Chapter 284: Northern Expedition to the Demonic Kingdom
Shunzhou.
The main hall of Prince Yan's Mansion.
Li Le took the message from Luo Jing, covered his face and cried.
"I advised my brother not to be obsessed with refining medicine and taking elixirs, but he refused to listen. Now he died young..."
The former prince misses that he is one hundred and three years old. In any case, he can be called a long life.
Many close aides in the palace looked solemn, waiting quietly for King Yan to miss his brother.
How can we not express our excitement when a dream that we have been looking forward to for decades has come true?
Li Le was rambling about remembering his childhood brothers and sisters, but after all, they were gone when he was a teenager, and he couldn't help but wet his clothes with tears. .
"Cough cough cough cough..."
After coughing violently for a few times, Li Le felt that the atmosphere was almost calm. He wiped away his tears and his expression turned solemn in an instant.
Li Le glanced at Qin Qiong who was sitting upright practicing Qi, knowing that he was focused on cultivation and not interested in the royal family's nonsense, so he turned to look at Fan Wujiu.
"Mr. Fan, Supervisor Guo suddenly died suddenly. How do you think the situation in Beijing will change?"
"Your Highness, the young overseer of the country is in charge of affairs. Even if he dies suddenly, the operation of the court will not change."
Fan Wujiu knew what King Yan wanted to ask, so he explained: "His Majesty is pressing down on me at the top, and neither the princes' party nor the Taisun's party dare to act rashly. Therefore, it makes no difference whether we return to the capital or not."
"Yes, everything depends on the father."
Li Le was silent for a moment and suddenly asked: "Brother Prince, did you really die suddenly after taking pills?"
Fan Wujiu shook his head to express that he was not sure. He looked at Master Xuanji who was enjoying tea leisurely and said, "I would like to ask Master Xuanji to do some divination on this matter."
"Supervising the country is implicated in the destiny of the country, and it is difficult to predict because of the secrets of heaven."
Xuanji's voice changed and he said: "But Pindao once had a relationship with the prince, and it's not like he died suddenly."
"Thank you for your hard work."
Li Le immediately understood that there were some things that needed to be said clearly, and murmured: "I never imagined that my father would be so cruel!"
"Your Highness, be careful what you say!"
Fan Wujiu reminded him, who knows how many spies there are in Prince Yan's palace.
At this time, a guard announced from outside: "Your Highness, Eunuch Zhu, the chamberlain, wants to see you."
Li Le frowned and looked at Master Xuanji, who nodded slightly.
Eunuch Zhu came to Shunzhou at this time and asked King Yan to return to Luojing to attend the prince's funeral.
"Ahem!"
Li Le coughed twice and said, "I have been feeling cold recently and am feeling unwell. I cannot go to Luojing to see my brother off in person."
Fan Wu Jiu worriedly said: "Your Highness, if you reject His Majesty's will like this, it will not be easy for you to return to the capital in the future?"
"Mr. Fan, today is different from the past. The prince brother has learned from the past, and I cannot take risks."
Li Le looked up at Luo Jing and said: "Shunzhou is protected by Lord Xing, and the court will not touch me easily. I will stay for a few years..."
"My father's words don't count!"
Everyone in the palace was silent. Everyone knew that Emperor Jingtai had only a few years left to live.
When Emperor Jingtai was alive, he could suppress all contradictions and conflicts and forcibly unite the royal family with Buddhism and Taoism. Once he died, problems accumulated for decades would explode.
At that time, it will be the day when King Yan enters the capital. When King Yan has the protection of Xingjun, he will definitely be the final winner!
Only Qin Qiong, who devoted himself to cultivation, looked at King Yan and shook his head slightly with his transcendent mystery.
Any excuses such as being ill or waiting for a few years are all excuses. In essence, King Yan was born with fear!
Luo Jing’s position is one that I can’t get into for fear of death!
…
East Palace.
There was a piece of Haosu, and a faint sound of crying could be heard.
The chambermaids who were coming in and out were walking cautiously against the wall.
In recent days, more than a dozen people have been beaten to death for trivial matters.
