Chapter 1217: Liu Zheng is but a thief who steals the state

"War God! War God!"

"Lord Yu is mighty!"

"Mighty! Mighty!"

Jinghua was finally held, and a group of people had already begun to revere Yu Qian as a god.

The soldiers, the commoners, and those nobles were all incredibly happy, one by one.

Xie Ming had already walked over, his eyes flashing with a sharp glint as he looked at Yu Qian: "My beloved subject, you have rendered great service in protecting the nation; I will certainly reward you handsomely!"

"Reward!"

If it were before, Yu Qian would certainly have knelt to thank him for his grace.

However, now...

He gave a bitter smile.

In the current Longyan, it is simply not up to you, an Emperor, to decide things.

Rewards, or promotions, are still things that only Liu Zheng can decide.

Xie Ming made a "verbal promise" and immediately turned around to hide back in the Imperial Palace...

"Ah, this?"

Yu Qian gave another bitter smile.

For the first time, a wave of disappointment welled up in his heart.

Can such an Emperor really lead Longyan toward glory?

Is constitutional monarchy really wrong?

Looking at it now, that does not seem to be the case...

"It was just good luck; everyone, do not lower your guard. It is possible the Youzhou Army might turn back."

Yu Qian ordered loudly.

The crowd, who had just relaxed, immediately became tense again and picked up their weapons to stand at their respective firing points.

Although he said that, Yu Qian knew very well in his heart that the Youzhou Army would certainly not return.

He knew that the current commander of the Youzhou Army was that Military Advisor, Meng Zan.

Given the current situation, he would absolutely not attack the city to rescue the Prince of Zhao.

After all, it was he who suggested the Prince of Zhao enter the city; once the Prince of Zhao was rescued, he would be the first to be purged.

If he did not rescue him, he could return to the Zhao territory, take over all affairs in Youzhou, and then prop up a puppet. Without attacking the city, they would not be a Rebel Army, and he could safely and securely become the actual controller of Youzhou.

Therefore, without being certain of Xie Chao's life or death inside the city, he would absolutely not return to attack the city.

By preserving the two hundred thousand troops of Youzhou, he could go anywhere in the world.

With Longyan currently fighting on multiple fronts, it would not go so far as to launch a punitive expedition against Youzhou over this small matter.

It is not worth it.

The loss outweighs the gain.

The imperial court would certainly just let this matter pass on the surface, and that would be the end of it.

The reason Yu Qian said this was just to send away the people around him; he knew he was going to die.

Executing a Feudatory King without authorization is a capital crime punishable by the extermination of one's nine clans. The court officials would not care whether the Prince of Zhao had rebellious intentions; they would only look at the result.

Yu Qian leaned against the wall and gave a bitter smile. He had been single-mindedly devoted to Longyan, yet this was the result waiting for him in the end.

Although it was tragic, he did not regret it.

"If it benefits the country, I will give my life; why should I avoid it because of misfortune or good fortune?"

He had fulfilled his mission; as for the rights and wrongs, let future generations judge.

"Reinforcements have arrived!"

"Reinforcements have arrived!"

Just at this moment, another large army appeared in people's field of vision.

At first, people thought the Youzhou Army had killed their way back.

But looking closely, it was the Hanzhong Army!

The Prince of Yong's army!

Thinking that this Prince of Yong was a loyal supporter of Liu Zheng, everyone roared with excitement.

He would absolutely not become an enemy!

The Prince of Yong had also been rushing as fast as he could along the way. Upon receiving news that Tiemu City was leading the Mongol Army to raid Jinghua, he was shocked, but at the same time, he had already begun organizing his troops to rush to the aid of Jinghua.

Alas.

The main force of the Hanzhong Army had long since gone to reinforce the Northwest front.

Currently, on the Northwest front, Rumyantsev

had been launching fierce attacks on the Yanqi region.

Zou Sheng was having a very difficult time holding his ground there.

A lot of military force had been mobilized for a time.

This was why the loyalist troops, apart from the Youzhou forces, were very slow from other places. This gave the Youzhou Army an opportunity to exploit the gap.

Along the way, the Prince of Yong naturally had also been receiving various intelligence from here in Jinghua.

Yu Qian...

Repelling the enemy...

The Youzhou Army.

Every detail.

Even the white flags on the city towers were replaced; in less than two hours, the banners of the Longyan Dynasty were raised once more, and the Youzhou army departed Jinghua City.

