After becoming the villain

Chapter 276: “Defeat Two Kings in One Battle” and “Nine Star Crowns”

"What if there are rumors that King Zhenbei intends to rebel?"

"Punish those who spread rumors, and send their heads to Yanbei to stabilize the northern land."

Zhao Lingrui said directly.

"Lao Jiu, do you really believe in King Zhenbei?"

Zhao Lingfeng asked confusedly, but then he seemed to suddenly understand again, "...that's right. Your personal relationship with King Zhenbei is far greater than that between me and King Zhenbei."

"Do not."

Prince Yu Zhao Lingrui denied it.

"I don't really believe in King Zhenbei, but given the current situation, if Xiao Tianzuo has other intentions, as a monarch, I still have a way to seize his military power and replace him with someone else."

"...But if King Zhenbei insists on going south, I...at least, I have no way to resist the front of the Zhenbei Army until the south is pacified."

Upon hearing this, Prince Zhao Lingfeng raised his wine cup and drank silently.

“Good practice.”

"...But I have one more thing to say, brother. The world is in chaos now, Lao Jiu, you must believe in General Xiao! You must also guard against King Zhenbei!"

Prince Zhao Lingfeng said with a serious expression.

Prince Yu Zhao Lingrui was a little confused, feeling as if the other party was delivering his final instructions...

He suddenly thought that Zhao Lingfeng was just temporarily under house arrest in the palace.

The treacherous Prime Minister Wang Zhaomin was found and executed by everyone.

Although the royal party was in power in the court, there were still a large number of loyal ministers who vouched for the prince.

Today's top officials are indispensable without the supervising prince Zhao Lingfeng. I am afraid that he will be in charge of state affairs again in a few days.

Why do you still have to tell yourself so many nonsense?
The two continued to talk for a long time about the general trend of the world.

Until night falls.

Prince Yu Zhao Lingrui had to say goodbye and return home.

Prince Yu Zhao Lingrui walked to the main entrance of the hall, and suddenly heard the last words of Prince Zhao Lingfeng coming from behind him——

"Lao Jiu, this world will be in your hands from now on!"

Zhao Lingrui turned around when he heard this and his eyes were stunned.

Zhao Lingfeng was seen standing up and looking at the other party.

The two looked at each other speechlessly.

Until King Yu's entourage, he reminded King Yu that if it was any later, it would be the curfew time in Jinling.

"Yes, since the feudal king's rebellion broke out, the bustling Jinling, which has never been closed at night, also has a curfew."

“…Everything is constantly changing.”

Prince Yu Zhao Lingrui thought to himself and walked out of the Prince's East Palace as if he was lost in thought.

He thought about today's conversation with Zhao Lingfeng.

For some reason, I feel more and more that this is unusual.

……

Jinling Palace.

The Hall of Nourishing Heart.

Zhao Purui was wearing a white robe with a crane cloak, sitting cross-legged in the center of the hall, meditating like an enlightened old immortal.

Yan Fei, wearing an exquisite slim-fitting blood-red robe, slowly came to the front of the hall.

"Your Majesty, Wang Zhaomin is dead."

Yan Fei's words were gentle and charming, "...he was killed by the prince."

Yan Fei did not mention that he was also assassinated by the prince's soldiers, but thinking about it, the old man in front of him still controlled the court, so it was impossible for him not to know.

Zhao Purui's face was very calm, and he said calmly: "I understand."

"...What does the Imperial Master want? Do you want me to kill my own child?"

"Yan Fei dare not." Yan Fei lowered his head slightly, but there was no sense of fear and apology in his words.

Zhao Purui slowly opened his eyes, glanced at Yan Fei, and then continued to be busy with his own practice and understanding of immortality.

"Lingfeng is an excellent prince. He could have taken over the great work from me and brought him to another peak."

"...It's just a pity that I have no interest in this worldly affairs now."

As Zhao Purui spoke, the topic suddenly changed, "In the past few years, the National Master's [Eternal Life Pill] has not been refined yet."

