Seeing you didn't believe him, Chen Jing explained to you the whole story behind this struggle for the legitimacy of the Central Plains.

To clarify this issue, one must first understand one thing.

In legal terms, the Five Regions are actually unified.

The Two Capitals and Eighteen Provinces of the Central Plains are under the direct jurisdiction of the imperial court.

The various tribes of the Northern Frontier, the Hundred Kingdoms of the South in the Southern Borderlands, the three great dynasties of Xiliang, and even the sparsely populated Eastern Wastes are, in theory, vassals or loosely controlled territories of the Central Plains imperial court.

In certain dynasties, these non-Central Plains regions were even incorporated into the directly governed territory of the court.

However, by the Yongcheng era, due to the weakening of imperial authority and the court being controlled by powerful ministers, the court had basically lost its ability to rule over areas beyond the Central Plains borders.

After the Yongcheng Emperor passed away, the newly enthroned Longzhi Emperor directly became a puppet emperor, utterly unable to intervene in state affairs.

The dynasty's deterrence over its surroundings grew even weaker. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

This is what triggered consequences like Xiliang ceasing tribute and the Southern Borderlands rebelling.

"Our Northern Frontier has still paid tribute every year all this time. The five hundred thousand head of cattle and sheep needed annually for the imperial clan's ancestral sacrifices, not a single one is missing. So, Fourth Brother, our Northern Frontier is loyal to Great Qian!"

"Then why did Elder Brother still send troops to attack the Central Plains?"

"To clear the court of corrupt ministers!"

After uttering these three words, both you and your elder brother couldn't help but smile.

Yet reality is always unexpected. The Northern Frontier truly is clearing the court of corrupt ministers.

The treacherous Chancellor Qin Rong controlled the court, imposing layer upon layer of exorbitant taxes and levies, with military service and forced labor emerging endlessly.

He forged government decrees, and every policy he issued was aimed at helping those scholar-officials and local powerful gentry amass wealth and resources.

National defense construction, state security, the development of the nation—he simply didn't care about any of it. As for the people living in misery and the unending scourge of demons, he paid them no heed at all.

"If these sycophantic ministers led by Qin Rong are not eliminated, how can our Great Qian welcome a bright and clear world? The emperor's power has been hollowed out; His Majesty cannot even command a single pawn. If we, his ministers, do not step in to help, who else can His Majesty rely on?"

You fell into thoughtful silence.

"So the Female Emperor also wants to clear the court of corrupt ministers..."

"Ah, no, she's just plain rebelling. She is indeed of the imperial bloodline. If her rebellion succeeds and she ascends the throne as emperor of the Five Regions, the Li imperial clan would, in theory, support her. I, however, cannot do that. If I were to overthrow the court, I would have to directly face the deep-rooted power of the Li imperial clan. The premise of Martial King Realm experts not going to the front lines is that Great Qian exerts pressure over the Five Regions. Whoever doesn't abide by the agreement, the imperial clan will use their hidden power to punish them. But if you shake the very foundation of the imperial clan, who would still abide by any agreement with you? The top-tier martial artists of my Northern Frontier are still somewhat lacking compared to the imperial clan."

You frowned, thinking it over.

"If the emperor has been hollowed out, doesn't the imperial clan help? Just sending out any random Martial King Realm expert could easily finish off that dog official Qin Rong, right?"

"Fourth Brother, you underestimate these treacherous ministers. Each one of them is a crafty old fox..."

In this military tent, Chen Jing told you that Qin Rong is a treacherous minister.

But treacherous ministers don't wear the word "treacherous" on their faces. Everything he does appears splendid on the surface, flawless and beyond reproach.

He cultivates his own faction, forms cliques for personal gain, and his protégés and former subordinates are spread throughout the court and the provinces.

Although the imperial clan has deep-rooted power, very few of them actually serve in the officialdom.

As long as Qin Rong doesn't touch the interests of the imperial clan, the clan wouldn't bother worrying about whether the one currently sitting on the throne has real power or is just a figurehead.

