Sui Heng was already discussing the return trip with Xu Qiao and the others.
The effect of recruiting talents was significant, and the other five countries had already signed surrender letters, completely surrendering to the Great Sui. According to the normal process, the Sui army should naturally work hard and directly take the capital city of Jiang.
But things got stuck at this stage.
At present, it is rainy in Jiangnan, and the Yellow River is flowing rapidly. It’s not the best time for the 100,000 Sui soldiers displayed on the north bank to cross the river. Moreover, the Jiang Empire had already been alerted, they displayed heavy defenses at the Muyun Pass, and set up cloud crossbows with extremely long ranges on the city walls.
Forcibly crossing the river will cause incalculable casualties, which is not worth the loss.
In addition, although the army of the five countries can be drafted locally, but the troops brought by other people are not as good as their own. Sui Heng also looked down on them.
The most important thing is that right now, the Crown Prince of the Jiang Empire, Jiang Yun, has probably returned to the pass, and even though he is seriously injured, he’s afraid that there is no delay for him to issue important military orders.
Important generals of the Sui army, including Xu Qiao, know that their invincible Highness, the Crown Prince, had survived even the harshest snow-capped mountains in the northern region. Only under the hands of the so-called “be known throughout the world for his virtue character” and “frail and sickly” Crown Prince of Jiang did he suffer a few hidden losses. The most recent one was last year, when Sui Heng attempted to attack southward by sneaking into the Jiang Empire, southwest of the Yellow River, his plan was exposed by Jiang Yun, and he was also shot in the arm by one of his advisors too.
That arrow was extremely deep, causing Sui Heng to be unable to pull his bow for a whole month.
The Sui army is clearly known about this, and their Highness hates the hypocritical and ugly Crown Prince of Jiang for this matter. This time, he has sent his army south and is determined to take the land of Jiangnan into his property. In addition to avenging his ancestors, he may not have any intention of avenging that arrow.
If Jiang Yun is really in the pass, who knows what plots and tricks he will come up with to harm His Highness?
So there was a rare and very unanimous agreement in favor of the return trip. At this time, a guard reported outside, “Your Highness, the Chen Kingdom’s Guozhu is seeking an audience.”
Sui Heng asked, “What is this old thing doing here again?”
The guard replied, “It seems to be delivering some kind of abdication letter to Your Highness.”
The left and right generals first showed contemptuous expressions. None of them had been courted during this time, and apparently none of them believed that this dim-witted, incompetent old thing was willing to hand over the throne. Without any other urgent matters, Sui Heng lazily said, “Let him in.”
After entering the hall, the Chen Kingdom’s Guozhu trembled and kneeled on the ground, holding a letter of abdication that spanned nearly a thousand words. He began by stating how incompetent he was and how he could not be utilized, and ended by saying, “Please, Your Highness, on account of this subordinate’s loyalty towards his lord, reward this subordinate with a few acres of land and a mansion, and let this subordinate go to the countryside to live out my old age! This subordinate would not dare sit on Guozhu’s throne anymore.”
After speaking, he fell to the ground and burst into tears with a runny nose.
Sui Heng laughed. “Guozhu, get up and speak. What’s the reason for this look? Why don’t you dare to sit on the throne anymore?”
The Chen Kingdom’s Guozhu raised his eyes and secretly glanced at Chen Qi, who was sitting in the middle of a row of resolute generals. He let out another cry and said, “This subordinate is incompetent. This subordinate is willing to give up the throne to this subordinate’s second son, Ji Cai. Please agree to this subordinate’s request, Your Highness!”
Chen Qi frowned slightly and immediately stood up to speak, but Sui Heng raised his hand and stopped him.
Sui Heng asked, “Are you really willing?”
The Chen Kingdom’s Guozhu wiped away his tears and said, “What is there to be reluctant to give up? This cowardly and incompetent’s eldest son, the left and right ministers, and his old wife have been deposed from their positions as the Crown Prince and Empress, and they were imprisoned in the palace as slaves. This subordinate has failed to teach his son and wife, so why should this subordinate be the Guozhu? This subordinate might as well just step aside!”
Sui Heng then looked at Chen Qi, “Military Advisor, what’s going on?”
Chen Qi said solemnly, “Answer Your Highness, the Crown Prince Chen Tao, relying on his position as the Crown Prince, has used his power for personal gain, embezzled people’s land, raped, and killed palace officials at will. Empress Zhang Bihua is even more unethical, she condoning her mother’s family to drive horses and trample on the people on the street. This subordinate only asked the Guozhu to punish them according to the law.”
