Origin Paradise!

Colonel Jing speculated, "However, without a fleet, the support from the Heavenly Crafts Sect will be significantly reduced."

“We are cooperating with Wan Saizong,” Jiang He said.

Colonel Jing: "..."

Good, good, good! (claps hands)

After the business was over, both Dougs and Colonel Jing looked somewhat embarrassed.

Jiang He raised an eyebrow and asked, "What is it?"

Dougs revealed some startling news.

"Your Excellency, He Xiao committed suicide on his way back."

Jiang He was stunned for a moment; this was truly unexpected.

Colonel Jing said solemnly, “He Xiaoqi is the head of the He family, a low-ranking noble family, and also the blood uncle of the eldest daughter of the Yu family. Before the downfall of the Yu family, he lived in the Si family. Later, because the Si family was convicted, he became a convict. Until recently, he was freed by your name. Due to his special background, the Yu family branch, the young men of the Si family, and the main branch of the He family all gathered around him.”

Jiang He pondered to himself that he had demanded a member of the Yu family and used that as a pretext to poison all of the Yu family's direct descendants, but some branches with less close blood ties still had remnants.

Colonel Jing continued, "He Xiaoqi once stayed with the Si family, so he has been very close to the young marquis lately. This leak was a letter that the young marquis asked He Xiaoqi to deliver. Of course, it wasn't He Xiaoqi who handled it, but his blood relative, his nephew."

Dogs sighed, “Before He Xiaoqi died, he said that he owed you one debt at the Infernal Fortress, another debt when he sought refuge in the Si family, and the third debt when he regained his freedom. This time he has committed a great crime and has no way to repay you. He can only commit suicide to atone for his sins and asks that you not pursue the matter further.”

Colonel Jing remained silent, partly out of shame, and partly out of consideration for his family and blood relatives. He could understand his colleague's choice.

When the White Snake landed, several officers carried in He Xiaoqi's body. His head and torso had been stitched together. A young man with bloodshot eyes followed beside him, constantly weeping.

Jiang He glanced at him twice. Even when they were at the Infernal Fortress, the other party still remembered to protect Yu Jianyue, which showed his character.

"Where is his nephew?"

“This is him,” Dougs said, pointing to the young man. “He was just brought back from the backyard of the Hongmen Mansion before we set sail.”

Jiang He nodded, turned around and sat back down in her chair.

"killed."

In an instant, a chilling atmosphere filled the courtyard. Dougs truly felt a chill in his heart. Colonel Jing wanted to plead for mercy, after all, He Xiaoqi had only asked not to pursue the matter before his death, but when he saw those cold eyes, he couldn't help but lower his head and remain silent.

Jiang He took out a pot of dragon blood wine and sipped it. He had caused his uncle to commit suicide, yet he still had the face to live on. This guy should have just ended his own life when he was trapped in the mansion.

Swish!

A sword light flashed.

The young man's head fell to the ground.

A tall figure had appeared in the courtyard at some point.

Chapter 491 Imperial Edict

Facing the tall figure that suddenly appeared in the courtyard.

Jiang He frowned.

Before the sword light fell, seeing the change in someone's expression, Dougs immediately realized something was wrong. He turned his head and scanned his surroundings. The moment his gaze caught the figure, his pupils involuntarily contracted.

The intruder was not perceived at all; if it weren't for the clear confirmation from his gaze, Dougs wouldn't have even noticed him.

Only after the sword flashed and the young man's head fell to the ground did Colonel Jing stare blankly at Dougs. He was about to admire his colleague's decisive action when he followed the other's gaze and saw a figure.

The newcomer was exceptionally tall, estimated to be over two meters, clad in a striking eagle-helmet and golden armor, still holding a heavy sword in his hand, his face bearing gruesome wounds, and his body covered in bulging muscles.

In a very short time, Colonel Jing felt a chill run down his spine as he recalled the other person's face. The Imperial Princess, a symbol completely unlike any other normal woman, was a war envoy who usually served as the emperor's guard. This princess was the commander of the guard, and her strength was second to none among the king-level beings.

