Longzang

Chapter 454 Great Victory at the Front
In the main hall of the council, civil and military officials stood in formation, awaiting the arrival of the Prince of Jin.

As a second-rank military governor, Wei Yuan stood among the military officers, second only to the Right Chancellor, the Minister of War, and two other veteran military governors, Xu Tongshou and Lü Wenbai.

Among the court officials, there were many who looked young, but in fact, Wei Yuan was the only one under forty, there were only two or three under fifty, and eight or nine over a hundred. Therefore, many officials behind Wei Yuan were secretly glancing at him, mainly because he was too young.

"The Holy King has arrived!" As Liu Quangong's familiar voice rang out, the Prince of Jin entered the hall and sat down on the throne.

There was nothing major happening at the morning court session; it was all routine government affairs. Then, after offering a few words of encouragement to the three military governors who had come to the capital to meet the emperor, the Prince of Jin said, "Minister Wei!"

When Wei Yuan stepped forward, the officials knew that the main event was about to begin.

"Minister Wei inflicted a great defeat on the Witch Clan the day before yesterday, and has since repelled their attacks one after another. The Witch Clan dispatched numerous Nether Witches, but they still returned defeated. Such achievements truly boost the morale of our Great Jin!"

Many of the officials in the hall immediately changed color. It wasn't surprising that the Wu tribe had been repelled, but judging from the Prince of Jin's words, the Wu tribe had not only deployed Youwu, but more than one? Didn't this mean that Wei Yuan also had more than one True Lord assisting him?
Those few who truly knew the details of the battle that day were all high-ranking and powerful individuals, and their expressions at this moment were quite intriguing.

They knew very well that Wei Yuanfang had seven True Lords present in that battle, and another was on his way. This level of strength was almost comparable to half of a powerful clan!

"Such a meritorious deed deserves a reward! Now..."

Before the Prince of Jin could finish speaking, a voice suddenly came from outside the hall: "Your Majesty! Great news! Victory has been reported from the front!"

Several imperial guards rushed over and stopped at the entrance of the main hall. Then, an official took the report of victory and presented it to the King of Jin. This was the common practice in the nine kingdoms of Da Tang. These messengers were specifically responsible for reporting important military information. They could run through the palace and reach the front of the hall without being stopped by anyone.

Upon receiving the report of victory, the Prince of Jin was overjoyed and exclaimed, "Excellent! Excellent! The new army of the Prince of Ying has achieved a great victory! The whole country should celebrate!"

Next, Liu Quangong read the full text of the victory report. The main content was that the King of Ying had trained a new army in the northern border. The army's first battle after its formation was a great victory. With 20,000 infantrymen against 20,000 Liao cavalrymen, the army defeated the Liao cavalry and beheaded 6,000.

This battle, though not large in scale, was of extraordinary significance. Despite having equal numbers, the infantry defeated the cavalry, and by a large margin. The King of Jin was overjoyed because the victor was the newly formed army.

Wei Yuan knew that the new army used firearms, so it was not surprising that they had such a record. Moreover, the report of victory did not mention the casualties of the new army.

On that day, Wei Yuan, a young man from the Xu family, had completely defeated Yue Jinshan's renowned Northern Frontier cavalry. However, that time it was 30,000 against 10,000.

After the initial joy, Wei Yuan's bestowal of rewards still needed to continue. The Prince of Jin hesitated for a moment, and then the hall fell silent.

Wei Yuan understood perfectly well that the King of Ying's great victory had given the King of Jin hope for breaking the deadlock in the north, and that most of the substantial rewards he would receive would likely be reduced or even canceled.

After pondering for a moment, the Prince of Jin said, “As the saying goes, ‘The more soldiers a minister commands, the better.’ This is still true today. The capable should be given the best work. Minister Wei is young and promising, and his military skills are divine. Even the famous generals of the past were no different. He should be given more responsibilities. Therefore, I am thinking of incorporating Ningxi Commandery into the jurisdiction of the Dingxi Military Governor. Do any of you ministers have any objections?”

Upon hearing this, some officials appeared slightly surprised.

They were well-informed and naturally already knew about the rewards bestowed upon Wei Yuan. However, unexpectedly, news of the King of Ying's great victory arrived at this very moment, yet the King of Jin maintained the original rewards. Had the King of Jin's attitude towards Wei Yuan changed?
Wei Yuan wasn't exactly a true Jin official; based on his background, he was at most a bandit who had been recruited into the government. Although he had the backing of the Taichu Palace, he had also offended the Xu family in the early stages, so his background could offset each other. In the end, even the eunuch faction didn't bother to win him over, and it was the originally lowly maternal relatives who stepped forward.

Unexpectedly, in less than two years, Wei Yuan has grown to this extent.

Many officials in the imperial court were still unaware of Qingming's current situation, and didn't know that Ningxi Commandery had actually been squeezed into an arc shape. However, although Qingming had expanded to over four hundred li, Ningxi Commandery was still much larger in terms of area. After incorporating Ningxi Commandery, Qingming could expand to twelve hundred li, and only then would it enter the territory of other commanderies to the east.

