Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 297 Madness (Part 1)

Minister Han and his entourage encountered bandits and were all killed. Minister Han was beheaded, and the imperial edict in his arms was torn to shreds and blown away by the wind.

When this news reached Liaoxi City, Pei Qinghe was quite pleased and smiled at Pei Yun and Pei Yan, saying, "Finally, the Fanyang army has come in handy."

Pei Yun smiled and continued, "General Lü is weak and useless, but Lü Feng is quite good. With proper training, he has the potential to become a military general."

Pei Qinghe nodded slightly: "General Lü can't figure it out right now. Once Lü Feng goes back and 'persuades' General Lü, the entire Youzhou will be in my hands."

Pei Yan muttered, "Why go through all this trouble? Just send troops to pacify the Fanyang army and plant the Pei-branded flag."

Pei Qinghe slapped her on the back of the head without hesitation: "All you do is kill, kill, kill. Can't you use your brain for once? The Fanyang army has at least seven or eight thousand men, but they haven't been able to send out their real elite troops. We can take them down with gentle means, so why fight to the death? People die in war. They will die, and our soldiers will die too. It will also implicate innocent civilians."

"Furthermore, so many troops stationed in the north are just watching. If I ruthlessly slaughter the Fanyang army, what other troops would dare to surrender to me?"

"To subdue the enemy without fighting is the way of a true king."

Pei Yan was already used to it, and even considerately lowered her head to avoid making the general stand on tiptoe: "Yes, yes, I didn't think before I spoke, I just talked nonsense. General, please don't be angry!"

He admitted his mistake so quickly. He's said it countless times before, but he never really meant it.

Pei Qinghe was amused and said to Pei Yun, "Even Pei Xuan and Pei Feng can lead troops on their own, but she hasn't made any progress."

Pei Yun smiled and teased, "It's all because you spoiled her. If you really wanted to, you could have sent her to garrison troops and lead them. She'd have learned her lesson through hardship and training."

With such a large territory as Youzhou, there are plenty of counties that need to be garrisoned. Wouldn't it be easy to get rid of Pei Yan? It's just that Pei Qinghe is reluctant to part with him.

Pei Qinghe coughed and said, "I'll think about it."

Pei Yan grinned and proudly shook her fluffy head: "The general can't do without me. Sister Yun, please stop stirring things up."

After a few jokes, we quickly got back to the main topic.

"The news of Vice Minister Han's encounter with bandits will soon reach the court," Pei Yun said in a low voice. "I wonder if the Emperor will be willing to let this matter rest!"

Pei Qinghe's eyes flashed with coldness: "He's been sitting on the dragon throne for a few years and thinks he can really command the North. One imperial edict has angered both the Zhang family and my Pei family army. If he continues to be so stubborn, there will be no good end for him."

She appeared calm and composed in public, but inside she was seething with anger.

It was inconvenient for her to take action herself, so she used the Fanyang army as a weapon to kill the emperor's envoy and his entourage, finally venting her anger a little.

Emperor Jian'an should have received the news by now. What will his reaction be?
……

Emperor Jian'an's reaction surprised everyone.

Han, the Vice Minister, was killed by bandits, and the imperial edict disappeared. After his initial fury, Emperor Jian'an issued a second imperial edict bestowing a marriage upon him.

The person personally appointed by the emperor to take on this important task was a former official of the Eastern Palace, now serving as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War.

Before setting off, Doctor Ma even made arrangements for his funeral. He embarked on his journey amidst the tears of his wife, children, and relatives, and the sympathetic gazes of the court officials.

This time, they encountered "bandits" as soon as they entered Youzhou territory, and were all wiped out.

When the bad news reached the court again, the officials were shocked. They denounced the bandits at the court meeting and pleaded with the emperor not to issue any more imperial edicts.

It didn't matter that the emperor issued an imperial edict; those who died were the pitiful officials who had been appointed as imperial envoys. They had finally made it to this day and really didn't want to die under the blades of "bandits." Even Prime Minister Pang couldn't bear it any longer and stepped forward to persuade the emperor to give up the idea of ​​taking General Pei into the palace as a concubine.

"...General Pei is mighty and brave, a born war god. She led troops to guard Youzhou, resisted foreign enemies, and made great achievements. Such a talented general should fight on the battlefield, how can he be confined to the harem?"

"For the sake of the country and the people of the north, General Pei should stay in Youzhou."

More importantly, it's for Your Majesty's own safety!

If this continues, no one knows what Pei Qinghe might do next!
Then there were General Zhang and his son, watching coldly with sinister eyes, who knows how many ruthless tricks they were plotting.

The usually gentle Emperor Jian'an seemed to have gone mad, refusing to listen to anyone. He even personally wrote a third imperial edict.

The ministers were also furious, and privately they complained: "As expected of the Xie family bloodline, when they get stubborn, they are not much different from the late emperor."

The late emperor mentioned by the ministers was not the Prince of Wei, who died at the hands of Prince Qiao after only two years on the throne, but the incompetent and tyrannical Emperor Jianwen.

Emperor Jian'an seemed rather mediocre and weak on the surface, but otherwise quite normal. Who would have thought he would become so deranged because of General Pei?

Let the emperor write imperial edicts if he wants! Let whoever wants to go can go; they're not going anyway.

The civil officials unanimously claimed to be ill and even skipped the morning court session.

Emperor Jian'an immediately sent someone to summon Prime Minister Pang to the palace: "Prime Minister, go to Youzhou on my behalf. You are the head of all officials, the Prime Minister of the court. By appointing you as the imperial envoy to bestow the marriage, you will give General Pei a great deal of face and honor. She will surely receive the imperial decree with great joy."

Prime Minister Pang: "..."

These days, Emperor Jian'an has been unable to eat or sleep properly, his eyes bloodshot from exhaustion, like a wild beast trapped in a cage. His gaze towards Prime Minister Pang is cold and menacing, sending chills down one's spine.

Prime Minister Pang remained silent for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "This old minister will obey Your Majesty's decree."

Emperor Jian'an let out a long sigh of relief, his furrowed brows relaxing: "I knew it, Prime Minister Pang is still the most loyal to me."

Before he finished speaking, Prime Minister Pang swayed a few times and then suddenly fell straight down.

This turn of events was so sudden that no one could react in time. Gao Yong, the commander of the Emperor's personal guards, rushed over and grabbed only a piece of Prime Minister Pang's sleeve, tearing it open with a ripping sound.

Prime Minister Pang lay on the ground, his eyes closed, his old face deathly pale.

"Quickly summon the imperial physician!" He was, after all, a long-time advisor, and their bond was different from that of others. Emperor Jian'an was so anxious that sweat beaded on his forehead as he urged him repeatedly.

The imperial physician rushed over, not daring to move Prime Minister Pang, and squatted down to administer acupuncture.

After a few gleaming golden needles were inserted, Prime Minister Pang opened his eyes with difficulty and said intermittently, "This old minister is alright. This old minister will get up now and go to Youzhou to deliver the imperial edict on behalf of the Emperor."

He was almost out of breath, yet he persisted in trying to relieve the emperor's worries. This unwavering loyalty moved heaven and earth.

Emperor Jian'an's eyes reddened with emotion. He bent down and grasped Prime Minister Pang's hand tightly: "Prime Minister, you are indeed a loyal minister, sharing my burdens. However, you just fell and fainted, and you are weak. You need to rest for a while..."

Prime Minister Pang inwardly raised the corners of his mouth, but was immediately speechless.

"In that case, Prime Minister, rest for a few days before setting off!"

(End of this chapter)