Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 300, Battle of 309, The Grand Wedding

"The Eastern Capital controls the waterways and is the lifeline of the Central Plains' grain transport."

"After Zhu Quanzhong captured Luoyang, he cut off the grain transport, coerced the court, and showed utter contempt for His Majesty. He was incredibly audacious!"

"Such actions are no longer typical of a military governor. This man must be ambitious, and we must not allow him to become a threat!"

"I have decided that all 10,000 Shence Army soldiers and 30,000 Jinwu Guards will be deployed to march straight to Luoyang before the end of the month and wipe out the Zhu traitor!"

Gao Pian spoke with absolute certainty, leaving no room for negotiation.

The hall of state was bustling with people, yet utterly silent. No one dared to question the Grand Chancellor; instead, they glanced at Wang Zhaofan, the Minister of Rites and concurrently Chancellor, seated below Gao Pian, and Liu Jurong, the General of the Golden Guard.

The latter two showed no surprise whatsoever, remaining calm and silent, clearly already aware of the situation.

A group of high-ranking officials looked at each other in bewilderment. Finally, someone sighed and stepped forward to accept the order, and the others followed suit.

I can't refuse.

Once a grandmaster or two grandmasters have made the decision, what can the rest of us do but obey?

Moreover, everyone could see Zhu Quanzhong's intention in slowly boiling the frog, but some people were just hoping for the best.

This battle is inevitable; the only difference is how and when it will be fought.

Since Gao Pian and the other two, as well as the emperor, had made their decision, they could only obey orders and secretly pray that the court would be victorious.

"Grand Chancellor, what did Qinglong Temple and Louguan Dao say?"

After everyone had left, leaving only three people, Wang Zhaofan finally asked about the issue that had been troubling him.

"They naturally don't want to fight. But given the situation, everyone is already tied to the same war machine; they have no choice but to fight."

Gao Pian snorted coldly, "Don't worry, I'm not being reckless."

"Yan Daotong and Zhen Jing will accompany the army this time. Even if Zhu the bandit has the help of the demonic cultists, the odds of victory are still on our side, three against two."

"With the ringleader executed, the rest of the villains will naturally scatter like birds and beasts."

"This battle will not only eliminate the traitor Zhu, but also reclaim several prefectures in Henan Province and bring the grain-producing lands of the Central Plains back under our control."

"Only in this way can we recuperate and rebuild our strength, punish the disobedient, and revive the Great Qin!"

Upon hearing that Yan Daotong and Zhen Jing were traveling together, Wang Zhaofan and Liu Jurong both breathed a sigh of relief.

Whether or not terrestrial deities participate in the battle is a completely different matter.

Having one more or one less can have a decisive impact on the course of the battle.

"However, Grand Chancellor, if we leave the capital, Yan Daotong and Zhen Jing can still use the spiritual treasure. What if these two develop disloyal intentions?"

Gao Pian shook his head without explaining anything. Wang Zhaofan was about to speak again when Liu Jurong interrupted him first:

"I will accompany the Grand Secretary on this expedition, while Minister Wang will remain in the capital to guard against any unforeseen circumstances."

"We also need to find a way to appease the regional military governors around the capital, lest they come out and ruin the great plan to quell the rebellion."

“Not bad,” Gao Pian nodded, and after a moment of silence, he said:

“Send people to contact Jiannan Wang Jian, Shannan Ma Yin, and Huainan Yang Huayuan, and ask them to assist the court in punishing the disloyal ministers.”

"After the matter is accomplished, Wang Jian will be made King of Shu, Ma Yin will be made King of Chu, and Yang Huayuan will be made King of Wu."

"The Grand Chancellor?!"

Wang Zhaofan and Liu Jurong were taken aback, but they couldn't voice their objections.

When Gao Pian was prime minister, he hated these regional military governors who did not respect the emperor's authority. He used to vehemently reject their petitions to appoint themselves as acting governors, let alone grant them royal titles.

