"You caused the death of my father!"
A loud slap and Li Xiaozu’s angry cursing abruptly awakened Song Miyao from her fantasy. She stared blankly, covering her swollen cheek, looking at her husband with an unfamiliarity she had never felt before.
"If it weren’t for you being a Princess of the Imperial Family..."
"I would never leave you alive!"
Li Xiaozu struck Song Miyao again, leaving her dizzy. He then knelt and kowtowed to the fire basin in the hall, wailing, "Father King, your spirit in Heaven... I, your son, will avenge this great wrong for you..."
Everyone knew he had confronted Li Liang because of Princess Anren. Therefore, his current disrespect towards Princess Anren would serve to dispel the ’rumors’ of him committing patricide. Otherwise, why would he, the Prince of the Northern Town, harm his own father?
Song Miyao clutched the white silk handkerchief in her hand, concealed by her narrow sleeve. She bit her pursed red lips until they bled. This was the first time she had experienced such humiliation.
She, a woman of imperial blood, even as a princess of a Deceased Country, should never suffer such humiliation.
"Why did you marry me into the Li Family’s den of wolves?"
She looked up at the Ziwei Palace, tears streaming down her face.
The news of the Outside Iron Riders’ rebellion soon reached Shenjing.
Along with it came rumors of Li Xiaozu leading the charge, capturing five cities in a single day.
For a time, fear gripped Divine Capital City.
Although the commoners and gentry of Divine Capital City believed Emperor Tiande was guided by the Heavenly Order—having all witnessed the auspicious Qilin, Phoenix, and Python Dragon—the impending invasion still threatened disaster if any misstep occurred.
The last time, when Emperor Tiande was still King Xing Tian, he had shown mercy upon conquering Shenjing, restraining his soldiers from excessive looting and pillaging. Yet, in the ensuing chaos, many bandits still seized the opportunity to plunder. In those chaotic days, over a hundred thousand people, including City Guard Soldiers, perished, leaving nearly every household in mourning.
Now, Li Xiaozu’s Army Seeking Revenge marched south, breaching five heavily fortified Imperial Court cities. Their military prowess was undeniable, far surpassing that of the former Siming Mountain Righteous Army.
Although the Siming Mountain Righteous Army had fought many hard battles, eventually, by proclaiming righteousness, they were often welcomed by city commanders who opened the gates for King Xing Tian’s Righteous Army...
But in recent days, every battle Li Xiaozu’s Army Seeking Revenge fought was hard-won!
Of the five cities, none had surrendered without a fight.
After all, the previous dynasty and the current one were different.
The current dynasty showed signs of prosperous rule.
"Army Seeking Revenge..."
This Li Xiaozu is interesting, seeking revenge from me?
In the Ziwei Partial Hall, Xu Xing glanced at the battle report, his expression feigning disdain. Their initial morale is high, but it will not last. As the saying goes, ’The first beat of the drum rouses courage, the second sees it falter, and the third sees it exhausted.’ Although a grief-stricken army can display temporary might, they are bound to fail in the long run!
"Pass on my decree. The remaining cities are to be provisioned for only five days. Let them attack; do not engage his Army Seeking Revenge head-on. Remember, the defending generals must hold their positions without fail! Defend the cities well, and I will reward them handsomely, not hesitating to grant marquisates and princedoms. Once their supplies are exhausted, no matter how courageous, they will be forced to surrender."
Xu Xing knew very well what kind of monsters the Outside Iron Riders were, cultivated by the Jiayou and Chongming dynasties. In terms of elite soldiers and horses, no army in Fengxi Country could rival them. Even if some units could, they would be small elite forces, nothing like the massive formations of the Outside Iron Riders.
No matter how formidable the elite, they were not invincible.
It would be enough to wear them down by waiting for the opportune moment.
The northern border was already exhausted, lacking provisions. As long as the Mount Siming defenders employed a scorched-earth policy and held their cities firmly, the Army Seeking Revenge would become unsustainable. Then, it would be Mount Siming’s time to reap the rewards.
"Your Majesty’s wise strategy..."
Prime Minister Gongyang Yi praised the strategy and added, "This time, Li Xiaozu marches south to avenge his father, claiming we sent assassins to murder him. Your Majesty can dispatch an Imperial Envoy to publicly denounce Li Xiaozu for such falsehoods. Of course, this must wait until we have the upper hand...
