Cultivation Begins with Caring for Sister-in-law-Chapter 475: Prince Huai: No, Impossible, This Is Fake

Chapter 475: Chapter 475: Prince Huai: No, Impossible, This Is Fake

In recent days, news channels from the Liang Family informed Liang Ji about the numerous atrocities committed by Jin Xia during their invasion of the Great Song in the north, stirring strong public anger.

If Chen Mo were to drive Jin Xia out of the Great Song at this time, he would be seen as a benefactor who drove thieves out of people’s homes, earning the gratitude of the populace.

The entire north, almost occupying half of the Great Song’s territory, and with the gratitude of the people, Chen Mo would thus have the popular support.

With territory in hand and the people’s support, what else could this be but a "half-emperor"?

By then, who needs the court to confer the title of Duke when he could declare himself Emperor?

...

The First Year of Yong’an, September 10th.

The news of Chen Mo’s recapture of Gaozhou spread from Qingzhou to Linzhou, then from Linzhou to Huai State, Fengzhou, and throughout the entire South.

Before this, the news of Chen Mo’s initial victory and the great victory in Gaozhou had already spread nationwide following an announcement by the court.

The Prince Huai received all three pieces of news simultaneously.

In the study room of the Prince Huai’s Mansion.

The Prince Huai sat behind the desk, reading a blue-covered book, with a steaming bowl of medicine on the desk before him.

The medicine in this bowl was for reducing fire and replenishing qi and blood.

After the last time when the Prince Huai fainted after coughing up blood, doctors diagnosed him with excessive fire and insufficient qi and blood, which had led to anger-induced fainting.

The book in his hands was the founding history of the Great Song court, which recorded the unmatched glory of the Grand Ancestor Emperor, his ancestor.

The Prince Huai was using memories of the past to forget the pain of Yi County.

As for the Li Family, where the defector Li Mingfan belonged, the Prince Huai coldly handled it, playing down big issues and resolving small ones, as he no longer had many followers. If he eradicated nine generations of the Li Family, he would only be diminishing his power.

The position of Crown Prince had been decided.

It was the son of the Prince Huai and Madam Gan.

At this moment, the Prince Huai faintly heard cheers from outside.

It seemed to be coming from outside the mansion.

The Prince Huai furrowed his brows slightly and quickly summoned the butler, saying: "What is going on outside that there’s such a celebration, is someone getting married?"

However, even if there was a wedding, it shouldn’t be noisy in front of the Prince Huai’s Mansion.

The butler was about to inquire when Gan Yao rushed in with a look of panic, saying: "My Lord, it’s not good, it’s not good."

Upon hearing this, the Prince Huai’s heart skipped a beat.

He was now most afraid of hearing "it’s not good."

He mentally prepared himself, then stood up and said: "Could it be that the Chen Army from Huai State has attacked?"

After all, the bad news could only be that.

Gan Yao didn’t speak immediately but glanced at the butler.

Seeing this, the butler tactfully withdrew.

After the butler left, Gan Yao said: "My Lord, news came from the north that Chen Mo has won consecutive battles and inflicted heavy losses on the Jin Xia Barbarians, having now recaptured Gaozhou."

This news was good for the people of the Great Song but was catastrophic for the Prince Huai.

As expected, after hearing it, although the Prince Huai didn’t faint again, he stood stunned, his face flushed, and urgently said: "Impossible, how could Gaozhou have been recaptured so quickly? How long has it been? Are these barbarians incompetent?"

As he spoke, he vented his anger on Jin Xia.

"I’ve heard that the reason for Jin Xia’s defeat was that the Chen Army used a Strange Thunder, which roared deafeningly. The warhorses of Jin Xia were all frightened by the sound, allowing the Chen Army to seize the opportunity and crush them. It’s said that in the Battle of Guangyao’er City, the Chen Army annihilated over 20,000 Jin Xia infantry and cavalry. Chen Mo even shot dead two Fourth-Grade Military Generals of Jin Xia, one of whom was the Commander’s nephew."

As time passed, the matter of the Strange Thunder eventually spread.

Listening to this, the Prince Huai felt a darkness before him, with immense palpitations. He originally thought that if Chen Mo suffered a defeat, he would surely need to dispatch more troops from the Four States for support. Then, when Chu Ce returned with forces from Longyou, he could concentrate all his power to reclaim Huai State. But now, those hopes were dashed. If they waited until Chen Mo had the leisure to return...

The Prince Huai’s usually pale and delicate face turned bloodlessly ashen, his lips quivering as he muttered: "No, impossible, it’s fake, fake..."

For some reason, a scene appeared in his mind where, after Fengzhou was taken, Chen Mo would embrace his wives and daughters, and beat his sons while he was forced to watch helplessly.

However, even though Chen Mo had not yet returned, his influence had already started to manifest in Fengzhou.

After Huai State was taken, and the Xiao Family defected, those forces that once followed the Prince Huai began to waver and quite a few left.

Now, Prince Huai’s opportunistic attack on Huai State while Chen Mo was repelling foreign enemies had already alienated people, and resulting in a failed ambush and a disastrous retreat. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Now with Chen Mo’s victorious campaign progressing well, he would surely turn his attention to settling accounts over the attempted ambush of Huai State once Jin Xia was completely expelled.

So, those who stayed would wait until Chen Mo leads troops over to kill them later on.

Originally, some local noble clans in Fengzhou that sided with the Prince Huai had begun preparing to move away from Fengzhou, considering connections with Huai State.

Over at Madam Xiao’s side, she had earlier only contemplated making contact with Chen Mo; upon hearing the news, this idea solidified, and she began discussions with her family.

...

Linzhou.

Ping Court Marquis’s Mansion.

In the back residence, it was just after lunchtime, in mid-September. Though the summer heat had receded considerably, it remained quite warm.

Wu Mi, dressed in a pale yellow gown, was lounging on a bamboo chair in the hall, chatting with Han Anniang, Xia Zhiqing, and Xiao Yunxi. Now over four months pregnant, Wu Mi and Han Anniang’s bellies had noticeably swollen, and their movements were heavier.

Fortunately, neither was fond of elaborate adornments, even more so during pregnancy, so they simply tied their hair casually.

Yet their lotus-like faces were fair as snow. With the pregnancy, they grew more radiant and lively, with a gentle maternal charm about their brows and eyes.

The conversation involved topics related to children and more.

"I too wish I could give birth to a pair of twins, like Zhiqing," Han Anniang rubbed her small, protruding belly with a blissful expression.

"Medically speaking, the likelihood of ordinary people having twins is small; only those with a family history might inherit that potential," Wu Mi remarked truthfully, then realizing the dampening remark quickly offered Han Anniang a sheepish smile.

Han Anniang wasn’t bothered and said instead: "Then I hope it’s a girl."

"An Niang prefers girls?" Wu Mi asked.

Han Anniang just smiled, nodding outwardly while actually thinking that if it were a girl, there’d be no need to contend for anything.

"Girls are a bit easier; boys tend to be unruly. Now I find Zheng’Er quite bothersome daily," Xiao Yunxi chuckled.

Just as she spoke, Yi Shiyin briskly ran over with a beaming face: "Great news, great news, husband won the battle."