From time to time, chants were heard outside the door, and a certain minister or gentleman came to express his condolences, which led to bursts of mourning.
It was said that the grandson of the emperor had a frail constitution, and he knelt in the mourning hall for five days and five nights without getting any water, and he fainted due to lack of energy and blood.
study.
The emperor's grandson looked pale and waited anxiously.
Suddenly, a scholar's figure appeared. It was Qin Hong, a first-class scholar in the East Palace.
"Mr. Qin, you are finally here."
The emperor's grandson quickly stepped forward to salute, asked Qin Hong to take a seat, and then stood aside respectfully.
Qin Hong said: "My grandson doesn't need to be so polite. Qin once taught the prince how to read, and there was barely a master-disciple relationship. He just asked for anything."
"Mr. Qin, the palace is in chaos now and must be stabilized as soon as possible."
The emperor's grandson said with a sad look on his face: "My father trusted you the most during his lifetime. I would like to ask you to pay attention to me, otherwise those uncles will not be able to wait any longer..."
The prince of the prison kingdom suddenly died suddenly, and King Yan was far away in Shunzhou. The other concubine princes of Emperor Jingtai couldn't help but have other thoughts.
Even though he knew that he would be Emperor Jingtai's puppet when he ascended the throne, he was still willing to do so.
Who doesn't know that His Majesty won't live for more than a few years, so being a puppet on strings will help stabilize the government and lay the foundation for future governance.
Qin Hong stared at the emperor's grandson closely and asked, "The grandson wants to compete for the throne?"
When he spoke, he had already used the Confucian method of questioning one's heart. With his first-class strength, it would be impossible for the emperor's grandson to deceive him.
Qin Hong was appointed minister of the East Palace, which was secretly arranged by Emperor Jingtai and responsible for monitoring the prince's movements. After the prince took the elixir, Qin Hong was responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of the elixir to avoid any accidents.
Emperor Jingtai chose Prince Shidan because the closer the bloodline, the more accurate the effect.
"In no mood!"
The emperor's grandson said succinctly: "This junior just wants to live, but now he has blocked the way of several uncles and has become a thorn in his side."
"You shouldn't have to worry about the royal family's affairs."
Qin Hong said slowly: "Thinking of the friendship between the prince and the prince during his lifetime, he pointed out a clear path for the prince."
"Sir, please enlighten me!"
The emperor's grandson looked excited, and he had not dared to sleep in recent days.
The reason why I knelt in the mourning hall without eating or drinking was partly due to sadness and mostly due to fear.
No matter how daring the princes were, they would not dare to assassinate the grandson of the emperor in the prince's mourning hall, which would inevitably arouse the rage of Emperor Jingtai.
Qin Hong asked: "Do you know why the throne of the emperor in the DPRK is vacant and no one has asked your majesty to appoint him as the heir apparent?"
The emperor's grandson said: "When I heard the rumors, the officials couldn't figure out the emperor's thoughts. Are they afraid that they will be punished if they guess wrong?"
"Um?"
Qin Hong raised his eyebrows and looked at the emperor's grandson unexpectedly. He could guess that this person was already thinking astutely.
"What Taisun said is not wrong, but it is just a superficial reason. The fundamental reason is..."
Qin Hong said slowly: "Everyone is waiting!"
"What are you waiting for?"
The emperor's grandson looked puzzled.
Qin Hong said: "When your Majesty's life span is exhausted, your body will die and your path will disappear!"
"ah!"
The emperor's grandson screamed in fright, his body softened and he fell to the ground, his voice trembling.
"How dare they? Grandpa Huang is invincible... Who dares to curse him to death? Who dares?"
"Your Majesty is naturally invincible, but unfortunately his life span is determined by God..."
Qin Hong was very satisfied with the emperor's grandson's performance and said, "Your Majesty is running out of years."
The emperor's grandson murmured to himself: "Then what should I do?"
"My grandson, please understand that the reason why the princes are able to restrain their murderous intentions is because His Majesty is alive."
