Chapter 99 Earthquake

The phantom stood tall and imposing, seated on a throne made of gold, stone, and jade.

He wore a pure white robe, adorned with delicate silver ornaments and jewels, making him extremely magnificent.

A strip of soft, glossy white fox fur extends from the right shoulder, and a wide cape extends from the back.

His figure was hidden in the misty clouds, yet he radiated a faint golden halo, and his black and white hair was highly recognizable.

At a glance, everyone recognized the illusory figure as Chu Jiubian.

However, Chu Jiubian himself was riding a horse.

The phantom was so large that it could be seen not only around the imperial city, but throughout the entire Da Ning region.

Jiang Shuoye, far away in the northern desert, was also facing off against the Tatar army when he suddenly heard a thunderous sound and subconsciously looked up towards the direction of the imperial city.

The same applies to his soldiers and the Tatar army.

Then everyone saw that figure.

Jiang Shuoye's pupils trembled. At first, he thought it was the High Priest appearing, but upon closer inspection, he could see that the figure was different from the High Priest, except that the clothes on his body were slightly similar.

Is that Grand Tutor Chu?

Has fighting broken out in the capital?

The Tatar army became restless. General Muhammad, who was standing at the front of the battle, changed his expression drastically. A chill spread from the bottom of his heart, making him shiver involuntarily.

god.

There really is a god in Da Ning!

"The gods have descended!" someone shouted, and the 200,000-strong Tatar army was thrown into chaos.

Conversely, the soldiers of Da Ning, though filled with fear, were also experiencing a surge in morale.

They, Da Ning, are protected by the gods!

What's so scary about the mere Tatars?

Believers scattered throughout Daning seemed to sense something and stepped out of their houses, looking towards the direction of the capital, where they saw that illusory figure that blotted out the sky.

Is he the high priest?

No, it's Grand Tutor Chu!

That exquisitely beautiful face, the kind only a god could possess, stood high above, with long, slightly drooping eyelashes and pale, inorganic pupils that gazed indifferently at the common people below, who were like ants.

There was only one phantom, but people from all directions who looked up could see its face and be stared at by its indifferent eyes.

"A god! It's a god!"

"My God! A miracle has occurred! A miracle has occurred!"

The people knelt down one after another, trembling with fear, their hands clasped together in front of their chests, chanting "May the gods protect us," and kowtowing in unison.

Prince Anhuai, Baili Ming, stood in the courtyard, looking up at the huge phantom, and unconsciously knelt down, his eyes filled with tears.

When the Prince of Pingxi arrived at the main street after a hundred-mile march, he saw people kneeling on the ground, kowtowing, and chanting, "May the gods protect us and bring peace to the world."

The world is at peace.

Baili Zheng stared intently at the deity, but dared not meet his gaze.

Given the prevailing trend, the Pingxi Army should also do something.

On the vast plains at the border of Shaanxi and Gansu, Qin Xiao's 80,000-strong army, which he had transferred from the Western Regions, was advancing when they suddenly heard a deafening dragon's roar. All the horses were startled and instinctively looked around.

But soon they noticed that the sound was not coming from the surrounding environment, but from overhead, from the air.

It comes from the East.

That's where the capital city is located.

Terrified, most of the soldiers had never seen Chu Jiubian before, so they naturally couldn't recognize the huge figure.

But there were some people who recognized him; someone shouted, "It's the Grand Tutor!"

"Grand Tutor? Grand Tutor Chu?"

"Heavens! It really is the Grand Tutor! It's the Divine Lord! He has appeared to us!"

"The divine lord has appeared! The Grand Tutor has appeared!"

The soldiers were both excited and panicked, but mostly overjoyed.

They all dismounted and knelt in the snow, forming a dense, endless mass.

Qin Xiao rode his horse, gazing into the distant, indifferent eyes of the deity, feeling a sense of familiarity mixed with strangeness.

He hadn't seen such an expression on Chu Jiubian's face in a long time.

