Volume 1: 098 Surge
Knowing shame and then being brave, this sentence Huo Shan Jun has always remembered in his heart. The shame of being killed by Lin Xu that day, he can never forget for the rest of his life. He just eats a lesson and becomes wiser, and Huo Shan Jun no longer dares to underestimate the ability of this dead enemy Lin Xu.
If a person can win every battle and gamble just because of good luck, then the power of good luck is far more terrifying than any wisdom or bravery. On the other hand, if Lin Xu's success wasn't due to his exceptionally good luck, but he still managed to defeat Huo Shan Jun multiple times, it can only mean that from the start, Huo Shan Jun had underestimated his opponent's abilities. Therefore, losing this war due to underestimating the enemy is not unjust.
Recalling the times when he thought he had a sure win, only to lose everything, Huo Shan's face couldn't help but reveal a hint of iron-like pallor. Realizing that emotional fluctuations were detrimental to making accurate judgments, he calmed his mind and spoke in a low voice:
"Lin Xun's actions often go beyond people's expectations, and this move is quite suspicious. We should consider how to respond, and acting rashly is not the best strategy."
Bei Dafu remained silent from start to finish, allowing Huo Shanjun to perform his solo on the other side. He firmly believed that the master he served was not mediocre or incompetent, and even if a momentary lapse led to defeat, it would only be a minor flaw in an otherwise flawless white jade.
Heaven won't drop you a meat pie, if it really drops, it's either a trick or a trap. Although he had a rare burst of enthusiasm and slightly moved the idea of reorganizing the village team, a chill suddenly rose to his head and dispelled his passion. Huo Shan Jun shook his big tiger head and said:
"Never mind, it's not advantageous for us to act rashly, let's observe the situation a bit longer."
Almost every friend or enemy who has dealt with Lin Xu dares not to treat him as an ignorant fool. Those unrelated strangers have no chance of in-depth understanding and can only guess the truth based on endless rumors.
It is often said that rumors stop at the wise. Unfortunately, under this sky, smart people are always in the minority, and most people are still rumor spreaders and victims who follow the crowd.
Good things don't go out the door, bad things spread throughout the world. In no time at all, Lin Xu, this newly promoted god of Huo Mountain, who was reckless and presumptuous, self-proclaimed his advancement, and his reputation echoed across the land, from the Yangtze River to the north of the Great Wall, spreading beyond the Five Ridges. If the gods and demons in this realm didn't discuss that foolish mountain god's shocking move when they gathered together, it would be like being an outdated antique, unable to keep up with the times. Only a handful of wise men used their discerning eyes to see through the chaotic appearances and understood the ugly truth behind Lin Xu's impatient and unseemly behavior, possibly hiding unknown secrets.
Before one's very eyes, the vast grasslands have reached the season of autumn prosperity and strong horses. Another year has passed in the blink of an eye.
The nomadic tribes that returned with a full load from the Central Plains in the past did not idle away, and launched a new round of pasture competition.
Those populous and prosperous tribes swallowed up the medium and small tribes, and the number of tribes on the grasslands decreased rapidly. In this unprecedented fierce change, the three major alliances that once made the Great Qin Empire uneasy also became almost nominal.
At some point in the past, the vast grasslands that were once home to numerous khans only had three iron-fisted figures left standing. They were Tie Le Khan Si Jie Du, Rouran Khan Mu Guo Lue, and Dong Hu Khan Tu Fa Ji Li. These three individuals emerged from countless competitors and declared themselves the strongest rulers of the new generation of archers on the grasslands. Their personalities, interests, and personal experiences were all different, but they shared one common trait: they were all excellent hunters who knew that the powerful Qin Empire south of the Great Wall was in a state of extreme weakness and on the brink of collapse.
Wolves living on the grasslands instinctively know how to find out which cow in a herd is physically weak, and when they see an opportunity, they pounce on it and tear it apart before swallowing it whole.
The Great Qin Empire is now such a weak and sickly cow. Although its massive body still makes the wolf pack feel somewhat intimidated, the shaky gait unmistakably tells the predators that this big guy will soon be finished, and a grand feast is about to unfold.
On the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival in August, the 84th Emperor of Qin, who had reigned for 21 years, vomited blood uncontrollably after taking a self-made golden elixir at midnight and eventually died despite medical treatment. Alas, he left this world amidst the curses of his subjects.
Although the previous emperors of the Great Qin were also incompetent, those predecessors had a better fate than the 84th Emperor of Qin. They did not encounter this series of natural and man-made disasters, and they died peacefully in their coffins and were buried in imperial mausoleums. This 84th Emperor, however, left no achievements that could be praised by later generations.
During the reign of this dead man who had become the former emperor, the entire Qin Empire was plagued by corrupt officials and resentful citizens, with foreign enemies invading and plundering countless times, and the people living in a state of turmoil. If it weren't for the edict issued by the First Emperor Zhao Zheng in those years, which explicitly abolished the system of posthumous titles that were suspected of being used to criticize the ruler, this eighty-fourth generation of Qin emperors who had nothing good to be said about him would have been given a vicious posthumous title such as "Huang" or "Ling" by his officials, and then his absurd life events would have been recorded one by one in historical books, going down in history for thousands of generations.
It is said that a coffin can be closed only after the deceased has been buried.
The officials of the imperial court did not have much affection for this deceased emperor, but royal funerals had always been a matter of following established procedures, and there was no way to avoid going through the motions.
