Chapter 795: Chapter 792: Decline_1
Zhang Duanning spoke, even he himself was moved by Princess of Zhen’s loyalty to the Crown Prince.
Following behind the Crown Prince, Quan Yu tightly clenched the hem of his clothes, his eyes slightly red. “Your Highness, the Princess of Zhen truly thinks of everything for you, completely disregarding herself!”
Seeing the Crown Prince’s guilty expression from the corner of his eye, Quan Yu tily added, “Quan Yu has followed Your Highness for so many years, and admits that he cannot compare to the Princess of Zhen’s loyalty and dedication to Your Highness. Quan Yu feels ashad! Henceforth, I shall take the Princess of Zhen as an example and be more devoted to Your Highness!”
The Crown Prince lifted his gaze to Zhang Duanning, feeling not only worried about Bai Qingyan but also… imnsely comforted.
Look… Even Bai Qingyan, who is revered by the Jin Kingdom’s generals, is so loyal to him, the Crown Prince, which shows he indeed has capabilities.
The Crown Prince couldn’t hide the upward curve of his lips as he opened the letter…
After reading Bai Qingyan’s letter, the Crown Prince felt even more shaken, not expecting Bai Qingyan to be so loyal to him, constantly thinking about him and the future of the Jin Kingdom.
The Crown Prince tightly gripped the letter and told Quan Yu, “Quan Yu, go and invite Pri Minister Lu, Pri Minister Li, as well as the Ministers of War and Revenue. Tell them that the Princess of Zhen has written about sothing extrely important and that I need to discuss it with them.”
The Crown Prince held the letter as if a long-neglected child had suddenly gained the loyalty and admiration of soone highly respectable and influential in the military. He couldn’t wait to let everyone know and spread this news.
Everyone should know that lately, the na Princess of Zhen has been gaining significant attention in the Jin Kingdom.
A famous dancer from Shuoyang nad Na Kang has recently gained considerable fa. The reason is that this dancer composed a song titled “General Bai’s Expedition Song,” which has spread across the Jin Kingdom, especially in Dadu, becoming extrely popular. Moreover, dancers in musical halls have choreographed dances to this song.
A scholar who had been a guest of Na Kang also wrote a poem, and a part of it has beco widely known…
The heavy strings’ majestic sound breaks through the Five Mountains, while the light strings’ flowing tune cuts across the river.
The thunderous storms gather at the fingertips, while the ears hear the clanging sound of battle.
When the song ends, the blood surges to the sky, and the general has conquered Qingxi Mountain.
The Crown Prince had listened to that tune; it was indeed powerful and stirring. It made one feel their blood boil, as if the scenes of battles won by the general were right before their eyes. One couldn’t help but wish to draw a sword and join the general in the battlefield, fighting bravely and shedding blood. This poem… was exceptionally well-written and could ignite the fighting spirit in people’s hearts.
Because of this, the Princess of Zhen Bai Qingyan’s reputation has surged in the Jin Kingdom, with everyone discussing this undefeatable General Bai and his imposing presence on the battlefield.
Soon, Pri Minister Lu, Li Mao, the Minister of War Shen Jingzhong, and the Minister of Revenue Chu Zhongxing all arrived.
The Crown Prince handed the letter to Pri Minister Lu and the others to read. Then he picked up the teacup, displaying a mature and steady deanor, and said, “I believe that if it is truly as the Princess of Zhen states, using dicinal materials in exchange for capturing the cities of the Liang Kingdom would be the least costly to the Jin Kingdom! Soldiers, from birth to being battle-ready, take at least fourteen years, but dicinal materials are different!”
After reading Bai Qingyan’s letter, Pri Minister Lu’s temples throbbed. He could see that Bai Qingyan had mastered the way of negotiating with the Crown Prince, firmly grasping the Crown Prince’s trust in the palm of her hand. However, the Crown Prince was completely unaware.
Yet Pri Minister Lu had to admit, Bai Qingyan’s vision was indeed far-reaching. Now, the Yan Kingdom is determined to defeat the Wei Kingdom to lay the foundation for unifying the lands!
