Wife, you didn't really drug me, did you?

Chapter 422 Return to Huangzhou Prefecture to See My Wife Again

"Then I'll go to Beijing with you!"

Prince Ruyang spoke. After hearing Prince Ruyang's words, Tutuo laughed. Although Bolo Temur did not laugh, his face also looked a little relaxed.

Li Siqi, who was standing by, said, "Chahan, I heard that a big thief recently appeared in your Jiangnan area. He's Zhu Chongba. Do you know anything about him?"

King Ruyang said, “I know.”

"Then you are still going to Beijing?"

Prince Ruyang was a little hesitant after hearing this, but at this time Tuotuo smiled and said, "Don't worry, Zhu Chongba is under the watch of the imperial army, there won't be any problems. It won't take long for Prince Ruyang to follow us to Beijing, and it won't delay the business."

After hearing this, King Ruyang said, "That's right, let's go to the capital first!"

After hearing what Prince Ruyang said, a trace of helplessness appeared on Li Siqi's face. As the saying goes, good words cannot persuade a damned ghost.

Prince Ruyang seemed to be poisoned and insisted on going to the capital, and there was nothing he could do.

Seeing this, Tuotuo was afraid that the night would be long and he said, "Okay, if that's the case, then it's settled. Prince Ruyang will follow the army to the capital, as for Prince Qi!"

Tuotuo looked at Li Siqi, and saw Li Siqi said: "I won't accompany you!"

After hearing this, Tuotuo said helplessly: "Then I will obey the King of Qi. The King of Qi will return to his fiefdom and wait for the next arrangement of the court."

After saying this, the itinerary was set. At this time, Tuotuo announced the end of the meeting. Li Siqi and King Ruyang walked out of the tent. Li Siqi looked at King Ruyang and said, "You are so stupid. The other party tricked you into coming to Beijing. I'm afraid they don't have good intentions!"

After saying this, King Ruyang said: "The capital is an important place, where the court's laws are enforced. What can they do? It's okay."

"Haha, the law has always been reserved for the upper class since ancient times. Although we are the upper class, there are still people above us. Anyway, Chahan, you should take care of yourself."

After saying that, Li Siqi went straight back to his own army, then gathered his men as quickly as possible and left quickly without any reluctance, as if he was afraid that these people would catch up with them.

"Mr. Prime Minister, the King of Qi has already led his troops away."

At this time, a messenger came to the general's tent and reported to Tuotuo.

Tuotuo drank a cup of tea, looked at Borodimur sitting opposite him and said, "This Li Siqi is really a rat in the cabin. He is so smart that he won't fall for our trick."

"Originally, I wanted to trick these two princes into the capital and then forcibly reduce their power. I never thought that Li Siqi would not be fooled. Fortunately, Prince Ruyang has a simple mind and is easier to control."

After hearing this, Boluo said, "Chahan is devoted to the country, so he is easier to be fooled. Li Siqi is not a reliable person."

After saying this, Boluo looked at Tuotuo and said, "So, do we have to reduce the power of the vassal states? Prince Ruyang is also loyal and reliable in suppressing Jiangnan."

"Loyal and reliable, then Princess Xiangning was robbed by bandits when she came to Beijing?"

At this point, Tuotuo said: "Prince Ruyang's actions are more obvious than they appear. Does he really think he can hide it from us?"

"What a joke! How can I not believe that a big bandit who dares to hijack the royal team can appear in Jiangnan?"

"It's Jitou Mountain, haha..."

Tuotuo's face was full of sarcasm, and he immediately said: "There are some things that the emperor is not convenient to talk about, but I can't ignore them. Although Prince Ruyang has made contributions to the country, his military power must not be retained."

"Now, trick Prince Ruyang into the capital and have the Imperial Master help put him under house arrest. On the other hand, I will send people to Jiangnan to take over the power of Prince Ruyang's Mansion, so that Jiangnan can once again be directly managed by the imperial court."

"Don't have vassal kings to control the local areas anymore. We should learn the Han people's county system and let the court directly manage the local areas. As for the vassal kings, just enjoy their wealth and glory. Don't let them control the military power anymore."

Tuotuo spoke.