But this battle is far too important. Jiannan Road and Shannan East and West Roads are located to the west and south of the capital region. If Wang Jian and Ma Yin are not stabilized, the army's rear will be unstable.
Yang Huayuan of Huainan was located in Zhu Quanzhong's stronghold, south of Henan Province.

If we can get the enemy to cooperate and launch a surprise attack on the rear of the King of Liang, forcing him to send troops back to reinforce, the chances of winning this battle will greatly increase.

Therefore, it is not surprising that he made such a choice. The key point is that Gao Pian, who detested the regional military governors the most, made such a choice, which is enough to show how firm his determination was.

Wang Zhaofan and Liu Jurong remained silent. In the end, they could only bow solemnly and turn to leave.

"The imperial court is getting weaker day by day. If we don't fight now, there will be no chance to turn the tide."

"Only by achieving victory in one decisive battle can we escape from dire straits and settle scores with all the kings of Wu, Chu, and Shu."

"If we lose, everything will be over. Even if someone becomes emperor by then, I will have already been annihilated and will be beyond my control."

Gao Pian muttered to himself, as if he were talking to himself, or perhaps to someone else.

His gaze swept across the Hall of State Affairs inch by inch, and scenes from the past came to mind.

The conversation I had with the young emperor that morning seemed to echo in my ears again:

"My dear minister, do we really have to fight? My cultivation is too weak. Once we leave the capital, you will be unable to utilize the power of the Taiqing Palace."

"Your Majesty, without the Taiqing Palace, does this old minister no longer qualify as a Grandmaster?"

"Teacher, you know that's not what I meant."

"Your Majesty! The traitor Zhu is stationed in Luoyang, which is like a thorn in my side. I have received a secret letter that this traitor is secretly gathering troops, and his intentions are obvious."

"Like a frog being slowly boiled in water, this will only lead to death! Li Yisheng is currently tied down by Qida in the northern desert. As long as we can stabilize those weaker vassal states, this old minister is 70% confident of winning this battle."

"No," Gao Pian strode out of the Hall of State Affairs, gazing towards the direction of Taiji Palace, his voice resolute:
"For the sake of Great Qin, we will surely win this battle!"

"It's done!"

The alchemy furnace formed from the spirit of the Azure Dragon opened and closed, and several streams of light flew out from it. Just as they were about to escape from the quiet room, they were caught by the alchemist.

With his palm open, he saw five or six amber-colored pills swaying slightly, the golden liquid resembling the waters of the four seas, with a white jade dragon and an elephant playing and chasing each other within.

Li Cunxiao couldn't help but smile.

With a major battle imminent, the sect's demand for elixirs and weapons is growing stronger, along with numerous orders from the imperial court, as if preparing for a major war, although no news has leaked out yet.

But he couldn't care less about that; he only knew that the number of rare and precious materials handled by the Azure Dragon Pavilion had increased several times over.

Seizing the opportunity, Li Cunxiao, relying on his extraordinary success rate in producing pills, quietly absorbed a considerable amount of "losses." By piecing together materials from various sources, he managed to gather enough for several batches of Dragon Elephant Pills.

Currently, only Ye Shuyi, Taiyi Zhenren, and Yan Daotong, the sect leader who is secretly observing his relationship with the Prince of Jin's faction, know about it.

Therefore, this Dragon Elephant Pill couldn't be flaunted; he could only swallow it down with tears in his eyes.

"Thanks to this esoteric medicine, in just half a month, my Heavenly King Spiritual Form is about to reach the fourth level."

"The Twelve-Story Tower is indeed a waste of time. Even with a sufficient supply of pills, it will still take almost a year to break through to the Inner Realm."

"It takes several years to go from inner vision to communion, and there are still the Grandmaster level to reach. I wonder if I can become a Grandmaster before I turn thirty?"

While uttering words that would make outsiders envious and jealous, Li Cunxiao shook his head and chuckled. He filled a jade bottle with pills, flicked his sleeves, and left the quiet room. Leaning against the railing, he looked down at the busy disciples of Qinglong Peak in the Hundred Herbs Garden.

As the gaze moves upward, the pavilions of Miaoyan Palace at the summit become faintly visible. The primordial spirit can vaguely sense a mysterious aura and a kind of imperceptible pressure.

