Chapter 232 Turmoil

Perhaps God felt that the eldest prince was extremely unlucky and should be given a chance. Before the eldest prince could come up with a perfect way to get rid of Prince Cheng and Prince Xi, bad news came from the border.

A year later, the Xianbei invaded the border again. This time, they brought an army of 300,000 strong. When the court received the news, General Meng had already fought with them!

The last time the Xianbei invaded the Great Zhou, there were winners and losers on the battlefield, but first the Fourth Prince was captured, and then the new city of Yunzhou was plundered. If Su Fengzhang had not caused a fire to fall from the sky, giving General Meng the opportunity to pursue the victory, I am afraid that the war would not have ended so quickly.

However, that incident also caused great damage to the vitality of the Great Zhou. Originally, this should have been the time for the Great Zhou to be vigilant and strengthen its border military forces.

Unfortunately, the court had been in turmoil for the past year. First, the civil and military officials sat in silence to depose the crown prince, and then the emperor became seriously ill. The court was in chaos, so General Meng's memorial to expand the Zhenbei Army fell into oblivion.

I'm afraid the emperor would never have thought that the Xianbei people would make a comeback in just one year, and this time they came with even greater force, like a ferocious tiger or wolf baring its sharp teeth, ready to bite the Great Zhou.

Fortunately, there is still an old general named Meng in Yunzhou. With him guarding Yunzhou, there is no problem for the time being. However, the emergency order sent to the emperor also gave him a headache.

The emperor rubbed his brows and angrily said, "The Xianbei are extremely ambitious. If we can't scare them away once and for all, I'm afraid Yunzhou will never have peace. They are truly despicable."

During the reign of Taizu, the Xianbei people were oppressed to the point that they wanted to kneel down and beg for mercy, and paid tribute every year. Who would have thought that only a hundred years have passed and they have already forgotten the pain of those years!

What made the emperor most frustrated and angry was that the Xianbei people invaded the border when he happened to be in power. He didn't know whether this would be recorded in history a hundred years later.

If the Great Zhou loses its territory in his hands, how can he face his ancestors? I am afraid he will be cursed for eternity.

It has to be said that the emperor's love of face has its advantages. For example, now the emperor has never thought of ceding land in exchange for peace. Instead, he is determined to defeat those Xianbei people. It would be best if he could scare them away eight hundred miles like Taizu did and not dare to come again.

If there was one person in the court who hated the Xianbei the most, it would definitely be the Fourth Prince. He sneered, "Father is right. These Xianbei people are uneducated and only repaying blood with blood can teach them a lesson."

The eldest prince had different ideas from them, but he glanced at the emperor's expression and said nothing.

The Fourth Prince did not let him go and sneered, "Brother, you look a little hesitant. Don't you think so?"

The eldest prince's face changed, and he cursed the fourth prince for being more arrogant. But he said, "Father, I dare not do this. However, I have never been to Yunzhou and do not know the situation in the border areas, so I dare not say much."

The Fourth Prince sneered, "Oh, is that so? I thought Big Brother was very familiar with Yunzhou."

This statement actually implied that the Crown Prince had tampered with the military supplies and nearly caused the Great Zhou army to be defeated.

The emperor frowned when he heard this and couldn't help but think of what happened back then. It must be said that this incident also made the emperor dissatisfied. The prince abandoned the people of the Great Zhou in order to frame his brothers. This was also very disheartening.

However, at this time, the emperor still frowned and shouted: "Alright, I asked you to come up with a solution, not to listen to your nonsense."

A trace of anger flashed in the eyes of the Fourth Prince. He was particularly dissatisfied with the emperor's favoritism. Thinking of the humiliation he suffered when he cut off his ear in Yunzhou, but the emperor showed leniency to the culprit, he became even more dissatisfied.

The Fourth Prince's eyes flickered, and he cupped his hands and shouted, "Father, I am willing to lead the army to Yunzhou and join General Meng in fighting against the Xianbei to avenge the humiliation we suffered that year."

The eldest prince also hurriedly expressed his opinion: "Father, I am willing to go too."

The emperor frowned upon seeing this. He was certainly worried about his two sons going to the front line. The eldest prince and the fourth prince were not cut out to be soldiers and fight in wars. What happened that year was an example. He was not afraid of sacrificing his two sons' lives, but he was also afraid that Yunzhou would really be lost!

Suddenly, the emperor's eyes fell on Prince Cheng and he asked, "Fifth Brother, it was you who led the troops to repel the Xianbei people back then. Are you confident now?"

Prince Cheng bowed and said, "Father, I don't know the situation in Yunzhou yet. I can't say I'm sure, but maybe we can give it a try."

The eldest prince's eyes moved. If he could take this opportunity to send Prince Cheng to the border, it would be very beneficial to him.

The Fourth Prince frowned and said, "Father, my fifth brother has just taken over from my uncle and is leading the Imperial Guards. Wouldn't it be inappropriate for him to leave the capital?"

With this mentioned, the emperor became a little hesitant. Prince Rong's health was getting worse and worse. He was bedridden for most of the month. If the fifth prince left, who would protect the palace?

He glanced coldly at his other two sons, and his uneasiness grew.

Soon, the emperor's eyes fell on Prince Xi and he said, "He Jun, are you sure?"

Prince Xi had been waiting for these words. He stepped forward and knelt on one knee. "I, your humble servant, will do my utmost, even at the cost of my life, to ensure that the Xianbei people will never return, and return to the glory of the Taizu era."

