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

To be king?

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room was extremely shocked, staring wide-eyed at Old Hama.

Are you crazy to bestow the title of king upon a Han Chinese?

Emperor Qianshun frowned and looked at Old Hama, saying, "Prime Minister, isn't this a bit... a bit too much?"

Old Hama then said, "Your Majesty, Hubei, Anhui, and Suzhou and Hangzhou are already the actual territories of these three traitors. As for us, we are currently powerless to take them back!"

"Now, these three thieves have grown strong and powerful, all of them are fourth-level experts of the Fusion God Realm. We are powerless to resist such experts. The Living Buddha is trapped in Dadu. If he goes out, the person from Wudang Mountain will stop him. If we insist on fighting, and the person from Wudang Mountain comes down the mountain, then the building will truly collapse and there will be no way to save it."

"Our greatest remaining bargaining chip is righteousness. Righteousness is with us, which is why we can barely become the ruler of the world and the emperor."

"So once we leave the northern desert and head south, our forces won't even reach Hebei."

"These three traitors are powerless to do anything about this. Since that's the case, we might as well take this opportunity to appease them with the throne, so that they will stay obediently in their fiefdoms and not cause us any trouble."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Qianshun's tightly furrowed brows relaxed. There was some truth to it. He didn't have to give them his own land; he could simply give them the land they had already occupied. Wasn't that doing them a favor?
If this can appease them, that would be even better. When the time is right in the future, I can then use my methods against them.
Emperor Qianshun understood this point and immediately said, "What the old prime minister said makes sense."

Old Hama said, "Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty, but I haven't finished yet."

"Oh, please continue, old prime minister."

Emperor Qianshun looked at the old prime minister and asked. The old prime minister replied, "This is only a superficial plan; there are other, even more ingenious methods to follow!"

Emperor Qianshun asked, "What brilliant methods?"

The old prime minister looked at Emperor Qianshun and said, "Your Majesty, this is also a good opportunity for us to divide them and make them fight amongst themselves, so that we can reap the benefits."

“You see, we will grant them the title of king, but we will not grant them the title of king over their own territory.”

"Chen Jiu Si is located in Hubei Road, which is the land of Chu. Logically, he should be enfeoffed as the King of Chu. Zhu Chong Ba is located in Anhui Road, which belongs to the land of Huainan. According to regulations, he should be enfeoffed as the King of Huainan. Zhang Shi Cheng occupies Suzhou and Hangzhou, which is the land of Wu. He should be enfeoffed as the King of Wu."

"However, we disrupted their plans. Chen Jiu was enfeoffed as the Prince of Huainan, Zhu Chongba as the Prince of Wu, and Zhang Shicheng as the Prince of Chu. Thus, all three of their fiefdoms were located in enemy territory."

"These three are all wolves in sheep's clothing. They have long harbored the idea of ​​annexing others, but they lacked the moral high ground to back them up. Now that we have granted them the title of king, they will have a moral high ground to attack others. After all, Chen Jiu Si was granted the title of King of Huainan. What's wrong with him attacking Zhu Chong Ba's Anhui Road? That was originally Chen Jiu Si's fiefdom."

"But would Zhu Chongba give up his fiefdom? Impossible, so a great war is inevitable."

"By using one tiger to devour another, we can rest easy. What does Your Majesty think?"

Old Hama looked at Emperor Qianshun and said, "What a brilliant plan to use one tiger to devour another! What do you gentlemen think?" Emperor Qianshun stroked his chin and said, "What a brilliant plan to use one tiger to devour another! What do you gentlemen think?"

"Excellent, excellent! As expected of the old Prime Minister, your words are truly wise for governing the country. This strategy of using one tiger to devour another is comparable to the ancient open scheme, and the 'two peaches kill three warriors' strategy!"

"Indeed, such a scheme not only relieved our court from its predicament, but also planted the fuse for those three traitors in the south. To be able to come up with such a brilliant plan, the old prime minister is truly a genius."

"Yes, the old prime minister is indeed remarkable, far superior to that Tuotuo fellow by more than a hundred times."

As everyone was talking, Old Hama laughed heartily and said, "You all flatter me. It is my duty as a subject to share His Majesty's burdens!"

Everyone praised the old prime minister, and Emperor Qianshun also spoke up, saying, "Very well, since none of you ministers have any other ideas, let's proceed with the old prime minister's plan and draft an edict!"

……

Chen Jie, the prefect of Huangzhou, was looking at a map of Sichuan in front of him, with a letter on the table.

That letter was addressed to another major power in Sichuan, the Emei Sect's Abbess Juemie. Sichuan was a place that was easy to defend and difficult to attack. If Jin Yanzi wanted to attack Sichuan, she would need the approval of a major power. If the Emei Sect did not agree, the casualties of Jin Yanzi's attempt to enter Sichuan could increase several times over.

So Chen Jie wrote a letter directly. His relationship with the Emei Sect was still good, especially with Abbess Juemie.