After speaking, Chen Qi cast a sinister glance at the Chen Kingdom’s Guozhu, clearly not expecting that this timid old thing had just come to Sui Heng to perform such a bitter trick.
Sui Heng nodded. “It’s not wrong for the Military Advisor to act according to the law. If Gu were to govern this kind of behavior, Gu afraid that it would be more than just slavery.”
He looked at the Chen Kingdom’s Guozhu with a smile, “What’s wrong? Does Guozhu feel that the Military Advisor’s handling is unfair?”
“This subordinate dares not.”
His second son’s gaze was as sinister as a devil, and the Chen Kingdom’s Guozhu dared not look.
The Chen Kingdom’s Guozhu was determined to make a desperate gamble, and his heart suddenly gained a lot of unprecedented courage. He ignored the cold, knife-like gaze on the back of his neck and continued to cry, “This subordinate just feels that he’s old and incompetent and cannot afford to be Guozhu.”
Sui Heng walked down and patted him on the shoulder.
“It’s up to Gu to decide whether you can afford it or not. Gu is here, there is no such thing as being punished together. Guozhu, just live in peace in your golden palace and eat your idle food.”
“If you do well, Gu will even reward you.”
He patted once, and the Chen Kingdom’s Guozhu trembled fiercely along with him once.
When the Chen kingdom’s Guozhu thanked him profusely and retired, Chen Qi begged for forgiveness, “Your Highness, this subordinate—”
“There is no need for the Military Advisor to say more.”
Sui Heng smiled leisurely and said, “Since Gu has used the Military Adviser, Gu trusted you.”
“This subordinate, thanks Your Highness for his trust.”
Chen Qi breathed a sigh of relief and couldn’t help but sweat a layer of cold sweat on his back.
Even if this is the Chen Kingdom, it is still taboo to act beyond the ruler without authorization. Just because the other party doesn’t pursue it doesn’t mean they don’t mind. The combination of kindness and power is the way of the imperial court. If the other party has shown kindness, they must repay it twice. It’s just that, that old thing… he didn’t know who instructed him this time, and he was able to use this method to put him on the spot.
After leaving behind an elite force to guard the Chen Kingdom, Sui Heng ordered an official departure in the afternoon to return to the capital of Sui.
Apart from the captured city, the biggest gain of this trip is his unexpectedly picked-up little lover. Knowing that Jiang Yun enjoyed reading, Sui Heng specially had someone search for two bookshelves of books from the Chen Kingdom Palace’s library and put them all into the luxurious carriage presented by the Guozhu of the Chen Kingdom.
Jiang Yun looked at the disorderly mountains of books, unsure of what to say. He personally selected them and handed back all the ones he had seen and the ones he was not interested in back to the Chen Palace’s palace attendants.
Books are precious in this era, and he doesn’t want to waste them.
The palace attendant took it with great anxiety and fear.
At that moment, a guard suddenly passed by, dragging a woman with disheveled hair and apparel in chains, reprimanding and scolding her, and from time to time lashing her with a whip.
Jiang Yun felt that the woman was somewhat familiar, so he asked the palace attendant, “Who is that person?”
The palace attendant sighed and said, “That was our former empress. Now that Beauty Xin is in charge, the former Empress has been stripped of her title, deposed, and taken into the palace as a maid.”
Beauty Xin is Chen Qi’s biological mother, and this matter is obviously instigated by Chen Qi.
In the midst of pondering, a few more Sui soldiers escorted a group of people onto the last carriage. The one walking at the front, holding a guqin and dressed in white, was undoubtedly the Crown Prince of Luo, Luo Fengjun.
Jiang Yun then asked, “And what was that about?”
The palace attendants were happy to say a few more words when they saw that he was born handsome and elegant and also polite, completely different from the fierce and evil Sui army. “Those were all taken as hostages to the Sui capital. After the five kingdoms surrendered, in order to please the new ruler, some took the initiative to expose the evidence of the Jiang Empire’s Crown Prince, while others competed to send people to the Crown Prince of Sui’s side. This Jiang Empire, I’m afraid, is really going to be alone.”
