"The new Tang Dynasty was newly established, and the internal factions were indeed going to great lengths to fight for power. Too many people hoped that I, the regent crown prince, would die outside the country, so it was quite normal that they didn't offer any support..."
Li Zhu glanced in the direction of Luoyang and replied calmly.
At that moment, the emperor, sitting on the dragon throne, also looked towards the direction of Jin, and the two seemed to exchange a glance across the distance...
The emperor withdrew his gaze, unable to help but sigh. The intelligence report in his hand told him that the world was about to descend into chaos once again…
The new Tang dynasty replaced the old Tang dynasty as the ruler of the Central Plains. However, the old Tang dynasty had been in power for a long time, and its internal interest groups had long been established. Faced with the rise of the new Tang dynasty, the clash between the old and new forces naturally intensified.
The Wang family, the Xie family, the Yuwen family, the Liu family…
None of them are easy to mess with. Aside from their factionalism and cronyism, they all have private armies as their backing; the Yang family is the best example…
Now the Liao Dynasty is eyeing the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun with covetous intent, the Jie people are dreaming of establishing a kingdom, and there are also the Baiyue, Nanman, Xiongnu, Tubo, Wa, Goguryeo...
There's nowhere here that's easy to deal with. As the emperor, he's now powerless, with too few resources at his disposal…
After Li Zhu won the battle, the attitudes of the court officials changed. A useless crown prince and a crown prince with military achievements were completely different...
The Xuanwu Gate Incident is the best example of this; those who hold military power are the real bosses. Even Chairman Mao later told us that political power grows out of the barrel of a gun…
"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is a lucky man and is blessed by Heaven; there is no need to worry..."
Seeing the emperor so troubled, Eunuch Tang quickly offered words of comfort!
"Why are all these civil and military officials so short-sighted? Apart from Yuwen Guo, they all see the Crown Prince as a monster. He has only just achieved some military merits, and they are already so frightened that they wish they could kill him themselves..."
Upon hearing Eunuch Tang's words, the emperor couldn't resist the urge to complain, and as if he had opened a floodgate, he poured out all his grievances...
"Your Majesty, they are nothing but a bunch of mediocre people. Why bother with all this trouble? The Crown Prince already has his own stage; let him worry about these things. These officials will eventually reap what they sow..."
Eunuch Tang joined in the complaints with His Majesty…
Outside Dongwoyi City!
Li Zhu withdrew his gaze and then continued speaking.
"Heading straight to Taiyuan Prefecture..."
The group marched in a grand procession towards Taiyuan Prefecture…
After consolidation, Li Zhu now has approximately 20,000 cavalry and 40,000 infantry!
Among them were several thousand Xiliang cavalry, a force among the most powerful cavalry units…
Sixty thousand people marched in a mighty procession towards Taiyuan Prefecture; the scene was truly magnificent…
Bang!
Zhu Yougui was thrown to the ground, and although his body was almost broken, he didn't complain at all. Instead, he smiled and said...
"Senior's martial arts skills are truly unparalleled, and your lightness skill is even more divine. This junior admires you..."
After this round of flattery, Xun Daoren's expression softened slightly, but he still looked gloomy. After all, he had failed again in his confrontation with Li Zhu, which was really upsetting to him. As the head of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, he had been repeatedly taken advantage of by a junior.
"Hmph! Do you even know how much I've ruined? Because of your incompetence and stupidity, most of my previous plans are now useless..."
Master Xun reprimanded him with a cold face!
"Senior, please don't be angry. Since it has already happened, all we can do is look forward..."
Zhu Yougui, however, took it all in stride. This battle not only resulted in the loss of Dongwoyi, but also the loss of 30,000 elite troops, an unimaginable loss for the Jin region…
"Looking forward? How? Do you think you'll still have the final say when we get back to Taiyuan? If your father wants to make peace then, he might even kill you..."
Xun Daoren looked at him and spoke slowly and deliberately, which made Zhu Yougui fall silent. However, he quickly gritted his teeth and said...
"My father is cruel and lewd by nature. To suppress me, he even stole my woman. Such a person is no longer fit to rule. When we return, I should ask my elders to help me kill him, and I will take control of Jin. We will then settle our score with Li Zhu in Taiyuan..."
Zhu Yougui's words made Xun Daoren narrow his eyes, staring intently at Zhu Yougui's gaze, before finally laughing loudly and saying...
"You truly are a ruthless leader, a man destined for greatness. But even if you have the will, how can you possibly control the situation? Your men have all perished at Dongwoyi..."
Zhu Yougui's lips twitched involuntarily. With his own 30,000 elite troops plus the 30,000 who had betrayed him, his strength had been wiped out in an instant. Indeed, he had no power left to control the situation...
Suddenly, Zhu Yougui seemed to have thought of something, and then looked at Xun Daoren and said...
“Senior, I’ve remembered a faction that can help me stabilize the situation. As long as they’re on my side, everything will be fine…”
"Oh? Is that so?"
Xun Daoren looked at Zhu Yougui with suspicion, wondering who had such great power to help Zhu Yougui control the Jin region!
"Yes, I'm referring to the Li family of Taiyuan Prefecture..."
Zhu Yougui mentioned a powerful local clan, but the Li family of Taiyuan and the Li family of Luoyang were not the same. The Li family of Taiyuan were collateral relatives who had settled here after the previous dynasty rose to power…
The surname Li in Luoyang was bestowed by the imperial family of the previous dynasty. Tracing its origins, the current imperial Li family has no relation to the imperial Li family of the previous dynasty…
Are you sure?
Master Xun frowned and asked!
"It's confirmed. I've been in contact with the Li family. They're unwilling to get involved in our Zhu family's internal strife, so they haven't taken sides. However, their strength shouldn't be underestimated; even my father has to show them considerable respect..."
"Could it be that the Li family has soldiers?"
After hearing Zhu Yougui's explanation, Xun Daoren pressed for more information!
"I don't know if they have soldiers, but they control a group of Japanese ronin who can be of great help..."
Zhu Yougui added…
If Li Zhu were here, he would definitely berate Zhu Yougui, saying, "How could you use such a lowly force as the Japanese? I've always treated the Japanese like dogs..."
"Hmm, that's not a bad idea, but are you sure the Li family will help you?"
Xun Daoren looked at Zhu Yougui with a puzzled expression and asked!
“In the past, it was naturally uncertain, but with Miss Qinglu here, I can be 100% certain that the Li family will provide assistance…”
Zhu Yougui looked at Qinglu beside him, his burning desire well concealed. However, Qinglu had already seen through many things in Zhu Yougui's eyes and felt disgusted by this sleazy, sycophantic behavior...
"What does this have to do with me?"
Qinglu asked, puzzled. For some reason, she had a bad feeling...
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