Whale Falls and Becomes a God

Chapter 161 Destiny

Hailing City.

Even though Xiao Ying was like a hands-off boss, only responsible for military affairs and ignoring people's livelihood and government affairs, he was still busy all the time and had no time to spare.

Now Hailing City has 370,000 elite soldiers and 200,000 young and strong soldiers, a total of 570,000 troops.

Due to the limited space of the training ground, even if Xiao Ying trained the soldiers one by one in units of 100,000, each army would take at least half an hour, and it would take three hours to complete the training, so half a day would have passed.

The so-called showing up to train the troops is actually the possession of the star soul. It is not only to speed up the training effect and strengthen the strength of the soldiers, but also to gather the morale of the soldiers as soon as possible and enhance their loyalty and belonging. It really has to be done, after all, most of them are surrendered soldiers.

After a day of training and reviewing the troops, Xiao Ying took the opportunity to rename and reorganize the Sui army.

The elite troops were renamed Wujun and divided into five directions and four positions, namely nine legions: east, south, west, north, center, front, back, left and right. The establishment of each legion was tentatively set at 50,000.

The Warrior Monk Army selected elite soldiers from each army to make up the total number... 20,000, and was renamed the Jingwu Army. The general... that is, the chief commander, was Hong Lingtian.

From the name of this army, it was clear that it was the reserve army of the Jingwu Guard, the personal guard of Prince Jingwu, though this was not explicitly stated. Aside from the 3,000 personal guards, their average cultivation level was the highest of the entire army, at the eighth rank of Mingjin, a true Huang-level soldier.

It’s just that their weapons, armor, battlefield experience, and military literacy are not enough, otherwise they would be classified as a Xuan-level soldier.

It also indirectly shows that Xiao Ying has no intention of returning the monk to Qiling Temple!
The southern and northern armies have already returned to Jiangdu with Madam Ronghua, so we will not mention them for now.

The Chinese Wu army, led by General Dugu Feng, is mainly responsible for attacking the enemy. It is mainly composed of spearmen, with a small number of other types of soldiers. It will not be all the same, and the same applies to the following.

The Eastern Wu Army, led by General Xie Yingdeng, was responsible for long-range attacks and mainly consisted of longbowmen.

The Western Military Army, led by General Yang Qingxuan, is responsible for close combat, mainly using sword soldiers, sword and shield soldiers, etc.

The former Wu army, led by General Shen Lun, has a complete range of military forces but no outstanding features. The same applies below.

Later he took over the Wu army, with Liu Ziyi as the commander.

The left-hand military commander is Xu Qiubai, the chief general, and Sun Shihan, the deputy general and chief military advisor.

The right-hand military commander is Chen Hanyu, one of the four concubines of the Sui Dynasty, and the chief military advisor is Jiang Yuanchao.

The 200,000 young and strong men will be led by Wu Changqing, Shen Buhui, Shen Manxuan and Dugu Ba as the main generals, each leading 50,000 men. They will be assisted by generals such as Xiao Wen and Chen Feng, and they will be able to take over the position after the army is expanded.

The two military advisors, Wang Caixuan and Li Baiyao, followed King Jingwu and served as military advisors to the entire army, assisting King Jingwu in handling military affairs at any time.

Zheng Zitong, Liu Qianqing, Master Lingyan and other generals, each with their own duties, followed Madam Ronghua back to defend Jiangdu. Liu Qianqing was also the Minister of Justice, so naturally he couldn't stay in Hailing City forever!

Today, the new court is still named Sui Dynasty, but it is basically in its infancy, surrounded by powerful enemies and lacking in talent.

Therefore, many official positions and responsibilities have different priorities and have not yet been completely stabilized, but they have taken shape. As time passes and power grows, they will become more and more perfect and stable!
……

"Master! King Fengming was assassinated. Unfortunately... his plan failed at the last moment, but he was also seriously injured and suffered heavy losses!"

