Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 312 Conspiracy
Zhang Jingwan completely ignored Eunuch Shen's advice and continued to cry, "Cousin, open your eyes and look at me."

“I am your empress, your wife, and the person who cares about you most in this world. I even bore you a son. Am I not as good as that Pei Qinghe?”

"How many times have you seen her? How many words have you exchanged? You don't know her at all. You like the Pei Qinghe you've imagined. Pei Qinghe is heartless and ungrateful to you, why bother with her..."

Emperor Jian'an opened his eyes.

His eyes were red.

Like a cornered, hungry wolf, it stares intently at its prey.

Zhang Jingwan felt as if a giant hand was choking her, making it difficult for her to breathe, and she could barely catch her breath. Finally, she closed her mouth.

"Get out!" Emperor Jian'an gritted his teeth and spat out the two words, letting out a final roar like a dying beast: "Get out!"

Zhang Jingwan's face was deathly pale. She staggered backward, unable to meet Emperor Jian'an's gaze, and turned to run away in a disheveled state. Her wide sleeves concealed her tear-streaked face. As she reached the threshold, she tripped and fell heavily. Without asking for help, she struggled to her feet and continued running.

It was as if a demon was chasing her from behind.

She ran back to her dorm room, rushed inside, slammed the door shut, and burst into silent sobs.

It felt as if something inside me had been violently shattered.

Emperor Jian'an suddenly shouted, and his body trembled violently.

Eunuch Shen was horrified and immediately called for the imperial physician.

The imperial physicians frantically tried to pierce the emperor with golden needles, turning him into a pincushion. Emperor Jian'an then fell into a deep sleep once more.

When General Zhang learned of this, his expression turned slightly cold, and he snorted.

Zhang Yun was quite annoyed: "When you married my sister, you were so perfect. Only two years later, you've shown your true colors. Bah! You scoundrel!"

General Zhang glanced at Zhang Yun: "Love is a difficult thing to overcome. The Emperor is only in his early twenties and is a man of true feelings. He can't get Pei Qinghe and it's become public knowledge, so he can't live with himself or his reputation. He'll be fine once he gets through this period. Jingwan is also a fool; she's been by his side for years and still can't hold onto a man's heart."

"This is a matter between the couple; there's no need to concern yourself with it."

"Since I have this free time, I should go and work in the Ministry of Revenue. I want to recruit another batch of new soldiers and see how much more military funding we can allocate."

Expanding military strength is the top priority.

Pei Qinghe had occupied the entire Youzhou region, commanding numerous fierce generals and enjoying immense prestige. With this rise and fall, the Bohai Army was overshadowed and its former glory faded.

When it came to serious matters, Zhang Yun's expression became solemn, and he said in a low voice, "Pei Qinghe won this battle, but he was severely weakened. Otherwise, we could take this opportunity to send troops and wipe out the Pei family army directly."

General Zhang frowned: "You think I haven't thought about it? I initially thought Pei Qinghe would die at the hands of the Xiongnu barbarians. Who would have thought that Pei Qinghe not only fought this battle, but won it decisively? Now that her prestige is at its peak, what reason do I have to send troops to deal with a heroine who defeated the Xiongnu barbarians?"

The civil war raged on, and the people were in a daze, not really caring who won or lost. Among the powerful generals—King Qiao, General Situ, General Zhang, and Emperor Jian'an—whoever could unify the country would sit on the dragon throne.

The Xiongnu barbarians were the real external enemy. Especially the people of the north, who had been invaded and harmed by the Xiongnu barbarians for decades, nearly a century, had their hatred and fear of the Xiongnu barbarians deeply ingrained in their bones and blood.

When Pei Qinghe first started his rebellion, he relied on killing mountain bandits. Later, he rose to fame because he defended Changping County and drove away the Xiongnu barbarians.

After helping the Guangning army fight the Xiongnu barbarians, and now achieving a great victory against the Xiongnu, the name Pei Qinghe resounds throughout Youzhou. The people of the entire northern land are overjoyed and regard Pei Qinghe as a savior of the world.

If General Zhang were to send troops to attack the Pei family army at this time, not only would he be without a legitimate reason for his campaign, but he would also be condemned and cursed by thousands.

For General Zhang, who had the ambition to "have the world in his heart," this was by no means a wise move.

What's even more terrifying is that even if he were to risk the wrath of the world by sending troops, and outnumber the enemy several times over, he wouldn't be certain of victory. Zhang Yun shouted fiercely, but the thought of encountering Pei Qinghe on the battlefield sent chills down his spine.

He pondered for a moment and said in a low voice, "If we can't fight openly, then we'll strike secretly."

"The Guangning Army, the Liaoxi Army, and the Fanyang Army were originally a disorganized bunch. They were loyal to Pei Qinghe. In other words, as long as Pei Qinghe died, the Pei family army would completely disintegrate."

General Zhang looked over and said, "Pei Qinghe is a master of her time, surrounded by countless loyal Pei family guards. Sending assassins wouldn't get close to her at all; instead, it would only alert her. This would give the Pei family army a perfectly legitimate reason to raise their banner and declare independence."

"Don't make a move unless you're absolutely certain!"

Zhang Yun responded softly.

General Zhang narrowed his eyes, a cold smile creeping onto his lips: "The Pei family army has expanded too quickly, with numerous factions within it. Sending people to persuade them will surely stir up a few ambitious individuals. Let the Pei family army fall into chaos first."

Zhang Yun's eyes lit up: "Leave this to me."

General Zhang nodded: "This matter cannot be rushed. We should select a few key figures to target."

The father and son plotted in the study for a long time before going about their respective tasks.

……

"With the Emperor resting in bed, all court affairs are now in the hands of General Zhang."

"General Zhang is busy managing government affairs while recruiting new soldiers and expanding his forces. His ambitions are gradually becoming apparent. He may secretly make moves against the Pei family army. Please be careful, General."

Pei Qinghe looked at the letter sent by Bohai County and a cold smile appeared on her lips.

After reading the letter, Pei Qinghe handed it to Pei Yun. Pei Yun quickly glanced at it and said in a deep voice, "We must indeed be wary of the Zhang father and son sending assassins to use underhanded tactics. From today onwards, you should have more people with you."

Pei Yan immediately chimed in, "Don't worry, I'll lead men to guard the general. Not even a fly will be able to get past me and reach him."

Pei Qinghe chuckled: "Miss Pei Yan is so amazing now, my apologies for not being more knowledgeable."

Pei Yan grinned.

Pei Yun smiled for a moment, then quickly became serious and instructed, "In short, be extra careful in everything. I will lead my troops back to Beiping County tomorrow. If anything happens, send me a message immediately."

A few days ago, Yang Hu led the Guangning army away. Next is Pei Yun.

Pei Qinghe nodded slightly: "I'll spend the New Year in Liaoxi City and return next spring."

The Liaoxi Army's territory was too vast, almost twice the size of Yan Commandery. Moreover, the Liaoxi Army's foundation was too rotten. It was necessary to purge it completely and reshape it from the inside out.

Even after his wedding, Pei Qinghe didn't forget to recruit and train soldiers, repeatedly honing the skills of the original Liaoxi soldiers. He spent most of his time in the military camp every day.

Winning over the troops is not something that can be done overnight. Pei Qinghe plans to stay in Liaoxi County for half a year.

The following day, Pei Yun led his troops away.

Liaoxi City was not deserted. Not two days later, Lü Erlang arrived with five hundred cavalrymen.

Pei Qinghe did not go in person, but sent Pei Xuan and Pei Feng to greet her.

(End of this chapter)