Chapter 168 Prince Jing and His Son
"The plan still failed."
Prince Jing Xiao Changyuan slowly placed the invitation in his hand on the table, stood up with his hands behind his back and walked to the window of the study.
He had a pale complexion, thin features, and a short beard. He was thin and wore a long, dark red robe. He prioritized strategy over force.
It's almost November now. Last night, there was only a light rain, but this morning, the ground is already covered in withered yellow. Although Jingzhou is located in the southwest corner of Dayan, not outside the Great Wall, the atmosphere of winter can still be felt.
The servants of Prince Jing's Mansion were sweeping the fallen leaves with brooms. Xiao Changyuan looked around and saw a desolate scene.
He is about the same age as the King of Qi and the King of Xiliang, but in the past two years, his health has obviously not been as good as before.
The older generation that had conquered the world with the previous emperor had passed away one after another, and now their generation was gradually aging, with young people active on the stage. The deposed Crown Prince Xiao Zhuo fought a bloody battle with the Western Rong at Langya Pass, and the Crown Prince of Qi, Xiao Beiheng, led the army westward in his father's place. Even the Crown Prince of Xiliang, Mei Pu, was unwilling to be outdone.
Maybe there will be no place for old guys like them in the world in the future.
"Prince Jing, the Crown Prince has arrived and is waiting outside the door." The servant reported behind him.
"Let him in." Xiao Changyuan returned to the table.
Just as the servant was about to leave, a man in his twenties wearing a crimson cloak strode in and said in a gruff voice:
"Father, you said that Mep sent an invitation?"
Xiao Changyuan looked up at the young man and said with a smile, "That's right."
The young man snorted, turned around, untied his cloak, shook it, and threw it into the servant's arms. The servant carried the cloak and walked out the door.
Unlike his grandfather and father, who had been thin and frail for generations, Xiao Kai, the prince of Jing, was tall and powerful, with muscles as strong as iron. His broad back looked as solid as a door panel, and his strength far exceeded his brains.
Xiao Changyuan picked up the invitation on the table. Xiao Kai couldn't wait and snatched it away, unfolding it and taking a closer look.
"It seems that Meipu's illness has been cured." Xiao Changyuan smiled bitterly. "He was a playboy by nature, but he restrained himself a lot after he became ill. Now that he has returned to his old ways, it can only mean that his condition has improved."
Xiao Kai snorted and slammed the invitation on the table.
"Father, didn't you say that leprosy is fatal? Why didn't Mep die?"
Xiao Changyuan hesitated and said, "Perhaps he has met a good doctor. After all, leprosy has a slow onset and is not as direct as poison."
Xiao Kai angrily said, "We've waited two years in vain! If we had known this would happen, why would we have made a deal with King Doma? I could have led the army directly to destroy Xiliang. Even if Meipu hadn't been sick, he would have been no match for the Yanque Sword in my hand. Father, you're just too cautious! Now that King Doma has called a truce, all our efforts have been wasted."
Xiao Changyuan shook his head:
"Kai'er, you don't understand. I'm not afraid of Meipu at all. When King Doma occupied Xiliang, others could only call it a barbarian invasion. If we launched an attack on Xiliang, we would be utterly condemned. The King of Xiliang offered his daughter to Emperor Yongde to protect his family's inheritance. How could Emperor Yongde sit idly by while we attacked Xiliang? If we defied the Emperor, wouldn't we be courting death?"
Xiao Kai clenched his fists and slammed them together, making a loud "bang" sound. "Father, with the current military strength of Jingzhou, even Emperor Yongde is nothing to worry about."
They had been recruiting troops for the past two years and now had an army of 200,000 ready to go. In Xiao Kai's view, they were already capable of sweeping across the land. After all, no one would think their territory was too big.
"What if the King of Qi also joins?" Xiao Changyuan asked back.
Xiao Kai didn't even hesitate: "Then let's destroy them together."
"Kai'er, you're overthinking it." Xiao Changyuan was left speechless by his brainless son. "The King of Qi's army is as strong as ours. If he joins us, we'll be outnumbered. We're not legitimate, we're making an enemy of the entire world, no one will stand with us. Furthermore, if we capture Xiliang, we'll have to confront the Xirong directly. With all the internal and external troubles, how many people can you kill, even with the Yanque Sword?"
Xiao Kai turned around impatiently and said, "Then use tricks, tricks, use them every day... The King of Qi is currently fighting the Northern Di in the northeast. If not now, when will we send troops?"
