Chapter 813 Jingnan Army

Fengxin City,

Yingbin Inn;

The shops and workshops inside and outside Fengxin City are basically industries under the Pingxi Marquis's residence. From large smuggling caravans traveling through the Snow Plains and to the Chu Kingdom, to small dim sum shops on the street, and even the considerate coffin shops in the city, the tentacles of the Pingxi Marquis's residence can be said to deeply touch all aspects of Jin East.

Yingbin Inn is naturally one of them. It mainly houses foreign guests, mostly merchants, with a few traveling relatives.

To formally defect or want to join here, one must register. If one wants to hide and become an illegal resident and is discovered, not only will the person be punished, but also those who help hide them will be severely punished.

When facing certain policies, the scholar-officials in the Qian Kingdom's officialdom often like to shout: Never compete with the people for profit.

The Pingxi Marquis's residence in Jin East can be said to have fully embodied "competing with the people for profit."

However,

Firstly, Jin East was destroyed by war and became a wasteland. The people were mainly miserable refugees who had seen the lives of people as worthless as grass during the war, and they had a heart of gratitude and satisfaction for the current peaceful days.

Secondly, the people under the rule of the Pingxi Marquis's residence do have better welfare and food than other places. Even the bottom people in Jiangnan, the most prosperous place in the Xia territories, may not live as steadily as the people here.

Just one thing,

While other countries, including the Yan Kingdom, still regard "civil labor" as their property and can arbitrarily conscript "corvée labor," the workshops in the Pingxi Marquis's residence have long adopted the method of paying wages according to work done, which is a big step ahead, even on a large scale.

In earlier years, the Sword Saint's wife supported her mother-in-law and Liu Dahu by working in the perfume workshop.

As for the civilians conscripted when the Marquis's residence sent troops to war, they certainly would not be given money in advance, but after the victory, the civilians would also receive a share of the rewards. Moreover, the Marquis's residence's external wars were basically won every time. When the victory of war became a habit, the people often regarded war as a shortcut to get rich, ignoring some of the dark side of war.

In addition, many opera troupes under the Pingxi Marquis's residence often performed the tragic situation of the Jin people in the local area facing the looting of barbarians and Chu people before the Pingxi Marquis arrived in Jin East. This did not make the people fear war, but strengthened their deep understanding that if they were to fight, they should fight outwards, and it was better to fight on other people's territory than to fight in their own homes.

The Blind Man once joked that what he designed and built was not a large landlord's manor, but more like an "enterprise." The entire Marquis's residence was actually a disguised "company."

At this time,

In an elegant room on the third floor of Yingbin Inn, by the window, sat two people.

Both of them were dressed as merchants, one with a fairer complexion and the other more rugged.

On the table, the few side dishes were ordinary, but the Huadiao wine that went with them was very special, with a thick and heavy taste that could suppress the throat. Those who liked it could be said to love it to the core.

The one with the fairer complexion was surnamed Miao and called Miao Lin; the rugged man was surnamed Lu and called Lu Xiong.

Miao Lin was the small shopkeeper of a Qian Kingdom merchant team, and Lu Xiong was the small shopkeeper of a Lu Kingdom merchant team.

The former was on the list reported by the Silver Armor Guards of the Qian Kingdom, and the latter had an official position in the Lu Kingdom.

The Lu Kingdom was a small country at the border of the four major countries, but in Jin East, in this Fengxin City, everyone could put aside the so-called national size prejudice and sit together to drink.

In this era, merchants, especially those who traveled abroad, either had a shopkeeper with status or a buddy with status in the merchant team. This was a tacit understanding that everyone had agreed upon.

However, most of these merchants were just nominally involved, and they only needed to bring back some rumors, which could be regarded as extra personnel among the extras.

In Fengxin City, this phenomenon was made "public."

Those with this kind of "nominal" status could report to the innkeeper and enjoy discounts on food and lodging, and they could also get iron plates to cut in line when shipping goods.

If they concealed it and were discovered, peeling off their skin and pulling out their tendons would be considered a merciful punishment.

It's not that there were no merchants who were wholeheartedly loyal to their motherland, but most people really didn't have this awareness. Miao Lin and Lu Xiong belonged to the batch who knew current affairs.