"The Outside Iron Riders may appear to be a monolithic force, but in reality, they are a collection of many military commanders. Li Xiaozu is merely the Crown Prince; despite his years of campaigning, he lacks King Zhenbei’s prestige. Things might hold together initially, but over time, internal friction within the Army Seeking Revenge is inevitable.
"Your Majesty could also issue an Imperial Decree ennobling several of King Zhenbei’s adopted sons as kings. Let them vie amongst themselves..."
Titles of nobility vary in stature, of course. However, the Emperor’s word is not to be taken lightly. Once King Zhenbei’s adopted sons are ennobled, the Imperial Court must recognize these titles. With such titles, they will have the legitimacy to contend with Li Xiaozu.
As for... rebelling against the Imperial Court... they can always submit a memorial admitting their error later, claiming Li Xiaozu provoked them, that they were deceived by lies into seeking revenge for their adoptive father from the court. After all, Loyalty and Filial Piety are often hard to reconcile, and they would claim to be acting out of filial piety!
"Mister Gongyang’s strategies are as brilliant as ever."
Xu Xing nodded slightly and issued the decree, "I am overwhelmed with grief at the news of King Zhenbei’s assassination... It is a lamentable loss of another hero from this world. Although Crown Prince Li Xiaozu now leads an army against the Imperial Court, I believe he has been misled by a woman. Yet, in seeking revenge, he demonstrates his unwavering love for his father. Therefore, I permit him to inherit the title of King Zhenbei.
"Order Crown Prince Xiaozu to hand over this scheming woman, and I may yet spare his life!
"Adopted son Li Yong has served King Zhenbei loyally for many years, accumulating numerous merits... He shall be ennobled as Luzhou King.
"Adopted son Li Dan, for his service... [details omitted], shall be ennobled as Jiaozhou King.
"His other adopted sons..."
He proceeded to grant titles to all of King Zhenbei’s adopted sons.
With this Imperial Decree, the territories left by King Zhenbei effectively became the collective spoils for the generals of the Army Seeking Revenge. Simultaneously, the decree squarely blamed Princess Anren, labeling her the manipulative woman who incited Crown Prince Li Xiaozu to march south for vengeance. Should the Army Seeking Revenge’s offensive stall, these commanders would undoubtedly consider retreat. The price for their withdrawal would simply be to hand over Princess Anren—or kill her.
Princess Anren was Li Xiaozu’s wife, not theirs; they would feel no psychological burden.
Warfare is not just about decisive battles on the field; it is also about decisive political maneuvers.
Sometimes, a single political step can outweigh a million soldiers.
His use of the imperial ’I’ here was specific to issuing a formal decree in written language; ordinarily, he would not deliberately use this pronoun.
"Your Majesty is sagacious..."
Hearing this Imperial Decree, the military officers felt considerably reassured.
Emperor Tiande’s Imperial Decree employed a Positive Strategy.
If they could just stall the Army Seeking Revenge temporarily, the enemy would then be at their mercy.
"Furthermore, we must guard against the Tartars potentially breaching our borders..."
"Mister Gongyang, order the southern provinces to select able soldiers as a precaution against the Tartar Slaves."
Xu Xing issued another command.
With the Army Seeking Revenge marching south, the Mount Siming Court had to defend not only against these elites of the former dynasty but also against the Tartars from beyond the frontier, whom they had resisted for years. These Tartars were no benevolent force; seeing the depleted defenses beyond the border, they would surely seize the chance to invade and profit.
"Your minister obeys the decree."
Gongyang Yi bowed and accepted the order.
As Prime Minister, once the Emperor issued an order, the Grand Secretariat was responsible for deliberating and drafting a detailed proposal. This proposal would be submitted to the Emperor for approval, and only then would it be disseminated to the various ministries for execution.
In essence, Xu Xing’s decree was a directive requiring the Grand Secretariat to flesh out the details. For instance, regarding the selection of able soldiers from the southern provinces: precisely how many should be conscripted to avoid depleting local strength or inciting public resentment? Every step demanded meticulous calculation; there was no room for carelessness.