The god's eyes were devoid of light and life, just as they had been when Chu Jiubian first arrived in Da Ning.

But Chu Jiubian, whom he had cherished so much for so long, shouldn't be like this.

Qin Xiao's heart clenched uncontrollably.

Who bullied him?

He lowered his eyes, his gaze growing even colder.

"Mount up," he said in a deep voice.

Upon hearing this, the nearby lieutenant quickly mounted his horse and shouted to the soldiers behind him, "Mount up! Let's go!"

The soldiers then rose and mounted their horses.

Qin Xiao, clad in armor, led the charge, his cloak billowing, with a formidable army behind him.

The cold wind and snowflakes blurred his vision, and Qin Xiao looked up at the distant phantom of the god.

He needs to get back as quickly as possible.

Outside the capital city.

Along with the divine figure appeared a powerful aura that was limited to a radius of several dozen miles in front of them. This was also an effect of the special effects, but its influence was limited.

Moreover, this thing is burning Chu Jiubian's points every second.

However, the points were well spent; the warhorses in the vassal king's army felt a terrifying pressure and kicked their hooves uneasily.

The soldiers standing in the ranks were terrified and instinctively retreated, causing chaos in the entire formation.

The generals standing at the forefront were also the first wave of "victims" to directly confront the miracle.

They stood there in disbelief, unable to comprehend even the restless movements of their horses.

There was only horror and fear.

Their hearts were pounding in their throats; they couldn't even manage the basic task of giving orders.

Without any orders, many soldiers knelt down, their legs giving way, and kowtowed repeatedly, muttering prayers for divine forgiveness, saying they had no other choice.

The ranks were completely in disarray, and morale was shattered.

The unease and helplessness of the other princes were not much better than theirs.

They knew beforehand that Chu Jiubian dared to stay and guard the imperial city, so he must have some tricks up his sleeve, but they never expected him to come up with something like this.

"Attack! Fight!" Baili Yue was the first to react. He stood on his horse in the middle of the group. "That's all the tricks he has. There's no need to be afraid! Kill Chu Jiubian! Kill him!"

This sound, though audible amidst the soldiers' murmurs, was surprisingly penetrating.

He Zhen and the others at the front of the line suddenly came to their senses.

He was filled with fear, and his hands could barely grip the knife, but he knew that now that he had come this far, there was no turning back.

Whether we advance or retreat, we'll both die, so we might as well give it another shot.

His expression hardened, and he roared, "Kill! Kill Chu Jiubian!"

The other generals also realized what was happening and shouted, "Retreating means certain death! Brothers, follow me and charge! Let's fight for a better future!"

"They're going to slaughter gods! They're going to slaughter gods!" a soldier cried out in alarm. "No, I won't fight..."

He fled in panic, and many others followed suit.

The King of Dongjiang was heartbroken. He mounted his horse and fled with the crowd.

When the Prince of Dingbei caught a glimpse of him, he cursed him under his breath as a "coward," but he himself rode his horse toward the back of the crowd.

However, after walking a little further, he stopped and shouted, "Your families and brothers are waiting for you to make a name for yourselves! Deserters will be killed without mercy!"

The soldiers suddenly realized that the lives of their family members and brothers were in the hands of the princes.

Yes, if they escape like this, their families will be doomed too.

But to ask them to fight the gods... this...

"The gods are merciful!" Baili Yue exclaimed. "Chu Jiubian would not kill innocent people indiscriminately. If he could kill, he would have done so long ago, instead of waiting until now!"

"That's right! He wouldn't dare kill us!"

The calls grew louder and louder, and the tense atmosphere finally calmed down a bit.

Yes, if Chu Jiubian could kill people at will, he would have done it long ago. He wouldn't be showing his true form to scare them now that the enemy is at the gates.

Chu Jiubian was indeed merciful, but he had already given these people a chance to escape. If they didn't run, they could only blame their bad luck.

