Chapter 781: Dire straits
In Beiling, unlike the outside world which is covered in ice and snow, the entire Imperial Master's Mansion is in dire straits.
Xiahou Ling colluded with Southern Qi and concealed the fact from the royal court, trying to delay the war after Beiling sent troops. The fact that he was facilitating Southern Qi's attack on Wei Dynasty could not be concealed at all, and the news spread quickly to all tribes like wings.
Xiahou Ling was originally from Southern Qi. He was reluctantly integrated into the Beiling royal court because of the previous Khan. However, he was too strong-willed and took over the power of various tribes. He also had a grudge with others because of his different political views and opinions on the future of Beiling. Later, he seized the power of the commander-in-chief and violated the interests of other tribes. There was long-standing dissatisfaction among the tribes of Beiling.
However, Xiahou Ling has always been cautious and extremely shrewd. In addition, he has assisted the current Khan and has earned his trust, so no one has been able to do anything to him.
But this time, because he acted on his own, he fell into the trap of the Emperor of Wei. Not only did Southern Qi become a hidden danger, but Beiling's original plan to attack Wei was forced to be suspended. It also almost caused a disaster, and Beiling's years of planning were destroyed in one day.
The army suffered losses day by day, and the already insufficient food and fodder became even more stretched.
The various tribes fought for the power of the new commander-in-chief. The royal court was in chaos and everyone attacked each other. However, there was only one thing that everyone was united on, and that was to impeach Xiahou Ling.
Xiahou Ling was confined to the Imperial Master's residence and could not enter the palace. A group of people outside were staring at him, trying to find fault with him, which made Xiahou Ling even more afraid to act rashly. Rumors were rife in the imperial city, but Xiahou Ling could only watch.
At the court meeting, everyone wanted to take advantage of Xiahou Ling's misfortune and put him to death.
"King Khan, Xiahou Ling is deeply selfish and has secretly colluded with Southern Qi. As the Imperial Master, he has ulterior motives and should be severely punished!"
"I have already dealt with him and stripped him of his position as commander-in-chief..."
"So what?!"
The Zongyu tribe's chief elder said in a deep voice, "He's a Southern Qi native, unworthy of leading our Beiling army. If the Khan hadn't been so determined to appoint him, how could a weak, blind foreigner like him have the qualifications to surpass so many skilled warriors and become the leader of the tribes?"
"As for the Southern Qi incident this time, if the princess and her husband hadn't discovered it in time, and if Song Jinxiu hadn't brought us the news, we wouldn't have discovered that Southern Qi had been conquered by the Wei Dynasty until after we went to war with them."
"If the war is lost, not only will all our plans be ruined, but hundreds of thousands of Beiling soldiers will be killed by his arrogance. Who the hell is Xiahou Ling? Can his life be worth the many years of foundation of Beiling?"
Beiling Khan Huyan Min looked very unhappy.
An elder from the Wanhu tribe spoke up, "Khan, as the Imperial Preceptor, Xiahou Ling should be loyal to you and Beiling, always prioritizing the royal court. But he's clearly acting selfishly."
"It's fine that he used any means necessary to seize power in the past, but at least he never harmed the interests of the royal court. But this time, he made such a major decision without telling the Khan and the elders. He's clearly playing with war."
"Has he ever considered the consequences if his plan goes awry? And what would happen if Southern Qi turned against us? And how would we face the combined might of the two countries, leaving the rest of us completely unaware and unprepared? And what would become of Beiling if we were to suffer a crushing defeat?"
"He is so conceited that he completely disregards the Khan and the elders. How can such a person be worthy of being the Imperial Preceptor of Beiling?"
When the others heard what Elder Wan Hu said, they all spoke up in agreement.
"Yeah, he doesn't take us seriously at all. He's so self-righteous!"
"How cunning the Emperor of Wei is! He didn't even consult with us before he acted. He originally planned to march the army south, but because of his arrogance, he's now stuck in this situation. The tribes' rations were originally saved, and the cattle and horses consumed by the army every day are the lives of the tribesmen."
"Your Majesty, you shouldn't be so soft-hearted. Xiahou Ling keeps saying that he's doing this for Beiling, but who can guarantee that he hasn't used our things to profit Southern Qi in the past? After all, he's not a Beiling man."
"There's a saying in the Wei Dynasty: 'Those who are not of our race must have different hearts.' What good can an outsider do? It's fine to let him take on some daily tasks, but how can we entrust such a big task as marching and fighting to an outsider like him? It's like sending a rabbit into a tiger's den..."
cough!
The people in the hall were talking more and more heatedly, and some people blurted out something, but before they could finish, they heard a loud cough in the crowd.
The man who had just spoken turned his head to look towards the source of the voice. Before he could see who made the sound, he met Wu Ya's cold eyes and Song Jinxiu's expressionless face not far away.
He suddenly remembered that in addition to Xiahou Ling, there were two "foreigners" in the royal court.
The man quickly coughed lightly to save his dignity: "Of course, Prince Consort Ji is different from Lord Song."
Wu Ya snorted coldly, "Rong Qing is naturally different from Xia Hou Ling. He is devoted to Beiling, so how can he be compared to a villain like Xia Hou Ling?"
She looked up directly after she finished speaking:
"Khan, Xiahou Ling's actions have angered the people, and the tribes are complaining. If we don't punish him severely, it will be difficult to appease the tribes. As for the matter of leading the troops to Southern Wei, we should appoint a new commander as soon as possible and re-negotiate the time for dispatching the troops."
Huyan Min looked at the somewhat aggressive Wu Ya, then at the indignant people from various tribes, and his heart sank.
Xiahou Ling was his man after all. Even if what he did made him dissatisfied, compared to the threatening Wu Ya, Zong Yu and the people of the Wanhu tribe, Xiahou Ling had always been more inclined towards him and the Zong Yan tribe.
The incident in Southern Qi did not lead to a major disaster. Huyan Min was not willing to punish Xiahou Ling too much. Otherwise, once the National Master's Office lost power, the current balance in the royal court would be broken. Not only would it be difficult for anyone to curb Wu Ya and others, even the Zongyan tribe might not be able to suppress the other two tribes.
What's more, although Xiahou Ling is not from Beiling, he holds real power.
Xiahou Ling had held an important position since the reign of the previous Khan. He even came to power with the help of the Imperial Master's Office. Huyan Min did not want to kill Xiahou Ling, otherwise, when he was cornered, he would be the one who suffered.
Hu Yanmin said in a deep voice: "The Imperial Master has been in Beiling for many years. If he wanted to betray the royal court, he would have done it long ago. Why wait until today?"
"Besides, the Southern Qi incident was an accident. If the Wei Emperor hadn't been so cunning and set up a trap long ago, we might have been able to join forces with Southern Qi to attack Wei. Ultimately, the Imperial Master was plotting against the Wei Dynasty in order to quickly take it down. Although he made a mistake, it's not unforgivable."
"The attack on Wei is imperative. The royal court cannot afford internal strife at this time. The Imperial Master has devoted all his efforts to Beiling over the years. If all his achievements are erased simply because he isn't from Beiling, wouldn't that chill the hearts of those who are wholeheartedly loyal to Beiling?"
After saying this, he suddenly looked down.
"Song Qing, what do you think?"
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