As an official, what's wrong with raising a few monsters?

Chapter 211 I have long admired Marquis Jing'an

Yun Zheng completely left Yun Yao to her own devices.

They even let her live in Mingchen's house all along.

It's not that I don't care about my younger sister, with whom I depend on each other for survival.

Instead, he trusted Mingchen and Yunyao completely. Even when Mingchen went west to participate in the war, he agreed to let Yunyao secretly follow him.

The officialdom is also a battlefield without bloodshed.

Mingchen is the unshakeable overlord of the new dynasty. It's good to be under a big tree. Compared to following Yunzheng, following Mingchen is obviously safer and the road ahead is wider.

He was unaware of what had happened to his younger sister on her westward journey, and upon hearing Mingchen's words, he was taken aback: "What?"

Mingchen said to him, "Yun Yao is indeed a genius. I only taught her one martial art, and she mastered it. She even summoned a phantom that I didn't understand. She is walking a path that has never been seen before."

Yun Yao hasn't been practicing martial arts these days.

With Ling Yu gone, Ming Chen had nothing to teach her.

Fuyao, Long Lian... Although they are powerful in battle, they practice magic and supernatural powers, which are not compatible with Yun Yao's professional martial arts.

These days, she wanders around, occasionally observing the willows swaying in the wind, squatting down to observe insects, and looking up at the sky...

Every now and then, her eyes would glaze over, and she would enter a serene state, practicing her self-created boxing style.

Cultivators live in secluded places, and each place has its own realm division. Spells are strange and varied, some strong and some weak, some have special effects that counter them, and some are countered by them. They cannot be judged in terms of superiority or inferiority; a battle must be fought before any determination is made.

Demons and monsters are distinguished by the sparseness of their cultivation, and are also subject to the constraints of their origins, magic, aptitude, etc.

Mingchen has no idea how strong Yunyao is.

Anyway, on the way west, they fought their way through the Xiongnu, and this child didn't suffer the slightest setback.

"That's it..."

When Ling Yunyao became Mingchen's disciple, it wasn't simply to establish a chain of interests between the two parties.

Yun Zheng genuinely believed that having Yun Yao follow this seemingly weak scholar would be beneficial to her growth.

Sure enough... Yun Yao has made progress.

He downed the wine in one gulp, then cupped his hands in thanks to Mingchen: "I must thank Lord Ming for his guidance."

Mingchen shook his head: "I didn't do anything. It's mainly because Yun Yao is exceptionally talented."

He narrowed his eyes, sizing up Yun Zheng: "Lord Yun is also a man of extraordinary talent. I wonder what you have gained since entering the court?"

The old tree had told him that solitary self-cultivation behind closed doors was merely learning from the ancients' methods of applying the law, and was the lowest form of acquiring power.

To observe the sun and moon, to adapt to heaven and earth, to be praised by people... this is the path to seeking the Great Way.

These brother and sister are both extraordinary.

Despite her exceptional talent, the Dream Immortal still imparted his teachings to Yun Zheng.

This shows that Yun Zheng is even more special.

Although it was somewhat impolite, Mingchen was curious whether this person would be included in the Immortal Jade Record if he died.

"Forehead……"

For some reason, Yun Zheng felt that Ming Chen's gaze was somewhat strange, as if he wanted to spy on something.

He lowered his eyes, finally let out a breath, and smiled at Mingchen, saying, "I have gained a lot. The power in the court is not as simple as it seems. There is still much to learn."

Mingchen shook his head and asked bluntly, "Lord Yun, that's not what I meant. You didn't obtain any... special power?"

Yun Zheng seemed somewhat puzzled and shook his head, saying, "No."

"Really?"

Mingchen smiled and raised his wine glass to him: "It seems that I was overthinking it, Lord Yun, come on... cheers!"

"Dry!"

……

Mingchen returned to Beijing, and a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

His life was peaceful during this time; he spent his days fishing and walking his birds, and his nights honing his fighting skills with the birds.

He took a month off, but the world won't stop turning just because he's resting.

As Mingchen had predicted, things were going as expected with the Xiongnu.

Before the army had even retreated, Shengluo Khan declared that Hunye Khan had betrayed the country and colluded with the enemy. Ignoring the losses of the war, he immediately led his army on a personal expedition and called on the grasslands to raise troops to conquer him.

