Chapter 163: Chapter 162: You Shouldn’t Have Killed Him
Translator: 549690339
The Mire Sect incited a rebellion in the Northwest Dao, and in the blink of an eye, unrest engulfed the entire region.
In Yangzhou, Zhu Chenhao, the Ning King, led an uprising; he gathered a force of a million, capturing cities and robbing territories along the way, seemingly destined for greatness.
Different powers big and small reacted differently; some were fearful, others rejoiced; some held their fort, shutting their doors to the world; others took advantage of the chaos to seize benefits.
These two sudden uprisings, regardless of any prior signs or warnings, have unquestionably left the Great Ming imperial court in a difficult position, overwhelmed and at a loss.
Previously, the Tartar invasions had already exhausted the entire imperial court. Even with the Emperor personally leading troops to the border, only then was the Tartar tribe defeated, and the borderlands were barely stable.
But no one at the imperial court expected that, as one issue was settled, another would arise. The border situation had just stabilized, and then internal unrest spread throughout the empire.
If only the Mire Sect’s rebellion was the issue, despite spreading across the entire Northwest Dao, the powerful figures in the capital wouldn’t be overly concerned. After all, the Mire Sect had been causing trouble for many years, and it wasn’t surprising that they would stir up some chaos.
People die only to come back like spring onions after being sliced.
If some peasants perish, what difference does it make?
However, the fact is that Ning King Zhu Chenhao decimated Yangzhou, slaughtered officials, and gathered a force of a million. He advanced downstream, attacking incessantly on his way to the South Capital Yingtian. This made it clear to the high-ranking officials that the situation was critical and urgent.
To them, the threat wasn’t Ning King’s one million-strong rebel army, even if they captured a few provinces; what mattered was that they must not be allowed to occupy South Capital Yingtian.
This was not only because South Capital Yingtian was the location of the Great Ming imperial court’s capital city, holding immeasurable significance, but also because it had a set of officials identical to those in Tiandu.
Although the Great Ming Empire was based on a dual capital system with Tiandu and South Capital Yingtian supposedly equal in status, and South Capital Yingtian’s officials were supposed to be on par with those in Tiandu, even down to their exact ranks.
However, even ordinary citizens of the Great Ming Empire knew that this was merely a facade.
South Capital’s officials were worlds apart from those in Tiandu, where the emperor resided.
Tiandu can command the entire world and every place must obey once an order comes down.
But as for South Capital Yingtian, let alone the entire world, even leaving the city was a struggle.
If the two capitals were indeed equal, then why do officials in Tiandu consider being reassigned to South Capital Yingtian a demotion, even if it comes with a promotion in rank?
It could be said that most of the officials in South Capital Yingtian were a group of failures, a group of people who underestimated their abilities.
If Ning King Zhu Chenhao really took over South Capital, it was likely that someone wouldn’t be able to resist the lure of power and surrender willingly, becoming his vassal.
After all, this wouldn’t be the first such incident in the history of the Great Ming Empire, and there might be people who were keen on taking a gamble.
Therefore, high-ranking officials were most concerned about Ning King’s situation.
In only a month, the dispatch orders were completed, and with the Emperor leading the crusade himself, he rallied troops from all over and led hundreds of thousands of soldiers straight towards Yangzhou.
Despite Wang Boan’s plain clothing, it simply could not conceal his elegance and tranquility.
Had one not known him, no one would have thought that this middle-aged scholar, who led a hundred thousand troops to defeat a million-strong army and rescued countless people from imminent danger, would be the greatest contributor in quelling the Ning King’s rebellion.
He stood in the distance, possessing an air of grandeur and calmness. His words were like a spring breeze blowing against your face, making one feel intuitively appreciative.
Pei Xuanjing greeted him with a fist and palm salute, “I have long admired Master Boan, and it’S a great pleasure to finally meet you in person today. I’ve had nothing but respect for your profound knowledge and remarkable accomplishments.”
Pei Xuanjing’s reference to him simply as ‘Master’ and not his official title was due to his respect for Wang Boan’s scholarship and deeds.
Moreover, Gu Ji had once sought a copy of the ‘Records of Divine Continent’ from Wang Boan, so Pei
Xuanjing felt indirectly indebted to him.
For both personal and moral reasons, he couldn’t just ignore him.
“Actually, you shouldn’t have killed him just now! ” Wang Boan said to Pei Xuanjing.
The person he was referring to was Ning King Zhu Chenhao.
Pei Xuanjing laughed and asked, “Doesn’t he deserve to die?”
For his own personal desires, he instigated a huge rebellion, causing countless families to be thrown into disarray, lose their loved ones, and become refugees. Doesn’t such a crime warrant death?
Seeing Pei Xuanjing’s smile, Wang Boan couldn’t deny this fact, so he said, “Yes, he deserved to die!
However, he shouldn’t have died at your hands. You should understand why.”
Even though Zhu Chenhao deserved to die for his crimes, as far as the Great Ming imperial court was concerned, he should definitely not have been killed by Pei Xuanjing.
It was because Pei Xuanjing had a different identity – he was wanted by the imperial court as one of the Remnants of Shenxiao. His action wouldn’t earn the imperial court’s gratitude, but would instead be perceived as a form of humiliation.
Pei Xuanjing nodded and said, “I understand, but what of it? Since I chose to get involved, I have no regret.”
He didn’t care what the Great Ming imperial court would think of this or whether they would be grateful, annoyed or any other reaction. For Pei Xuanjing, it didn’t matter at all.
Wang Boan sighed lightly and gave Pei Xuanjing a look of regret, “What a pity, a person of your caliber is now on the opposite side of the imperial court.”
Although Wang Boan had never met Pei Xuanjing before, he knew of him by reputation as well.
Through his exchanges with Gu Ji, he had also learned a lot about Pei Xuanjing. He knew the claim about the Remnants of Shenxiao was simply a ploy to shift blame, and Pei Xuanjing was just an undeserving scapegoat.
“There is nothing to regret,” Pei Xuanjing responded, shaking his head.
He entered the Martial Academy to observe the unique skills preserved there and to refine his Taoyun skills. He had no other intentions.
Having experienced a past life, Pei Xuanjing was able to disregard the existing dynasty in this world. Although he could choose to be superficially friendly for temporary gain, he found it hard to accept permanently bowing and kowtowing to the emperor, especially when he had acquired great power.
Thus, he found it hard to understand those first-grade martial artists who, despite having great strength, chose to serve as tools and humbly submit.
Wang Boan remained silent in understanding; the two couldn’t possibly be the same kind of people.
Pei Xuanjing laughed and said, “I almost forgot to congratulate you, Master, for the great merits you have achieved this time. You have been able to express your ambitions in full.”
Wang Boan shook his head and said, “Taking it upon myself to gather troops and suppress the rebellion, I have already violated many taboos. Instead of being rewarded, I would be lucky if merits could balance out the faults.”
Wang Boan knew very well that even though he had taken matters into his own hands, rallied troops from various Guard Command Departments, and quelled Ning King’s rebellion this time, he had still
violated many taboos..