The Feudatory King of Yong had already grasped this turn of events.

Shocking!

Beyond shocking, it was simply staggering!

He found it truly hard to imagine that a mere scholar could, under such circumstances, resist the temptation of high office and generous salary! And at the moment his subordinates were about to mutiny, he had decisively beheaded Xie Chao to steady the army's morale...

Is this, then, what a Longyan scholar is like?

He finally arrived at the foot of Jinghua City.

Looking at the exhausted figure upon the city wall, the Feudatory King of Yong finally understood the meaning of the four words "Peerless National Scholar."

Yu Qian soon brought men out to welcome the Feudatory King of Yong.

The Feudatory King of Yong laughed jokingly: "Lord Yu, you wouldn't happen to be planning to kill me too, would you?"

Yu Qian's expression changed drastically: "The Feudatory King of Yong jests. Yu Qian was truly left with no choice; I beg the Feudatory King of Yong to punish me!"

"Punish you?"

The Feudatory King of Yong chuckled: "Lord Yu has rendered meritorious service in suppressing the rebellion. Xie Chao brought this upon himself and could not be saved; what crime is there to speak of?"

"Lord Yu, in this life, I have not admired many people, but you are one of them." The Feudatory King of Yong walked to Yu Qian's side and said this very earnestly.

Upon hearing this, Yu Qian looked pleasantly surprised: "To receive such high praise from the Feudatory King of Yong, I, Yu Qian, would have no regrets even in death."

"Death? Why death?"

The Feudatory King of Yong looked puzzled. Having accomplished such a world-saving feat, he was about to rise to greatness and leave a name for eternity, so why was Yu Qian acting so morose?

"When the crafty hare dies, the hound is cooked; when the birds are gone, the good bow is put away; when the Empire is broken, the strategist is king."

Yu Qian sighed with a bitter smile.

"Lord Yu, that won't happen. You saved Jinghua. All the soldiers in Jinghua know it, and all the commoners of Jinghua know it. You are a hero who propped up the collapsing building; you will be fine!"

The Feudatory King of Yong laughed.

"I killed a Feudatory King, and what's more, a Feudatory King who had not yet rebelled," Yu Qian said, shaking his head.

"But, this was a Feudatory King with treasonous intent... Regarding this, I can take responsibility for you!"

The Feudatory King of Yong shook his head.

He felt that Yu Qian was worrying a bit too much.

"Feudatory King of Yong, these matters in the imperial court are not as straightforward as the battlefield. You are a prince from Hanzhong and do not know the complexities of Jinghua. I, Yu Qian, am but a mere Supplementary Vice Minister, with a rank no higher than the sixth grade. The other party was a Feudatory King, a noble bearing the royal bloodline. For a commoner to kill a Feudatory King—this alone touches the bottom line of all the Noble Class. To maintain the absolute authority of the nobles, I must die. Only by my death can the authority of the nobles be upheld."

Yu Qian smiled bitterly.

Upon hearing this, the Feudatory King of Yong was left speechless.

The nobles that Yu Qian spoke of—did that not include himself?

That's right...

Their Noble Class naturally wanted to retain their privileges forever...

If anyone could kill a noble, then where would their nobility lie?

"Lord Yu, this..."

Beside them, the bruised and battered Zhao Yan was also full of anger, fuming: "Those damn people! We are out there fighting for our lives against the enemy, and they are back here plotting against us! Damn it! Don't look at me, Feudatory King of Yong, I didn't mean you!"

"Hahahaha!"

The Feudatory King of Yong could only laugh along.

In truth, Yu Qian was not wrong...

Killing Xie Chao on the spot, this matter...

Could be big or small. Moreover, with Jinghua besieged this time, the powerful and noble figures in Jinghua City had lost a great deal of face.

They were very likely to find a target to vent their anger upon.

That target could very well be Yu Qian...

"Regarding this matter, I will help mediate for you, Lord Yu..."

The Feudatory King of Yong could only say this.

"General Yu, you don't need to be so disheartened. Today's Longyan is no longer the Longyan of the past. Longyan is no longer the world of one man; Longyan has a parliament. If they want to kill you, they must have the parliament's consent!"

Zhao Yan comforted him.

"Parliament?"

The three walked into the city together. Yu Qian glanced at the Feudatory King of Yong and sneered coldly:

"General, let me ask you, of what kind of people is the parliament composed?"

