Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

Chapter 292 Princess Invitation

Emperor Li Zheng looked at the portrait in Chen Jie's hand, closed his eyes slightly, and sighed:

"She is Empress Zhuang, and also Lingyue's mother!"

Chen Jie was taken aback upon hearing this and couldn't help but scrutinize the woman in the portrait.

Empress Zhuang?
Judging from this, Princess Lingyue must be very beautiful.

Her mother is so beautiful, so genetically speaking, Princess Lingyue's appearance is definitely not bad.

A few days ago in Songjiang Prefecture, Princess Lingyue kept her face covered.

He knew Princess Lingyue was in the next room; he had just heard her voice.

During this trip to the capital, the emperor was assassinated and critically wounded.

If nothing unexpected happens, the emperor probably intends to proceed with his marriage to Princess Lingyue.

It is clear,
The Great Qian Dynasty has reached a critical juncture, facing life or death.

Emperor Li Zheng is paving the way for the crown prince, wanting to have himself assist the 'crown prince' of the Great Qian Dynasty!
Judging from Li Zheng's tone, he probably wanted to take advantage of his serious injuries to retire.

Chen Jie couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "She is Empress Zhuang?"

There are many rumors about "Empress Zhuang" in the martial arts world. Some say she is a chivalrous woman, while others say she is the daughter of a powerful family in the capital.

Chen Jie had never been interested in these rumors before.

He only vaguely remembered that Empress Zhuang had passed away many years ago.

Emperor Li Zheng sighed and said:
"That's right, she is Empress Zhuang!"

"In my lifetime, I have had three sons and three daughters. The eldest prince was born to Empress Zhuang!"

"Among the three princesses, Princess Lingyue and Princess Yaoyue were originally twins!"

"Unfortunately, eighteen years ago, something happened in the palace, and Princess Yaoyue was separated from me and her whereabouts are unknown!"

Empress Zhuang died of grief over this matter!

"—"

Chen Jie listened as the old emperor, Li Zheng, recounted his past.

He had only heard that Emperor Li Zheng had three sons and two daughters, but he never expected that there was also a little princess.

Princess Inviting the Moon!?

Eighteen years ago, it was Miyamoto Musashi, the number one swordsman of the Miyamoto family of the East, who came to the Great Qian to challenge the number one expert of the Great Qian, the "Sword Master of the Startling Clouds"!
While the 'Sword Master of Jingyun' of the Imperial Household Department of the Great Qian Dynasty was away, a situation arose in the palace.

Princess Yaoyue has been kidnapped.

When Emperor Li Zheng spoke of his daughter, a hint of longing appeared in his eyes.

"I had already ascended the throne back then, but the Great Qian Dynasty was beset by internal and external troubles, and the situation was turbulent!"

"Lingyue and Yaoyue are my most beloved daughters. They are exquisitely beautiful, just like Empress Zhuang."

"Unfortunately, a great fire broke out in the inner palace, and Yaoyue has disappeared!"

"I have failed Empress Zhuang. I have mobilized all forces, including the Military Intelligence Bureau, the Secret Guard, and the Imperial Guard, to search for Princess Aoyue."

"But after all these years, I've gained nothing!"

"If she were still alive, she would be about the same age as Ling Yue by now!"

At this point, Emperor Li Zheng's longing deepened.

Although he was not a great emperor with lofty ambitions, he was definitely a good father.

Chen Jie was at a loss for words to comfort the other person.

Judging from Emperor Li Zheng's expression at this moment, it is clear that he is indeed filled with longing for his lost youngest daughter, Yaoyue.

Although emperors are ruthless!

However, the emperor did not abandon his familial affection for his own children.

Chen Jie thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, what are the characteristics of the young master Yaoyue?"

Li Zheng took a deep breath, a look of loving kindness appearing on his face, as if recalling the situation eighteen years ago.

"She looks exactly like Ling Yue; they're twins!"

