Wen Xiaochun opened the memorial and read it carefully from beginning to end.
The wording in the memorial was fierce, harshly accusing the Seventh Prince of his actions in imprisoning the Border Army Inspectorate. It claimed that he was showing contempt for imperial power, violating the original intention behind the establishment of the Inspectorate, and defying His Majesty's will.
In passing, it also cried out to Emperor Chongzhao, complaining about how difficult things had been for the Border Army Inspectorate at the border all these years, playing the victim card.
After Wen Xiaochun finished reading, there was no other emotion on his face, only a faint smile.
"Any of us can go deliver it. After all, it is just a delivery, and the rest has nothing to do with the Eastern Depot."
Chen Jian smiled without saying a word.
He had an unremarkable face. Upon closer inspection, one eye was larger than the other, making him look quite asymmetrical.
Cui Rong didn't like him very much, simply because he found this face displeasing to the eye.
Chen Jian: "Can really anyone go deliver it?"
Wen Xiaochun looked up and met his gaze.
Both of them knew perfectly well that there was a huge difference depending on who went to deliver the memorial.
Wen Xiaochun: "Naturally."
Chen Jian stood up and patted non-existent dust off his clothes. "I should still trouble Eunuch Xiaochun to go. I have some unfinished business on hand."
With that, he left.
Wen Xiaochun frowned slightly, turning to look at Chen Jian's retreating back.
This Chen Jian...
Whose man was he exactly?
If he belonged to another prince's faction, he would have seized the opportunity to use the impeachment memorial to attack His Highness.
After all, His Highness had achieved military merits in the Northern Frontier, and the factions of the Second Prince and the Sixth Prince were faintly unable to sit still.
After pondering for a moment to no avail, Wen Xiaochun took the memorial and entered the palace.
Zichen Palace.
Emperor Chongzhao looked at the impeachment memorial, his tea-drinking movements gradually slowing down.
His first reaction after reading it was not that Qu Dubian was arrogant and domineering, but—
What did the people of the Border Army Inspectorate do to make that boy so angry?
He locked them all up.
His second reaction was that this was inappropriate.
The Border Army Inspectorate was established by him. What was the difference between locking them all up and abolishing it? Moreover, the reason for locking them up was so far-fetched.
Emperor Chongzhao: "There should be a limit to throwing tantrums. He's still childish." He took another sip of the clear tea beside his hand and asked Eunuch Yu to grind ink for him.
"The Inspectorate should be released. If they angered him, I will just order the Inspectorate to apologize to him."
Wen Xiaochun lowered his head and said softly, "This subject feels that, when it comes to serious matters, the Seventh Prince is not one to throw petty temper tantrums."
Emperor Chongzhao's action of dipping his brush in the ink paused.
"What are you trying to say?"
Wen Xiaochun hurriedly said he wouldn't dare, then hesitantly added, "This subject merely thinks that the Inspectorate is headed by Prince Ming, yet this impeachment memorial lacks Prince Ming's signature... If it truly was the Seventh Highness throwing a temper, Prince Ming would definitely have stopped him."
Eunuch Yu looked up and glanced at Wen Xiaochun.
The latter remained respectful, seemingly just speaking his mind.
Emperor Chongzhao set down his brush, unable to write the order to release them on the memorial.
Prince Ming certainly harbored resentment towards him, his imperial brother, for throwing him to the border for fifteen years. However, while he might have flaws in minor matters, Prince Ming was always clear-headed when it came to major issues.
The entire Inspectorate being locked up, except for Prince Ming, was no small matter.
"I will ask Prince Ming first."
Emperor Chongzhao suppressed all the impeachment memorials and said to Wen Xiaochun, "You are the one who is always by Cui Rong's side... called Wen Xiaochun, right? I remember you. Cui Rong has mentioned you to me."
Wen Xiaochun: "Yes."
Emperor Chongzhao: "The eldest... Was the matter of Qu Ducang handled by you?"
Wen Xiaochun: "Yes. Your Majesty has a good memory."
Emperor Chongzhao nodded, "How is he doing in Lingbei now?"
"The Eldest Young Master went hunting a few days ago. He gazed towards the capital for a moment, then went home to cook."
"Eldest Young Master?"
Emperor Chongzhao raised his eyes, "You are quite bold."
Wen Xiaochun: "This subject is Your Majesty's family retainer. Although the Eldest Young Master has lost his noble title, as long as Your Majesty has not issued an edict to sever the father-son relationship, to this subject, he is the Eldest Young Master."
Emperor Chongzhao did not get angry, but merely set the impeachment memorial aside. "Gazing towards the capital? If he knew it would come to this, he shouldn't have done it in the first place."
Wen Xiaochun breathed a slight sigh of relief in his heart.
The last time he went to find His Highness, His Highness said that His Majesty still had some father-son affection for the First Prince. If he hadn't had a little confidence in his heart, he certainly wouldn't have spoken like this.
