Your Majesty, Please Stop!

Chapter 278: Enemies on All Sides

"Your Majesty!"

Linghu Pi took a deep breath. "Please take care of your health, Your Majesty!"

"What use is this body to me?"

Emperor Zhenyuan angrily threw down a stack of memorials. "Look, just look! That Prince of Xiqin, who was celebrated throughout the city for his great victory, the hero in the hearts of the people, what ambitions does he have?

On the first day of his arrival in Xiqin, he openly declared rebellion, privately killed 650,000 prisoners of war, and secretly expanded his army by 500,000! Is my Ministry of Surveillance full of idiots? What does he want to do? How can I let him have this position?"

The joy of the people is not universal. When news of Xiqin's great victory reached Emperor Zhenyuan, he felt a deep sense of frustration.

This was a feeling he had never experienced before, even after being the Crown Prince for many years and ascending to the throne.

First the west, then the south, with peace throughout the land, establishing an unprecedented martial dynasty, intimidating the world's practitioners, and strategizing against the heavens. Why is it so difficult from the very beginning?

How did this Jiang family boy become so powerful?

"Your Majesty, please calm down!"

But the courtiers dared not pick up the memorials to read them. They could only kneel down, prostrating themselves on the ground, bathed in the awe-inspiring majesty of the emperor.

"Calm down? How can I calm down?"

Emperor Zhenyuan pointed to the west and roared, "That 500,000 army is hanging over my head! This Jiang Yuqing, with his ambitious and treacherous nature, must be executed!"

His chest heaved violently, and he suddenly threw another memorial. "Jiang family, my own aunt and sister-in-law, are seeking a noble title for Jiang Yuqing. Noble title! What do you all think? Great Zhuguo, what do you say?"

Linghu Pi immediately replied in a deep voice, "An unrelated prince, Great Zhou has never had one for over three hundred years. This is just the Jiang family's wishful thinking. Your Majesty can simply withhold approval!

I believe that the most urgent matter is to suppress Jiang Yuqing's influence and focus on his treacherous intentions of killing 650,000 surrendered soldiers, secretly expanding his army, and openly declaring rebellion!"

"And then?"

Emperor Zhenyuan suddenly calmed down, a terrifying calmness. There was even a faint smile on his face, as if the person who had just raged with thunder was not him.

Linghu Pi straightened his back slightly. "We should send high-ranking officials from the court to test his true intentions!"

"Minister Linghu's words make sense!"

General Tuoba Gui of the Divine Strategy Army interjected, "I believe that we should also prepare the Divine Strategy Army and the Palace Front Army. In addition, we can send experts from the Tai Ping Palace and the Immortal Attendant Palace. If this person has treacherous intentions, we can swiftly suppress him with the might of thunder!"

"I agree!"

"I also agree!"

...

The courtiers had already left for a long time, but Emperor Zhenyuan remained seated on the dragon throne, as if he was speaking to the air. His tone was calm. "Dongfang Xiansheng can take action now. The breaking of the Tianmen by the Wei, Zhe, and Lin families in Sanqian Li Horse is an opportunity!"

"Yes!"

Hugonggong appeared out of nowhere. "In addition, I have learned of his intentions. He does indeed have treacherous intentions, just as Your Majesty said. First, Dongfang Xiansheng and the Demon Attendant Clan can take advantage of his departure from the army when he goes to the Six Great Clans and seize the opportunity to kill him!

If that is not possible, the experts from the Tai Ping Palace and the Immortal Attendant Palace can forcefully kill him!

Even if that is still not possible, now that Yuan Chengfeng and the others have been defeated in Yaoqiu, he will definitely go to obtain the seed to save the Qin Kingdom's Princess Dachang. At that time, both Baiheqiu, Yaoqiu, and the Demon Attendant Clan can be used. I implore Your Majesty to calm down and take care of your health!"

"Hehe!"

Emperor Zhenyuan chuckled lightly and got up to leave. "Do you really think I'm angry? Hugong, not only am I not angry in the slightest, I might even burst out laughing. Although Xiqin's great victory has disrupted our plans, it is not necessarily a bad thing for Great Zhou!

I want the courtiers to know my intentions, I want the people to know Jiang Yuqing's treacherous intentions, and I want his elite 500,000 army to be my private army, so that in the future, I can suppress the Western Regions without sacrificing the Divine Strategy and Palace Front Armies!

Jiang Yuqing, a renowned general of the Western Regions, who dares to challenge the eight directions? Heh, even if he is proud of himself, he doesn't know that the might of the court is nothing more than a greenhorn, a bandit by birth, a despicable creature that can be wiped out with a wave of my hand!"

...

"I always feel like someone is cursing at me! Damn it!"

In the twelfth month of the lunar calendar, the Western Regions were covered in ice and snow, and the cold wind felt like knives scraping across the face.