Hunye Khan also declared that Shengluo Khan was stubborn, arrogant, and foolish, which led to his provocation of the Central Plains, resulting in a major defeat and the deaths of countless grassland warriors.

The two Khans broke off completely, dragging other smaller tribes into the war.

The entire grassland was thrown into chaos.

Some clever people saw through the conspiracy that the Central Plains were probably involved, but under the pressure of the prevailing trend, no one could break free.

Even knowing it was a trap, people like Shengluo Khan and Hunye Khan would still jump in, let alone those even more weakened servants and small tribes.

No one knew that the root of this upheaval that changed the landscape of the grasslands lay with the marquis who was fishing and playing with birds thousands of miles away.

Xiao Xinyue knew he was lazy, so she didn't force him to go to work.

The new dynasty can operate on its own, and except for some major matters that she cannot make up her mind about, she will not consult Mingchen.

He was even granted the power to obey orders but not summons, based on his achievements in the western expedition.

He might as well not have to attend court anymore, so he doesn't have to go through the process of asking for sick leave all the time.

Mingchen rested, but news of his legendary life spread like wildfire, becoming known to all.

……

"At dawn...eight hundred cavalrymen will break through the Xiongnu..."

Blood-red flags fluttered in the wind, and the desolate battlefield was a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood.

The broadsword was stuck in the ground, and the tattered cloak fluttered in the wind.

Another battle ended, and another city was captured by the Blood-Clad Army.

Amidst the ruins, fanatical soldiers were clearing the battlefield. Covered in blood, Wang Huai put down his weapon and accepted the intelligence delivered by the messenger.

It contains information on the current situation of the surrounding forces.

He also saw a familiar name among them.

Mingchen!

His eyes flickered, filled with admiration, yet he shook his head regretfully: "Indeed, you are worthy of being called a legend!"

Wang Huai was a king who rose to power through a series of battles, always leading from the front. He had a deep understanding of warfare and was considered a legendary general. He was well aware of the significance of Mingchen's upcoming battle.

No general in history has ever achieved such a feat.

He was the world's number one Ming fanboy, and he wasn't particularly shocked that Ming Chen, a civil official, had accomplished something that even military generals couldn't do. He simply lowered his eyes and sighed softly, "Why are you unwilling to come and help your brother?"

Wang Huai was very confident that if Ming Chen helped him, the Bloodstained Robe incident would have already swept across the world.

Yueyang City is only a thousand miles away from here.

It's only a matter of time before we capture Yueyang and crush the traitor Dong Zhuo.

Once the old dynasty is completely overthrown, only he and Xiao Xinyue will remain in the Qian Yuan realm...

Will Mingchen stand against him then?

He lowered his eyes, deep in thought.

"Ah~ No!!!"

"Aren't you the Blood-Clad Army? What are you doing?!"

"You will all die a horrible death..."

"Sir, I haven't done anything wrong! It's just a small business, and I have a family to support... Please don't rob me..."

"Hmph! I saw it myself, you were on the city wall, throwing stones at our Qi soldiers!"

The city, ravaged by war, was in chaos.

The soldiers, clad in blood-stained clothes, had won the war and rightfully enjoyed the fruits of victory.

Everything in this city was their spoils of war.

Plunder... seems justifiable.

The city was ablaze with lights, with people moving about and a cacophony of noise, which brought Wang Huai back to his senses, causing him to furrow his brow slightly.

He turned to a deputy general not far away and asked, "Didn't I say that killing and looting the people are forbidden?"

A monarch who rose to power amidst chaos, wielding countless lives, possessing a majestic and imposing presence, and revered and respected by millions of believers.

Under his slightly displeased gaze, the lieutenant couldn't help but shudder: "Your Majesty, we have suffered too much in this battle, and our logistical supplies are exhausted."

"If we don't do this... even our own people won't have enough to eat."

Upon hearing this, Wang Huai frowned even more deeply.

"Your Majesty, I have important matters to discuss with you."

Just then, a strange old man dressed in a black cloak, concealing his figure, ran over quickly.

Wang Huai glanced at him, then said to the deputy general, "Pass down the order to restrain the soldiers, reduce the killing and looting of civilians, and go to the homes of the wealthy and officials to replenish supplies."

"The day after tomorrow, the army will regroup and continue its northward march."

