Chapter 40 So you're a traitor too...

After saying this, Tianmu seemed to realize he had made a joke and even chuckled.

Zhou She: "..." Fifth Prince, just how much do you hate me?

Emperor Hong'an: "..." This piece of trash is doomed sooner or later.

The Northern Barbarians have been our long-time enemies, and we've always been on opposing sides, no doubt about it. But His Highness the Crown Prince pulled a stunt that left everyone completely bewildered.

What are you thinking? This is one of your own top generals. What are you planning to do?

The entourage was naturally furious, but King Jungjong remained calm and showed no surprise whatsoever.

There are many other reasons, but the most important one is that just a few days ago, Huai Leju sent someone north to bring him the latest news from the capital: a month ago, during the morning court session, Xie Chaoxian, then the Vice Minister of Rites, accused the Crown Prince, risking his life to list fifteen charges, each of which was supported by evidence.

He went from the common people to the imperial family, hurling insults at the crown prince, implying that the prince's crimes were grave and he was unfit for the great responsibility. He urged the emperor to choose another heir, otherwise the country would be in turmoil, and the Ning Dynasty should be renamed "Unpeaceful Dynasty"!

The Crown Prince was present and ordered the soldiers to drag him away. Xie Chaoxian was a true man; he cursed and swore the whole way, almost calling the Crown Prince a beast—scholars are usually more reserved, but he was utterly uncouth.

The emperor, upon hearing half of this, became so enraged that he fainted on the spot.

Emperor Hong'an let out a long breath and stared at the sky. The sky was clearly clear, but he felt dizzy and lightheaded.

He had watched his fifth son grow up, and he himself would use words like cowardly and incompetent to describe him. Yet he never imagined that this... wicked child would be so absurd.

Why not consider the situation at court?!

But it's too late to say all this now.

Whether it was old age and senility, or out of helplessness, the emperor could no longer tell.

He only knew that if he continued to follow the course of the Heavenly Curtain, the Ning Dynasty's rule would be in imminent danger, and the world would inevitably descend into chaos!

All the civil and military officials were equally alarmed; if things continued like this, chaos was beckoning them!

As for Xie Chaoxian, who set the stage for the storm: "..." He was indeed very brave, with a kind of fearless beauty.

Zhou She also thought of the refined and always smiling Lord Xie Chaoxian. It seemed that he was really provoked. It was hard to imagine what he would look like cursing.

The emperor fell into a coma, the capital was sealed off, and the situation had already descended into chaos.

The Crown Prince's perverse actions immediately divided the court into two camps. Led by Xiao Yichun, the majority supported the Sixth Prince as heir apparent. Minister of War Ren Heng, however, upheld legitimacy and remained loyal to the current Crown Prince.

Ren Heng nearly fainted on the spot after hearing half of it.

What dark history of King Jungjong?! He thinks it's his dark history!

Although Ren Duan was not in good spirits, he was now watching the commotion with great enthusiasm. He rushed forward and shook his father's shoulder, comforting him, "Dad, it's alright. Although you can't judge people well, but..."

He hesitated for a long time, unable to think of anything to say. Ren Heng waved his hand, gritting his teeth, and said, "No need to bring up the past! Don't hit someone in the face! Tianmu is so unreasonable. If she had said something earlier, who would still follow the Fifth Prince?!"

Ren Duan: "..." Dad, I really can't learn your confidence in shifting the blame.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yichun, though moved, thought about it and realized it was something she would do herself.

None of His Majesty's princes are reliable. You can't just force the fifth prince to return to the right path—he's an adult, who can change his mind?

Or is it that the crown prince has already committed so many outrageous and resented acts, what will happen when he ascends the throne?

The Sixth Prince is still young, and with a little guidance from his subjects, they can maintain the peace and tranquility of the Ning Dynasty for several decades.

However, at this time, the Fifth Prince still held the legitimate position, and many people obeyed him. An idiot is surrounded by other idiots, and besides, these people would mingle together and applaud each other.

Zhou Lao Er—that is, Zhongzong's younger brother—once again incited the Crown Prince to assassinate Zhongzong. His reason was very simple: If you dare to kill the aristocratic families, you might kill me in the future. How can I allow others to snore beside my bed?

