knife

Chapter 495 The Aftermath of the Yuan Dynasty's Demise
It's hard to say what a person's fate is.

In the struggle between the Empress Dowager of Great Chu and the Protector of the Emperor Hall a few years ago, the Zhu family chose the wrong side and fell from the heights of power in Chu. If it weren't for the decisive action of the Zhu family patriarch, who cut his losses and gave Jiang Qian a huge amount of wealth to reward the army and win people's hearts, the family would have barely survived.

But politically, the Zhu family was essentially sentenced to death.

Zhu Chi, the young and energetic head of the family, was banished to a remote area beyond the Great Wall. Everyone believed that the huge sum of money the Zhu family had paid back had only bought them a slow death.

But for the Zhu family, this was their only chance.

As long as you're alive, there's still a chance.

As it turned out, the Zhu family made the right bet. Zhu Chi established a relationship with Li Dachui, and Li Dachui's miraculous rise in the border region in a short period of time pulled Zhu Chi out of the abyss.

With Linghu Ye's entry into the pass, Li Dachui and Xiao Changche joined forces to unify the area outside the pass, then split the Northern Yuan, re-established the Northern Protectorate, and Li Dachui had become a pivotal figure on this land.

Zhu Chi, who had always maintained a good relationship with the Beiting Protectorate, naturally saw his status rise accordingly.

In addition to political factors, economic factors are also indispensable.

The maritime trade route, which Li Dachui called the Maritime Silk Road, brought enormous profits to the State of Chu. The area beyond the Great Wall was like a colossal beast; no matter how much cargo Chu transported, it always managed to devour it completely. The profits generated were already one of the most important sources of revenue for the State of Chu, with a large number of cargo ships constantly traveling back and forth at sea every day.

Zhu Chi was one of the founders who pioneered this shipping route.

The Zhu family began to regain its former glory.

"Tell me the details of what exactly happened?" Jiang Qian asked in a deep voice, looking at Zhu Chi below.

The Yuan Dynasty is gone!
This is absolutely shocking news.

The Qin Dynasty has always considered itself the legitimate dynasty, and indeed, it has always been the strongest. They have always referred to the Yuan Kingdom as the Northern Yuan and the Chu Kingdom as the Southern Chu. This distinction between the north and the south reflects the strength and status of the Yuan Kingdom.

That was a power that was absolutely no less than that of the Great Chu.

But in just four or five years, it collapsed and even perished.

This could not help but alarm and alarm the rulers of the Chu state.

The Northern Yuan was actually destroyed by the Northern Protectorate.

What shocked Jiang Qian even more was that when the Northern Yuan was destroyed, their supreme leader was not there. At this very moment, Li Dachui was in Danyang!

If the Northern Protectorate could so easily destroy the Northern Yuan even without Li Dachui, then their strength needs to be reassessed.

Zhu Chi knelt on the ground, looking up at Jiang Qian above him.

This was the first time he had seen Empress Dowager Jiang Qian so closely. He had only glanced at her, but his heart was already shaken, and he quickly lowered his head, not daring to look again. "Empress Dowager, it is like this!" He swallowed hard, forcing himself to calm down, and began to recount the war of annihilation of the Yuan Dynasty by the Northern Protectorate outside the pass.

Before the war broke out, many things were kept secret, but after the war ended, people like An Xuan and Sha Liewen were successively rewarded, and many things were slowly exposed.

From the moment the Tiele began their invasion to the moment the Northern Protectorate began its mobilization, Zhu Chi vividly recounted how, on one hand, they lured the enemy deep into their territory and trapped them in Qingtongxia City, while on the other hand, they mobilized their elite forces to launch a thousand-mile raid. It was as captivating as a storyteller in a teahouse.

However, the few listeners in the room looked at each other in bewilderment.

After a long pause, Jiang Qian sighed, "Rather than saying that the Northern Protectorate destroyed the Northern Yuan, it would be more accurate to say that the Northern Yuan destroyed itself. Its internal disintegration to this extent, with high-ranking officials betraying it one after another, is truly lamentable and tragic. Gentlemen, our Great Chu should reflect on this. If we can remain united internally, no matter how powerful the external enemies are, how could we possibly achieve victory so easily and effortlessly?"