"Lingyue has a cinnabar mole on the inside of her right arm, and Yaoyue has a cinnabar mole on the inside of her left arm!"

After a while,
Emperor Li Zheng said with a serious expression:

"Chen Jie, I summoned you here today because I hope you will grant me a request!"

Chen Jie nodded and said:
"It's alright! Just tell me, as long as it's within my power, I'll do it!"

Li Zheng was silent for a moment, then looked up at Chen Jie and said seriously:

"I need you to promise me that you will love and care for Lingyue for the rest of your life and never let her suffer any injustice. Can you do that?"

He continued, as if making arrangements for his own funeral:

"The Ximen Hall is known as the most powerful army in the Great Qian Dynasty. As long as the Ximen Hall is there, the capital will not be in chaos."

"I know it's unrealistic to expect you to be loyal to the royal family!"

"All I need is a promise from you: never to be an enemy of the royal family. Can you do that?"

-

After leaving the Qianqing Palace, Chen Jie couldn't help but let out a long breath.

His conversation with Emperor Li Zheng just now suddenly made him feel a greater sense of responsibility.

Heavy!

Emperor Li Zheng truly is a master of balancing.

He wanted to win me over, so he even offered to marry his daughter to me.

Honestly, whether or not one is an enemy of the royal family depends on whether the royal family is an enemy of oneself!
Chen Jie never believed in promises, only in mutual benefit.

The only pity is that I didn't get to see Li Lingyue's true face this time I came to the capital.

She had promised him last time that she would wait for him at the palace after he defeated the Sakata Army.

I never expected to arrive, and I even heard her voice.

In the end, she actually avoided him.

Could it be that her master, the Sword Master of the Startling Clouds, wants to test her again?

-

After Chen Jie left the Qianqing Palace.

Emperor Li Zheng lowered his head and pondered for a moment before struggling to get out of bed.

at this time,

His mental state was much better than before; it seemed that his previous appearance of being old and frail was all an act.

at this time,

Two figures emerged from the inner room.

One of the women stepped forward, helped him sit down, and said:

"Father! Now that you have betrothed me to him, why won't you let me see him?"

The emperor shook his head and sighed, saying, "Lingyue, this Chen Jie is indeed upright and honest, seemingly having no interest whatsoever in court intrigues!"

"Although he also likes power, he doesn't like being restrained!"

"Fortunately, he had no interest in imperial power, otherwise, if he had rebelled, no one could have stopped Ximen Tang's army!"

"It's not the right time for you to meet now!"

Princess Lingyue smiled and said, "He was able to develop Ximen Hall into the number one army in the Great Qian Dynasty in less than half a year. He is no ordinary person!"

"Moreover, Simon has already rebuilt the fleet, and I believe it won't be long before he can break the blockade at sea."

"He's a man who values ​​interests above all else. As long as the benefits are right, he'll definitely be willing to send troops to take back Northeast China and Taiwan!"

"He is a truly amazing person!"

Even a blind man could sense her thoughts from her expression at that moment.

well--!
Girls are outgoing!
She hasn't even married into the family yet, and she's already starting to have her heart set on other people and her husband.

Emperor Li Zheng shook his head and sighed helplessly.

He smiled and said, "Ling Yue, do you know what I admire most about him?"

Princess Lingyue shook her head.

“He has his own bottom line!” Emperor Li Zheng said, taking a deep breath.

"On the surface, Chen Jie seems to have no regard for imperial power, but he has the Great Qian Dynasty in his heart and is able to uphold his bottom line!"

"As long as his core interests are not touched, he will not do anything outrageous."

"He disliked court intrigues and never participated in the internal conflicts of the Great Qian Dynasty."

"He commanded a large army, yet he never once considered starting a rebellion!"

"He seems to never care about promises, but on the contrary, he is an extremely committed person."

"He promised me today that he would not be an enemy of the royal family, and he will certainly keep his word!"

