Wind rises time and space gate

Chapter 538: King Yue Takes Action
In the meeting room of the Northwest Marshal's Mansion, the atmosphere was solemn.

Everyone was stunned by Jiang Xiang's sudden death.

How old was Lord Jiang? He could have stayed in the court for at least another twenty years, but he died just like that. He was implicated in the former crown prince incident, and he survived that hardship, but now he has fallen.

Without Lord Jiang's support in the capital, the King of Yue would be like losing an arm. I'm afraid he would be inconvenienced everywhere.

Looking at the King of Yue at the top, he had a sad expression on his face, dressed in plain clothes with a white linen tied around his waist. The Crown Prince next to him had red and swollen eyes, and was dressed in linen, in mourning clothes. He was actually wearing mourning for Lord Jiang as a nephew.

Everyone was moved.

The King of Yue was the ruler and Jiang Xiang was the minister, but the King of Yue treated him as his closest relative and mourned for him, which made them more determined to follow the King of Yue.

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince is openly provoking us. Even Lord Jiang has been murdered. I'm afraid that those who have surrendered to our Lord in the capital will be harassed by the Crown Prince. Your Highness, do you have any good ideas?"

Wei Zuo asked what everyone wanted to ask.

Jiang Xiangzheng, a second-rank official, had already been murdered by the crown prince. I'm afraid the rest of them would not be able to withstand the crown prince's harassment.

Zhan Qian and the other generals from the capital were worried. They were not like the generals at Hangu Pass, whose families were not in the capital, and they had no ties. They were also not like Fang Sheng. Fang's family had been taken away from the capital by the King of Yue, while most of their families were still in the capital.

Wei Zuo glanced at Zhan Qian and the others, knowing the struggles in their hearts. He could also imagine the struggles of other ministers in the capital who had surrendered to the King of Yue after Jiang Xiang's death.

If he continued to support the King of Yue, his future would be uncertain, and he would probably be retaliated by the Crown Prince. If he supported the Crown Prince, he would easily take the life of a second-rank official of the court, and the Emperor did not even punish him, which was chilling.

No matter what you choose, it’s a dilemma.

Zhao Guangyuan's left hand was tightly clenched into a fist that had never been opened. When he received the news that Jiang Xiang was poisoned, he was shocked and extremely anxious. He hated that he was not in the capital, otherwise he could bring Jiang Xiang to modern times for treatment. When he was at a loss for what to do, he received another pigeon letter the next morning, saying that Jiang Xiang was dead.

I just felt my heart and soul torn apart.

Mr. Jiang was both his teacher and his father. When his brother was wronged, only Jiang Xiang ran around and confronted the emperor at the risk of his life. And when he was imprisoned, only Jiang Xiang was not afraid of what people said, and was not afraid of being suppressed by the emperor, and took care of him everywhere.

During those darkest moments, only Jiang Xiang was like a ray of light, illuminating his despairing heart.

He had thought that when he got what he wanted, he would give Jiang and Xiang the highest honor. But he died.

"Commander Lu, tell the secret guards in the capital to ensure the safe return of the Jiang family. Send a letter to your father from Sun Yu and ask him to send a thousand good soldiers to station at the Jiang family's residence to ensure the safety of the Jiang family members."

"Yes!" Lu Ye and Sun Yu responded in unison.

After hearing this, Zhan Qian and others turned to look at the King of Yue, shocked.

First, he had done this for the Jiang family and even sent people to protect the Jiang family. Second, they were shocked that the King of Yue might have many tricks up his sleeve that they didn't know about.

Sun Yu's father, Sun Lu, was a general second only to Duke Lu at Hangu Pass, but he later resigned and returned home, and there has been no news of him since. Could he be helping the King of Yue lead troops in a place unknown to them?

Zhang Zhi glanced at Zhan Qian and other generals from the capital, and couldn't help but straighten his body. It seems that they don't know the details of the prince. He and his people are the prince's confidants.

But when he thought about how the most important and capable person they had left in the capital had been murdered by the prince, he couldn't help but collapse.

Saddened for the loss of such a capable general.

"Besides that, I have a few things to discuss with you." Zhao Guangyuan spoke again.

"Please speak, Your Highness." Everyone looked respectful.

"Originally, I did not want to bear the name of a rebel and wanted to take it slow, but now the crown prince has openly provoked a war. If I do not do something, the ministers in the capital who have surrendered to me will think that I am a coward and unworthy of following."

"I swear to follow you till death. Please give me your orders!"

Zhao Guangyuan discussed with everyone what he was going to do next...

On that day, the plaque of "Grand Marshal's Mansion of the Western Expedition" was officially changed to "Prince of Yue". The war was over, and now there was no Grand Marshal of the Western Expedition, only the King of Yue. This move was to let the people of the Northwest know that the King of Yue was the king of the Northwest.

Then he sent generals to the four cities to comfort the troops and announced to the local people that the Yue Palace would take over the local security. He openly protected the people and secretly told the world that the military and political affairs of the eight cities were under the control of the Yue Palace.