With such a large, swaying crowd, Chu Jiubian couldn't see where the vassal kings were hiding, but he knew they must be fleeing under the protection of their personal guards.

He estimated the time and, after sensing that the princes had probably arrived at the site where the mines were buried, slowly spoke, saying, "I've given you a chance."

The sound lingered in everyone's minds.

Cold and indifferent.

"Those who obey me will prosper." The deity's calm voice reached the ears of all the people of Da Ning.

Those who oppose me—

"Death."

As soon as he finished speaking, a loud "bang" rang out from the prince's army.

Then one after another, thunderclaps rang out randomly in different places, and with each clap, a large number of soldiers and warhorses were killed or wounded.

The soldiers in front turned around in alarm, but could see nothing unusual. Yet the flames and thunderous sounds seemed unstoppable.

The soldiers were utterly terrified.

A tremendous, unknown fear drove them to flee in all directions, disregarding everything else.

Qin Jiasheng's eyes lit up as he watched people running towards him in a panic, and a smile appeared on his lips.

Seeing Chu Jiubian raise his hand, he immediately shouted, "Brothers! Seize these traitors! Anyone who disobeys will be killed!"

"yes!"

The roar of the Qin family army was deafening.

The battlefield was chaotic, with smoke and flames soaring into the sky.

The vast white earth was stained red, trampled by countless feet, becoming muddy and sticky.

The magnificent phantom of the god kept his eyes lowered, watching them without the slightest change in expression.

Beneath the illusory image, Chu Jiubian sat on his horse, his expression indifferent.

He raised his eyes and looked towards the west.

I wonder how things are going with Qin Xiao.

at the same time.

The people in the imperial city also came out of their houses and knelt and kowtowed in their courtyards, chanting "Gods" or "Your Excellency".

However, none of them dared to go out into the street, because at that moment, the Imperial Guards were already fighting with the guards of the three great families.

The Wang family was originally a scholarly family, with only a few thousand soldiers. At this moment, they were all safely guarding their home and the long street where the Wang family lived, preventing others from having a chance to break in.

Chu Jiubian had only been out of the city gate for half an hour when the soldiers of the aristocratic families rushed into the streets and started fighting with the Imperial Guards.

While the Qin family army was still dealing with the vassal king's army, Lu Youwei and his men thought they should rush into the palace and take the young emperor hostage.

But they didn't expect that not long after the fighting started, Chu Jiubian's divine true god appeared outside the city.

The magnificent and awe-inspiring sight terrified the soldiers so much that they couldn't even raise their swords.

Even these high-ranking officials, who had witnessed Chu Jiubian's extraordinary abilities time and again, were speechless with astonishment.

It's over.

This was the only thought in all of their minds.

Everything Chu Jiubian had shown before was just the tip of the iceberg.

So the other party may never have taken them seriously, and they were too lazy to show them any powerful methods before.

Now that things have come to this, the other party has finally revealed their true identity.

Hearing the phrase "Those who obey me prosper, those who oppose me perish," everyone's hearts sank.

The sound of artillery fire, audible from such a distance, seemed to shake the very ground of the imperial city. This terrifying commotion was not the fireworks they had seen before, but something truly horrifying.

Even so, they felt that Chu Jiubian hadn't used his full strength at all.

To think that mortals could defy the gods is utterly delusional.

The gods only need to make a slight move, and they are powerless to resist.

Xiao Yao's eyes were filled with shock, but also with a hint of madness brewing within them. In the ensuing silence, he spoke, his tone chillingly calm: "Even gods have things they care about."

Several pairs of eyes fell directly on him.

"If we can't kill the gods, then we'll control them." Xiao Yao looked towards the palace.

Chu Jiubian and that young emperor have a very good relationship. As long as they conquer the palace and control the young emperor, they can use him to control Chu Jiubian.

“Xuan Zheng,” Qiu Hongkuo said.

The robust and tall young man withdrew his gaze from the deity and respectfully said, "Uncle."

