing in, panting and hurrying—to secure a future for their beloved concubine sons, to place a few backups in the military for their families... in short, they had sufficient reasons to convince themselves to send Sima Zhi astronomically priced gifts.

Linghu Qingqing's words in the court had already spread.

In the war against Great Wu, there is no doubt many will die.

Many elite soldiers in the military will fall in battle, including countless elite generals from military families.

After the great war, the military department's power will inevitably shrink greatly, while the Capital Garrison Command's reestablishment of the three garden forbidden armies and the Twelve Guards Forbidden Armies—this force will undoubtedly, after the great war, be sufficient to influence court affairs.

Holding military power, to suppress one side.

Greatly expanding one's influence in the court—this is what many Great Jin imperial nobles and many idle enfeoffed nobles of Great Jin dream of.

Linghu Qingqing's control over the military department is extremely strict; Great Jin imperial nobles and idle enfeoffed nobles wanting to meddle in the military department basically have no possibility.

But this time, the opportunity has come.

No matter what purpose it stems from, Linghu Qingqing actually let the Capital Garrison Command, this clear-water office among clear-water offices, suddenly become the most prominent red door in the Great Jin court.

Whatever secrets lie behind it, the entire Anyang City was stirred.

Linghu Qingqing's name was also constantly mentioned in the mouths of many nobles and aristocrats; some people laughed, wondering if Linghu Qingqing had become an old fool, yet they couldn't help but raise their hands in praise—Left Minister this time, truly did a great good deed.

The Capital Garrison Command quickly took over a large estate nearby; young talents from the mansions of Anyang City, holding appointment documents exchanged for countless rare treasures, came one by one in bright armor, faces full of spring breeze, leading large private military guards to report for duty.

Civil and military officials quickly filled the estate of the Capital Garrison Command; high-ranking officials sat in the main hall with imposing presence, while low-ranking officials and clerks without rank waved various documents back and forth.

Groups of the Capital Garrison Command's personnel, holding banners aloft and riding mounts, swiftly charged out of Anyang City to rush to nearby prefectures and counties.

Even more large groups of the Capital Garrison Command's personnel, boarding the fastest flying warships, passed through spatial gates and set off for distant prefectures and counties.

They carried the recruitment orders issued by Sima Zhi, rushing to various places in Great Jin to recruit soldiers and buy horses.

The original garrisons of the three garden forbidden armies and Twelve Guards Forbidden Armies were bustling with vehicles and horses; countless building materials were transported in, and construction teams began repairing barracks, building defensive formations, and laying out various prohibitions.

The workshops and factories of the Great Jin Armory Department set up in various prefectures and counties burned hot and fierce, with flames and thick smoke dyeing the sky red.

Countless weapons and armor flowed out like water from the workshops and factories, then swiftly transported to the warehouses of the Capital Garrison Command in Anyang City.

All factories and mines related to forging worked overtime; piles of ore as high as mountains were dug from underground and then sent into the monstrous workshops and factories.

The many pastures and ranches under Prince Ning gathered head after head of fat, strong mounts; after being branded with the clear mark of the Capital Garrison Command on their rumps by red-hot branding irons, large herds of mounts were loaded onto giant transport ships and slowly flew toward Anyang City.

Bustling, fiery, the entire Anyang City, half of the Great Jin Divine Kingdom, were stirred into commotion by the sudden rise of the Capital Garrison Command.

Three days later, a huge caravan slowly flew out of the spatial gate, arriving above a storage field hundreds of li from Anyang City, then began to descend slowly.

This caravan came from Pingzhou, a million li from Anyang City.

It is famous in the Great Jin Divine Kingdom as a producer of various rare spiritual medicines; every year the Great Jin military department purchases huge quantities of various grades of spirit pills, immortal pills, and even Dao pills in Pingzhou.

The medicine trade in Pingzhou is dominated by three major merchant alliances.