Jiang Yun remained silent and took out a small sum of money to hand over to the palace attendant. Asking him to take care of the Chen Kingdom’s Empress and secretly provide her with some healing medicine. The palace attendant sighed and said, “I didn’t expect the Young Master to be kind-hearted. Young Master, rest assured, I will fulfill my promise. Although the Empress has a somewhat domineering temperament, she is actually quite generous towards us palace attendants. The late son was also extremely loyal.”
Jiang Yun knew that Chen Qi must have woven many charges in order to deal with Chen Tao’s mother and son. Before verifying the facts, he did not want the palace attendants to torture someone to death just to please Chen Qi.
When the guards were counting their belongings, they discovered the golden sandalwood chest in the main hall and immediately asked Sui Heng if they would take it away together.
Sui Heng thought that since it was some household utensils, his little lover is delicate and would inevitably need them on the way. He nodded and said, “Put it on.”
Jiang Yun returned from delivering the book and met Fan Qi, who was directing the loading of the carriage.
Fan Qi covered his buttocks and walked with a limp, clearly not fully healed from his stick injury. When he saw Jiang Yun, he immediately took his hand off his buttocks like an electric shock and gouged out a hard look.
This little vixen must have complained in front of His Highness, that’s why His Highness punished him unreasonably with a military baton, and he also instructed the torturer to give him a good beating, causing him to lose face in front of so many of his men as well.
Jiang Yun stood with his hands on his back, glancing at him.
“Deputy General Fan is doing well.”
Well your head.
Angry, he tugged at the injury on his buttocks again.
Fan Qi let out a soft hiss and pushed away the small soldier who was running to help him and cursed, “Get out, go back to work! Laozi can leave on my own!”
Turning back, he saw Jiang Yun still standing motionless in front of the carriage, quietly sizing him up with a look of watching a good show, and he couldn’t help but feel his heart was on fire. “Still not getting in the carriage? What’s the point of dilly-dallying?”
Jiang Yun clasped his arms, lifted his chin, and signaled with his gaze, “Pedal.”
Fan Qi: !!
Pedal!
Let him step on it!
This is the kind of rough work that only a coachman can do!
Fan Qi couldn’t help but storm up and slash.
However, thinking of the military punishment he had just received, Fan Qi finally took a deep breath, pointed to the ground, gritted his teeth, and ordered a small soldier, “Give him a pedal!”
The low-ranking soldier immediately moved the pedal over.
“Thanks.”
Jiang Yun lifted the hem of his robe and gracefully got into the carriage.
Fan Qi was so angry at the back that his teeth were itching.
Arrogant.
Crazy.
Lawless.
Waving a chicken feather as a token of authority1拿根鸡毛就能当令箭 (idiom); to assume unwarranted authority on the basis of some pretext..
I really don’t understand what His Highness sees in this little vixen.
Young Master Yan Qi, with his quiet character and gentle nature, isn’t he ten times better than this?
Just as he was thinking this, a light and low cough suddenly came to his ears.
“Young Master Yan Qi?”
Fan Qi turned around and was pleasantly surprised to see the handsome young man with a jade crown and tied hair, dressed in a black cloak, standing in the warm morning light.
Yan Qi smiled slightly and paid his respects to Fan Qi.
Glancing in the carriage’s direction, he asked, “His Highness has not come yet?”
Fan Qi quickly replied, “Not yet, His Highness is talking to General Xu and his team about something. I’ve heard that the Young Master has contracted a wind-chill and has not yet recovered. Why did you get out of the carriage? Maybe you have something to do with His Highness?”
Fan Qi immediately and aggressively was going to pass on the news.
“It’s fine.”
Yan Qi stopped him and said, “I just thought that His Highness likes to drink Yunwu from Qizhou. I happened to bring some when I came from the Sui capital and specially brought it for His Highness.”
Fan Qi was moved on behalf of His Highness and said, “Young Master has a good heart, then I’ll take it in for you?”
Yan Qi looked at his awkward standing posture and smiled gently. “No need, Deputy General Fan’s body is not convenient. I’ll just send it in myself.”
“Eh, alright…”
Getting a military baton is not an honorable thing after all.
Fan Qi’s face turned red, and he personally opened the carriage door for Yan Qi. He couldn’t help but feel angry and think, Young Master Yan Qi is so gentle and kind, why did His Highness suddenly be blinded by that little vixen?
The author has something to say:
The Sui soldiers: We all know that His Highness hates the Crown Prince of Jiang to death because of that arrow.
Author: Is there a possibility that the arrow might not have been shot by the advisor?
