Realm of Power

The atmosphere in Li clan's mansion was extremely heavy. All the servants were gathered in the inner courtyard. At the gate of the outer courtyard, there was no one except an old man sitting on a brown-red Taishi chair. The old man looked at the drizzle and evil spirits. The ground is covered with fallen leaves and broken flowers. The once-prominent Li family is like the rain from the south of the Yangtze River in front of us, blowing by without leaving a trace.

"Mrs. Li, you old thing, get out of the way!" An old woman with a cold beaded head appeared at the corner of the corridor and staggered to the door. The old woman's face was graceful and noble, and her face was similar to that of Li Yuehua. There were seven or eight figures, and several maids of the Li family were so frightened that they stood far away, not daring to move forward.

Sitting firmly on a purple-red Taishi chair, with her back against the door, the old prime minister Mrs. Li could only smile bitterly. When other members of the clan came, she could glare back with just one look, but the wife who had been on the bed for decades, No matter how hard I tried, it was useless. Li Yuehua was leaving. Mrs. Li had already known about it in advance. There was an undercurrent in the court. The Li family had suppressed the court for decades and finally showed its sharp teeth to the Li family. Those who had been there at the beginning see The civil servants, who did not dare to take a breath themselves, held back their energy and poured dirty water on the Li family this time. They unanimously said that the defeat of Sishui was due to collusion within the Li family and defrauded the court of 500,000 taels of military expenses. There were various rumors. It was already rumored that the whole city of Hanglin was full of troubles. Li Clan had to thank guests behind closed doors and put on a posture of respectful introspection. Although Li Yuehua still had the status of an imperial envoy, he had such arrogance. How could he be insulted like this?

"What are you doing here! That person outside is no longer a member of the Li family, and you can't open the door for her." Mrs. Li's face was cold, and she snorted heavily.

"She is my daughter, so what if she is not from the Li family! You old thing, when others pointed at the Li family in the court and scolded you, you just stayed away and acted like a coward. Now that your daughter has come to say goodbye, you are so arrogant. , you are afraid that others will say, I am not afraid, please let the door open." The old woman walked towards the door. :..m/ I wanted to lift the door bar on the door. I fumbled for more than ten seconds, but I couldn't lift it at all. The door bar seemed to be integrated with the door. If you look closely, they really blend together.

"Mrs. Li!" The old woman's eyes widened angrily, and she turned to look at Mrs. Li angrily. "No need to exert any effort! The door bars were nailed to death by my order!"

Mrs. Li glanced at his old wife. He sighed helplessly, this wife is not easy to deal with. She was a real tiger girl when she got married. She had a stubborn temper, a heavy hand, and the ruthlessness of a general. She once hunted alone when she was sixteen years old. Mountain bear used mountain bear skin to make his bed on their wedding night, but it frightened him half to death. After he became the head of the family. This back hall has become this woman's hunting ground. Anyone who dares to disobey will be beaten first and then talk about it. If not, how can we secure the first place among the Li clan women and eliminate the domineering and domineering behavior of this Li clan, big and small? Wrong, I was so scared that everyone was shaking like a sieve. If I didn't say anything, I was afraid that I would find an ax and break the door open.

Mrs. Li's voice paused, her face was unusually calm, and she said solemnly, "If Yuehua is a boy, you have to keep her in Zhongbia. I can't say a word, but she is a woman, and she will only be able to stay in Zhongbia." It hurt her. This time the emperor seemed to let the Li family go, but it was just for the eyes of most of the aristocratic families. In fact, the emperor was secretly planning to accept Yuehua as his concubine! "

"Nayue Yuehua as your concubine?"

The old woman's face was stunned for a moment, and she looked at Mrs. Li in astonishment. With a touch of sarcasm on her lips, she said indifferently, "Isn't this what you want? If the Zhang family hadn't caused trouble last time, Yuehua would have been a noble concubine by now." Yes! If you can become a concubine this time, won’t your Li family be able to prosper for decades?”