Ling Yue looked up at Li Zheng and whispered:
"Father, Master has agreed to let me see him!"

Emperor Li Zheng waved his hand and said:
"No rush! Let's talk about it later. Right now, we still need Ximen Tang's strength!"

finished,

He coughed as he continued, "Li Mu, the Prince of Ning in the Northwest, has led an army of 300,000 to the border of Hebei!"

"Doesn't Ximen Tang want Su Nan? I'll give him a chance!"

"As long as he assists the Ministry of War in suppressing the rebellion, southern Jiangsu will be given to him!"

"Unfortunately, I only have one year left. Even with the medicine from the Imperial Palace, Heaven has only granted me one year!"

"Cough cough—cough cough—!"

-

Chen Jie is now the Grand Commander of the Righteous Army and also the Governor-General of Shandong.

The main altar of Ximentang on Ximen Street in Beijing has been moved to Qingzhou, Shandong.

but,

The outpost in the capital was not cancelled.

Eighth Sister has always been stationed here.

Chen Jie would not easily give up Ximentang's many businesses in the capital.

in fact,

Whether it's Tianjin or Beijing.

Ximen Tang had strongholds, and even in Tianjin, there were 3,000 troops stationed there.

Although only one thousand elite Ximen Hall soldiers were stationed at the main altar on Ximen Street.

But this is also an important stronghold of the 'underground unit'.

Chen Jie plans to build a fortress for Ximentang in the western district of Beijing, which will not only protect Ximentang's assets.

Simultaneously,

It can also deter other forces.

Therefore, Chen Jie stationed Ba Mei in the capital and invested a lot of money in order to open a bank in the capital and take charge of Ximen Hall's finances.

The Great Qian Dynasty is teetering on the brink of collapse!
In order to prepare for future changes in the situation, Simon Hall must plan ahead.

The Kwantung Army has occupied Northeast China and continues to reinforce its troops.

I believe it won't be long before they directly attack Shanhaiguan and take the capital.

Although Ximentang's base is in Shandong, they have already built Shandong into an impregnable fortress.

but,

He never considered giving up Beijing and Tianjin.

Because this is the core area of ​​the Great Qian Dynasty, he would never easily give it up unless absolutely necessary.

Even if it's just to maintain a foothold in Tianjin and the western district of Beijing.

If Ximentang wants to return to the capital, he also has a foothold.

not to mention,
He now possesses the 'Tiger Tally' given to him by Grand Marshal Li Zhen, which allows him to mobilize troops to the capital at any time.

When the Great Qian Dynasty was besieged on all sides, the capital and Tianjin Wei had obvious advantages as strongholds.

In particular, the shipyards and steel mills in Tianjin, and the strongholds in the western district of Beijing.

Chen Jie transformed these two places into fortresses that were easy to defend and difficult to attack.

If we could connect the western district of Beijing, Tianjin, the Cangzhou Grand Canal Wharf, and Shandong into a single line.

If Ximentang were to mobilize troops, it would be much smoother.

not to mention,
Chen Jie wanted to build a railway in the coming period, connecting Songjiang Prefecture, southern Jiangsu, Shandong, Cangzhou, Tianjin, and Beijing.

so,

It is very necessary to establish Ximentang's bases in Tianjin and Xicheng District of Beijing.

After careful consideration, Chen Jie decided to build a military fortress at the Xicheng District headquarters in Beijing.

This place will become a base for the Ximentang garrison in the future.

The size of the military camp doesn't need to be too large.

According to the standards of the 'Tiger Tally', it is sufficient to expand the existing military camp.

Five thousand troops are enough!
This outpost cannot be too far from, nor too close to, the western district of Beijing.

Even if something unexpected happens in the capital, Ximen Tang's army can be dispatched in time.

in addition,

Ximentang has already started construction on its cement plant in Shandong.

We can use reinforced concrete to build a sturdy fortress near a camp in the western part of Beijing!

(End of this chapter)