393 Shandong Rebellion

The court officials were not fools. As soon as King You’s death spread, the people of the Great Zhou Dynasty were furious. There were frequent riots everywhere. At this moment, the emperor was a furious lion. If he did not kill until blood flowed like a river, it would not be enough to intimidate the world.

He wanted to use a bloody method to tell the entire court and the vassal lords everywhere, “The authority of the royal family is not to be provoked.”

This was the mind of an emperor.

Just as the court was in a state of panic…

An urgent document was sent into the capital. The ferghana horse galloped along Chang An Street. The spy holding the document high shouted, “Shandong Emergency Report, Shandong Emergency Report…”

When the commoners heard this voice, they retreated and made way.

The ferghana horse sped into the palace from Chang An Street.

The spy knelt on one knee and said anxiously, “Your Majesty, the various tribes in Shandong have launched a large-scale rebellion. The leader, Li Qiguang, shouted that you were an incompetent ruler and persecuted the ones who were loyal…”

When the emperor heard the words “incompetent ruler”, he was like an angry lion, and his eyes turned red. “Summon the ministers into the palace to discuss matters.”

When the officials received the news, they did not dare to delay at all and rushed into the palace.

The emperor stood high above and looked down at the ministers below. “There’s a large-scale rebellion in Shandong. Do you have any good plans?”

This concerned the danger of the country, so how could the officials dare to hide it.

Xia Yansheng immediately cupped his hands. “Li Qiguang has always thought of himself as a remnant of the Gulu Kingdom. He has been buying people’s hearts in the Shandong area and has gathered a large number of people under him. The Imperial Court has sent troops to suppress him twice and tried to persuade him to surrender, but to no avail. Now that he’s starting a rebellion, I’m afraid he’s using the reputation of King You to rebel. Your Majesty, please choose a suitable general as soon as possible and bring troops to suppress the rebellion.”

“Elder Xia is right. Shandong is located in the hinterland of the Central Plains. From the north to the south, it borders Hebei, Henan, Anhui, and Jiangsu. It’s less than 600 kilometers away from the capital. If the traitor, Li Qiguang, takes over Shandong and forms a force, the capital will be in danger. Your Majesty, please appoint a general immediately to bring troops to quell the chaos.”

“There’s no time to delay suppressing the chaos. Your Majesty, please issue a decree immediately…”

The court officials knelt on the ground and exclaimed.

The emperor in the high position stared at the court officials kneeling on the ground. The redness in his eyes had yet to dissipate, and instead, he looked even more shocked.

The dead silence pressed down on the court officials until they did not even dare to breathe loudly.

After an unknown period of time, the emperor’s calm voice sounded. “In your opinion, who should I send to Shandong to calm the chaos to have a guaranteed victory?”

He enunciated the last four words softly and heavily, each one seeming to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

The royal court was silent.

No one dared to say anything else. It was not a big deal to recommend a general, but everyone present knew what the words “guaranteed victory” meant. If they were not careful, they would lose their heads.

The situation in Shandong was complicated, and riots often happened. The previous emperors of the Great Zhou Dynasty had a headache over this.

No matter who went, they probably did not have the confidence to win.

The emperor sneered. “Dear ministers, you have to think carefully. You can win this battle, but you can’t lose. Otherwise, the dignity of our Great Zhou will be damaged by a mere thief. This will be a big loss. Your heads will be chopped off.”

The Marquis of Changxing’s crimes were monstrous, and the citizens of the world were furious. There were frequent riots everywhere. If they could not show the dignity of the Great Zhou Dynasty in this battle, it would encourage Li Qiguang and the rebel forces everywhere.

At that time, if the world was in chaos and the vassal lords rebelled…

The emperor suddenly closed his eyes.

If his younger brother, Yin Lixing, was still around, would these bandits dare to bully the Yin Imperial Family?

Now that his brother, Yin Lixing, was dead, it became an excuse for these bandits to rebel.

He thought that it was extremely ridiculous!

The court officials knelt on the ground, not even daring to raise their eyes. Those who were timid trembled on the spot.

The emperor immediately laughed in anger. “Why? Do you all think you’re mute? I remember that back then, the heir killed a few officials and nobles who didn’t want to assist in the war in the north and only wanted to escape. All of you couldn’t wait to jump out and talk about how King You had gathered his troops and wanted to summon him to the capital to be punished…”

But now that King You was dead, no one in the court could be used?!

At the mention of King You, the court officials broke out in a cold sweat on a hot day.

The silent atmosphere completely angered the emperor. He shouted, “Where’s the Minister of War, Lord Xu? The Ministry of War is in charge of the wars in various places. Do you want to be mute too?”

The new Minister of War, Lord Xu, immediately walked out of the crowd and knelt on the ground.

The emperor clearly saw that there was a wet patch on the back of his red official uniform. “Who do you think can take on this role?”

Lord Xu’s body trembled. Even though he was kneeling on the ground, he could still feel the king’s gaze, which was filled with killing intent, land on him. He wanted to cry but had no tears. “I-I’ll recommend the Marquis of Ningyuan to lead the troops to calm the chaos in Shandong.”

The words “guaranteed victory” already showed how much the emperor valued this battle.

If he recommended some young generals, they would definitely not be able to take on the heavy responsibility. Only old officials with outstanding military achievements would have more chances of winning.

Of course, he did not want to offend the Marquis of Ningyuan.

Duke Ning Yuan was definitely involved in King You’s death.

However, the Emperor had only demoted Imperial Concubine Lu to second-rank Concubine Lan. The Marquis of Weining’s Estate had also been demoted to second-rank Marquis of Ningyuan’s Estate. It could be seen that the Emperor still wanted to use the Marquis of Ningyuan’s Estate.

However, among the noble old generals in the capital, there were some old established generals that they could not afford to offend, such as the Marquis of Zhen.

Only the Marquis of Ningyuan, who had been demoted, was the best candidate.

There was no turning back. Lord Xu gritted his teeth secretly. “The Marquis of Changxing is a direct descendant of the Marquis of Ningyuan. The two families are in-laws. King You died unjustly. Although what the Marquis of Changxing did is unforgivable, the Marquis of Weining is also in the wrong. Although the emperor has punished the Marquis of Ningyuan, it’s still difficult for the anger of the people to be appeased. It’s a good opportunity for the Marquis of Ningyuan to redeem himself.”

As the emperor listened, his eyes flickered.

Lord Xu was trembling in fear as he continued, “Marquis of Ningyuan has made outstanding military achievements. Three years ago, the Di people invaded the north wantonly. Although it was King You and the heir who turned the tide, it was also thanks to the Marquis of Ningyuan’s help. I think the Marquis of Ningyuan’s reputation will definitely intimidate the rebels and suppress the rebellion in Shandong. Then, he will make unparalleled contributions to the Imperial Court.”

Every word and sentence made sense.

The court officials below lowered their heads, not daring to show their faces.

As for Marquis of Ningyuan, his eyes darkened and he almost fainted on the spot.

Li Qiguang considered himself a remnant of the Gulu people and had been entrenched in Shandong for generations. It could be said that his roots were deeply rooted. A strong dragon could not suppress a local snake. Once he led his troops there, not only would they face the chaos under Li Qiguang, but they would also face all kinds of open and hidden attacks.

In the history of the Great Zhou, many generals had been buried in Shandong.

He did not have the confidence to win.

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