Resign from office and roam the world with the beloved

How could Pei Jingzhi not know the risks of such a scheme? Moreover, this plan required leveraging the momentum of Lin Zixiao—a rebel who had raised an army in the south and brought chaos to the world!

For him, this was actually quite difficult to accept.

A person should live a life of integrity and uprightness.

With a clear conscience before heaven, before earth, and before oneself.

If not for the urgency of the situation requiring expedient measures, why would he need to stoop so low and employ such despicable means?

But right now, there was no other way.

Furthermore, he had to pin his hopes on Lin Zixiao.

"This is the first time I have ever hoped for a rebel army to quickly march on the capital," Pei Jingzhi smiled bleakly, his tone full of desolation.

How could Chen Liang not understand Pei Jingzhi's thoughts? He comforted him, "Rest assured, My Lord. Although it is a risky strategy, it is bound to work. Lin Zixiao should be here very soon."

"When that time comes, Ren Tianye will have his hands full."

Pei Jingzhi nodded. "Lin Zixiao has an army of two hundred thousand. His strength is not a bit weaker than Ren Tianye's, perhaps even greater. After all, the large army in Ren Tianye's hands mostly consists of the imperial guards, who may not truly serve him."

"When the two sides clash,"

"Who knows, Ren Tianye might even be slain by Lin Zixiao. At the very least, it will stall Ren Tianye."

Chen Liang should have agreed with this, but on second thought, especially recalling their recent investigations into Ren Tianye, he realized that Ren Tianye's rise in the Northern Frontier had been incredibly fast.

It could be said that the former Ren Tianye was nothing more than a powerful local warlord occupying Yunji City in the north. Yet, in a very short period, he transformed and amassed an army of over a hundred thousand.

This trajectory actually left Chen Liang quite alarmed.

It must be known that Ren Tianye and Lin Zixiao were different.

Lin Zixiao was the son of Lin Yi. The Emperor's massacre of the seventy-thousand-strong Chifeng Army had enraged countless righteous and noble people across the realm. Coupled with Lin Yi's prestige, Lin Zixiao only had to raise his banner, and supporters gathered like clouds.

That was how he could quickly amass a massive force.

Fighting his way north, many former subordinates defected to him, allowing Lin Zixiao to expand rapidly until he became incredibly formidable today.

But Ren Tianye, although the heir to the Duke of Ren's estate, had not actually used the Duke's name from the beginning. Even when he later adopted the title, the Duke's estate was merely a nominal, honorary noble house. After several generations, past favors had largely faded. In terms of influence, how could he compare to Lin Zixiao?

Yet, under such circumstances, Ren Tianye turned around and became the King of the Northern Frontier, holding the entire north firmly in his grasp. His military might even pointed directly at the steppes, striking fear into people's hearts.

Against such a Ren Tianye...

How long could Lin Zixiao keep him entangled?

He couldn't help but say, "My Lord, I have some concerns."

"I fear that Lin Zixiao may not be able to cause too much trouble for Ren Tianye."

Pei Jingzhi, however, paid it no mind. He snorted coldly and said, "Even if Lin Zixiao is inferior to Ren Tianye, he still commands an army of two hundred thousand!"

"Those are two hundred thousand elite soldiers and strong generals!"

"Not two hundred thousand pigs!"

"And even if they were two hundred thousand pigs, it would still take Ren Tianye some time to catch them all."

This analysis was not flawed.

Chen Liang thought about it as calmly as possible and felt that it was indeed true. Not to mention two hundred thousand pigs, even if it were two hundred thousand steamed buns, they couldn't be dealt with in a short amount of time.

He nodded and said, "Then for now, we just need to wait for Lin Zixiao to reach the capital."

"However, My Lord, shouldn't we also make some preparations?"

Pei Jingzhi replied, "Naturally!"

"We must not only make preparations, but we must prepare thoroughly."

"Only then can we firmly seize the opportunity when it arrives, rescue His Majesty, and revitalize the lands of Great Yu."

"And the first thing we need to prepare is..."

"Soldiers!"

"We don't need too many, but they must be precise—capable of swiftly breaching the defenses of the Yuchen Manor to rescue His Majesty without bringing harm to him."

Chen Liang nodded and said, "Speaking of military forces, the imperial guards are definitely the best choice. For that, we would have to seek out Great General Lu Qing..."

At the mention of the name Lu Qing, Chen Liang's voice involuntarily dropped.

Then, he exchanged a glance with Pei Jingzhi.

In an instant, both their faces were filled with helplessness.

But Pei Jingzhi still said, "Regardless, Lu Qing is the General of Agile Cavalry appointed by His Majesty. Now that His Majesty is in peril, and I hold His Majesty's blood-written edict, Lu Qing shouldn't, and wouldn't dare to, refuse."

