CHAPTER 853: CHAPTER 512: THE PRIME MINISTER’S FALL (PART 2)

"Lord Zhao, has Your Majesty calmed down? Please deliver a message to His Majesty for us, saying that we know our mistakes. We are all one family, and it would be a joke for the world to see the royal family fighting among themselves, wouldn’t it? My father and I promise to retire and return to Qingzhou to live as wealthy elders and never meddle in court affairs again, ensuring we behave ourselves..."

Zhao Douan paused, staring strangely at this fool, thinking to himself that Xu, your genes in this branch are ruined.

He couldn’t be bothered to argue with this idiot, so he smiled and said, "Almost forgot, two days later, along with Li Yanfu on Huangquan Road, it’s your turn too."

Having said that, he left gracefully.

Xu Zudi was struck as if by lightning, his face ashen.

Behind him, Prince Heng, who was pretending to be dead on the straw mat, raised his head in astonishment, suddenly went mad, and got up, shouting loudly:

"I am of the Imperial Family! How dare she kill me!? She dares to kill uncles, and she will bear eternal infamy! I..."

"Bang!"

Zhao Douan closed the iron door of the Class A cell behind him, picking his ear that hurt from the yelling, and said indifferently, "Cancel the last meal for Prince Heng and his son. If they can shout so much, they surely aren’t hungry."

The jailer smirked, "Yes."

Qian Kerou and Shen Juan exchanged glances, feeling a bit like laughing.

Zhao Douan glanced at the two and said, "You two are tasked with taking Wei Xianzong from the prison and sending him to the Divine Mechanism Camp, demoting him to a private in the Vanguard Camp. Tell him, my office cherishes talent and gives him a chance to redeem himself. If he can achieve merit on the frontline, his family’s involvement in the rebellion will be forgiven. If he tries to escape, tell Shi Meng to kill him directly. A way to live has been given to him, and if he doesn’t understand to seize it, it shows he’s just a fool, and there’s no point in keeping him alive."

Qian Kerou and Shen Juan were stunned, then saluted in unison, "Understood!"

Zhao Douan stepped out, walked out of the Imperial Prison gate, looked up allowing the late summer sun to shine on his face, and as he gazed at the blue sky and white clouds, he felt a slight coolness of late summer.

Next, there was a tough battle to be fought.

...

...

On the Eastern Front of the Huai River, adjacent to the Grand Canal, a small transportation hub city near the Coastal Road had been lively recently.

Only because the rebel army of Jiancheng Road had halted the advance north toward the Capital, suddenly switching from an offensive posture to constructing solid frontline fortifications relying on the terrain and critical transportation points.

Simultaneously, officials aligned with Prince Jing’s Mansion began to take over the territory on the Eastern Front of the Huai River, digesting and absorbing local forces at the fastest speed.

In just a few days, proclamations to "protect the territory and secure the people" were posted on the walls of major counties and even villages and towns.

In the city, within a county government.

Prince Jing, Xu Wen, sat expressionless in the back office, reading the latest intelligence reports conveyed by spies.

Below him, on two rows of chairs on the left and right in the room, were several "civil servants and military officers."

No one dared to breathe heavily.

Princely Heir Xu Jinglong and Princess Consort Lu Yan’er sat left and right on the two chairs closest to Prince Jing.

"Bang!"

Finally, Xu Wen slapped the paper in his hand on the tea table, pressing it hard with his palm, causing the table to groan.

"Father, how is the situation in the Capital?" Xu Jinglong dared to ask.

Xu Wen’s face was as calm as water, expressing displeasure, "The Empress returned in time to stop the coup launched by Li Yanfu, the Li Party fell, and the court is now controlled by the Empress. Furthermore, that Zhao dog led the Divine Mechanism Camp, massively defeated the Qingzhou Army, and captured Xu Heng and his son alive, reportedly with new firearms achieving success. Now, Li Yanfu and Xu Heng and others have been executed and displayed to the public. Next, if there are no accidents, the Capital Camp should head south to support Xue Shence."

In just a few hundred words, the information was enormous.

The instant Prince Jing revealed the intelligence, the entire hall fell silent, with his civil servants and military officers stunned, eyes widening in disbelief as if they had misheard or were listening to a fantasy tale.

Li Yanfu lost? The Li Party uprooted? What about the supposed biggest force in the court? What about the assured victory? The promise of the Li family by the Huai River... just this?