"Things are not what they used to be. The last time I entered the palace, my Li family was at its peak. My Phoenix son must be the phoenix singing in the sky!" Mrs. Li looked at the rain falling like white threads in the sky and said in a cold voice, "But this time when I enter the palace , it’s not a phoenix that cries for nine nights, I’m afraid it’s a phoenix that has lost its feathers, it’s not as good as a chicken. It’s called a noble concubine, but it’s actually a hostage.”

"In that case, other aristocratic families..." the old woman asked hesitantly

"Marrying a concubine is a good thing for many third- and fourth-grade aristocratic families to improve their rank. So many wealthy aristocratic families have died in the Imperial Capital, so naturally new wealthy aristocratic families are needed to take over!" Rarely, Mrs. Li's lips showed a hint of deep meaning, Calm eyes He glanced at the sky and said in a solemn voice: "The Emperor's grace, I don't know how many people are looking forward to it. As long as the news comes out in the palace, these small aristocratic families will naturally take action. If they want to enter the palace, they will have a palace. If they want, Let the emperor see it as soon as he enters the palace , naturally it is necessary to pay up and down the money. As long as the emperor likes it, with an edict, the family rank will be improved immediately. It is more effective than any merit. Those who are already in the second rank family and want their daughters not to enter the palace can avoid the election. Concubine's, also You have to pay money to take care of it. The sum of these money is not a small amount! ""For the emperor, choosing a concubine is just one or two hundred more women in the palace. It doesn't matter, they are all beauties, whether they like it or not, look. It’s not pleasing to the eye either Wrong, the problem is that the families behind these women are all wealthy people. How many families have accumulated wealth for many years and rolled it into the palace like water. The money spent in the secret fights in the palace is no less than a war. "" In the end The loser is naturally the target of the emperor's attack. Invisibly, the financial difficulties of the empire will be laid on the heads of various families! , recruiting troops is near Two hundred thousand, equipment and equipment, a lot of money spent, the deployment of the Luzhou Army has become the emperor's own private treasury. The Luzhou Army suffered a disastrous defeat in Yanzhou, and more than 20,000 people were killed and injured and need to be appeased and compensated. This is a huge sum of money." Mrs. Li's voice stopped and continued He said, "I originally wanted to wait for the quarterly taxation in the Imperial Capital Plain to be alleviated, but when the prairie people went south to the Imperial Capital Plain, I am afraid that there is no way to collect the tax. The emperor's idea is to find a way from the wealthy families, and the best way is naturally Marry a concubine"

"It's so rich to marry a concubine!"

The old woman's face was shocked. Although she didn't know what marrying a concubine had to do with the empire's finances and taxes, she still knew about her old man. This time she suddenly announced her farewell to the prime minister and completely ignored the crowds in the court. This was not like the old man's style. , Unless there is really a huge danger coming, the old man will never give in. After decades of ups and downs, Mrs. Li has been able to dominate the court with one hand, and there is never a shortage of opponents to challenge. That one will not be played to death by Mrs. Li in the end! The old woman looked dull, "It's not like the emperor has never done this kind of thing. If the Zhang family hadn't spent a large amount of money to fill the financial hole last time, how could I, Fenghuang, be excluded! Likewise, if it hadn't been for Zhang How could the emperor issue a death order for the Zhang family to go to Beijing to fight to the death if the family had revealed their wealth? Only a bunch of orphans and widows were left fighting for the dead Zhang family men. In order not to be affected by the disastrous defeat of the Imperial Capital, all he got was a few titles. Of course, most of the money fell into the emperor's pocket." Mrs. Li smiled bitterly, her beard trembled slightly, and her veined fingers suddenly tightened. Holding each other tightly, the sound of a carriage driving outside the door came and gradually faded away. Mrs. Li tried hard to listen, but in the end it became silent.

"You lied to me! Get out of the way, I want to open the door!"