Xiao Ying went around all the military camps, big and small, and just as he returned to the City Lord's Mansion, Qian He reported back with joy and admiration, and continued with a smile:

"Young Master's bounty strategy has begun to show results. The other bounty targets will surely feel insecure!"

"Oh?"

Xiao Ying's eyes lit up, and he took the intelligence jade slip and carefully examined the details and process.

The intelligence capabilities of the Sui army are still relatively weak, but for such a big thing, especially with a strong enemy at close range, the Sui army spies will naturally pay close attention and report in a timely manner.

"The Demon Sect...is unreliable after all!"

After a moment, Xiao Ying finished checking the specific information, sighed with some disappointment and regret, and shook his head:

"Or rather, the Jianghu forces are unreliable! After all, they are not our own people. We can only respect and assist them, but not reuse or rely on them!"

This "assassination of King Fengming" incident was massive in scale and involved a lavish lineup. In particular, it resulted in the deaths of over a thousand Fengming guards, two Fengming generals, and many Fengming priests. This would surely cause quite a stir, have far-reaching consequences, and even spread throughout the world!
Just look at the deaths of more than a thousand Fengming Guards, with each person estimated to cost a hundred gold... elixir resources, weapons, armor, etc., that is a direct loss of more than 100,000 gold, not to mention the indirect losses caused by the loss of elites and talents.

To some extent, the reward of one million gold offered by King Jingwu for the assassination of King Fengming is not really outrageous, and it is basically worth it!
Judging from the specific information, those who are purely after the bounty are probably mostly independent people in the martial arts world. The other demonic, Buddhist and Taoist sects obviously have their own purposes and are not just going for the bounty.

It was obvious that because of the Demon Sect's contribution in the Battle of Hailing, the Buddhist sect was repeatedly questioned and pressed by Empress Xiao and Prince Jingwu, and was forced to say that the Damu Temple in Tianmu Ancient City was still the main focus, rather than the monks of Qiling Temple. Obviously, this was a bit perfunctory.

Of course, Qiling Temple only values ​​and supports them, and they are not subordinates of King Jingwu. Xiao Ying cannot ask for too much, let alone force them.

It is said that helping is a favor, and not helping is your duty, which is naturally understandable!

The Taoist sect expressed goodwill to King Jingwu and the Sui army, especially the Longhu Mountain Tianshi Mansion, which was the leader. It is speculated that this was mainly to make up for the previous enmity with King Jingwu.

Because with the surrender of the Shangliang Army, many Taoists who followed the army to offer sacrifices and a very small number of generals and talents from the Taoist sect also defected to King Jingwu and the Sui Dynasty. Naturally, the Tianshi Mansion and the Taoist sect wanted to mend their relationship, at least not to become enemies!

Finally, there's the Demon Sect, whose attitude is ambiguous and unpredictable...

"What do you think... Miss Yin really couldn't kill King Fengming... Was King Fengming lucky enough to escape... or did the Demon Sect hold back on purpose for some other purpose?"

Xiao Ying shook the information jade slip in his hand, looked around, and asked slowly.

"This……"

Qian He, Wang Caixuan and others followed the crowd, hesitating for a moment and unable to give a definite answer.

The intelligence report simply described the incident, without mentioning Yin Wan'er's final warning to Li Zitong. On the surface, it seemed like a coincidence, a fate unforeseen for Li Zitong.

However, it was indeed too coincidental that the final blow was only a hundred steps away, which inevitably makes people sigh and question!
What is certain is that if Yin Wan'er or the assassin at that time were replaced by a powerful man from the Sui army, he would naturally not retreat early out of fear of death at the critical moment. Li Zitong would definitely die, and this is why Xiao Ying sighed just now!
There is no "if" in the world. The Sui army would not have taken such a risk, and it would have been even more difficult for them to send out such a powerful assassination lineup.

Perhaps, this is the mysterious destiny, one of the three points that "Blood Demon Picture" emphasizes. Li Zitong is protected by destiny, and his life should not end!

Li Baiyao rolled his eyes and sighed regretfully, "From the intelligence, it seems that King Fengming is indeed lucky. Everyone did their best, but after all, there were quite a few casualties!"

