Chapter 252: Conquering Xicheng and Heading Straight to the Capital
Good news also came from Chunzhi's side: they had swept through Xicheng at the fastest speed.
Of course, the casualties were also heavy.
Su Zhenzhen had become somewhat numb.
Such was the tide of the times, and she was powerless to stop it.
The Huo family army captured Xicheng and marched straight towards the capital.
However, Chunzhi did not have enough troops and needed to draw troops from the border prefectures.
According to scouts, troops are being continuously deployed towards the capital.
Perhaps no one expected that a woman could lead the Huo family army, composed of civilians from all over the country, to the very gates of the capital.
How similar this scene is! Wasn't the siege of the capital also caused by a mutinous army composed of refugees?
It really was a twist of fate, a series of twists and turns.
The powerful families of the Jiang Dynasty looked down on ordinary people, unaware that the world never belonged to any one family or clan, but to all people.
The Jiang family's practice of using their direct lineage to ensure the continuation of the dynasty's rule went against the tide of history, and the collapse of their dynasty was only a matter of time.
Su Zhenzhen has no intention of being the one to save a collapsing building.
Everything is preordained.
Why was I specifically sent here, specifically to the Jiang Dynasty? Perhaps the answer will be revealed soon.
Chunzhi and Hensheng were busy procuring troops and provisions, while Su Zhenzhen was not idle either. She used the aroma of food to trick Jiang Jingyan into revealing the Jiang family genealogy.
Combined with the files she had previously reviewed, Su Zhenzhen had essentially pinpointed the identity of that powerful mystic.
Jiang Jingwei, an orphan of the Jiang family, is said to have been born with bad luck and brought about the death of his close relatives, while others say that his life was full of hardships and he was not liked by his clan, so he could only learn and practice metaphysics on his own.
These statements were all obtained by Su Zhenzhen from the mouths of mountain spirits and monsters.
Since cracking the method of returning the living soul to its rightful place, Su Zhenzhen can summon spirits and monsters from all over the world at will.
These spirits cannot be reincarnated; they can only cultivate themselves day after day, striving to ascend to immortality one day.
Su Zhenzhen's current abilities are limited, and all she can say is thank you. If she were the lonely soul, the ancestor of all souls, she would naturally not hesitate to bestow a fortune upon him.
Old Man Bai and Li Da also came to Xicheng.
Victory was within reach; at this point, it seemed no one would believe that Hensheng would fail.
The imperial court is the one facing a major headache.
In the capital city, inside the imperial palace.
The old prime minister has been in poor health since last winter and now needs servants to carry him to court. Even so, he has no intention of relinquishing power.
The puppet emperor Jiang Yichen sat on the dragon throne like a mere background figure.
The old prime minister coughed twice. "Didn't Master Jiang say that the Battle of Xi City was invincible? In the end, Xi City was captured by a woman?"
Jiang Jingwei stood quietly in a corner, showing no emotional fluctuation even when being openly mocked.
Of course, the words spoken were devoid of any personal feelings, presented entirely as a matter of fact, yet they struck right at the heart of people's hearts.
"I thought the Prime Minister wanted to discuss with me a strategy to save the country, since the Huo family army has already reached the capital, and our wealth and honor are in imminent danger. But I didn't expect the Prime Minister to come and hold me accountable. The battlefield is ever-changing, and I failed to consider things thoroughly. I should admit my guilt and accept punishment. I just don't know if the Prime Minister already has a plan to repel the enemy? I urge you to speak up as soon as possible, so as not to cause His Majesty anxiety."
Jiang Yichen, who was forcibly dragged into the topic, expressed his helplessness, saying, "Can't you just ignore me?"
"Cough cough!" The old prime minister coughed even louder because he was angry.
Jiang Yichen felt he should offer some words of concern, but before he could say anything, someone else had already acted faster than him.
"How are you feeling, Prime Minister?" Jiang Jingwei went over to comfort the old prime minister immediately, a hint of anxiety appearing on his usually nonchalant face. "His Majesty's empire still needs the prime minister to oversee it. Please take good care of yourself."
Jiang Yichen, who was listening nearby, felt that what he said sounded very strange.
The old prime minister's face turned red from holding it in, and he coughed violently again.
That brat dared to openly accuse him of overstepping his bounds!
But don't they realize that if he hadn't gathered the power of the aristocratic families to put that good-for-nothing Jiang Yichen on the throne, the world would no longer belong to the Jiang family.
Jiang Jingwei's hands moved faster and faster, as if he wanted to expel all the stagnant energy from the old prime minister's body.
The old prime minister's face was as red as a spilled paint palette. "Young Master Jiang, do you intend to kill me?"
Jiang Jingwei stopped what he was doing, forcing a smile. "I'm just trying to appease the Prime Minister. You're getting on in years, so you need more attentive and careful servants. These two servants are dull-witted; perhaps I should pick out two more clever ones for you?"
The old prime minister's eyes flashed with a cold light, and the two servants immediately slapped themselves in the face.
This move shows a complete disregard for the royal family.
The imperial court is not the prime minister's private residence; even when disciplining a servant, one must consider the occasion.
The puppet emperor Jiang Yichen was numb. Offending him once was one thing, but if he kept offending him, it would just mean that the prime minister was getting old.
The old prime minister's expression softened considerably. He waved his hand, and the two servants immediately stopped slapping themselves.
This person completely considers himself the master of this place.
Jiang Jingwei glanced at the emperor on the dragon throne out of the corner of his eye. The latter's eyes were glazed over, his thoughts seemingly wandering elsewhere.
Jiang Jingwei could only curse him as a good-for-nothing. Countless members of the Jiang clan's collateral branches had tried for generations but never even touched the dragon throne, yet he, this good-for-nothing, was so lucky that he didn't have to do anything and someone put the imperial crown on his head.
The old prime minister coughed lightly. "We are now at a critical juncture, and I hope that the Jiang clan's collateral branches will not stand idly by any longer, otherwise the situation of the siege of the capital more than twenty years ago will repeat itself. But back then, they were just a group of refugees, and they were not a force to be reckoned with. Now we are facing the Huo family army, the most powerful army in the entire Jiang Dynasty. That woman is not to be underestimated. She repelled the barbarians, swept down from the border states, and recently used a great fire in Yangcheng to destroy our aristocratic family's elite army."
When Song Anbang brought back this news, the old prime minister was angry.
What were the other generals in Bianzhou doing? Some died, some fled, and in the end, a woman took control of the situation in Bianzhou.
Jiang Jingwei remained calm and composed. "The Jiang family has many branches and sub-branches, and I have long since become a recluse. I'm afraid I can't command them. What about Marquis Enyi? Does he have a plan?"
The old prime minister made no attempt to hide his disdain. If he were truly a hermit, he wouldn't be appearing in the court.
In the entire hall, apart from the fool sitting on the dragon throne, who among the others didn't have a twisted and convoluted expression?
"Marquis Enyi disappeared a month ago. I wonder what he's been up to." The old prime minister frowned in deep thought. "Now that the advantage is not in our hands, we should make plans as soon as possible. Marquis Enyi is, after all, the Crown Prince's uncle, so he should be able to keep his life. But it's hard to say about the rest of us."
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