"Shopkeeper Xiao's trade route was blocked by the war some time ago. I heard that he had to detour to Fancheng. It's not surprising that the journey was delayed and he didn't make it, but why didn't Shopkeeper Fei come either?"

Shopkeeper Xiao was from Chu and was nominally a member of the Phoenix Nest Inner Guard; Shopkeeper Fei was from Yan.

Lu Xiong smiled, reached out and picked up a piece of duck meat and put it in his mouth, chewing as he said, "The spies of the Yan Kingdom's Secret Intelligence Division probably don't dare to enter this Fengxin City anymore."

"Oh, that's really something new. Yan people's spies don't dare to enter their own territory?" Miao Lin laughed.

"Didn't you see that this Pingxi Marquis's residence, bah, this Pingxi Prince, the atmosphere in this Fengxin City is even more like a vassal town than a vassal town. It's no exaggeration to say that it's a country within a country."

"The new ruler of this Yan Kingdom can also endure it. If it were in my Qian Kingdom, hehe."

"What, if it were in your Qian Kingdom, you would want to repeat the old story of the Tattooed Face Minister?"

"Hey, don't bring up things that shouldn't be brought up."

"Don't you Qian people like to do things like stabbing your own assholes and shouting 'comfortable'?"

"Don't speak so harshly."

"Are you afraid of being told? Hehe, this is the same as doing business. We are all shopkeepers. If your business gets bigger and you have more people under you, the boss will become interested in you.

It's not surprising whether they shelve you, punish you, or find an excuse to crush you.

Tell me, what's the point of guarding against each other? If you want to do business well, you must pick the people you trust to use, but in the eyes of the boss, that means you want to establish your own mountain stronghold.

My Lu Kingdom is a small country, and I can be considered to have the Lu Kingdom's surname. Although I can't even claim to be a relative of the king, as a Lu person, I hope that a figure like the Pingxi Prince can also appear in my Lu Kingdom."

"What's wrong, your courage has gone to the sky." Miao Lin glared at Lu Xiong, picked up his wine glass, "Let me tell you, my great Qian and his Chu Kingdom have already formed an alliance. You can see that the Yan people's days won't be so good."

"Pfft..."

Lu Xiong sprayed the wine he had just drunk from his nostrils.

"Hahaha, originally, although this Chu Kingdom has been defeated repeatedly and constantly losing soldiers, at least it can still withstand it. The Yan people's belly is not that big, and it doesn't seem like they can swallow the Chu Kingdom after annexing the Jin territory.

Now that you Qian Kingdom has joined, two against one, I think the Chu Kingdom is in danger instead."

"Unreasonable, unreasonable!"

Shopkeeper Miao was so angry that his face was trembling.

"Yo, you two, eating and drinking."

At this time, a man pushed the door open and entered.

Shopkeeper Miao and Shopkeeper Lu immediately got up to greet him.

The person who came was none other than Dai Li, a capable officer under Xue San.

He made contributions on the Snow Plains and was newly transferred to a job. Now he is responsible for the spies from other parties inside and outside Fengxin City, both overt and covert.

This job is very lucrative. Dai Li is also greedy when he should be greedy. After reporting to his superiors, he hands in 50%, and the rest is divided among the brothers.

In any era, for various departments, it's either drought or flood.

Dai Li took a sip of wine.

The two shopkeepers drank it all in one gulp.

"Alright, you two continue drinking. There are a few other shopkeepers over there. I have to go say hello."

"Boss Dai, take your time."

"Take your time."

Dai Li has a nickname among these merchants. Because this person is unambiguous in collecting money, he welcomes the silver of all families. The merchants are doing business, and he is doing the merchants' business, so he got a nickname, called Boss Dai.

Later, I don't know which big figure in the Marquis's residence heard this title and joked that it was more pleasing to the ear to call him Boss Dai.

No one knows which big figure said this, but since then, Dai Li has put this title on his lips. Whoever calls him shopkeeper, he will correct them and call him boss, with a face of pride.

After seeing off Boss Dai, Shopkeeper Miao and Shopkeeper Lu sat down again.

It happened that the team leaving the city from the Marquis's residence was passing through the street below, and the two shopkeepers couldn't help but look down.