The prince, dressed in plain white attire, cried out a few times in the mourning hall, just as he was about to be persuaded by his ministers to ascend to the throne. Suddenly, a commotion broke out outside, and a heavily armored warrior rushed into the hall from below, holding aloft an object wrapped in red silk cloth. The warrior loudly shouted:
"Border crisis report, top priority!"
The military situation is urgent and cannot be delayed. The future crown prince of the Great Qin, who has not yet ascended to the throne, arrived at the front of the palace under the escort of the three dukes, nine ministers, and other officials.
The crown prince took the military report from the eunuch's hand, and before he could open it, another loud shout was heard. At the palace gate in the distance, a dusty armored soldier rushed forward like the previous warrior, holding up the military report. In less than three hours, the imperial court, which was facing national mourning, received 17 military reports from the northern border one after another. The contents of these military reports were similar, with the Huren cavalry approaching the border, and the frontline generals requesting the court to dispatch reinforcements.
The majestic and powerful bloodline of the First Emperor has been passed down to this point in time, but it has become utterly corrupt. On this Crown Prince's body, one cannot see any aura of a ruler who commands the world. He put down a military report with trembling hands, his eyes scanning the officials as he spoke in a tearful tone:
"My dear sirs, what is the meaning of this?"
The Great Qin Empire followed the system of succession by the eldest son, which had been established since the Zhou Dynasty. The crown prince was mediocre in talent, and even among his brothers who were not much better than him, he could not be considered outstanding. This was not a big deal in normal times, but when faced with an unprecedented crisis that threatened the survival of the empire, the crown prince's indecisive personality was exposed. In such a critical situation, instead of immediately dispatching troops to the border or mobilizing the army to strengthen defenses, he first sought opinions from his ministers. It is likely that this new ruler left his subordinates with an impression of weakness and incompetence.
Among the three dukes and nine ministers, the Grand Commandant was in charge of national military affairs, with a status equivalent to that of the Commander-in-Chief of the Three Armies in modern society.
Although there was no imperial edict to mobilize troops, the title of Taifu was nothing but a hollow honorific, and not even a single soldier could be mobilized. However, the eyes of the courtiers were still focused on the current Great Qin Taifu, Li Fengxian.
With a serious expression, he stroked his goat beard, and then Taishi Li Fengxian spoke up:
"I humbly submit to Your Highness, the Crown Prince, that in my humble opinion, the most pressing matter at hand is your ascension to the throne. Under heaven, only the Emperor has the authority to grant the Tiger Tally to generals, and without it, troops cannot be mobilized - this is an unalterable tradition established by our ancestors. As long as you have not ascended to the throne, in accordance with the laws of our ancestors, the court will not be able to mobilize its military for even a single day!"
Upon hearing this, all the civil and military officials in the court looked at this old marshal with a benevolent appearance, and they couldn't help but feel hatred that made their teeth itch. You say what kind of words are these now, Li Fengxian, you old thing, still trying to take advantage of the situation to ask for rewards and promotions, if you get promoted again, you'll directly promote yourself into a coffin.
Although all the officials were dissatisfied with Li Fengxian's shameless behavior in their hearts, some things might still have to be done. When you are in a situation, you can't control your own body!
At once, all the civil and military officials of the court said in unison:
"Yes, yes, what the Grand Marshal has said is reasonable. We humbly request that the Crown Prince ascend to the throne, in order to calm the hearts of the people."
The prince was less than forty years old, with a pale complexion, and from his appearance, he looked more like a young master than an invincible ruler. At this time, he said, whether sincerely or hypocritically:
"In front of the imperial hearse, before the funeral rites have even begun, how could I possibly commit such an unfilial and disobedient act? Absolutely not! Absolutely not!"
At first, the ministers all thought that the crown prince was just being polite to everyone. In the traditional Chinese culture, humility is always a virtue! However, after repeated advice from the officials, the crown prince still refused to agree. It wasn't until then that the officials realized that the crown prince was not being polite, but rather, he had suddenly become enlightened, causing the bureaucrats to start panicking. If it were in peaceful times, such humility and self-control from the emperor's successor would be considered filial piety, a model for the world. But today is different from before!
At present, when foreign enemies knock on the gate, one inappropriate response would be a disaster for the country.
Looking back on those years, the Quanrong's destruction of Western Zhou didn't it also start with seemingly ordinary harassment activities? Who would have known that such a small matter would evolve into a catastrophic event that would cause the great Zhou dynasty to never recover?
Aware of the urgency of the situation, regardless of whether the prince was being polite or intentionally buying a reputation for filial piety, the ministers rushed over to persuade him. The key issue was that this prince seemed to have made up his mind and insisted that he must complete the mourning period for the 84th emperor before he could ascend to the throne. The anxious officials, like ants on a hot skillet, discussed in a quiet corner and soon came up with a plan to kill two birds with one stone. Later, the prime minister, the commander-in-chief, and the imperial censor jointly announced that due to the current urgent situation, all matters should prioritize state affairs, so the mourning ceremony must be simplified, and the mourning period for the late emperor would be shortened to within seven days, which could reduce the time by more than half.
Sudden gusts of wind encounter the gentle breeze! The officials who usually occupy their positions and eat their salaries in peace, when they see each other, can't help but smile wryly.
This incident would have been at another time, the successor to the throne's stubborn insistence on his father's funeral would certainly be touted by official propaganda as "benevolent, filial and knowledgeable of etiquette", and would be written in large characters in historical records. Unfortunately, facing a complex situation like being in a stormy sea, continuing to use the way of sailing on calm waters seems destined to capsize and perish!
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