NIP #138 - Chapter 138 Military Merit Gamble
#138 - Chapter 138 Military Merit Gamble
With that said.
The Left Prime Minister's true intentions were finally revealed.
He wanted to use the number of beheadings as leverage, aiming to embarrass Marquis Longxiang and the Longxiang Army in front of the common people of the capital.
As long as the Lady Marquis couldn't produce evidence of the 27,000 beheadings.
The Left Prime Minister could use his power as the one in charge of inspecting military merits to refuse to acknowledge the Longxiang Army's achievements.
And also put a label of falsely reporting military merits on Bai Jing.
Although doing so would inevitably disappoint the people, and the officials of the court would also lose face.
It could temporarily extinguish the momentum of Marquis Longxiang and the Longxiang Army.
With their momentum extinguished, what face would Marquis Longxiang Bai Jing have to continue participating in the subsequent triumphal ceremony?
She, Bai Jing, would inevitably retreat back to her fiefdom in disgrace with her army.
And the Left Prime Minister's goal would be achieved.
His collusion with the monk Jingxu could also be temporarily covered up.
Extinguishing her desire to pursue the matter of the monk Jingxu.
Thinking of his success.
The corners of the Left Prime Minister's mouth unconsciously turned upwards.
It's just that what he didn't see was.
At this moment, Marquis Longxiang Bai Jing also narrowed her eyes slightly, the corners of her mouth slightly raised.
The Lady Marquis led her horse, approaching the decorated stage a few steps, then raised her head and said coldly.
"Left Prime Minister, are you questioning their military merits in front of my thousands of Longxiang Army soldiers?"
The Left Prime Minister looked at the thousands of Longxiang Army soldiers with cold eyes in front of him.
He paused nervously, but then hissed.
"Inspecting military merits is my duty."
"If you can produce evidence."
"I naturally won't question it."
Hearing this, the Lady Marquis narrowed her beautiful eyes and said to the Left Prime Minister.
"In that case, does the Left Prime Minister dare to make a bet with me?"
Cai Hongwen frowned and asked in confusion.
"Bai Jing, what do you want to bet with me?"
Marquis Longxiang's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and she said loudly.
"How about this."
"If my Longxiang Army's military merits are fake, and I can't produce evidence."
"Then I, Marquis Longxiang Bai Jing, will kowtow in front of this Desheng Gate to apologize to the world."
"I will naturally have no face to participate in the subsequent triumphal ceremony, and I will lead the Longxiang Army back to the fiefdom to reflect on my mistakes."
Then the Lady Marquis's voice rose a few degrees.
"But, if I produce evidence to prove that the number of beheadings is true."
"Then how should the Left Prime Minister apologize for humiliating the military merits of my thousands of Longxiang soldiers like this?"
Seeing Marquis Longxiang so confident.
The Left Prime Minister felt a faint sense of unease in his heart.
He was now being outmaneuvered by Bai Jing.
The Left Prime Minister wasn't stupid, he vaguely felt that there must be a hidden story here.
He didn't want to take risks.
The Left Prime Minister was about to open his mouth to say.
Then his plan to suppress Marquis Longxiang would be difficult to continue.
The Left Prime Minister carefully considered for a moment, and carefully looked at Marquis Longxiang's ranks.
He indeed didn't find any vehicles transporting heads, nor did he smell the stench of a large number of heads.
His eyes darted around, Marquis Longxiang should just be bluffing.
I'll bet on him.
So the Left Prime Minister gritted his teeth and said loudly.
"Alright, Marquis Longxiang, I agree!"
"If you can really produce evidence of 27,000 beheadings."
"Then I, as the Left Prime Minister, will kowtow to your Longxiang Army in front of this Desheng Gate to admit my mistake."
"And accept the crime of insulting the army!"
"What do you think!??"
Hearing the Left Prime Minister's agreement, the Lady Marquis revealed a smile of some kind of successful trickery on her face.
"Left Prime Minister, then let's make it a deal!"
Marquis Longxiang's words completely locked down this bet in front of the North Gate.
At this moment, neither side had a way out.
Hearing that Marquis Longxiang and the Left Prime Minister on the decorated stage were going to make a bet over the number of beheadings.
The people in front of Desheng Gate were all happy to hear it, whispering to each other.
This time, they really didn't come in vain, they had never seen such a big spectacle before.
But the officials watching the ceremony on the decorated stage all shook their heads and sighed.
No matter who wins or loses this bet, it will be the Great Liang Dynasty that loses face.
They really couldn't understand why the Left Prime Minister wanted to force Marquis Longxiang so much.