Miao Lin sighed: "Well, to say nothing else, the Pingxi Prince's life is really worth it."

Shopkeeper Lu immediately retracted his neck, glared at Shopkeeper Miao, and scolded:

"Damn it, we both reported to Boss Dai. It's just that we registered in our respective countries. Are you trying to kill me along with you by suddenly saying this?"

"What's wrong with me?" Shopkeeper Miao was a little puzzled.

"What do you mean by the Pingxi Prince's life is worth it? What, are you planning to end the Prince's life here? What are your intentions?"

"..." Miao Lin.

Knowing that he had misspoke, Shopkeeper Miao didn't insist on anything and silently took another sip of wine.

"From today onwards, the Marquis of this Fengxin City will become a Prince. The Prince Tutor, and also a Prince, is amazing, really amazing." Lu Xiong sighed.

"I won't drink anymore, I won't drink anymore." Miao Lin really couldn't drink anymore. "This wine is getting less and less interesting to drink today."

"What's wrong, hehe, I see, you Qian people, from the hundreds of officials to the scholars, and down to the merchants, all have a problem, just like the concubine I took last year. They cry out in pain at every turn, making me always unable to enjoy myself."

"The dignity of a great country, you people of a small country naturally don't understand. Back then, the Four Marquis opened the border..."

"Bah!"

Lu Xiong spat and scolded:

"The Three Marquis opened the border and it became the Four Marquis opened the border in your Qian people's mouths. You're really shameless enough. Forget it, forget it, this wine is bad. No matter how you drink it, it's a sour taste. I'm leaving, I'm going to watch the ceremony outside the city. I'm ignoring you."

"You..."

Shopkeeper Miao wanted to explain that he was the one who said he was leaving first, but in the end, this surnamed Lu left first. Merchants love to calculate, and no matter how you calculate it, it seems like you've suffered a sour loss.

Outside Fengxin City, a high platform was built, and the crowd was surging.

The Pingxi Prince rode the Pixiu out of the city gate, and for a time, the mountains and seas cheered.

Mao Mingcai sat on the back of the Pixiu beast, stroking his long beard. Before, when he was the magistrate of Yingdu, he had a misunderstanding with the Pingxi Prince. After the misunderstanding was resolved, he admired the Pingxi Prince very much.

After sitting in the position of acting Prime Minister, he found that he would admire the Pingxi Prince even more.

Different from the court officials' fear of the Pingxi Prince and their fear of the vassal towns, it was because he had personally seen the Pingxi Prince's true prestige in Jin East.

The wings are already full,

One can only stroke along with it.

The court officials are indeed acting out of public interest, but they are a little too focused on public interest. Everyone knows that this world cannot be black and white, but shouting black and white is an extremely simple and effortless thing.

The Fifth Prince Ji Chengmin smiled and looked at Mao Mingcai and said:

"Lord Mao, the Pingxi Prince has a deep reputation in Jin East. With the Pingxi Prince guarding Jin East, the Snow Plains, the Chu Kingdom, and the Jin territory can be guaranteed to be safe."

Mao Mingcai smiled and nodded.

He didn't think that this former Fifth Prince was trying to stir things up. Stirring things up can't kill the vassal towns.

As the Emperor's brother, starting from the next generation, he directly changed from the lineage of the imperial family to the collateral line of the Ji family. Doing some secular affairs and repairing river works is nothing. If he really wants to create a heart for the country and the world and create a reputation as a "virtuous prince," he would be courting death instead.

Along with the kneeling worship of the soldiers and civilians, the Pingxi Prince's carriage was getting closer and closer, and the clear and perceptible majestic pressure was also coming.

Mao Mingcai raised his hand to signal all the imperial envoys beside him to dismount and prepare to salute.

His Majesty has ordered that the Pingxi Prince can see the decree without kneeling, which means that as angels, they are not qualified to enjoy the kneeling worship from the Pingxi Prince.

"Long live the Prince! Long live the Prince! Long live, long live, long live!"

"Long live the Prince! Long live the Prince! Long live, long live, long live!"

The soldiers and civilians around began to cheer.

The members of the imperial envoy delegation looked at each other. The decree hasn't been announced yet.

But the situation is stronger than people, and no one criticized this transgression. Everyone just followed along and shouted vaguely.

