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

Chapter 281 Reunion of old friends

Having finally persuaded her brother, Wang Liu showed no joy on her face, only nodding and replying, "Yes."

After all, he had given away the empire he had worked so hard to build, and he had sacrificed his own interests.

Wang Huai let out a soft sigh, seemingly relieved: "When you go to Jichu as an envoy, if you see Mingchen, remember to give him my regards and tell him..."

"I miss him."

"Even rivals can meet and have drinks together."

Wang Liu paused for a moment, then nodded.

Wang Huai waved his hand: "Go and prepare."

"Ah."

Just as Wang Liu was about to leave, he seemed to remember something and turned back: "Brother, last night's night raid plan was meticulously devised and known to few. The chosen direction of advance was also very cunning, but Xu Zhongling knew about it and made preparations in advance. There is something wrong with this."

"There must be some incompetent people among those in power in our army."

Please be careful.

Wang Huai wasn't surprised; he simply nodded and said, "I know."

Wang Huai may lack political acumen and vision, but after so many years of military campaigns, he still understands these things in the army.

Otherwise, he would have died long ago.

If a night raid is well-prepared and ambushed, it must be because our side failed to maintain proper intelligence.

"Ah."

My elder brother fought his way to defeat Kyoto and overthrow the old dynasty, so he was certainly no fool.

Wang Liu nodded in satisfaction and then left the tent.

With supplies running low and the mission imminent, he needed to make preparations quickly.

The candlelight flickered, and only Wang Huai remained in the tent.

He was clad in armor, tall and imposing, and simply standing there exuded the fierce and domineering aura of a wild and powerful overlord.

He lowered his eyes, silently watching the flickering candlelight. His mountain-like frame, unyielding despite countless setbacks, rose to reveal arms etched with the scars of war. Yet, in this moment, the eyes of this powerful figure held an inescapable weariness and confusion: "Mingchen… what should we do, brother?"

He was full of hope when he was fighting, but now that he has destroyed a country and fulfilled his ideals, he is confused.

Looking back, he realized that he was nothing more than a thief in a chaotic world, whose destruction was no less than that of Dong Zhenghong, the thief who stole the country.

All he brought to this world was war and suffering. He vowed to overthrow the old dynasty, establish a new, honest and upright nation, and create a bright and clear future for all the people.

The result was the collapse of heaven and earth, constant war, even greater suffering for the people, corpses strewn across the fields, widespread misery, and the emergence of new, even more wicked bureaucrats.

He cannot manage the enormous state apparatus well; all he brings to the world is sin.

Only slogans shouted with sincerity will attract countless ardent followers. This means that when ideals cannot be realized, while hurting everyone else, one also hurts oneself.

This rugged mountain road is difficult to travel, and there is no future in sight.

It has been ten years since the uprising began.

Over the past decade, he has experienced the exhilaration of rising from humble beginnings, as well as the helplessness and sorrow of being abandoned by everyone.

His younger brother still had the will to fight and make a comeback.

But he knew that it was all just stubbornness in his self-perception.

The tide has turned; the world will not give him a second chance.

The Blood-Clad Army has already exhausted the people's trust, and its reputation in the north is utterly ruined. Even if it tries to develop in the south, it can't surpass the Qian Yuan dynasty. If things continue in this stalemate, it will only become a separatist force, causing more casualties and prolonging the chaos of war for a few more years.

Was it all really worth it?
There was no other way but to attach themselves to Qian Yuan and support the Empress's ascension to the throne.

But he would rather die.

No king would be willing to do that.

His subordinates and soldiers wouldn't allow him to do that either.

Once he sent Yueyang away, he could never go back.

During that year, he took off his armor and put on a dragon robe. Then he took off the dragon robe and put on armor again.

The people around him changed again and again, and he experienced a series of ups and downs. He seemed to have gained some vague honors, but he lost those precious things one after another.

Now that he has taken a high position, all the loyal brothers who used to call him "Big Brother" are gone. Even those who have survived by chance look at him with growing fear and scheming.

The height is not cold.

Sometimes he felt that the empress in the southwest was really lucky.

Her world is a hopeful fantasy, while his is a harsh reality.

The candle burned down to its last flame, and a gentle breeze blew, extinguishing the faint glow of the flame.

"Mingchen... tell me, what I did was right or wrong?"

