Chapter 227

Pei Shangyan took the direct route and soon arrived at Xiangcheng.

This place is just one city away from the Li County where Gu Rongjin and his troops are stationed, according to the intelligence.

He came to a high point and looked into the distance at Li County, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

"Your Highness!" the scout crawled over, stumbling: "Your Highness! Something terrible has happened!"

Pei Shangyan was already in a foul mood; seeing the scout so rash, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of irritation: "What is it?!"

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, it's terrible! Prince Jia has triumphantly returned and already reached the foot of Li County!" the scout said with clasped hands.

"What?!"

How could he have not received a single bit of news all along the way?

"Really?!" Pei Shangyan asked in disbelief.

"It's absolutely certain, their great army has already arrived near Li County!" the scout said anxiously.

Pei Shangyan felt a buzz in his head, and his whole body felt a little unsteady.

Prince Jia actually triumphed? He triumphed!

How many troops could they have? Could they defeat a coalition of several hundred thousand?

"You just said 'great army'—how many people are in their 'great army'?"

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, it is said that they have one hundred thousand surrendered troops and prisoners!"

One hundred thousand?!

Pei Shangyan's palms were sweating.

In other words, these rebel forces now have over a hundred thousand troops at their command?

Moreover, Prince Jia's victory with the staff will surely win him great popular support!

Pei Shangyan clenched his palms.

He couldn't understand why Father Emperor hadn't initially sent Qi Shihuai to lead troops against the coalition, when they had a million elite troops—annihilating those enemy forces should have been a piece of cake!

But he knew that dwelling on this now was useless; the immediate predicament was pressing.

On his way down to the camp, Pei Shangyan could hear everywhere people discussing Prince Jia, praising him without end, and even many wanted to go to Li County to catch a glimpse of his bearing.

"I never expected that besides General Qi, there would be another such valiant war god, beating the enemy forces to utter ruin!"

"Isn't that right? It's truly a sigh of relief and exalted brows!"

"We've really had enough of this resentment; now I see who would still dare to bully us!"

"I heard that Fusang Country and Huangli Country sent surrender letters overnight, unwilling to fight further, so Prince Jia only then ceased hostilities and withdrew his troops."

"Tens of thousands of troops have been knocked flat by our prince's mere ten-thousand-plus forces; are they waiting for annihilation instead of surrender?"

Listening to these words, Pei Shangyan's brows would sometimes relax and sometimes furrow—he was glad the coalition had retreated and surrendered, yet worried about such battle results, wondering what they should do.

Was the coalition's surrender letter sent directly to Prince Jia, without needing Father Emperor's signature?

As for the Yun Jing Lou, after going to spy on the enemy camp there has been no word, and we don't know if they were captured.

Nothing but bad news!

Ah Zhi is still in the enemy camp; we don't know how she is now.

Lao Si and Xiao Yichen should also have been detained.

Pei Shangyan rubbed his forehead, feeling as if he had suddenly aged ten or more years.

At this moment, Li County was filled with music and dance, an atmosphere of peace and prosperity.

Prince Jia's troops, upon entering the city, were met with an extraordinarily enthusiastic welcome, as nearly all the townsfolk came out to greet this triumphant hero; he sat on his horse, somewhat dazed.

Once, he was like a weed, casually tossed into Yingxu State as a hostage; for over thirty years no one paid him any heed, and his not dying in a foreign land was simply fate's decree—something he had believed since childhood.

Therefore he endured hardship, accumulated strength, and achieved fame in a single battle!

Qi Shihuai had already come out to greet him, and Mu Yuanzhi and Gu Rongjin naturally came as well, to welcome their great war god's triumphant return.

They stood on the city tower; soon Qi Shihuai would give a speech—strike while the iron is hot, when else to win over the people's hearts if not now?

【42】

Mu Zhanzhi stood on the city tower, looking down at the dark, dense crowd below, feeling a bit nervous.

"Little Yuanzhi." Sensing her change in mood, Gu Rongjin put his arm around her shoulders: "Don't worry, this is heaven's will; we now have favorable timing, advantageous terrain, and harmonious hearts."

At first, he too was hesitant and indecisive.

Would he leave a name condemned for all ages? Is this what a subject ought to do? Would it shake the foundations of the state? How would future histories record this episode?

But once he had made up his mind, he had no further worries whatsoever!

Never mind all that; to be a person, one need only have a clear conscience.

To continue letting a misplaced sovereign wreak havoc on the realm and its people is to aid a tyrant in his wickedness!

Mu Yuanzhi nodded; as long as he was by her side, her heart could instantly settle.

Indeed, the present emperor is utterly unfit to remain on that throne; he originally had no right to inherit the crown, and not allowing the extraordinarily virtuous and capable Prince Jia to ascend as emperor?

Prince Jia's great army arrived at the city tower, and Qi Shihuai began to deliver his speech.

Mu Yuanzhi watched from close at hand; Qi Shihuai, indeed an unbeatable war god with vast battlefield experience, knew how to rally morale and move hearts—his impassioned speech was highly compelling, every word striking straight at the soul.

Even if she were merely an ordinary commoner, she would be persuaded by him at this moment.

Just as Mu Yuanzhi was lost in thought, a thunderous response erupted below, wave after wave of sound swelling higher; she was utterly stunned, standing there dazed.

She seemed to have already seen the new prosperous era they would create together, making her blood boil as well!

The cheers rang to the heavens, seeming able to reach distant Jingcheng, to reach the emperor's ears.

At this moment the emperor was taking a brief rest when he suddenly startled awake, his heart pounding wildly for no reason.

The emperor rose, and the chief eunuch, bewildered, followed the just-awakened emperor as he hurriedly descended the jade steps; the eunuch took small steps to the outer hall, only to see the emperor, his back turned, standing in the sunlight, gazing into the distance with a complex expression.

"Did you hear that?"

The chief eunuch dubiously perked up his ears to listen for a while, then shook his head: "Your Majesty, this old servant heard no sound…"

The emperor didn't turn his head to look at him, continuing to gaze into the distance, "I heard it, the cheers."

The chief eunuch understood instantly; he said, "Your Majesty, attending to state affairs is taxing; the dragon body is important."

It must be that the news of Prince Jia's triumphant return has left Your Majesty unable to rest or eat.

The emperor let out a long sigh, "His royal younger brother actually conceals his abilities so deeply."

He has all along overlooked such an important hidden danger!

Now he has become a madman soundly sleeping on his own bed!

Qi Shi Huai has rebelled, Gu Rongjin, Prince Pingnan, has rebelled—what commanders does he still have at his disposal?

He can't even mobilize those vassal princes; with so many people, no one is heading to the capital!

"You say, who should I send to suppress these rebels?"

"" The chief eunuch dared not answer randomly; a flash of inspiration struck him, and he suggested, "Your Majesty, why not go ask the National Teacher?"

"You're right, I'll go ask him now." The emperor gave him an approving glance.

Also Jian Yu, the empire's pacifying pill, he can surely share the ruler's worries!

"Your Majesty, there is one more matter: Princess Yunxi seems to have slipped out of the capital; perhaps she is going to find Senior Grand Secretary Xiao."