After saying this, Li Baiyao thought for a moment and added, "Those assassins are not soldiers after all. They won't risk their lives to complete their missions. Saving their lives is their life instinct, so it's understandable!" "That's right..."

Xiao Ying grinned and responded, shook his head without further hesitation, and walked into the mansion.

Work is very busy and there are still many important things to do tomorrow. Xiao Ying does not have the time and energy to hesitate because of a little entanglement!
"Your Highness! Although King Fengming is not dead, he has suffered heavy personal injuries, and the Fengming Army has suffered heavy casualties! We can spread the rumor that 'King Fengming is dead' to undermine the morale of the Fengming Army, disrupt their minds, and take the opportunity to incite rebellion and bribe the Fengming generals."

Everyone followed into the mansion. Wang Caixuan's beautiful eyes lit up, and she suddenly suggested, adding:

"Besides, the Prince's 'friendship' with Jianghuai's chief steward seems to have spread. It's no longer a secret!"

"It just so happened that the Jianghuai Army had halted at the shores of Hongze Lake due to an agreement with the Demon Sect, and the King of Chu's elite troops were interrupted during their forced march. This gave them the perfect opportunity to spread rumors that the Jianghuai General was secretly communicating with the prince and was interested in being summoned to the throne. Empress Xiao also intended to be crowned king. Upon learning of this, the King of Chu became suspicious and dared not rush to support the Shangliang Army..."

"If nothing else, once this rumor gets out, the Jianghuai Army will inevitably become suspicious of each other, and the Fengming Army will also be in a state of panic, causing a rift in the alliance between the two armies. Other forces will not dare to act rashly before they are certain of the situation. This will kill two birds with one stone!"

"No matter what, we can buy our army some more time, right?!"

After saying this in one breath, Wang Caixuan looked at Xiao Ying with burning eyes, eager to try. Li Baiyao and others were also quite shocked, excited, and expectant.

"That's right! I'll do as you say..."

Xiao Ying was also cheered up, and praised him generously, then instructed: "This matter is your responsibility! Don't worry, no matter what the situation is with the Wang family or Jiangdu, I absolutely trust you, and you will not be implicated!"

Wang Caixuan's excited expression froze for a moment, and she bowed with gratitude and emotion, saying, "Your Majesty is wise!"

It has only been a few days since Empress Xiao personally ordered the "dismissal of the Wang family generals of the Sui army, the placement of the Wang family in the palace, and the investigation of the Wang family members", but the situation has been basically investigated and reported to Hailing!
Empress Xiao really didn't wrongly accuse Wang...

There were indeed people from the Wang family of Jiangdu who colluded with the rebels led by the Yuwen family, intending to support the rebels in counterattacking Jiangdu, such as providing intelligence, transferring city gate guards or city defense forces, opening city gates, etc.

There are quite a few members of the Wang family who were persuaded by the rebels!

During the Jiangdu Rebellion, the Wang family, despite being one of the six most prominent families under Empress Xiao's command, besides the Dugu family, provided considerable assistance. However, many of the Wang family members also followed and assisted the rebels, making equally significant contributions, and even providing them with a large amount of food and supplies afterward.

A typical case of betting on both sides and selling out both sides!

To put it bluntly, it is what the saying goes, "Don't put all your eggs in one basket"!
The so-called century-long dynasty and thousand-year-old family.

This is the code of conduct and a recognized common problem of almost all aristocratic families, and it is understandable.

However, understanding is one thing, but when it happens to oneself and one is actually backstabbed, few people can really accept it calmly!

During the Jiangdu Mutiny, Wang Shi of Jiangdu was right to act, and Empress Xiao did not hold her accountable afterwards. However, if she continued to collude with the rebels and even had her own people intend to betray her, she would have made a grave mistake!

Because of this incident, many members of the Wang family were killed, and thousands of people from other forces were implicated. Empress Xiao killed so many people in Jiangdu that heads rolled down and blood flowed like a river!
Although Xiao Ying fought bloody battles in Hailing, killing people in the midst of swords and sabers, it seemed very hard and dangerous.