"Yes!"

The lieutenant left, and there was no one around.

Wang Huai looked at him again and asked, "What is it?"

"Dong Zhenghong has gone mad. He is gambling with the fate of the Chen Kingdom, serving the Ghost King, and attracting the help of ghosts and gods. Five Ghost Kings have now left the Ghost Gate and entered the world."

"I fear this will bring great disaster to our army in the future."

Wang Huai frowned upon hearing this: "Ghost King?"

He bowed and reported: "The King of Execution, the Ghost of Heart-Slicing, the King of Blood-Beating, the One-Armed General, the Faceless Ghost... Under the Great Emperor of Anger, five ghosts have entered the world."

The Blood-Clad Army marches north, and the destruction of the old dynasty is imminent; they will likely encounter even more hardships.

Wang Huai didn't understand supernatural powers, and simply asked, "Can't you solve this?"

"Forehead……"

The old man looked troubled: "I fear my meager strength is insufficient to stop the spirits."

"kindness?"

"However... this old minister has another method."

Wang Huai frowned slightly: "Speak."

When Mingchen spoke with him last time, he made it clear that this person was not a good person.

He relied on this man's help, but he never fully trusted him. "Your Majesty, we can also invoke the gods!"

"We can also stake our entire nation's future on divine intervention."

"Let the gods face the ghost king, while we only need to fight soldiers against soldiers and generals against generals, capture the capital, and destroy the Chen Kingdom."

The old man's face was somewhat fanatical as he spoke to Wang Huai.

"Please God?"

"Humph!"

However, upon hearing this, Wang Huai snorted coldly, his eyes flashing with a hint of ferocity as he looked down at him: "Do you want me to do the same thing as that traitor Dong?"

"No... not!"

Wang Huaisheng was tall and imposing, possessing the aura of a rough-and-tumble king, which was very intimidating.

His gaze seemed to carry the roars of countless fanatical, blood-clad warriors, their murderous aura penetrating his soul.

The old man trembled: "But..."

Wang Huai interrupted him directly: "Qi Yuan, don't underestimate the Great Qi, and don't underestimate me either!"

"What is there to trust in or worship about gods?"

"When the people are oppressed by the corrupt country, suffering from hunger and cold, with corpses littering the fields, where is that high and mighty god?"

The tattered cloak fluttered in the wind, the monarch lowered his eyes slightly, his eyes filled with domineering and proud: "The people and warriors of Great Qi only believe in themselves when they are covered in blood, they only believe in me!"

"No need to invoke gods, my valiant Blood-Clad Army can still annihilate enemy nations!"

"Yes Yes……"

Wang Huai's eyes were cold as he said indifferently, "Ghost King? I am also a ghost who is about to starve to death. The Blood-Clad Army has ten ghosts. Let's see who can be my king."

……

"Woooooo~"

The river roars and surges toward the sea, the cold wind howls, and snowflakes fall one by one.

It fell into the surging river, into the slightly curly long hair, and disappeared from sight.

The melodious sound of the conch shell rang out, and the moving melody rippled outwards in circles, sometimes like the sound of a clear spring flowing endlessly, and sometimes like the surging waves of the sea, with a majestic momentum.

On the shore, a woman dressed in light clothing holds a conch shell in her hands, plays a tune, her long hair flowing, and gazes gently at the sea under the wind and snow.

Tranquil and peaceful.

Seagulls circled in the sky, and waves crashed onto the beach, creating sprays that shimmered in the sunlight.

The sea's overlord seemed to have shed all its ferocity and arrogance at this moment, displaying an unusual gentleness and beauty.

The archipelago has a different culture and customs than the mainland. There are not many restrictions on professions such as merchants and artists, and they even have a high social status.

What people on the mainland don't know is that the leader of the Jinglan Alliance, which unified the islands, was once described as the enchantress of the sea.

She was a master of music, and her beautiful voice captivated the sea, causing waves to surge and fish to swim around.

It is always circulating among the people.

The leader of the alliance has a voice blessed by the sea; to have heard her sing even once is to have lived a life without regrets.

"Alliance leader!"

Just then, a voice called out from behind.

The music stopped abruptly.

The woman holding the conch shell withdrew her gaze from the distance, her eyebrows raised, her expression sharp and proud.

In the blink of an eye, he transformed from a musician into a tyrant.

