There was one more thing he didn't say. The matter had become so big, and no one was a fool. Who wouldn't know that the two factions were sent by the Emperor?
If the Emperor saved them, it would confirm the ambush, and Nanzhou would demand an explanation from the three major sects!
If the Emperor didn't save them, or couldn't save them, it would be a great loss of face.
This was a public slap to the Emperor's face!
He didn't say it out loud, but Shang Jianxiong also reacted. His expression twitched, and he said in a stern voice, "I will not let this traitor go!"
Gamiao Shui suggested from the side, "Your Majesty, you can send an edict to Nanzhou to ask for them in the name of trial, unless Nanzhou wants to openly defy the edict!"
Shang Jianxiong and Tian Yu both frowned. Had Shang Chaozong not done enough to openly defy the edict? How many times had he sent an edict for Shang Chaozong to come to the capital to report on his work? Once the edict arrived, Shang Chaozong immediately fell ill. Once the edict was withdrawn, his illness immediately recovered, and he refused to come to the capital no matter what.
Of course, it was because he didn't dare to come. If he came, did he want to go back so easily?
Who knew what kind of excuse Shang Chaozong's side would come up with to give such an edict?
Tian Yu nodded. "Regardless of whether it works or not, we have to try. Your Majesty, this is all we can do for now. We can't just watch them die, or else it will disappoint them. It will be difficult to make those cultivators work for us in the future!"
Shang Jianxiong closed his eyes and sighed. "Draft the edict!"
He didn't have any confidence in whether or not his nephew, Shang Chaozong, would release them. Furthermore, there was Niu Youdao behind him. He would probably have to depend on Niu Youdao's mood.
Not long after the edict was sent out, a secret report from the Intelligence Bureau was urgently sent to the royal study.
Tian Yu, who was standing outside the royal study and giving orders to a few eunuchs, suddenly changed her expression after reading the secret report. She waved the eunuchs away and quickly entered the royal study.
Inside the royal study, Shang Jianxiong was sitting behind the table with Tong Mo, the Minister of Public Works, standing and talking.
Unable to attend to anything else, Tian Yu interrupted with an urgent report. "Your Majesty, the Intelligence Bureau has sent an urgent military report. The Nanzhou army that was slowly retreating from Jinzhou has suddenly gathered again and increased their speed, heading straight for Dingzhou. The troops near Dingzhou quickly gathered and headed straight for the Dingzhou border. "
Tong Mo was stunned, and his mind was filled with thoughts.
Shang Jianxiong's face turned pale with fright as he stood up and snatched the urgent military report to read. His face turned pale with fright as he shouted in a stern voice: "What is that unfilial son Shang Chaozong trying to do?"
Tong Mo extended his hand and said, "Your Majesty, can you let this old subject take a look?"
Shang Jianxiong casually tossed it to him and began to pace back and forth in the study, his face clouded over.
After Tong Mo read it, his expression turned grave. He shook the paper in his hand and said, "Could it be that Shang Chaozong wants to rebel? If they really dared to act recklessly, how could the three sects spare them? Your Majesty, is something wrong? "
This was called asking the obvious. He was a big tree with deep roots here. Some of Shang Jianxiong's secret actions, especially such a big thing, could not be hidden from his eyes. Moreover, the True Spiritual Institute and the Flying Flower Pavilion were already trying to curry favor with him.
He also knew that they had failed after the attack. The remnants of the two sects had already asked him for help, hoping that he could speak to the Emperor to save the people hanging on the city walls.
He had come to the royal study to see Shang Jianxiong to test the situation. Whether or not he spoke to Shang Jianxiong to save them was secondary. He wanted to see Shang Jianxiong's reaction first.
Had something happened? How could Shang Jianxiong say it? It would be fine if things did not get out of hand, but if they did, he would be an incapable ruler!