"Your Majesty is aware that the refining of blood pills is extremely complex, and the [Immortality Pill] is even more complicated."

Yan Fei explained quietly.

And Zhao Purui directly interrupted——

"Of course I know. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been waiting for you for so long."

"...The blood pill you gave me is indeed effective. I can definitely feel the extension of my lifespan."

"I don't want to worry about why you want to mess with me."

"But [Immortality Pill], based on the time you gave me to refine the blood pill, if it is refined normally, I should be able to refine [Immortality Pill] by the end of this year."

Yan Fei's face remained calm, but he was slightly surprised in his heart.

Unexpectedly, the old emperor in front of him knew nothing about the art of alchemy, but he could predict the refining time of the [Eternal Life Pill] so accurately.

"Your Majesty... [Immortality Pill] is the most advanced blood pill, which is different from the previous two."

Yan Fei originally wanted to hide it.

But Zhao Purui had already jumped to the conclusion and said——

"Then ask the national teacher to speed up the progress."

"The national power of Daqian is at your disposal. If you can't refine the [Immortality Pill] by the end of the year..."

The old emperor Zhao Purui said, his face suddenly darkened and threatening, "Yan Fei, I will punish you with death for causing chaos in the country."

Zhao Purui added: "...Not only that, even the [Tingyun Pavilion] behind you will also be eradicated."

Yan Fei was silent.

After a long time, she lowered her head slightly and saluted: "Yan Fei, we will go all out and speed up the progress, and refine the [Immortality Pill] before the end of the year!"

……

At the beginning of the 38th year of Qianyuan Dynasty.

Prince Zhao Lingfeng died suddenly after being imprisoned in the East Palace for half a month.

There are rumors that it was the Holy Emperor Zhao Purui who gave the prince poisonous wine and Bai Ling to commit suicide.

There are also rumors that it was the sorcerer Yan Fei who created the sorcery.

But no matter which way it is, this prince who oversees the country is already dead.

He did not die in the hands of the rebel vassal king, nor in the hands of Jin's foreign enemies, but in the hands of his own people...

The Honored King Zhao Lingrui was appointed by the old emperor as the new crown prince and crown prince, responsible for overseeing the country.

Prince Yu Zhao Lingrui got what he dreamed of.

However, he did not feel happy at all.

He finally understood why seventh brother Zhao Lingfeng had to talk to him so much that day.

……

……

Before the prince Zhao Lingfeng died suddenly at the beginning of his confinement in the East Palace.

Go south.

On the Chuzhou battlefield.

Xiao Tianzuo's son, Xiao Gu'an, personally led the troops and garrisoned them in the Chuzhou swamps. He constantly provoked the vassal kings and used himself as bait to attract the two vassal kings, Pingxi King and Dingnan King, to lead their troops into the depths of the swamp - Huang Tiandang .

General Xiao Tianzuo took the opportunity to lead the main force to encircle the vassal coalition forces from outside Chuzhou.

[-] new troops plus more than [-] original frontline troops, a total of more than [-] troops, took advantage of the concave terrain to completely surround the vassal coalition forces.

The allied forces of the feudal lords penetrated deep into the swamp and were trapped in it.

The elite soldiers and generals in the coalition forces were not adapted to the swamp terrain, and their mobility was inconvenient and their combat effectiveness was greatly reduced. The war horses and heavy cavalry purchased from the north were even more useless.

As for Xiao Tianzuo's large army, many of them had specially prepared equipment and rafts, and they were like a fish in water.

For a time, the allied forces of the vassal kings were unable to provide food and supplies and were trapped.

When King Pingxi and King Dingnan realized they were surrounded, they were helpless and furious.

Geng Zhonger, the king of Dingnan, even killed the captured Xiao Gu'an alive in front of the two armies' formations, crushed his body, used his skull as a wine cup, and drank and joked in front of the two armies' formations.

When his mother Mu Ying saw this, her eyes turned red and she fell to her knees with tears streaming down her face.

