Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 829 War begins

Capital city, Wang family.

Wang Yan was discussing countermeasures in his study when Wang Bingchen, passing by on the corridor, couldn't help but stop and lean in to listen...

When Sangzhi, who was waiting outside, saw that it was his master, he didn't dare to drive him away. So he pretended not to see him and quietly retreated to the side.

Wang Bingchen lowered his eyes uncomfortably. This action might damage his dignity, but he couldn't care less about that now.

Wang Yan was in charge of all the arrangements for dealing with the rebels. This scoundrel spent his days secretly discussing countermeasures with a few people, rarely mentioning the specific details in public. As a result, most people in the court couldn't figure out what he was up to.

With the rebel army fast approaching, Wang Bingchen couldn't help but feel anxious. He began to miss the time when the Xie family girl was in the Wang family; back then, Wang Yan always had a smile on his face and was exceptionally easy to talk to.

A sound came from inside the house.

"How is it over there now?" Wang Yan asked.

Immediately someone said, "The King of Qin is becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the Duke of Wei."

Another person said, "Most of the people gathered by the Duke of Wei recognize the Jiang family but not the Prince of Qin, so the Prince of Qin is naturally unhappy."

This is exactly the result Wang Yan wanted.

"The King of Qin also realized this and wanted to regain power."

The King of Qin discovered the clues so quickly thanks to the advice and schemes of those who feigned allegiance.

Wang Bingchen listened carefully and was feeling a bit cold when a hand warmer was handed to him. He took it, glanced at Sang Zhi, and Sang Zhi lowered his head and withdrew.

Wang Bingchen pretended to be nonchalant and moved closer to the window, but Wang Yan remained silent.

Wang Yan nodded. As long as things get chaotic, Marquis Changyuan can take the opportunity to act, exploiting the rift between the Duke of Wei and the King of Qin. It seems that everything is going smoothly for now.

After a moment, Wang Yan asked again, "Where has their army gone?"

The official said, "It should be outside Daming Prefecture."

Wang Yan asked, "Have they entered the city and harassed the people?"

"In the prefectures and cities that the rebels passed through, the local government offices ordered the city gates to be closed as long as they were unwilling to submit to the Prince of Qin. Although the number of troops in the city was not large, the rebels would have to pay a price if they attacked. The rebels did not want to lose too many soldiers, so they did not make any rash moves."

Wang Yan said, "The Duke of Wei knows the number of the local garrison troops in each place. A small number of garrison troops can only be responsible for defending the city and do not pose a threat to him, so he does not waste his energy on them. But troops like the He family army need to be dealt with as soon as possible."

The official said, "Then shall we just watch the Duke of Wei's troops continue their southward march?"

“Of course not,” Wang Yan said. “The two armies will clash in the next two days, but our men will be defeated and flee.”

Wang Bingchen frowned as he listened.

The rebels are openly approaching Bianjing, and the court cannot turn a blind eye. If they fail to cause any disturbance, the Duke of Wei will become suspicious.

Therefore, we must do what needs to be done and gradually lure the Duke of Wei over.

As the officials left, Wang Bingchen, who was standing at the door, was already drinking the hot tea that Sangzhi had sent.

The prime minister subconsciously went to the study, and only after stepping in with one foot inside did he realize that the things in his hands were tantamount to telling Wang Yan that he had been eavesdropping outside.

Wang Bingchen, however, couldn't care less about that: "Are you getting ready to set off?"

Wang Yan replied, "I'll leave tomorrow."

Wang Bingchen wanted to ask where they were going, but he held back; the fewer people who knew about these things, the better.

“Be careful,” Wang Bingchen said. “When the Duke of Wei was young, he was the bravest warrior in the army.” Wang Yan nodded: “But he’s old now.” Not only is he old, but he also has to protect the master behind him.

Wang Bingchen had nothing else to say. He was stubborn and rarely showed warmth in front of others. His son was much like him.

"Father."

This time, it was Wang Yan who stopped him.

Wang Bingchen turned around.

Wang Yan bowed to Wang Bingchen and said, "Father, there is something I am very grateful to you for."

Wang Bingchen raised his eyes and looked at his child.

Wang Yan said, "Although my son came out of the mountains back then, he was extremely depressed."

Wang Bingchen nodded, and Yan Ge'er felt guilty for not finding the girl in the mountains.

The father told his son, "Everything in this world follows the law of fate. If we are destined to meet, we will surely meet even if we are separated by thousands of mountains."

Wang Bingchen didn't know why his son suddenly brought up this matter. When he saw his son's expression, he had thought about reaching out to hug his son like a normal father would and whispering comforting words. But perhaps as a strict father, he had missed certain opportunities to be close to his son, and doing so now would seem a bit forced. He thought for a long time and finally said this dryly.

"His father's words made his son temporarily put aside his obsession." And he really did wait for Ayan.

After Wang Yan finished speaking, he walked up to Wang Bingchen and opened his arms to hug him. "Father is not good with words, but he is a very good father. Mother is the same. It is my blessing to have such parents. Ayan's parents passed away early, and she deserves to be loved and cared for by such elders. When I am not in Bianjing, Father and Mother, please take good care of yourselves and wait for us to come back."

It was only after Wang Yan had been gone for a long time that Wang Bingchen came to his senses, belatedly realizing that his eyes were a little wet.

Once his emotions had calmed down, Wang Bingchen carefully considered his son's words. For some reason, he felt that his son had only said half of what he wanted to say, leaving the other half for him to guess.

……

Outside Daming Prefecture, a battle had just taken place, resulting in the imperial army fleeing in disarray.

The King of Qin felt his troops' morale rising even higher. He had a feeling that even if the Emperor was still in power, he could still sit on the throne directly with the troops under his command.

He's been too cautious all these years.

The King of Qin personally went to visit the wounded soldiers and entered the military tent of Marquis Changyuan.

Marquis Changyuan was still recovering from his injuries, but he always led his troops into battle. If you were to calculate carefully, Marquis Changyuan's military achievements might be more than those of the Duke of Wei.

"My lord, they have gone too far."

A heated argument is taking place inside the military tent.

"The Duke of Wei's troops are deliberately wearing us down. Today, the cavalry is taking too long to arrive, and many of our brothers have been injured."

"Once this war is over, won't all that's left be officials and generals who follow the Duke of Wei? No matter who ascends the throne, they won't be able to shake the Jiang family's position."

The King of Qin felt a chill in his heart upon hearing this, and suddenly realized something. The actions of the Duke of Wei gradually became clear in his mind.

Therefore, the Duke of Wei intended to make him a puppet emperor, so that he would be constantly controlled by the Jiang family and could only do what the Jiang family ordered for the rest of his life.

The King of Qin immediately clenched his fist.

No wonder Jiang Zhenru was willing to die, no wonder the Jiang family demanded that he promise to posthumously honor Jiang Zhenru as empress and establish her son as their heir. The Prince of Qin felt a chill run down his spine. He could not trust the Duke of Wei and the Jiang family; he needed to win over more people to his own use, such as the Marquis of Changyuan.

(End of this chapter)