Chapter 592

Linghu Qingqing became the founding divine emperor of the Green Hill Divine Kingdom.

It's amazing, formerly in Anyang City……oh, now renamed Green Hill City, the surrounding rampaging rebel troops, each one extremely obedient, like docile little white rabbits, put down their weapons and surrendered to the Green Hill Army……oh, or using the term "regularization" would be more appropriate.

Originally, the main force of these rebels was the provincial troops of each province, you know.

Originally, the reason for their rebellion was the foolish emperor and treacherous officials, you know.

Now the foolish emperor has been kicked out, the treacherous officials have disappeared, and the Son of Heaven is on the throne, so they naturally recalled the glory of being provincial troops and remembered their duty as hereditary military households, you know.

Therefore, as the reorganized military department issued orders one after another, the rebels from each province lined up in neat rows, carrying countless plundered civilian fat and grease, shouldering one after another of the daintily captured maidens and young wives, beating drums and blowing bugles, they marched joyfully into the new camp to receive reorganization.

From the original provincial troops of the Great Jin Divine Kingdom, they were reorganized into the provincial troops of the Green Hill Divine Kingdom.

Besides the average military pay rising by about ten percent, each province's establishment expanded by about thirty percent, the number of officers in the military increased by about half, and otherwise there wasn't much change, you know.

Raising military pay, expanding establishment, increasing the proportion of officers—this was originally what Linghu Qingqing had agreed upon with the many great and minor military families that followed him. If even this little benefit weren't given, those military families would have gone crazy, sending their elite sons to join the rebels for no reason, leading the rebels to loot homes everywhere, right?

With the reorganization, moreover, one imperial edict after another spread throughout the world.

Linghu Qingqing solemnly told the world that all the rebels were the fault of the Sima clan's foolish emperor, and were the fault of the Sima clan's foolish emperor favoring treacherous officials. But now that the Son of Heaven is on the throne, the rebels, moved by his virtue, have seen the error of their ways, reformed themselves, and turned from rebels back into fine young men who defend home and country.

Therefore, during the period when they were rebels, all their crimes are pardoned.

Therefore, during the period when they were rebels, all their gains are lawful.

Including the maidens and young wives seized by the rebels during the period when they were rebels, they shall reasonably and lawfully become the wives of those rebels; Linghu Qingqing's imperial edict graciously bestows upon them the status of lawful husband and wife!

A perfect ending.

The rebel provincial troops from each province all raised their wine jars and bowls, drinking deeply and happily, and in unison shouted, "May Linghu Qingqing enjoy boundless longevity!"

The rebels are no longer causing trouble.

The civil officials have become efficient.

The military officers began to obey and follow orders.

Thus, the previously stagnant divine kingdom's civil and military affairs suddenly burst forth with terrifying power.

One transport unit after another was reorganized, one corps after another was reorganized, and wave after wave of mighty troops continuously surged from the north, northeast, and east toward the southwestern provinces ravaged by the Great Martial Divine Kingdom.

The prefects and governors of all provinces and commanderies of the Great Jin Divine Kingdom all issued documents, swearing allegiance to Linghu Qingqing. They mobilized the manpower and material resources of all provinces and commanderies, organizing them into a massive force that was integrated into the newly organized Anti-Martial Army.

Moreover, the outlaws under the jurisdiction of the "Fox Tail"—these bandits who once looted homes and harmed a region—have transformed themselves into the Qingqiu Divine Kingdom's "Forbidden Demon Hall Inspection Envoys" that monitor the world, leading large forces to roam in all directions, seeking anyone suspected of colluding with the remnants of the Sima clan.

For example, those belonging to the First Army and other military families who have gone into hiding.

Led by the First Clan, those who remained loyal to the Sima clan but vanished after their defeat in the southwest have always been a thorn in Linghu Qingqing's heart; not finding them, not cutting them to pieces, Linghu Qingqing simply cannot rest easy.

Of course, aside from these major troubles of the First Army, Linghu Qingqing……more precisely, it is Linghu Jian and Linghu Wenwen and other members of the Linghu clan who had suffered setbacks at Wu Tie's hands; they turned their gaze toward Wu Tie.

The former dynasty's Duke of Yu Prefecture, Wu Tie, now commands the Four Gardens Twelve Guards Forbidden Army and is stationed not far from Green Hill City.

How can one allow others to snore beside the bedside?

Wu Tie has now become the greatest remaining threat to Linghu Qingqing's Green Hill Divine Kingdom left over from the former dynasty.

However, Wu Tie's Four Gardens Twelve Guards Forbidden Army is now quite obedient, stationed without moving in the wilderness at the junction of three provinces, while the forces of the Great Martial Divine Kingdom grow ever more rampant, so Linghu Qingqing for the moment can't be bothered to deal with him.

Indeed, Wu Tie's great army is too close to Green Hill City, and he also holds the two great killing weapons of the Black Heaven Cauldron and the Four Spirits Warship; even if Linghu Qingqing had divine aid and possessed more than a dozen national treasures of divine-artifact grade, he would still fear that a great battle would shatter Green Hill City and ruin his face.