Bolo Timur said: "But the vassal kings are in power and suppress the local areas. This is the rule set by the Heavenly Khan. We have changed the rules like this. Isn't this... a shame to our ancestors?"

Tuotuo heard this and said, "We are ashamed of our ancestors. Now the princes of the vassal states are all self-reliant and only want to strengthen themselves. It is only the Prince of Ruyang who cares about the whole country and has been controlling the military and political affairs of Jiangnan. Otherwise, is Jiangnan still the Jiangnan of the imperial court?"

"Since Prince Ruyang is loyal to the emperor and the country, why do we have to take away his military power?"

Boluo didn't understand. Since Prince Ruyang did a good job, why did you have to take him down?
"Just to hear about Princess Xiangning's affairs?"

Tuotuo said: "How can a woman destroy a great general of the court? Alas, there is actually nothing we can do about it. The vassal kings in this world are mainly the King of Ruyang and the King of Qi. The King of Ruyang is in charge of the southern vassal king system, and Li Siqi is in charge of the northern vassal king system."

"These two princes, one in the south and one in the north, are almost the representatives of all the princes in the world. If we want to take back the power of the princes and return it to the court, we must start with them."

"The Prince of Ruyang is good, but the other princes in the south are not good. The Prince of Luoyang in Henan enclosed land and harmed the people, causing a civil uprising. The Prince of Zhejiang increased the taxes on his fiefdom by 50% to provide entertainment!"

"And the King of Xiang and the King of Wu, each of them is indifferent to human life and treats the people under their rule as pigs and dogs. The people can no longer survive and have risen in rebellion, which has led to the current situation of war inside and outside the court, and the rebels in various places have been killed repeatedly. After much thought, I think the only feasible solution for now is to reduce the power of the feudal lords!"

"All power of the vassal kings will be returned to the inner court. Military power will not be delegated to others. The political power will be in a secluded place. All power will be concentrated in the imperial court. In the future, the vassal kings will just have to enjoy their lives. As for managing the people and suppressing the local people, all these matters will be left to the imperial court. This is the best way to prevent local chaos and the continuous rise of the rebel army!"

After hearing Tuotuo's words, Boluo said, "Won't these princes become pigs and dogs raised by the imperial court?"

Tuotuo said: "No, it's a noble pig and dog!"

"They can enjoy wealth and glory, they can enjoy the feeling of being second only to one person and above everyone else, they can do whatever they want, but they cannot command the army or govern the people."

Boluo said: "You really made a big move, but by doing this, you have moved the powerful group of the entire court. This road you are on will not be easy to walk!"

Tuotuo heard this and said, "I have known for a long time that the road is not easy to walk on, but someone has to walk on it. We can't just watch the dynasty established by our Mulan people being overthrown by the Han people again."

"Are we being driven to the northern desert to live with the yellow sand again?"

"If we don't change, our country will perish!"

Tuotuo spoke directly. After hearing Tuotuo's words, Boluo clasped his fists and said, "Prime Minister, this is righteous, but if you do this, have you prepared for the backlash?"

Tuotuo said: "Of course, those who have changed the law since ancient times will be backfired, but I have put life and death aside. This time, if I win, Daqian will live for another 200 years. If I lose, it will be fate that Daqian will be destroyed, and I can accept it!"

After hearing Tuotuo's words, Boluo was silent for a long time and said, "What do you need me to help you with?"

Tuotuo said: "No need, you are a soldier, there are some things you cannot interfere with, if you interfere, things will become distorted, so you just need to do the task assigned to you by the emperor."

Hearing this, Boluo sighed and said, "Well, I understand."

After saying this, Bolo Temur looked at Tuotuo and said, "Now that Prince Ruyang has been dealt with, who will control the military power in Jiangnan? If we entrust the wrong person, I'm afraid Jiangnan will not be able to live in peace."

After hearing this, Tuotuo said, "I have sent a letter by carrier pigeon. Several disciples of Phagpa Living Buddha have already entered Jiangnan. Now they are holding the imperial edict. As soon as Prince Ruyang enters the capital, they will immediately take over the military power in Jiangnan."

Bolo Timur asked: "The Eight Guards of the Kipchak?"