His father, Xiao Tianzuo, was furious and furious, but he still did not attack, vowing to consume the last sliver of strength of the vassal king's coalition forces.

Upon hearing the news, the vassal princes' partial armies led by Wu Wenwen, the prince of Pingxi, and Geng Hongcheng, the prince of Dingnan, immediately withdrew their troops from their respective battlefields and rushed to Chuzhou under the stars at night.

The siege has lasted for half a month.

The food and grass brought by the vassal king's coalition forces with the army were exhausted, and the horses had already been slaughtered to satisfy their hunger.

The news of the reinforcements has never been reached.

On the night when the vassal kings' allied forces ran out of food, King Pingxi and King Dingnan resolutely led the army and broke out to the south where the encirclement was relatively weak.

During the breakout battle.

The south, which was originally the weakest, turned out to be the most powerful place.

Xiao Tianzuo and Mu Ying personally led the army here, and all their soldiers were specially selected veterans who had fought for a long time to stop the feudal king here.

On the bloody battlefield.

The torches came out, illuminating the night like day.

Xiao Tianzuo's wife Mu Ying even played the drums in the military formation in person. The drums were loud and powerful, as if breaking the enemy's nerves.

The two kings of Pingxi and Dingnan knew that it was impossible to do anything, so they did it.

They immediately drew their long blades, their eyes revealed evil spirits, took the lead, and led the troops to break through.

He met Xiao Tianzuo on a warship and had a fierce battle.

The battle lasted from late night to early morning.

The blood of both sides stained the swamp.

Until the dawn of dawn, Xiao Tianzuo personally beheaded Dingnan King Geng Zhonger, and most of the main force of the vassal coalition died here.

Only a few coalition generals broke through and escaped with King Pingxi, who was seriously injured and nearly dead.

In the Battle of Chuzhou, Xiao Tianzuo defeated two kings in one battle.

In the array, Geng Zhonger, king of Dingnan, was beheaded, and Wu Zesan, king of Pingxi, was seriously injured.

The originally precarious situation in the south was reversed in an instant.

The fleeing Pingxi King's tribe encountered reinforcements led by Wu Wenwen, the prince of Pingxi King.

Before dying, Pingxi King Wu Zesan had blood flowing from his mouth, and he was already speechless.

He handed the blood-stained personal weapon, the war blade, to the crown prince Wu Wenwen, and held the other man's hands tightly on the handle of the blade. Without saying a word, he died with his eyes wide open.

Wu Wenwen burst into tears and vowed to personally behead Xiao Tianzuo to pay homage to his father's soul.

The next day.

Wu Wenwen, the eldest son of King Pingxi, issued a royal edict and became the new King of Pingxi.

Wu Wenwen gathered the remaining troops and retreated to Nanzhou. Adhering to the legacy of the late king, he declared that he would be on the side of the emperor and root out the traitors.

same day.

Geng Hongcheng, the eldest son of King Dingnan, issued a royal edict and succeeded him as the new King of Dingnan.

Geng Hongcheng sent an envoy to Chuzhou to ask Xiao Tianzuo for the body of the former Dingnan King.

Rejected.

Xiao Tianzuo said bluntly, "Who should I look for to find the body of my son Gu'an?"

After saying this, the head of the Southern King was hung at the head of Chuzhou City.

When Geng Hongcheng heard this, he became furious and cursed loudly, vowing to destroy the city and massacre the entire Chuzhou in the future.

Xiao Tianzuo reorganized the army in Chuzhou and raised an army. Following the imperial edict to cut down the vassal vassal, he vowed to clear out the fiefdoms of the two kings in the south.

Until the bad news came from Jinling——

Prince Zhao Lingfeng, who had been raising food, grass and weapons for the army, died suddenly.

Xiao Tianzuo and Mu Ying were both shocked when they heard this.

The whole country mourns.

Among the army, many Jinling sergeants who were born in poverty lamented that they were jealous of the talented people, so the army temporarily stopped in Chuzhou.