Unconsciously, Wang Huai touched his eyes. Before he knew it, blood was flowing out from the corners of his eyes, nostrils, and mouth.

……

"Is Wang Liu going west to Qianyuan to request reinforcements?"

In Xiaoyao City, the blood-red flag representing the Great Qi Dynasty was replaced.

The yellow flag belonging to Liang was hung on the city tower, fluttering in the wind.

Xu Zhongling, dressed in plain clothes with a white headband, listened to the report from his subordinates and quietly looked at the chessboard in front of him.

He marched at breakneck speed, resorting to all sorts of tricks and deceptions, and finally managed to capture Xiaoyao City before that terrifying war god Wang Huai could catch up with him. His tense nerves finally relaxed a bit.

He has already turned a dead end into a new one.

All he needs to do is hold onto Xiaoyao City, this fortified city, and wear Wang Huai down.

Now that he has received intelligence that Wang Liu is heading west, he can guess the reason without his subordinates having to explain it to him.

The truth will always come out eventually; a clumsy lie will always be exposed.

If his own troops were demoralized, and he also had to face the combined forces of Qian Yuan and Da Qi at the same time, even if Xiaoyao City was impregnable, he would not be able to withstand it.

"Report, General, there is another demonstration of people in the city."

As he was pondering this, another subordinate came in and reported to him.

Xu Zhongling frowned slightly upon hearing this.

This is why Wang Liu insisted on bringing Wang Huai back.

Xiaoyao City was a place where the Blood-Clad Army had been operating for a long time, and many of the people here were fanatical followers of Wang Huai.

The will of the people can unleash boundless power.

Although Xu Zhongling has occupied this place, this problem still requires a lot of effort to solve.

He stared at the chessboard before him, paused for a moment, and then placed a piece: "Let's imprison some of the people we can't win over first."

"Have General Zhuang go into the city and give a speech about Wang Huai's plundering of the people and killing of meritorious officials. I remember he started the uprising in Xiaoyao City with Wang Huai, right? Some people should recognize him."

"Yes!"

The subordinate withdrew.

From the shadows, the secret guard brought a brocade box. When the cloth was lifted, a hideous head with white hair lay there quietly, his face serene, as if he had not suffered any pain.

A few months ago, this old man was a hero of Xu Zhongling's entire army, persuading all sides to block Wang Huai and even getting Qian Yuan's help, which helped Xu Zhongling's army absorb countless forces, earning Xu Zhongling's deep gratitude.

However, at this very moment, this distinguished old man died before he could receive his reward.

"Old Master Lu is truly a distinguished person in our dynasty!"

"I will definitely exonerate you and posthumously honor you in the future."

The scene was somewhat gruesome, but Xu Zhongling seemed unconcerned, merely murmuring softly, "There's only one head. Should we give it to Qian Yuan to gag him, or keep it to appease the turbulent army?"

The Wang brothers paid a heavy price that Qian Yuan could not refuse.

He now has three paths to take.

The first option is to send Lu Guang, also an envoy to Qian Yuan, to bear all the consequences of his previous lies and shut Qian Yuan up.

The second reason is to spare Lu Guang's head so that he can give an explanation to the soldiers who came to join them because of Qian Yuan. No matter what mistakes he made, he, as the supreme leader, absolutely could not make any mistakes, and he absolutely could not deceive or fool his subordinates.

Thirdly, after everything had settled down, they insisted that Qian Yuan had made an alliance with them and that they had only broken the contract for personal gain.

These are all poor choices, but he has no other options.

The last option is the worst possible strategy. Qian Yuan is not like Da Qi. The west is thriving, the people support it, and its credibility is very high. If we rashly go against the tide, we might end up shooting ourselves in the foot.

After pondering for a moment, he shook his head and sighed softly, "Never mind..."

Neither the Marquis of Jing'an nor the Empress of the Qian Yuan Dynasty were easily fooled.

It was already a hopeless relationship, and the other party was in control, so there was no way to silence them.

Why not stay and fool our own people?

……

"Whose wedding is this? Why is it being so grand?"

"You don't know? Such a grand display is because Lord Yun Zhengyun is marrying Miss Li."

"what?"

"I've heard that it was Marquis Jing'an who acted as matchmaker for this!"

"Lord Yun is also a genius! At such a young age, he has achieved so much. He is truly a hero in troubled times."