Then, with the Huai River as the boundary, we will send generals with 5,000 soldiers each to each county to set up guard camps, station there, and take over local military affairs. If there is dissatisfaction, the one or two hundred yamen runners in the county government are welcome to challenge us.

The King of Yue had money and connections, and he acted extremely quickly. Before the county governments and state capitals could react, he had already quickly sent troops to set up camps and guard barracks in major cities in the northwest.

Some officials, in panic, submitted memorials to the capital, reporting the actions of the King of Yue and bluntly stating that the King of Yue was planning to rebel.

The letters fell into Zhao Guangyuan's hands one by one.

Before the capital received the news, guard camps had been set up in major cities south of the Wei River, and garrisons had been arranged to intimidate local government officials.

The news that the crown prince had killed Jiang and Xiang had spread. I'm afraid all the officials had their own thoughts.

Faced with the tough attitude of the King of Yue, most of them chose to compromise. They also drank and chatted with the local garrison generals, welcoming their arrival and saying that they could sleep well with their help in protecting the local people.

There were also a small number of officials who were dissatisfied with the rebellious intentions of the King of Yue and asked for help from the commanders guarding the nearby borders.

Zhao Guangyuan did not stop their letter for help.

I also wanted to take this opportunity to see the attitudes of the generals guarding the borders.

As Zhao Guangyuan expected, the generals guarding the borders did not dare to send out troops on the grounds that they had no orders from the emperor.

In fact, even with the imperial order, the number of soldiers under the command of the border guards is not as large as that of the King of Yue. In a real battle, regardless of whether they can win or not, the casualties are all from Da Qi. The generals will also weigh the pros and cons in their hearts. Even if it is an imperial order, they have to consider it carefully.

Moreover, the King of Yue not only stationed troops in various places.

In Lingbao County, Bao Xia and his fellow villagers were still discussing whether to go to Hangu Pass to find work. It was said that there was a shortage of people there, with new cities being built, farmland being stored, and merchants from all over the country flocking there to build shops and open markets. It was said that anyone who went there would be able to find work.

However, Hangu City was still quite far from Lingbao County, with several counties in between. It would take ten days or half a month to take a carriage on the road, which was quite expensive.

Bao Xia can't afford the travel expenses now.

Can't help feeling a little frustrated.

The villager also sighed. He also wanted to go, but he couldn't afford the travel expenses. The two squatted at the city gate and sighed together. Then they saw someone posting a notice at the city gate from a distance, attracting a crowd of people.

The villager nudged Bao Xia and motioned him to look.

Bao Xia put his hands in his sleeves, stood on tiptoe, and stretched his head to look at the city gate. "Is there a master looking for someone to work?"

"Let's go and take a look!" The two squeezed over and saw that the person who posted the notice was a soldier in military uniform, who was repeating the contents of the notice...

The more Bao Xia listened, the brighter his eyes became.

The King of Yue is recruiting soldiers!

The King of Yue knew it! Ever since he led his troops to drive out the Western Rong people, not only did he win the battle, but he also forced the Western Rong to sign a 50-year agreement not to invade, and forced the Western Rong and Fan Jue to pay so much silver as compensation, as well as countless cattle, horses and sheep, the image of the King of Yue in his mind was like a god of war.

In teahouses and taverns, people not only told stories about the King of Yue's battles, but also about how he was demoted to guard the mausoleum. Bao Xia wanted to get to know the King of Yue more and more.

Now the King of Yue is recruiting soldiers! And his qualifications are all suitable!

"I, I, I'll sign up!" Without thinking, Bao Xia stood on tiptoe and raised his hand, fearing that the soldier in charge of registration would not see him.

The villagers were frightened by him and held him back. "You are crazy. Soldiers are for fighting!"

War means death! When they recruited soldiers in the past, they wanted to hide in the mountains. Now Bao Xia is volunteering to join the army?
"They are said to be government soldiers, but they are also sent to the guard camp!" the villagers advised again.

They had heard that the King of Yue had stationed troops and set up guard camps in various places, but not in the name of the imperial court, but in the name of the Palace of the King of Yue, and they only said to the outside world that they wanted to protect the Palace of the King of Yue's industries in the local area.

But who doesn't know the ambition of the King of Yue? If he gets caught in the crossfire, he will lose his life.

But Bao Xia had set his sights on the King of Yue. The King of Yue was the legitimate prince, so if the King of Yue wanted to compete for the throne, he would have a chance.

Moreover, Bao Xia felt that this conscription of soldiers was designed for him.

All limbs are sound, the body is healthy, and the age is under 35. Food and lodging are provided, and there is a monthly salary of to tael of silver. There is silver for military merit, and there is a pension for casualties. All children will be raised until they are ten years old, and one son will be allowed to take over his father's position in the future.

This is tailor-made for Bao Xia.

His parents died early, and he lived with his uncle since childhood. His aunt looked down on him and suppressed him in every way. When he got married and had children, his aunt still treated his family like cattle and horses in return for the kindness she had shown in raising him in the past.

If he became a soldier of the King of Yue and had the title of the King of Yue, even if his wife and children stayed in his hometown, his aunt and others would restrain themselves and would not bully them too much. If he made meritorious contributions in the camp, they could find a chance to bring his wife and children out!

