Chapter Forty-Nine: Another Scheme Against Me
Li Zinian hadn't expected that the supposedly dull and reckless Crown Prince of Heng would be so difficult to deal with. This time, Zhao Qirui sent him a message, ordering him to send 50,000 troops to Maimai City to help defend it. He pondered for a long time, hesitating.
Logically, Zhao Qirui's military order should have been easy to carry out. He could have simply sent two of the three armies that had come to Wulan City: the Wuning Army, the Wuwei Army, and the Wusheng Army. These three were all imperial guards, well-equipped, and well-trained, ready for battle. However, two of the three imperial guards had some connection to his Li family... and he preferred to send the third army to Maimai City, which led to the current situation.
"Commander He, how about apologizing to His Highness the Crown Prince?" Li Zinian casually uttered an unexpected remark.
"Your subordinates swear to die rather than submit! I, He Jin, have fought dozens of battles and faced death countless times for my country. How can I be so humiliated..." He Jin shouted, his words stirring up both sympathy and indignation among the noble families present. Although they were aristocrats, the powerful clans had never given them a second glance. The scene of He Jin being oppressed by Qin Mo using his status was the deepest pain in their hearts.
"Governor Chen, in your opinion, what should be done about this?" Li Zinian passed the buck to Chen Xuanji.
Chen Xuanji had been resting with his eyes half-closed, but when he heard that Li Zinian was still trying to drag him into this, he couldn't help but sigh, sit up straight, glance at Qin Mo, and ask her in a soft voice.
“Your Highness, the Grand General has already gone to Maimai City. It is inappropriate for Your Highness to request military orders from the Northern Expedition General’s Office. Although I am the Deputy Commander of the Central Army, I am only acting as the Grand Commander of the Expedition this time, and I do not wish to interfere in the Northern Expedition.” At this point, he glanced at Qin Mo again, making Qin Mo feel uneasy.
"However, this battle presents a golden opportunity for our Great Xia. I, the Grand Commander, have decided to transfer seven thousand men from your troops to reinforce the trading city. What do you think?"
Qin Mo glared at Chen Xuanji, a raging fire igniting in his usually deep and unwavering eyes. Chen Xuanji seemed to be acting in his best interests, allowing Qin Mo to simply send the seven thousand Fusang warriors to the trading city. However… this meant that his confrontation with Li Zinian just now wouldn't have been a case of him arguing his case based on his freedom from Li Zinian's jurisdiction, but rather Qin Mo's unreasonable demands failing, ultimately leading to his subjugation and a desperate attempt to save himself by dividing his forces.
If he agreed to Chen Xuanji's proposal, he would inevitably become a laughingstock among the powerful clans. A prince's heir, a first-class nobleman, would be "forced" to submit to these nouveau riche and abandon his troops to escape alone. The prestige of the Prince Heng's lineage would surely plummet.
But what would the Emperor do if he disobeyed the Central Military Command's orders? The Emperor's attitude toward his own promotion to prince was already ambiguous; would he take this opportunity to demote him and exile him? After a brief moment of thought, Qin Mo devised a plan.
“Governor Chen, although this is my first time leading an army, I know that if the morale of the troops is low, the army will be difficult to lead. If I send seven thousand men to buy and sell the city while I, the commander, enjoy myself in Ulan City, how can my troops be expected to fight to the death?”
"Since Governor Chen is willing to 'intervene' in this matter, then please give me a transfer order from the Central Military Command. I, Qin Mo, will immediately send ten thousand men north to Maimai City without hesitation." After saying this, Qin Mo sat steadily in his seat, closed his eyes, and others thought he was resisting helplessly. In fact, only he knew what he was going to do next.
Chen Xuanji looked at Qin Mo, who was sitting there without saying a word, and felt disgusted. He didn't want to get involved in this mess. The powerful families were not so easy to mess with. After discussing with Li Zinian, he chose the seemingly weakest line of the Prince Heng in Dayuan to start his scheme, but he was still cornered by the young Qin Mo.
Chen Xuanji was, after all, only a deputy governor, while the Grand Governor, Prince Yan Qin Mu, was a member of the royal family and had some connections with Qin Lan from back then. If he forced Qin Mo to go to the trading city, it would be fine if he was safe and sound, but if something went wrong... well... firstly, whether Prince Yan would retaliate, the Grand Governor had Allen.
“Governor Chen, since His Highness is so loyal to His Majesty, you should give him a warrant to satisfy his desire for war.”
Li Zinian began putting pressure on Chen Xuanji again. Both the Chen family of Qingzhou and the Li family of Jinyang were newly powerful families, and they had traditionally supported each other. However, the Li family had recently become very close to the Wang family, and was beginning to show signs of overshadowing the Chen family. If Chen Xuanji didn't help Li Zinian this time, the alliance between the two families would inevitably be strained.
"Very well, I, the Commander, will sign a warrant for His Highness the Crown Prince." Chen Xuanji finally took out his Commander's Seal, wrote a transfer order, stamped it with the red seal, and gave it to Qin Mo.
"This governor wishes His Highness a resounding victory and extraordinary achievements." Chen Xuanji forced a smile, which Qin Mo found utterly repulsive.
"My father, Prince Heng, Qin Lan, fought dozens of battles against the orcs, annihilating countless enemies and achieving great merit. Which of you here can compare to him?" Qin Mo asked loudly as he tucked the transfer order into his robes.
Before anyone around him could answer, Qin Mo continued to shout loudly, "I, Qin Mo, have been weak since childhood, but I know how to be loyal to the emperor and the country. This trip north was my duty, but I have been humiliated. It is truly hateful."
"It's one thing to insult me, but to insult my late father... He Jin, what virtue or ability do you have? How dare you, a sycophant, call Qin Lan's name?"
"Today, I challenge you, a warrior who has fought on the battlefield. I just don't know... whether you, He Jin, are a man... or dare to accept the challenge?"
Qin Mo finished speaking in one breath, leaving everyone dumbfounded. He first stated that his trip north was voluntary, then highlighted his father Qin Lan's achievements, and now he had found a powerful reason to challenge He Jin. Even the quick-witted Qin Yuanze was completely baffled by Qin Mo's scheme.
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