Under the watchful eyes of the three, the eldest princess took out a scroll of imperial edict from her sleeve and read it aloud in a hoarse voice.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: The Western Kingdom has served more than ten generations faithfully and diligently, upholding the nation's interests and ensuring the people's well-being. I deeply admire and respect them."

"Since the king is young, he is granted special permission to live a life of seclusion and enjoy comfort."

"Princess Ji Chongfeng is hereby appointed to manage the affairs of the Prince's Palace."

"Wu Yang Gong was not yet of age, but he was already very talented and elegant, with outstanding natural abilities."

"Prime Minister Bai Gui said: In the second month of the millennium, this person destroyed the Infernal Fortress and buried countless dark creatures."

"In the third month of the millennium, during the Battle of Siming City, one of the Blood Clan's Grand Marquis was beheaded, turning the tide of the battle and earning merit in defending the city."

"In the third month of the millennium, during the battle for the skeletons, we reversed the fate of twelve Dark Marquises and, together with Lieutenant General Cangwu, severely injured two Dark Dukes. Our achievements are remarkable."

"In April of the millennium, during the Battle of Dark Canyon, we seized two fragments of a famous spear, thus successfully hindering the enemy."

"In April of the millennium, during the Battle of Cangwu Fortress, he used his golden body to slay the Duke of Yu, a feat of unparalleled merit."

"Winning all five battles".

"In May of the millennium, he beheaded the Salt King, pacified Fengtian, quelled the chaos in six provinces, and became a pillar of the nation."

"Bestowed with the title of Prince Wuyang, hereditary and perpetual, and appointed as Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard, in charge of the wreckage of the Taizong warship. So be it."

The moment Ji Chongfeng finished reading.

Dougs stared blankly at someone in disbelief.

The cause of the Yanrao Rebellion ultimately lies with the recently famous Duke Yu. Various guilds have conducted in-depth research on this hero, but he never expected that the person who executed him would be Mo Ke, who was still in his golden age.

Colonel Jing remained silent. It was clear that after the plan failed, Prime Minister Bai Gui had decisively abandoned the political influence of the Duke of Yu. This suggestion made it seem as if he had done a great deal of work behind the scenes for the Prime Minister.

Jiang He's gaze was calm. The so-called "honorable care" refers to children supporting their parents. Since the Western King's parents were no longer alive, he would probably have to die to have the opportunity to enjoy such a care. Therefore, this was a secret assassination order.

More importantly, "Slay the Salt Lord and pacify Fengtian" is not a narrative, but a goal. The meaning of the imperial edict is simple: as long as the chaos is quelled before the end of May, he will receive all the rewards.

Jiang He lightly tapped the armrest with her fingers, expressing her dissatisfaction to the central government from the ground and launching a counterattack. At the same time, the central government was by no means sitting idly by. Ji Chongfeng, as a heroic elite, was secretly demoted to the local area to prepare to steal the fruits of victory of the Fengtian rebels in attacking the Western Kingdom.

As the leader of the centralized reform, Prime Minister Bai Gui chose the man who had previously caused his downfall to serve as his weapon, and offered him enormous benefits that could not be ignored.

Jiang He pondered inwardly. If it weren't for him, the Battle of Cangwu would most likely have resulted in the death of the Prince of Jingyang, the rise of the Duke of Yu to power in the aristocratic clans, and a unilateral purge of the local areas. Theoretically, this wouldn't have caused a turmoil in six provinces that the central government could only watch helplessly.

Ji Chongfeng said in a hoarse voice, "I will personally kill the King of the Western Border as a pledge of loyalty. When the royal palace falls, I will officially step in as the Governor-General of the Rebellion. The situation must be contained, so I will forbid the heroes from getting involved. You and Yan Jun were only superficially friendly at the banquet today. Since that's the case, you might as well be the one to bring about his downfall."

Ji Chongfeng emphasized the word "personally".

She wouldn't bear such a huge stain, but for someone, it's important to offer up such leverage, just like how Rao offered her beauty through a strange person. It's not something that can be decided by personal preference.

Jiang He asked directly, "What is the Taizong Ship?"

