Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 298 Madness (Part Two)

Prime Minister Pang was lifted onto a carriage and sent back to the Prime Minister's residence.

His elderly wife, children, and grandchildren surrounded the bed, all with mournful faces, as if they were about to send Prime Minister Pang to his death. Prime Minister Pang was very annoyed and waved his hand, dismissing his children and grandchildren, leaving only his elderly wife.

Lady Pang cried softly, "Has His Majesty gone mad?! Vice Minister Han and Physician Ma are both former officials of the Eastern Palace. They followed him and finally escaped the capital. They didn't have many good years in Bohai County. And now they've died in Youzhou!"

"Now, the Emperor actually wants you to go and die! You can't go! Youzhou has become General Pei's territory. No matter who goes, it will be a group of 'bandits' coming. No matter how many men you bring, you can't withstand the 'bandits' attack."

Prime Minister Pang sighed deeply: "What should I do? I have already collapsed in front of the Emperor, but he still refuses to let me go, saying that he will wait for me to recuperate for a few days before setting off."

"I'm probably going to die in Youzhou."

Madam Pang wiped her face hard with her sleeve and gritted her teeth, saying, "This unlucky prime minister is better off quitting. You might as well resign and our family can go back to our ancestral home."

"There's no going back." Prime Minister Pang sighed deeply. "The world is in chaos, with refugees and bandits everywhere, and warlords carving out their own territories. Where can we find a peaceful and tranquil place now?"

“If our whole family leaves Bohai County, we simply cannot survive. We are both getting on in years, and we have a bunch of children and grandchildren. We have to think about them.”

Madam Pang burst into tears again: "What should we do! Knowing that there is a pit of fire ahead, are we just going to open our eyes and jump in?"

Prime Minister Pang said with a wry smile, "His Majesty is asking me, the Prime Minister, to risk my reputation against General Pei's sharp blade."

“I served in the Eastern Palace for more than ten years. I followed the Emperor to Bohai County to establish a new dynasty and became the Prime Minister. The Emperor appointed me as an imperial envoy, and I could not disobey the imperial decree.”

"With the deaths of Vice Minister Han and Physician Ma, I am now the Prime Minister of the court, and I have some seniority and influence. If General Pei has lofty ambitions, he will not easily kill me. Perhaps I still have a chance to live."

Madam Pang cried until her tears ran dry, and resigned herself to her fate. In a hoarse voice, she whispered, "I'll go pack your luggage."

Prime Minister Pang nodded and instructed, "The marriage between Wenniang and Meng Liulang should not be delayed. The wedding should be held as soon as possible. In case something happens to me, the Beiping Army can also help the Pang family."

Madam Pang agreed with a pale face.

Meng Liulang arrived that evening.

"I will set off for Youzhou in a few days." Prime Minister Pang forced himself to stay awake and entrusted his family to Meng Liulang: "The Pang family is old and weak, so I will have to ask you to take good care of them from now on."

Meng Liulang was extremely aggrieved: "Is the emperor just going to let him act so recklessly and arbitrarily?"

Prime Minister Pang gave Meng Liulang a deep look: "When the ruler commands a subject to die, the subject has no choice but to die. That is true loyalty! When the capital was in chaos, your father knew it was a dead end, but he still led troops to save the Crown Prince. In the end, he died a worthy death, wrapped in a horse's hide!"

"How can that be the same!" Meng Liulang roared. "Dying on the battlefield is the most ideal way for a military general to die. To die for the selfish desires of a foolish ruler is blind loyalty!"

Prime Minister Pang gave a self-deprecating smile: "Blind loyalty is still loyalty. I have received the imperial decree, and I have no choice but to go to Youzhou."

Then, he solemnly instructed, "Keep an eye on the Zhang father and son. They've been unusually quiet lately; something's definitely amiss!"

Meng Liulang agreed with a sour face.

Prime Minister Pang sighed, “Your elder brother is seriously injured and cannot return for the time being. I, the prime minister, will also have to leave soon. From now on, no one will be able to persuade or stop you; you must be more vigilant. Don’t be impulsive and reckless, lest you fall into the trap and schemes of the Zhang family.”

Meng Liulang sneered, "If they, father and son, make a move, I'll just go along with it." If he were so willing to listen to advice, he wouldn't be Meng Liulang.

Prime Minister Pang had dealt with Meng Liulang for several years and knew his bad temper very well, so he shook his head and smiled bitterly.

Prime Minister Pang lay in bed for five days, and Emperor Jian'an sent imperial physicians to him for five consecutive days. On the sixth day, Prime Minister Pang was able to get out of bed and walk around. He went to the palace to express his gratitude and brought out the imperial edict.

Coincidentally, we ran into General Zhang.

General Zhang glanced at Prime Minister Pang and said with a forced smile, "Prime Minister, you are accompanied by five hundred imperial guards on your trip to Youzhou. The Emperor greatly favors Prime Minister Pang, and even gave him the position of commander of the imperial guards. Those blind bandits will definitely take a detour."

Prime Minister Pang smiled calmly and replied, "As a subject, it is my duty to share the Emperor's burdens. The task is not difficult, and there is no need for me, the Prime Minister, to go personally. With General Zhang in charge of the court, those petty villains will certainly not dare to make a move. I am very relieved."

General Zhang smiled enigmatically: "With me here, the court will be safe and sound. Prime Minister Pang, you can rest assured!"

Prime Minister Pang laughed and said, "That last sentence doesn't sound very auspicious. You can't joke like that."

General Zhang cupped his hands in greeting, and Prime Minister Pang returned the gesture, before they passed each other.

Prime Minister Pang's procession was much larger than that of Vice Minister Han and Physician Ma. The five hundred imperial guards accompanying him were all dressed in soft armor, riding magnificent warhorses, and carrying bows, arrows, and sharp blades.

Such elite troops would deter ordinary bandits from even approaching; they would have to detour and avoid them from afar.

However, Gao Yong dared not be careless, marching only forty li each day. Some soldiers scouted ahead, others covered the rear, and he also dispatched more than twenty elite cavalrymen with superb horsemanship to scout the route on both sides. This eliminated the possibility of being ambushed.

It would take twenty days to reach Liaoxi City if we traveled in this manner.

Prime Minister Pang thought to himself, "Commander Gao looks so shrewd, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes. He's deliberately slowing down his journey to give Pei Qinghe ample time to react and handle the situation after receiving the news!"
To be fair, Commander Gao and Pei Qinghe had quite a personal relationship. Pei Qinghe wouldn't go so far as to kill Commander Gao.

Emperor Jian'an went to great lengths to ensure the safe delivery of the imperial edict to Liaoxi City.

……

"That damned emperor is utterly incompetent at governing the country; he spends all his energy on crooked schemes."

The news from the capital came very quickly.

Pei Yan berated Emperor Jian'an mercilessly, almost swearing: "Should we send a message to the Fanyang army and ask them to take action?"

Pei Qinghe's eyes flashed: "It's to send a message, instructing the Fanyang army to hold their ground."

"The Fanyang army has a numerical advantage and can handle ordinary soldiers. But Commander Gao has five hundred elite cavalrymen, and the Fanyang army is no match for him."

"Furthermore, Commander Gao and our Pei family army have some past ties, and Prime Minister Pang has known us for several years and has helped our Pei family before. We cannot just kill him indiscriminately."

Pei Yan was quite agitated: "Then what are we going to do? Are we just going to wait for them to come and announce the imperial edict?"

Pei Qinghe smiled slightly: "No rush, I have my own plan."

(End of this chapter)