Martial Arts: My achievements in Beiliang were so great that they threatened the lord's positio

"Now you are merely granted the title of Marquis, but perhaps in the future, I may bestow upon you the title of Prince of Yan."

"Would you be willing to be granted the title of king or prime minister?"

"willing."

Lin Xuan nodded.

"It's good that you have this ambition."

The emperor said, "However, in the present world, if there are two kings of different surnames, it would be too many."

Only one can survive.

This statement was no longer an implication, but a clear indication: if Lin Xuan wanted to be crowned king, he had to first bring down Xu Xiao.

There's no need to feel uneasy.

Perhaps seeing his trusted general remain silent, the emperor said in a calm tone: "He was unjust first; you are simply reclaiming what rightfully belongs to you."

He didn't elaborate on the matter, instead asking, "Do you still plan to wage war against the Northern Python this year?"

"Yes."

Lin Xuan nodded: "Last year we launched a fierce attack on Orange Prefecture, and this year we will launch a joint attack on West River Prefecture as well."

Even if I don't attack, the Northern Pythons will still come.

"It would be better to strike first, defeat and deter them, so that they will not dare to act recklessly."

"Well said."

The emperor laughed loudly: "The balance of power has been reversed."

In the past, the northern serpent would descend south every year, plundering and killing; from now on, it should be our Central Plains that launches annual northern expeditions, taking the initiative to strike.

"Go ahead and fight as you please. If you are short of anything, just report it to me and I will do my best to provide it for you."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Lin Xuan smiled wryly: "At present, we have sufficient supplies, and our food and weapons are ready. The only problem is the lack of capable officials, especially in the two prefectures of Xiapi and Shangdang."

"Your Majesty is aware of my relationship with the Confucian scholars of prominent families in the Central Plains."

"When you marry the prince, I will personally select a group of capable officials to be sent to Yan as part of your dowry."

Until evening

Lin Xuan then left the palace.

Po Jun, who had been waiting outside the palace gates for a long time, rushed forward when he saw the young master.

"Didn't I tell you to go back to the manor first?"

He asked, "What are you waiting here for?"

"Going back home is boring too."

Po Jun's face lit up with joy: "General, I heard from the palace guards that you have been granted a marquisate."

"It's sealed off."

He nodded.

"Or is he the Marquis of Yan, with a fief of 20,000 households?"

"You're quite well-informed."

"Let's go back to the General's Mansion to pack our things. We'll set off the day after tomorrow."

Lin Xuan walked slowly down the long street with his hands behind his back.

The snow fell heavily, swirling and swirling, settling on the cloak.

The next day at noon

The imperial gifts were delivered to the general's residence in a total of fifty or sixty carts, each returning fully loaded.

These valuables were not unloaded but left in the yard, to be loaded onto trucks and set off the next day.

Occasionally, officials would come to visit, but Po Jun politely declined them all, and Lin Xuan did not see them at all.

The morning of the third day

The sky was still gray and dark, with wind and snow raging, but the lights of the imperial city still shone brightly in the distance.

Dozens of carriages were parked outside the general's mansion, and servants were busy packing their belongings.

Lin Xuan got up early, took a bath and changed his clothes, and then enjoyed tea in the hall.

"My lord, Princess Lingxi's carriage has arrived."

Po Jun entered to report.

"Please come in."

He began to speak.

Princess Lingxi was accompanied only by two strong nannies and her maid Cui'er, her entourage was very small.

The girl's face looked slightly tired, and her eyes appeared somewhat puffy.

"Didn't you rest during the night?"

Lin Xuan raised his eyebrows slightly.

"It's not just that we haven't had a moment's rest."

Cui'er replied, "I haven't slept a wink these past two nights."

"My princess is so pampered, and she is always waited on hand and foot. Now, in order to sew a winter coat for the Marquis, her ten fingers have been pricked by needles countless times. It is heartbreaking to see."

"Cui'er".

Princess Lingxi gently stopped her, and Cui'er could only purse her lips and remain silent.

"Lord Yan, don't listen to this girl's gossip."

The girl's voice was gentle: "When we get back, I will punish her by not allowing her to eat."

Why punish her?

Lin Xuan shook his head, his gaze sweeping over her hands. Sure enough, there were red marks on her originally slender white fingers.

The girl quickly hid her hands in her sleeves and whispered, "Granny, please bring me the clothes."

A tall, imposing old woman behind her presented a plain-colored jacket.

Po Jun stepped forward and took it.

"I've heard that the snow in Yan doesn't melt until three months later. When you return, it will still be cold."

"But this coat is poorly sewn..."

Princess Lingxi smiled and said, "I hope Marquis Yan will not take offense."

"How could I possibly dislike it?"

Lin Xuan smiled and said, "There are probably very few people in the whole world who can have clothes sewn by Princess Lingxi herself."

