Chapter 131 Sowing Discord

After Situ Lei's death and the ascension of the new ruler, Situ Yu, who also announced allegiance to the Yan Kingdom, degrading the nation's status, Situ Yi, the eldest son of the Situ family and Situ Lei's elder brother, declared his own ascension to the throne within Jade Plate City, east of Wangjiang.

Upon his ascension, Situ Yi immediately issued seven imperial decrees.

First, the nation's title would remain Great Cheng, legally recognizing the regime established by his younger brother, and the reign title would continue to be "Kaizheng First Year," as decreed by Situ Lei.

Second, Jade Plate City was renamed Jade Capital.

Third, he vehemently denounced Situ Lei for the crime of patricide and fratricide, claiming that his previous military actions were to eliminate the wicked, cleanse the Situ family, and restore order.

Allowing barbarians to enter the pass was also to borrow troops from them.

Fourth, his younger brother Situ Jiong was granted the title of Prince of Wangjiang.

Fifth, the barbarian king Gou Moli (the barbarian king's real name) was appointed as the Great Protector of the Snow Plains, in charge of all matters in the Snow Plains.

Sixth, he condemned the false ruler of Ying Capital, his nephew Situ Yu, for treason and surrendering the ancestral heritage and Jin land to the Yan Kingdom, calling on the people of the Three Jin to rise up and resist, driving the Yan people out of Jin territory.

Seventh, with the new ruler's ascension, a general amnesty was granted "under Heaven."

These messages quickly spread out, and through the extension of external tentacles, they quickly appeared on General Zheng's desk.

The blind man pondered for a moment and said,

"My lord, these seven imperial decrees, except for the seventh one, which is a bit ridiculous, are all quite targeted."

The general amnesty was indeed nonsense, after all, the areas controlled by the rebels had long been devastated by the barbarians. Who are you pardoning?

The other six imperial decrees were to inherit his younger brother's "legacy" and establish his own orthodox legal status, striving for the support and goodwill of the Situ family's forces.

These measures were making this "new emperor" feel psychologically wronged, yet they provided tangible benefits.

Furthermore, the barbarian king was only appointed as the Great Protector of the Snow Plains. This barbarian king was incredibly low-key in the new dynasty. Anyone with eyes could see that Situ Yi and Situ Jiong were merely pawns in the barbarian king's hands, similar to Wang Jingwei in later generations, but the barbarian king took the initiative to retreat behind the scenes, handing the spotlight to the two clowns.

"My lord, the barbarian king's actions are no longer considered forbearance; he intends to completely exploit these two treasures."

Zheng Fan nodded, his hands crossed, and said,

"Actually, they were probably planning to hold the enthronement ceremony in Ying Capital, but Situ Lei thwarted them before his death, forcing them to ascend the throne on the east bank of Wangjiang."

The effect was naturally much worse than it would have been in Ying Capital. At the same time, it could be seen that if it weren't for Situ Lei's great victory before his death, the situation in Cheng Kingdom might have truly deteriorated beyond repair.

Judging from these decrees alone, the two clowns did have some substance and a bit of political acumen.

"Yes, my lord. It seems that this so-called new Great Cheng Kingdom is just a grasshopper in autumn."

"No." Zheng Fan immediately shook his head and said, "Blind man, don't you think that the barbarian army has been a little too low-key since entering the pass?"

"Perhaps, the barbarian king originally intended to enter the pass, plunder for a while, and then run? Anyway, this time, they obtained a large number of people and supplies, including many artisans and other talents. They have already made a great profit.

"Now, they are probably thinking of preserving their strength. This subordinate believes that the barbarian king's bottom line is probably Xuehai Pass. As long as Xuehai Pass isn't lost, he's guaranteed to win."

Zheng Fan shook his head and said, "Blind man, I don't see it that way."

"Does my lord think that the barbarian king has even greater plans?"

"Yes. You must know that when Dorgon first entered the pass, many people thought that they were just here to plunder and would retreat back outside the pass, as they had done many times before. Even many princes and ministers of the Qing court thought so.

"But human desires cannot be stopped. Especially for the barbarians, this is a truly once-in-a-century opportunity. I don't think they will give up, nor do I think that the barbarian king will be willing to take his tribe back to the Snow Plains.

"Once they return to the Snow Plains, who knows when they will encounter another internal strife in Jin again?"

"But, my lord, this subordinate really doesn't know how the barbarian king will turn things around. Currently, the Crown Prince's arrogance and underestimation of the enemy don't hold true."