Mao Mingcai, who was kneeling on the ground, narrowed his eyes. He was waiting for Zheng Fan to help him up.

But after waiting for a long time,

He didn't wait for that pair of hands.

He raised his head,

But found that the Pingxi Prince had led a group of people straight to the high platform and hadn't noticed him at all.

Lord Mao felt a little sour in his heart.

Since Zhao Jiulang's death, the Prime Minister of Great Yan seems to have been downgraded all of a sudden.

Among them, one is the decline in prestige caused by the change of Prime Minister, but the main reason is that the new Emperor divided the Prime Minister's responsibilities into multiple parts, dismantled the Prime Minister's position, and after distributing it, today's Prime Minister is too different from the Prime Minister of the past.

In fact, Lord Mao misunderstood the Pingxi Prince.

Today is the conferment of the title of Prince,

The Pingxi Prince is really...inflated.

He regarded it as a formality, and he really regarded it as a formality to go through.

What details, what etiquette, what taking care of all aspects, etc., were all ignored under the inflation of his heart.

He even said to the Crown Prince whether the Crown Prince's dragon robe looked good, which shows how arrogant Zheng Fan is now!

When reading history, one often feels incredible about the arrogance and domineering of some people who suddenly rise to high positions, and always feels that there is something wrong with their brains.

But that's how people are. When they stand high, most of them will float up.

Zheng Fan is this kind of person. He can't calm down now, and he's too lazy to calm down. He just wants to enjoy this moment.

Especially under the kneeling and shouting of the soldiers and civilians of the entire city, he was overwhelmed, really overwhelmed.

Mao Mingcai and the Fifth Prince could only stand up by themselves, one holding the imperial decree and the other holding the court clothes, and the two led a group of people and followed them onto the high platform.

After going up, Lord Mao first saw the woman standing next to the Pingxi Prince, and subconsciously thought it was the Princess of Chu, but suddenly found that there was another woman standing behind that woman, and that one was truly wearing the gorgeous phoenix dress of Chu.

This...

The imperial court will definitely prepare a set of formal attire for the Princess when they confer the title of Prince, and these are all to be bestowed.

Moreover, the Great Chu Princess was once promised by the late Emperor and was almost recognized as a goddaughter, and then bestowed marriage. In terms of reason and law, she should be the ironclad first wife, but now, how could she be replaced by a magpie occupying the nest?

How dare this Pingxi Prince put aside the late Emperor's decree and ignore it completely?

What the Fifth Prince saw first was the boy Zheng Fan was holding.

His first reaction was that it was his nephew, the current Crown Prince, whom the Emperor had recognized as the "good Holy Grandson" Ji Chuanye.

But as he watched, he suddenly felt that his nephew had grown so fast, and was suddenly sturdy, taller, fatter, and taller.

And his nephew's clothes are a little plain, and what is embroidered on them...it's actually a python!

The Fifth Prince has been supervising river works outside and rarely returns to the capital. Even if he does return to the capital, he only sees the Crown Prince at most once. Children change quickly, and it's normal not to recognize him at first glance.

But in the second instance, the Fifth Prince finally discovered that the child wearing the Crown Prince's dragon robe was standing next to the Pingxi Prince!

Holding the Crown Prince is treasonous and shows disrespect for the Emperor.

But if you don't hold the Crown Prince and hold another child, it's even more excessive!

Unfortunately,

Outside Fengxin City, in this Jin East, neither Lord Mao nor the Fifth Prince had the courage to point out the Pingxi Prince's disrespectful behavior in person.

It can't be said that they didn't dare, but more, they couldn't.

……

"How does it feel?" the Blind Man asked Xue San, who was standing next to him.

"Today, the master should be very happy." Xue San replied.

"Yes." The Blind Man nodded, "In my opinion, the more arrogant the master is, the better."

Xue San smiled, of course he knew what the Blind Man had always wanted.

"It's just a pity that the master and the Emperor of the capital have a tacit understanding and an agreement."

The Blind Man didn't care when he heard the words, and he took out his pocket, but he didn't take out any oranges.

Third Master took a long breath.

"Yupan City was handed over to us in exchange for our ignorance of the court's integration of the original Jingnan Army's subordinates. You should know about this."