Enduring, just enduring for now.

Thousands of extremely tiny scout hovercraft loomed on the distant horizon, large numbers of the most elite military scouts lurked in the surrounding mountains and forests, and countless shadowy figures appeared around the camp of the Four Gardens Twelve Guards Forbidden Army, all the soldiers feeling uneasy in their hearts.

Only the Five Elements Spirits remained utterly unmoved.

They daily conducted high-spirited drills of battle formations in the high skies, coordinating with the Four Spirits Warship's patrols in all directions, thereby upholding the appearance and grandeur of Wu Tie, the Duke of Yu Prefecture.

More than half a month after Linghu Qingqing's ascension, at midnight, within the camp of the Four Gardens Twelve Guards Forbidden Army, a sharp alarm suddenly sounded.

The Wu family's 120,000 sons had already been integrated into the Forbidden Army in an extremely short time; under their formidable personal martial prowess, under their brutal and direct style of conduct, and with the Five Elements Spirits' obedient assistance, they had completely mastered the entire Forbidden Army.

Amidst the brutal shouting, the Four Gardens Twelve Guards Forbidden Army charged out of the barracks, the Wu family's sons brutally kicked their buttocks, driving them onto the warship. Amid the astonished cries of the surrounding military scouts, Wu Tie gathered his great army in just a quarter of an hour, and then the warship shot up into the sky, flying swiftly due south.

The most urgent military news was swiftly transmitted to Green Hill City, startling countless prominent figures within the city.

When these prominent figures heard that the Duke of Yu Prefecture's great army had finally moved, countless people shouted in alarm, and the camp of the newly organized city defense forces within Green Hill City instantly blazed with lights, as countless elite troops rushed out of the barracks and sprinted madly toward the four city walls.

But shortly thereafter, news of the movements of the Four Gardens Twelve Guards great army arrived, and the alarms within Green Hill City were immediately turned down several notches.

The Four Gardens Twelve Guards have been dispatched—what are they going to do?

They headed due south, which is not the direction of Green Hill City—what are they doing over there?

Linghu Qingqing's vast intelligence system immediately sprang into action, beginning to investigate the direction in which the Four Gardens Twelve Guards Forbidden Army was advancing, to determine what valuable target lay ahead.

The records of the great clans and aristocratic families of each prefecture, county, and major city in the south were turned over one by one; hundreds of thousands of capable officials frowned as they sifted through mountains of data, selecting information that might be valuable.

Soon, information gathered into the hands of Linghu Qingqing, Gongyang Sanlü, and other high-ranking officials of the Green Hill Divine Kingdom.

To the south of the station of the Four Gardens Twelve Guards Forbidden Army lies a prefecture called "Gan Prefecture", whose territory is vast, five or six times the size of an ordinary prefecture, yet it is high in mountains and dense in forests, with many hills and marshes, extremely little arable fertile land, and its other mineral resources are also not rich; therefore Gan Prefecture is merely a lower-grade prefecture.

Gan Prefecture also has an owner.

Its master, the Duke of Gan Prefecture, had ancestors who were founding dukes; the family's fortunes rose and fell over the generations, at its worst the family's enfeoffment had been demoted to a third-rank count, but relying on the ancestral incense and the camaraderie of the founding merit, later generations also proved themselves, after several rises and falls they ultimately climbed back to the rank of second-rank duke, preserving the ancestral foundation.

The Duke of Gan Prefecture and the First Clan have some acquaintance.

Three generations ago, the Duke of Gan Prefecture, in order to revive the family business, went all out for the Divine Might Army, expanding territory for the Great Jin Divine Kingdom, falling into deadly desperation seven times and each time receiving rescue reinforcements from the First Clan.

Naturally, the Gan Prefecture Duke's household and the First Clan became affined by marriage. But later, among the younger generations of the two families, some discrepancies arose, some conflicts broke out, and over the past thousand or so years, the two families have hardly interacted, gradually turning from relatives into strangers.

Linghu Qingqing's subordinates have recently been frenziedly hunting down the First Army and other members of the First Clan, as well as those from military families who disappeared together with them.

Previously, the lineage of the Duke of Gan Prefecture had also come into their sight.

However, after a brief investigation, Linghu Qingqing's close aides felt that, given the strength of the Gan Prefecture Duke's lineage, it was utterly impossible for them to help the First Army and others hide, so the Gan Prefecture Duke's lineage was cleared of suspicion.

Moreover, when Linghu Qingqing ascended the throne, the Duke of Gan Prefecture hurriedly submitted a pledge of loyalty in the first batch; because Linghu Qingqing's accession brought great rewards to the world, the originally second-rank duke lineage of Gan Prefecture was promoted to first-rank duke!

