Chapter 390 Hou Yuanji, you lead the troops
Hou Yuanji acted like he had gotten a bargain, which made many people sneer.
"What an idiot! He didn't even know he was being scammed."
"He actually wants to collect taxes along the way."
"Don't you see what season it is now? Even the earliest batch of grain is not ready for harvest yet."
"No, no, no, you are wrong, who said there is no
By the time they reach the wilderness, the crops there will probably have just matured, which is the perfect time for tax collection."
Several ministers who had long disliked the Hou family laughed out loud.
"They have to be able to reach the wilderness first."
"When the time comes, whether we will steal other people's food or be robbed of our heads, it's hard to say."
There was a smile of triumph in the emperor's eyes.
He was indeed a famous playboy in the capital. He actually believed such an obvious thing.
Shift your gaze to look at Mr. Hou.
This person is not as easy to fool as Hou Yuanji.
As expected, Old Master Hou looked helpless, leaning against the pillar and crying out in pain, "You evil creature, you really don't know how high the heavens are and how deep the earth is."
The emperor flicked his sleeves triumphantly and said, "This matter is settled. I will draft the decree now."
Fearing the Hou family would go back on their word, he quickly stamped the imperial seal with his pen: "This matter is done. My dear Hou, please prepare early and mobilize your troops to go to battle."
"As you wish!"
Hou Yuanji took the imperial edict and, as if he had already won, raised his chin high and glanced at the ministers: "I will live up to your majesty's trust and show you who is the true pillar of the country."
A few more people couldn't help laughing.
This Hou Yuanji really doesn't deserve praise.
He probably didn't know that Duke Xuan of Qi had just suffered a major setback in the barracks and hadn't even mobilized his troops.
A group of people were waiting to see the Hou family make a fool of themselves.
Even after the court was dismissed, the ministers did not return to their respective residences, but walked leisurely out of the city.
However, as soon as they arrived at the city gate, they saw a huge crowd outside the city.
An army of 400,000, with no end in sight.
A group of generals stood in the front, ready to go.
"W-What's going on?"
"Didn't they say that more than half of the generals are sick?"
They were still in a daze when Hou Yuanji was already walking towards the city gate with the list.
Facing the stunned looks of the ministers, he shook the book in his hand and said, "Why, my Lords, are you going to enter the palace with me?"
Before going to war, the emperor must give the order personally.
Several ministers subconsciously stepped aside: "No, no, please go ahead, young general."
Look how proud this kid is, he even calls himself a general.
Hou Yuanji smiled triumphantly, pulled the reins, and rode away.
A group of ministers waiting to watch the show were left behind, their faces covered in dust.
In just two sticks of incense, the ministers saw the emperor leading a group of people towards the city gate.
Before they recovered from the shock, an absurd idea came into their minds.
The Emperor is Coming
It means he actually succeeded.
How long has it been?
Normally, it would take at least a whole day from selecting the generals to setting off.
etc.
Why is there some excitement over there?
As the bright yellow figure got closer, the ministers could hear the noisy sound.
It turned out to be Hou Yuanji and Duke Xuan of Qi who was under house arrest.
Duke Xuan of Qi was so angry that his face turned red: "Impossible, they were all sick and the imperial physician had personally seen them, how come they were all healed after coming to you?"
Hou Yuanji was not at all flustered. He poked him in the spine with a look of disdain: "Who knows? Your character is too bad. Maybe others are unwilling to follow you."
“Nonsense!”
Duke Xuan of Qi was so angry that he trembled all over: "You must have been plotting something.
Your Majesty, I must go and see it myself and get an explanation!"
He was actually scolded by a junior, and a famous playboy in the capital. How could he swallow this?
If it was really those untouchables in the military camp who were plotting against him...
In an instant, at least a dozen vicious plans popped up in Duke Xuan of Qi's mind.
"Alright, alright, shut up."
The emperor was so annoyed by their noise that he shouted angrily, "Hurry up!"
In an instant, the entire team sped up.
The emperor was a good rider, and Hou Yuanji was riding a top-quality warhorse given to him by Lu Wanyin.
But Duke Xuan of Qi was not so lucky.
He was angry and the horse was just stolen.
The horse suddenly accelerated and almost fell off.
Seeing this embarrassed look, Hou Yuanji burst into laughter and instantly won the argument: "You are such a loser, you can't even ride a horse steadily, and you still want to go to war?"
Duke Xuan of Qi was humiliated and remained silent in his anger.
After a while, a group of people walked out of the city.
Looking at the 400,000 troops in neat formation, everyone except Hou Yuanji fell silent.
The emperor looked at Duke Xuan of Qi silently and said, "My dear, what do you have to say?"
Duke Xuan of Qi got the news from somewhere, but he knew that the army had assembled. He insisted that there was a trick and wanted to follow to see what was going on.
Now, Duke Xuan of Qi was dumbfounded.
He drove his horse closer and looked at the general who had been ill not long ago. Now he was dressed in armor and looked energetic. There was no sign of illness at all.
"Impossible, absolutely impossible."
He pointed at the generals angrily and said, "You are deceiving the emperor! Deceiving the emperor! Your Majesty, the crime of deceiving the emperor is punishable by death according to the law."
The general he pointed at was not intimidated at all. He dismounted from his horse and bowed deeply to the emperor.
"Your Majesty, I and the others were indeed ill just now. If Your Majesty does not believe me, please ask the imperial physician to come and confront us."
Duke Xuan of Qi's face turned pale. "Nonsense! If he is indeed ill, how can he be well now? If you don't explain this clearly in front of His Majesty, I will execute all nine generations of your clan."
Hou Yuanji sneered disdainfully: "In this world, only Your Majesty can execute nine generations of an entire clan.
Your Majesty hasn't even opened his mouth yet, and you've already convicted someone.
My Lord, you have overstepped your bounds."
The emperor was annoyed by the noise and said, "Quiet!"
He really wanted to chop these two off first.
After both sides shut up, he looked at the kneeling general and said, "Speak."
The general said in a sonorous and confident tone: "Your Majesty, we are used to living on the border, but we are not used to the climate there.
Now, when I hear that I have to return to the border and fight in the wilderness, I suddenly feel better. Maybe it's just a heart disease."
The emperor opened his mouth, but no words came out.
This reason is ridiculous.
But he couldn't come up with a reason to refute it.
“Nonsense!”
Duke Xuan of Qi was anxious: "If that's the case, why didn't you guys recover when I mobilized the troops, but recovered when he, Duke Yuanji, arrived? Isn't this collusion?"
The general's voice became even louder: "My Lord, you didn't say that. You only said you would give me money, but you didn't say you would go to the border."
He didn't seem to have said that.
This statement cannot be refuted.
Duke Xuan of Qi was so angry that his eyes went dark and he fell down.
Hou Yuanji was trying so hard to hold back his laughter that he was shaking all over.
After finally catching his breath, he put on a serious expression and said, "Your Majesty, the 400,000-strong army has arrived. I request to leave the capital."
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