Chapter 440 Accomplices (1)
Bi Gan immediately put this dilemma aside and stared intently at the two people who were slowly approaching. He was familiar with Yu Hualong, but as for Jiang Shang, forgive Bi Gan for his ignorance, he did not know such a person.
But to be promoted by the king despite his exceptional background, he must be a talented individual.
"Yu Hualong..."
"Jiang Shang..."
"Greetings, Your Majesty..."
"Rise," Chang Hao said, looking at the two men below him with a half-smile. "My dear ministers, you have kept me waiting."
Yu Hualong and Jiang Shang restrained their urge to look up. His Majesty was clearly in Tongguan. They had been on tenterhooks the whole way, outwitting and outmaneuvering those ten wooden logs. They were only sent back to Chaoge when they had run out of options. How could His Majesty be ahead of them?
Could it be that I guessed wrong?
Chang Hao glanced at Yu Hualong and Jiang Ziya, noticing their pale faces and dry lips. "Judging from your appearances, this journey has not been peaceful."
As Yu Hualong and Jiang Ziya recalled their journey of outwitting and outmaneuvering the Ten Heavenly Kings, a hint of pain appeared on their faces. It was not something that could be smoothed over by the King's simple words, "My worthy minister." What kind of people were these? They couldn't understand human language at all.
"Your Majesty..." Yu Hualong was extremely sorrowful and still had lingering fears. With such an emperor, how could he possibly be at peace? "Your Majesty bears the heavy responsibility of the nation. I hope Your Majesty will take good care of yourself and not put yourself in any danger."
He was a military general, straightforward and outspoken, and he caught Chang Hao off guard.
Chang Hao silently looked at Yu Hualong. Now the one with the mournful expression had changed. My dear minister, why did you have to go to such lengths?
Yu Hualong looked directly at His Majesty. Of course, this was the proper way. The King's misdeeds should be known to the ministers and officials; he should not bear the pressure alone.
Bi Gan looked at Yu Hualong, disregarding his inner turmoil. Both were shrewd people, and Yu Hualong's words were full of profound meaning, as if there was a hidden message.
"Uncle, Prime Minister, I have found a talented man for you two, Ziya. Go and pay your respects to the Prime Minister and the Junior Tutor." Chang Hao quickly changed the subject, hoping that his uncle and Shang Rong had not yet understood.
Ziya?
Jiang Ziya?!
Bi Gan and Shang Rong Bi Gan didn't have time to ponder the implied meaning of Yu Hualong's words. Wasn't Jiang Ziya the prime minister installed by that traitor from Xiqi?
"Your Majesty, Jiang Ziya is a traitor. It's one thing to let him go, but how can he be promoted to the rank of Grand Master?" Bigan glared at Jiang Ziya, after all, Jiang Ziya and his group were plotting to seize the throne of his Yin Shang dynasty.
"Your Majesty, there may be something fishy about this matter. We must be wary of the enemy's treacherous schemes." Shang Rong directly accused Jiang Ziya of having ulterior motives and being a spy for Xiqi.
Jiang Ziya smiled bitterly. It was only natural for the Prime Minister and the Junior Tutor to be suspicious. On the contrary, as the second-in-command of the "treason," his sudden defection to the enemy was bound to arouse suspicion.
"Your Majesty, I request to resign from my position as Grand Master and go to Lintong Pass to fight Xiqi head-on, to prove my determination to abandon darkness and embrace the light." Jiang Ziya naturally knew that the battlefield was dangerous, and he did not have the power to move mountains and overturn seas, so he could not deal with the multitude of gods and immortals.
However, Jiang Ziya had an advantage: since he had not succeeded in cultivating Taoism, he did not need to fear the calamities of the gods and could lead his army to cooperate with the immortals in a surprise attack on Xiqi.
With the bloody example of the Twelve Golden Immortals as a warning, the immortals cherished themselves and only dealt with fellow cultivators. After breaking the formation or subduing the enemy cultivators, they would retreat, ultimately relying on mortal troops to advance the battle line and break through the city.