"Gan Prefecture? Is the Duke of Yu Prefecture taking his great army to Gan Prefecture? Has their route not changed yet?" Linghu Qingqing slammed his fist on his dragon throne, pointing at the now‑minister of war, his second son Linghu Jian, and sternly rebuked: "Investigate, investigate thoroughly—I need to know what the Duke of Yu Prefecture, Huo Xiong, is actually up to……hmm, perhaps also investigate the Gan Prefecture Duke's lineage……"

Linghu Qingqing's present scolding of his second son Linghu Jian is just like cursing a worthless grandson.

On the day of the ascension ceremony, Linghu Qingqing forcibly conferred the title of Silver Fish Child, and the first to jump out in opposition was Linghu Jian!

Therefore, Linghu Qingqing now truly does not want this biological son……if it weren't for the fact that Linghu Jian is after all his biological son, if he were replaced by another subordinate, Linghu Qingqing would long ago have sent him to the southwestern front to fight to the death—out of sight, out of mind.

Even so, if Linghu Jian shows any slight inadequacy, Linghu Qingqing will not spare him.

Go ahead and curse him to death, after all he's our own son—no matter how you scold him, it's fine.

Linghu Jian ran out of the Qingqiu Palace, face covered in dust and soot, heading toward the military headquarters; meanwhile he secretly resolved that no matter what, Silver Fish would never rise to power. She, and any future illegitimate offspring she might have, dare not even think of laying a finger on the Linghu clan's eternal foundation!

Clenching his fists tightly, Linghu Jian gritted his teeth and sprinted all the way, cursing under his breath.

If he doesn't work himself to death, it won't do……Given Linghu Qingqing's current attitude toward him, if he makes a mistake, she could truly order him to be held at the imperial city gate and beaten with the bastinado.

Ah, a father beating his son is perfectly natural—what can you say about it?

Wu Tie acted too quickly—so fast that Linghu Qingqing's troops couldn't react in time.

The thirty-six Four Spirit warships went full throttle, aided by the Black Heaven Cauldron; the massive fleet surged into Ganzhou with the speed of thunder before one could cover one's ears, then unleashed a barrage of gunfire that shattered a mountain range within a radius of nearly a thousand li, leaving heaven and earth torn apart.

A shocking event occurred: after the surface of that mountain range was destroyed, an enormous cavern suddenly appeared underground, from which a great number of standard warships of the Divine State of Dai Jin shot up into the sky, howling as they joined Wu Tie's fleet in a mass.

The Four Spirit warships burst forth with immeasurable light, the Black Heaven Cauldron spewed torrents of black vapor, and the mountain range within a radius of a thousand li was shrouded in that light and darkness; the military scouts following behind could not approach, nor dare to approach.

In short, all one saw were pillars of light flying wildly across the sky, while broken warship hulls mixed with countless fragments of corpses, shattered armor, and weapons rained down from high above, blood spattering everywhere, and the ground was pockmarked with huge, deep pits.

Wu Tie's great shout shook heaven and earth; he suddenly bellowed, "Old traitor of the First Army, give me your life! I am utterly loyal to the present sovereign—how could I tolerate scum like you, remnants of the former dynasty, living here in ease and pleasure!"

The scouts stared, dumbstruck.

Shortly afterward, Wu Tie's words were swiftly sent back to Qingqiu City.

Linghu Qingqing, who had been waiting for news in the Qingqiu Palace, was also taken aback; she then burst into loud laughter, slapping her thighs wildly as she laughed.

He who knows the times is a true hero—hahaha, I like it, I like it, this Lord of Yuzhou is an interesting person, an interesting person… hahaha! Linghu Qingqing laughed until tears streamed down her face: "He actually found the First Army? Indeed, indeed, he also counts as a loyal minister of Sima Xian; the whereabouts of the First Army—he might very well know."

Marvelous beyond words, marvelous beyond words… hahaha, if Lord Yuzhou Huo Xiong can truly bring back the head of the First Army, I will surely not stint on rewards… Moreover, I will bestow great honors, I want the world to understand that I am…

Gongyang Sanlü coughed lightly beside him: "But Your Majesty, initially we smeared Lord Yuzhou as a villainous minister!"

Linghu Qingqing waved her hand grandly and said: "Under Sima Xian he was a villain, but under my rule he becomes a pillar of the state—this alone shows my sagacity and the great difference between me and the foolish rulers of the former dynasty."

Gongyang Sanlü smiled without speaking: "All right, very good, as long as you're happy."

The battle at Ganzhou did not last long; with the Black Heaven Cauldron, the state treasure of the Divine Martial State, in hand, plus the formidable strength of the Four Spirit warships, after just two hours, the army Linghu Qingqing had mustered still hadn't reached Ganzhou when a tremendous boom rang out—Wu Tie, drenched in blood, hoisted a huge head and shot straight up into the sky, then raised the head and let out a great shout.

The remnants of the former dynasty's First Army have been slain by this lord!

Long live the Divine Emperor of Qingqiu, may his reign be boundless!

As Wu Tie shouted that slogan, he himself felt it was awkward and cloying… really… the script concocted by that fellow Sima Wuyou is utterly worthless.