At this time, on the city tower of Desheng Gate.
The Assistant General of the State, with a slight smile on his face, lightly sipped his wine cup.
He was in a very good mood now.
Cai Hongwen and Bai Jing were both people he disliked.
Now that the two of them were betting, he would be very happy no matter who won or lost and lost face in public.
However, he was not optimistic about the little girl Bai Jing.
Because Zheng Tianxiong also believed that it was impossible for the Longxiang Army to have really chopped off 27,000 Tiele heads.
But this was not important.
The Assistant General of the State only wanted to watch the show now.
And on the second floor of the city tower.
Wu Dean, the Chief Eunuch in front of the Emperor, who was holding the railing, also had a strange expression.
The old eunuch looked at the heroic Marquis Longxiang Bai Jing, shook his head slightly, and said in a voice that only he could hear.
"This girl is still young."
"She's going to make such a big bet with someone after being instigated."
"I'll have to see how you're going to end it when you can't produce evidence of your military merits."
Not to mention the thoughts of the people present.
Now everyone in front of the entire Desheng Gate wanted to see.
How this Lady Marquis was going to produce evidence of beheading 27,000 Tiele people.
I saw Marquis Longxiang Bai Jing turn around and shout at her own ranks.
"Lieutenant Li, it's your turn."
Everyone was wondering, but they heard the sound of hooves.
A black horse, Wu Zhui, leaped out of the ranks.
As soon as this person appeared.
Everyone in front of this Desheng Gate instantly widened their eyes.
A young and heroic general was sitting upright on the black horse, Wu Zhui.
Seeing this person, he was wearing a chain armor made of iron leaves, with a large red cloak draped over it.
He didn't wear a helmet on his head, looking at his face, this person had sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, and was exceptionally handsome.
His face was as chiseled as a knife, with distinct features, possessing both the handsomeness of a man and the majesty of a military general.
Everyone present praised his appearance, saying that there was such a handsome person.
It's just that everyone was a little confused, who is this person?
Wu Zhui trotted forward and stood under the decorated stage, the heroic general cupped his fists to the left and right of Desheng Gate and said loudly.
"I, am the vanguard of the army."
"The Longxiang Army's Chiliarch, Li Yuan!"
Hearing the name Li Yuan, countless people on the scene suddenly realized.
Recently, the name Li Yuan has not been unfamiliar in the capital.
If the storytellers in the teahouses didn't have a story about Lieutenant Li's great defeat of the Tiele, they would be laughed at.
It's just that for the people of the capital, the name Li Yuan is more often just a symbolic existence.
He is just a story passed down by word of mouth among the people of the capital.
A beautiful imagination of defeating the Tiele.
The people didn't dare to hope that they would really see a hero who had greatly defeated the Tiele appear in front of them.
But at this moment, this hero who had been circulating in the capital for several days actually appeared.
And his appearance was so heroic and handsome.
It was exactly the same as described in the story.
Tell me, how could this not make the people of the capital boil with enthusiasm and surge with excitement.
"Li Yuan! It's really Li Yuan!"
"My God, I didn't see it wrong, he's actually so handsome."
"What was said in the story is actually true!"
"Quick, get out of the way, let me take a look."
In order to see Li Yuan, many people were squeezing forward, and the scene was even somewhat out of control for a while.
At this time, Li Yuan was also a little inexplicable.
He didn't understand why he was so popular among the people of the capital.
Li Yuan didn't know that the Lady Marquis had sent Zheng Biao and the others to the capital to make a name for him.
There was some chaos in front of the city gate.
The soldiers of the City Defense Division, who were responsible for maintaining order, immediately began to suppress it.
As the soldiers suppressed, the noise gradually subsided.
At this time, the Left Prime Minister's lukewarm voice came from the decorated stage.
"Marquis Longxiang, what do you mean by sending out a pretty boy?"
"Could it be that this person has evidence of beheading 27,000 Tiele people on him?"
At this time, the Left Prime Minister's heart was full of contempt.
He believed that Marquis Longxiang's sending out such a white-faced scholar was nothing more than trying to divert attention.
Marquis Longxiang might want this person to tell the story of their bitter battle on the Chishui River.
And rely on this person's outstanding appearance to win some trust and sympathy from the people.
In this way, the matter of the beheadings could be glossed over.
The Left Prime Minister didn't think that Li Yuan would have any evidence on him.
However, unlike what he thought.
I saw this person leading his horse forward a few steps, standing under the decorated stage, and saying loudly above.
"The Left Prime Minister is right, the evidence of beheading 27,000 Tiele people."
"Is indeed here with me."