Chapter 486.1: Unusual Activity Prior to War
Judging from this bit, certain people practically just helped him out.
However, as certain matters approached, Li Hong Yuan more or less still appeared a bit abnormal. Others perhaps won’t notice, but as the person that shares his bed, Jing Wan naturally couldn’t be more clear. Based on Jing Wan’s understanding towards him, a certain someone was just one to have all major matters viewed as trivial and all trivial matters viewed as nothing. Even if sometimes certain people anger him, his fluctuating emotions still won’t persist for long, coming quickly and also going quite quickly. He was the truest portrayal of ‘indefinitely moody’. However this time, it nevertheless persisted for an unexpectedly long time, so how could Jing Wan not find it strange.
Jing Wan asked him why, but Li Hong Yuan would just say it was nothing.
Jing Wan lightly furrowed her brows. Once or twice, unwilling to tell her, Jing Wan would all feel it was nothing, but as the number of times increased, she would inevitably feel a bit uneasy inside. However, something that was able to make him take to heart and constantly think of certainly won’t be a small matter. Thus, Jing Wan began to heartache again. In the end, she also could only helplessly sigh, no longer asking.
His wife was both sensible and considerate, but this wasn’t what Jin Qinwang wanted! He hoped for her to be able to dig up the roots and get to the bottom of it. He felt that between the two of them, they had quite the tacit understanding, so why on this matter, their thoughts just weren’t able to become one? So frustrating!
For the sake of letting his wife relax a little, Li Hong Yuan had those matters placed aside. After all, no matter how big of a matter, his wife was still the most important. However, even so, Li Hong Yuan nevertheless didn’t torment Fu Yun Ting any less lately. Although he never once summoned him, Fu Yun Ting nevertheless was quite unwell lately, strangely getting promoted in court. Although it was still an idle post, he nevertheless was exhausted from morning to night. He didn’t have a place in the morning court sessions, but he had to get up earlier than any of the court officials. And at night, he was only able to return home around the zi[1] hour, able to fall asleep sitting in the bathtub, and at most, only able to lie on the bed for four hours.
His wife Wei-shi endlessly heartached, but also couldn’t do anything about it. Wu’an Marquis Manor’s circumstances were placed there. For many things, Fu Yun Ting simply didn’t have the power to say ‘no’.
Compared to Wei-shi thinking it’s the imperial court giving Wu’an Marquis Manor trouble again, Fu Yun Ting was actually very clear that the one that made him this miserable was actually Jin Qinwang. Starting from when Jin Qinwang first came looking, to until now, for many things, Fu Yun Ting actually all wasn’t able to understand. It was true that Jin Qinwang had helped Wu’an Marquis Manor a lot, but he nine times out of ten had grudges against him in the past life. He(FYT) perhaps even killed his father and stole his wife. That’s why, he(LHY) hated him this much in this life. Never mind hating, he won’t even let him off easily. However, Fu Yun Ting found joy amidst the hardship. Getting squeezed as such, his martial arts skills have actually increasingly improved.
Fu Yun Ting, in a certain sense, had approached the ‘truth’. However, the reality just happened to be the opposite. It was the other party that stole his wife.
That’s why, the most shameless was still the living Enma. In the past life, he stole the other party’s wife, yet in this life, even bore grudges against him, having the person sorted out miserably. It was truly against all reason.
This kind of days, when will it end. Fu Yun Ting didn’t go ponder over it either, it was useless to ponder after all.
He naturally won’t know that it will very quickly come to an end.
The Wu’an Marquis Manor came from a military lineage. The men of the Fu family ultimately can’t escape from the fate of the battlefield, unless the entire clan thoroughly perished. In Li Hong Yuan’s past life, Jing Wan had ‘sacrificed herself’ to preserve two sprouts of the Fu family. In this life, Li Hong Yuan will protect the entire Wu’an Marquis Manor. Not only so, towards Fu Yun Ting, he also won’t take his life. On the contrary, he will have Fu Yun Ting serve him for the rest of his life, just like He Shi Hai. Some wars, once started, won’t end that easily like in the past life.
Either die fighting on the battlefield, or die of old age on the battlefield!
That’s why, the living Enma was actually already perverse to an abnormal degree.
While the estate carried out another horse race in full swing, an emergency report from eight hundred li out reached Le Cheng Emperor’s imperial desk.
At the northwest borders, the West Xiongnu and North Xiongnu armies have joined hands and invaded, coming like a torrent. In just a few short days, they’ve already taken one and a half prefectures. If they don’t immediately provide assistance, afraid the entire province will very quickly fall into enemy hands.