Princess Lingxi's expression relaxed slightly, and a glimmer of light appeared in her eyes: "Wars are frequent in Yan, and the Marquis often personally leads the troops into battle. As the ancients said, swords have no eyes."

After speaking, she took a wooden box from another nanny, placed it on the table, and said softly, "Inside is a piece of gold-threaded soft armor bestowed upon me by my father, which can protect me from swords and arrows when worn close to the body."

"I had no use for it, so I gave it to the Marquis of Yan."

Make sure you wear this when you go to war, so I won't worry about it.

It is quite remarkable that these words came from the mouth of a young girl who has not yet left her boudoir.

Moreover, as a princess, she had long lived in the deep palace, where etiquette and laws were strictly observed.

"Cui'er".

She called out.

"My lord, these are the snacks and dry rations prepared by the princess."

A maid handed over a package: "These were all specially prepared by the imperial chefs, with great care. Your Highness can eat them on your journey."

A winter coat

A suit of gold silk soft armor

A bag of snacks and dry food

Lin Xuan accepted the generous gift without further hesitation.

Outside the General's Mansion

Hundreds of imperial guards had already escorted dozens of fully loaded carriages, making a grand procession toward the north gate.

Po Jun led two warhorses and consciously retreated to a distance to wait.

Princess Lingxi's carriage stopped on the other side of the mansion gate.

Cui'er and the two nannies followed at a distance.

"Lord Yan, please take good care of yourself."

The two stepped out of the mansion gate, the young woman's gaze lingering: "If you encounter any difficulties, you can send someone to the princess's residence in the capital to find me."

"I will do everything in my power to help."

"Thank you, Princess."

Lin Xuan cupped his hands in greeting: "The journey ahead is long, so please do not worry too much about the capital."

Goodbye.

After saying this, he turned and walked towards Po Jun, took the reins, mounted his horse, and chased after the caravan.

Yoshihisa

Watching Lin Xuan's figure gradually disappear into the gray sky and swirling snow,

"Princess, don't look anymore, they've already gone far away."

Cui'er stepped forward and gently shook the girl's arm, bringing Princess Lingxi back to her senses.

"If I can endure a few more months of longing, I will be able to meet the Marquis of Yan."

She smiled faintly, her lips pursed.

"You're getting bolder and bolder, even daring to tease me."

The girl playfully scolded and reached out to tickle Cui'er's waist.

After a brief period of playful banter, the two boarded a carriage, driven by two matrons, and headed back to the capital.

The carriage curtain was lifted, and Princess Lingxi peered out, gazing intently towards the north gate.

"Princess, there is no need to worry too much."

Cui'er gently comforted him, "The Marquis's martial arts are superb, even Eunuch Cao admits he is inferior. With strong and powerful troops under his command, he will surely be safe."

The carriage drove into the palace gate, gradually disappearing into the distance, eventually vanishing into the depths of the snowstorm.

After the tokens were verified, the north gate of the capital slowly opened, and dozens of large carts and hundreds of riders slowly headed north.

Lin Xuan and Po Jun rode at the forefront.

They marched day and night toward Yan, and although the caravan was large, it moved faster than when they came.

In less than half a month, they were already close to the border of Qingzhou.

"My lord, Qingyou Pass is only thirty or forty miles ahead. If we hurry, we can reach it before nightfall."

Po Jun said, "In the end, Yan is more comfortable."

"it is good."

He nodded slightly, and before he could finish speaking, a muffled boom came from afar—the sound of cavalry charging.

At the horizon, snow dust swirled, like a white curtain obscuring the sky.

"alert!"

The commander of the Imperial Guards tensed up and gave a stern order.

Hundreds of imperial guards emerged from both sides of the convoy, brandishing their weapons and advancing with solemn expressions.

The warhorse neighed restlessly.

"Do not be nervous."

Lin Xuan smiled and said, "It is Yan Di who has come to greet me on horseback."

After he finished speaking, the roar grew louder, like thunder rolling across the ground.

A black line rapidly spread across the field of vision, its outline becoming visible within moments.

Those were over a thousand cavalrymen, clad entirely in black armor, wielding long, narrow battle blades.

The warhorse grew increasingly agitated, its fierce aura sweeping towards them.

A thousand cavalrymen surged forward like a mountain, leaving the imperial guards stationed in the capital barely able to catch their breath.

"Such a heavy killing intent."

The centurion's face turned solemn: "So this is the Yan cavalry?"

Even though they were far apart, the bloody fighting spirit was already chilling.

As soldiers, they understood that only a battle-hardened army possessed such a fierce aura.

Even though they knew the Yan cavalry wouldn't charge into the enemy lines, the hundreds of imperial guards were still terrified, their hands trembling slightly as they gripped their spears, their palms sweating.

A thousand riders thundered like thunder, their armor dark and heavy. The knights were as tall and imposing as iron towers, their faces covered with menacing iron tools, only their deep-set eyes visible.