The letter stated that Chen Jie believed in the principles of governing Sichuan and hoped that the Emei Sect could send someone to help him manage Sichuan. After Chen Jie entered Sichuan, the Emei Sect established itself as the number one sect in Sichuan and could overpower the Tang Sect.

In short, by offering generous gifts and appealing to emotions, Chen Jie believed that the Emei Sect would make the right choice.

At this moment, Chen Jie handed the letter to Chen Chun and said, "Send a fast horse to Jin Yanzi and have her prepare generous gifts. Send a clever person to deliver the letter to Emei. The army should first station itself in Enshi and wait for Emei to reply before entering Sichuan. This will be twice as effective with half the effort."

"Yes."

Chen Chun immediately agreed, and then said, "My lord, there is one more matter that needs your decision."

Chen Jie was taken aback and looked at Chen Chun, asking, "What is it?"

Chen Chun said, "My lord, a messenger from the post station outside the city reported today that he has come from Dadu and has delivered an imperial edict to you on the emperor's orders."

"emperor?"

Chen Jie chuckled and asked, "Whose emperor?"

Chen Chun said, "I think you're ridiculous, sir. Should we send someone to get rid of you?"

Chen Jie said, "Wait, first send someone to find out his background and see what's in this imperial edict!"

Chen Chun said, "Understood, I'll go right away."

Chen Chun immediately sent someone to the post station to find the eunuch who had delivered the imperial edict. This man was also very quick-witted. Upon seeing the eunuch, he immediately said warmly, "Eunuch, you have come from afar and I have not been able to greet you properly. Please forgive me."

This young eunuch was no longer as arrogant as the previous ones. They all knew that Chen Jiu had rebelled, and Hubei Road was no longer under the control of the Great Qian Dynasty. If someone was unhappy, they might even kill you. So they were all on tenterhooks.

When he encountered such a kind person, his guard naturally lowered, and with the wine and meat prepared for him, the little eunuch told him everything he knew.

Chen Chun relayed the message directly to Chen Jie.

Listening to Chen Chun's story, Chen Jie couldn't help but laugh and said, "There are still two people with brains in this court. Old Hama underestimated him back then. He actually came up with this plan of using one tiger to devour another. Not bad, that's interesting."

Chen Chun asked, "My lord, what should we do next?"

Chen Jie said, "The imperial edict was withheld, the person was killed, and the head was sent to Zhu Chongba."

"Ah, my lord, what's going on?"

Chen Jie said, "Just do as I say."

"Yes."

Chen Jie casually took the life of a eunuch who delivered imperial edicts. That's politics for you; sometimes you can't avoid killing. The imperial edict will be useful in the future. As for the man, Chen Jie simply wrote a new edict and sent it to Zhu Chongba.

The letter and the head were all sent to Zhu Chongba.

Zhu Chongba also received the imperial edict from the court at this time. Just as he was wondering whether to accept it, he heard that Chen Jiu Si had sent him a letter, along with a human head.

Zhu Chongba was taken aback and then said, "Bring me the letter to see it."

The letter was quickly delivered to Zhu Chongba. The letter was very simple. It explained that this was a poisonous plot by the court. He said that he and Zhu Chongba were in the same camp against the Qianlong Emperor and should not fight amongst themselves. Therefore, he killed the messenger and burned the imperial edict, showing his determination never to obey the Qianlong Emperor.

After reading the letter in his hand, Zhu Chongba said, "Quickly invite Mr. Qingtian and Prime Minister Li over."

Upon hearing this, his men immediately went to invite Mr. Qingtian, Liu Bowen, who had only recently joined Zhu Chongba's service. Zhu Chongba called him a great talent, but he was too arrogant, which Zhu Chongba disliked.

However, considering his talent, we have no choice but to accept it reluctantly.

It was early morning, and Zhu Chongba hadn't eaten breakfast yet, so he had someone bring him ten steamed buns and several bowls of thin porridge.

He found the pickled vegetables quite delicious. Zhu Chongba had almost starved to death as a child and had begged for food when he grew up, so he was never picky about food and would eat anything as long as it was edible. Therefore, he ate with great relish.

At this moment, Liu Bowen and Li Shanchang walked in.

Zhu Chongba immediately greeted them, "Mr. Liu, Prime Minister Li is here. Please have a seat. We'll treat you to a meal."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bowen gave a wry smile and said, "Your Excellency, what kind of logic is there in inviting someone to breakfast?"

Zhu Chongba was immediately displeased upon hearing this, and frowned, saying, "We're treating you to a meal, not breakfast or lunch. If you don't want to eat, fine."

Li Shanchang then sat down, eating steamed buns and thin porridge with great relish. Zhu Chongba felt much better seeing Li Shanchang like this. "Look," he thought, "this is the kind of person who can share the same interests as us, Old Zhu."

Otherwise, Zhu Chongba always felt that even if he made Liu Bowen kneel in front of him, Liu Bowen would not be convinced of his worth.

Therefore, Zhu Chongba felt very uncomfortable.

Zhu Chongba and Li Shanchang ate, leaving Liu Bowen standing to the side, feeling quite embarrassed. At this moment, Liu Bowen said, "Sir, there are still many matters to attend to in the army. What brings you here?"