"However, we must still prepare a backup plan. In case Lu Qing doesn't work out, we need supplementary forces."

Chen Liang said without hesitation, "Then it must be the Eldest Princess. As long as the Eldest Princess is willing to raise the call, there are plenty of people in the imperial guards who would pledge their loyalty. Moreover, the royal clan members would definitely support her wholeheartedly."

"It's just..."

Chen Liang paused, exchanging another glance with Pei Jingzhi.

The two of them once again wore expressions of helplessness.

"The Eldest Princess is naturally the best alternative. Furthermore, His Majesty even wrote a special edict for her, which shows how much he relies on her."

"We must definitely give this a try."

"But..." Unconsciously, Pei Jingzhi added another but, continuing, "This matter is also not entirely stable. We still need to find other fallback options."

"I have been pondering this over and over just now, and the only person I can rely on is you, Chen Liang."

Chen Liang's spirit lifted, and he said, "To serve the country, I will not refuse even if it means dying ten thousand deaths. Regardless of whether Great General Lu Qing and the Eldest Princess can lend us a hand, your subordinate will definitely fulfill your trust."

"Not only do I have my own elite troops, but I also have many good friends among the imperial guards. They might not be loyal to Lu Qing, and it is even less likely they would be loyal to Ren Tianye. As long as I use my glib tongue to persuade them properly, I can certainly assemble an elite force of several thousand men."

Pei Jingzhi was overjoyed. After discussing for so long, he had finally heard some good news. He said, "To slay the traitors for the country, it all depends on you, Chen Liang..."

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Liang furrowed his brows slightly.

He said, "However... right now, there is..."

"Never mind, never mind. This subordinate will certainly not mess things up."

Pei Jingzhi's heart skipped a beat.

Rescuing His Majesty was a matter of utmost importance; how could there be the slightest hesitation?

He quickly asked, "Chen Liang, if there are any difficulties or obstacles, speak up as soon as possible. Do not wait until the critical moment. If something goes wrong then, it will be far too late."

"It's not really a major issue..." Chen Liang said. "It's a subordinate of mine, a Mounted Guard Captain. He's had a bit of a problem recently!"

Under the Commander of the Mounted Guards, there were three Captains, each commanding a guard squad of several hundred men. Normally, they were responsible for daily training, patrols, and dispatching. In times of crisis, they served as the vanguard, taking charge of patrolling the capital, making arrests, and delivering summons.

They were indispensable and vital subordinates to the Commander of the Mounted Guards, serving as his foundation.

In the current situation where they were severely short-handed, any single Captain influenced a third of the manpower directly under Chen Liang's command. This was absolutely not something to be taken lightly.

Pei Jingzhi was very clear on this point and asked with some tension, "What exactly happened?"

"Chen Liang, you need to explain clearly."

Chen Liang understood Pei Jingzhi's anxiety, so he stopped hiding the truth and said, A squad leader of mine has always been romantically involved with a woman. They just haven't married yet.

He shouts every day about emulating His Majesty's loyalty and devotion to love. I scolded him a few times, but since he imitates His Majesty in every way, I dared not say too much.

Normally, it wouldn't be a big deal.

It's just an affair with a woman. After all, he is a military officer with a salary of eight hundred piculs. Marrying a woman is nothing, and even if he doesn't marry her, keeping an unnamed mistress outside is nothing.

But...

These past few days, I don't know what's gotten into him. He clamors every day about resigning from his post to wander the world with that woman, giving me a massive headache.

Ah? Pei Jingzhi was stunned. No, he is a military officer with an eight-hundred-picul rank, with a bright and boundless future... He wants to give up his official position to wander the world with a woman?

Is he possessed?

Chen Liang said, I originally suspected that too.

But later, after I looked into it carefully, I realized that wasn't the case. It is because he was deeply moved when he saw His Majesty willing to build the Yuchen Estate for Tuoba Xiangtai.

He said that if even His Majesty is willing to sacrifice so much for his beloved, then he has given far too little to the woman he loves. That is why he wants to accompany her to wander the world.

Pei Jingzhi was speechless.

At this moment, Pei Jingzhi only wanted to take this blood edict and show it to that squad leader under Chen Liang, so he could see what a tragic end His Majesty met because of Tuoba Xiangtai!

However, he could only think about it.

After all, His Majesty's affairs could not yet be spoken of on a large scale. Leaving aside the dignity of the imperial family, the moment the matter was exposed, countless rebellious subjects and traitors across the realm would surely rise up and plunge the world into chaos!

Even the capital itself would descend into utter turmoil.

He asked, Then how do you plan to handle this?