"The wreckage of a legendary warship, whose ship spirit disappeared with the death of Emperor Taizong, is now located underground in the Western Kingdom's palace."

Ji Chongfeng's tone was enigmatic as he said, "Your Majesty... you are usually frugal, so this time you won't be giving out the rewards that are in accordance with the standards for a prince. You can decide for yourself whether to keep the warship, dismantle it, or sell it. Just remember not to reveal the name of Emperor Taizong. Also, the main gun is broken."

"But maybe you can fix it."

Legendary warships require a ship spirit to operate. Without its ship spirit, the Taizong ship cannot exert its full combat power. However, since it was Taizong's warship, as a descendant of his ancestor, successive emperors could only grit their teeth and invest huge maintenance costs. After all, at least Wuzong was still alive. Although there is a saying that "the government ends when someone dies" and "the tea cools when the person leaves," it cannot be too blatant.

The Western Kingdom Royal Palace has been responsible for its maintenance throughout the ages.

With chaos looming in six provinces, the western border is destined to be unable to afford the costs of maintaining it. Furthermore, due to centralization, local tax collection has been difficult in recent years, and the central government's finances do not want to exacerbate the situation. Therefore, it simply offers this as a pie in the sky to someone.

Jiang He didn't care at all whether the main gun was broken or the ship spirit was dead; he just wanted to feed the Taizong ship to the Saint Lilith.

One legendary wreckage is definitely not enough to restore the Saint Lilith to legendary status, but if we include two immortal ships, two epic ships, and fifty undefeated ships as a supplement, the result is worth looking forward to.

Jiang Wuyang obeys the order.

Ji Chongfeng tossed out the imperial edict. The emperor was far away and she didn't like complicated procedures. As for some things, they naturally had to be handled by specialists. For example, if the number of casualties in a case exceeded a certain number, it would be considered a major case. Whether a hero actually came to the scene, the influence and the big figures affected were not the same thing.

If possible, both the rebels and the pacification efforts would prefer the Yanrao Rebellion to be a regional event, essentially a statement of position, only with slightly more casualties.

Upon receiving the imperial decree, Jiang He, amidst the backdrop of centralized reforms, chose to trust the central government's stinginess regarding its own credibility.

But as he grasped the imperial edict...

Colonel Jing's face turned deathly pale. He said, "Lord Wuyang, the Jing family..."

Ji Chongfeng turned around and directly released his heroic will to interrupt his words.

Jiang He said calmly, "I'm saving the life of Prince Jingyang. Shouldn't he be listening to me? Why should I be risking my life for the Jing family?"

In Jiang He's view, personal feelings outweigh interests, interests outweigh righteousness, and morality depends on his mood. Unfortunately, he has no personal feelings for the Jing family, and they are even far less than his collusion with Si Ning.

Colonel Jing lowered his head, his face filled with fear, but he still mustered his courage and said firmly, "I will tell the King the truth about this matter, and I will not rest until I die."

Doggs's eyes were somewhat complicated. He dared not break ties with the Overlord at all. When it came to family, this colleague suddenly became as fierce as a hero, especially since He Xiaoqi's nephew had died not far away.

"Whatever you want." Jiang He waved her hand.

……

The empire's millennium, late May.

On the third day after the complete fall of Cangwu Province, the Fengtian rebels assembled eighteen streamlined divisions, totaling nearly two million troops, to launch an attack on the Tianshui Fortress on the edge of the province, preparing to invade the core of the western border.

Upon receiving the news, the powerful families and clans of the other four provinces organized their private armies to support the king. Smaller and medium-sized families, sensing the purge coming from above, chose to unite and support the Western Kingdom.

With the support of the Prince's Palace, the military governor of Tianshui was promoted to the position of Governor-General of the Six Provinces for Suppressing the Rebellion. He led the remaining millions of troops of Tianshui Army to defend the fortress and wait for the reinforcements to arrive.

May 21st, morning.

The sky was overcast like a curtain, and the air was cold as snow.

The artillery units of the Fengtian Army advanced the front line, and 30,000 perfect-level elemental cannons opened fire simultaneously.