Zhu Chongba was furious upon hearing this. What was wrong with him? He was already getting impatient.
However, Zhu Chongba suppressed his anger and said, "Well, today, Chen Jiusi from Hubei sent me a letter. Please give me some advice."

Zhu Chongba explained the matter.

Liu Bowen and Li Shanchang both fell silent, realizing that the matter was extraordinary.

Zhu Chongba looked at Li Shanchang and asked, "Prime Minister Li, what's your opinion on this matter?"

Li Shanchang said, “Your Majesty, we are currently vying with Zhang Shicheng for Jiangxi, Fujian, and part of Suzhou and Hangzhou. If we accept the imperial decree to become the King of Wu, then our attack on Zhang Shicheng and our seizure of Jiangxi and Fujian will be perfectly justified. The greater good is on our side, and there will be no harm whatsoever!”

Zhu Chongba nodded upon hearing this, saying, "That's what I think too."

Liu Bowen frowned and said, "However, Chen Jiu Si's letter is quite interesting. He killed the messenger to show his determination to resist Qian. If we are granted the title, how will the anti-Qian forces in the world view us? We cannot lose the hearts of the people."

Zhu Chongba frowned deeply.

Liu Bowen said, "And we must be careful. Chen Jiu Si and Zhang Shi Cheng have joined forces. If they attack from both sides, we will be in great danger."

Zhu Chongba thought for a moment after hearing this and said, "Bowen is right. We are an anti-Qian force and cannot lose sight of righteousness!"

Li Shanchang said, “Of all the heroes under heaven, what heroes are there now? How many are truly willing to resist Qian? I still think I should accept the investiture.”

Zhu Chongba thought for a moment and said, "Isn't there a way to have the best of both worlds?"

Li Shanchang thought for a moment and said, "You can't have your cake and eat it too."

Liu Bowen said, "Not necessarily. The superior could also write a letter to Chen Jiu Si, explaining that he was not speaking from the heart and was being held back by Zhang Shicheng, unable to move, and hoping that he would send troops to rescue him for the sake of his brother."

"And he was willing to rule the world with him, in short, to show weakness to the enemy first."

"Tell him that the King of Wu is not at ease!"

"Only in this way can we keep him in check. Moreover, his current troop deployment is all in the Northwest, which clearly indicates that he intends to attack Shanxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan and Qinghai."

"So he needs our help to distract Zhang Shicheng. If we say some conciliatory words, he probably won't take the opportunity to attack us."

Zhu Chongba thought for a moment and said, "This letter will be drafted by you, sir."

Liu Bowen frowned slightly, somewhat reluctant, but seeing Zhu Chongba's unquestionable gaze, he immediately bowed and said, "Yes."

Liu Bowen then looked at Li Shanchang and said, "Write a letter for me to thank the court for the investiture. I am willing to accept the title of King of Wu bestowed by the court."

Li Shanchang nodded as well.

Thus, Zhu Chongba took a two-pronged approach: first, he submitted a memorial to the court, expressing his gratitude for the emperor's boundless grace.

He then softened his stance towards Chen Jiu Si, appealing to Chen Jiu Si's brotherly feelings and hoping that Chen Jiu Si would not interfere in his battle with Zhang Shi Cheng.

Finally, regarding Zhang Shicheng, as the King of Wu, he announced that he would take over Suzhou and Hangzhou, and asked the people to come out of the city to welcome him. He said that with the arrival of the King of Wu, taxes would be halved!
Once the slogan was raised, public opinion began to shift in Zhu Yuanzhang's favor, and Zhang Shicheng was put on the defensive.

At this time, Zhang Shicheng also received an imperial edict from the court, which bestowed upon him the title of King of Chu.

Zhang Shicheng then consulted with his advisors, who said, "My lord, the situation is now extremely urgent. Zhu Chongba, by virtue of his title as the Prince of Wu, wants to gain the upper hand in terms of righteousness and oppress us. We cannot admit defeat, so we must have a means to counter his strength."

Zhang Shicheng looked at the imperial edict and said, "Then shall we accept the imperial appointment?"

The strategist said, "No, we are a righteous army. We cannot become accomplices of the court. Otherwise, our men will rebel."

Zhang Shicheng frowned and said, "This won't work, that won't work either, what should we do?"

The strategist thought for a moment and said, "My lord, the best course of action now is to follow Chen Jiu Si's example, kill the envoy, and demonstrate the prestige of our righteous army, so that all the Han people in the world know that we are truly resisting Qianlong."

"Secondly, we should declare ourselves Kings of Wu without the court's investiture. This way, we will have the moral high ground and can stand on equal footing with Zhu Chongba."

"Finally, my lord can write a letter to Chen Jiu Si and ask him to send troops to help us fight against Zhu Chong Ba. Chen Jiu Si claims to be a righteous army, and we are also a righteous army. Only Zhu Chong Ba is the Prince of Wu, appointed by the imperial court. If he doesn't help us, who else will he help? Don't you think so?" (End of this chapter)