"Those few are indeed capable, but Jiangnan needs a strong man who can control the situation. At the very least, he cannot be weaker than Chahan."

Tuotuo said: "Of course, if there is no such a person who can stabilize the sea, Jiangnan will not be able to be controlled."

"So who do you choose?"

Polo asked.

Tuotuo said: "I have already said it, the disciple of the national master."

Boluo was stunned and said, "You are not talking about Dharmapa!"

Tuotuo said: "Yes, it is Dharmapa!"

Hearing this, Boluo touched his chin and said, "Dharmapa is a good candidate."

Dharmapa, the eldest disciple of Living Buddha Bashiba and the eldest brother of the Eight Guards of the Golden Horde, was a devout Buddhist. Although he held the title of the Eight Guards of the Golden Horde, he had never fulfilled the duties of the Eight Guards of the Golden Horde, which was to protect the emperor.

Instead, he has always been serving the Living Buddha Ba Siba. He is the only disciple who has followed Ba Siba in practicing hard, and his strength is also quite terrifying.

Although he has not officially appeared in the world, it is certain that his strength is no weaker than that of King Ruyang, and may even be stronger.

It’s just that he seldom takes action, and only a few people close to him know his strength, so he has never been included in the Heavenly Ranking.

In fact, the Heavenly Ranking is just a general list. There are many people who have strength close to the Heavenly Ranking but are not on the list, such as some old monsters who are in deep cultivation.

This is very similar to the rich list in later generations. They are only the rich on the surface. Behind the scenes, there are many truly rich people who are not revealed.

Boluo was the one who knew the strength of Dharmapa. You should know that although Boluo was not a disciple of Living Buddha Bashipa, he often went to see Living Buddha Bashipa in the capital and often asked Living Buddha Bashipa for advice on martial arts. Over time, he got to know Dharmapa.

Moreover, after the last battle at the Dingshan Mountain, the Living Buddha was severely injured by Han Shantong and he stopped fighting. Boluo could only fight with his eldest disciple Dharmaba. He was dismissive of Dharmaba at first, thinking that this person did not have much strength and was far inferior to his master.

But after a fight, he realized that he was a little too arrogant. This Dharmapa was not as weak as he had imagined. On the contrary, he was very strong and solid.

After fighting with him for more than ten rounds without a clear winner, Boluo decided to test him, so he increased his palm power. He thought that Dharmaba would not be able to withstand it, but he did not expect that Dharmaba actually showed strength that was not inferior to that of the Heavenly Ranking.

This shocked Boluo.

I didn't expect that this guy who had always been following the Living Buddha without showing off his abilities actually had such terrifying strength. You can't judge a person by his appearance, and you can't measure the depth of the sea by a bucket! Now Tuotuo proposed that Dharmaba take over Jiangnan. Boluo just thought about it and felt that this was feasible.

Although Dharmaba's ability to govern may not be strong, his strong military force is enough. If he is not good at governing, he can send ministers to help with governing. If he is not good at military force, he can send people to manage the military. As long as there is a strong man who has reached the level of the Heavenly List to guard Jiangnan, Jiangnan will not be in chaos for a while.

Thinking of this, Boluo asked, "When will Dharmapa take over Jiangnan?"

Tuotuo heard this and said, "Let's kill the Little Ming King in a month. The main reason is that your Majesty will hold a birthday banquet in a month. At that time, the Imperial Master and Dharmapa will go to meet your Majesty and offer Buddhist blessings and pray for your Majesty. After the prayers are finished, he can go to Jiangnan to take up his post."

After Tuotuo finished speaking, Boluo said, "This arrangement is appropriate."

After that, Tuotuo said, "Okay, Marshal Boluo, we can set off now. The Zoroastrians will cause trouble if we wait too long. We don't want them to cause trouble. Since we have achieved our goal, there is no need to fight them to the death!"

After hearing this, Boluo said, "Yes, I will arrange it right away."

After Boluo left the general's tent, he gathered his men and headed directly towards Dadu.

At this time, Chen Jie and his group returned to Guangmingding. Duozhihu saw them coming back and immediately came up to them and said, "We found it. The traitor is..."

"Shen Monkey!"