"Shall we make a bet?"

"This subordinate concedes."

"That's no fun."

"These days, this subordinate has been organizing lectures at night, telling the soldiers how much effort and cost you have put into supporting them, and also telling them that our current good days in Shengle are unlikely to last long unless we encounter a war, and we must win that war decisively.

"This subordinate has already bet that your judgment is correct, and has already given these soldiers some awareness of the situation, so that when the war really breaks out in the near future, their fighting spirit will be even higher."

"You've worked hard."

"This subordinate hasn't worked hard. Si Niang is the one who has truly worked hard. We are willing to gamble with you, my lord. It's just that our savings really won't last much longer.

"If we lose this gamble, and we want to continue playing, we can only reduce the army or switch to a military-agricultural policy."

"I know." Zheng Fan nodded.

Zheng Fan knew that this was the blind man setting a bottom line for him. For the devils, this was a game. Since it was a game, winning or losing didn't matter. As long as they didn't die, nothing else was indispensable.

But if they lost this gamble, and Shengle City really went bankrupt, they would really have to change the way they played.

Zheng Fan stroked the back of his hand,

And slowly said:

"Let's wait and see."

........

The Crown Prince had finally entered the city.

All forces were anxiously waiting for the Crown Prince to enter Ying Capital.

But the Crown Prince remained as "steady as an old dog."

There was no sign of youthful vigor. When it came to fighting, he was more like a senile old fox.

The army made preparations with every step they took, and coordinated seamlessly with local forces and allied troops.

Occasionally, rebels and barbarians would try to provoke them, but they were driven away by the Crown Prince's troops.

Since their great defeat, the rebels, despite the many official positions conferred by the new ruler Situ Yi, had mostly lost their spirit and fighting ability. The barbarians, on the other hand, seemed to be slacking off.

Rather than wanting to provoke a war,

It was more like urging the Crown Prince: Please hurry up and don't be so slow. Enter Ying Capital as soon as possible, so we can proceed to the next step.

Many factions within Ying Capital were also eagerly awaiting the "heavenly envoy." Civil officials, military generals, nobles, and commoners of all classes were waiting for the new overlord to arrive and arrange their roles.

It was like waiting for exam results after a major test.

It was truly nerve-wracking, making them as anxious as ants on a hot pot.

Perhaps the most awkward thing was that,

Because the Crown Prince was late,

Li Bao, who had arrived in Ying Capital first, only controlled the East Gate, and his army was still stationed outside the city, showing no intention of interfering in Cheng's internal affairs.

Therefore,

The coffin of the late Emperor Situ Lei of Cheng Kingdom was still in the palace.

The new ruler, the ten-year-old Situ Yu, had only been observing filial piety for his father these days, not managing the so-called court affairs. Prime Minister Sun Youdao could only maintain order within Ying Capital to prevent it from collapsing.

Everyone was trying their best to maintain the situation, waiting for someone who was truly qualified to take charge.

Finally,

The Crown Prince had arrived.

Today, it was raining in Ying Capital.

But the sides of the road leading from the city gate to the main gate of the palace were crowded with local residents.

From the common people to the powerful nobles, everyone hoped that after this rain, they would be greeted with a new beginning.

Barbarians, gloom, and everything else would best be dispelled completely.

The city still retained a distinct smell of blood, because Situ Lei had conducted a major purge in the capital before his desperate attack.

He did everything he could. The situation he left behind wasn't great, but it wasn't too bad either.

The Crown Prince felt this especially keenly. A capital that was frightened but not chaotic was extremely important for the upcoming war. It was like sending a stable rear to the Yan Kingdom.

The pixiu under the Crown Prince was just an adult, with black fur and piercing eyes, revealing its arrogance.

Unlike it, the Crown Prince himself did not show the arrogance of a "heavenly envoy." He was very calm, and the soldiers behind him also appeared extremely solemn.

The vanguard was Li Bao, not Li Fusheng. This was the Crown Prince's arrangement, because everyone knew Li Fusheng's habits. He was a commanding officer who liked to kill and taste blood at every turn. It would be too risky to let him be solely responsible for this densely populated capital.

Currently, Li Fusheng was following behind the Crown Prince.

Li Bao did not follow in. With the army outside, there had to be someone truly in charge.

The people of Cheng Kingdom did not show excessive enthusiasm for this prince of the Ji family, because most people were still confused.

Had Cheng Kingdom and the Situ family really come to an end?

Many people didn't truly realize this until now. The rows of black-armored knights and their black dragon flags were all declaring the change of ownership of this great city.

