Chapter 568: Trembling the Martial World (2) |
“If Your Majesty likes it, I must write, and thereafter write every day, and once I’ve written a lot, I’ll still need to distribute it to others.”
“Godfather is wise!”
Little Seal clapped her hands in admiration, “Only godfather can employ such Wonderful Techniques that are favored by the heart of the emperor.”
Zhou Yi was in a good mood after hearing this well-crafted flattery and inquired.
“How is General Xie’s military training coming along?”
...“Truly elite troops!”
Little Seal described, “I have visited the military camp several times, and from a great distance, I could see the overwhelming murderous aura. It frightened me so much that I did not dare to approach, and so I called for General Xie and asked him a few careful questions.”
After eradicating Heavenly Sword Sect, Commander Xie was promoted to a fourth-rank deputy general, barely worthy of the title of “general.”
What’s more important was that he was granted permission by His Majesty to train and consolidate troops and to recover the owed taxes from various Jianghu sects who had been occupying mountains and lands over the years.
Zhou Yi, highly interested, said, “Explain in detail.”
“Ever since the news of the relief and rewards for the Heavenly Sword Sect spread out, many able-bodied young men from Jiajing Prefecture eagerly joined the army, and even quite a few from neighboring prefectures came too.”
Little Seal said, “General Xie carefully selected troops, making up a force of ten thousand. It is said that only one in ten could be selected, and those who weren’t chosen still lingered, unwilling to leave…”
“That won’t do!”
Zhou Yi interrupted, “If common people come from a thousand miles away to serve under our command, how can we neglect them? Remember to tell General Xie, as long as they are qualified, keep them in the army.”
Little Seal voiced her concerns, “Your Majesty only permitted a quota of ten thousand…”
“Under my command, there are formally ten thousand soldiers. There are also auxiliary troops such as porters and cart drivers; they do not require salary money from the Imperial Court, so they should not be included in the count of ten thousand.”
With King of the Northern Defense holding his troops in high esteem behind him, and three thousand troops now constraining Sword God, Zhou Yi naturally hoped to have as many troops under his command as possible.
“Your son understands.”
Little Seal continued, “According to what General Xie said, another half year of training, and once the troops are adept with military formations, even if two or three Sword Gods come, they could be trapped to death!”
“Very good.”
Zhou Yi said, “Tell General Xie that the soldiers must not be shortchanged on food. As long as they are willing to risk their lives for us, eating and drinking well is only natural!”
As they were talking, the voice of Magistrate Wen came from outside the door.
“Your subordinate pays respects to the Supervisor.”
Zhou Yi said, “Magistrate Wen, there’s no need for such courtesies, please come in at once.”
Magistrate Wen pushed the door and entered, bowed respectfully, and then said, “Supervisor, the announcement has been made under heaven, and all Jianghu sects are now aware that you have slain the Sword God Nameless!”
“Hehehe…”
Zhou Yi chuckled in a bizarre way, “Those fellows, who curse me every day as a eunuch dog, now that I’ve killed a Sword God, have I become a peerless Demon Head?”
“Supervisor, you have thought wrong this time.”
Magistrate Wen said, “According to the Inspectorate’s informants, those sects who’ve seen the head of Sword God, whether they are righteous or evil, no longer dare to utter the term ‘eunuch dog.’ They all give a wide berth upon seeing the men of the Eastern Depot!”
“Humph, all of them are cowards who bully the weak but fear the strong, making me overestimate them for nothing.”
Zhou Yi showed a look of disdain. He had thought that the righteous path of Jianghu might hold out a little longer, or even hold a grand alliance, shouting slogans about joining forces to eliminate demons, which would also conveniently tag them all with the label of rebellion.
Magistrate Wen asked, “Supervisor, New Year is approaching, will you be returning to the capital?”
“I am the emperor’s Ban Chao; what do I have to do with the New Year’s festivities?”
Zhou Yi, who was constantly showing his loyalty, had already turned it into instinct. Even if he were drunk one day, or muttering in a dream, he would still cry out long live the emperor. Then he turned to look at the Great Qing Boundary Map hanging on the wall.
“The location of Jiajing Prefecture is good, close to all directions, southeast, northwest.”
He pointed to the Zhang Mountain and asked, “Isn’t there a Jianghu sect on this mountain?”
“Replying to the Supervisor, the Guiyuan Sect is on Zhang Mountain,” replied Magistrate Wen. “Guiyuan Sect has a tradition of over a hundred years, and their ancestors have produced two renowned ‘real people,’ recognized and ennobled by the Imperial Court, and can be considered as the leader of Daoism.”
“It is the leader I aim to strike!”
Zhou Yi said, “Order someone to spread the news that next spring, the forces of the Eastern Depot will move against Zhang Mountain.”
Magistrate Wen reminded, “Supervisor, the two religions of Buddhism and Daoism are not to be trifled with, their foundations are deep and unfathomable. Are you truly planning to attack Guiyuan Sect?”
“To attack or not to attack, even I don’t know.”
Zhou Yi said, “Let the news spread first, and observe the reaction of the Jianghu sects before making subsequent plans.”
Magistrate Wen seemed enlightened and immediately bowed to accept the command.
…
The Eastern Depot is about to besiege Guiyuan Sect!
With the news spreading, the Jianghu was shaken.
Many self-proclaimed righteous martial artists hurried to Guiyuan Sect, loudly declaring they would lend a helping hand.