"Yes, I know, what's wrong?"

"Some time ago, I sent a letter to all the former Jingnan Army's Generals, telling them that today our master will be conferred the title of Prince."

"What, you still want them to come to the ceremony?"

"Yes."

"It's a big crime to leave one's post without permission." Xue San said, "Especially at a time when the court is rectifying the Jingnan Army's military affairs, it will give the court something to grab."

"The law does not punish the masses."

"Heh, at first, when the court was rectifying them and depriving them of their local control, many of the former Generals wrote to us, but we pretended not to hear or see them and didn't take the lead.

Now, you still expect them to come and support us?"

"I told them in the letter that Tian Tiantian will appear publicly at our master's Prince conferment ceremony as the Jingnan Prince's Heir, announcing the existence of the Jingnan Prince's Heir."

Xue San was stunned for a moment,

Said;

"Did you discuss it with the master? No, it can't be. Since the master has agreed to the Emperor of the capital, he won't do such a trick at this time. You didn't discuss it with the master, did you calculate that the master would do this?"

The Blind Man didn't comment.

"You're finished, daring to calculate the master's behavior."

"This is called a tacit prediction."

"Then you can forget about this upgrade."

"The master will be happy, look at the smile on the master's face today."

"Blind Man, you're playing with fire."

"Is it hot?"

"..." Xue San.

"Don't worry, as long as it's enjoyable, it's okay to scold me and blame me."

"Bah, traitor!"

……

On the high platform,

Lord Mao plucked up his courage and took out the imperial decree, and coughed a few times, hoping that the Pingxi Prince would put down the child in his arms first, so that they could go through the process first.

Who knew that,

Just then,

On the west side of the high platform, more than a dozen teams came riding on horses. Their armor was quite different from the soldiers under the Marquis's residence who had already completed their rearmament.

And the soldiers on this side did not block them, nor did they have any scouts following them. Obviously, they had been instructed in advance. Otherwise, it would be impossible for foreign soldiers to drive here as if there was no one else around.

On and off the high platform, most people's eyes looked towards that side.

As the more than a dozen teams got closer and closer,

Loud shouts followed,

These former Generals who had followed the Jingnan Prince in the southern and northern battles, some of whom were now named Generals and some of whom were named Earls, but today, they all changed back to their original official titles:

"General Luo Ling, under the command of the Jingnan Prince, is here to pay his respects to the Heir!"

"General Chen Yang, under the command of the Jingnan Prince, pays his respects to the young master!"

"General Ren Juan, under the command of the Jingnan Prince, greets the young master!"

"General Zhao Ande, under the command of the Jingnan Prince, pays his respects to the young master!"

"General Li Guangzong, under the command of the Jingnan Prince, wishes the young master good fortune!"

"General, under the command of the Jingnan Prince..."

"……"

Mao Mingcai swallowed unconsciously. What are they going to do!

The Fifth Prince even shivered unconsciously. Was this a conferment of the title of Prince or was it pulling up the flag to rebel!

These Generals, who were stationed in one area of Jin, were actually disobeying orders, leaving their posts without permission, and gathering here!

The soldiers and civilians who were watching the ceremony thought that so many Generals had come to congratulate them. They felt very proud when they heard their titles, and most of them had heard that the direct son of the famous Jingnan Prince had been raised in the "Prince's" residence. At this time, they cheered and shouted even more enthusiastically.

But the officials who were qualified to stand on the high platform and the officials in the imperial envoy delegation under the high platform had a kind of extremely apprehensive strangeness. They felt that they had been swept into a terrible vortex, as if the next moment, what awaited them was being smashed to pieces.

The Crown Prince Ji Chuanye looked at Tian Tian Gege, who had been taking care of him all these days, and who would ask him if he needed to pee at night.

As the Blind Man had expected,

Facing this scene, the Pingxi Prince was a little surprised at first, but soon, a smile appeared on his face.

At this moment,

It seemed as if they had returned to the scene of the past, when everyone led their troops and gathered in front of the Jingnan Prince's tent, beating drums to gather the Generals.

"Dad, who are they?" Tian Tian asked.

Zheng Fan replied, "They are all your biological dad's people."

"All of them?"

"Yes, all of them, including Dad himself, too."