Chapter 1047

First Volume, Chapter 1047: Bozhou Proclaims Emperor

"Your Highness, the late Emperor has just passed away; this is the perfect moment for you to proclaim yourself Emperor. Talented men from across Heaven will surely flock to Bozhou to join us, greatly strengthening our forces."

"With just a few years of hiding, we will regain the strength to fight again."

"At that time, we can capture Wang Du, depose Jing Qianying, restore order, and return to the true lineage."

At first, Jing Peng had some concerns, fearing his ambition to proclaim himself Emperor might face resistance.

But to his surprise, Wu Kang wholeheartedly supported him, and Jing Peng immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well said!"

"Now, more than half of our great Di Empire has fallen into the hands of bandits; only we remain as the sole hope to reverse this decline."

"As long as we gather righteous men from across Heaven, we will surely revive our cause."

"At that time, General Wu, you shall be the First Rank Merit Minister!"

As he spoke, Jing Peng suddenly asked: "Where is General Chen Si? Why hasn't he arrived yet?"

Wu Kang shook his head: "The Grand General is within the city, saying he is mourning His Majesty and will not attend today."

Hearing this, Jing Peng frowned, his tone tinged with resentment: "Though the Grand General is exceptionally powerful, he is far too arrogant. We've already reached Yao Cheng—can he still not lower his pride?"

Wu Kang deeply admired Chen Si's abilities and had no wish to speak ill behind his back, yet he knew clearly: General Chen Si would never approve of Jing Peng proclaiming himself Emperor.

The reason was not hard to guess: one, proclaiming himself Emperor now would likely invite Qin Feng's thunderous retaliation.

Two, there is currently no legitimate reason to proclaim himself Emperor—even if one seeks revenge for the Northern Di Emperor, that merely makes one a "filial son," not a valid justification for imperial ascension.

To rashly proclaim himself Emperor would risk being branded a traitor and rebel.

Regardless of anything, Jing Qianying already has the support of court ministers and holds legitimate authority; Jing Peng, isolated and without backing, lacks legitimacy.

Wu Kang knew full well that General Chen's concerns were not without merit.

But if we fail to seize this opportunity now to win hearts and minds, once the entire Di Empire falls under Jing Qianying's control, rising again will become impossibly difficult.

Chen Si, in short, is the greatest obstacle to Bozhou's development.

Wu Kang pondered for a moment, then proposed: "Your Highness, why not let General Chen rest for a while? Once Bozhou is stabilized, we can recall him."

Jing Peng had already thought the same!

After all, Chen Si's prestige in the army was too high—he bore the suspicion of overshadowing his lord—and his political views clashed with Jing Peng's. If this stalemate continued, they might yet fail.

Therefore, temporarily weakening Chen Si's influence was essential.

Yet… Jing Peng harbored a concern: "What if General Chen refuses to comply?"

The implication of this question was blunt: if they broke open hostilities, with Chen Si's strength, he might kill Jing Peng before Qin Feng even arrived.

Wu Kang lowered his hand, signaling Jing Peng not to worry: "General Chen followed us to Bozhou—he has no other choice."

"Though his political views differ from ours, I believe he will still cooperate willingly."

"Or rather, letting General Chen rest for now may be his own wish."

Hearing this, Jing Peng exhaled deeply in relief. If even Chen Si, the greatest obstacle, was no longer a problem, then Jing Peng had nothing left to fear—he immediately began discussing imperial proclamation with Wu Kang.

Meanwhile, on the city gate tower of Yao Cheng, Chen Si stared out at the desolate lands beyond, his face heavy with worry.

"Though winter has not yet passed and all things remain dormant, Bozhou's barrenness still exceeds my expectations."

The Deputy General, who had always accompanied Chen Si, also wore a grim expression.

"General, are you worried that Bozhou is not the best choice to establish a new regime?"

Chen Si nodded, sighing softly: "Of course not."

"But the situation back then was too urgent—we had no other option but to come to Bozhou."

"Though Bozhou is vast and deep enough to deter Qin Feng from pursuing us, for us, it is also a stagnant pool."

"Too few people, harsh and arid climate, meager resources."

"This land, even with vigorous development, holds no real future."

"Moreover, we face threats from Gaoshan Country to the west, the imperial court to the east, and Sangzhou and Zhuozhou to the south."

"Three sides of Bozhou are perilous; only the North is temporarily safe—but the North is even more barren and offers no tangible value to Bozhou."

Hearing Chen Si's analysis, the Deputy General's tone grew even heavier: "So… holding Bozhou is merely… delaying our military defeat?"

Though Chen Si refused to admit it, the truth was exactly that!

Moreover, Chen Si foresaw Qin Feng would never send troops to attack Bozhou—he would merely reinforce the border defenses and slowly starve Chen Si's group to death in this wasteland, with no need to mobilize at all.

The only way Bozhou could reverse defeat was through military rule: squeezing dry every last resource, waging war recklessly, and launching a swift counterattack.

But…

Reality left Chen Si despairing: Jing Peng had already set his mind on proclaiming himself Emperor.

Once he proclaimed himself Emperor, he would certainly halt all counterattacks in the short term.

This land would not strengthen Jing Peng's power—it would slowly drain him.

Chen Si did not speak too bluntly; he merely shook his head with a bitter smile: "The North is barren, and the west, east, and south are all under Qin Feng's influence. If Qin Feng fully blocks all trade routes, no materials can enter. Bozhou's own productivity alone will only exhaust its reserves."

"The consequences of material shortages need no explanation—you all understand."

The soldiers present fell silent.

Once materials began to dwindle, no external military pressure would be needed—Bozhou would collapse from within first.

In short, Jing Peng's proclamation of Emperor was nothing but a fleeting illusion.

The Deputy General quickly bowed and urged: "General, why not go to the Prince now and lay out the pros and cons? Let him gather all strength and launch a counterattack!"

Chen Si shook his head, weakly: "It's useless. Jing Peng's decision to proclaim himself Emperor is strategically wrong, yet under current circumstances, it may not be entirely wrong."

"Proclaiming himself Emperor and gathering righteous men from across Heaven seems reasonable enough."

"Since Jing Peng firmly believes this path is correct, no matter what I say, he will reject it—and see me as an obstacle."

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, shouts came from below the City Wall—Jing Peng's personal soldiers.

"Grand General, His Highness has ordered you to rest more in these days, so as not to wear yourself out."