"Since I have the magnanimity to accept the mistakes you made when you were young and inexperienced, how can you back down? With your talent, you should be in charge of the government and bring peace and prosperity to the people of the world." Chang Hao comforted Jiang Ziya.
Putting aside other things, Jiang Ziya was indeed knowledgeable and erudite, possessing the ability to govern the country, bring peace and prosperity to the people, and his insights and ideas were quite similar to those of Chang Hao.
Chang Hao had no idea that when Jiang Ziya was cultivating Taoism in Kunlun, he had a wide range of interests and read about everything.
Jiang Ziya failed to achieve his Taoist goals and had nowhere to confide his inner turmoil. Instead, he repeatedly read through the 'miscellaneous books' that Chang Hao had left in Kunlun, and in his mind, he had already established the image of a wise ruler.
Back in the mortal world, Jiang Ziya remained fixated on his "king in his heart." When Boyi Kao was held hostage in Chaoge, he received a book from Chang Hao, who was then the crown prince. This led to him being completely deceived by Ji Fa, who knew a little about the matter.
They all learned Chang Hao's philosophy, so how could they not be compatible?
Naïve and inexperienced?
Bi Gan and Shang Rong took a deep breath. "Your Majesty, are you serious about using this word to describe an old man in his seventies or eighties?"
"Prime Minister, Uncle Wang, I believe in Ziya's heart to bring benefits to the people. Recently, at Tongguan, Ziya also made a contribution and presented a map of the mountains and rivers of Xiqi and a map of military formations. The map withstood the Grand Tutor's on-site inspection and helped the Grand Tutor to recover most of the territory of Xiqi."
"I am willing to trust Jiang Ziya. Let bygones be bygones and let us not mention the past. Let us wait for the future," Chang Hao said, looking at Jiang Ziya. "The position of Grand Master is somewhat unworthy of you, Jiang Aiqing, but I have high hopes for you. I only hope that you will accumulate knowledge and experience and make steady progress."
"Your Majesty, I am deeply grateful for your kindness. I will repay your kindness with my life." Jiang Ziya's eyes were filled with tears as he felt the king's deep affection. His heart, which had once been burning with the desire to find a wise ruler, was now rekindled.
Bi Gan and Shang Rong exchanged a glance. "Alright," they said, "since the king insists, we'll give Jiang Ziya a chance. Of course, we'll keep an eye on him."
Yu Hualong was extremely anxious when he saw that the king had led his uncle Bi Gan and Shang Rong to another place.
Chang Hao, sitting high above, naturally saw Yu Hualong's subtle expressions clearly.
To prevent this straightforward man from saying something in court again, Chang Hao quickly said, "Prime Minister, Uncle Wang, please go to the court and introduce him to a group of ministers. The people I rely on are only a few of you. I hope the Prime Minister and Uncle Wang will not let me down."
Bi Gan and Shang Rong straightened their clothes and composed themselves, bowing deeply and saying, "Your Majesty, we will certainly not fail your trust."
Bi Gan and Shang Rong gestured for Jiang Shang to follow them. Since His Majesty thought so highly of Jiang Shang, they would wait and see, hoping that Jiang Shang would not disappoint His Majesty's cultivation.
Yu Hualong sensed something was wrong. "Your Majesty, I shall take my leave."
Yu Hualong's sixth sense told him that he had to escape immediately.
"My dear minister, do not rush to leave yet. I still have some important matters to inquire about." Chang Hao looked at Yu Hualong with a half-smile. He had finally managed to distract Bi Gan and Shang Rong with Jiang Shang, so how could he allow Yu Hualong to ruin things?
"I wonder what Your Majesty has to say? I will tell you everything I know without reservation." Yu Hualong was restless and uneasy. What should he do? Things were getting worse and worse.
"I intend to personally lead the expedition to boost morale." Chang Hao didn't waste any words and directly revealed the matter, leaving Yu Hualong with no choice but to pretend he didn't know.
"Your Majesty, you mustn't!!!" Yu Hualong knew his premonition was spot on. "This is not the last resort. Why should Your Majesty personally go to such a dangerous situation?"
As the supreme general, his duty is to safeguard the palace and protect His Majesty at all times. If the palace loses His Majesty, he will lose his head.
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