The palace gate had long been opened, and the Cheng Kingdom imperial guards were kneeling neatly on the ground.

They did not try to provoke the majesty of this Yan prince, nor did they try to do anything else. These days had been a torment for them.

The suspension of palace affairs, the stagnation of government affairs, and everything inside and outside the palace made them somewhat paranoid.

Now,

It was time for relief.

From the Yan Kingdom's initial ceasefire to the Marquis of Jingnan's expedition to the Snow Plains, as well as Situ Lei's previous arrangements and the tone set by that great victory,

This handover of sovereign power seemed to be a natural outcome because of so much preparation.

Perhaps,

In the corners of taverns and in the side rooms of private schools, young scholars were drowning their sorrows, and old gentlemen were drinking alone.

In the wine, flowed the last remnants of nostalgia for the former country.

In the unknown places of the military camps, in the mansions of generals, and in the houses of the Situ family's descendants, some people were practicing swordsmanship, venting the resentment that was about to overflow from their bodies.

Many people were unwilling,

But their unwillingness,

Under this general trend,

Could only serve as a slight embellishment, and could not cause too much waves.

An old willow tree at the entrance of a village could still evoke a sense of melancholy, let alone the overturning of a foundation that had been passed down for hundreds of years?

The Crown Prince dismounted, and Li Fusheng also dismounted. The rest of the soldiers lined up neatly outside the palace gate on horseback.

Wearing black gauze and white cloth, the Crown Prince and Li Fusheng entered the palace gate together.

The dead were the greatest, this was tradition;

Moreover, the deceased was the ruler of a country, and he had earned a lot of posthumous fame in that desperate attack before his death.

Inside the main hall,

All the officials of Cheng Kingdom were kneeling on the ground. The Crown Prince and Li Fusheng walked in.

In front of the coffin, Prime Minister Sun Youdao of Cheng Kingdom stood on one side, holding a bell, and the Minister of Rites personally offered incense.

Behind the coffin, Situ Yu, dressed in white mourning clothes, was kneeling. He looked up at the Crown Prince who had already entered, and then looked at the coffin beside him, which contained his father's remains.

Situ Yu was still young, because Situ Lei himself was not old.

Perhaps, the late Emperor had not had time to start training his successor, because he felt that there was still time, so much so that he did not feel the need to rush.

But this was not necessarily a bad thing. Situ Lei was gone, leaving behind a ten-year-old ruler. Based on the generosity of the Yan people, they would not harm this young child.

At least, this branch, this lineage, could be continued, and wealth could be guaranteed throughout the Yan Dynasty.

The Crown Prince offered incense and stepped back a few steps, kneeling on the prayer mat. Li Fusheng then offered incense and knelt behind the Crown Prince.

"Ji Wujiang, the Crown Prince of Yan and the Grand Marshal of the Eastern Expedition, mourns for the late Emperor of Cheng Kingdom!"

"Li Fusheng, the Commander-in-Chief of the Zhenbei Army, mourns for the late Emperor of Cheng Kingdom!"

Then,

They kowtowed.

The Cheng Kingdom ministers kneeling around all breathed a sigh of relief.

The Crown Prince and the Yan people had given them enough face, and everyone could give an account to the late Emperor.

This play could be sung smoothly, and then, the page could be turned.

Sun Youdao struck the bell once,

And shouted:

"The filial ruler returns the courtesy!"

The somewhat dazed Cheng Kingdom ruler Situ Yu then got up in a somewhat confused manner, faced the Crown Prince, and knelt down again.

The Crown Prince then got up,

And walked a few more steps towards the coffin,

And said:

"Due to careful military planning, Wujiang was late, delaying the late Emperor's rest. Wujiang apologizes to the late Emperor here."

After speaking,

The Crown Prince knelt down again.

Sun Youdao struck the bell again,

Repeating:

"The filial ruler returns the courtesy!"

The deceased had passed away, and the living came to pay tribute. No matter what they said or did, it was all addressed to the deceased, but the deceased's attitude had to be responded to by the living.

Situ Yu was obviously still somewhat afraid of this Yan prince who carried a murderous aura,

Now that the Crown Prince was closer to him than before,

Situ Yu became even more nervous,

And responded somewhat stutteringly:

"Military situation... important... Imperial Father... Imperial Father knows... knows."

After finally finishing speaking,

Situ Yu immediately knelt down again.

The Crown Prince stood up and helped Situ Yu up.