Sitting in his wheelchair, Qiu Hongkuo spoke with a calmer tone than Xiao Yao: "Kill An Wuji."

"Yes." Qiu Xuanzheng's eyes shone with excitement.

Excellent! He had long wanted to fight that Imperial Guard Commander, but the other party had always refused his challenge. Today, he finally had the chance.

"Be careful." Qiu Heng, the Minister of Justice, patted his younger brother on the shoulder.

Qiu Xuanzheng laughed loudly, picked up his two large hammers, turned around and strode out the door.

Lu Youwei turned his head to look at Lu Jinfeng, the head of the family, who was standing beside him.

Lu Jinfeng looked up, staring at the towering, ethereal figure of the deity with a bewildered expression.

Noticing the gaze directed at him from the side, he lowered his eyes.

He paused for a moment, then strode towards the courtyard gate, picked up his long sword at the gate, and left without looking back.

The others looked at Lu Youwei.

Lu Youwei's face was solemn, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

Shenwu Street.

The soldiers from the noble families, from the commanders to the ordinary soldiers, dared not move after seeing Chu Jiubian's figure.

Some of the cowards threw down their weapons and knelt on the ground to kowtow.

Once it happened, it happened again. More and more people knelt down and kowtowed tremblingly in the direction of Chu Jiubian.

An Wuji looked up, gazing at the sky in awe.

However, he quickly realized what was happening and raised his voice, "His Majesty knows that most of you here are acting against your will and has ordered that those who surrender will not be killed! Surrender now!"

The soldiers exchanged glances, and immediately some of them threw down their weapons, knelt down and raised their hands in front of An Wuji.

"Take him away." An Wuji had just finished giving the order when he saw a person rushing towards him from the end of the long street.

The man was extremely light-footed, with a strong physique. His two iron hammers whistled through the air as he charged forward, even creating a gust of wind.

An Wuji instantly recognized the other party's identity, brandished his spear, and leaped off his horse.

The clash of weapons broke the hustle and bustle of the long street. An Wuji was pushed back several meters by the man's terrifying strength before he could regain his balance.

The next moment, Qiu Xuanzheng's next attack came.

An Wuji's expression was serious, and he dared not let his guard down for a moment.

Qiu Xuanzheng was a martial arts prodigy. He knew he was no match for his opponent and could only hold him off for the time being. If all else failed, he would abandon all martial ethics and order the other soldiers to attack him.

However, at that moment, another person appeared at the end of the long street.

An Wuji caught a glimpse of the other person's figure, and his heart sank.

It's Lu Jinfeng!

Although this person is not as powerful as Qiu Xuanzheng, he is also a martial arts fanatic. An Wuji felt that he could fight him to a standstill, but now he is facing two opponents and has absolutely no chance of winning.

Just then, a dark figure appeared like a ghost beside An Wuji, casually deflecting his force and pushing him away. The figure then used a curved blade to block Qiu Xuanzheng's hammer, and with a slight effort, pushed the other man a few steps away.

The man's appearance was strange, and everyone looked at him.

An Wuji smiled when he saw the other person's deep-set eyes and familiar mask.

It's Qin Chuan.

It turns out he's still in Beijing.

He turned to look at Lu Jinfeng, said nothing, and charged forward with his spear.

Qiu Xuanzheng looked at the mysterious man, his gaze sweeping over the man's curved blade, his fighting spirit growing stronger.

This person is even stronger than An Wuji.

Four people, swords flashing.

Neither Qiu Xuanzheng nor Lu Jinfeng took charge of the soldiers, so the aristocratic families' troops remained disorganized, and many naturally surrendered and submitted to the imperial court.

Some escaped into the streets and alleys in the chaos, and the Imperial Guards didn't pursue them too fiercely.

In the end, they were just remnants of the army, and also ordinary people of Da Ning. It was only because of a word from the superiors that they were sent out to their deaths.

As evening approached, Chu Jiubian had already put away the special effects.