Jiangdu, seemingly peaceful, is not at ease. The real undercurrent is turbulent, with intrigues and schemes. The situation is much more complicated than the Hailing battlefield, but more obscure. After all, there are many forces such as the Lingnan Song family, the King of Daliang, the King of Nanyue, and the rebels who are plotting to take over Jiangdu!

The only difference between the two cities is the battlefield of flames and the battlefield of smokelessness!

Although the "Wang family betrayal" incident was basically confirmed to have nothing to do with Wang Caixuan, according to the rules and common sense, Wang Caixuan would also be implicated, with the worst possible consequences being demotion, dismissal, imprisonment, or even execution.

The Wang family incident had a significant impact. When it reached Hailing City, it was suppressed privately by King Jingwu Xiao Ying, so it didn't cause any disturbance. Even few people mentioned it. Now was the first time Xiao Ying mentioned it and gave Wang Caixuan a guarantee!
Seeing Xiao Ying talk things out and make assurances, Wang Caixuan seemed to have unloaded a heavy burden, and Qian He and the others also smiled.

Although we have only been together for a short time, we have experienced many battles together and are considered friends for life and death. Naturally, we hope to continue on this journey together!!!

"Your Highness! Although I am a member of the Demon Sect, I am not a disciple of the Heavenly Demon Sect. I am from the Myriad Aspects Sect..."

Li Baiyao's expression changed several times, and suddenly he straightened his body, gritted his teeth and looked at Xiao Ying and said. He hesitated and added:
"I do share some ties with Saint Yin, but we don't have a close connection, much less a direct subordinate relationship. She can't command me! I haven't betrayed or harmed the prince... or done anything bad to the Sui army, but I can't change my origins..."

Li Baiyao was a historical prodigy after all, and was famous for his wisdom and strategy. Naturally, he knew what Xiao Ying and others secretly thought of him. When Li Baiyao made suggestions before, he also knew what impact and consequences would arise.

It’s just a matter of stance and perspective. Li Baiyao has a clear conscience and feels that it is for his own good!

Although no one said it explicitly, and on the surface everyone seemed to be getting along well, their daily defensive and exclusionary attitudes were simply too obvious!

"what?!"

The four maids, the monk guards, Wang Caixuan and others were all shocked and looked at Li Baiyao with different eyes.

"Haha... I'm glad Mr. Li can figure it out! I've been waiting for Mr. Li to reveal himself. We're all family, so why keep things bottled up?"

Xiao Ying was stunned for a moment, then quickly laughed and patted Li Baiyao on the shoulder, saying generously and comfortingly:

"Don't worry! I never doubt people I don't employ, and I trust people I employ. I know what's going on! You are my right-hand man, you can't leave even if you want to!"

"Your Majesty is wise! I am terrified and ashamed, but I will never let you down!"

Li Baiyao's tense nerves relaxed, and he bowed down with a look of relief, gratitude and emotion on his face, and swore sincerely, as if to say, "You treat me like a national hero, and I will repay you like a national hero."

In fact, although Xiao Ying... and Sui Chao had some suspicions, they had not found any definitive evidence that Li Baiyao was a member of the Demonic Sect.

Xiao Ying has always valued Li Baiyao, not because he was not on guard, but because he believed that the influence of the "Blood Demon Picture" was really a matter of time!

If you dare to come, I dare to use it!
Originally, Li Baiyao was just acting on impulse because of Wang Caixuan's situation, but now everyone is happy!

It's a coincidence, no matter what the process is, as long as the result is good, that's enough!

Isn't it? !

"No need for that! Now that your worries have been resolved, it's time for me to give you a true reward..."

Xiao Ying leaned over and helped Li Baiyao up, speaking expectantly. He then instructed Qian He, "Tell Shen Lun and his sister, Sun Shihan, Liu Ziyi, and the others to come. We can't keep our heroes waiting too long!"

(End of this chapter)