Qin Hong said: "Once His Majesty dies, there will be no one to check and balance. Grandson will not be able to compete with them."
The emperor's grandson said with a look of fear on his face: "But as a scholar, I have no way to extend my life, so I can only pray for Grandpa Huang."
"How is it any different from waiting to die like this?"
Qin Hong was silent for a moment and said: "Rather than wait for His Majesty to die, it is better to take a risk."
The emperor's grandson bowed and saluted: "Sir, please give me some advice. I will follow your advice!"
Qin Hong said: "My grandson should invite your majesty to return to the government."
"this……"
The emperor's grandson thought for a moment and gritted his teeth and agreed.
"Just follow what Mr. Tan said!"
…
The rear hall of the Dragon Guard Division.
Emperor Jingtai received the message from his ancestor and rushed over.
"Cough cough cough..."
Li Long coughed violently and almost spit out all the leaves in his lungs.
His hair is gray and his breath is intermittent.
Who would have thought that the madman who once dominated several continents, captured snakes and ferocious beasts to cook soup, and fought with demons and gods with his physical body, would become a bad old man who hangs himself by relying on formations to restrict his life.
Emperor Jingtai looked ashamed, bowed and said: "My descendants are incompetent and failed to find the longevity elixir for our ancestors."
"It doesn't matter, this is the number of days!"
Li Long shook his head and said: "Who would have thought that a life-extending elixir could actually kill the demon god. Compared with that poor ghost, I am already quite lucky!"
Hulongsi participated in the Cangsuyuan auction, and what happened after that was also investigated clearly and reported to Li Long one by one.
Emperor Jingtai remained silent. He could only speak less and do less now, and he must not let his ancestors become suspicious.
Li Long was severely injured and had to maintain his life within the confines of the formation. He would not easily go to the underground of the Demon Refining Cave to check the Nine Nether Immortal Lotus.
According to normal calculations, it would take fifty years for the Nine Nether Immortal Lotus to mature, but Li Long definitely couldn't wait.
"Ahem! I called you here to ask a question."
Li Long said: "There is nothing wrong with the Nine Nether Immortal Lotus, right?"
"Don't worry, Ancestor, everything is normal in Xianlian. It's just that the maturity time may be delayed."
Emperor Jingtai looked ashamed and said: "Under the rule of Shisun, the number of demons in Daqian has become increasingly rare, which has delayed the maturity of the fairy lotus..."
"That's good, it doesn't matter if it's a few years later. I just suddenly had doubts, so I asked you to ask."
Li Long looked at Emperor Jingtai with eyes full of approval: "For three hundred years, I have only regarded myself as a warrior and never interfered in the affairs of the state. Only when I saw you that year, I told Emperor Chenglu personally that you must be made the emperor. Prince."
"Looking at it now, I made a good choice. To be an emperor is to govern the country well."
"Thank you ancestor for the gift!"
Emperor Jingtai said solemnly: "My grandson also has something to discuss with my ancestor."
Li Long nodded and said, "Tell me about it."
"The ancestor has been in seclusion for a long time, so he may not know that the demon clan has undergone drastic changes."
Emperor Jingtai said: "Now the demons, immortals and gods in the world are trying to jointly establish the Demon Court and plan for immortality!"
This matter was informed by the Holy Mother of White Lotus to Emperor Jingtai, which also strengthened Emperor Jingtai's determination to ripen the immortal lotus, and then planned to frame the Zhenguo Martial Saint.
The Martial Saint only lived for three hundred years, but with these life spans, Emperor Jingtai hesitated whether to give up the first half of his life's struggle. Until he heard the secret of the Demon Court's immortality, Emperor Jingtai thought it was a God-given opportunity. With the strength of the Martial Saint and the Yunzhou human race, he could be granted the title of Demon Court god and live forever.
Emperor Jingtai is confident that with his imperial skills, he can prosper in the Demon Court.
Hundreds or thousands of years later, it is possible to ascend to the position of Demon King!
"I have also heard about the demon court's affairs. The conflicts between the demon clans will be difficult to coordinate for decades or even hundreds of years..."