Tian Yu spoke up to help. "The envoy stationed in Zhao, Gao Shaoming, suggested a plan to get rid of Niu Youdao. I was soft-hearted and thought that I could succeed, so I listened to him and secretly mobilized people to attack the Thatched Cottage Villa. In the end, I failed. This time, I'm afraid we have provoked Niu Youdao's revenge."
He had to take the blame for everything.
"Eunuch Tian, what time is this? The enemy is right in front of us. How can there be internal strife? Are you muddle-headed?" Tong Mo stomped his feet and criticized Tian Yu. In reality, his heart was as clear as a mirror. He was just playing along. The Emperor could not be wrong. The mistakes were all his subordinates'.
"Yes, yes, yes, it is I who was muddle-headed. It is all my fault!" Tian Yu repeatedly bowed to admit his mistakes. After admitting his mistakes, he said, "Prime Minister, you can cut me into a thousand pieces after this, but the affairs of the country cannot be ignored! You must think of a way to save the country! "
Shang Jianxiong stood to the side with a tense expression and didn't make a sound. Not even in his dreams would he have thought that Nanzhou would dare to send troops.
"Ah!" Tong Mo raised his head to the sky and sighed. He then furrowed his brows and said, "It shouldn't be! Does Great Zen Mountain dare to easily cause trouble? Could it be that they are purposely bluffing? "
Tian Yu said, "Prime Minister, regardless of whether it is bluffing or not, we have to be careful!"
Tong Mo looked at the military intelligence in his hands and said in a low voice, "Nanzhou will not act rashly. Otherwise, the three large sects will not easily forgive them. If they really want to send troops to Dingzhou, they must have a proper excuse." He abruptly raised his head. "Your Majesty, we need to immediately notify Xue Xiao and have him guard against Nanzhou's provocations! Tell Xue Xiao that no matter how Nanzhou provokes him, he must endure it. We cannot give Nanzhou an excuse to send troops! As long as there is no excuse, regardless of whether it is Nanzhou or Niu Youdao, they will not dare to act rashly. Otherwise, the three large sects will not be easy to deal with and will certainly kill one to warn the others! "
"Great Minister of Public Works is wise!" Shang Jianxiong repeatedly nodded his head in praise. The haze in his heart dissipated greatly. He immediately said to Tian Yu, "Quick! Immediately contact Xue Xiao! "
Tian Yu repeatedly nodded his head in agreement and quickly ran out of the royal study. He also knew that there was no time to lose.
However, Nanzhou had planned for a long time and definitely did not act on the spur of the moment. By the time they reacted, it would be too late.
… …
Xiao Yao Palace. Long Xiu's face darkened as he held two letters of complaint in his hands. One was from Niu Youdao and the other was from Shang Chaozong. The two letters were sent together.
Niu Youdao accused the Imperial Court of sending people to launch a sneak attack and kill thousands of cultivators of his Thatched Cottage Villa.
Shang Chaozong also accused the Imperial Court of sending people to launch a sneak attack and kill nearly ten thousand soldiers under his command.
The Imperial Court was unjust and unjust, and it was difficult to redress the grievances. Both of them asked Xiao Yao Palace to seek justice!
"What the hell is Shang Jianxiong doing? Now that the enemy is right in front of us, he is actually having an internal strife. He can't even kill the enemy. Is he thinking that there is less trouble? Is he trying to force us to rebel? If he doesn't want to sit on the throne, then give it to me! "Long Xiu was furious. He pointed at Yi Shu and said," Immediately contact Shang Jianxiong and ask him to give me an explanation! "
"Yes!" Yi Shu received the order and left.
An Elder at the side walked forward and said, "I'm afraid this letter of complaint was not only sent to us."
Long Xiu humphed coldly and said, "Is there a need to say that?"
… …
In Dingzhou, close to Nanzhou, on the official road that passed through the forest, a group of masked men killed a caravan and scattered it.
Hearing the screams of a woman in the carriage, a masked man waved his saber and pushed aside the curtain of the carriage. Inside the carriage were three young beauties who were so frightened that their faces turned pale. Their looks could make anyone's heart beat faster.