Since the Prince of Jin maintained the original rewards, the officials, unsure of his true intentions, remained silent, and the matter was settled. The Prince of Jin then granted Wei Yuan permission to establish eight military garrisons, appoint four generals, and establish a General of Chariots and Cavalry to command the four generals. However, the General of Chariots and Cavalry would need to travel to the capital to meet the Prince and receive his reward only after the Prince's approval. A general of this rank, if not a Dharma Aspect cultivator, would at least be in the late stage of the Foundation Establishment realm and have the potential to be promoted to Dharma Aspect.

As the court session ended and he was leaving the palace, a civil official suddenly approached Wei Yuan and whispered, "Lord Wei, please wait. The Left Prime Minister has something to say to you."

The middle-aged civil official couldn't hide his displeasure and arrogance when he looked at Wei Yuan. Wei Yuan knew he was never favored by the upright civil officials, so he didn't take it to heart and waited in the corridor.

The Left Chancellor arrived unhurriedly and walked side by side with Wei Yuan toward the palace gate. This was Wei Yuan's first close encounter with this powerful figure.

Left Prime Minister Xu said, "Lord Wei is young and promising, possesses a large army, and his cultivation progress is astonishing. A Dharma Aspect at less than twenty years old is rare in any country."

"You flatter me, sir. It was just a fluke."

The Left Prime Minister stroked his beard, looked at the gloomy sky, and said, "It took me a full seventy years to enter the court, and another thirty years to sit in my current position. However, after several years, I am already exhausted, both physically and mentally, and my cultivation has not improved at all in recent years."

Logically speaking, Wei Yuan should have offered some flattery at this moment, but for some reason, after what happened last night and after hearing the Left Prime Minister's words, Wei Yuan suddenly felt a bit bored.

It took a whole century, just to stand a little closer to the front in this court?
Zuo Xiangxiang, unaware of Wei Yuan's thoughts, continued, "Lord Wei's ultimate goal should be outside the court. Until then, you only need to do nothing, and you will naturally be the winner."

At this moment, the palace gates came into view, and Wei Yuan said, "Thank you for your guidance, sir."

The Left Prime Minister nodded, exited the palace gates first, and left by carriage. Wei Yuan's carriage also arrived, carrying Wei Yuan, and then departed for the post station.

Along the way, Wei Yuan recalled every word the Left Prime Minister had said, and then went through the Left Prime Minister's life and conduct in his mind.

The Left Chancellor's surname was Lü, and his given name was Zhongpei. He came from a collateral branch of the Lü family. His family was poor in his early years, but he showed talent early on and later entered the Four Saints Academy. At the age of forty, he achieved enlightenment and left the mountain to enter officialdom. He started as a county magistrate and rose through the ranks to become a general. He then abandoned his military career for civil service and became a sub-prefect. For decades, he worked diligently and gradually rose to the fourth rank, gaining the qualification to enter the palace to discuss matters.

His career accelerated slightly after that, but it remained lukewarm overall. After the old leader of the Qingliu faction retired and went into seclusion, he took over the banner of the Qingliu faction and slowly made his way up until he finally became the head of the civil officials.

Judging from this resume alone, it is practically impeccable, making him a true evergreen in the political arena and a model of a cunning old fox. This is the kind of opponent Wei Yuan least wants to encounter, whether in politics or on the battlefield.

The Left Prime Minister didn't say much, but every word was thought-provoking. First, he pointed out that Wei Yuan had a chance to ascend to immortality, and the affairs of the mortal court were naturally less important than ascending to heaven. Not to mention Guiyi, even the Prince of Ying and the Prince of Cheng, who achieved Yujing, almost never appeared in court. They were mainly concerned with the war and basically ignored daily state affairs.

The Left Prime Minister spent a century in officialdom, which must have greatly hindered his cultivation.

Wei Yuan understood the meaning behind his other statement. He was already a second-rank official at such a young age, with virtually no further advancement. Given Wei Yuan's background, he wouldn't abandon his Qingming foundation, so even if offered a first-rank position, he might not accept it. Therefore, Wei Yuan could simply observe for now and peacefully watch the various factions fight each other.

If several decades pass, Wei Yuan will have a well-trained army and ample provisions, and his cultivation will advance further. At that time, he will naturally become a powerful figure in the court, and everyone will have to give him a wide berth. That is why the Left Prime Minister said that Wei Yuan doesn't need to do anything; he will win naturally.

The Left Prime Minister's words were not wrong, but Wei Yuan thought about it more deeply. The Left Prime Minister's words at this time must mean that there was something he did not want Wei Yuan to get involved in.

Wei Yuan wasn't particularly interested in court affairs, but regardless of whether he intervened or not, he still needed to know about them.

Just as the carriage arrived at the post station, someone came to report that Wei Yuan's troops had gotten into a fight with some people. Wei Yuan was also taken aback. He had brought a full 15,000 iron cavalry, and they were already fighting with others? And if they were fighting, why hadn't they killed the enemy?
Wei Yuan immediately abandoned his carriage, changed horses, and led several dozen personal guards toward the military camp.

(End of this chapter)