"I feel that Marquis Jing'an is more capable."

"How wonderful...all the best talents in the world are in our court."

"It all comes down to His Majesty's ability to recognize and utilize talent."

The east is in complete chaos. The west, however, remains peaceful and developing.

The sun was shining brightly and there were no clouds in the sky.

Today, there is a joyous occasion in Jiqu City. There are drums and gongs, and a procession of ten miles of red bridal procession.

The people on the roadside unconsciously craned their necks to look at the wedding procession, cheering and offering their blessings.

The young groom, riding a fine horse, went to meet the woman he had fallen for at first sight; from then on, he was no longer a lonely man. Even this shrewd young man couldn't control his expression; a smile he couldn't suppress grace graced his face—truly a young man riding high on the crest of success.

Inside the post station, Wang Liu, the Qi envoy who had crossed the Shen River, felt somewhat dazed looking at the joyous scene.

Without the struggles for interests or the life-or-death wars, the people here have returned to the most primal joy.

The contrast between East and West is too stark.

In the chaotic East, even in Yueyang City, such a lively and festive scene is rarely seen.

In the midst of chaos, this place is truly a haven of peace.

Marquis Jing'an's Mansion.

“Hua Rong, tell me, is this you? The Marquis of Bei Lie dreamt of a red fox, and when he woke up, he found himself holding a torch and burning down his mansion.”

The handsome young man flipped through the book, petted the little fox, and asked with a grin.

"No!!! That's utter nonsense! It was clearly that idiot's stupid son who played with fire and burned down the mansion, and now he's blaming me!"

"Don't look!"

The little fox glared at him fiercely, stepping on the book to block the bad guy's view: "What's wrong? Aren't you, the matchmaker, going to the Yun residence for the banquet?"

Mingchen actually went to talk to Yunzheng about the marriage he wanted.

Lord Li was merely a fifth-rank official in the court, so marrying his daughter to Yun Zheng was considered a step up for him. With a monster like Ming Chen acting as matchmaker, the old man tremblingly accepted this windfall, and everything went smoothly.

"Eh~"

"No, no, going out for drinks is nothing compared to hearing the legendary stories of our beautiful Hua Rong!"

Mingchen waved his hand.

Going out to a grand event and playing football is fine, but being a fake-smiling boy at a drinking table is no fun.

Moreover, given Mingchen's current status, if he were to go, people would probably lose track of who is in charge.

"you!"

The little fox glared at him fiercely, its invisible magic flowing through it.

They simply snatched the book from Mingchen's hands out of thin air.

"Stop looking! Stop looking!"

"Those people are just making things up and talking nonsense!"

Her pranks are so numerous they could fill several books.

These are all embarrassing moments from his past; we can't let him see them again.

"Hahaha~ Since it's all made up, I'm sure our Hua Rong is innocent and has nothing to hide. Let me see what she has to say."

"No !!!!"

It's rare to have things settled down like this; it's been like this since the Lunar New Year.

Mingchen would either go out to stroll around and walk his dog, or go to the palace to tease His Majesty, or stay at home with the monsters. The days would slip by quietly like this.

The next day, a special guest arrived at the mansion.

"My benefactor, it's been a long time."

Dressed as a scholar, Wang Liu arrived alone at the Jing'an Marquis's residence.

The interior of Mingchen Mansion was not luxurious, but it exuded elegance in every aspect.

Wang Liu glanced at him privately and immediately understood. Although Mingchen hadn't attended court before, he must still be highly regarded by Emperor Qian and was doing very well here.

He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture toward Mingchen and said, "I did not see you in the court, so I came to pay you a visit in person. I hope you will not find me a bother."

Wang Liu kept her public and private affairs quite separate.

In terms of official business, Wang Liu disliked Ming Chen's plans to use the Great Qi as cannon fodder, to flatten the Qi Kingdom, eliminate the powerful and wealthy, and block the northern border.

According to Wang Huai, Ming Chen also deserves credit for the rise of the Blood-Clad Army.

How could he be so heartless as to lead the Blood-Clad Army down this path of no return?
In comparison, Qian Yuan's fate was far too good.

It's as if Qian Yuan is his own flesh and blood, while Da Qi is just something he picked up.

This made him feel somewhat unbalanced.

But no matter what, I will never forget the kindness of saving my elder brother with a meal back then and helping him recover from his illness.

