Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 322 Northern Expedition! Northern Expedition!
Chen, the first year of Tiankang, Jiankang.

The atmosphere inside the palace was visibly tense.

The warrior holding the spear was guarding the door, his eyes were not as firm as before, and there was some fear in them.

The eunuchs who came in and out lowered their heads and had pale faces.

Inside the inner hall, the Southern Chen Emperor Chen Qian was lying on the bed, struggling to get up several times. However, no matter how hard he tried, he could not get up as his hands had lost strength.

Chen Qian was very surprised. "Back then, I could ride a horse and draw a strong bow, but today I don't even have the strength to stand up?"

Han Zigao, the Imperial Guardsman standing by, had red eyes and couldn't help shedding tears.

It was Chen Baxian who founded the Chen Dynasty, but it was Chen Qian who really made the Chen Dynasty gain a foothold.

When the great general of the universe went south, it triggered a great melee in the South. In this battle of chicken, Chen Baxian defeated several powerful enemies one after another, established himself in the South, and established the State of Chen.

But when he died, the Southern Kingdom was not unified. Chen at that time could only be said to be the strongest one among the many separatist regimes in the south. The situation in the Southern Kingdom at that time was one of warlords fighting for power.

There was Wang Lin in Xiangzhou, Liu Yi in Dongyang, Chen Baoying in Jian'an, Zhou Di in Linchuan, and Xiong Tanlang in Yuzhang. Local tyrants rose up in arms, established their own regimes, and ignored the Chen court.

In terms of politics, finance, administration and so on, the situation has reached a new low.

Because of the previous chaos in the South, many cities were almost reduced to ruins. Economically, the people returned to the point of bartering, and needless to say, the agricultural land was deserted.

There is a group of people outside who are eyeing the matter covetously, ready to intervene in the affairs of the south at any time.

Although Chen Qian was Chen Baxian's nephew and not the crown prince, he had made great contributions in the past and had a very high reputation, and everyone recognized that he was the heir to the throne.

After he succeeded to the throne, Chen Qian implemented many reforms in the country, attached importance to agriculture and sericulture, defeated many separatist regimes, completed the initial unification of the southern country, unified the currency, and revitalized the economy.
In order to accomplish so many things, Chen Qian almost risked his life.

He got up very early, started checking the schedule early in the morning, went to bed very late, and was busy all day long.

Working day and night all comes from him.

Such high-intensity work made Chen Qian physically and mentally exhausted. He was only 45 years old, but he was so sick that he couldn't get up.

Chen Qian looked at his favorite minister Han Zigao standing beside him. His eyes were clear and he did not seem frightened by his illness.

"Please, Lord Han, call all the ministers in. I have something important to tell them."

Han Zigao hurriedly stood up, turned around and left.

Chen Qian lay alone on the bed, looking at the ceiling, his eyes full of worry.

My situation is getting worse and worse.

But the situation in the world was becoming more and more urgent, with Liu Taozi in the north and Yuwen Yong in the west.

Both of them are extremely young and should not be underestimated.

If I were no longer here, national affairs would be in jeopardy.
Chen Qian lay on the bed, thinking over and over again.

After an unknown amount of time, Han Zigao led several important officials from the country into the hall, and everyone shouted out their names.

"Help me sit up."

Han Zigao helped the emperor sit on the bed.

Chen Qian looked at the people in front of him. Several important officials including Shang Shu Pushe Dao Zhongju, Shang Shu of Five Armies Kong Huan, Ancheng King Chen Xu, Minister of Personnel Yuan Shu, and Zhong Shu Sheren Liu Shizhi were kneeling in front of the emperor with sadness in their eyes.

Chen Qian's gaze swept over them one by one, and finally fell on his younger brother Chen Xu.

"I don't have much time left."

Chen Qian said calmly.

Kong Huan said hurriedly: "It's just a minor illness, why does your Majesty speak like this? Your Majesty."

"I know best what is going on."

Chen Qian interrupted Kong Huan and sighed again.

"I heard that after Yuwen Yong executed Yuwen Hu, he implemented several different policies."

"I will have those decrees brought to me and read to me one by one."

"After listening to it, I was just amazed."