The old woman seemed to notice something. She was furious and knew that she had been deceived by Mrs. Li. After decades of husband and wife, no one knew each other. Mrs. Li rarely told her this. The court was dirty and strange, and there were many storms. She always said that there was someone from the Li family. Men carry it, but today, it is rare for them to say so many words. This old thing is stalling for time!

"He's gone, my Phoenix is ​​gone! If you want the Li family's bloodline to die, just go after him!"

Mrs. Li stood up from the Taishi chair. He took out an ax from behind the Taishi's chair, bent down and placed it by the door, and walked into the inner hall without even turning his head. "Since the emperor has made up his mind to marry a concubine, he will naturally not let go of the Li family. Yuehua left. , and other girls from the Li family, such as Li Long’s daughter Li Qingyan, who is sixteen years old. , graceful and beautiful, known as the heavenly fragrance of the Li family. Choosing Li Long as the future head of the Li family may not be what is said outside. The Li family wants to abandon literature and pursue martial arts, but if the Li family wants to survive, it must Put yourself in a position where the emperor feels absolutely at ease!"

Wulingpo

The morning sun rises, and the morning light shines from the edge of the yellow earth, gradually illuminating the land in front of the rivers, mountains, plains and lush forests, as if it has been washed over by a layer of gold. The mountains and rivers in front of you are picturesque. Yang Zi, the general of China and Libya Riding on a war horse, looking at the land in front of me, there are black lines , heading in the direction of Wulingpo, the queue rolled in, like a piece of black sweeping across the earth, the smoke and dust raised by the horses' hooves obscured the sky in front of them. They were the cavalry of the grassland army. Countless cavalry were like giant fans touching On the outer reaches of the uplifted mountainous area of ​​Wulingpo, groups of people began to stop.

The morning breeze blew by, and the rustling of the scales on the prairie people's bodies was as if in their ears. The prairie people's cavalry lined up in long lines, shining with metallic luster under the golden light of the sun. The dense cavalry queues continued. Emerged in the distance, looking from a distance like walls suddenly appearing in the hilly areas. After the cavalry arrived, Infantrymen began to appear. These infantrymen were already wearing armor. They had various weapons in their hands, but they were all heavy weapons, such as two-handed axes, maces, and long-handled thrust guns. Yang Zi's eyebrows were twisted tightly together. How could he not see that these were all weapons from China? Most prairie people had scimitars and occasionally equipped with stabbing spears. There is no such a systematic infantry combat weapon. "When will the reinforcements from the Imperial Capital arrive?" Yang Zi waved the riding whip in his hand and angrily asked the adjutant behind him, "The messenger has been sent out and should arrive before noon!" "The adjutant replied with a respectful look, "According to the scout's report, the grassland army crossed Surabaya and there was no In a hurry to move forward, they stayed at the Surabaya river beach for five days. During this period, the main force of the grassland army arrived in Surabaya. After waiting for all the backup troops to cross Surabaya, the grassland army slowly moved in. At this time, the grassland The strength of the army has increased from 50,000 in the beginning to the current total strength of 110,000 ""110,000!"

Yang Zi's face changed, and the hand holding the riding crop tightened unconsciously. It would have been better if the Cavalry Army was still there. Yang Zi now regrets that he lost Surabaya too hastily. If Surabaya is still in his hands, Prairie people would never gather such people so easily The large number of troops overwhelmed him in one breath. In just a few days, the number of the grassland army doubled. If a cavalry group of 100,000 scale were to attack forcefully, even on terrain like Wulingpo, You will also feel the pressure!

"Sir, the terrain of Wulingpo is dangerous. The grassland people should not attack by force, right?" The adjutant was unsure. Although Wulingpo is a slope, it is actually more appropriately called the edge of a mountain range. The flat Imperial Plain is different from Wuling here. The Luoya Mountains that pass across meet together, forming a gradually rising slope. The only road that can pass through the slope has been blocked by the Central and Belgian troops.

