1novels Chapter 161: Imperial Decree Issued to Luo Yi, Qin Qiong Attacks Wagang
Chapter 161: Imperial Decree Issued to Luo Yi, Qin Qiong Attacks Wagang
"My enemy, Qin Qiong, has joined Luo Yi, so I have come to you to inquire about him."
Lu Xiao told the truth.
Yang Guang remained silent for a moment, and after a long while, he slowly spoke: "Luo Yi is a troublesome person."
His voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear:
"Although he was the Prince of Beiping of the Sui Dynasty, he was somewhat special."
When he surrendered, Yang Lin, the Prince of Kao Shan, promised him that he would obey orders but not summons.
In addition, he was to be permanently stationed at Yanshan, never to attend court again, and to have complete autonomy over life and death.
Lu Xiao understood.
Now he roughly understood; no wonder Qin Qiong dared to seek refuge with Luo Yi.
It turns out he was a vassal king who obeyed orders but not decrees, and he wielded considerable power.
"So all these years," Yang Guang continued, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible disgust.
"He was like a local tyrant in Yanshan."
Even my decrees sometimes don't carry much weight there.
Lu Xiao frowned. Such a vassal king was indeed a hidden danger.
"However," Yang Guang changed the subject, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
He dared not disobey military orders. After all, he obeyed orders but not proclamations; when it came to troop deployment, he still had to follow the imperial decree.
Otherwise, it would be blatant disobedience, and I would have reason to deal with him.
Yuwen Chenglong, who had been silent until now, suddenly brightened up and clapped his hands loudly, startling Lü Zhen.
"Your Highness! I have an idea!"
"Tell me about it."
Lu Xiao still didn't like to use his brain. After all, with someone as sarcastic as Yuwen Chenglong by his side, there was no need to use it.
Yuwen Chenglong was so excited that he danced around and forgot all about etiquette: "Isn't Qin Qiong from Wagang Village?"
"Let's use the imperial court's name to mobilize an army from Luo Yi, specifically appointing Qin Qiong as its commander, to conquer Wagang!"
"This is called using one tiger to devour another! No, it's called dogs fighting each other!"
He spoke faster and faster, almost spitting out saliva.
How exciting would it be to send Qin Qiong to fight his former sworn brother?
If Qin Qiong doesn't fight, then he is disobeying military orders and being disloyal to the court.
They also have grounds to hold Luo Yi accountable, and even force him to hand over the person.
If he hits, then things will get interesting.
Yuwen Chenglong rubbed his hands together, a cunning glint in his eyes.
It is said that Qin Qiong was a man of great righteousness and loyalty.
The story of the sworn brotherhood at Jialiu Tower, where forty-six men pledged their blood to each other, vowing to live and die together.
He wanted to see if Qin Qiong could bring himself to harm his former brother.
This move will surely cause Wagang to fall apart and ruin Qin Qiong's reputation.
Fighting is not an option, nor is not fighting; we're caught in a dilemma!
Lu Xiao's heart stirred upon hearing this.
That's a really nasty idea.
But undeniably, it's a brilliant plan that kills two birds with one stone.
It can weaken Wagang, punish Qin Qiong, and also put Luo Yi in a bad light.
Moreover, it has a legitimate reason for its actions, so no one can find fault with it.
Yang Guang listened from the side, first frowning, then slowly raising the corners of his mouth, and finally bursting into laughter, the sound echoing in the garden:
"You little rascal, just like your father, full of wicked schemes!"
"Your Majesty, I thank you for your praise!"
Yuwen Chenglong bowed with a grin, completely unaware that he was being insulted.
"However..." Yang Guang put away his smile and said seriously.
"This plan is ingenious, but we must be careful. Luo Yi is not a fool; if they see through it, it will backfire."
"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will handle things appropriately."
Lu Xiao spoke, his voice steady.
Upon receiving the imperial edict, Luo Yi dared not disobey.
Unless he wants to be accused of disobeying orders.
As for Qin Qiong, that depends on his choice.
No matter which option he chooses, he'll be able to witness a good show of brothers killing each other.