She turned her head and saw a tall, elderly man walking towards her. She asked, "Uncle, what is it?!"

"Alliance Leader...it's getting cold, you should wear more clothes."

The old man spoke to Hong Ling Shuang with concern, like a mother hen.

The other party waved his hand rather boldly: "It's alright, Uncle, let's not talk about such trivial matters!"

"Alliance Leader, there are many things regarding intelligence from the mainland recently, and we would like to ask you to make a decision."

The old man looked to be twice the age of Hong Ling Shuang, yet he still bowed and greeted her with a piece of intelligence.

While Hong Ling Shuang was looking at it, she also reported: "Ling Yu of the new Qian Yuan Dynasty has led an army of 70,000 and completely captured Luzhou of Chen State."

"The Blood-Clad Army of the Great Qi is advancing swiftly, having occupied two prefectures of Chen State, and is heading straight for Yueyang City. Dong Zhenghong has sent an envoy to request our alliance to send troops to support them."

"Now that winter has arrived, many tributaries of the Liehe River have frozen over, hindering our naval operations. The Northern Liehe Army in the north seems to be making some moves."

"During this period, we recruited a total of 10,000 soldiers from the archipelago and the mainland. Among them, many of them were from the Northern Lie people, while the Chen people were quite sincere."

"The western expedition of the new Qian Yuan ended. Marquis Jing'an Mingchen shone brightly. Eight hundred cavalrymen broke through the Xiongnu grasslands, killed tens of thousands of enemies, killed the Xiongnu general, reached Ulaanbaatar, and formed an alliance with Hunxie Khan. Shengluo Khan was furious, and the Xiongnu broke out in civil war."

For more than half a year, the Jinglan Alliance has used the mouth of the Liehe River as a starting point and the river as a base to occupy a considerable amount of land in Chen Kingdom and Beilie.

Chen State ceded a large amount of land to form a friendly alliance with them, while Bei Lie was preoccupied with previous wars and water conservancy projects and was temporarily unable to spare any resources.

The Jinglan Alliance values ​​freedom, imposes low taxes, and maintains a relatively relaxed policy. They do not oppress the people, encourage trade, and treat all immigrants from the archipelago equally. Although the land is occupied, the people are surprisingly doing well, and some mainlanders have even surrendered and joined their army.

No major chaos broke out in the occupied territories. This foreign alliance, relying on novel weapons, large ships, and skilled naval warfare techniques and strategies, gradually gained a foothold on the continent.

Amidst the turmoil on the mainland, they occupy a secluded spot between the two countries, finding remarkable peace and tranquility.

Hong Ling Shuang came with the ambition of becoming a hegemon; she also had even greater ambitions and schemes.

Intelligence was of paramount importance. After entering the mainland, she absorbed information and intelligence from all sides of the continent like a sponge, as well as the talents and personalities of those in power.

As she listened to her subordinate's report and looked at the documents in her hand, she narrowed her eyes slightly: "It's frozen... For now, we should consolidate our defenses and station troops in the river basins where the ice hasn't frozen yet. The Northern Lie cavalry is in great danger; if they launch a major offensive, we will retreat."

Winter has a significant impact, which is not good news for the Jinglan Alliance, which grows in water.

At this time, she needs to be extra cautious.

“Chen State requests aid… Delay it for now. Tell them the rivers are frozen and our boats can’t cross. Ask them to send horses. I need 10,000 horses. Once they arrive, we’ll send troops.”

Chen was beset by internal and external troubles, caught between four countries. Its internal system was corrupt, and its resources had been emptied out by parasites.

The ruler is incompetent and only focuses on immediate interests. Even if the so-called Ghost King is summoned, Hong Ling Shuang does not believe that the Ghost King will survive.

From the very beginning, she never considered the other party as an opponent or an ally; she simply wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to rob as many people as possible.

If the other side really sends ten thousand horses, then death is not far off.

"Whether they are from Chen or Beilie, they should start with the most basic oath-taking training and not firearms for a year."

"Yes!"

"The New Qian Yuan..."

Focusing her gaze on the southwest, she frowned slightly: "Secretly send an envoy to Xin Qian Yuan to inquire whether we can persuade them to go to war with Chen or the Blood-Clad Army. Our alliance is willing to send troops to help, so as not to let them develop peacefully."

