As he spoke, the sun started to set, and a gust of wind blew in. The Emperor looked at it and said, "It's getting late. I know that you've bestowed the title of True Sovereign to Pei Zi Yun. This is a rare gift from a Daoist, but it's nothing to the imperial court. Actually, when the matter in Ying Prefecture is over, I'll summon this Pei Zi Yun to the capital and take a look at him. If he's still suitable, I'll bestow him the title."
"If he can't, I'll bestow him the title. However, I want him to be a True Sovereign in the netherworld."
"Don't feel that it's a pity. There are so many talented people under the heavens. Which ruler hasn't killed a genius before? If you kill a wrong person, then so be it. Don't think too much about it. En?"
"Yes!" The Crown Prince was speechless as he kowtowed deeply. Just as he was about to take his leave, hurried footsteps could be heard. Someone entered the room and slammed onto the ground. He didn't even get up as he kowtowed, "Your Majesty, something bad has happened in Qin Prefecture. King Lu has rebelled and accused the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince …"
"What? Speak! "The Emperor sat up immediately, staring at him as he shouted.
The eunuch who had reported the news knelt on the ground and kowtowed, "Your Majesty, King Lu has accused the Crown Prince of committing adultery, imprisoning you, and using his power for his own ends. He's trying to get rid of the Emperor."
"Unfilial son, how dare you." The Emperor was enraged as he slammed the side of his throne. Blood rushed to his head as his face turned red.
After some time, he spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed onto the ground.
"Your Majesty!" The Crown Prince and the people around him rushed forward and helped him up onto the throne. The Crown Prince was shocked as he shouted, "Quick, summon the imperial physicians."
Before long, several imperial physicians rushed over to check his pulse. One of them looked at him and said, "Your Majesty is in a moment of agony. It won't be too serious."
"Then why don't we treat him with medicine?" The Crown Prince shouted.
Qi Bei Prefecture
The sky was filled with dark clouds, which made people feel uncomfortable. Ji Bei Hou's army was densely packed, and it looked like there were forty thousand of them. However, the attacks of Ji Bei Hou's army were getting weaker and weaker. Recently, the battles had been sporadic, and the soldiers guarding the city were starting to relax.
"Speak. Is it time for Ji Bei Hou to retreat? "A soldier said as he moved some items forward.
Another soldier was slightly older. His face was dark and wrinkled. When he heard what the soldier in front of him said, he turned around and looked down the city. From afar, he could see Ji Bei Hou's camp.
Under the rays of the sun, Ji Bei Hou's camp seemed to have quietened down. He smiled and said, "That's right. It looks like the traitors of the Ji army won't be staying here any longer."
"There wasn't any war at first. With a wife and children by my side, how comfortable would that be? Now that everyone is fighting, and many of them have died in battle, Ji Bei Hou will die a horrible death." Another soldier who was older and had a simple and honest look on his face was filled with hatred.
He knew that Ji Bei Hou was preparing to leave. He had heard that the imperial court had reclaimed another two counties. The world was going to be at peace soon. It was not a big deal to work hard now.
At this time, Count Zhongqin came over with a dozen guards and a deputy general. The soldiers who were talking lowered their heads and quieted down.
Count Zhongqin watched from the top of the city. He could see that there were soldiers who were preparing tools such as salt, stones and kerosene. They were prepared to defend against any sneak attacks from Ji Bei Hou.
Seeing all these preparations, Count Zhongqin nodded his head, "Well done."
When the deputy general heard Count Zhongqin's praise, his face revealed a smile, "Thank you for your praise, Count. However, these are your orders. How would we dare to be negligent?"
Count Zhong Qin nodded his head, "You've done your best to be on guard. That's a good thing. Although Ji Bei Hou could escape at any time, he hasn't yet. As long as he hasn't escaped, the defenses in the city must be prepared.
"Yes, Count." The deputy general replied.
"How many times has Ji Bei Hou attacked?" Count Zhongqin asked.
The deputy general hurriedly replied, "Count, Ji Bei Hou initially attacked seven or eight times a day. Then he attacked three times a day. Now, he's attacked once a day. It's been two days since he last attacked. I've noticed that there's less smoke coming from the camp."
"That's not surprising. Our army has a city, and yet we've lost five thousand men. Ji Bei Hou has lost at least ten thousand men. Count, Ji Bei Hou is getting impatient. He won't be able to hold out for much longer."
Count Zhongqin stopped and looked at Ji Bei Hou's camp. Smoke was rising from the chimneys, and the soldiers below were still training. The sounds of battle shook the heavens.
"What a strong army. Ji Bei Hou was my comrade in the past, and was very capable. Who would've thought that he would turn into a traitor." Clouds drifted across the sky, casting a shadow on the ground. Count Zhongqin sighed.
The deputy general didn't reply. After some time, he replied, "Count, traitors have their reasons. But no matter how many reasons they have, they are not reasons to rebel."
"That's right, these are not reasons to rebel." Count Zhongqin sighed, his face was solemn. He rubbed the ring in his hand, as if deep in thought.
Not far away, a soldier was hanging from a rope as he inspected the damage done by the stone catapults.
"Count, the corpses on the battlefield belong to the soldiers. Besides, we've already passed the most difficult period." The deputy general pointed out, "When the bandits first arrived, they were the most dangerous. At that time, the city was in danger several times a day. But now, unless there's a sudden change in the situation, the bandits will not be able to threaten our city."
"Now, the bandits can only escape back to the city. They can still live for a period of time."