……

……

At the same time as the battle in Chuzhou in the south.

north.

In the land of Hexi, Yu Wenhu and Wanyan Lie had a decisive battle.

Yuwen Hujiao's soldiers fell into the trap and were surrounded by Wanyan Lie's Hu cavalry.

Among the Jedi, Yu Wenhu once heard that Wan Yan Lie was afraid of fighting, so he tried to lead his troops personally to break into Hu Qi's central military point, hoping to kill Wan Yan Lie and reverse the defeat.

Wanyan Lie immediately drew his sword and struck with extraordinary bravery.

Yu Wenhu fought with him for dozens of rounds.

On the surrounding battlefields, the defeat of our own army became increasingly evident.

Yu Wenhu was restless, restless, and his moves were chaotic, and he eventually died on the general stage.

The army west of Hexi was defeated.

Wanyan Lie marched day and night, plundering thousands of miles of land, reaching the Jade Gate Pass.

The guard at Yumen Pass was shocked.

Hexi is in danger.

……

Northland.

Hexi was in a hurry, and the guard at Yumen Gate sent thirteen urgent documents to the imperial court for help.

The new Prince Zhao Lingrui encountered this critical situation when he first took over the leadership.

He wanted to rush to rescue Yumen Pass, but found that Daqian was unable to send reinforcements.

Things are just getting better in the South now.

However, the newly appointed King Pingxi and King Dingnan still have most of their military strength in their hands, and they have vowed to fight Daqian until death.

Under such circumstances, Zhao Lingrui knew that it was impossible for Xiao Tianzuo to lead his army northward for support.

After careful consideration, Zhao Lingrui wrote a personal letter and sent it to the King of Zhenbei in Beidi.

Soon after, King Zhenbei received a letter from the new crown prince Zhao Lingrui.

In the letter, he hoped that the King of Zhenbei could divide his troops to support Yumen Pass in Hexi.

We do not seek to regain the lost territory outside the pass, but only seek to defend Yumen Pass.

But now, not long after the Zhenbei Army recaptured Dingbei City, the city defenses were seriously damaged.

In front of them, all the main armies in Northern Xinjiang have gathered under the command of Wanyan Lingxu, staring eagerly, as if they are actively looking for a fighting opportunity.

King Zhenbei had no intention of sending troops.

After all, the Zhenbei Army's numbers were already insufficient compared to the Jin Kingdom's army, and now the war was even closer.

But considering the relationship between Hexi Yumenguan and Beidi is also dead.

The king of Zhenbei was in a dilemma.

General Tiger Roar Ye Changtian saw the difficulty that King Zhenbei was facing at this moment.

He met with King Zhenbei privately and claimed——

"Changtian is willing to go to Hexi alone. He will definitely lead and command the remaining border troops in Hexi and guard Yumen Pass. He will protect our northern flank."

When the King of Zhenbei heard this, his heart was slightly touched.

He asked Ye Changtian what else he needed?
Ye Changtian replied, "As long as the king's edict and the documents from the court are enough."

King Zhenbei tapped the king's case with his fingers.

He agreed to Ye Changtian and asked him to take an additional [-] soldiers from the Huxiao Camp to help him guard the pass and supervise the war and establish his authority as a commander.

Ye Changtian wanted to refuse out loud because he knew that the king's side was also short of troops.

But King Zhenbei waved his hand slightly before he spoke.

"Changtian, I will let the Daqian court appoint you as the new general of Beizhu Kingdom."

"...You go to Hexi not only to defend Yumen Pass and repel Wanyan Lie, but also to control the entire Hexi and Daqian northern frontier forces!"

King Zhenbei spoke in a deep voice, his words low and powerful.

The beads on Jiuyi's crown make it difficult to see his face clearly.

Ye Changtian heard the words and realized the meaning later.

His eyes flickered, he thought for a moment, and then said firmly——

"Chang Tian will definitely fulfill his mission!"

……

(End of this chapter)