Qin Rong also has no interest in becoming emperor himself. He simply enjoys wielding power and using that authority to seek benefits for himself.

As for what you said about finding a Martial King Realm expert to finish him off, that really won't work.

That guy is at the Martial Saint Realm!

In the martial world of a dynastic empire, treacherous ministers embezzle not just gold, silver, and jewels, but more importantly, martial cultivation resources!

It's not just Qin Rong; most high-ranking court officials are martial artists of profound realms.

Strictly speaking, these high officials are even more formidable than military generals.

They must not only be well-versed in the classics, proficient in statecraft, and busy with political intrigue every day, but also balance martial cultivation.

If these people focused solely on martial training, each one would only become stronger.

But everyone has their own ambitions.

Some people just find endless pleasure in scheming against others.

Of course, not every civil official is like this.

There are still many civil officials who are truly just ordinary civil officials.

Such people cannot climb to very high positions, because they will meet their end during their ascent, dying by an "arrow in the back," a suicide.

"Elder Brother, you're in the Northern Frontier. How do you know the court situation so clearly, and how dare you send troops to clear the court of corrupt ministers?"

"I received a secret imperial decree."

Holy crap! Classic!

Five years ago, when Chen Jing accompanied the previous Great Khan to the Central Plains to present the tribute of five hundred thousand head of cattle and sheep, he was personally received by the Longzhi Emperor.

After the banquet, seizing the opportunity of going to relieve himself, the Longzhi Emperor gave a belt to the previous Great Khan, who brought it back to the Northern Frontier.

This secret imperial decree, written in blood on the belt, clearly listed each and every crime of Qin Rong hollowing out imperial authority and poisoning the nation.

The emperor's command: The Northern Frontier, by imperial order, shall send troops to assist the king and clear the court of corrupt ministers!

"I always thought this emperor was a foolish ruler. It seems that's not the case..."

"Our current Longzhi Emperor is actually a very shrewd man. When he ascended the throne, his martial realm was too low, so he could only let Qin Rong manipulate him. He pretended to be indulged in pleasure and ignored state affairs, while secretly cultivating trusted followers, using them to contact the imperial clan, and obtaining many martial cultivation resources from the clan's hands. Qin Rong forbade him from leaving the palace, so he built a 'Beauty Courtyard' within the palace. On the surface, it was a golden house to hide his beauties, but in reality, he secretly cultivated inside. Over several decades, relying on his Heaven-Grade innate talent and the ample resource supply from the imperial clan, His Majesty has already reached the Martial King Realm without anyone knowing!"

"Holy crap, that's impressive... It's just that this operation sounds somewhat familiar..."

You inexplicably thought of a certain person, so you inquired about the emperor's name.

"Li Chengqian."

"Li Chengqian?!"

You were so shocked you jumped straight up.

"Fourth Brother, what's wrong?"

"No, no, it must be someone with the same name. The Li Chengqian I know is the son of a prince. How could he become emperor? How could the imperial clan pass the throne like that?"

"His Majesty was indeed originally the son of a prince. That's another intricate story..."

Over forty years ago, when the Yongzhi Emperor passed away, he failed to leave behind an heir.

The imperial clan decided to select a successor from among the main lineage princes.

Qin Rong maneuvered behind the scenes, fixing the choice on the Prince of Qian Province.

The Prince of Qian Province was far from the central authority and had no factional connections in the court, making him easy to control.

This old prince probably never expected such immense fortune to fall upon his head. He was too excited.

He was overly excited.

Before he could even warm the throne, he passed away within a month.

Qin Rong began his meticulous manipulations again.

Since the Prince of Qian Province's line had become emperor, the subsequent successor should, logically, be chosen from among the Prince of Qian Province's sons.

Qin Rong wanted to be the powerful minister controlling the court, so he hoped for a weak emperor, one easy to manipulate, lacking trusted followers and supporters.

Thus, he set his sights on one of the Prince of Qian Province's most unfavored sons, one who spent his days touring mountains and rivers, neglecting his cultivation.

Li Chengqian!