The two hit it off immediately and excitedly dispatched two assassins, disguised as local poor people, to infiltrate the patrol army with the intention of assassinating him.

To everyone's surprise, after entering the patrol force, the assassin didn't actually attempt an assassination; instead, he immediately slid to his knees.

Zhou Ze tiptoed out of the princess's residence.

Suddenly, an arrow came flying, its tip piercing his head with precision, and with a "thud," it firmly embedded itself in the vermilion gate in front of him.

Zhou Ze was so frightened that his heart stopped beating. He dazedly reached up and touched the top of his head, his legs trembling, and he almost fainted on the spot.

When he came to his senses and turned around, he saw Princess Zhaoping standing on the pavilion, holding a longbow in her hand.

"Brothers killing each other, is this your way of brotherhood?" Zhong Zhun walked down from the pavilion with her hands behind her back, slowly approaching Zhou Ze. Her face showed an indescribable struggle. After a pause, she suddenly swung her hand and slapped Zhou Ze hard to the ground.

"There's no peace in the household, so stay home these days and don't wander around."

In the winter of the thirty-fifth year of Hong'an, assassins were ordered to come to the northern frontier. But the situation in the northern frontier at that time was that because the powerful clans and Emperor Zhongzong had been fighting each other, they had just experienced a great purge, and everyone was terrified, fearing that Emperor Zhongzong would go mad again.

The two assassins were dismayed to discover that the entire Yongzhou was heavily guarded, with sentries every ten steps and patrols every five. Emperor Zhongzong himself was at Mingyuan Pass; this powerful man, he wasn't even going home!

Why not go home? He spends his days eating and drinking at the homes of his subordinates, patrolling together when he has nothing to do, and taking a stroll on the city wall after dinner, while also showing concern for soldiers from poor families. With a wave of his hand, he distributes the money he just plundered to everyone—what is overtime work, what is nuclear-powered oxen and horses? You have no idea, after all, Emperor Zhongzong was the real oxen and horses.

As for greed, that was a huge injustice; King Jungjong said he didn't understand a single word of it.

Although Tianmu's words were quite funny, everyone knows that for someone as sharp-tongued as Tianmu, this was actually quite gentle.

It even implies a degree of favoritism.

Emperor Hong'an came to his senses, looked at Zhou She's face, and felt that even the weather had improved. He said quietly, "Not bad. You are so capable. I'm sure you can do even more."

Zhou She: "...Your Majesty's kindness will not be in vain."

Come on, let the storm rage on!

"But what exactly is this nuclear power source?" After threatening Zhou She, Emperor Hong'an turned around and muttered, "Could it be a fruit pit? A peach pit? What do you think, Zhou Qing?"

Although Zhou She knew the answer, he couldn't say it, so he very unkindly shifted the blame: "Your Majesty is wise. I also think it should be something like a fruit pit. Why don't we ask the Minister of Works to make a few imitations?"

Emperor Hong'an was somewhat tempted. Judging from Tianmu's tone, nuclear power was a good thing and should be promoted.

They have nuclear energy too.

Under King Jungjong's care, the entire Anseong Army lived well. They had plenty of money and food, their military achievements were transparent, and their treatment was excellent, placing them among the top groups of the time.

In addition, there is a very important point: Emperor Jungjong loved to lead his troops into battle. He regarded himself as the vanguard, boosted morale before the battle, and told his soldiers, "I will clear the way for you." He led his troops to break through the enemy lines and personally experienced the battle.

Although I think he's courting death, people who become emperors are just lucky... and if the boss is risking his life, of course the employees' morale will be high.

In any case, the patrol army was definitely a first-class army at the time, with strict systems and treatment. Otherwise, why would people go back from their study tours and say, "There is no such army in the world"?

Simply relying on suppression would be a recipe for disaster, wouldn't it? Why are the local people willing to join the patrol army? Because they treat their soldiers like human beings!

Upon hearing this, Zhou She wanted to say, "That's how the military dispatches are written."

Even if he didn't like reading, he knew that the first rule in military books was to cherish soldiers; otherwise, why would people be willing to die for you?

Ordinary people simply lack upward mobility; it doesn't mean they're truly stupid.

Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. This is a timeless truth!

Although he remained calm, everyone else was stunned and couldn't help but be captivated.