It's as if the mountain peaks and the sky have merged into one, "coming alive".

"Is this the dojo? I wonder if Master's breakthrough went smoothly or not. It's already mid-December, and in just over ten days, the year will be over."

Master Taiyi has been in seclusion for a month now.

From initial anxiety to now, Li Cunxiao has gotten used to it.

Every day, Li Siqi would go to the Azure Dragon Pavilion to refine pills. During the breaks, he would pick out the more important matters to discuss and make decisions with.
In the evening, he would lead his Taoist soldiers in a half-hour drill, followed by a patrol of the mountain gate. For some time now, the people of Qinglong Peak had come to regard Li Cunxiao as their leader, and the Taoist soldiers had fully accepted their commander and held him in high esteem.

It can be said that even if Li Cunxiao were to succeed as sect leader now, most people would not have any objections.

But he didn't want the position; he only hoped that Master Taiyi could emerge from seclusion as soon as possible.

Firstly, the disciple was worried about his master, and secondly, he sincerely hoped that the old Taoist priest would reach a higher level.

With a celestial being as your backer, you can truly gain a foothold in this chaotic world.

Unlike now, Qici dares not continue to study the "Dongxuan Scripture" for the safety of his disciple, fearing that he might have an epiphany and Li Cunxiao would be completely left without anyone to take care of him.

"Junior brother, the sect leader summons you."

Li Siqi's voice interrupted his scattered thoughts. Li Cunxiao nodded, lightly touched the ground with his toes, and the Hun Tian Ling wrapped in his arms lifted him into the air, flying like a red cloud towards Liangyi Peak.

The disciples and elders on the ground exclaimed in amazement and envy upon seeing this.

Elders at the Xuan Guan realm usually possess only one divine weapon, but this True Disciple Li has three, making him a figure comparable to the Daoist of Many Treasures.

Li Cunxiao paid no attention to what others were saying. In the blink of an eye, he had landed in front of the Sanqing Hall and met with Guo Zhao and other true disciples.

"Junior brother is here." Qin Sixing and the others showed little joy, clearly having noticed the atmosphere in the sect recently.

So the group exchanged a few simple pleasantries and went straight into the Sanqing Hall.

The sect leader Yan Daotong, the chief disciple Xue Tianyun, and the three sect leaders Changsun Chi, Qin Li, and Yuchi Mu were all present.

Li Cunxiao consciously stood behind the Azure Dragon Sect Master's seat and saw Ye Shuyi also behind the Vermilion Bird Sect Master, with a worried expression.

The two looked at each other, exchanging comforting glances.

The footsteps in the Sanqing Hall quickly subsided. Yan Daotong glanced at the crowd and slowly spoke:
"The imperial court has issued an edict."

"The traitor Zhu is rebellious and secretly gathers a rebel army, intending to commit treason."

"Three days later, the royal army will set out to punish the disobedient."

"Master Zhenjing of Qinglong Temple and I will be going to war with the army."

"Of my three junior brothers, Junior Brother Qin will stay behind at the sect. Junior Brother Changsun and Junior Brother Yuchi will come with me."

"After I leave, Tianyun will take over the affairs of the sect."

"Any objection?"

Without beating around the bush, Sect Leader Yan Daotong got straight to the point, and those listening, including Li Cunxiao, were not particularly surprised.

Louguandao's entanglement with the Great Qin is too deep. While it may seem that they have a choice in their stance, in reality, unless they abandon the reputation of their sect, they can only go down a dark path.

With the sect actively preparing for war, a large quantity of elixirs and weapons need to be put to use.

These things might fool the ordinary disciples, but they couldn't fool the higher-ups.

“The day has finally come,” Yu Chi Mu sighed softly, drawing a sidelong glance from Changsun Chi.

"Before, Junior Brother Yuchi and Junior Brother Qin were always talking about wanting a de-escalation of the war, so why aren't they mentioning those strategies of diplomacy and diplomacy today?"

"Senior Brother Changsun, please don't make fun of us. We are both True Men appointed by the imperial court and Dukes who share the fate of the nation."

