Chapter 601 A Passerby in a Fictional Dynasty (9)
For the next few days, Jiang Yue stayed in the manor. If she wanted to eat something, she would have someone go out and buy it for her. She and Xiao Cui did not go out. Even near the manor, they could see handsome men falling into the river. They might not dare to force themselves on them, but if Jiang Yue took a liking to someone, there was nothing they could do.
After the entourage was ready, the family set off back to Liangzhou. According to information gathered by the Jiang family spies, the old emperor might not make it. They needed to return to Liangzhou before he passed away, otherwise they might be caught up in the war, which would be too dangerous. Even a Grandmaster couldn't survive in a 100,000-strong army, let alone with people in tow.
After a day's journey, having left the capital city area, everyone was on high alert. At this point, it was impossible to guarantee that no one would take advantage of the situation. However, they could not let their guard down and it was always best to be cautious in everything they did. No one had rested much that day, and now that they had reached a place with a wider view, the caravan prepared to take a break.
After setting up camp, Jiang Yue got off the carriage. Although she had ridden in a carriage, she wasn't tired because the road was quite flat just outside the capital and not very bumpy, so lying down was quite comfortable.
Some people were busy feeding the cows, while others were busy cooking. Jiang Yue and Xiao Cui looked at the nearby scenery, but they didn't go far. They just wandered around for a bit and then came back, without running off to do anything reckless.
After eating, we continued on our way. The current road conditions were still suitable for traveling through the night. Both the people and the oxen had cultivated themselves, so to be honest, traveling all day wasn't tiring.
This journey took another three days. By then, we were quite far from the capital. The road conditions ahead were not good, so we needed to rest and recharge. We rested for two days.
Two days later, they continued their journey. Judging by the speed of the Earth-Shaking Ox, they estimated that they would reach Liangzhou in a few more days. They did not encounter any bandits along the way, mainly because the caravan had a large number of people and looked formidable. Mountain bandits and robbers were not stupid and would not attack such a caravan.
When they arrived in Liangzhou City, Jiang's father was already waiting at the city gate. Seeing that Jiang's mother was so busy with her children that he forgot about them and chatted with her for a while. Jiang's father said, "A few days ago, news came from the capital that the old emperor failed to break through and passed away. Now the princes are fighting like madmen. Fortunately, they returned home safely."
No wonder. Jiang Yue was wondering why the defenses in Liangzhou City had become so strict. It seems that the curtain is about to rise, and the protagonist is about to embark on his destined glorious path. The Jiang family can no longer keep a low profile. In this day and age, there are some things that you really can't avoid. Let's see what Jiang's father will do.
After returning home, we first went to a hot spring to relax. After dinner, the family went to the study. The eldest brother and Jiang's father talked about the trip to the capital in great detail. Jiang's mother also talked about the plans of her maternal grandfather. After thinking for a moment, Jiang's father asked the eldest brother, "I plan to have you study under Zhuge Liang. Are you willing?"
"Father, should we side with the Ninth Prince?"
"There's no way to avoid it. At this point, we have no choice but to take the initiative. Even so, we haven't been able to gain any initiative."
"During this time, I have been keeping a close eye on the Ninth Prince. His strength is unfathomable. Although his subordinates are not well-known, they are all very capable. I have not yet found out who is supporting him behind the scenes, especially the strategist Zhuge. Such a person could not possibly be cultivated by some hidden sect. It is truly strange!"
"Then I will follow my father's arrangements."
Jiang's mother poured Jiang's father a cup of tea, then asked, "Should we split the bets?"
Father Jiang shook his head: "There's no need. Hedging your bets will only result in losses for both sides. Even if the Ninth Prince fails, the Jiang family only needs to lie low for a few years. It won't be a serious blow."
"If the Ninth Prince succeeds, all will be well; if he fails, I'm afraid you'll have nothing to do with the position of family head."
"So? Still insisting? If you don't want to, you can find someone else. There are quite a few outstanding members in the family."
"Father, please arrange the specific details."
"good!"
"Yue'er, what's your opinion?"
"It's okay to take sides, but we need to be careful. They already have a lot of talented people under them. Compared to their original team, we might not get better treatment in the future. We need to be prepared for that."
"That doesn't matter. Our goal is to preserve the family. Position is secondary."
"Then there's no problem."
Afterwards, they discussed some other matters. After the meeting, Jiang Yue went back to her room to sleep. Although she was inclined to support the Ninth Prince, this was not something that could be accomplished in a short time. The two sides only had this tacit understanding, and the specifics of how to cooperate would require several more discussions.
By the time Jiang Yue's elder brother entered the Ninth Prince's residence, three months had passed. At this time, the outcome of the battle in the capital had also been decided. Several princes were wiped out, and of the dozens of princes in the capital, only five survived. These included the deposed crown prince, the second prince who was in charge of the country, the little-known nineteenth prince, and his younger brother, the thirty-fifth prince.
Of course, the most surprising thing was the Eighth Prince, the Ninth Prince's elder brother. The day before the Second Prince inherited the throne, he led his troops into the capital and defeated the Second Prince to ascend the throne. If the remaining princes hadn't run away quickly, the royal bloodline would probably have been wiped out.
After the princes fled back to their fiefdoms, they all issued a proclamation denouncing the traitor, declaring that the Eighth Prince had colluded with the Demonic Sect, murdered his brothers, and disregarded all family ties. They called on all people of goodwill to join forces to defeat him. Some people speculated whether the Eighth Prince had really sided with the Demonic Sect, which was not tolerated by the entire world.
Jiang Yue knew that he had truly joined the Demonic Sect. Strictly speaking, joining wasn't accurate, because the Eighth Prince had been replaced since childhood and was originally of demonic blood. The Demonic Sect in this world wasn't some sect with differing ideologies; it was a true extraterrestrial demon. However, this was only discovered later in the story. He was a very important boss in the early stages.
While the others were preparing breakfast, the Ninth Prince was also busy. He took control of Zhenhai City in the east and then captured two cities in the west, thus sealing off the northeast region. Next, he would probably deal with the barbarians, since Jiang Yue's caravan had been supplying the Ninth Prince with provisions recently, which was clearly a sign that he was about to launch a military campaign.
Furthermore, the Northeast region is rich in resources and has great agricultural potential. If developed properly, it can become a trade hub. Another reason is that the overall strength of the South is still very strong. It is unlikely that the protagonist can fight against multiple opponents alone. Right now, the other princes are fighting so fiercely that their brains are about to explode. The protagonist can buy some time to develop.
About a month later, Jiang Yue received a message from the puppet he had arranged in advance. He saw that the main force was heading towards the barbarians. The puppet reported the number of troops, about 300,000, which were divided into several groups and set off from several directions. It seemed that this time they would not leave the barbarians any way out.
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