With fifty thousand elite cavalry, eight hundred Iron Floating Guards, and the company of Cui Ying'er, Han Qiniang, Xiong Zhang, Ying Jianying, and other women, Xin Zhuo braved the fierce wind and snow, marching with difficulty.

The sky was gloomy, with limited visibility ahead, and all that could be seen was a vast expanse of white. Occasionally, scattered thorns and lone jujube trees stood proudly.

In the past month, he had led one hundred and fifty thousand cavalry to completely subdue most of the Western River Nine Water Corridor and the Three Thousand Li Horse Origin. He then shook the three hundred tribes of the Hanhai, drank from the Kunlun River on horseback, and opened up the gap between the Western Qin region and the Ten Kingdoms, connecting them into a vast territory.

In addition, he mobilized most of his forces and slowly pressed against the three major countries of the Ghost Faction, Anxi, and Gumo.

However, the situation didn't seem as optimistic as he had hoped. The three countries of the Ghost Faction had many Venerable experts, and more importantly, the secretive major sect, White Crane Ridge, was within the borders of the Ghost Faction. It would be difficult to destroy the three countries.

His purpose for this trip was to go to the six major military families of the Three Thousand Li Horse Origin and perform a ritual for the Returned to Origin Integrated Union, in order to break through to the realm of a small Venerable.

However, according to reliable information, the six prestigious families had fifty thousand private soldiers and three recently breakthrough small Venerable experts who avoided battle.

This was also a formidable force!

He realized that the road ahead would be difficult.

Without any surprises, it was likely that the imperial experts and army would also exert pressure or take action!

Enemies were everywhere!

They were both passive enemies and active enemies. This was predetermined from the beginning. You couldn't hide or escape. Either face them head-on or wait for death.

The key was that my life was only left with seven or eight months, and I had no idea where the Yaoqiu was.

Things in the world were never easy.

Even an army of five hundred thousand was not earth-shattering.

Therefore, breaking through to the realm of a small Venerable, a large Venerable, and even an Earth Immortal was the most urgent matter.

He had some plans in his mind to find a skilled Western Regions assassin to perform the ritual, but they were not fully matured yet. He would have to wait for the success of the ritual and the breakthrough to the realm before perfecting them.

So, everything was built on the premise of dealing with the six prestigious families and breaking through to the realm.

"Could it be that the emperor and the prime minister in the capital are cursing at me?" Cui Ying'er approached, took off the fur coat she had captured from a small country's palace in the Western Regions, and draped it over Xin Zhuo. She still acted like a big sister and didn't distance herself because of her identity.

Xiong Zhang blinked her watery blue eyes and also said, "What Ying'er said makes sense. The Western Qin army has already expanded to five hundred thousand, which will definitely attract the emperor's attention. In the beginning..."

Carefully observing Xin Zhuo's expression, she continued, "Wouldn't it be better to keep the rebellion quiet? Will it be easier to bear?"

Hongshu couldn't stand it anymore. "Xiong Zhang, no wonder the prince said you have a big chest but no brains. Can't you see such an obvious situation? The court sent the prince to his death. When the Western Qin army is completely defeated, they can use reasons like unfavorable warfare and lost territory to kill the prince! This way, they can maintain the reputation of their wise ruler and avoid the cruel reputation of killing the three-hundred-year-old meritorious families, the sisters-in-law, and the in-laws of the maternal family. They can also wipe out the Jiang family, killing several birds with one stone! This is how emperors play with people's hearts!

Since it has come to this point, publicizing the rebellion is just making the emperor's methods more apparent. The prince doesn't care about his reputation the most!"

Xin Zhuo rubbed his cold nose. Red potato, should I praise you or scold you?

"Thank you for the compliment, Red Potato," Xiong Zhang timidly looked at Red Potato's flat chest.

Red Potato was stunned for a moment, then blushed and scolded, "Xiong Zhang, you've learned bad things! I... I... The prince has touched it anyway. How can you underestimate me by asking the prince to evaluate me?"

Ying Jianying, Sai Qingzhu, Cui Ying'er, and Han Qiniang looked at Xin Zhuo in surprise.

Xin Zhuo coughed lightly. "Don't talk nonsense! When did I touch it?"

He couldn't help but carefully recall his past with Red Potato. Did it happen?

Red Potato wanted to argue further, but she saw more than ten riders coming from a distance, breaking through the wind and snow, with Shanyao, whose head was covered in snowflakes, leading the way. "Prince, generals like Tuoba Kedi, Weichi Jun, and Lin Haotian have already been escorted to Sanzhangyuan. The cages have been opened, waiting for the prince to arrive!

In addition, the six prestigious families are at the Tianmen Mountain of the Weichi family, opening the forbidden land of the Tianmen. There are over a thousand Western Regions border practitioners present."

(End of this chapter)