Le Cheng Emperor overlapped in shock and anger, immediately summoning the ministers. Right now, it already wasn’t a question of whether or not they will fight, but rather how they will fight, and also who the main commander will be, as well as the matter of the army provisions and so on. The battle came too suddenly. Previously, there wasn’t the slightest signs at all. Getting caught off guard as such, for Qi Yuan to repeatedly fail to defend, it also couldn’t be more normal.
The high-ranking civil and military officials immediately gathered in the imperial study. After seeing the emergency report, they also couldn’t help but frown. This matter was indeed very thorny. Even if sometimes there exist the pro-war faction and the pro-peace faction, at this time, the pro-peace faction won’t stand out either. Just think about it, they’d already lost nearly two prefectures. If they still dared to speak of peace, afraid even the usually relatively neutral Le Cheng Emperor will all have the person directly slapped to death. Unless that kind of thoroughly muddled ruler that just enjoyed playing around and ignored all things, otherwise, no emperor would be indifferent to losing their territory.
The Head Minister of Revenue at this time also didn’t pretend to be poor. After all, last year, because of Jin Qinwang’s trip to Jiangnan, he’d collected quite a considerable amount of wealth for the state treasury. However, the army provisions isn’t something that can just be solved with money. Fortunately, for the whole country last year, the weather conditions were still considered favorable, so to want to gather rations wasn’t really anything difficult.
Just, the battle had already broke out, so gathering rations first wasn’t too realistic. Confirming the main commander, and immediately sending out to the borders to stabilize the situation was the most important right now. Just, who to pick as the main commander was another problem.
Qin Tian Ming and Shen Shu Han both volunteered one after another for the position, and the Head Minister of War, who was also once a illustrious general, his age right now although was more than ten years older than the other two, for the sake of defending the country, he also didn’t shrink back.
(T/N: Qin Tian Ming is the Left Commander-in-Chief and Shen Shu Han is the Right Commander-in-Chief. Their main job is overseeing the army that defends the capital.)
Le Cheng Emperor was very clear, these people all had their own standing. If one’s not careful, before even finishing the battle outside, the inside will have already fallen into chaos. That’s why, no matter how pressing the war was, he still can’t randomly settle on the candidate.
“Pass on this emperor’s verbal decree, summon the court.”
Today originally didn’t have morning court, and right now, it was already past the time for morning court. To summon a court session at this time, it would certainly be a major matter.
Those that still weren’t in the know were somewhat anxious inside, and then seeing those normally calm and composed high officials all having a grave expression at this time, they couldn’t help but become even more uneasy.
The princes that were already conferred as a wang that were originally still at Li Hong Yuan’s estate were also informed first thing, all hurriedly rushing back.
Very soon, the entire court all learned of what happened, instantly breaking into discussion.
“Towards the candidate for the main commander, this emperor is endlessly hesitant, does the court know of any candidates that one feels is suitable?”
The people below immediately just began recommending. Just, during this recommendation process, Le Cheng Emperor for the most part already had an idea inside, but it was precisely because of this that his brows were furrowing tighter and tighter. The ‘suitable’ candidates all weren’t suitable!
Le Cheng Emperor was frustrated on the inside. Sure enough, it was too relaxing on normal days, to the extent that those sons of his have grown increasingly ambitious. He still hasn’t died, yet they were already about to have his people cleanly divided up.
Seeing Le Cheng Emperor still not declaring his stance on the matter, the people below just knew, his Majesty was not satisfied inside. Thus, the voices gradually died out.
And from beginning to end, the high ministers that had met with Le Cheng Emperor in the imperial study in the beginning, for the most part, all didn’t open their mouth, especially people such as the Head of the Inner Cabinet, Ruan Rui Zhong.
Once the majority of the people shut their mouths, Le Cheng Emperor finally turned to them.
“Your Majesty, Wu’an Marquis’s heir comes from a military lineage, although have yet to lead troops, his family teachings are profound, so presumably won’t be lacking. Recently, this subject had inadvertently met and saw that his conduct was rather orderly, having his father’s style. How about your Majesty consider the possibility of having this boy lead the troops. If your Majesty is worried, can have the person summoned before the court and tested. Additionally, can also dispatch two deputy generals to accompany him, assisting Wu’an Marquis’s heir. Don’t know what your Majesty thinks of this?” Ruan Rui Zhong neither quickly nor slowly said.
Le Cheng Emperor’s face flashed with abnormality, muttering to himself for a moment, “Beloved Minister Ruan’s words are reasonable. Someone come, summon Wu’an Marquis’s heir.”
[1] Zi Hour – 11pm to 1am
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