Fang Guozhen was a quick-witted man, and at this moment he looked at Duozhi Fox and said.

Duozhihu was stunned and looked at Fang Guozhen and said, "Brother Fang, when did you learn how to tell fortunes? How did you know that it was Shenhou, a traitor?"

"Shen Hou has handed the little Ming King over to Tuotuo."

Liu Futong finally spoke.

"what?"

Duozhihu was stunned and looked at Liu Futong, and actually handed the person to Tuotuo.

"Then we have to save King Xiao Ming!"

Duozhihu said, Liu Fu said: "There is no chance. Tuotuo will not give us the possibility to rescue the little Ming King. He must have arranged a comprehensive protection method. I am afraid that this matter needs to be considered in the long run."

After hearing this, Fang Guozhen looked at Liu Futong and asked, "What do you mean?"

Liu Futong said: "If it doesn't work, we may have to go to Dadu!"

After hearing this, Duozhi Fox asked, "Shall we all go?"

Fang Guozhen looked at Liu Futong and said, "I can go with you."

Peng Yingyu had just said that he could go with them, but a minion soldier rushed over frantically: "Report!"

Seeing the minion soldier like this, everyone was stunned and looked at him and said, "What's the matter? Tell me quickly."

At this time, the minion soldier said, "Your Excellency, the front line just reported that the army at the foot of the mountain has split into two groups. King Qi Li Siqi has retreated to the northwest, probably back to his fiefdom."

Upon hearing this, Peng Yingyu's face turned ugly.

"He went back to the Northwest!"

"Yes, I was definitely not mistaken. The King of Qi did leave the team and headed northwest."

After hearing this, everyone was stunned. The King of Qi actually parted ways with the court. Does this give them a chance to attack the imperial army and rescue the young King Ming?
Everyone thought so, but it was quickly rejected by Liu Futong. Although he wanted to rescue the young Ming King more than anyone else, he was not a fool. The imperial army had tens of thousands of troops, plus Boluo Timur was leading the army. If they rushed in, even if they joined forces, they might not be able to defeat Boluo in the army.

Unless I send a large army to attack, is that possible?

It's simply impossible. The Zoroastrian army has been basically defeated by the imperial court. How could they possibly catch up with the retreating imperial court army? Even if they could catch up, how much combat effectiveness could they have?

Although the military formation can increase the commander's combat effectiveness, not all soldiers can be increased.

If the men are tired and the horses are exhausted, the army can't even be deployed, so what's the point of increasing the army?

Therefore, it was impossible for them to lead the army to catch up with Toghto and his group. If a few of them, the strong men, went forward, they would have to face Bolo Timur, the fourth most powerful man in the world, who led an army of tens of thousands to fight back. Not to mention them, even the immortals on land might not be able to achieve anything.

If the three of them attack together, at best they will be invincible.

Thinking of this, Liu Futong thought of another key factor.

"Can Prince Ruyang also lead his troops to leave?"

Liu Futong asked. After hearing Liu Futong's words, the soldier said, "No, Prince Ruyang did not leave with the army. He is still in the escort team."

After hearing this, Liu Futong said, "It seems that it is impossible to hijack them on the road. We can only go east to Dadu!"

Hearing this, Duozhihu touched the folding fan in his hand and said, "Your Excellency is right. The transport is being guarded by a large army on the road, so it is indeed difficult for us to succeed. However, it will be different once we enter Dadu."

"Dadu is the capital city. The army can only guard the periphery. The inner city is guarded by the royal family. Moreover, after entering the city, Prince Ruyang and Bolo Timur will not be able to watch closely. This makes it easier for us to operate."

"That's right. The most relaxed place is often their lair. When we get to Dadu, I don't believe they can send three or five Heavenly Ranking masters to keep an eye on Little Ming King every day. Hahahaha..."

Fang Guozhen laughed, he felt that there was clearly a chance of turning this matter around.

After hearing this, everyone decided to march eastward to Dadu to rescue the young Ming King.

At this time, Peng Yingyu said, "Well, I won't go!"

After these words came out, everyone looked at Peng Yingyu in surprise. Peng Yingyu said, "Li Siqi has returned to the northwest. My territory just happens to intersect with his. If I am not here, I am afraid he will launch a charge on my territory, and no one in my sect can stop his attack."