A few masked men who came closer to watch looked at each other, their eyes filled with greed.
Since the deed was done, they must take the opportunity to have some fun. Whether or not they could leave the culprit alive was another matter.
In another carriage, someone opened the box on the carriage and looked inside. Inside were boxes of gold, silver, and jewelry.
He closed the box and greeted, "Head, it's right."
The leader of the masked men waved his hand and said, "Let's go!"
The carriage with the valuables and the carriage with the three beauties immediately turned around and were quickly chased away. As for the corpses of the caravan's workers, they were all thrown into the forest to hide, leaving only bloodstains on the way.
In the depths of the forest, a hidden cultivator who saw this scene released the golden wings in his hand and followed them quietly …
In the forest on the border of Nanzhou, thousands of riders were waiting for orders. The golden wings landed and the news arrived.
A commander wearing battle armor immediately ordered someone to use the golden wings to send a message to the army behind him. He then shouted, "Depart!"
Thousands of riders immediately mounted their horses and rushed out of the forest. Accompanied by a number of cultivators, they sped along the official road.
The sentry post in Dingzhou was right in front of them. It was too late for the guards to sound the alarm. The riders charged forward and brandished their sabers. Blood and flesh flew everywhere.
How many people could there be at the sentry post? The small group of guards fled in panic.
A cultivator in charge had just revealed his head when he was tied down by two cultivators who flew over.
The thousand-plus riders sped forward at full speed. In a short while, they caught up to the dozen or so masked men who had robbed them.
The commander of the riders waved his hand, and the riders immediately split into three groups. Two groups charged into the forest on the left and right, flanking the two sides. This scene truly scared the living daylights out of these people.
Soon, all of these bandits were taken down. These people couldn't stand the fright either. When they saw a head fall to the ground, they were so frightened that they revealed their identities. They were the guards at the pass in front of them.
These people had seen a chest fall from the caravan's carriage and a ground full of gold and silver treasures. Seeing that there were few people in the caravan and that there were few people in front of them, they became greedy. That was all.
The flaunting commander on horseback pointed his saber at them and sneered, "You're in big trouble. Do you know who these three beauties are? They're Prince Yongping's new concubines. We were just about to welcome them, but you're quite bold. How dare you blaspheme, insult, and rob the Prince's women. Is there still any law in the court? "
"Ah!" The person who answered was so frightened that he fell to the ground. He thought that exposing his identity as a guard would save his life.
The commander immediately ordered, "Take a few of them to the pass in front of us to demand an explanation. Bring the rest back to testify!"
There was no explanation. After the robbers were sent back to the pass in front of them, the guard panicked. How could they rob Prince Yongping?
What kind of person was Prince Yongping? He was someone who dared to go against the court and steal the court's Nanzhou. This joke was getting out of hand!
After the people were sent back, a few riders quickly returned. The guard at the pass urgently reported the situation.
The army on the border of Nanzhou had planned for a long time and would not wait for an explanation.
Without another word, the vanguard of the border army immediately killed their way into Dingzhou and swept through, killing the unprepared Dingzhou troops into complete disarray.
They didn't even care when the follow-up troops would arrive. This was truly taking advantage of Dingzhou's defences after most of the Dingzhou troops left.
The follow-up troops of Nanzhou also quickly pushed forward with an aggressive momentum.
Later, the matter of Dingzhou stealing the Prince's woman and sending people to ambush Qingshan County and kill nearly 10,000 soldiers caused a ruckus in Nanzhou.
The people of Nanzhou were furious. They all cursed Dingzhou for going too far. They were not the people of the court. They were clearly bandits. The army roared as they rushed toward Dingzhou. They all shouted that they wanted to avenge the Prince, clean out the traitors for the court, and hand over Xue Xiao's head.
PS: Thank you for the support of the new alliance leader. This new alliance leader's name is a bit weird. Forgive me for not writing it. Thank you for your support.
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