Emperor Chongzhao: "You are quite impartial. If others saw the eldest in distress, they probably wouldn't take this errand seriously."
Wen Xiaochun: "For matters ordered by Your Majesty, there is no such thing as not taking it seriously."
Emperor Chongzhao said no more unnecessary words and told him to step down.
Wen Xiaochun respectfully took his leave.
Inside the palace hall.
Emperor Chongzhao said, "Have Cui Rong come over, and submit a copy of Wen Xiaochun's file and background."
Eunuch Yu: "Yes."
Even though Emperor Chongzhao suppressed the impeachment memorials, the news still spread.
Those who should know, all knew.
Chen Jian avoided people and went to the Second Prince's mansion.
Second Prince: "Why didn't you tell me about the impeachment memorial in advance?"
Chen Jian was helpless. "Please do not blame me, Your Highness. I truly couldn't get away. Besides, even if I had told you in advance, it would have been of no use."
"It's not entirely about the memorial," the Second Prince said mildly. "You and Wen Xiaochun are competing for the position of Depot Director. A single step away might just be the difference of one meeting with my Imperial Father."
Chen Jian pointed to his face. "With this subject's appearance, is Your Highness certain that this subject wouldn't be disliked by His Majesty during an audience?"
Second Prince: "..."
He glanced at Chen Jian, then looked away.
A moment later, he rubbed his temples.
"Forget it, you may go."
Chen Jian lowered his head and withdrew.
After leaving the Second Prince's mansion, he went to an inconspicuous little inn and entered the room at the very end of the corridor.
The Fifth Prince was here. The tea on the table was still warm, just right for drinking, as if he had calculated that he would arrive at this time.
"Sit."
"Your Highness."
Chen Jian bowed first before sitting down.
"I let Eunuch Xiaochun go deliver it. He is very capable. If he seizes the opportunity, he can gain favor in front of His Majesty."
Fifth Prince: "Mm, thank you for your hard work."
Chen Jian: "Your Highness, although you don't need me to climb to the position of Depot Director, but..." He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "May I know why you are helping Eunuch Xiaochun?"
The Fifth Prince fell slightly silent.
A corner of his memory from when he was over nine years old resurfaced in his mind.
The young him had brought all the gold, silver, and jewelry he could carry, begging the guards of the inner prison to let him in to see his mother one last time, but he was still refused.
It was Wen Xiaochun, who happened to pass by, that helped him and allowed him to go in and see his mother.
—Even though what he saw was merely a corpse covered with a white cloth.
But he had always remembered this kindness.
Moreover... this Eunuch Xiaochun, according to Chen Jian, although he appeared impartial, actually cared quite a bit about Little Seven's affairs.
These two points combined were enough for him to lend a helping hand.
The Fifth Prince didn't explain much, only saying, "He looks kind, I suppose."
Undercurrents surged in the capital, and several days passed in the blink of an eye.
The weather in May at the Northern Frontier border was not hot, but the sun was glaring, and the wind scraped painfully against people's faces.
Such weather was highly favorable for the air-drying of the first batch of gunpowder.
As for the other old-version gunpowder that had been made long ago, because it was already mixed together and the components couldn't be separated, it could only be processed later with a binder, pressed into cakes, and then granulated.
Rushing like this, the first batch of gunpowder was fully completed on the fifth day.
On the day of completion, Qu Dubian rallied fifty thousand troops and, together with Xia Fuyang, led them out of the city with half of their catapults.
Riding on horseback in red robes and silver armor, the pointed tips of his hair bobbing with his movements, his smiling face looked somewhat punchable.
"Let's go, Old Xia. We are going to give them a present."
Xia Fuyang laughed heartily, riding shoulder to shoulder by his side. "As you command, Your Highness."
Middle City One.
After the Northern Frontier occupied this city, they quickly took root here, with the Left Worthy King stationed as the garrison commander.
He had finished studying the biographical information of the Seventh Prince, and today he was memorizing some insults that could break through the prince's composure, intending to use them when they attacked the city tomorrow.
A clear, youthful voice echoed through the layers of the city walls:
"Left Worthy King! You dung-picking boy, after muddling along for so long, you are still nothing but a Left Worthy King. This prince pities you and permits you to wipe the asses of our Great Zhou soldiers' horses. I'll reward you with the position of a stableboy; what do you say?"
"Are you coming out or not? If you don't come out, this prince will assume you've agreed!"
"That's right, are you coming out? Our prince is showing great mercy, so don't leave us waiting out here."
Left Worthy King: "..."
A soldier from outside came in. "Reporting to the General, it is Great Zhou's Seventh Prince and that man surnamed Xia shouting battle challenges."
"?" The Left Worthy King suspected he had misheard. "They are challenging us? Taking the initiative to attack the city?"