After hearing this, everyone nodded in unison. This was indeed true. Li Siqi would definitely not be content when he returned, and Hubei had always been a piece of fat meat in his eyes.

Liu Futong heard this and said, "Well, Lao Peng should not go. Hubei Road is also our main force and cannot be lost. Fourth brother should go with Lao Peng. Lao Peng's golden body has been destroyed. If there is no one who understands by his side, I will not feel at ease. Besides, it is a dangerous place. Fourth brother should not go."

"After all, if we old guys die in Dadu, we will still need you, the fourth one, to turn the tide."

Liu Futong said that all eggs cannot be put in one basket, and Chen Jiusi and Xiao Mingwang are the future that these old guys are betting on.

Of course, Xiao Ming Wang was betted by Liu Futong, while Chen Jiusi was betted by Peng Yingyu.

As for Fang Guozhen, although he is generous, he will not bet his life and property casually. Of course, if he has to bet, he will definitely bet on Chen Jiusi.

After listening to everyone's arrangements, Chen Jie said, "I actually wanted to help my brothers."

Liu Futong said: "Don't argue with your brothers about this matter. You are still young. Don't do such risky things. It's too dangerous."

"Yes, listen to my eldest brother. Fourth brother, you should go back to Huangzhou Prefecture and develop well. If my eldest brother and I die in Dadu, you and my second brother must avenge me in the future!"

Fang Guozhen said with great openness. After hearing what Fang Guozhen said, Chen Jie said, "Well, then I will listen to my two brothers and go back to Hubei with Brother Peng."

"Well, let's do it this way. There's no rush for this. Since the imperial army has already withdrawn, let's continue drinking the wine we haven't finished. I don't know when we'll have a drink next time."

After these words were spoken, everyone looked at each other with a somewhat sad feeling.

At this time, Peng Yingyu said: "Haha, it's not a life-and-death separation, why are you so sad? You are really childish."

Fang Guozhen laughed when he heard this and said, "Exactly. Who made me so depressed? It's like I'll lose my life if I go to Dadu. It's a joke. Who do they think I am? I'm the Dragon King of the Sea!"

"I am the Sea Dragon that is invincible in the East China Sea. Who can do anything to me? Hahaha..." Sea Dragon King Fang Guozhen is still generous.

Peng Yingyu said, "This Dadu is not a dangerous place. As long as we don't provoke that old monk Bashiba, it won't be dangerous. Otherwise, Xiaofang, you can guard Hubei Road for me to defend against Li Siqi, and I will go to Dadu for you to meet those lackeys of the court."

Fang Guozhen said, "Forget it. I don't have the intention to be someone's subject. I don't think I can get along with the little emperor you established. If I fight him, it will be more trouble than gain."

"So, Brother Peng, you should go back by yourself. I will go to Dadu to weigh the weight of these lackeys of the imperial court."

Fang Guozhen spoke up.

Liu Futong, who was standing by, immediately said, "Okay, okay, it's settled. Guozhen and I will go to Dadu, and Lao Peng and the fourth brother will go back to Hubei."

"I won't say anything else. Let's drink. We won't go home until we are drunk. This is my way of practicing for my brothers."

After saying this, Liu Futong immediately arranged a banquet for everyone, as if he was not affected by the arrest of the young Ming King.

This is the psychological quality of the old strong men. No matter how many things there are to do or how urgent they are, it cannot affect their mood for drinking, or they have become accustomed to this kind of life full of swords and blood.

People like them, if they care too much about life and death and cannot live a normal life, should have been eliminated long ago.

At the banquet, the four of them drank and talked happily, as if they had forgotten the gossip outside. No words were spoken that night. The next morning, Chen Jie, Peng Yingyu, Liu Futong and Fang Guozhen said goodbye.

Then they rode directly to Hubei Road. There was no trouble along the way. They soon arrived at Hubei Road. As soon as they arrived at Hubei Road, they separated again. Peng Yingyu was going to Xiangyang City, while Chen Jiusi went straight to Huangzhou Prefecture. He missed his wife a little during this period of time!
(End of this chapter)