"Given the current situation, what other choice do we have but war?"

Qin Li replied helplessly, then stood up and solemnly bowed to the sect leader, Yan Daotong:
"Don't worry, senior brother. I'll take care of everything. Protecting my disciple will be my top priority."

Yan Daotong nodded. "The Dao soldiers in the sect are all under the command of my junior brother. In addition, I have also found a backup."

"Backup?"

The three sect leaders were puzzled, but then they saw Yan Daotong's gaze linger on Li Cunxiao.

The latter was taken aback at first, then guessed that it was probably the monk Qici who was hiding in the shadows.

The two sides had met before, and the abbot's reputation and character were trustworthy. With his disciple present, the other side was naturally a reliable and powerful ally.

However, Changsun Chi and the others clearly misunderstood.

“If Junior Brother Taiyi can break through the Earthly Fiends and Heavenly Gangs and achieve the Dharma Form, he will naturally be a strong ally.”

"However, it's difficult."

Seemingly not wanting to dampen their own morale, the sect leaders didn't say much, but simply discussed the specific arrangements for the future.

Besides the sect leaders, a number of elders from the sect also went on the expedition.

Most of these people were related to the imperial court, were old, and were nearing the end of their lives, stuck at the bottleneck of becoming a grandmaster.

Participating in this campaign to eliminate the Zhu bandits was partly to seek a breakthrough, and partly to bring wealth to the family remaining in the capital.

In the true lineage, Guo Zhao and Cheng Ruoshui will also go on the expedition.

The former always wanted to achieve great things and restore the glory of the ancestors of the Prince of Fenyang; the latter was probably stimulated by seeing that Li Cunxiao had broken through the Xuan Guan and wanted to seek a breakthrough in the battlefield.

Perhaps, like their master, as a descendant of the Twenty-Four Generals of Lingyan Pavilion, they still have passion in their hearts and always yearn for glory.

But this has nothing to do with logistics personnel like Li Cunxiao and Ye Shuyi.

"Oh, right, there's one more thing. The Duke of Yue has been appointed by the imperial court as the military commander, stationed in Huayin County, responsible for the delivery of documents and provisions."

After Yan Daotong finished speaking, Changsun Chi immediately smiled knowingly, glanced at his apprentice, and then at Li Cunxiao.

"When are you two going to get married? If you ask me, there's no time like the present. The Duke of Yue is here too, so let's just get it done now."

"With the expedition imminent, this is a good opportunity to celebrate."

Is my father-in-law here?
Li Cunxiao subconsciously looked at Ye Shuyi and found that she was also full of surprise, obviously unaware of this matter.

However, with a major battle imminent, Ye Jing, as a Duke of Qin, was not sent to the army but was specially assigned to Huayin County to be in charge of logistics. It is hard to say that this was not a gesture of goodwill from the court in some sense.

This goodwill was directed not only at Li Cunxiao, but also at the two masters, Taiyi Zhenren and Changsun Chi, and seemed to be a way of exchanging a weakness for trust.

"But my master is still in seclusion."

Suddenly pressured to get married, Li Cunxiao instinctively wanted to refuse, but after glancing at his fiancée's face, he swallowed his words.

Once the imperial court launches a military campaign against Zhu Quanzhong, the military governors will inevitably follow suit, and the world will never have peace again.

If you want to wait for a stable life before getting married and having children, you'll probably have to wait ten years until you become a grandmaster.

Are we to make Yip Suk-yee wait another ten years?

Do not!
If you have enough strength, everything you do is right; if you lack strength, everything you do is wrong.

It is precisely for the sake of the family I am about to start and for the responsibilities on my shoulders that I must strive harder and be more courageous!

Thinking of this, the tone shifted:
"I wonder if any elder would be willing to officiate our wedding?"

Yan Daotong smiled.

"Would you mind if I officiated at the wedding?"

Li Cunxiao walked behind Changsun Chi and took the initiative to lead Ye Shuyi, whose face was flushed, out. The two bowed in unison.
"Thank you, Master."

(End of this chapter)