"Yuwen boy, you are truly extraordinary."

"He is definitely not someone like Yuwen Hu. He should not be underestimated. I have long been wary of Liu Taozi in the north."

"Liu Taozi has taken over Hebei and is becoming increasingly powerful. Not long ago, Wang Lin led his navy to join him. Wang Lin is a strong enemy!"

"Liu Taozi sent people all the way to summon him. Isn't it because he wants to conquer the world?"

"After Yuwen Yong took power, he sent officials to show goodwill. This was to appease us so that he could fight with Liu Taozi. Doesn't he have the same ambition?!"

"How can we just sit there and wait for these two to fight?"

Chen Qian looked at the people in front of him, and his gaze finally fell on his younger brother Chen Xu.

"The Crown Prince is young and ignorant, and there are two powerful enemies in the north. The country is in danger. I have decided to follow the example of Wu Taibo and pass the throne to his younger brother."

Chen Xu was horrified and quickly lowered his head again, crying loudly and refusing repeatedly.

This is not the first time Chen Xu has expressed such thoughts.

Likewise, this is not the first time Chen Xu has performed like this.

Seeing Chen Xu unwilling to accept the proposal, Kong Huan said loudly again, "Your Majesty, King Ancheng is your brother and will certainly follow the example of Duke Zhou in assisting the government. If he wants to depose the king, even though we are stupid, we dare not obey his orders!"

Chen Xu suddenly raised his head and looked at Kong Huan deeply.

Chen Qian's expression suddenly became solemn.

"enough!!"

Chen Qian was very kind in the past. He was always humble and polite to his ministers, and even treated prisoners of war without humiliating them. But today, his expression was different from before.

He looked at Kong Huan angrily, "Can you change my decree?!"

The ministers were stunned, their faces filled with confusion.

What's the meaning? ?

In the past, Chen Qian had hinted to Chen Xu many times, but Chen Xu didn't dare to accept it and refused every time. If he didn't refuse, he would probably lose his head.

The ministers also have sufficient experience, so they just need to cooperate and finish the speech together.

But why did the emperor suddenly become so powerful?

Chen Qian looked at Chen Xu, who was crying bitterly, and shouted, "If you dare to cry again, I will order you to be dismissed as a commoner!"

Chen Xu immediately stopped talking.

The hall was quiet.

Chen Qian said seriously: "The young age of the monarch has always been a recipe for disaster."

"Moreover, now that we are facing external enemies, if there is only Yuwen Yong, it would be fine, but there is also Liu Taozi who is even more powerful than him."

"Every time Chen Xu discussed military affairs with me in the past, he said that we should send troops to seize Huainan. But I think that with the strength of the Southern Kingdom, if we are not determined to take over the entire Central Plains, we should not send troops easily, otherwise we will not be able to hold on even if we take it."

"It is because of his remarks that I dare not trust him with the country."

"But given the current situation, it is not easy to wait until the Southern Kingdom has sufficient troops to seize the Central Plains from Liu Taozi or Yuwen Yong. On the contrary, as Chen Xu said, if we can quickly send troops, continuously expand the territory, and enhance the national strength, there may be a way to avoid the country's demise!"

He looked at Chen Xu and said solemnly: "Since I ascended the throne, I have been worried day and night, forgetting to eat and sleep, thinking only of protecting the country left by my uncle, and I dare not neglect it for a single day."

"I am leaving now, but the South Country has just been pacified, and there are still many important things that I have not yet accomplished."

"And there is a powerful ruler in the foreign land, who will march south soon."

"Xu, the current critical situation requires a strong king to take on the responsibility. Are you willing to help me protect this family business?"

Chen Xu looked at his brother in front of him, and his mind suddenly became confused.

Chen Xu held more and more official positions and had more and more power. As long as Chen Qian left, there was really no one in the country who could restrict him. Several generals in the country had already taken the initiative to move closer to Chen Xu, but because the emperor was still there, they did not dare to be too obvious.

Every time Chen Qian asked him similar questions, Chen Xu just cried and refused, because he didn't know whether he would be greeted by the throne or a sudden attack of a knife-wielding man if he nodded.

But now, the emperor's eyes were so solemn, and there didn't seem to be any falsehood at all.