"Don't think that they're still training, and the killing intent is still there. But if we fight for a period of time, the entire camp will collapse."
Hearing the deputy general speak, Count Zhongqin looked at the camp. Although it was still intact, it was no longer as sharp as before. He then laughed, "Yuan An County and Peaceful Lake County have been pacified. Ji Bei Hou is at the end of his rope. Once the main army arrives, they will be able to attack from the inside and destroy the bandits in one fell swoop. The war will finally be over, and we can return to the capital in triumph.
"Haha, it's all thanks to Count's good fortune." The deputy general spoke. Count Zhongqin laughed, "Your flattery is too much. You should say that it's all thanks to the Imperial Court and the Emperor."
"Haha!"
Count Zhongqin and the deputy general both burst out laughing. The war was about to end, and both of them heaved a sigh of relief. The sun shone down on the city walls. Count Zhongqin turned around and was about to return to his mansion when he saw Ji Bei Hou's army. Dozens of soldiers and horses galloped out, causing the soldiers on the city walls to be on high alert.
The cavalrymen rushed out and shouted out, "Listen up on the city walls. I've received orders to inform you that the Crown Prince has killed his own mother and caused chaos in the palace. The Emperor has already issued an imperial edict to arrest him, but he has imprisoned the Emperor. Now that King Lu has returned to the capital, he has officially been conferred the title of Ji Country Duke."
Some cavalrymen shouted out, "We're not rebels. We're here to protect King Lu. If you surrender now, you can still live. If not, King Lu will return to the capital. You're all traitors, and it's too late for regrets."
As soon as these words were spoken, Ji Bei Hou's army shouted out, "Cleanse the Emperor's side, get rid of the villains, support the virtuous officials, and rule the world. Long live King Lu, long live King Lu, long live King Lu."
Ji Bei Hou's army shouted out, causing the entire crowd to tremble. The morale of the soldiers was greatly boosted. Atop the city walls, the soldiers looked at each other in dismay.
Count Zhongqin's expression changed as his face turned red, "Shameless, extremely shameless. Quick, send a messenger to contact the Imperial Court. See if King Lu has really rebelled."
Count Zhongqin ordered as he glared at the crowd below the city walls.
The deputy general quickly went to send a messenger. Without much time, he whispered to Count Zhongqin, "Count, things aren't good. King Lu has really rebelled."
"Bastard, shameless, despicable." When Count Zhongqin heard this, he cursed out. It wasn't clear if he was cursing King Lu or Ji Bei Hou.
The army marched forward, and the road ahead was so long that one couldn't see the end of it. The sun shone down upon them, bringing with it a sense of warmth.
By now, seven days had passed, and the army had gotten plenty of rest. Pei Zi Yun had also killed the officials who resisted him, and confiscated their houses. He had also rewarded them handsomely. Many people were calculating how much they would be rewarded if they won the next battle. Furthermore, because they had won so many battles, many of the new soldiers had regained their confidence, and were no longer as fearful as before.
As the army marched, they didn't march in formation. However, they were divided into battalions. In the middle, there were cavalry patrolling the area, so that they wouldn't mix up. The battalions marched forward one after another.
The sentries were spread out far and wide, reporting the situation around them.
At this point, behind the carriages, a Daoist official whipped his horse and rode forward. As he neared, there was a commotion among the crowd. Pei Zi Yun frowned and ordered, "Bring him here."
"Dao Master, things aren't good. King Lu has rebelled." The Daoist official bowed and reported.
When Pei Zi Yun heard this, his face fell. Although he had expected this, he was still shocked when he saw it happen. The Daoist official continued to report, "Dao Master, King Lu has declared that he will purge the Emperor of all his followers. Get rid of the vile people, support the virtuous officials, and rule the world. His army is now pointed at the Crown Prince."
The Daoist official's face turned pale, "He even said that the Crown Prince killed his own mother, and caused chaos in the palace. The Emperor has already issued an imperial edict to arrest him. The Crown Prince has imprisoned the Emperor, and any future edicts he issues are fake."
"King Lu is calling for the entire nation to respond."
Hearing these words, Pei Zi Yun's face fell. He thought about it carefully and understood everything. This wasn't just a ploy by King Lu himself, but a ploy by all the other towns. "Vicious, this is a vicious ploy."
Pei Zi Yun paused for sometime before rubbing his waist and sighed, "This ploy must have been devised by Xie Cheng Dong. It's extremely vicious. Isn't he afraid of the wrath of the heavens?"
"Dao Master, Count Zhong Qin has sent a message. King Lu has conferred Ji Bei Hou the title of Ji Country Duke. The morale of the Ji army has been greatly boosted." The Daoist official continued to report.
Pei Zi Yun froze as he pondered. All of a sudden, a vicious look appeared on his face.
"Hm, Ji Bei Hou, this is just a shot in the arm. It will temporarily restore the morale of the army. However, a shot in the arm will never be able to replace the loss of the army, nor will it be able to replenish their strength."
"Besides, even if King Lu rebelled, he's thousands of miles away. How can he support Ji Bei Hou's troops? All he can do is support him verbally. "
"If Ji Bei Hou manages to intimidate him, he might be able to catch his breath."
"Men, the direction of the army remains the same. Continue to march towards Qi Bei County. I want to see, Ji Bei Hou, will you fight me to the death, or will you retreat from the city?"
"If you retreat to the city, I will immediately surround it and take down the remaining two counties. When that happens, we will be able to catch a turtle in a jar. It's just that it will take some time."
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