In most cases, wasn't it the Northern Frontier that attacked the city, and then Great Zhou that counterattacked? If the Northern Frontier won, Great Zhou would retreat; if the Northern Frontier lost, Great Zhou would continue to counterattack.
Soldier: "Yes."
Great Zhou was truly preparing to attack the city.
The Left Worthy King could no longer sit still. He gave the order to assemble the army and went to the top of the rear city wall to take a look.
The Great Zhou army was a densely packed dark mass. Several rows of catapults were positioned near the front, along with shieldbearers and archers. It was a very thorough preparation for a siege.
It was just that there were far too many shieldbearers, which seemed somewhat unnecessary.
The Left Worthy King recalled Jirgal's instructions and sneered. "We didn't seek you out, yet you took the initiative to come out. Perfect, it saves me the trouble of trying to goad you out."
Qu Dubian raised an eyebrow. "You want to see me that much? Your head is so full of me, you must be losing sleep thinking about me."
Left Worthy King: "..."
Xia Fuyang gave a light cough. "Let's not say that. Appearing in his mind is truly sickening."
Qu Dubian said in all seriousness, "Hmm, you're right. The main point is that he is also quite ugly."
The Left Worthy King laughed out of anger. "Bringing these troops to challenge us, you think you're so capable just because you won a single battle. Boy, the battlefield is not your imperial palace."
"You were sickly since childhood. Even if you've been well for a few years, you'll always be sickly in the future. Who knows, you might just drop dead one day. You'd better go back to your capital and enjoy your life of pleasure!"
After he said this, Qu Dubian did not react much, but a coldness surged in Xia Fuyang's eyes, frosting over inch by inch.
"Don't worry, I'll die long after you do," Qu Dubian deliberately put on an arrogant display. "Last time we killed the Right Worthy King, we handed him over to the military doctors and coroners for dissection. Left Worthy King, you two worked together for so long, do you want to see his bones?"
The Left Worthy King's expression instantly darkened.
"Boy, you are courting death."
The city's defenses were fully prepared.
Even though the Left Worthy King was furious, he did not charge out directly. Instead, he chose to use defense as his offense.
"Are you really not going to lead your army out? If you don't come out, you won't have the chance to come out anymore."
Qu Dubian smiled faintly and rode his horse back a few steps.
"Shieldbearers, ready. Archers, ready. Catapults, ready."
The excessively large number of shieldbearers in the Great Zhou army's formation immediately raised their shields. The archers hid behind the shields and fired at the men on the city walls. Gunpowder was firmly tied to the stones on the catapults.
The gunpowder was ignited and launched.
The Left Worthy King didn't pay it much mind and ordered his men to defend in their usual manner. After all, both sides had gunpowder, and they all knew how powerful it was.
Although gunpowder was formidable, this dosage would only injure people, not kill them. After taking defensive measures, the level of danger would be further reduced.
And then...
BOOM!!
Continuous, massive explosions detonated all around them. The originally sturdy city wall actually had a small chunk blown clean off.
The defending soldiers on top of the wall were blown away from him by the scorching shockwaves. They only had time to let out a miserable scream before collapsing to the ground, completely devoid of life, expressions of terror still lingering on their faces.
"Theirs! Their gunpowder is different from ours!"
"Why is theirs so powerful?!"
"Gods, is this a terrifying thunderbolt falling from the heavens?"
"Help! Save me, ah..."
BOOM!
The new version of gunpowder was several times more powerful than what the Northern Frontier was currently using.
In terms of the sound of the explosions, the destructive power of the blasts, and many other aspects, they were simply not on the same level.
The Left Worthy King's breath froze for a split second.
He stiffly turned his neck to look at the youth in red robes and silver armor below the city wall.
The youth seemed to have a momentary flash of complex emotion at the sight of them being bombed, as if he couldn't bear it, but it was just like an illusion. Because in the next second, the youth spat out words that struck an even heavier blow to the Northern Frontier soldiers in the city:
"Your Northern Frontier gods have abandoned you. Leave our city at once, and if you bow your heads in submission, you may still have a sliver of hope to survive!"
Qu Dubian ordered, "Attack the city!"
A goshawk swept across the battlefield, the increasingly lush grass concealing the corpses.
Atop Middle City One, the battle flag of the Northern Frontier was ruthlessly snapped in half, and the banner of Great Zhou was planted anew.
In the summer of the twenty-fourth year of Chongzhao.
The Seventh Imperial Prince, Qu Dubian, developed new gunpowder and, accompanied by the son of the Marquis of Changping, Xia Fuyang, led the army in a counterattack. They captured a city from the Northern Frontier, drove the enemy back thirty miles, greatly boosted the army's morale, and spread their prestige throughout the Northern Frontier.
Three days later, General Er Sen returned to the western defense force and recaptured Western City One and Western City Two.
With this, all the cities occupied by the Northern Frontier were fully reclaimed.
Great Zhou's offensive did not wane, their sharp swords pointing straight at the Northern Frontier's royal court.