Xiao Changyuan said, "No rush, let's discuss it slowly."
In fact, he also felt that now was the opportunity to send troops to occupy Xiliang. The King of Qi was entangled by the Northern Di. Half of Xiliang's territory had already been occupied by the Western Rong. The Mei family had suffered heavy losses and was at a time of weakness.
However, before sending troops, one must first ascertain the enemy's strengths and weaknesses. This time, Mep's wedding was a perfect opportunity.
Xiao Kai raised his hand and waved it in the air, as if to vent his anger: "Well, now that the invitation has been sent, should we go or not?
"Go, of course I'm going." Xiao Changyuan picked up the torn invitation. "Do you know who else is going?"
"Who else?" Xiao Kai turned around again, seeming to be interested.
"Xiao Zhuo, and his wife Shen Yuexi."
Xiao Kai thought for a moment: "Chen Yuexi, is she Chen Lan's cousin, the one Xiao Zhuo married before he was exiled?"
"Haha, it's her and Xiao Zhuo who want to..." At this point, Xiao Changyuan suddenly revealed a look of sudden enlightenment and muttered to himself, "I didn't expect that the other party's strategy was so clever!"
"What plan?" Xiao Kai was not that smart and had not yet understood the meaning of Xiao Changyuan's words.
Xiao Changyuan also knew that his son needed some guidance, so he explained, "Kai'er, you know that Li Wan, the daughter of the Marquis of Pingyang, is Xiao Zhuo's cousin, right?"
"Li Wan is actually Xiao Zhuo's cousin?"
"Well... Mei Pu married Li Wan, so Mei Pu is Xiao Zhuo's cousin-in-law. With this relationship... Xiao Zhuo wouldn't be able to seize Xiliang's territory even if he wanted to."
Xiao Kai wasn't hopelessly stupid; he understood what was going on and said, "So they did this to protect Xiao Zhuo?"
"Xiao Zhuo has arrived at the border with no troops and no territory. Where else can he go but to seize Xiliang?" Xiao Changyuan said. "But with the intelligence of Mei Cheng and his son, they simply couldn't come up with such a plan. They must have been guided by someone."
Previously, the old King of Xiliang sent Mei Dai to the capital to protect Xiliang's fiefdom. Now, Mei Pu has married Xiao Zhuo's cousin to prevent Xiao Zhuo from seizing Xiliang. The Mei family has mastered the art of marriage alliance.
"So there are also outstanding strategists in the Xiliang army?" Xiao Kai asked.
Xiao Changyuan pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "It's unlikely. Mei Cheng is cowardly and incompetent, while Mei Pu is a playboy, flirting with other women. Over the years, no strategist would serve this father and son. The only person who could have come up with this plan... is Mei Dai, right?"
"Mei Dai?" Xiao Kai curled his lips. "She's a woman who serves the king all day long. What kind of scheming could she have?"
"The men in the Mei family don't have much ability, but this Mei Dai is different."
Xiao Changyuan possessed the intuition unique to strategists. This intuition was passed down from his father to him, but unfortunately it was not passed on to his son Xiao Kai.
Mei Dai had entered the palace in the past, keeping a low profile. But once Empress Pei, who could suppress her, died, she immediately became the exclusive favorite of Emperor Yongde, pushing Consort De aside. This was not something a simple-minded or scheming woman could achieve.
If Mei Dai were here, Xiliang would probably be difficult to deal with.
Apart from anything else, now that Mei Pu and Li Wan were married, Xiao Zhuo was his relative. Not only did this prevent Xiao Zhuo from occupying Xiliang, but if the Jingzhou army attacked, Xiao Zhuo would have to help the Mei family resist out of courtesy.
He was well aware of Xiao Zhuo's reputation. Although he wasn't the God of War of Great Yan, he was almost there.
He didn't want to become an enemy of Xiao Zhuo unless it was absolutely necessary.
Thinking of this, Xiao Changyuan said to Xiao Kai, "Go back and tell the Crown Princess that you and your wife will go to Xiliang to attend Meipu's wedding on behalf of your father. Get a feel for the situation in Xiliang so we can decide whether to send troops or not."
"Then where are you going, father?"
"Father is going to the capital to find a way to meet Mei Dai." Xiao Changyuan felt it necessary to contact Mei Dai. "She can influence His Majesty's thoughts. We must be on guard."
The last time I went to the capital, Emperor Guang and Emperor Yongde complained about the Prince of Qi and didn't pay much attention to Mei Dai. I can't be careless this time.
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