Anyone who has led troops knows how easy it is to say. It's just like the phrase "sharing joy with the people"—it's something you can accomplish with a few words.

The problem is that as a general, it's fine to share meals, but you can't stay in the barracks every day, can you?

Why strive to climb the social ladder if you're not aiming for a better life?

At Mingyuan Pass, Cheng Zhuoran was handing over the reins to Zhuang Ziqian.

Hearing Tianmu say this, both men showed more admiration. As seasoned generals who had led troops for many years, they naturally understood the significance of his words.

After expressing their admiration, both men turned green with embarrassment: living and eating with the soldiers was certainly acceptable, but what army offered such good treatment? They couldn't exactly raid like Emperor Jungjong!

So the two assassins disguised themselves as local poor people and successfully infiltrated the patrol army, only to discover... that things weren't quite what they expected.

Emperor Hong'an frowned in thought: "Could this be a ploy to lure the enemy deep into our territory? Did you know they were spies all along?"

Zhou She said, embarrassed, "That's a bit too ingenious..."

Even if he were truly a nuclear-powered ox or horse, he couldn't possibly inspect the entire army. Do you really think he's a god?

Ren Heng also pondered: "They must have entered the military camp and discovered that Emperor Zhongzong's divine might was invincible, intimidating the villains, and they were so scared that they wet themselves on the spot. Otherwise, why would it be called 'sliding knees'?"

Ren Duan: "..." Doesn't this sound more like Zhong Kui?

There was a great deal of discussion below, but the sky remained unmoved:

Based on past experience, they should first give everyone a hard time, be intimidated by the old man, and then start scrubbing socks for everyone—sorry, I've gone off-topic.

Everyone: "...?"

Where is next door?

However, they were greeted with a peaceful and nurturing life. For example, every so often, volunteer school teachers would come to provide free education. What? You say you're illiterate? That's wonderful! Our volunteer school needs people like you!

For example, meat, eggs, and dairy every day—well, that's a bit of an exaggeration—but there's plenty of meat; everyone eats from a communal pot, and the important thing is not to waste food.

Everyone fell into deep thought.

Illiterate people are considered talented? Then they must be the most talented of the talented.

To all the candidates who have just finished the imperial examination and are still not quite sober: If all else fails, why not join the army?

Ren Heng's feigned composure crumbled instantly, and he even seemed to break down: "What?! Where did he get so much food and supplies?!"

Back then, he endured wind and rain and had very little food. How come Zhou She had so much grain?

That's so unfair!

Ren Duan, with his face covered in his father's spittle, wiped it off casually and said wearily, "Dad, the situation has changed, don't get agitated."

I wonder when the Vice Minister of War will come to our house again to help him keep his elderly father occupied.

This is so exciting, it's almost ready to be served.

Fortunately, the sky immediately explained:

After all, conditions in the northern border region have been relatively good in recent years. Among the three prefectures in the northern border region, Qingzhou, which is the southernmost, has gradually become a major producer of grain and fodder.

Emperor Jungjong himself was incredibly shameless, frequently demanding grain from the court, using excuses ranging from the National Day celebrations to not having enough lambs to eat—he spared no effort in finding ways to be stingy.

"Oh." Ren Heng got off the table.

This time it was Cheng Zhuoran's turn to start thinking: what if he did the same...?

Forget it, he couldn't use the same trick twice. He thought of other methods, after all, he couldn't let the soldiers suffer.

Thinking of this, he sighed inwardly: It has to be the scoundrels in the army; they've suffered because they're too honest.

Emperor Hong'an: "..."

His death stare fell upon Zhou She.

Zhou She was speechless and choked with emotion. He then retorted, "Your Majesty, it's better for me to use the money than to squander it."

So what if he cheats a little money? He's just a hard-working old man.

Besides, it would be strange if your good son didn't squander the family fortune. If he were with me, that would be making the best use of him!

They were having such a great time here that they didn't want to go home. Before they knew it, they'd even won a model employee award and were on their way to being promoted to team leader—they were practically on their way to the pinnacle of their lives.

The two then began to probe each other: "Hey bro, what do you think of this place?"

Both of them were afraid of being exposed, and the other person said, "It's great, what do you think?"

"Just tell me, is our Crown Prince among them?"

"It's barely acceptable..."

Then they exchanged a glance, realizing, "So you're a traitor too!"