Chaos of the Three Kingdoms Summons

Chapter 2688 The father draws a picture of a cake, and the son draws one too.
August 1st, the third year of the Qianyuan era.

In Luoyang, Emperor Li Xiang of the Great Jin Dynasty officially built a high platform outside the city to offer sacrifices to Heaven and Earth and declare war on the Kushan Empire.

The sky was high and the clouds were vast, the autumn wind carrying a chilling atmosphere. Above the Altar of the Circular Mound Altar, the black dragon flag fluttered in the wind.

Emperor Li Xiang, dressed in a robe with twelve imperial symbols and adorned with pearls on his crown, had a solemn and dignified expression, his eyes piercing as he gazed directly at the heavens.

"Heaven above, Earth above, bear witness!" Li Xiang's voice boomed, piercing through the solemn altar and echoing between heaven and earth.

"The Kushan barbarians are treacherous and ungrateful! When our Great Jin was in peril, they did not think of maintaining good relations with their neighbors, but instead acted like jackals. This hatred and resentment are too numerous to record! Now their ruler is foolish and incompetent, and Heaven has rejected their virtue. With wolves eyeing the north and leopards watching the west, this is a golden opportunity bestowed by Heaven to demonstrate the might of our Chinese nation!"

He raised the jade tablet high in his hand, the sound like the clash of metal:

"I, Li Xiang, Emperor of the Great Jin Dynasty, now offer sacrifices to Heaven, Earth, and our ancestors! I raise a righteous army to punish the wicked! I will cross the sea to launch a distant expedition to punish the Kushans! I will surely plunder their court, sweep away their strongholds, avenge our blood feud, and uphold the prestige of our nation! May my royal army be blessed with a victorious start!"

"Conquer the wicked! Uphold national prestige! Auspicious victory!"

Beneath the altar, civil and military officials and armored guards shouted in unison, their voices rising like a tidal wave and soaring to the heavens, proclaiming the complete ignition of the war will of a vast empire.

In the same month, an urgent imperial edict was sent to Bai Qi, the Minister of War in Nanjing, appointing him as the commander-in-chief and the Grand General of the Southern Expedition, placing all troops south of the Yangtze River under his command.

With the imperial edict issued, the entire south was quickly mobilized.

At that moment, several fast horses kicked up dust as they galloped along the official road leading to Nanjing.

The leader was none other than Prince Li An of Jin. He was dressed in a smart outfit, full of vigor, and the imperial arrogance between his brows was even more prominent in the autumn wind.

Following closely behind were seven or eight equally young noblemen, all dressed in fine clothes and riding spirited horses, their expressions a mixture of excitement and nervousness.

The Prince of Jin, along with his entourage, rode swiftly south to report to Bai Qi.

The Prince of Jin naturally had a group of followers under his command, and he also had a group of second-generation and even older third-generation followers who were on good terms with him.

After all, for older figures like Lian Po, Wang Jian, or Di Renjie, the three generations of their families were no younger than many of the second generation.

It was precisely because he also had a group of people behind him, a group of confidants, and a group of supporters, that he would not have been considered the prince most likely to threaten the crown prince.

In fact, at first, the Prince of Jin even wanted to tell Li Xiang that he wanted to bring his brother-in-law over as well, but Li Xiang rejected the idea.

Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse; the Kushan Empire might take a long time to resolve its problems!
This kind of great battle cannot be ended in a short time!

As for the Yuan Mongols to the north, Li Xiang was waiting for Temujin to die of old age.

As soon as Temujin dies, he will seize the opportunity to gather the troops from several northern prefectures and launch the first Yuan-Mongol war after the unification of the Great Jin Dynasty without hesitation.

Li Xiang really didn't believe it. Temujin was almost seventy years old, and he didn't believe he could live any longer. Even Sima Yi couldn't endure as long as him. He guessed it was only a matter of a few years.

Under these circumstances, it's natural not to easily transfer Bai Hu, such a formidable general, to the south. He is the White Tiger of the West; it was one thing before when the conditions weren't right, but now that the Jin-Yuan War could break out at any moment, he certainly can't transfer him to the south.

For the Great Jin Dynasty, at this stage, the north is always more important than the south.

Although the Kushan Empire was also among those being attacked by the Yuan Mongols, after the Great Jin Dynasty joined the war, although their directions of attack differed, they still came into contact with the Yuan Mongols in the later stages.

However, unless they start fighting in the north first, even if there is contact in the Kushan region later, there will be friction, but it is unlikely to escalate into a full-blown war.

There's no other reason than that there's a second Persian Empire over there.

For the Second Persian Empire, maintaining a balance among the three parties was in their best interest.

Not to mention, even if a major conflict breaks out, it doesn't matter, the Southern Army still has Gou Chen, there's no need to throw Bai Hu over there too!
The Prince of Jin's request clearly indicates that he wants to find another ally. After all, Bai Hu is his brother-in-law.

At a post station along the way, the Prince of Jin looked at his trusted confidants who had gathered around him, his eyes gleaming with ambition, and said in a low voice.

"Brothers, whether we become dragons or worms on this expedition depends on our own abilities! Father has made a solemn promise!"

He paused deliberately, whetting everyone's appetite, "If we succeed in this battle, the fertile lands of southern Kushan will be my fiefdom, Li An's fiefdom! At that time, I will be the King of Kushan!"

"The Kushan King?" Several young people gasped, their eyes widening instantly.

To be granted the title of king! And a powerful vassal king with real authority overseas! The temptation was simply irresistible!
Moreover, this is not just a matter for Ang Lee alone; it is a major issue that concerns all of them.

Following in Ang Lee's footsteps, they have, frankly speaking, already joined the struggle for succession.

In the future, if the Prince of Jin fails to ascend the throne, their fate will not be pleasant. Sitting on the sidelines for life would be the least of their worries; losing their lives would be normal, and they might even lose their entire families.

However, if the Prince of Jin were to be granted land and become a true king with real power, it would be tantamount to giving them a path forward.

To put it bluntly, only a small portion of those involved in this matter, those who support His Highness the Crown Prince or His Highness the Prince of Jin, are actually the eldest sons of their families; the vast majority are not.

In other words, although they were almost all born into noble families, the glory of their families belonged to their elder brothers, not to them.

Otherwise, why would they take such a risk?
If the King of Jin were to grant them a fiefdom, it would no longer be a mere nominal title, but a true fiefdom. They could then easily establish their own independent kingdom under the King of Jin's rule.

Therefore, at that moment, all the friends' eyes lit up.

However, like father, like son!
The Prince of Jin was also someone who loved to make empty promises!
This is still far from over, let alone starting a battle. They haven't even reunited with Bai Qi yet, and they're already guiding these friends to imagine the future.

King Jin was pleased with their reaction and continued to incite them, saying, "If I become the Kushan king, how can I not have loyal ministers by my side? You have followed me through thick and thin, how could I possibly mistreat you?"

"When the time comes, you can choose to be granted land and title, and guard a region, or follow me to the distant seas to share wealth and honor! Wealth and fame will be decided in this battle!"

"Follow me, show me your skills, and we'll forge a bright future!"