Chen Xu was extremely panicked at this moment. He looked at several ministers. No matter whether they had a good or bad relationship with him, those ministers all lowered their heads and were unwilling to get involved in this matter.

The matter of the crown prince has always been the most dangerous matter.

Chen Xu and Chen Qian, who were at a loss, could understand him in their hearts. If their uncle had called them over and said that he would pass the throne to them directly, they would probably be so afraid too.

Chen Qian did initially ask Chen Xu with the intention of testing him.

His health was getting worse day by day, while the crown prince made no progress. His son Chen Bochong was only twelve years old.

Age is not a problem; character and talent are the most important issues.

His son has been weak and harmless since childhood.

Perhaps it was because Chen Qian was busy with government affairs over the years and neglected the teaching of the prince, Chen Bochong was completely different from Chen Qian.

Chen Qian knew that his son was a naive, immature, defenseless person with mediocre talents and a weak character.

He had always been afraid that his son would be killed after his death.

Therefore, he asked Chen Xu several times, wanting to see if he had such an idea. After all, there was a vivid example in the north.

But this time, he was really determined. Whether Chen Xu was willing or not, he would let his younger brother inherit the throne.

This is to preserve the country.

His own son was definitely no match for Liu Taozi and Yuwen Yong, and if he let his younger brother assist him, he would have concerns every time he did something in the future, and the ministers in the court would fight with each other, just as Kong Huan had just said.

The Southern Kingdom is already inferior to the Northern Kingdom in strength. If it wastes the rest of its national strength on internal strife, then the Southern Kingdom will truly be hopeless.

Chen Qian looked aside and said, "Go and bring the prince here."

A eunuch hurried out.

The hall was still quiet. Chen Qian looked at Chen Xu and said, "Whether you are willing or not, I have made up my mind."

"Come here, draft my edict."

Chen Xu raised his head suddenly, and his heart began to beat violently.

Several ministers wanted to say something, but when they saw Chen Qian's face, they dared not speak.

The eunuch brought the documents and Chen Qian drafted the imperial edict on the spot.

"The Crown Prince is young and cannot inherit the throne. I now appoint King Ancheng as my younger brother and order him to inherit the throne after me. Everyone, from top to bottom, must obey this order and not disobey."

Chen Qian forced himself to draft the edict and completed it word by word. He then had someone bring the edict to him and read it over and over again to make sure there was nothing wrong with it.

Chen Xu took a deep breath and was extremely nervous.

A moment later, the prince arrived here.

When Chen Zongbo saw his seriously ill father, tears suddenly welled up in his eyes and he stood aside sobbing.

Chen Qian stared at Chen Zongbo and issued the decree on the spot.

The ministers were at a loss and could only agree under the emperor's coercion.

Chen Xu was dizzy at the moment. In an instant he became the Crown Prince. This sudden surprise made him so confused that he even forgot to express his gratitude.

Chen Qian immediately asked all the ministers to leave and issued an edict to everyone, leaving the crown prince and Chen Xu behind.

Chen Xu then hurried forward and knelt beside his brother with tears in his eyes.

"Brother, I will never let you down!"

"I will definitely do my best to protect the family business!!"

Chen Qian said seriously: "Xu, I know your talents. You are wise and knowledgeable about military affairs, but there are three things you must keep in mind."

"Brother, please speak!"

"After I die, I hope you will follow my example and not pursue a luxurious life, but live frugally, and continue to ask the officials to be frugal and not indulge in extravagance."

Chen Xu nodded hurriedly, "I'll make a note of it."

"The second thing is the current situation. Over the years, I have accumulated a lot of wealth. The treasury is relatively full and there are enough soldiers. I hope you can take advantage of the time when Yuwen Yong and Liu Taozi are too busy to be distracted and capture Qi's cities in the Central Plains to increase national strength and have the confidence to compete with the two powers."

Chen Xu nodded, "I'll make a note of it."

"The third thing is my selfishness."

Chen Qian looked at his son with difficulty, "Medicine King, come here."

Chen Zongbo wiped his tears and walked carefully to his father's side. Chen Qian looked at his brother and said seriously: "My son has always been well-behaved, not cunning, and not wary of others. After I die, I hope you can settle him down safely and let him live a life without worries."