Xu Jinglong opened his mouth like a deflated ball, seeing his expectations fall tremendously flat.

He had returned to the capital? And led an army to a great victory over the Qingzhou rebel army? Princess Consort Lu Yan’er clutched the sleeves in her fingers, eyes revealing complexity, both pleased with Zhao Douan being safe and her ancestors not disappearing, and astonished at the news of his military victory.

"The Qingzhou Army lost? So quickly? It’s known that the Qingzhou Army is the smallest and not good at fighting, but not to lose so quickly? Is Prince Heng a pig?!" A general shouted angrily.

The alliance of the Vassal Kings weakened with Prince Heng’s defeat, losing such a force to contain the court, and now they faced inevitably increased pressure.

"What new firearms? I think it’s more that the Qingzhou Army is useless. Even dozens of thousands, they could be like thousands of chickens for Zhao Douan to catch for days, couldn’t they?" Another staff member said angrily.

The battle of Baihua Village was the first such victorious news Prince Jing received.

Therefore, Prince Jing was the first to realize that they should abandon the move toward the Capital and change tactics to be Vassal Kings splitting the region.

Hence, everyone was unsurprised by the Empress taking power and Li Yanfu being killed; what really stunned them was Zhao Douan’s great defeat of the Qingzhou Army.

It was so fast that it was hard to respond.

Prince Jing said lightly, "Detailed intelligence about the new firearms will soon be sent back, do not underestimate them. At the same time, instruct all troops to block the news of Qingzhou’s defeat to prevent demoralization, order all regions to continue as usual, as long as they completely digest the occupied territory and block the grain route on the Grand Canal, at most three months, the Capital, Linfeng and other places will be short of supplies. Even if Qingzhou supplies, they can barely hold on, but as long as we continue the blockade, by winter, alone with the shortage of food, it will be enough to make the court collapse without a fight. The ultimate victor will still be us."

Everyone’s spirits lifted, and they all agreed and set off to carry out their orders.

"Jinglong, wait a moment," Xu Wen called to the Princely Heir last preparing to leave, "What were you trying to report earlier?"

Xu Jinglong said, "Oh, nothing much, just received a message from subordinates that they accidentally found the severely injured and unconscious monk Tian Hai by a riverbank. His injuries are very serious, and he has not woken up. What should we do?"

"Tian Hai? That young monk who competed with Zhao Douan in that Buddhist Tao competition?" Prince Jing recalled, frowned, "Since he is a high disciple of Divine Dragon Temple, have someone find a temple to take him in for healing."

Given the current situation, he had neither the leisure nor interest in focusing on a defeated and severely injured monk.

"Okay, understood," Xu Jinglong nodded and accepted.

...

Linfeng Road Western Front, Taicang Prefecture.

In a military tent, Xue Shence seriously read an urgent report from the Capital, gradually relaxing his brows.

This Great Yu "Military God" showed fatigue between his brows, yet his eyes were strikingly bright.

He smiled, closing the letter, and said to several generals in the tent, "Big news, have a look yourselves."

Soon, the letter was passed around the generals.

Everyone who read it brightened their eyes, showing excitement:

"What a great victory! We needed such a victory!"

The urgent letter on top was the battle report of the Divine Mechanism Camp’s tremendous defeat of the Qingzhou Army, capturing Prince Heng alive.

Xue Shence smiled and reminded, "Take a closer look at who won these battles?"

Everyone was stunned for a moment before flipping through the letters below, and after reading, everyone was shocked.

"Zhao Douan? The recently appointed Junior Guardian? The most popular figure in the capital in recent years?"

"What? He led the army and in just half a day defeated Wei Xianzong’s Qingzhou Army in one battle? How is that possible?"

"Did he personally capture Prince Heng as well? This..."

Everyone wore expressions of disbelief. Many present were local generals; they had heard of Zhao Douan’s name but only knew he was a favored figure by the Emperor’s side, skilled in poetry, martial arts, and handling cases.

The larger label was still "Empress’s Gigolo"... uh, he had become Imperial Consort now, but not much difference.

Yet such a person eliminated the enemy in half a day, a feat unparalleled in war history.

"This... the letter says this Zhao Junior Guardian holds the title of ’Military Governor,’ presumably another commanded the troops in battle, such as the Divine Mechanism Camp Commander Shi Meng, I remember having a great commander’s demeanor, to credit this victory to Zhao Junior Guardian seems somewhat underserved."

Suddenly, a general in the tent calmly analyzed.