Chapter 68: Prince Yue’s Residence

　　Li Chunyang said with his eyes narrowed, “In this case, it’s not difficult to explain what happened to Kunjin.”

　　“What happened exactly?” Yunxiao asked, frowning.

　　“Five days ago,” Qin Yue said sulkily, “we had news that Whitehead Town had suddenly been overrun by an army of eight hundred thousand men from Baizhan, and that they had besieged Kunjin at lightning speed afterward. Right now, your father—General Feilong—is still resisting the enemy from within the city. But, his request for help has reached the capital.”

　　“How did the court respond?”

　　“Kunjin and Whitehead are Tianshui’s natural barriers. The consequences will be unimaginable if they were breached. His Majesty summoned all the military leaders and requested Duke Jingguo to lead the rescue.”

　　Looking at Li Chunyang, Yunxiao asked, “What do you think then?”

　　Li Chunyang was somewhat startled, but was very satisfied with this grandson on the inside. If others heard their fathers were besieged by an army, they would have flown into a rage and could not wait for even a moment to march. But, Yunxiao was extremely calm, without even the slightest mood swings in his eyes.

　　He smiled with gratification and then said, “Kunjin is easier to defend than to attack. Your father has a legion of three hundred thousand men with him in the city, the Flying Dragon Army, so the mere eight hundred thousand men from Baizhan are not a threat to him. Besides, it is still a question whether these eight hundred thousand men are a real number or not. Now that you say 8527 is colluding with Qin Yang, I’m more convinced that this plea for help is a sham created by them. Their real motive is to lure the tiger out of the mountains!”

　　“Do you mean their real motive is to get the forces under the Li Family out of the capital so that Qin Yang can do whatever he wants? By the time we find out that things are not as we expected in Kunjin and return to the capital, the dust would have already settled, and it will be too late for us to change the situation?”

　　“That’s right!” Li Chunyang said approvingly. “You are truly my grandson. Haha!”

　　“But, what if the plea for help is genuine?”

　　Li Chunyang’s smile faded away as he said lightly, “Your father is stationed in Kunjin, a natural barrier, and he has three hundred thousand men from the Flying Dragon Army. If he can’t resist the eight hundred thousand men from the enemy army, then it proves that he is incompetent and deserves to suffer some hardships. Moreover, you know I can’t leave the capital.”

　　His tone became a little sad when he said he could not leave the capital. Yunxiao naturally knew what he was referring to. Chen Dasheng could only survive for one more month with the Melting Pills and his energy, and now half a month had passed.

　　After pondering for a moment, Yunxiao said, “Perhaps you are thinking too simply. Even if the plea for help was not written by father, I’m afraid that the situation in Kunjin may not be as optimistic as you think. Baizhan has been blocked to the east of Great Python Mountain for hundreds of years, and has never breached these two places. But this time, they managed to let an army cross the mountain. Do you think their purpose is only to assist Qin Yang to seize the throne and lure the tiger out of the mountains?”

　　Startled, Qin Yue said in horror, “Do you mean Baizhan really has the intention of invading our state? That’s bad, because if Kunjin is lost, all thirteen cities in our heartland will be exposed to their heavy cavalry! What can we do?”

　　Yunxiao calmly analyzed, “Baizhan’s strategy and purpose can be both true and false, which makes it difficult for us to distinguish. But, rescuing Kunjin is a trap that we cannot avoid. Even though we all know that it is a trap, we have to jump in. Otherwise, the consequences will be too serious!”

　　His analysis made Li Chunyang fidgety and walk back and forth in the hall, scolding angrily, “This Qin Yang is really crazy! How can he do such a thing!”

　　Yunxiao chuckled and said, “This is not difficult to understand. He had waited so many years for the throne, and the wait is finally coming to an end. But at this moment, Prince Yue suddenly stood up and began to reverse the situation, tilting the balance. This, of course, made him mad. So, it is not surprising that he will take risks!”

　　Qin Yue said angrily, “My elder brother is too selfish! How could he disregard the safety of the whole state for his own desires? If he really wants the throne so much, I’ll not fight with him!”

　　These kinds of righteous words could be said in front of outsiders, but everyone present here was an old fox. To say such a thing in front of them showed Qin Yue’s immaturity.

　　One of the ministers took the opportunity to flatter by saying, “Your Highness must not do this! Your Highness’s love for the people and the world shows that you will be a good king. If the throne is taken by Qin Yang, the future of our state will be dark, and the people will suffer! For the sake of your beloved people, Your Highness must think twice!”

　　As he spoke, he even wiped away some tears with his sleeve, as if he was worried about the fate of the people and begging on their behalf.

　　Qin Yue nodded and said, “You have a point, Lord Xu! It seems that I will have to fight Qin Yang for the sake of my people even if I die!”

　　Li Chunyang was already in vexation, and he became even more furious when he heard these flattering words. “Since Lord Xu is so concerned about the state and the people, I’ll provide you three hundred thousand soldiers, and you will lead them to rescue Kunjin,” he said coldly.

　　Lord Xu’s face reddened and he was instantly rendered speechless, lowering his head and stammering.

　　Bai Mou, who had not spoken for a long time, suddenly said, “Young Master Yun, do you have a good plan?”