Chen Liang replied, He is my subordinate, after all, so I will naturally focus on trying to persuade him. If he truly cannot be reasoned with, I will find someone to replace him.

Pei Jingzhi nodded in approval.

He said, This matter must be handled decisively. You must not be indecisive and delay our opportunity.

Please rest assured, My Lord, I know what I am doing.

Yet Pei Jingzhi still felt uneasy.

But right now, he could only look on the bright side and said, In this way, at the very least, you have troops in your hands. If you appeal to the emotions and reason with those Imperial Guard brothers who are on good terms with you, we can have at least a few thousand elites.

With a few thousand elites, our chances of success are greater. However, aside from that, we still need weapons and equipment!

Chen Liang had also thought of this.

The men under his command were all light cavalry, equipped standardly with crossbows and ring-pommel sabers. These were naturally more than enough to deal with ordinary bandits.

But facing the ten thousand barbarian elites of the Yuchen Estate, it would be somewhat insufficient.

Moreover...

The Imperial Guard brothers they recruited might be willing to join their uprising, but they might not be able to get their hands on their usual weapons. Facing the defenses of the Yuchen Estate barehanded would be even more hopeless.

Therefore, securing weapons and equipment was absolutely imperative.

Speaking of this, the two involuntarily exchanged a glance, and a person's name instantly surfaced in their minds.

Wei Chengye!

The Great Yu Dynasty's Director of Armaments!

This was a legitimate fourth-rank official of Great Yu, a position of real power, in charge of the capital's two core armories: the Martial Armory and the Inner Armory.

It could be said that by winning him over, one could gain control of the capital's two great armories.

He alone could privately mobilize countless weapons.

Pei Jingzhi was very familiar with this person. It could be said he couldn't be more familiar with him, and he also knew the scale of the Martial Armory and the Inner Armory, so he could calculate it right away.

Wei Chengye could mobilize ten thousand suits of armor, eight thousand ring-pommel sabers, one hundred thousand crossbow bolts, three hundred repeating crossbows, and at least twenty battering rams and scaling ladders each.

A hint of joy immediately appeared on Pei Jingzhi's face.

He said, Wei Chengye's father and I were once the best of friends, and Wei Chengye has also received many favors from me. For such a momentous task at hand, I only need to send a secret letter, and he will definitely be willing to lend us a helping hand.

With Wei Chengye, we can obtain countless weapons. Coupled with the two thousand armory guards, our manpower can also be expanded.

When the time comes, we will be even more assured of success.

Chen Liang was also delighted and said, Yes, with Wei Chengye's help, things will be much simpler.

However...

Suddenly thinking of something, Chen Liang's expression changed slightly, showing a bit of doubt and unease.

Pei Jingzhi's heart skipped another beat.

What is it? Is there another problem?

Could it be that there is something wrong with Wei Chengye too?

Chen Liang said, As it stands right now, there is no problem, it's just...

Chen Liang frowned and said, It's just that I am a little worried.

Worried about what?

Although I don't know Wei Chengye as deeply as you do, My Lord, I do know that this man values emotions deeply. His wife passed away decades ago, right? He has never remarried and remains alone to this day.

Pei Jingzhi frowned. Isn't that a good thing?

At the very least, it's a good thing right now.

Having no ties or burdens, it's perfect for him to join us in risking everything to save His Majesty.

It is a good thing, Chen Liang said hesitantly, But, but according to my understanding, this person... some of his ideas...

Are a bit problematic!

What problem?

It's just... Chen Liang didn't know how to explain it. After struggling to organize his words for a long time, he simply said directly, Lord Wei Chengye, after his wife passed away, many people, including the elders of his family, were very proactive in finding a new wife for him.

At that time, Lord Wei Chengye didn't really say whether he was willing or not. I reckon he must have thought that since he had to marry anyway, anyone would do.

But...

After Lord Wei Chengye met His Majesty once, the situation changed.

His Majesty told Lord Wei Chengye that in a person's life, one can compromise on anything else, but never on love. If one cannot find the person they truly love in this life, it is better to grow old alone than to settle and let a true heart sink into the mud.

After hearing this, Lord Wei Chengye deeply agreed. Afterward, he decisively rejected all the matchmakers. Even when his family elders took turns persuading him, he remained steadfast and unwavering, insisting on finding his true love!

He even said that no matter whether the person he finds in the future is beautiful or ugly, a noble or a commoner, it doesn't matter, as long as it is the one he loves.

And so he has waited, right up until today.

But, while he was waiting before, he was always in that Martial Armory, rarely seeing others and barely interacting with women. I am just afraid that during this uprising, if he happens to meet a suitable woman and decides to pursue a passionate romance, that would be a disaster!