"This... but the Cabinet Chief Minister is Lord Liu Zheng. Lord Liu will uphold justice."

Zhao Yan said.

The Feudatory King of Yong also nodded.

He knew Liu Zheng's character; he was a man who cherished talent. If he knew there was such a person as Yu Qian in Jinghua, he would certainly invite him to take his place in the hall.

"Chief Minister Liu? Hmph, a mere thief who stole the state."

Yu Qian looked disdainful, his words shocking.

"What?"

Zhao Yan was startled.

"You..."

The Feudatory King of Yong also looked on, speechless.

"My lord, how can you say such a thing? How could Chief Minister Liu be a thief who stole the state! He brought our declining Longyan Dynasty back to its peak. Throughout history, few people have achieved merits comparable to Chief Minister Liu."

Zhao Yan retorted, his face flushed.

He is, after all, a loyal supporter of Liu Zheng.

Chief Minister Liu's reputation in Longyan is mixed, but it cannot be denied that Liu Zheng has indeed brought Longyan to a new height.

"His achievements cannot be concealed, but this man is fond of grandiosity and bellicose; the tax revenue of the entire Liangzhou region has been spent by him on war. Abolishing Absolute Monarchy and changing to a Constitutional Monarchy seems to be for the country and the people, but in reality, it is a Method to concentrate all power in his own hands. If Longyan truly becomes his one-man show, what does he want to do? Does he want to spend the entire national treasury on foreign wars?"

Yu Qian ignored the fact that Prince Yong was right beside him and shouted coldly.

Yu Qian is a Confucian scholar with a mind full of Confucian ideology, while Liu Zheng's methods and propositions are the exact opposite of Confucianism.

Confucianism emphasizes "the ruler acts as a ruler" and "the minister acts as a minister," yet Liu Zheng has gone and abolished the absolute power of the monarch;

Confucianism emphasizes valuing agriculture and suppressing commerce, yet Liu Zheng happens to be the largest merchant within the borders of Longyan!

Confucianism emphasizes benevolence, yet Liu Zheng has a particular fondness for expansion; since Liu Zheng's debut, his foreign wars have been continuous...

Liu Zheng has occupied every point that Confucianism hates most; although he has achievements, Yu Qian feels more antipathy than anything toward Liu Zheng.

Zhao Yan respects Liu Zheng, and at the same time, he also respects Yu Qian; with Yu Qian speaking about Liu Zheng here, it is naturally difficult for him to say anything.

"Yu Qian, interesting, interesting..."

Liu Zheng, on the ship, also received intelligence from Longyan.

Upon receiving the news that the crisis in Jinghua had been resolved, Liu Zheng still breathed a sigh of relief.

But this Yu Qian is actually someone who opposes him...

He could not help but laugh and cry at the same time.

However, it does not matter...

The wheels of history have never been changed by the will of a few.

"Change course, go to the Li Dynasty!"

After leaving Suez, Liu Zheng did not return directly to Longyan.

Liu Zheng first went to the East India Company, and after understanding the situation, he intended to return to his country. But now, he wants to go to the Li Dynasty first!

Li Xuanya's navy helped him solve the trouble of the Tsarist Russia invading army in the Northeast, and as the Chief Minister of the Sovereign State, he must go to express his gratitude.

Besides this, he must borrow troops from the Li Dynasty.

Liu Zheng's two trusted units, one is in the Northeast,

and one is in the Northwest. The Northeast has the Plague, and the Northwest has war; neither can provide support. Now that Longyan is in a troubled time, there are inevitably people with ulterior motives in the country. If he just goes back like this, it is hard to avoid those people developing disloyalty. After thinking it over, it is safer to borrow a large army from the Li Dynasty to go back.

Liu Zheng landed at Incheon, and upon receiving the news that Liu Zheng had arrived in the Li Dynasty, Li Xuanya was extremely happy.

Both publicly and privately, she very much wanted Liu Zheng to come to the Li Dynasty.

Privately, Li Xuanya had long ago secretly pledged her heart to Liu Zheng, and seeing him now also relieved her lovesickness. Publicly, she had reached the limit of her patience with some degenerate elements in the country. If Liu Zheng could help eliminate them, the administrative capability of the Li Dynasty would directly improve by a level! The pop-ups have been severe recently, you can click to download to avoid pop-ups.