The intense flames tore through the darkness of the sky, and the orange-red flames spewing from the cannons were like the breath of a dragon. Thick smoke, carrying the acrid smell of gunpowder, swept across the area, and in an instant, the artillery position roared like thunder, and the ground trembled violently.

Three rounds of rapid artillery fire.

Countless elemental shells streaked across the sky, hurtling towards the city wall. With a deafening roar, the wall trembled violently under the impact of the shells, and large chunks of bricks and stones were blasted to pieces, turning into dust that flew everywhere.

The smoke and dust covered the sky.

"Lava Tank Cluster Deployed!"

"Coordinated heavy infantry operations in desertification!"

The headquarters was personally commanded by Salt Lord.

Thousands of lava tanks crossed the battle line and advanced toward the fortress gates. Accompanied by relentless bombardment, the tanks' long cannons glowed red-hot. This tank formation was not equipped with elemental cannons, but rather smoke cannons, with billowing smoke enveloping the city walls.

On the fortress.

The military governor of Tianshui sat solemnly in front of the city tower, his heavy sword held before him. He ordered the Windwalker troops to advance, and a series of wind-attribute secret spells converged, quickly clearing away the thick smoke and dust around them. The true mission of this unit was to guard against plague-infected soldiers; using them to disperse smoke was a waste of their talents.

"Rapid sniper unit advance."

Thousands of snipers climbed the towering city walls, their shooting abilities modified and amplified by various source energy talents across a vast distance, and precious non-meteorite swamp bullets were fired.

Bang bang bang!

When a swamp bomb landed, the area within a hundred meters immediately turned into a muddy and difficult-to-traverse swamp. The mud, with its strong suction power, caused a large number of lava tanks to become stuck.

"The stealth fighters are to be deployed!" The military governor of Tianshui tossed down a command flag, and the order was relayed down at top speed.

Outside the city, due to the swampy ground, nearly ten thousand men in black emerged from underground. Their standard black uniforms exempted them from the mud's pull. These elite melee fighters, each wielding swords, charged forward swiftly, eliminating the rebel infantry who were within arm's reach.

In a short time, the number of deaths among the attacking troops skyrocketed.

But as the heavy infantrymen fell one after another, their bodies immediately began to turn into sand, and billowing yellow sand spread out, filling and solidifying the swamp, turning it back into a battlefield that could be advanced upon.

On the city wall, the military governor of Tianshui sighed.

There was an undercover agent among their own high-ranking members, otherwise even the core tactical strategies wouldn't have been leaked. However, he was mentally prepared for this, since the heroic patriarchs of the aristocratic families were watching the battle from the rebel ranks across the city.

The moment the swamp was filled in.

The Iron Cavalry Guild mobilized tens of thousands of iron cavalry, crashing into the battlefield with overwhelming force, directly reaping the lives of the defending rogues. After defeating them in one round of attacks, they split into two waves at the end, demonstrating their tactical mobility.

"The tank formation continues its advance."

Inside the headquarters, Yan Jun's gaze turned slightly cold.

As expected, the military governor of Tianshui ordered the activation of the four epic main cannons on the city wall. A torrent of elemental energy descended upon the ground, carving four deep trenches across the battlefield. Lava tanks exploded one after another, creating deep craters.

Thus, the offensive and defensive battle officially began.

The commanders of the Fengtian Army led their troops forward one after another, using ditches and pits as cover to kill and wound the defenders on the city walls and destroy the city walls. Dozens of military units from both sides took to the field one after another, and every minute and every second, a large number of enemy and friendly soldiers were killed or wounded.

Inside the headquarters.

The heroes were nowhere to be seen, but the division commanders of the subsequent attack sequence gathered together, including the Rao clan elders, family advisors, player leaders, and others. The flickering flames of burning cigarettes made the entire command post look like a fairyland in the mist.

"Extraordinary secondhand smoke, these guys are too hateful." The Battlefield Guild Leader cursed inwardly. He couldn't help but envy the Twilight players. Very few of them participated in the battle, unlike the Common People, whose player numbers had dropped to eight hundred.

"King of Pacifying the Rebellion, it's time for your fleet to take the field."