The great tremor caused the accumulated snow to fall in a flurry.

The first rider was particularly powerful, like a giant descending to earth, wielding a heavy blade in one hand, his charge as fierce as a beast breaking free of its cage.

"Boom—"

"Boom—"

The world was shrouded in darkness.

The thousand riders galloped to within fifty paces of the convoy, yet still did not slow down.

The Imperial Guard commander instinctively raised his gun, his throat tightening.

"Whoa—"

Ten zhang away, Wutugu suddenly pulled on the reins, and the warhorse slid a few steps, stopping right in front of Lin Xuan's horse.

"This humble general, Wutugu, respectfully welcomes the Great General!"

A thousand horsemen stood solemnly behind him, their formations perfectly aligned and their armor gleaming.

The dark blue wolf banner fluttered in the wind and snow, its fangs and wolf head exuding a chilling aura.

"Greetings, General!"

All the riders dismounted and knelt on the ground.

"It was weighed incorrectly."

Po Jun said coldly, "He should be called the Marquis of Yan."

"This humble general, Wutugu, pays his respects to Marquis Yan!"

Wutugu's eyes burned with fervor, and the surrounding Canglang riders were also filled with barely suppressed excitement.

"Get up."

Lin Xuan raised his hand and smiled.

"Brothers, thank you all for your hard work."

Wu Tugu slapped the shoulder of the Imperial Guard commander. Where his palm landed, the commander grimaced and frowned, feeling as if his bones were about to fall apart. He hurriedly said, "I dare not, thank you for your trouble, General."

The ferocity of the Yan cavalry was too overwhelming, and the centurion felt a sense of fear. He wanted to summon the imperial guards to leave quickly, but Lin Xuan stopped him: "Wait."

"What are your orders, Lord Marquis?"

The commander bowed.

"Brothers, you've worked hard these past two weeks."

Lin Xuan said loudly, "Each of you go and retrieve a piece of jade as payment."

Po Jun rode his horse to the carriage, pulled down five wooden boxes, opened the lids, and said, "They're yours now."

"Thank you for your generous gift, Lord Marquis!"

The centurion was overjoyed.

The imperial guards were also unable to contain their excitement.

"Walk."

Lin Xuan laughed loudly, spurred his horse and galloped forward. The soldiers of the Canglang Cavalry drove dozens of wagons loaded with goods behind him, heading towards Qingyou Pass.

"Respectfully seeing off the Marquis."

Hundreds of Imperial Guards shouted in unison.

The centurion glanced at the expectant soldiers around him, picked up a box from the ground and put it away, then turned to them and said, "The rest, brothers, take them and divide them among yourselves."

Amidst the swirling snow and wind

The majestic Qingyou Pass was faintly visible in the distance. The sound of war drums resounded, and the long, echoing horns rang out. Thousands of cavalrymen galloped past, causing the ground to tremble.

Finally, before nightfall, they arrived at Qingyou Pass.

Inhaling the crisp air of Yan and facing the biting wind, Lin Xuan felt invigorated.

The group rested for one night inside the pass, and set off again the next morning, continuing northward towards Yanzhou City.

At the same time

The news that Lin Xuan had been granted the title of Marquis had also reached the Zhenbei General's Mansion.

In the hall

Mu Qing'er, Meng Jiao, Tian Hu, Hu Yanlie, Xue Toutuo, Jia Xiong, Zhuge Qing, Wang Qing, Lin Ruhai and other close subordinates were all present.

The title of General Who Guards the North, a first-rank official, is equivalent to the Three Dukes, and the title of Marquis of Yan, who enjoys a fief of 20,000 households—any one of these three rewards is the pinnacle of a subject's status.

Second only to Xu Xiao, the King of Beiliang

Not to mention that soon, Lin Xuan, the Marquis of Yan, will also have a new identity: the princess's consort.

He rose to become a member of the imperial family.

As Lin Xuan was promoted, the status and rank of his civil and military officials naturally rose as well.

"In just a few short years, the young master has risen from the Prefect of Yan County to the Marquis of Yan, and has become a first-rank general."

Meng Jiao rubbed his hands together and grinned, "At this rate, being made a king will be just around the corner in a few years."

"By then, I might be able to snag a second-rank general position."

"Be careful with your words."

Wang Qing shook his head and reminded him, "Don't speak carelessly."

"It's alright."

Mu Qing'er said, "Everyone here today is one of your own people, as long as you don't spread it around outside."

"Don't worry, Qing'er."

Meng Jiao patted his chest and assured him, "I will never talk nonsense outside."

"The general has now been ennobled as a marquis, and in the future he will become the consort of a princess, joining the ranks of princes and dukes."

Wang Qing said solemnly, "Everyone must be careful in their words and actions, lest the court find fault with them."