Chapter 334: Fleeting Ambition

"Please rest assured, Your Highness, the Dou Family will never abandon you."

Dou Wei suddenly laughed softly.

He had watched the Third Prince grow up and knew that his personality was suspicious.

With Dou Wei saying this, Zhao Mu felt a bit better, but his face still carried a look of confusion.

Seeing this, Dou Wei continued: "Sometimes dealing with enemies requires swords, sometimes it requires a smiling face, and more often than not, it requires a smiling face hiding a sword. But regardless of whether it is a sword or a smile, as long as the enemy falls in the end, that is all that matters."

Pacing back and forth, he said: "The matter in Jinzhou is a sword. Although the result was not very good, it also caused Yan Wang to lose quite a few troops. But until we find the next, sharper sword, you and I need to show Yan Wang a smiling face to maximize our interests."

Zhao Mu nodded slightly, "I understand, Uncle. For now, on the surface, we should not offend Yan Wang too much. After all, there are some things for which we still have use for him."

He was aware of the Dou Family's failure to replicate the Artillery.

Dou Wei nodded, and remembering something, he said: "However, it is not all bad news."

"Oh?" Zhao Mu revealed an interested expression.

"Yan Wang killing the heads of the Four Great Noble Clans in Jinzhou has caused the noble clans of the world to buzz with discussion. In the last few days, many powerful clans from various regions have come to me to complain and denounce Yan Wang," Dou Wei said.

Zhao Mu's eyes turned, and he suddenly realized.

Yan Wang's actions in Yanzhou had long since made the powerful clans and noble clans dissatisfied.

But by taking advantage of the suppression of the Yuan Family rebellion, although the noble clans hated him, they could only break their teeth and swallow them into their stomachs.

Now, Yan Wang was slaughtering again in Jinzhou, which clearly showed he did not take the noble clans of the world seriously.

In this way, he had thoroughly offended the powerful clans and noble clans of the Great Song.

"An Imperial Prince without the support of the powerful clans and noble clans cannot compete with you for the throne," Dou Wei finally said.

In truth, there was another reason he detested Yan Wang: Yan Wang was gradually gaining favor.

This made him worry that Yan Wang might also join the struggle for the succession.

But Yan Wang had cut himself off from the noble clans and powerful clans, which was equivalent to abandoning his own qualifications to compete for the throne.

After all, the entire world of the Great Song relied on the noble clans to maintain it.

The powerful clans were merely the outstanding ones who had fought their way out from among these noble clans.

If Yan Wang had any intention of competing for the throne, the noble clans of the world would fall into a state of panic.

They would certainly fully support the powerful clans to stop Yan Wang.

"That is exactly the logic," Zhao Mu said, the corners of his mouth rising.

It was not just him; with Yan Wang's reputation currently so prominent, even the Second Prince and the Crown Prince likely had this worry in their hearts.

But now that the noble clans were discussing Yan Wang in this way, even if his Imperial Father had such thoughts, he would have to dispel them.

Because choosing Yan Wang was simply like choosing a war that would engulf the entire Great Song.

It would not cease until one side fell.

"It is just that even so, after I ascend the throne, Yan Wang will still be a threat," Zhao Mu suddenly frowned.

Dou Wei narrowed his eyes, "That is why we must patiently wait for a sharper sword."

Zhao Mu nodded slightly.

At this moment, Dou Wei looked at Zhao Mu, hesitated for a moment, and said: "In the last two days, I have been thinking that Your Highness is still missing one thing to prepare for the struggle for the succession."

"I ask for your guidance, Uncle."

"Military merit," Dou Wei spat out the two words. "Among the current Imperial Princes, only Yan Wang has illustrious military merit. If Your Highness can obtain a share of military merit, even if Yan Wang supports the Deposed Crown Prince, the Deposed Crown Prince will have no qualifications to return to the position of heir."

"Military merit?" Zhao Mu frowned, "Does Uncle mean for me to go to Jinzhou?"

