Pei Zi Yun leaned against the carriage and closed his eyes. He frowned and seemed to be deep in thought.
Seeing this, the Grand Princess sighed and handed a scroll over, "The Crown Prince has said that as long as you accomplish this task and solidify his position, the Crown Prince will bestow you with the title of Regent of the State."
"This is the highest title a Daoist can enjoy. If you're not willing, I shall not persuade you otherwise." The Grand Princess said sadly.
At this point, Pei Zi Yun had no choice but to agree, "The Crown Prince is putting me on a hot plate. But why doesn't the Crown Prince use a veteran general?"
"I don't believe you don't understand." The Grand Princess rolled her eyes, "If my brother was still healthy and hadn't vomited blood and fainted, it wouldn't hurt to use a veteran general."
"But now that this has happened, and the reason for it is to remove the vassals, my brother is afraid that they will have other ideas."
"If we hand over a hundred thousand soldiers to a hero, and they have other ideas, it won't just be a matter of Ying Prefecture. The entire south will be in chaos, and the Crown Prince won't be able to control it."
Pei Zi Yun's body trembled as he said, "We can let a civilian lead the army."
The Grand Princess said impatiently, "You're still avoiding the topic. Although Ji Bei Hou isn't the best general, he's been fighting for decades."
"Throughout history, the Confucian generals would suppress the uprising of peasants during times of peace."
"If we were to meet such a valiant general, and we don't have five times the number of soldiers, we'd be sending ourselves to Ji Bei Hou."
"Don't talk nonsense. The Crown Prince will follow the Ying Prefecture Governor's rule. He will send a civilian to be the general, and you will handle the military affairs."
"If you're willing to give up your Daoist status, there's no need to go through so much trouble." The Grand Princess sighed. She had done some research and realized that the Imperial Qi and Dao Arts were in conflict. Even if the Imperial Court had Daoists, the Central Dao Records Department was under the Grand Herald Temple, and their officers were of the sixth rank. As for the prefectures, their officers were of the ninth rank.
On one hand, this was for the sake of control. On the other hand, he would no longer be a Daoist.
"If I give up my Daoist status, there's no need to say anything." Pei Zi Yun laughed, "The Imperial Court is rich and boundless, I know that."
"Titles, titles, posthumous titles, all of these can make one shine."
"It's just that I've admired the Dao since I was young. Since I've chosen the path of the Dao, I don't want to change it." Pei Zi Yun replied plainly. What a joke, he had the Plum Blossom. Sooner or later, he would reach the top of the Dao. Why would he change his path? He then changed the topic, "I won't be able to become a civil official. To be able to become a civil official, he has to be at least a third rank official. Would a third rank official listen to me?"
"Moreover, you have underestimated the guard that scholars have against Daoists." Pei Zi Yun spoke in a melancholy tone, "Do you believe that if this were to happen, the Governor General might not be able to think things through. He would rather lose his position, lose his army, and even lose Ying Prefecture, just to kill me?"
"Of course, this is an extreme situation, but we still have to guard against it."
"How could this be?"
The Grand Princess blurted out. However, as soon as the words came out of her mouth, she paused. She suddenly thought of the turmoil in the Imperial Court, as well as a few days ago, an official had reported to her, "The Heavens have created many Daos, with Confucianism as the orthodox. The Buddhist Daoists have used Divination and Talismans to summon ghosts and deities to cure illnesses and save lives. This may seem like a small benefit, but in actual fact, it has ruined the Imperial Court. If a Daoist uses martial arts to break the law, he can still be punished. If a Daoist uses his arts to break the law, he can be punished.
However, a Daoist uses his arts to break the law. If you think about it carefully, there are many things that can be considered dangerous. "
She was tongue-tied, and could not go against her conscience and say no.
Pei Zi Yun smiled blandly. He could see it very clearly. In this world, the Daoists had a lot of power. Even if this power was small, they were the only sect that could compete with the Confucians.
If the Confucians allowed the Daoists to enter the Imperial Court, they would have power and a legal system. How could the Confucians survive?
To put it bluntly, Ji Bei Hou was just a small problem, while the Daoists were a huge problem. If it weren't for the fact that the Daoists had a way to deal with the Daoists, they would have been wiped out.
Hence, if the Scholar were to lead the army, and the Daoists were in control of the army, they might even leak the news to the Imperial Court and cause the army to suffer a crushing defeat. Of course, this was an extreme situation, but they had to be careful.
At this point, Pei Zi Yun took out a brush and crossed out the name of the Commander. He then used the brush, "If you want me to go to war, without the Imperial Sword and the Imperial Token, I will not go. Even if I go, I will die."
"Next is the Commander. I wish to replace him. Lastly, I don't need fifty thousand soldiers. I only need thirty thousand. Twenty thousand soldiers from the capital, and ten thousand from the navy."
As he spoke, he smiled bitterly. It wasn't that he didn't want more soldiers, it was just that it was impossible.
"What?" The Grand Princess was confused as she looked at the table. She was shocked, "You want Prince Cheng Shun to follow you to war?"
Prince Cheng Shun was the last son of the Emperor who hadn't died. He was only twelve years old this year.
The Grand Princess's eyes flashed before she turned gloomy, "This matter is not up to me to decide. You have to talk to the Crown Prince, or even my father."
Crown Prince's Mansion
It was late into the night, and the wind was blowing through the trees. The Crown Prince's study room was brightly lit. There were only two people inside, the Crown Prince and Pei Zi Yun.
The Crown Prince's face was solemn as he stared at Pei Zi Yun, "Dao Master, you wish to choose a person? Why don't you choose a general or a minister, and instead choose Prince Cheng Shun? "
Pei Zi Yun blew on his tea and took a sip before looking at the Crown Prince, "This humble subject has chosen Prince Cheng De. I have no other choice."