This period of time has been enough to deter those people in Da Ning.

Fifty miles outside the capital, the hundreds of thousands of troops of the vassal kings were either dead, surrendered, or fled.

The battle was over at this point, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it was effortless.

As dusk fell, Qin Jiasheng ran from a distance to Chu Jiubian, bowed, and said, "My lord, we only found the body of the Prince of Huguang and the unconscious Prince of Dongjiang. Prince Dingbei, Baili Yu, fled eastward with several thousand soldiers, and General Ruixue went to pursue them."

General Ruixue was also a member of the Qin family, but he was a servant born into the family and was one of the most trusted subordinates of the Qin clan.

Baili Yu is the most cunning person, and he also has a Gu Master in his hands, so letting him leave is really troublesome.

Chu Jiubian's mind stirred slightly.

Now that the other party can no longer return to his fiefdom, the most likely place he would go is Henan, which is the closest to him.

Chu Jiubian summoned a guard and instructed him to inform Ruixue that the Prince of Dingbei would most likely go to Henan, and that they should try to defeat him before then.

Otherwise, there is another Jiang Yongshou in Henan City, who is most likely a man of the Prince of Dingbei.

If he saw the Dingbei Army arrive, he would definitely lead the remaining 10,000 soldiers from Henan to welcome and protect them.

The guards accepted the order and left.

Chu Jiubian then took out the medicinal powder sent from the Southern Frontier from his spatial storage and said to Qin Jiasheng, "Sprinkle this medicinal powder in one place. If any soldiers wander over there uncontrollably, detain them."

Southern Xinjiang has recently provided a lot of medicinal powders, including those that attract Gu worms and those that prevent them from getting close.

Previously, Chu Jiubian had sprinkled antidote powder on the soldiers to prevent the use of Gu worms, but no one in the vassal king's army used it. Therefore, in order to prevent Baili Yu from releasing more Gu worms in the chaos, it would be better to test the waters again.

"Yes." Qin Jiasheng took the medicine powder and left.

Because so much was sprinkled, the smell was strong, directly masking the smell of blood and gunpowder.

So, a quarter of an hour later, Qin Jiasheng came running over to report: "Sir, you guessed right. More than twenty of the princes' soldiers are acting strangely, but our men are all fine."

Chu Jiubian nodded.

The Southern Frontier Saintess's abilities are beyond doubt, especially since this powder was made by her and the clan elders with even stronger Gu techniques, doubling its effectiveness.

"Keep an eye on those people. When we get back..." Chu Jiubian paused for a moment, then said, "first lock them up in the palace prison."

"yes."

Chu Jiubian took one last look at the battlefield.

This was the first time he had ever seen such a large-scale death and injury, so many severed limbs, so much flesh and blood.

With his nostrils filled with the chilling smell of blood, Chu Jiubian closed his eyes, deliberately trying not to think about that long-buried memory in his mind.

When he opened his eyes again, he said more calmly, "Gather the troops and prepare to return to the city."

"Yes." Qin Jiasheng replied, then turned and ran to direct everyone to clean up the battlefield faster. He also instructed a few captains to stay behind with their men to clean up the explosion marks and corpses, while the rest of the troops could prepare to return to the city.

Chu Jiubian looked eastward; in winter, it gets dark early and quickly.

It's getting darker and darker now.

At this moment, Qin Xiao was doing something unknown.

If he has already marched towards Shaanxi, he should be able to capture the city within a few days. It's just unknown whether he will continue forward and march into Henan.

Lu Liangcai went to look for Qin Xiao today; I wonder if he found him.

The system replied very competently: [Host, the believer Lü Liangcai has successfully entered Prince Ning's camp, but has not yet had a chance to meet Prince Ning.]

Chu Jiubian asked in his mind, "Did he hear any bad news?"

The system analyzed the meaning behind his words and said: [System analysis suggests the host likely wanted to know if Prince Ning was injured, but no such information has been received yet.]