　　Despite his youth, Yunxiao had emerged as a key member of their team. Besides, Bai Mou was good at astrology and divination, and she firmly believed that the key to Qin Yue’s claim to the throne lay with Yunxiao. Moreover, the development of the situation was increasingly moving in the direction she saw from the stars.

　　As soon as she asked the question, everyone quieted down and their eyes fell on Yunxiao. The ministers around Qin Yue were disdainful and sullen. They thought this must be a show put up by Li Chunyang because he wanted to cultivate his grandson, as well as highlight his grandson’s weight and ability in front of Qin Yue. By doing so, Yunxiao would be able to contribute in the future, thus allowing their family to continue to prosper.

　　Yunxiao read the faces of these ministers, so he sneered and said, “I do have a plan, but there are too many ears here.”

　　Qin Yue was slightly taken aback, but he waved all the same, signaling the others to leave them alone.

　　The ministers were stunned and looked displeased while Lord Xu said coldly, “All of us here are close associates of His Highness. Young Master Yun, you don’t seem to trust us very much by saying so, do you?”

　　Yunxiao gave him a contemptuous look and said, “It’s not that I don’t trust you very much, but I don’t trust you at all.”

　　“Li Yunxiao, you are insulting us and are disrespectful to His Highness!”

　　“If you dare to use your head to guarantee that anything I say today will not get out, then you can stay!” Yunxiao’s cold gaze swept over the others as he said, “So are you. Anyone who wants to stay, be prepared to hang your head on your belt. If you have the courage, you can stay.”

　　As soon as Lord Xu was glanced at by Yunxiao, he immediately felt as if an ice sword had pierced his heart, making him almost suffocated with cold. He took a deep breath, but was still shivering with cold, which filled his heart with terror.

　　The other ministers also felt as if a gust of freezing wind was blowing on their faces, chilling their hearts.

　　‘Who the hell is this Li Yunxiao? Why does he have such an icy glare?’

　　‘What a joke! Why should we use our heads to guarantee that anything he says today will not get out?’

　　No one wanted to take unnecessary risks, and no one dared to look at Yunxiao’s cold and sharp eyes again. One after another, all the ministers walked out of the hall with gloomy faces.

　　Qin Yue said hastily, “My dear subjects, you all have worked hard for most of the day. Please go to the Drunken Flower Hall in my residence to have a rest. Someone, bring the best singers and musicians in my residence to the Drunken Flower Hall, and also serve my dear subjects the best refreshments and teas!”

　　As their future monarch, Qin Yue could not chill everyone’s hearts at this time under any circumstances. He knew when to use whom. In the past, Qin Yang and his fights were all covert, so he needed this group of civil ministers to criticize and fight the legitimacy for him. Now, however, with the struggle between them gradually coming up to the surface, what he needed most was strong forces. Therefore, the weight of the Li Family had surpassed that of everyone else present at this moment.

　　Soon, only Yunxiao, Ji Meng, Jia Rong, and Li Chunyang were left in the hall, along with Qin Yue and Bai Mou.

　　“Young Master Yun, can you tell us your plan now? Or do you want me to leave as well?” Bai Mou asked with a chuckle.

　　Yunxiao laughed and said, “Haha! You really can tell jokes, Commander Bai!” He put away his smile and said seriously, “My plan is to give consideration to both sides!”

　　A hint of disappointment flashed in Qin Yue’s eyes, but he quickly hid it. He sighed and said, “I’ve thought about giving consideration to both sides, but our manpower is limited. If Duke Jingguo is not in the capital, what forces would I have to fight my elder brother with?”

　　Li Chunyang also frowned and said, “You know how His Majesty treats our family now. A large number of important posts in the military have been replaced by Qin Yang’s men, and some of my former subordinates have all been either promoted or demoted, depriving them of their military power. Moreover, if Kunjin is really besieged, the only one capable of rescuing them is the Central Army with five hundred thousand soldiers.”

　　At the mention of the Central Army, Qin Yue’s face suddenly became gloomy.

　　Li Chunyang continued, “But, the commander-in-chief of the Central Army is none other than Qin Yang. Although the factions of the Central Army are complex and he may not completely control it, it seems impossible for him to dispatch troops to the rescue. Moreover, His Majesty is in a weak position now, so even if he orders troops to be mobilized, I’m worried that Qin Yang will not obey his order unless I stand up and plead for help. With my reputation, we may be able to recruit some of my former subordinates from various armies.”

　　Qin Yue said hurriedly, “Duke Jingguo, you must not leave the capital. My plan depends entirely on you.”

　　Yunxiao smiled and said, “Yes Grandpa, you must stay in the capital. Let me go for the rescue.”

　　Li Chunyang said in astonishment, “You?” He immediately shook his head and said, “No way! Even if I can recruit some of my former subordinates, these men are all unruly and hard to subdue. No one can control them unless I personally lead the troops.”

　　While frowning, Bai Mou said, “Young Master Yun is still too young! Even if Duke Jingguo can recruit some of his former subordinates, the number and combat effectiveness should be very limited. If something really happens to Kunjin, such troops will not be able to make a difference.”

　　Looking at the sad faces of the crowd, Yunxiao laughed and said, “You seem to have forgotten three people!”