btmnovel Chapter 2562 Making His Own Decision, Retiring to His Hometown
Chapter 2562 Making His Own Decision, Retiring to His Hometown
Chapter 2562 Making His Own Decision, Retiring to His Hometown
As he spoke, Zhuge Liang saw a report from Luo Wang that mentioned that Luo Wang's pacification commissioner in Daqian, Luo He, had acted decisively after the Xuanwu Gate Incident, intending to incite internal strife in the Daqian court.
Because Jiang Ziya had made ample preparations in advance, while the enemy was preparing for the coup, they led their troops to the rear of Jiang Chuan and Jiang Zhao respectively.
As a result, Luo Wang made no progress in these two places, but it was the first to pass on the news to Jiang Che's son and his former subordinates.
Although Jiang Che's son and Jiang Che's former subordinates were skeptical, they still made preparations and turned the tables on the troops sent by Jiang Ziya to raid and clean up the mess.
Two swallowing three is still too much of a stretch. Even if Jiang Ziya made a lot of preparations, there would still be oversights in the end.
However, among the original five kings of the Great Qian Dynasty, Jiang Che was only the weakest. Now, the people were even more panicked, unlike Jiang Ziya who had the upper hand.
It might cause some trouble for Jiang Ziya, but it's ultimately unsustainable.
This operation, the Net of Deception, was brilliantly executed, even worthy of being called a great achievement.
Unfortunately, the Han dynasty was ultimately too far away to provide them with sufficient support to sustain Jiang Che's remaining forces and his court in a prolonged confrontation.
The Han Dynasty and the Qian Dynasty were indeed adjacent, but Jiang Che's power was located in the southern part of the Qian Dynasty, which was far away from the Han Dynasty. Without troop transport vehicles, it would be an exaggeration to say that he was too far away to reach them.
This is undoubtedly a regret for the Han Dynasty.
At this point, Zhuge Liang could only hope that Zhu Yuanzhang would react in time.
The Han dynasty was too far away to reach the southern part of the Great Qian, but Zhu Yuanzhang's Ming dynasty was right next to the southern part of the Great Qian.
In fact, Zhuge Liang didn't need to worry. Zhu Yuanzhang was also adept at seizing opportunities.
Although he was still busy with the complete unification of Wu, he would not let the northern region go since it had become vulnerable. In any case, he did not need to personally lead the troops; he only needed to support Jiang Che's remnants.
The longer the chaos in the Great Qian Dynasty lasts, the more advantageous it will be for him.
On the issue of the Great Qian Dynasty, the interests of the Han and Ming dynasties were aligned.
After the three cabinet ministers spoke in turn, the entire imperial study fell into a brief silence, and the remaining two did not speak.
All of them possessed extraordinary talent, and three of them spoke in succession, leaving the remaining two with nothing to add for the time being.
After a brief silence, Wang Yu finally spoke, “What you all have said is all very accurate. Jiang Shang is indeed a major threat, and we must not allow him to grow too powerful.”
"I approve of Yi Wu's suggestion of the date for attacking Qian, which is set for April of next year. All departments shall make secret preparations, with Kongming in charge of logistics and Zifang assisting in military planning."
"Your Majesty, we obey!" the men said in unison, rising to receive the order.
As Guan Zhong, Zhuge Liang, and the other five cabinet ministers withdrew, the imperial study returned to its spaciousness and tranquility, with only the faint scent of ambergris remaining.
Wang Yu's gaze shifted from the closed door to Zhao Gao, who stood beside him with his hands at his sides, his aura almost blending into the shadows.
"Zhao Gao!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Upon hearing the emperor call his name, Zhao Gao immediately turned to the side and quickly replied.
"You can decide on Jiang Ziya's matter yourself," Wang Yu instructed directly. Wang Yu had naturally considered Yao Guangxiao's suggestion; there was no harm in giving it a try.
On the Daqian side, Luo Wang is the pacification commissioner, and Zhao Deyan and Zhuo Donglai are the pacification commissioners. This task can only be carried out by the three of them.
Even if it fails, at most we'll only lose a few assassins.
For the Han Dynasty, these tools were worthless. As long as the leaders of the Luo Wang were still around, these tools could be used to organize the next batch at any time.
Even if the assassination is successful, it is worth it to keep Jiang Ziya distracted by the constant assassination attempts, even if some assassins are lost.
The Great Qian Dynasty only has one year left, and so does Jiang Ziya. Using some assassins to distract Jiang Ziya is nothing.
However, Luo He and his group could only organize master-level assassins at most. If they needed a Celestial to take action, they would naturally need Zhao Gao to coordinate.
As for the assassination attempt by the Celestials, as long as their identities aren't exposed, who would know it was done by the Han? What's the use of guessing if they haven't been proven right in front of you?
"This servant obeys the decree!" Zhao Gao replied softly.
A flash of cold light appeared beneath his lowered eyelids. He made his own decision. This seemingly casual sentence contained the greatest trust and the deepest delegation of authority.
Zhao Gao understood this perfectly. This self-determination meant that he could use all the power of the Luowang in Qiandi, take any necessary measures, and bear all possible consequences, while the emperor... had never issued such an order.
Moreover, he understood the emperor's meaning: he was to make his own decision, but he could not use the imperial court's celestial beings.
Even whether it would succeed, how much it would cost, and whether it would leave any traces that could cause a diplomatic incident—those were all matters that Zhao Gao needed to decide and handle himself.
What His Majesty wants is a result, or at least a process that keeps Jiang Ziya and his core group in a state of high tension and attrition.
Zhao Gao silently retreated to the shadows and began to rapidly calculate in his mind.
Assassinating a prime minister, especially someone like Jiang Ziya, is no easy task. It requires careful planning, finding the best opportunity, employing the most reliable person, and devising the most ingenious plan.
Wang Yu stopped looking at him, as if he had just been given a trivial instruction.
His attention fell on the top of a stack of memorials that the female official Shen Luoyan had just sorted out on the imperial desk. Shen Luoyan stood to the side, holding her breath and concentrating.
The topmost memorial was General Mo Peng's petition to retire, stating that he was now old and plagued by injuries and illnesses, and requested to retire from the military and live out his remaining years in peace.
After reading the memorial, Wang Yu closed it and pondered for a moment. Mo Peng said that he was indeed over fifty years old this year. Although he was old, he had not yet reached the point where he should retire and return to his hometown.
However, after a moment, Wang Yu understood why he had chosen to retire at the height of his career.
"Draft the decree," Wang Yu said, his voice steady.
Shen Luoyan immediately stepped forward, spread out the blank imperial edict, and dipped her brush in ink.
Since Zhang Liang took office as secretary, Shen Luoyan had been assigned to other tasks by Wang Yu. However, Zhang Liang was promoted for his merits, and Shen Luoyan was transferred back to Zhang Liang's office once again.
"The title of General Mo Peng, originally known as the Fierce Whale, is hereby conferred upon him the title of Duke of Pingyang, with a fief of three thousand households in Pingyang County. He is granted a certificate of merit and the right to inherit the title for three generations. After three generations, his descendants shall inherit the title in accordance with the established rules. He is also granted a thousand taels of gold, five hundred bolts of silk, and one hundred acres of fertile land in his hometown. He is permitted to return home in the honors of a duke. May he enjoy a long and peaceful old age and may his blessings be long-lasting."
As Wang Yu finished speaking, Shen Luoyan wielded her brush with lightning speed, and her delicate yet powerful small regular script quickly filled the imperial edict.