Upon hearing Huang Long's words, Jin Fengluan's cold expression softened slightly.
The Northern Liang bordered the Hu Ma tribe, and there had been constant conflicts between them.
Two years ago, after Qin Haotian led the Chiyan Army to attack the Huma tribe, the Huma tribe had become much more stable. However, since Qin Haotian's death, the Huma tribe has begun to stir again.
In the memorials submitted over the past few months, Jin Fengluan also saw news of Hu horses harassing the people on the border.
The Huma tribe was a thriving livestock breeder, raising fine horses on the grasslands. Their warriors were all cavalrymen, each brave and skilled in battle, possessing formidable fighting prowess.
Sending Qin Ze to quell the rebellion of the Hu and Ma tribes would indeed be a win-win situation!
No matter how many troops Qin Ze has, he is definitely not capable of quelling the Hu Ma rebellion. Once war breaks out, he will surely be killed by the Hu Ma!
In this way, he just happened to solve his own problem!
After Qin Ze dies, I will send someone else to suppress the Hu Ma rebellion.
Thinking of this, Jin Fengluan's eyes grew even colder.
She parted her cherry lips slightly and said:
"The Prince of Zhenbei has rendered meritorious service in suppressing bandits, wiping out tens of thousands of bandits with iron-fisted methods. Such bravery and valor make him truly the best candidate to quell the Hu Ma Rebellion!"
"In that case, let Qin Ze go and quell the Hu tribes!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Li frowned, pondering:
The Hu Ma are not bandits; they are a legitimate army. No matter how capable Qin Ze is, he has only just arrived in Beiliang and has only just gained a foothold. How can he possibly go to quell the Hu Ma rebellion?
With this in mind, he offered his advice:
“Your Majesty, the Prince of Zhenbei has annihilated tens of thousands of bandits. Those bandits were just a rabble, a bunch of outlaws who occupied the mountains. If we were to send the Prince of Zhenbei to quell the Hu Ma now, he would be facing a regular army. Sending the Prince of Zhenbei would be a bit... too much of a stretch.”
Upon hearing this, Huang Long let out a cold shout:
"Minister Zhang! What do you mean by that?"
"Do you look down on the Prince of Zhenbei? The Prince of Zhenbei has only been stationed in Beiliang for a few days, yet he has already led his troops to wipe out three bandit gangs! Not a single one of the three bandit gangs escaped; they were all killed! The people are all thrilled!"
"Isn't this enough to prove the Prince of Zhenbei's valor and decisiveness?"
"Don't forget, back then General Qin led the Chiyan Army and terrified the Hu people, forcing them to retreat three hundred li! As General Qin's son, Prince Zhenbei has been well-versed in military strategy since childhood and has been fighting on the battlefield since early on. I think only he is capable of shouldering this heavy responsibility of pacifying the Hu people!"
Wang Yong, standing nearby, quickly added:
“Indeed! General Huang is absolutely right. Nowadays, the Prince of Zhenbei is praised by everyone in the hearts of the people. If the Prince of Zhenbei quells the Hu Ma Rebellion, the people of Beiliang will be even more grateful and virtuous. In this way, the Prince of Zhenbei will be able to better manage the people in this fiefdom in the future!”
"For him, this is a good thing! Minister Zhang's words make me feel that you secretly don't want the Prince of Zhenbei to gain merit!"
Zhang Li trembled with anger upon hearing Wang Yong's words.
With these two working in concert, how could Zhang Li not understand their sinister intentions?
Isn't their argument just putting Qin Ze in a difficult position? They're deliberately elevating Qin Ze's status so that he has no choice but to quell the Hu Ma rebellion!
Zhang Li was about to speak in rebuttal when he heard several ministers say:
"Your Majesty, General Huang is right! I also believe that the Prince of Zhenbei should personally go to deal with the Hu Ma Rebellion."
"Your Majesty, the Hu horses have repeatedly invaded the border, causing great suffering to the people. The Prince of Zhenbei is decisive and efficient in his military campaigns. Sending him to repel the Hu horses in one fell swoop can also ensure the safety of the people as soon as possible."
A chorus of agreement rose up, and Zhang Li sighed heavily in his heart.
At this point, there's no point in saying anything more.
Jin Fengluan listened to his ministers' words and nodded in satisfaction.
"Very well! Since you all believe that the Prince of Zhenbei is the only one who can quell the rebellion of the Hu and Ma tribes, then let's settle this matter!"
"Issue the order! Command Prince Qin Ze of Zhenbei to lead his troops to Hurong Pass, repel the Hu cavalry, and safeguard the peace of this region!"
At this point, Jin Fengluan's heart stirred, and a cold glint appeared in her eyes. She continued:
"Your Majesty, if you fail to drive the barbarian cavalry back a hundred li within five days, you will be severely punished!"
Jin Fengluan didn't specify how she would be punished, precisely to avoid giving the world any cause for criticism.
Of course she knew that Qin Ze had no way to defeat the Hu Ma. If he died at the hands of the Hu Ma, that would be the best outcome. If he delayed at the border and dared not go, after the deadline, she could demote him to a commoner or exile him without causing any public criticism.
Thinking of this, she felt a sense of comfort.
In this way, you, Qin Ze, can still escape with your life and live peacefully as the King of Zhenbei in Beiliang?
Upon hearing the imperial edict delivered by Jin Fengluan, Zhang Li, the Crown Prince, was filled with worry for Qin Ze.
This time, it was truly a matter of life and death!
Not only must we defeat the Hu cavalry, but we must also force them to retreat a hundred miles. The grasslands are their most familiar territory, and fighting them here would be tantamount to digging our own graves.
Of course, the most important reason is the army. How many soldiers does Qin Ze have? Even if he uses money and grain to conscript people into the army, he still can't build an army to repel the Hu horses in such a short time!
"Sigh..." Zhang Li sighed inwardly, his face ashen.
Huang Long, standing to the side, wore a cold smile, secretly pleased with himself.
Since receiving Zhao Yuan's secret letter yesterday, he has developed a meticulous plan, and this time, he can say that he is absolutely certain that Qin Ze will die at the hands of Hu Ma!
Yesterday he wrote two secret letters and ordered his messenger to ride a fast horse and deliver them to Beiyuan City!
The contents of these two secret letters will surely lead to Qin Ze's death at Hu Rong Pass! Not only that, but his stronghold, Shi Feng City, and all the members of the Qin family will also die there this time!
Thinking of this, Huang Long's face grew even colder.
...
On the other side.
In the General's Mansion in Beiyuan City.
Zhao Yuan received two secret letters from Huang Long.
There were two letters, one to him and the other to "Tu Yuchun".
Zhao Yuan's heart skipped a beat when he saw the name. This person was none other than Hu Ma's leader!
He hurriedly opened his secret letter, and after reading it, he rubbed his temples, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"With this arrangement by the General, both Qin Ze and the Qin family will surely die in Beiliang!"
"But... if this matter gets out, I'm afraid I won't be able to escape responsibility..."
He looked at the secret letter to Tu Yuchun, his brows furrowed, and after pondering for a long time, his eyes gradually turned cold.
"Qin Ze has at least 10,000 troops under his command. There is absolutely no way he can escape the encirclement and attack of the Hu cavalry. This matter will not go wrong!"
Without further thought, Zhao Yuan led a few trusted confidants and hurriedly left the mansion, heading straight for Hu Rong Pass...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