Chu Jiubian: "..."

He ignored the system's haphazard analysis.

However, this means Qin Xiao is perfectly fine and there's nothing wrong with him.

I wonder what's happening in the Southern Frontier and Southern Zhili, and also the Prince of Pingxi. After what happened today, he will definitely send troops to help the court conquer the world.

It seems I must enter the Divine Realm again tonight, not only to gather information from all sides, but more importantly, to tell Prince Anhuai to be careful.

The other side had no real power in the city, and the soldiers listened to Jiang Yongshou, so Baili Ming's most important task was to protect himself.

If the Prince of Dingbei were to actually enter the city, two tigers cannot share one mountain, and his situation would become even more difficult.

Of course, after Chu Jiubian entered the Divine Realm, he could still open Lü Liangcai's card screen to see what he said to Qin Xiao.

How will Qin Xiao react?

Inside the palace.

Baili Hong sat in the Hall of Mental Cultivation reviewing memorials all day. He only ate a little lunch. In the afternoon, Hongfu brought over some snacks, but the little boy barely ate any of the jujube cakes that he usually loved.

Hong Fu didn't go to the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs for the rest of the afternoon, but instead stayed with Baili Hong.

As darkness fell, he went out again and called Xiaoyuzi over, asking, "Still no news from outside the city?"

"We haven't heard anything yet, Master." Xiaoyuzi was optimistic. "Young Master is so powerful, he must have finished cleaning up the battlefield and is about to come back by now."

Even at top speed, it would take more than an hour to travel from the capital to the battlefield.

If we bring a large army back, it will be even slower.

"Go ahead, and let me know as soon as you have any news."

"Okay."

"By the way," Hong Fu added, "keep a close eye on the person the young master asked us to keep an eye on earlier."

Xiaoyuzi also became serious and said, "Master, don't worry, General An's men and secret guards are all here, they will definitely not let him cause any trouble."

The only victim of the Gu poison in the palace, the one who escaped the net, has not yet shown any signs of illness.

The moon is high in the sky.

Chu Jiubian led his army back to the capital. Upon hearing this, Baili Hong was so excited that he was about to run out barefoot.

"Your Majesty, please take your time." Hong Fu was also happy and smiled. "This servant will help you put on your clothes, otherwise the young master will scold you later."

Knowing that his master would worry, Baili Hong immediately became obedient, letting Hongfu dress him in cotton clothes and trousers, then put on a thick cloak, and holding a hot water bottle in his arms before going out.

Chu Jiubian walked down the street. The traces of the battle had been cleaned up, and the heavy snow had covered the ground, concealing all the bloodshed, as if nothing had ever happened.

But the shops on both sides of the street, which are usually bustling, were all closed today, and no one was wandering around outside. They were obviously frightened by today's battle.

Although the people were not physically present, they hung lanterns on both sides of the street in each shop to illuminate Chu Jiubian's way back to the palace.

Chu Jiubian was momentarily dazed, recalling himself standing on a huge awards stage, surrounded by fans holding up light sticks.

A faint smile slowly appeared on his lips.

From afar, he saw many lanterns lit up at the palace gate, clearly held up by palace servants, and among these lanterns was a palanquin.

Baili Hong must have been unable to sit still and came out to greet him.

Chu Jiubian's smile deepened, and his eyes softened, though he himself was unaware of it.

"I'm going back now. I'll leave the rest to you." He said to Qin Jiasheng, who was standing beside him.

Qin Jiasheng grinned, revealing a set of bright white teeth, and said, "Don't worry, sir."

Now that Qin Xiao has given the family head token to Chu Jiubian, the lower-ranking people are unaware of this matter, but the younger generation and elders with status in the clan are all well aware of it.

Therefore, for them now, Chu Jiubian's orders take precedence over Qin Xiao's own.

After giving his instructions, Chu Jiubian turned and spurred his horse toward the palace.

Qin Jiasheng watched from afar and saw the adult dismount after reaching the palace gate, and a small, chubby figure ran towards him.