"Okay, in that case, you will lead the army and work together with General Meng to defeat the Xianbei." The emperor said with a smile.

After accepting the offer, Prince Xi continued, "Your Majesty, I am not afraid of the Xianbei. I am only afraid that while the soldiers are fighting on the front lines, someone will be disrupting the situation behind the scenes."

As soon as these words were spoken, the eldest prince's face suddenly turned gloomy, and he stared at Prince Xi as if he wanted to eat him.

The Fourth Prince laughed heartily and said loudly, "That's right, Father. If what happened back then were to happen again, I'm afraid all the good men of our Great Zhou would be disheartened."

The emperor actually brought a deposed prince out to embarrass himself. The fourth prince wanted to see whether this deposed prince could stir up trouble and whether the civil and military officials in the court would agree!

The emperor's face also darkened. He stared at Prince Xi, not knowing whether he did it on purpose or unintentionally, especially when he thought that He Jun might have defected to the fourth prince, otherwise why would he make things difficult for the eldest prince.

Prince Xi, however, seemed unconcerned with the emperor's gaze and continued, "The Xianbei are coming with such force this time that they can't be frightened away by a single shower of fire. The entire Great Zhou must work together to deal with this foreign enemy."

The emperor narrowed his eyes and suddenly laughed: "What Ah Jun said makes sense."

He sighed and continued, "Speaking of which, it's been less than a year since A-Jun got married, and you're the only heir left in the He family. Now that I'm asking you to rush to Yunzhou, I'm really worried."

"I'm sure you're worried about others now." The emperor suddenly called Su Fengzhang's name, "Lord Su?"

Su Fengzhang quickly stepped out and said, "I am here."

The emperor nodded and said, "This time, the military supplies will be your responsibility. I appoint you as the military supervisor. You can act arbitrarily along the way. I entrust the comfort of Prince Xi and General Meng to you."

Su Fengzhang's expression remained unchanged as he lowered his head and replied, "I will certainly do my best to ensure that the two generals have no worries."

The emperor directly appointed Su Fengzhang to do this task. The expressions of the others changed, thinking that the emperor trusted Prince Cheng so much. The two people sent this time were both Prince Cheng's confidants.

However, the eldest prince and the fourth prince had a guilty conscience and secretly thought that this was not a bad idea. Prince Xi and Su Fengzhang, one a scholar and the other a warrior, could be said to be Prince Cheng's right-hand men.

If everything goes smoothly, it would be fine. But if there is a mistake, it will be Prince Cheng's fault no matter how you put the blame on him. No matter who is guilty, it will not be Prince Cheng who will suffer in the end.

Even though they wanted to win over Prince Cheng and didn't want to offend him completely, the two brothers didn't want to see Prince Cheng become more powerful. Of course, compared to letting the military power fall into the hands of others, they preferred this "younger brother".

Prince Cheng frowned, looking somewhat worried about this.

The emperor took in everyone's expressions, coughed, and said, "Since that's the case, time waits for no one. You will depart today. I await your good news."

After the court meeting, everyone filed out. Prince Cheng was somewhat worried and whispered, "The news from General Meng is that the situation in Yunzhou is even more dangerous than last time. I'm afraid it will be a tough battle this time."

Prince Xi sneered and said, "That's the best. I was just worried that I wouldn't have the chance to kill those people."

Upon hearing this, Prince Cheng frowned and said, "Leading troops to war is no joke. I'm afraid those villains will cause trouble."

Prince Xi said, "Don't worry, I will take care of them on the way."

Prince Cheng heard the murderous intent in his words and frowned again. He said, "It's good that you have an idea in mind, but don't rush into anything. Also, when you arrive at the border, follow General Meng's instructions and don't act rashly."

Prince Xi also had great respect for General Meng and nodded, saying, "Of course."

Prince Cheng knew that He Jun had an impulsive personality. Although he had improved somewhat after these years of experience, he was still a little worried and said, "You are good in everything, but sometimes you get angry and don't care about anything."

Prince Xi laughed when he heard this: "A Fang, you don't trust me, but you don't trust Lord Su either. This guy remains calm even when facing a disaster. With him around, I don't think I'll have the chance to act impulsively."

Prince Cheng's eyes also fell on Su Fengzhang, and he couldn't help but smile and said, "Indeed, Lord Su shoulders a heavy responsibility."

Su Fengzhang also smiled bitterly: "You two really think highly of me."

Prince Xi hugged his neck and said with a smile, "That's not the case. I'm putting my life in your hands."

Su Fengzhang sighed and said, "Fortunately, the treasury is now somewhat full, otherwise it would be really difficult. With the army about to set off, I have to hurry to the Ministry of Revenue to make some arrangements."

Prince Xi also said, "I have to make some arrangements as well."

Prince Cheng personally escorted Su Fengzhang to the Ministry of Revenue, and along the way he said, "The journey to Yunzhou will be difficult, and you must protect yourself."

Su Fengzhang nodded in agreement and added, "Once I leave, there will undoubtedly be unrest in the Ministry of Revenue. Your Highness, please keep an eye on it to prevent any mischief in the capital from affecting the war in Yunzhou."

Prince Cheng naturally agreed. Without waiting for Su Fengzhang to speak, he assured him, "Don't worry about your family. With me here, I will definitely not let anything happen to them."

Su Fengzhang's eyes softened as he smiled and said, "With His Majesty here, I am naturally at ease."