One of these merchant alliances, the "Three Rivers Convergence," ranks first in comprehensive strength among the three major merchant alliances, controlling half of Pingzhou's herbal medicine and pill production.

This caravan, consisting of one hundred transport ships and five hundred armed cargo ships, belongs to the Three Rivers Convergence.

The news that the Capital Garrison Command had turned from a salted fish into a dragon, reestablishing the three garden forbidden armies and the Twelve Guards Forbidden Armies, spread quickly, and the Three Rivers Convergence, being highly responsive, immediately dispatched large quantities of stored medicines to Anyang City.

Speaking of the three garden forbidden armies and Twelve Guards Forbidden Armies, setting aside the various medicines needed on the battlefield, just saying that their soldiers' daily cultivation consumes auxiliary pills that could pile up into a small hill.

The Three Rivers Convergence has backing and support; the medicines they bring can be guaranteed to be purchased by the Capital Garrison Command, and the purchase price will at least be thirty percent higher than market price!

The military department's purchasing—Three Rivers Convergence dares not entertain any thoughts.

Linghu Qingqing's methods are ruthless; in military purchasing, the Three Rivers Convergence only dares to actively lower prices, and absolutely dares not to use knives on military department purchases.

But the Capital Garrison Command...

The head of the Three Rivers Convergence stood on the prow of the lead flying ship, grinning so wide his mouth could hardly close.

Capital Garrison Command, imperial purchasing—hehe, this is the biggest chunk of fat meat under heaven; the masters of the Three Rivers Convergence actually only added a thirty percent markup, and in this steward's view, this is simply too kind and soft-hearted.

Who doesn't know that imperial business is the easiest to do?

Even buying a cabbage stalk from the imperial household requires paying the price of a gold nugget.

Tsk tsk.

Only adding a thirty percent markup—really too kind and soft-hearted.

"Ah, masters, that is also for our Great Jin... doing our utmost. A thirty percent markup? This, this, this, this is simply... too loyal and patriotic!" The steward of the Three Rivers Convergence sincerely sighed.

Then a flying sword came howling, a sword swept across his neck, a fine head sprayed with hot blood flew high into the air.

From all directions, large groups of agile, small flying ships burst forth from formation restrictions, countless soldiers in black armor, expressionless, manipulating flying knives and flying swords, sweeping across like a violent rain.

One hundred large cargo ships, five hundred armed cargo ships—the Three Rivers Convergence's caravan suffered heavy losses in an instant; busy merchant clerks, sailors, and guards on the decks were killed to the last in an extremely short time.

Dozens of powerful-aura caravan guards, relying on their cultivation and strong defensive magic treasures on their persons, forcibly broke through the soldiers' storm-like attacks and forcibly surged into midair.

"We are of the Three Rivers Convergence..." a guard leader shouted loudly.

"Kill!" A ghostly figure suddenly appeared behind him, slashing horizontally with a blade, shattering the armor on the guard captain's body, severing his head, extinguishing his life force, and destroying his divine fetus.

Dozens of guards in the Fetal Storage Realm were slaughtered in an instant by nearly a hundred commanders who appeared out of nowhere, as large groups of soldiers surged into the cargo ships and began clearing the chambers belonging to the merchant guilds, layer by layer.

Half an hour later, the storage yard belonging to Sanjiang Hui ignited with roaring bonfires, and all the slain merchant guild affiliates were burned to ashes.

The same thing happened almost simultaneously in over a hundred prefectures surrounding Anyang City.

Wolf-like and tiger-like armies stormed into one merchant guild after another, one shop after another, one mansion after another.

No words, no communication—directly moving in for the kill.

Blood flowed like rivers, corpses piled like mountains.

One wealthy magnate household after another was utterly slaughtered; local officials who had ties with them were seized and executed on the spot by special envoys dispatched by the military, wielding military orders.

During wartime, military marching law applies.

Linghu Qingqing's order directly unleashed a ferocious beast, using its most savage aspect to instantly intimidate countless people.