Even after leaving the palace, Yuwen Chenglong was still excited, his face beaming like a blooming chrysanthemum.
He trotted after Lü Xiao, looking just like a lapdog wagging its tail for praise.
"Your Highness, what do you think of my idea?"
"Isn't it amazing? Isn't it brilliant? Isn't it unprecedented and likely to be never repeated?"
Lu Xiao glanced at him and said indifferently, "Not bad, you have about five-tenths of your father's ability."
These were meant as a compliment, but Yuwen Chenglong was displeased: "What do you mean by 'five points of skill'? Your Highness, you're wrong about that."
That old fellow is not as good as me; you should say he has about five-tenths of my skill!
Lu Xiao was amused by him: "Alright, alright, you're better than your dad. In terms of being wicked, you've surpassed your father."
"Of course!"
Yuwen Chenglong puffed out his chest, completely unaware that "immoral" was an insult.
Being immoral is a skill!
In this world, honest people suffer losses, so you have to be resourceful.
"Not only are you immoral, you're also shameless."
"Shamelessness is a skill!" Yuwen Chenglong was not angry at all, but instead smug.
Would someone with a sense of shame come up with this idea?
Would a person with a sense of shame dare to dig up someone's ancestral grave?
Would someone with a sense of shame speak so arrogantly in front of His Majesty?
No!
Therefore, shamelessness is an essential condition for achieving great things!
He spouted his fallacies and heresies with such conviction that Lü Xiao was speechless.
After walking for a while, Lü Xiao suddenly remembered something:
"By the way, have those powerful families made any moves?"
"The Zheng family has been wiped out for a while now, surely they should have some reaction by now?"
Yuwen Chenglong's smile faded, and he said seriously, "They're all very honest, living their lives with their necks hunched over."
He paused, then clicked his tongue with a hint of regret:
"I also wanted to cause them trouble, to keep digging... cough cough, to visit their ancestral graves. But they were too honest, they didn't even dare to utter a word of complaint."
Lu Xiao frowned.
This reaction is somewhat unusual.
The powerful clans had been entrenched for centuries, deeply rooted and intertwined with each other.
Although the Zheng family was wiped out, the other families were no pushovers either.
Their silence now does not signify surrender; it is more likely that they are secretly accumulating strength and waiting for the right opportunity.
Not long after returning to the Prince of Shuo's residence, an imperial edict was indeed delivered from the palace.
Lu Xiao examined it carefully, ordered it to be sealed with sealing wax, and summoned a fast horse with an urgent delivery route: "Send it to Beiping Prefecture. Remember, you must personally hand it over to Luo Yi."
"yes!"
The horse galloped away, raising dust in its wake.
Lu Xiao stood in front of the mansion gate, watching the smoke and dust recede into the distance, a cold smile curling at the corner of his lips.
Qin Shubao, you'd better accept this great gift.
Time passed while we waited.
The imperial edict was delivered by a fast horse that traveled 800 li in an urgent manner, but the rider remained the same. Several days later, the edict finally arrived at the Prince's Mansion in Beiping.
Luo Yi frowned.
An imperial edict arriving at this time is most likely not a good thing.
He straightened his armor and strode back to the main hall of the palace.
Half an hour later, the council hall of the Prince of Beiping's mansion was filled with people.
All of Luo Yi's important generals were present, including Qin Qiong and Luo Cheng.
The crowd, unaware of what was happening, began to whisper amongst themselves, filling the hall with a buzzing sound.
"The power of Wagangzhai has grown stronger and stronger. The imperial court has issued an imperial edict ordering my Beiping Prefecture to send troops to suppress them."
Luo Yi got straight to the point, his voice calm and unreadable.
The generals looked at each other in bewilderment.
Someone stood up and said, "Your Highness, suppressing bandits is our duty."
Why must troops be transferred from Beiping? It's a long journey and requires a great deal of manpower.
Luo Yi waved his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet: "The imperial court has its own considerations. We just need to follow the imperial decree."
His gaze swept over the crowd, finally settling on Qin Qiong and Luo Cheng.
Both of them had their heads down, and their expressions were not good.