Therefore, he still referred to Mingchen as his benefactor.

Regardless of whether Wang Huai had instructed him or not, he actually came back to visit Mingchen.

Let's have a chat with this young monster who we can never see through.

"Harm~"

Mingchen waved his hand casually: "You've come all this way, if you hadn't come to see me, I would have blamed you."

When Wang Liu comes to Ji Qu, he will definitely report to Xiao Xin Yue in the online court first, discuss important matters, and only after everything is finished can he visit Ming Chen and meet him privately.

This is better for both of them.

I also learned about Wang Liu's purpose for coming here through Sister Dai's message.

The Wang brothers are much more honest than Xu Zhongling.

Sending Yueyang City away was a drastic measure, but the price paid was considerable.

Wang Liu was the Emperor Qi's younger brother, and his words were as good as water spilled; he was a man of his word.

This means that the Blood-Clad Army's massive Northern Expedition was all for naught.

It is very difficult for people to give away the treasures they have acquired; it takes great courage to decide to give them up.

Taking the worst parts, retaining the elite forces, shrinking territory, simplifying complex matters, and gradually coordinating efforts, while abandoning all uncontrollable areas in exchange for survival, is undoubtedly a wise move.

It's rare to be able to see through the confusion while being in the thick of things.

However, a dead end is a dead end. What about the subsequent war? Supply lines? And the issue of appeasing subordinates... these are all things that need to be resolved.

The hope for the Great Qi is already very slim.

If they still want to contend for the world, they can only hope that the other major leaders will simultaneously make a blunder.

After a heated exchange in the court, Wang Liu made concessions. Qian Yuan didn't even need to send troops; his only request was for Qian Yuan to issue a proclamation stating that Xu Zhongling had falsely conveyed the imperial edict, a crime deserving of death, a heinous villain, and arousing the wrath of both gods and men. The Emperor was furious and would soon send troops to punish him. That was all Qian Yuan needed to do.

This was practically a free benefit, and Qian Yuan had absolutely no reason to refuse it.

There were also some former officials in the court who had a strong desire to return to the old capital.

Xiao Xinyue made the decision without even discussing it with Mingchen.

This is everyone's shared wish.

Staying put in the west and developing steadily is to prepare for an eastward expansion at any time, not to remain stationary.

Xiao Xinyue didn't want to spend her whole life holed up here enjoying herself.

Of course, even if Mingchen were asked, the result wouldn't change.

Mingchen clearly supports it as well.

What God does not take, is to be blamed.

If Qian Yuan does not express his desire to expand eastward to the world, it will only disappoint those who have high expectations for him.

Reputation can be eroded.

"Come on, sit down."

Mingchen personally poured tea for Wang Liu.

Although his relationship with Wang Liu was not as close as with Wang Huai, they were still old acquaintances and their relationship was not bad.

The last time I met this legendary undercover agent was in Beijing!
That happened a long time ago.

This guy survived four dynasties, two changes of dynasty, countless deaths of ministers, political upheavals, and widespread chaos... Under such circumstances, he miraculously survived and even held out until the Blood-Clad Army attacked the city. That's truly remarkable.

"Thank you so much, my benefactor."

Mingchen waved his hand casually: "Hey, don't be so polite. Where did that arrogant scholar who used to joke and drink with me in front of the imperial examination gate go?"

Time flies by, and the scholars queuing at the back of the exam hall and the self-deprecating scholars are no longer what they used to be.

One is the legendary marquis who roamed the world, and the other is the highly respected younger brother of the Qi Emperor.

Now they sit and drink together, representing different stances; the past is all gone.

Wang Liu took a sip of tea, smiled, and didn't say anything more.

He is a serious person; his seemingly dissolute behavior is merely a facade.

He didn't want to recall the past. Mingchen did live an easy life, but he was alone in the capital, living in constant fear, afraid that one day he would be doomed before the Blood-Clad Army broke through Yueyang.

"My benefactor, do you know why Liu has come here?"

"I know."

Mingchen stroked the teacup: "Hasn't His Majesty already given his approval?"

Wang Liu nodded: "Mm."

"There is another matter. I would like to take this opportunity to meet my benefactor. I have some doubts and would like to discuss them with him."

"Oh? Brother Liu, please speak freely."

(End of this chapter)