As previously stated, Zhao Xiu and Princess Jingcheng's mansions are not located within the Zhao family estate, but were separately established, where they reside independently in Anyang City.

Zhao Xiu is on the southwestern front, accompanying the army in resisting the Great Wu invasion; Princess Jingcheng thus became the sole female head of the Zhao household.

Zhao Xiu's character is introverted and deep, while Princess Jingcheng is extremely flamboyant, fond of luxury, and enjoys wandering and indulgence.

Early in the morning, Princess Jingcheng's phoenix palanquin appeared before the Zhao mansion, with over a hundred imperial guards mounted on their steeds, surrounding and escorting the palanquin.

Princess Jingcheng has forgotten what she did to Silver Fish a few days ago; such trivial matters are not worth the concern of a heavenly-born noble like her.

Dressed elaborately early in the morning, like a blooming crimson peony, Princess Jingcheng, supported by two maidservants, slowly walked out of the mansion gate, stood before the door, and glanced left and right for a moment.

Squinting her eyes, Princess Jingcheng calmly said: "Today, we won't go to Nine Bend Creek Hall; instead, we'll go outside the city…… well, to the Golden Pavilion in the Western Garden. The scenery at this time is superb. Let the Horse Hall Master and others come later to find me at the Golden Pavilion."

Before she could finish speaking, heavy footsteps were heard approaching.

Vast numbers of elite soldiers in heavy armor marched forward, holding iron chains in their hands like dog leashes, forcibly dragging along a large crowd of men, women, old, and young down the street.

Naturally, Zhao Xiu and Princess Jingcheng's mansion is located in the district where nobles and officials are most concentrated; surrounding mansions house prominent figures, and the streets here are usually heavily guarded with frequent patrols—ordinary people of Anyang City hardly ever get a chance to set foot here.

Thus, this nearby district is extremely secluded and clean—when has such a large troop ever paraded through the market like this?

Especially those with iron chains around their necks—men, women, old, and young—each covered in bloodstains, their garments made of extremely expensive top-quality fabric, yet torn and ragged; some women clearly suffered harassment, their ripped clothes unable to cover their bodies, exposing large patches of pale skin.

The mighty procession swiftly moved down the street; at a glance, the troop stretched at least seven or eight li long. Soldiers were wolf-like and tiger-like, while the men, women, old, and young chained together wept and wailed heavenward—cries, shouts, rebukes, and curses hung over the district like a thick, heavy porridge.

Princess Jingcheng's face suddenly twisted.

Early this morning, in good spirits, preparing to go out for some fun—then suddenly, this great chaos appeared……

Princess Jingcheng's cultivation is not weak either; with the resources of the Great Jin imperial household, she could be solidly cultivated into a Fetal Storage Realm existence. Her eyes flashed with sharp light as she instantly spotted, among the crowd, dozens of elderly men with flowing beards, originally possessing extraordinary demeanor.

She recognized them—these elders were all her allies.

They are among the most prominent merchants in Anyang City, commanding wind and rain in many trades, and have contributed vast wealth to Princess Jingcheng.

Early this morning, taking advantage of the delicate moment when Princess Jingcheng was about to go out, her trusted aides were seized like dogs and dragged before her…… Princess Jingcheng trembled with rage, without doubt—this was intentional, done deliberately by certain people!

The large troop arrived before Princess Jingcheng; suddenly, a commotion erupted in the crowd, and a soldier's arm spurted a stream of blood.

A cry of pain rang out, followed by a harsh voice from the ranks: "Dare to resist? Kill them!"

On both sides of the long procession, tens of thousands of soldiers raised their long blades in unison, chopping down at those dragged by the iron chains.

Regardless of age or gender, row after row were neatly cut down and collapsed to the ground.

Princess Jingcheng only felt her vision darken, her qi and blood surged upward, and she immediately collapsed face-first to the ground, fainting.