If the Jin Kingdom doesn’t seize this opportunity to annihilate the Liang Kingdom, then once the Yan Kingdom completely destroys the Wei Kingdom, the Jin Kingdom will not only lose its dominant position but also the chance to conquer the Liang Kingdom entirely.
Ti waited for no one. Missing this opportunity would result in unimaginable losses for the Jin Kingdom.
Thus, it was also good that the Crown Prince could trust Bai Qingyan so much. Pri Minister Lu no longer needed to worry about a tragic event like what happened to Bai Weiting occurring again within the Bai family. Once the Crown Prince ascended to the throne, with mutual trust between him and Bai Qingyan, it would be highly beneficial for the Jin Kingdom.
“The old minister believes that what the Crown Prince and the Princess of Zhen said is truly comndable! If we can capture the Liang Kingdom’s cities without shedding blood by using dicinal materials, it would be the best outco for the Jin Kingdom!” Pri Minister Lu stood up and bowed respectfully to the Crown Prince.
Seeing that Pri Minister Lu agreed, Li Mao, the Minister of War Shen Jingzhong, and the Minister of Revenue Chu Zhongxing all quickly expressed their agreent as well.
“Thus, the task of gathering dicinal materials will be entrusted to the Minister of Revenue Chu. Minister Chu, you must do everything in your power to collect the dicinal materials and send them to the Northern Frontier!” The Crown Prince said solemnly.
“Although the Jin Kingdom recently experienced an epidemic, and the prices of dicinal materials have risen sharply… since Your Highness has spoken and this action benefits our Jin Kingdom, even if it costs my life, I will ensure that the dicinal materials needed by the Princess of Zhen are gathered and sent to the Northern Frontier! Your Highness, please rest assured!” Chu Zhongxing stood up and swore his allegiance.
“Good. This matter is settled then!” The Crown Prince, after thinking for a mont, also ntioned the Emperor’s order to find five hundred young boys and five hundred young girls to ascend the Nine Heavens Platform together. “I intend to entrust this task to Pri Minister Li’s son, Li Mingrui! Last ti, Pri Minister Li requested that Li Mingrui lead an expedition, but I did not allow it. This ti… let us see Li Mingrui’s abilities. He must gather the five hundred young boys and girls before the Nine Heavens Platform is completed.”
Li Mao, looking overwheld by favor, quickly bowed to the Crown Prince. “Your Highness, rest assured, Mingrui will handle this matter impeccably!”
After bidding farewell to Li Mao and Chu Zhongxing, Pri Minister Lu and the Minister of War Shen Jingzhong left the Crown Prince’s residence. Pri Minister Lu raised his head to look at the morning light over Dadu City, his brow furrowed. He could only feel… that an era of the Jin Kingdom might be coming to an end.
“Pri Minister Lu, for the Emperor to want five hundred young boys and five hundred young girls, is it truly to ascend the platform together with him, or is it…” Shen Jingzhong made a gesture of killing and whispered to Pri Minister Lu, “Nowadays, in Dadu City, there are noble families… who are as obsessed with elixirs as the Emperor. They have bought children from traffickers to imitate the alchemy practices of the King of Liang for the Emperor. Many children have died, yet because these children were indentured servants, the matter has not caused a stir. Instead, more people are starting to imitate this practice…”
A monarch is the source of a nation, the source must be pure for the flow to be clear. When the Emperor starts seeking longevity or even immortality in such a way, others naturally follow suit.
Pri Minister Lu shook his head, placing his hopes on the Crown Prince. He hoped the Crown Prince, upon ascending the throne, would not follow in the current Emperor’s footsteps.
“This matter has been entrusted to Li Mao’s son, Li Mingrui. Given the Li family’s knack for seizing opportunities, Li Mingrui will undoubtedly handle this matter brilliantly, pleasing both the Emperor and the Crown Prince!” Pri Minister Lu clenched his fist, feeling deep concern in his heart.
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