When his hands touched Situ Yu's shoulders, the Crown Prince could clearly feel the young ruler's body trembling.

This should not be an act, after all, he was only ten years old.

Even adults would be distraught in the face of such a catastrophic situation, let alone him.

Family and country had almost collapsed at the same time. The young ruler did not know how to bear it, or even whether he should bear it, and whether he dared to bear it.

Sun Youdao struck the bell again,

And shouted in a long tone:

"The ceremony is complete!"

All the civil and military officials and nobles stood up at this time.

In fact, everyone else had already completed the entire ceremony. The only thing missing was for Ji Wujiang, representing the will of Yan Kingdom, to come and complete this last piece.

If the late Emperor was not buried and Ji Wujiang did not come, the ceremony would not be complete.

The Crown Prince looked around, took out a yellow imperial edict from his chest,

And said loudly:

"His Majesty has an edict!"

Whose edict it was, was self-evident.

When the Crown Prince took out the Yan Emperor's imperial edict,

All the civil and military officials and nobles of the former Cheng Kingdom, now of the Yan Kingdom, after a brief pause, knelt down again,

And then,

Said in unison:

"Your servants receive the edict!"

When their hearts had long been prepared, their bodies reacted very naturally.

Cheng Kingdom was still there. Cheng Kingdom had lowered its national status. According to the precedent of the Jin Emperor, it would be granted a state duke title. The Jin Emperor was the Duke of Jin and would be cared for by the Empress Dowager in Yanjing.

Then, the Cheng Kingdom ruler should be granted the title of Duke of Cheng.

However, the Jin Emperor's lineage had been passed down for over eight hundred years. Their ancestors were on equal footing with the Ji family's ancestors. Although the Jin Emperor Yu Ciming had made some changes later, he had the merit of opening the South Gate Pass to lead the Yan army.

Moreover, the Situ family was originally a vassal of the Jin Dynasty. With some concessions, it was possible for the Cheng Kingdom ruler to be granted the title of Marquis of Cheng.

In short, no matter what happened to the ruler, they, as his ministers, would have to change the person they knelt to.

The Crown Prince opened the imperial edict,

And read:

"My brother Situ, upon hearing the news of your demise, I could not sleep at night..."

The former Cheng Kingdom civil and military officials and the current Yan Kingdom civil and military officials kneeling on the ground were slightly surprised after hearing the beginning of the imperial edict. They originally thought that the imperial edict would be more formal, but they did not expect it to be written in this tone.

However, upon closer thought, this was in line with the temperament of that Yan Emperor.

"One of the great regrets in life is that I have never had the chance to meet you, to drink and sing together, so as not to betray the heroism of this life..."

In the imperial edict, the Yan Emperor first expressed a great deal of regret over Situ Lei's death.

The two of them did have a sense of mutual appreciation.

Next was the main event.

"Specifically, the former Cheng Kingdom ruler, now Cheng Kingdom ruler, Situ Yu, is conferred the title of Prince of Cheng, to forever guard Ying Capital, hereditarily, to defend the east for Great Yan and the Xia!"

The ministers present were stunned for a moment. A prince?

When the Jin Emperor returned to Yan, he only received the title of Duke of Jin. The Cheng Kingdom ruler, however, was directly conferred the title of prince by the Yan Emperor. This honor could not be considered anything but great. It was known that the Yan people were very stingy with titles, and it was precisely because of this stinginess that they were even more valuable.

Most importantly, the Yan Emperor did not let Situ Yu enter Yanjing for retirement, but instead enfeoffed him in Ying Capital. A hereditary title was equivalent to preserving the original establishment of the Situ family to the greatest extent.

Not only would Situ Yu have real power, but they, the original Cheng Kingdom officials, could also maintain the greatest degree of preservation.

Even Sun Youdao,

Could not help but feel some emotion at this moment.

That Yan Emperor, whom he had never met,

Truly had a broad mind,

And that domineering aura,

Was indeed captivating.

No wonder the late Emperor had lamented on his sickbed.

"By the grace of the Emperor! Everyone, rise."

The ministers faced the Crown Prince and shouted in unison:

"Thank you for your Majesty's great kindness, long live the Emperor!"

The Crown Prince held the imperial edict and raised it towards the west,

"May the Emperor's health be well."

The matter had come to an end. Although there were still many details that had not been clarified, with the overall direction already in place, the small details would soon be sorted out.

Next, everyone only needed to work together to quell the rebels and drive the barbarians out of the land of the Three Jin.