"Oh? Why? "The Crown Prince knew of Pei Zi Yun's capabilities.
Pei Zi Yun pondered for some time before replying, "Prince Cheng Shun is the Emperor's youngest brother. He's also the last son of the Emperor who hasn't died. He's twelve years old this year. Crown Prince, you should know how much the Emperor dotes on him."
"Indeed. But what does this have to do with going to war?" The Crown Prince looked at Pei Zi Yun and asked.
Pei Zi Yun sighed, "This humble subject is a Daoist. Apart from the title of Dao Master and True Sovereign, I cannot be promoted to an official position. I cannot be promoted to an Imperial Envoy. I have no authority or position. The last time I went to war with the pirates, I had to borrow the Imperial Flag of Ying Prefecture's Governor. I had to command a sixth ranked official."
"A general who commands tens of thousands of soldiers, regardless of whether he's a civil official or a minister, is at least a third ranked official. Even if there's an Imperial Edict, how can I command him?"
Outsiders treated him as the Crown Prince. In actual fact, he was a Daoist, and didn't receive any official position or salary from the Imperial Court. If it were someone else, they would still rely on the Imperial Qi to achieve a breakthrough. However, he had the Plum Blossom, and didn't have much to rely on.
If Xie Cheng Dong hadn't sided with King Lu, why would he be involved in this battle of the Dragon Race?
Discord between generals and generals was a taboo on the battlefield. If he was a minister, for the sake of righteousness, or for the sake of his future, he would have no choice but to compromise. He would wear chains and dance. However, Pei Zi Yun had already made up his mind. If he didn't agree to his terms, he wouldn't do it.
When he said, "Don't be afraid of offending anyone, I (I) will protect you", to Pei Zi Yun, it was all nonsense.
Yes, if the Emperor and the Crown Prince were willing to do it, they could. But why would the Emperor and the Crown Prince want to do it? The reason they used him was to go through fire and water. If he was willing to do it, wouldn't it be better if he did it himself?
If he had a conscience, he would save his own life. Most of the time, he would throw him out to relieve the pressure and resentment he felt. After he died, he would then be given a posthumous reward.
"If your subject isn't careful, it's not impossible for me to die in the army." Pei Zi Yun thought to himself as he spoke.
"They dare!" The Crown Prince's heart trembled as he slammed the table.
"This is the disadvantage of not having an official position. However, the general cannot be a minor official. The only suitable candidate now is the Prefecture Prince. He's the son of the Emperor, and has the status to lead the entire army. However, he's still young, which would make it more convenient for me to manage the army." Pei Zi Yun didn't discuss whether or not they dared to do it.
Seeing the expression on the Crown Prince's face, his heart skipped a beat. He then said, "Prefecture Prince Cheng Shun is of high status, and can't go to the frontlines. This humble subject wishes to command the army from Liang Prefecture."
"If this humble subject were to go to the frontlines and perform well, Prefecture Prince Cheng Shun would be able to claim credit for the army. When he's older, the Crown Prince would be able to command the army."
This was the crux of the matter. The Crown Prince pondered for some time before saying, "If it were any other matter, I would still be able to make a decision. However, since it involves Prefecture Prince Cheng Shun, I cannot make a decision. I would need my father's approval."
"Also, since I'm going to be in charge of the army, I have to ask for the help of the imperial sword. As for your records, I have no choice but to hand them over to my father."
Pei Zi Yun stood up and bowed to the Crown Prince, "Yes, Crown Prince!"
Imperial Palace
The Emperor rested, his chest rising and falling as he spoke, "Today, the Crown Prince handled the affairs of the country. Tell me everything."
The red robed eunuch, Hu Wu Yi, acknowledged the Crown Prince's orders and opened up the booklet. In it, the Crown Prince recorded everything that the Crown Prince had done.
"Today, all the officials nominated Grand Scholar Jiang Shengping to be the supervisor. However, the Crown Prince was hesitant, as though he had someone else in mind."
"Why didn't the Crown Prince make a decision?" The Emperor asked. Actually, this Grand Scholar Jiang Shengping was a civil official, and the Emperor wasn't satisfied with him. However, he was very curious as to why the Crown Prince was hesitating.
Hu Wu Yi bowed and was about to answer when a eunuch entered the palace and knelt on the ground, reporting to the Emperor, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has submitted a memorial to the Crown Prince."
Hu Wu Yi received the memorial as the Emperor said, "Read it!"
"Yes!" Hu Wu Yi knelt on the ground and read it out in a high-pitched voice.
The Emperor was lying on his bed, coughing slightly. His face was expressionless. When he heard that the Crown Prince wanted the twelve year old Prefecture Prince Cheng Shun to be the Crown Prince, he opened his eyes, "Nonsense!"
He struggled to get up, "Give me the memorial."
Hu Wu Yi didn't dare to delay as he hurriedly handed it over.
The Emperor received the memorial and read it carefully. At first, he was enraged, but then he seemed to be deep in thought. He noticed that near the memorial, there was information about Pei Zi Yun. His eyes narrowed as he picked it up to read it.
Hu Wu Yi hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, please rest more. You have to follow the doctor's instructions."
"Ai, I can't stop worrying. The Crown Prince is young, and has just become the Regent. He can't sleep." The Emperor sighed as he picked up the memorial and read it carefully.
The expression on his face gradually changed, and no one could tell if he was happy or angry. He then said, "Pei Zi Yun, after hiding it from me for so long, the Crown Prince's change has finally been explained."
He then forced himself to stand up and paced around the room. After some time, he took out a brush and wrote on the memorial, "Approved. Count Zhong Qin will be the deputy."
When he finished, he threw the brush to one side, "Issue the edict according to this."
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