"Your Majesty is wise!" Several high-ranking officials in the room bowed in unison.

“There are always some people who stir up trouble instead of enjoying a good life!” Jiang Qian stood up and paced back and forth in the hall. Everyone’s eyes followed her every step. “How exactly did Wang Jun of Tong Palace die?”

Lin Yun trembled slightly as he stood up, but dared not utter a word.

Tong Palace was supposedly impregnable, boasting that not even a fly could get in, yet Wang Jun died of poisoning. And even now, the investigation continues, with no clue as to how the poison was delivered.

Whether Wang Jun is dead or alive is not important.

However, the fact that this incident revealed the forces opposing Jiang Qian was enough to awaken everyone in the hall.

"Your Majesty, now that the Northern Yuan has been destroyed, the Northern Protectorate will surely march south to seize the throne!" Han Tan, the newly arrived governor of Ruyin, said, "Once they enter the capital, they will inevitably clash with Linghu Ye, who currently holds the most power. When two tigers fight, one will surely be injured. How we deal with this situation is the most important thing. As for those clowns in the country, no matter how fiercely they jump around, they are not worth fearing. If they don't show their faces, fine, but if they dare to, wiping them out is as easy as turning one's hand."

The newly appointed governor of Danyang Prefecture, Zhou Zheng, nodded and said, "Governor Han is quite right. After the reshuffling of the Qin state's internal forces over the past few years, they have basically formed three major groups: the Beiting Protectorate outside the pass, the Linghu Ye military group inside the pass, and the He Zudao military group in Jiangnan. Among these three groups, we used to think that Linghu Ye, who had the support of those powerful families, was the strongest, but now it seems that the Beiting Protectorate is stronger. And He Zudao is far inferior to the other two. Governor Han, you have been in contact with He Zudao all along. Is there any possibility that he might defect to us?"

Han Tan shook his head: "The Empress Dowager told me a long time ago that He Zudao was just a troublemaker, and I thought the Empress Dowager was being too harsh! But now it seems that the Empress Dowager's judgment of people is rare in the world."

Jiang Qian said, "This person does not have the strength to contend for the world, yet he fantasizes about becoming someone who controls the world. He wants to be popular with everyone, but in the end, he will inevitably make enemies on all sides. When he is down, he wants to cause chaos in the world, and when he is up, he is arrogant and thinks he can manipulate everyone in the world. Hehe, he thinks that he can become a big shot by surviving the schemes of Wei Zhengdao and Kou Zhong. But he did not expect that his good fortune was caused by many external factors. So this person can only be used for a while, and it is impossible to make him willingly submit to our Great Chu."

"The Queen Mother is absolutely right."

"In that case, we need to carefully consider how to deal with the Northern Protectorate and Linghu Ye!" Zhou Zheng said, "Your Majesty, I suggest that since He Zudao does not want to submit to our dynasty, we should take this opportunity to capture him. Without the entire Qin Kingdom as our backing, can the mere eight towns of Jiangnan truly withstand the mighty army of our Great Chu? If we attack Jiangnan now, Linghu Ye will certainly not dare to provide support, as he will have to divert his forces to prepare for the arrival of the Northern Protectorate's army!"

Jiang Qian frowned and remained silent: "Although it is indeed a good time to act, our current forces in Yong'an and Ruyin are not enough. The troops in Danyang cannot be moved lightly. Where can we transfer elite troops?"

“Why not send the southwestern barbarian troops over?” Zhou Zheng suggested. “The southwestern prefectures have been under the rule of our Great Chu for many years. Now is the time for them to show their loyalty to the court. Regardless of victory or defeat, this will be a good thing for the court.”

Zhou Zheng's meaning was clear: sending the southwestern barbarian troops to fight He Zudao, even if the southwestern barbarian troops suffered heavy losses, would actually be a good thing for the Great Chu's rule in the southwest. The more of these barbarian soldiers died, the more stable the court's rule in the southwest would be.

(End of this chapter)