Sun Youdao also breathed a sigh of relief. The process of integration was much more stable and kind than he had imagined, even better than the best-case scenario he had previously envisioned.

At the moment,

He held the bell forward,

And struck it three times in a row.

The late Emperor's coffin would be officially transported and buried in the mausoleum.

At this time,

The Crown Prince and Li Fusheng took the initiative to walk to the front of the coffin, standing in the first row, to the astonishment of the surrounding civil and military officials.

A Yan prince and a Yan general took the initiative to put the wooden stakes of the coffin on their shoulders.

The Crown Prince shouted:

"Lift the coffin!"

Sun Youdao's eyes were filled with tears of excitement,

Seeing that the others were still stunned, he immediately shouted:

"Lift the coffin!"

The funeral procession was very grand.

In the rain,

Walking at the very front, carrying the coffin,

Was the former Cheng Kingdom ruler, now the Prince of Cheng of Great Yan, Situ Yu, leading the way as the filial son.

Behind him was the Crown Prince of Yan, carrying the coffin.

After the funeral procession left the palace gate, the people on both sides of the road knelt down, and their cries shook the sky. It seemed that all the fear and anxiety that had been suppressed in their hearts for so many days were released at this moment.

Along with the funeral procession,

Was also an era,

An era belonging to the Situ family in the land of the Three Jin.

Many years later, the people of Ying Capital would not forget that rainy day,

The late Emperor's funeral,

The Yan prince carried the coffin,

Tens of thousands of black-armored cavalry of the Zhenbei Army lined up, all with white cloth tied to their arms.

In the darkness,

It seemed that they could still hear the shout of the late Emperor before setting off on the expedition:

"If we fight to the death, the Situ family will die before ten thousand others!"

........

On the east bank of Wangjiang River, in Jade Capital, the new emperor Situ Yi and a group of new dynasty civil and military officials began to celebrate with a big banquet. However, discerning people discovered that there were no barbarians at the banquet, but even if they discovered this, they would not ask about it directly. Instead, they celebrated even more joyfully with the monarch for the end of that Phoenix Fledgling of the Situ family.

Outside Jade Capital,

The Barbarian King Gou Moli knelt before an offering table.

Only a fruit plate, a cold vegetable plate, a pot of wine, and two half-drooping incense candles were placed on the table, which could be said to be quite shabby.

Gou Moli faced the offering table,

Kneeling three times in a very solemn manner,

And silently got up.

Behind him stood Sang Hu, Alai, Gelimu, and a group of fierce generals.

Gou Moli raised his head,

And loudly shouted:

"Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

This was the way the barbarians mourned and sent off the deceased. They believed that in the shouts, the soul of the deceased would be welcomed into the depths of the stars, enjoying supreme glory.

The world only knew that Situ Lei had been unfavorable in the early stages of the war and had been unsuccessful in managing his subordinates, leading to the entry of the barbarians.

But no one knew that, in the eyes of this Barbarian King, if the head of the Situ family had not been that patricidal person who had seized power and led the army north,

Then,

The entry of his Holy Tribe into the pass would have been countless times easier.

The barbarians had been enduring for hundreds of years, and with this King's preparations for many years, the power that erupted from their rise was extremely terrifying. It should be known that even Tian Wujing did not continue to order an eastward advance after sweeping the Snow Plains, but instead chose to withdraw his troops.

If there really was a Mandate of Heaven in this world, then the barbarians' Mandate of Heaven had actually arrived, just as the Jade Maiden Order had predicted.

But the glorious history books only contained four words—the winner is the king, the loser is the bandit.

Later generations would only remember that Situ Lei had failed to block Xuehai Pass, but they would not know that without Situ Lei, that hole would have cracked faster and collapsed more violently.

The Barbarian King let out a long sigh:

"Old rival, you're gone. May the stars protect your soul, and grant you peace."

Behind him,

Many barbarian generals also placed their right hands on their left chests:

"May the stars protect your soul."

The Barbarian King squatted down,

Looking at the Wangjiang River in front of him,

"Next, I'll be fighting that Yan Kingdom brat, huh? He really is a fox-like brat, and that Yan Prince can be considered a person."

But then,

The Barbarian King suddenly grabbed the mud in front of him and clenched it in his hand,

And laughed:

"Instead of using that Marquis of Jingnan, they actually sent a brat to deal with me.

"Your Majesty, the Emperor of Yan,

"This King guarantees that you will pay the price for your contempt,

"And Yan Kingdom,

"Will also pay the price for this!"

——————

In this chapter, Long wrote with great comfort.