At the same time, various heretic and villainous forces gathered, planning to loot Guiyuan Sect’s heritage in the chaos.
Unexpectedly.
The master of the Cangming Sect declared a self-sealing of their mountain gate, forbidding anyone from entering, including the righteous martial artists of Jianghu who came to offer assistance.
Spring of the fifth year of the Orthodox era.
News came from the Eastern Depot again, the target of their attack had changed.
From the Cangming Sect to the Guiyuan Sect in the south, it immediately stirred up a wave of discussion, and a lot of mixed false and true information started spreading through Jianghu, such as rumors that the Cangming Sect was secretly colluding with the Eastern Depot!
…
Half a year passed in the blink of an eye.
June.
The heat of summer was intense.
In the Back Office study room, four blocks of ice were set up, and maids fanned the air, making the temperature feel as cool as spring or autumn.
Zhou Yi’s martial arts cultivation had long since reached a level where he was impervious to the heat and cold.
However, the new Tang Prefect was very sensible. Although the inspector general could do without it, it was indispensable!
The former Prefect, Zeng Zhiyuan, had submitted a report on the inspection of farmland, which earned him great praise from the Orthodox Emperor. At the start of the spring, he was transferred to the capital and appointed as the Vice Minister of Revenue.
Both being second rank officials, the difference between them could be said to be worlds apart.
With the widespread implementation of his petition strategy, if the results were remarkable, rising to the position of Minister would be as easy as reaching into a bag to retrieve something.
Zeng, the Vice Minister, had someone deliver a letter of thanks. Zhou Yi did not reply, but had the messengers of the Inspectorate pass on a message—if he truly wished to enter the cabinet, then he should cease any further contact.
Privately, one could even curse a few times at the eunuchs and strive to gain the support of those upright scholars.
Zhou Yi didn’t need Zeng, the Vice Minister’s gratitude and didn’t even want him to open any doors of convenience; all he needed was for Zeng, the Vice Minister, to stand with him at a critical moment someday.
“Under the heavens, all the land belongs to the king!”
Zhou Yi completed the writing with bold strokes, his characters as imposing as iron paintings and silver hooks, indistinguishable from the ones bestowed by His Majesty.
The Orthodox Emperor’s calligraphy could not be considered very good. Even with the status of an emperor, it could only be rated as above average, far behind that of master calligraphers.
—Please wait a moment, it will refresh soon. Terribly sorry, I don’t have any leaves left this month…
“Our lord is aiming for the top position!”
Zhou Yi said, “First, order someone to spread the rumor that next spring, the Eastern Depot will mobilize its troops against Zhang Mountain.”
Magistrate Wen reminded him, “Inspector General, neither the Buddhist nor Taoist sects are easy to provoke. Their hidden depth is immeasurable. Are we really going to attack the Cangming Sect?”
“Whether to attack or not, I myself do not know.”
Zhou Yi said, “Let’s first release the news and observe the movements of the sects in Jianghu before making subsequent plans.”
Magistrate Wen seemed enlightened and immediately bowed to take the order.
…
The Eastern Depot was about to besiege the Cangming Sect!
As the message spread, Jianghu was shaken.
Many self-proclaimed righteous people of Jianghu rushed towards the Cangming Sect, shouting their readiness to lend a helping hand.
Meanwhile, heretical and evil sects gathered, intending to take advantage of the chaos and steal the teachings of the Cangming Sect for themselves.
Unexpectedly.
The master of the Cangming Sect declared a self-sealing of their mountain gate, forbidding anyone from entering, including the righteous martial artists of Jianghu who came to offer assistance.
Spring of the fifth year of the Orthodox era.
News came from the Eastern Depot again, the target of their attack had changed.
From the Cangming Sect to the Guiyuan Sect in the south, it immediately stirred up a wave of discussion, and a lot of mixed false and true information started spreading through Jianghu, such as rumors that the Cangming Sect was secretly colluding with the Eastern Depot!
…
Half a year passed in the blink of an eye.
June.
The heat of summer was intense.
In the Back Office study room, four blocks of ice were set up, and maids fanned the air, making the temperature feel as cool as spring or autumn.
Zhou Yi’s martial arts cultivation had long since reached a level where he was impervious to the heat and cold.
However, the new Tang Prefect was very sensible. Although the inspector general could do without it, it was indispensable!
The former Prefect, Zeng Zhiyuan, had submitted a report on the inspection of farmland, which earned him great praise from the Orthodox Emperor. At the start of the spring, he was transferred to the capital and appointed as the Vice Minister of Revenue.
Both being second rank officials, the difference between them could be said to be worlds apart.
With the widespread implementation of his petition strategy, if the results were remarkable, rising to the position of Minister would be as easy as reaching into a bag to retrieve something.
Zeng, the Vice Minister, had someone deliver a letter of thanks. Zhou Yi did not reply, but had the messengers of the Inspectorate pass on a message—if he truly wished to enter the cabinet, then he should cease any further contact.
Privately, one could even curse a few times at the eunuchs and strive to gain the support of those upright scholars.
Zhou Yi didn’t need Zeng, the Vice Minister’s gratitude and didn’t even want him to open any doors of convenience; all he needed was for Zeng, the Vice Minister, to stand with him at a critical moment someday.
“Under the heavens, all the land belongs to the king!”
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