Chapter 823: First Volume, Chapter 823: Holding the Son of Heaven to Command the Lords

First Volume, Chapter 823: Holding the Son of Heaven to Command the Lords

For this eastern hunt, the Liang Emperor brought only fifty Palace Guards; though few in number, they remained his most reliable personal protectors and the elite troops of all Liang, without exception!

Even Qin Feng's prized Tianji Camp guards, whether in single combat or small-scale operations, were no match for the Palace Guards.

To defeat the Palace Guards, there were only two methods.

First, overwhelm them with sheer numerical superiority.

Second, strike unexpectedly with tactics, catching them off guard.

These fifty Palace Guards stood like an impenetrable wall before the Liang Emperor, firmly blocking the Rebel Party from advancing.

More and more Rebel Party bandits surged up the MountainWaist.

The Palace Guards spread out, forming squads of three or groups of five, with the front-line soldiers wielding Great Shields and their companions behind holding horse lances, executing their combat drills with precision.

Facing an enemy force several times their own, the Palace Guards held their ground perfectly—often, a trio could scatter dozens.

As the Palace Guards fought bloody battles, good news arrived from below the mountain.

"Your Majesty, the enemy's main force has been shattered by the Relief Army for the King and is fleeing in disarray."

Hearing this, the Liang Emperor finally allowed a faint smile to cross his face—his prized Palace Guards could only protect his final dignity; to turn the tide, he must rely on Qin Feng's troops.

These five thousand Northern Border Generals displayed extraordinary Group Battle capabilities, utterly crushing an enemy four times their number in such a short time.

The Liang Emperor murmured in awe: "These are Qin Feng's soldiers?"

"The commander, Xu Zhangqing, is a clan brother of Xu Mo—clearly a man who can fight hard battles. Why have I never heard of him before?"

In the Liang Emperor's view, Xu Zhangqing's military talent was already on par with some Grand Generals in court.

Such talent, wherever found, stood out immensely.

The imperial messenger shook his head, his eyes equally puzzled: "Your Majesty, Xu Zhangqing was unknown before he joined Beixi County—he was likely just an ordinary man."

An ordinary man…

The Liang Emperor sighed inwardly—how many talents had Liang buried?

And these jewels, outwardly shabby but inwardly precious, had all been unearthed by Qin Feng.

Now, even the Liang Emperor was envious of the talent gathered in this tiny Beixi County.

In military affairs, Zhao Yulong, Ning Hu, and Xu Mo—these three needed no introduction; all were iron-blooded commanders who had fought bloody battles against the Di.

In civil administration, Lin Quqi and Li Zhang had governed Beixi County and the entire Northern Border with perfect order.

Even the two current Managers of the Tianji Camp—Lu Ming and Qin Xiaofu.

Remember, these two were once commoners, yet under Qin Feng's cultivation, they had risen to the point of shouldering major responsibilities.

As for the mysterious Jin Yi Wei Commander "Mo Li," even the Liang Emperor knew very little about him.

Beyond these already famous talents, Beixi County also held a large reserve of Second Line talents—for example, Liu Ming, head of the Jin Yi Anwu Guard, and Xu Zhangqing, who came to reinforce the King.

With all these talents, and Qin Feng as the core anchor, how could Beixi County not flourish?

Qin Feng is nominally a Marquis, but in reality, he is a King!

The King of the Northern Border!

Yet after this rebellion, the Liang Emperor no longer resisted Qin Feng's control of the Northern Border; instead, he knew clearly that as long as Qin Feng ruled the Northern Border, the Liang Empire's throne would remain stable for generations.

The Liang Emperor gazed at the fleeing Rebel Army below and silently resolved: he and Qin Feng, beyond their sovereign-subject bond, had now officially become allies.

Qin Feng needed the Liang Emperor seated as sovereign to maintain the current situation; correspondingly, the Liang Emperor needed Qin Feng to suppress the warlords and secure his imperial throne. As for the future relationship between Beijing and the Northern Border—that was a matter for the next generation. The Liang Emperor no longer wished to worry about it.

The Liang Emperor no longer worried about the rabble below; he turned to the female Jin Yi Wei officer.

"What is your name?"

The female Jin Yi Wei bowed her head: "Your Highness, this subject's name is Liu Yao."

"This subject?" The Liang Emperor was surprised by her self-reference: "When did I ever appoint you? Was your official rank arranged by the Ministry of Personnel?"

Liu Yao did not evade: "Not arranged by the Ministry of Personnel—it was Lin County Magistrate. I hold a clerical post at the Beixi County Yamen, not a proper official position, but the court still grants me five taels of silver annually; ultimately, I am under the Empire's grace, so I dare call myself 'this subject.'"

The Liang Emperor chuckled—County yamen clerk was hardly a true official rank; it was akin to a private hire by the County Magistrate, an extra-budgetary position.

But this Liu Yao, as a Jin Yi Wei officer specializing in espionage and intelligence, what purpose did holding a clerical idle post serve?

"Explain."

Facing the Liang Emperor's question, Liu Yao replied calmly: "After the National War, the Jin Yi Wei was reorganized into four roles."

"First, messengers for communication and orders; second, warriors for intelligence gathering and secret infiltration behind enemy lines; third, Anwu Guards for covert protection and assassination."

"The fourth is this subject—no longer hiding our presence, operating openly among all factions. In other words, only those like me are now called Jin Yi Wei."

"Holding this idle post aids management and operational convenience."

The Liang Emperor had known the Jin Yi Wei organization was growing larger, but he had not expected it to reach this scale.

Yet since Liu Yao revealed all the Jin Yi Wei's secrets, it meant Qin Feng had no intention of hiding anything from him.

Or rather…

Qin Feng intended to share intelligence directly with the Liang Emperor.

That was fine—after all, the Black Guard had defected to the Seventh Prince and was no longer under the Liang Emperor's control; he now lacked intelligence networks most of all.

"Besides guarding against the Seventh Prince's rebellion, did Qin Feng assign you other tasks while staying by my side?" the Liang Emperor asked casually, his sharp gaze studying Liu Yao closely.

Liu Yao answered promptly: "The Marquis instructed that if His Highness the Seventh Prince remains obedient, then so be it; but if he truly rebels, then Xu Zhangqing must guard Your Majesty's side, and Your Majesty must issue an edict transferring command authority of the Longhu Army to the Grand Commandant."

Hearing this, the Liang Emperor let out a bitter laugh: "Whether the Longhu Army can be mobilized is no longer up to me."

Liu Yao quickly added: "Nevertheless, the Marquis requires Your Majesty's edict—it gives the action legitimacy."

What a perfect "legitimacy"!

The Liang Emperor was far too astute—he immediately realized Qin Feng was eager for the Seventh Prince to rebel, so that Qin Feng could hold the Son of Heaven to command the Lords.