With the support of the huge slope, the Central and African troops blocking the road built layers of roadblocks and used mountain stones to build a three-meter-high stone wall on the top of the slope. They stared at the plain below. Spears are like a forest, battle flags are like blood, and from time to time you can see huge slingshot bows being pushed in front of the camp On the other hand, it is a typical terrain where one man controls the barrier and ten thousand men cannot open it. The problem is that the disparity in military strength is really big, 30,000 to 110,000. The opponent is a grassland army that can dismount and fight on foot. If Wulingpo really exerts his strength, Wulingpo It may not be impossible to break through. Now we can only pray that the reinforcements from the Imperial Capital can arrive in time.

In the distance, a group of prairie cavalry jumped onto a slope. Yeluguda pointed to the area ahead that looked like a huge sloping bulge, and the small passage that seemed so small. He said excitedly, "Father, there is Wulingpo ahead." ! Eighty thousand light cavalry and thirty thousand infantry can launch a full-scale attack as long as they can break through the roadblocks piled up by the Zhongbia people! "Guang, are you sure?" Yelu Hongtai glanced at Wuling Slope in the distance, where the Central Asian military flags were all over the mountains, and turned to look at Yelu Qiyeguang behind him. More than ten imperial thunder gods were being pushed up this slope by the grassland people. There were also a dozen Central Bian soldiers with frightened expressions who were also pushed up by the prairie army's knives, "Spare your life, I have said everything that needs to be said, we really have nothing to hide!"

A Central Bian soldier knelt on the ground crying bitterly. The other Central Bian soldiers also leaned together in fear. Looking at the scimitars around them, their faces turned pale with fright. They were all kidnapped inexplicably. They were soldiers responsible for operating the Empire's Thunder God. They were briefly trained by the Empire for a few days. Each of them only fired one round, and then followed the Thunder God. When the god arrived at the front line, he only knew the most basic operations and had no experience. After losing the thunder god, Yang Zi was hired as a logistics soldier. As a result, he was easily taken out by the infiltrated Yetan Gudi. Because time was too tight, in order to It took several days to capture these soldiers, but the news about the Central and Asian troops made it impossible for the grassland army to delay any longer.

Yelu Hongtai decided to place the Thor test launch on the battlefield, right on Wulingpo. In addition to these dozen Central and African soldiers, there were more than thirty grassland soldiers who were also watching the Central and African soldiers attentively. They are the people who use Night Tales Ancient Disc to learn how to operate Thor. Most of them understand Central Asian and have some experience in arms manufacturing.

Yelu Qiyeguang made a gesture behind him, and a prairie sergeant pointed at a thunder god that had been placed, and said in skilled Central Bian dialect, "Group of three, whoever can launch will live." This was the first time the Imperial Thor fired on the Central Bian battlefield. When the trembling Central Bian soldiers roughly stuffed the Thor bullet into the Thor's cannon, they roughly estimated the distance. The soldiers behind them fired the Thor The muzzle of the gun was raised towards the sky, and in front of it was the direction of the Central African military flag flying. The grassland people only asked them to shoot out, and they didn't ask for anything else. Just shoot them! The Central Asian soldiers lit the gunpowder fuse with a torch, and a sound like a snake spitting messages came.

Yelu Hongtai stood thirty meters away from the God of Thunder, looking at the line of fire ignited by the gunpowder, which was dazzling red. His hands clenched into fists unconsciously. The power of the Empire God of Thunder was only what Yelu Qiyeguang said. Is it that powerful?

The huge roar of "boom" made Yelu Hongtai's body tremble slightly, and the whip in his hand fell to the ground. Many grassland people around were frightened and fell off their horses. A flash of fire gushed out from the muzzle of the Thunder God's gun, and a pungent strong smell of sulfur was smelled. An arc of light traced through the void. The wheels of the Thunder God's base moved back heavily on the mud platform, leaving a huge trace. "Boom" seemed to be in response. At the landing point, a red ball of light rolled up, and the object flew up. Under the stunned eyes of everyone, the Central Biya military flag flew into the sky. (To be continued.)