When Li Long said this, his voice changed and he said: "Did something unexpected happen?"
"An accident did happen. The death of Qiongqi Demon God gave the Demon God a sense of crisis."
Emperor Jingtai, based on the news coming from outside the territory, connected it back and forth, and thought through the changes between the demons and gods, and said: "Based on the inference of Shisun, the demon court will be established in twenty to thirty years at most."
"Demon Court!"
Li Long frowned and said, "I will definitely not live for ten years. The Immortal Lotus will take at least fifty years..."
"Once the Demon Court is established, it will definitely not let the Yunzhou human race go."
Emperor Jingtai said, "By then, the ancestor will die, and there will be no Martial Saint in charge. The Great Gan will be destroyed!"
"You are right!"
Li Long asked, "Have you communicated with the Taoist and Buddhist domains? As they are both human domains, what are they going to do?"
"According to the current news, the Taoist and Buddhist domains believe that the demon race is going to rise and plan to integrate into the Demon Court!"
Emperor Jingtai showed resentment and said, "Ancestor, As the true immortal Buddhas of the human race, how can they sit back and watch the demon race rule the world? "
"Ahem! Taoism and Buddhism only care about inheritance, not the difference between humans and demons."
Li Long coughed twice and comforted: "Immortals and Buddhas are no longer human, how can they love the human race like you do?"
"Grandson, you are taking it for granted."
Emperor Jingtai sighed and said: "Now that the Great Gan is in danger, I dare to ask the ancestor for permission to mobilize the army to march north to Jizhou Demon Dao."
"To ripen the immortal lotus?"
Li Long certainly knew the situation in Jizhou. There were demons and monsters everywhere, and they were all qualified to be sent to the Demon Slaying Division as fertilizer.
"Yes! The grandson is helpless. Once the demon court is established, Yunzhou is in danger!"
Emperor Jingtai said righteously, "Besides, Jizhou is also dominated by humans. After the conquest, it will be easy to merge into the territory of Dagan. The people of Jizhou are ruled by the demons, and their lives are worse than death. Doing so is also saving people!"
"It's not impossible to march north to Jizhou..."
Li Long hesitated, "But my father repeatedly reminded us that the fairy lotus must not be ripened, which will cause great trouble!"
"Grandfather, this is a different time."
Emperor Jingtai said, "If Zhongzong knew the danger of the demon court, he would definitely agree to ripen it. Choose the lesser of two evils!"
"This matter..."
Li Long felt a little uneasy. The warning from the mind of the martial saint was not an ordinary matter, so he said, "Let me think about it for a few days and tell you again."
"Grandson obeys your order. I will withdraw first!"
Emperor Jingtai heard doubts in Li Long's words, and immediately restrained his mind and stopped urging.
Anyway, whether Li Long agreed or not, Emperor Jingtai had already begun to mobilize the soldiers of the town.
The northern expedition to the Demon Kingdom, the punishment of the people and the punishment of the criminals, is not as simple as the rebellion in the southern and northern borders. Emperor Jingtai is ready to mobilize millions of soldiers to fight a war that will destroy the country.
Emperor Jingtai's life span cannot wait for a steady war, and a quick victory must be achieved.
Either Jizhou is destroyed, all the demons and monsters are thrown into the Demon Slaying Division, and Emperor Jingtai can live forever.
Or Dagan is defeated, and the Demon Court will fall apart without waiting for it to be established, and Emperor Jingtai will become the last emperor.
After Emperor Jingtai returned to the Wanshou Palace, Eunuch Chu hurriedly reported.
"Your Majesty, this is the memorial just submitted by the Crown Prince!"
"What's the matter with Yan'er?"
Emperor Jingtai pretended to be surprised, took the memorial, and after opening it, he saw "Respectfully Inviting Grandpa to Attend the Court".
In the spring of the fifty-seventh year of Jingtai.
Crown Prince Li Yanchang knelt in the Wanshou Palace, crying bitterly, and wrote a letter to ask Emperor Jingtai to return to the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Three rejections and three requests.
The emperor had no choice but to approve it.