After figuring it out, Bao Xia used his strong physique from years of doing odd jobs to squeeze through the crowd and was the first to get to the registration table to sign up.

With Bao Xia taking the lead, many people followed suit and signed up.

In this way, the conscription work in Lingbao County was completed quickly. Like Lingbao County, the conscription work in major cities in the northwest was also completed quickly.

It went so smoothly that it was amazing.

"Your Majesty, as you ordered, 5,000 soldiers have been recruited from each county and have been sent to the guard camp. Training has now begun."

Fang Sheng, who was in charge of recruiting soldiers for the military camps in various places, was very busy during this period. But he felt extremely satisfied. In the past, he also led hundreds of thousands of soldiers in Hangu Pass, but he had never worked so hard and dedicatedly, and never gained such great satisfaction from his work.

He and the other generals admired the prince's move.

Now there are guard camps in various places, and the King of Yue’s troops are stationed in each place, but this move is likely to cause panic among the people. The prince suddenly has an idea and recruits people from all over the country to join the army.

Originally they thought this move would not go smoothly. After all, almost everyone in the people was afraid of fighting.

The result surprised them greatly. They could not imagine how eager young men from all over the country were to sign up for the army, and the number of people who signed up was beyond their imagination. Now the guard camp not only had the King of Yue's soldiers, but also new soldiers from all over the country.

In this way, the people will voluntarily join the army, and their support for the King of Yue will become even stronger.

The King of Yue increased his military strength by only one move, and now his military strength has reached nearly one million. Even if the capital wants to attack the King of Yue, it has to think twice. The King of Yue has not only increased his military strength, but his popularity has also reached its peak.

At least in the northwest, people only know the King of Yue and not the Emperor.

"The seventh day of mourning has passed. The Jiang family has already carried the coffin back to their hometown, right?" Zhao Guangyuan suddenly said after finishing the discussion.

"I'm afraid he's already on the way." Fang Sheng nodded and lowered his eyes, feeling deeply saddened for the prince's loss of such a wise minister and good general.

Suburbs of Beijing.

Dozens of carriages were moving slowly forward. The middle carriage was covered tightly with black cloth, and dozens of guards on horseback were protecting the black cloth carriage and moving it slowly forward.

Jiang Xuyang lifted the curtain and looked at the carriage carrying his father's coffin in front of him with sorrow in his eyes. Jiang Wentao saw this and wanted to persuade him but couldn't. He still hadn't recovered from his father's death in the past few days.

"When my father left the capital, all the ministers' houses sent people to send him gifts, and the emperor also sent Liu Qi to see him off to Shili Pavilion. Only the East Palace has not responded since my father's death."

Jiang Xuyang lowered the car curtain after hearing this, his eyes full of resentment, but his years of self-restraint made him hold it in.

He only said, "You and I can never hope to avenge this, and I, Jiang, will never forget it for a moment."

Jiang Wentao nodded. He would never forget this grudge. He must assist the King of Yue and trample the prince under his feet!

The two brothers were discussing how to return home safely, and how to avoid the eyes and ears of the prince and go to the northwest to seek refuge with the King of Yue, when they heard the sound of swords clashing outside.

The two brothers hurriedly lifted the curtain and saw a group of men in black flying towards their father's coffin, and soon started fighting with the guards from Prince Yue's mansion nearby.

"Father!"

"Protect mother!"

The two brothers jumped out of the car, sent people to protect the women and children at home, ran to protect their father's hearse, and grabbed weapons to resist.

Because Zhao Guangyuan had given instructions, Caocuo sent out a lot of people for protection this time. Although there were not many guards in the open, there were many secret guards. Even if the Jiang family had many people and cars, they could still protect them tightly.

It took more than half an hour to kill the men in black one by one.

When Jiang Wentao saw his mother throwing herself on his father's coffin and crying, his eyes were bloodshot with hatred. He pulled off the masks of the men in black and saw that they were all assassins. He was so angry that he stabbed each of them again with a knife to vent his anger.

The guards of the Prince of Yue's palace helped to clean up the bodies of the men in black. The guard leader discussed with the Jiang brothers: "When we leave Beijing, Cao said that if there is danger along the way, we can ask for help from Changping. I want to ask General Sun for 200 people to escort us along the way."

Jiang Wentao knew that the King of Yue had stored troops in Changping Mountain, so he nodded immediately and said, "Okay, the expenses along the way will be borne by my Jiang Mansion."

"You are too kind, Lord Changshi. The King of Yue has ordered us to escort you back home safely. All our expenses along the way, including those for the Jiang residence, will be borne by the King of Yue's Mansion."

Jiang Wentao didn't bother to be polite with him. He nodded and let him pass the message to Changping.

Jiang Xuyang was faced with the mess and thought that the prince could not help but take action just outside the capital. This was not only a provocation to the King of Yue and an expression of dissatisfaction with his deceased father, but also a warning to all the ministers in the capital.

But Jiang Xuyang did not intend to let the prince get his wish, and immediately sent someone to report the news that they had been assassinated just after leaving the capital back to the capital.