Chu Jiubian squatted down and gave the child who rushed over a big hug.

Nowadays, almost no one in the world dares to criticize them anymore, so even if Baili Hong occasionally shows his emotions and doesn't pay attention to his manners, no one will say anything.

Chu Jiubian also carried the child openly and strode towards the palace.

Hong Fu followed beside them, his back straight. From a distance, he didn't look like a palace servant at all; one would think he was a young master from some family.

Everyone knew of his brilliance before he entered the palace.

Qin Jiasheng naturally looked up to him as he grew up.

But now things are better; the other party has regained their spirits.

Everything in the palace was arranged by someone. The cleanup inside and outside the city, including the arrangements for the surrendered princes and aristocratic troops, as well as issues such as the temporary imprisonment of the heads of the three major aristocratic families, were all overseen by Lu Yao and An Wuji.

The advantage of having many capable subordinates becomes apparent at this moment.

Even in the subsequent trials of these people, whether their homes were confiscated, they were exiled, beheaded, or given another chance, the upright and incorruptible Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Gu Qingzhi, handled the cases.

Furthermore, half of the officials in the court will definitely be gone this time, and Lu Yao will also be in charge of the reassignment and appointment of officials.

There's nothing more for Chu Jiubian and the others to worry about.

After Chu Jiubian and Baili Hong returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Granny Zhong from the Imperial Kitchen personally cooked two bowls of noodles for them and also served refreshing side dishes.

Two bowls, one large and one small, two people, one large and one small, both ate to their hearts' content.

Chu Jiubian, needless to say, had only eaten that morning and was indeed hungry now.

Baili Hong hadn't been in the mood to eat, but now that his master was back, his appetite returned.

After eating and drinking their fill and having a light meal, Chu Jiubian accompanied Baili Hong to wash up and brush his teeth.

The child, after applying the baby moisturizing cream that Chu Jiubian bought from the system, lay down in bed with fair, tender skin and a fragrant scent.

He blinked his bright eyes at Chu Jiubian and asked, "Sir, how long until my uncle comes back?"

He'll be in a better mood and eat more if his uncle comes back.

Chu Jiubian calculated carefully and said, "About half a month."

"That'll be quick." Baili Hong smiled, his eyes crinkling.

Chu Jiubian laughed and said, "Alright, let's go to sleep."

"Um."

After the children fell asleep, Chu Jiubian returned to the West Courtyard.

After washing up, he lay down on the bed, and most of the fatigue from the whole day dissipated at that moment.

He closed his eyes and entered the realm of the gods.

He first contacted Si Tu Zhaoling and asked her to invite the Holy Maiden Si Tu Anli to Henan if it was convenient for her.

Qin Xiao will likely encounter the Prince of Dingbei in a while. If the Gu Master under the Prince of Dingbei tries to harm Qin Xiao, Si Tu Anli can restrain him.

"Yes, I will tell Mother as soon as I go out," Si Tu Zhaoling said.

Then she reported on the recent situation, saying that the army of the King of Southern Xinjiang had joined forces with the army of Southern Zhili and had entered the fiefdom of the King of Dongjiang from the left and right.

However, the King of Dongjiang was indeed very wealthy and powerful.

He brought more than 100,000 soldiers with him this time, but nearly 100,000 troops were left behind on the fief, including three exceptionally brave generals.

These men guarded their fiefdoms very well, making it difficult for the Southern Border King and his forces to fight them.

Chu Jiubian took out half of the bombs he had made in his spatial storage and gave them to Si Tu Zhaoling.

Si Tu Zhaoyao could make them himself, but due to limitations in technology and materials, the bombs of this era were unstable and not suitable for long-distance transport.

But Chu Jiubian was different; she could be directly assigned to the battlefield.

Si Tu Zhaoling didn't stand on ceremony, smilingly thanking the High Priest. Before leaving, her eyes lit up, and she said, "By the way, High Priest, did you see the Grand Tutor today? He was so impressive!"