The newly emerging royal family of the old dynasty in the southwest, like a spark igniting a prairie fire, has occupied one-third of the Qian Yuan territory, which is beyond her expectations.

The other party is somewhat mysterious and possesses a strong vitality.

It is the most troublesome force in the south that Hong Ling Shuang currently recognizes, and the country most likely to unify the Qian Yuan dynasty.

The new Qian Yuan has a good geographical location. After occupying Luzhou, it will probably cease hostilities and enter a stable development phase, which is the last thing Hong Ling Shuang wants to see.

Seeing the final part of the intelligence report—eight hundred cavalrymen cutting through the grasslands—her eyes flashed, focusing on that person's name: "Marquis Jing'an, Mingchen, this person..."

"When sending envoys, also tell their emperor that I have long admired Marquis Jing'an and hope to meet him to discuss cooperation and alliance."

The most unique people in the new Qian Yuan are Ming Chen, Ling Yu, and Xiao Xin Yue.

They are all people who have left behind legends.

As for Xiao Xinyue, the monarch, there is no need to elaborate; without her, there would be no new country.

Ling Yu, on the other hand, was straightforward and ruthless. A legendary general, he was able to win with fewer troops, was a master strategist, and was brave and fierce, providing the trump card of 200,000 troops.

But Mingchen... was the person she devoted the most attention to.

The monarch is the core of a country, an enemy in the struggle for supremacy, and is destined to be unattainable.

Legendary generals can influence the outcome of a war, conquering cities and seizing territories, but... their abilities are limited to the tactics at hand.

However, a legendary strategist can focus on the entire world, guide the future, and determine the rise and fall of a nation.

In her view, Mingchen was a top-notch strategist.

Since arriving in mainland China, she has studied and learned about many people, until Mingchen came into her view.

The other side went north to negotiate, and brazenly killed the envoy. He then offered the Northern Lord a policy that would benefit the country and its people, which led to a conflict between the two kings.

Later, he simply gave up his high position in Kyoto and fled with the second princess to establish a new capital.

Now, they have launched a westward expedition to the grasslands and decisively defeated the Xiongnu.

This person takes every step decisively and with a clear goal.

Few people can see the deeper planning and strategy behind every step Mingchen takes.

For example, most people only see the legendary story of the two kings vying for the position of this minister, but they fail to see the brilliant strategy behind this man's proposal: to weaken the nation and buy time for his own side.

For example, this time, people witnessed the legendary feat of eight hundred cavalrymen cutting through the Xiongnu grasslands.

However, they fail to see the more important meaning behind this war.

So what if we slaughtered our way across the grasslands? It's just a few people dying!

The story is legendary, but that is not the most important meaning of war.

The meaning of war is an extension of politics!
More importantly, didn't he divert all the conflicts among the Xiongnu on the grasslands, causing them to kill each other, weaken each other's power, and no longer dare to focus on the Central Plains?

Even though Sheng Luo had suffered a defeat and knew that the despicable Central Plains people had deliberately made them kill each other, he could only follow the dead end that others had laid out for him, leading the Xiongnu people toward a dark future.

wonderful!

Bravo!

This person... is truly delightful!
Hong Ling Shuang could see through the deeper meaning hidden beneath the surface at a glance.

Because she was also a master in this field.

Back then, the archipelago was a chaotic place with many warlords vying for power.

She also used the same concept of a relatively balanced situation on the grasslands as Mingchen, spending several years instigating enemy countries to fight each other, until finally unifying the islands and becoming the winner.

Even now that she's on the mainland, she still wants to uphold this idea: Bei Lie, Chen, Da Qi, Xin Qian Yuan... these are all countries that can be used to create conflicts and wage war against each other.

Therefore, she was extremely curious about Mingchen, a person she had never met before.

The new Qian Yuan dynasty was glorious, the new emperor's virtuous name was widely known, and the divine general Ling Yu guarded the country.

But the most amazing thing... is still the Marquis of Jing'an, who outlined the landscape and dominated the world!

She had a strong intuition that the reason why the new emperor of the Qian Yuan Dynasty had progressed so smoothly step by step, choosing such a good place as Ji Qu, occupying suitable territory, forming alliances, dividing and eliminating... was all because this person was planning for her step by step and setting the tone for the future.

(End of this chapter)