Dou Wei shook his head and turned to the west, "It is Yizhou. There are often wars between the Xiao Family and Gaochang, and my Dou Family and the Xiao Family have always been on good terms. Getting them to yield some military merit to you will not be a problem."

Zhao Mu felt a surge of excitement.

How could he not envy Yan Wang's military merit?

If he himself could establish military merit, he would be one step ahead of the Second Prince and the Crown Prince.

Dou Wei continued, "Once you have military merit, I will then gather the strength of the Xiao Family, the Dou Family, and the Ma Family to submit a memorial to ensure you sit on the position of Crown Prince."

"Many thanks, Uncle," Zhao Mu was overjoyed.

Then he spoke more idle words with Dou Wei, and they only parted late at night.

Several more days passed.

Zhao Xu's memorial regarding the capture of Tongguan reached Jingshi, making the already joyful atmosphere in Jingshi even more intense.

After reading the memorial, Zhao Heng broke out in a cold sweat.

With Tongguan taken, Jinzhou could henceforth be considered truly under the control of the Great Song.

It was just that he had not expected the Northern Di to have such sinister intentions.

If Yan Wang's troops had not taken Tongguan in time, once it fell into the hands of the Northern Di, the Great Song would never have another day of peace.

"Liang Cheng, who do you think is most suitable to go to Jinzhou? Since Jinzhou has been taken, it cannot be lost again. There must be someone reliable to govern Jinzhou," Zhao Heng said.

The smile on Liang Cheng's face bunched up like a flower, "Actually, on the day of the garden tour, Your Majesty already had a candidate in mind."

"You old fox," Zhao Heng laughed.

He had indeed found a candidate, and this person was none other than Ma Yuan.

First, Ma Yuan had a good personal relationship with Yan Wang, and Yan Wang would not make things difficult for him.

Second, Ma Yuan was a member of the Ma Family. If he chose a member of the Ma Family, then what could Ma Chong and Ma Jin say?

Third, he understood Ma Yuan's character; he would certainly manage Jinzhou well for him.

Therefore, this candidate for Prefect of Jinzhou had to be Ma Yuan.

"However, Ma Yuan is skilled in administration but not in leading troops. There must be someone to assist him," Zhao Heng frowned, "Why not let Mo Kuan go?"

The Mo Family had always been loyal to the Imperial Court.

Currently, only if Mo Kuan went to Jinzhou to lead the troops would he feel at ease.

Although these two often speak for Yan Wang, it is only out of public duty, so he does not believe they would take orders from Yan Wang.

Liang Cheng nodded and smiled, "Your Majesty is wise."

Zhao Heng was very satisfied with his decision, and then he remembered another important matter.

It is said that this time Yan Wang used a type of firearm in Jinzhou again, which is said to be very similar to the firearms in the Divine Machine Battalion.

Previously, he only treated the Divine Machine Battalion as a ceremonial guard, never expecting that such things could also be used to fight wars.

But whether it is this thing that looks like a fire poker, or the Artillery and Armor, Yan Wang seems to be very proficient in them all.

This time, he wants to formally give Yan Wang a military supply list to procure Armor and firearms for the Imperial Court's Forbidden Army, to strengthen the combat power of the Forbidden Army.

Thinking this, he suddenly noticed in the bronze mirror on the desk that there were strands of white hair at his temples.

His heart jolted, and he was suddenly overcome with a complex mix of emotions.

Ever since he ascended the throne, he had been controlled by the Dou Family, living in a daze for decades, indulging in pleasure and unable to extricate himself.

But now, he suddenly wants to do something great.

With Jinzhou brought back into the territory of Great Song, the only place that has fallen into enemy hands now is the Ningjin Dusi.

If he could also recover the Ningjin Dusi, he would undoubtedly become a sage monarch for the ages, sung of by historians.

However, thinking of the Northern Di, a wave of fear washed over him.

This is a nightmare that even makes him wake up in the middle of the night.

Shaking his head, he cast this unrealistic thought to the back of his mind.

Then he picked up a brush to draft the Imperial Edict, and after stamping it with the great seal, he ordered it to be sent to Yanzhou.