Chu Jiubian laughed and said, "I saw it."

Si Tu Zhaoling wanted to say that the High Priest and the Lord were the best match.

But when the image of Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao standing side by side flashed through her mind, she couldn't bring herself to say that Qin Xiao wasn't worthy.

It's okay.

Lord Chu is so capable and outstanding, it's not impossible for him to have women on both sides.

But she dared not say this to the high priest, and with a smile, she took her leave and withdrew.

Chu Jiubian read through all the messages from the other believers, and the system had already recorded them for him.

The situation hasn't changed much yet; everything is proceeding as Chu Jiubian planned.

King Pingxi, Baili Zheng, has also dispatched troops, splitting them into two routes: one heading to Shaanxi to join Qin Xiao, and the other heading to Huguang.

Then Chu Jiubian summoned Anhuai King Baili Ming.

The boy was intimidated by Chu Jiubian today, and now he is even more respectful to the high priest than last time.

However, when he talked about his situation, he felt even more ashamed and helpless.

"I am under house arrest in the mansion, and I cannot see or hear any news from the outside world." Baili Ming was placed under house arrest by Jiang Yongshou.

The other party didn't skimp on his food or drink, nor did they mistreat him. In fact, they would take time every day to come and talk to him.

And she remained as gentle and kind as ever, like the best and most tolerant elder.

Bai Liming could see his worried expression, and he could also tell that the other party was doing this for his own good.

That's why he was even more at a loss as to what to do.

He didn't even have a reason to blame the other party.

Baili Ming is not suited to be a ruler.

This was something he himself knew, and it was also the conclusion Chu Jiubian had reached at this moment.

“In that case, you should stay in the manor and protect yourself,” Chu Jiu said. “When the Dingbei Army invades Henan in the future, you will need to be even more careful about your safety.”

He said all this for Baili Hong.

Otherwise, Chu Jiubian really wouldn't bother with such a softie.

When Baili Ming heard that the Dingbei Army was coming to Henan, he was first surprised, but then he thought of Jiang Yongshou's recent reaction and understood.

For a moment, I didn't know whether to feel sad or disappointed.

Or perhaps it's a sense of relief.

He had simply refused to believe it before, but now he was certain.

The strategist Jiang Yongshou, whom he regarded as an elder and relied on to the utmost, was actually a man of the Prince of Dingbei.

The high priest's words of concern made him feel a long-lost sense of security, and his eyes welled up with tears, making him feel even more useless.

He had no choice but to set aside the constraints of his status as a vassal king and kneel down to kowtow.

This is the only thing he can offer right now.

But when he has the opportunity to serve as the high priest in the future, he will gladly die for it.

Looking at his frail body, Chu Jiubian suddenly asked, "What would you do if He Zhen died at the hands of the imperial court?"

Bai Liming was not surprised and said, "He did something wrong, so it's all justified."

Even as he said that, tears streamed down his face.

Over the years, He Zhen has watched him grow up; how could he not have feelings for him?

Chu Jiubian didn't tell him that He Zhen had also run away with the Prince of Dingbei, and that the other party might reappear in front of Baili Ming in a few days.

But in the future, the other party will surely die.

I just hope that Baili Ming won't blame Baili Hong when the time comes, so as not to hurt the child's feelings for no reason.

However, the people selected by the system must be of good character.

So you can rest assured about that.

A system notification suddenly sounded in his ear: [Host, the believer Lü Liangcai has successfully met with Prince Ning. Do you wish to open the card screen?]

Chu Jiubian paused, sent Baili Ming out of the Divine Realm, and immediately asked the system to open the screen.

On the screen, Lü Liangcai stands bowing in a simple tent.

Qin Xiao sat casually in the main seat at the front, dressed in soft armor.

He stroked a brocade handkerchief embroidered with jasmine in his hand, and said in a slightly strange tone, "The High Priest's follower..."