"If he has committed any crime, you can imprison him, but don't kill him."

Chen Xu straightened his head and said, "Brother, I will treat him as my own son. When the world is at peace, I will let him inherit the throne!"

Chen Qian pursed his lips. Even at this moment, he still didn't see any sincerity on his brother's face.

He didn't know whether he should be happy for having a brother with qualified political skills, or sad for his son's uncertain fate.

He was silent for a moment and just shook his head.

"I'll leave the important matters to you."

The news that Chen Xu was appointed as the Crown Prince quickly spread across the country, causing shock.

However, this matter is not so difficult to accept. After all, there are precedents. The current Chen Qian was not the crown prince at the beginning, but inherited as a nephew. So it seems that there is nothing wrong with letting his younger brother inherit his position.

Besides, the prince is indeed very young. We can't expect a twelve-year-old child to be able to stand up and lead the southern kingdom to defeat the two tigers in the north, right?
After leaving the palace, Chen Xu quickly summoned many of his confidants to discuss important matters.

Chen Xu had never been so happy. At the banquet, he did not hide his joy and promised rewards to everyone.

Ten days later, Chen Xu received a very important guest in his mansion.

The central commander is Wu Mingche.

Wu Mingche now commands the central army and has great power, and he has always had a good relationship with Chen Xu.

Chen Xu went out in person to greet him. Since he became the crown prince in name only, Chen Xu has changed a lot.

He was no longer as cautious as before, and seemed to have changed his face like Yuwen Yong. He suddenly changed from a cautious and seemingly non-ambitious wise king to an ambitious and charismatic crown prince.

He walked forward with a big laugh, took Wu Mingche's hand, and personally led him into the mansion.

The two men came all the way to the inner courtyard, and after they sat down, Chen Xu ordered his son Chen Shubao to come out and meet Wu Mingche.

The two drank some wine and gradually started talking about business.

"Congratulations, Your Highness!"

"It's a legitimate reason. Great things can be expected from this time."

Chen Xu smiled and asked, "What do you think should be done about the situation in Qi?"

Wu Mingche said: "Since Liu Taozi's rebellion, Henan has been in chaos. The governors of Qi have each acted on their own and no longer obeyed Jinyang's orders. They privately controlled the army and promoted their own confidants. Among them, Lou Rui has the greatest power. Lou Rui is in charge of various places and has elite troops under his command. However, his ambition is too short. He has no intention of competing with Liu Taozi. He only wants to make profits for himself. He even openly sells official positions and accepts bribes, making the south even more chaotic."

"Originally, Wang Lin was stationed in Yangzhou, which made me particularly wary. But now, Wang Lin has left. It is said that he followed the people sent by Liu Taozi to the north."

“No one can stop us anymore.”

"Now is the time for us to march north and make achievements."

Wu Mingche was very radical and was always thinking about the Northern Expedition.

Chen Xu seemed much calmer. He smiled, raised his wine cup, and took a sip. "I believe the situation is just as you said."

"But now, there are a few things to consider."

"Although Lou Rui is greedy for money and doesn't read, he knows military affairs and can fight. If we send troops, can we defeat him?"

"Then there is Liu Taozi. Although Liu Taozi is a rioter, he is still a minister of Qi in name. Will he send troops to interfere?"

"The last one is Yuwen Yong. Yuwen Yong has just taken power and needs military merit to establish his authority. Will he take advantage of the situation to rob people?"

"Your Highness, in my opinion, there is no need to worry about these three points."

"Lou Rui is greedy and short-sighted. Although he can fight, the generals and armies in various places are rotten and cannot fight at all!"

"Liu Taozi and Yuwen Yong are both busy managing their domestic affairs. If Liu Taozi wants to come to support them, how long will it take for his army to march? Can they afford such a loss of food and fodder?"

"This is especially true for Yuwen Yong. They just suffered a disastrous defeat and haven't recovered yet. How can they have the energy to intervene in the affairs here?"

"Your Highness! Now is the best time!!"

"Northern Expedition! Northern Expedition!"

(End of this chapter)