Chapter 118 Banquet
Chapter 118 Banquet
The night is as cold as water.
Led by the black shadow, Jiang He left Chengxuan Tower and went straight to Xiaowu Hall where the banquet was held.
From nearly a hundred steps away, Jiang He could already hear the noise of the soldiers inside. The hall was brightly lit, and in the shadows of the corridor outside, the axe-wielding guards of the palace stood like statues, with groups of maids serving dishes from time to time.
Seeing the young earl walking into the palace, King Anbei, who was sitting in the main seat, waved.
"Come and take a seat."
There were dozens of banquet tables in the hall, and almost all the thousand households of the Anbei Military Governor's Office were present. At this moment, many people looked at that figure with envy and even jealousy. A guy who had just come from the south sat at the main table that night, and after all, his title was not earned by killing barbarians. This made the veteran generals feel puzzled.
"The Anbei Palace is facing internal and external troubles, but its prestige in the army is still there."
Jiang He thought to himself that he had seen the reactions of the soldiers. His status as the Earl of Suppression of Rebellion gave him a higher starting point, and he could easily obtain the great master's unique skills such as the Withering and Flourishing Heart Sutra. However, there were some troubles. His appearance would affect the original interest structure, so new and old contradictions would inevitably erupt.
"You are now the lieutenant general of Beihun City. The deputy general and the lieutenant general who escorted the convoy are all assigned to garrison the local area. I also love my daughter very much, and I hope you don't feel this is a burden." King Anbei said with a smile.
At the main table, the four generals had different expressions. The so-called love for their daughters was nothing more than a legitimate excuse. They ordered the assistant to serve as a lieutenant general. Compared with the usual default rules, their actual power was raised to a higher level, only lower than those generals of the military towns.
"My generation deserves the honor of being awarded the military honor." Jiang He clasped his fists and said politely. He was more interested in the food on the table.
"The food and vegetables at Wudou Taoist Temple are bland. I don't often eat dragon whiskers and chicken feet in the capital. I heard from the kitchen staff that the dragon whiskers are all collected from the whiskers of the Jianshui carp king, and the chicken feet are a piece of ginseng chicken claw meat. My Lord, why don't you try it quickly?" The princess said with a chuckle.
At the last seat at the main table, County Magistrate Zhu, who was seated because of his contribution in protecting the king, was secretly amazed. Jianshui carp has the effect of replenishing qi and blood, and is loved by warriors, but it is rarely seen on the market. This kind of carp will fight when it meets its own kind, and it is possible to cultivate a two-whiskered carp king only when dozens of them are gathered together. The dragon whisker noodles in front of him is only one of the main ingredients.
There was a hint of heat in County Magistrate Zhu's eyes. This was the power he had always dreamed of. If the palace was like this, then the Forbidden City was even more unimaginable.
"Stop thinking about it."
County Magistrate Zhu shuddered.
Jiang He reached out and picked up a piece of dragon's whisker with chopsticks. It tasted extremely sweet, like a warm current flowing down his throat, and vitality flowed into his limbs and bones, and his qi and blood suddenly became active.
The maid standing behind her was about to speak, but the princess looked at her and warned her that there were certain rules for picking up, tasting and swallowing this dish, but there was no need to worry about this at the moment.
Seeing how generous the prince and princess were to the new guy, General Chen couldn't help but frown and said:
"The Lord of Peace has just arrived. He has lived in Yangzhou for a long time. He may not be used to the fresh food from Jianshui River. His blood is active. If he doesn't move, it will be wasted. I have a strong man under my command. He can help you relax your muscles. Please don't waste my kindness."
Everyone perked up. General Chen kept saying "I'm new here" and "I've lived in Yangzhou for a long time", which made many lieutenant generals from Yizhou feel uncomfortable, because Pingluan Bo was an outsider after all.
A lieutenant general said with a smile, "My Lord, you are charging alone on the road, you are so brave and unstoppable, why don't you show us some skills?"
"In the end, what matters in the military is fists." A commanding officer shook his head with emotion.
Many generals spoke up.
Jiang He picked up another piece of chicken feet with his chopsticks and turned his head to look at King Anbei who was sitting in the main seat.
The prestige of this Grand Commander-in-Chief is still there, but he can no longer suppress these fierce and fierce generals. People always strive for higher positions. If the soldiers of Yizhou want to continue to develop, they have to support King Anbei and move forward. The serious rebellion in the south has further fueled the ambitions of the soldiers of the Anbei Commandery.
As for the current competition, it seems to be just a simple struggle for superiority, but in fact it has far-reaching consequences. Winning or losing, draw, injury, disability, or death will all represent different choices.
Jiang He waited for a while, but King Anbei didn't speak. He already understood what the other party was thinking.
For this prince, borrowing foreign aid to calm down the fire in the Governor's Mansion is a top priority, and he is willing to give real power and rewards. However, if he invites a wolf into the house, the foreign aid and the four generals will stand together, which will only add fuel to the fire.
King Anbei naturally knew General Chen's temperament. This banquet was waiting for this moment. The position of Lieutenant General and the Withering and Flourishing Heart Sutra were both part of the give-first-then-take strategy.
Jiang He remained noncommittal about this. To put it in the most common terms, it was a matter of money. As long as the other party offered a high enough price, he would have no problem assassinating the four generals tonight. Whether it would succeed or not would be another matter later.
As for the current situation, if you can see through it, then you are cooperating. If you are kept in the dark, then you can only treat it as a sharp knife that can be thrown away after use.
Jiang He said, "Why don't you ask the prince to leave a jackpot?"
"The lord who pacifies the rebellion has great courage."
"As a lieutenant general, it's easy for him to deal with a warrior."
"I don't think we need to guess who will win the prize."
King Anbei nodded and said, "The winner of the fight will receive five bronze orders of Chengxuan."
The Bronze Order martial arts corresponds to the middle-grade warrior level. In the eyes of King Anbei, if someone wins, he can use it to reward his subordinates. If he loses, his opponents will not benefit.
Jiang He stood up and walked out of the Hall of Bravery and came to the open space outside. After King Anbei spoke, the leader of the personal guards in the corridor immediately arranged for the guards to bring two weapon racks, which were equipped with swords, spears, halberds, axes, hooks and forks.
General Chen waved his hand, and a sturdy man at the last seat in the hall suddenly stood up. He was extremely tall. It was late autumn, and this strong man was only wearing a short jacket.
"Captain He, don't let Lord Bo think that I have no one in Yizhou."
"I will obey my orders."
Captain He clasped his fists and strode out of the hall.
All the generals left their seats, and a few garrison commanders who felt that it had nothing to do with them did not mind watching the fun.
The Anbei King glanced at him, and the princess understood. She said, "Captain He is a rare brave general in our Anbei Army. He was promoted three levels for his merit of being the first to reach the target. Now he has reached the level of a mid-level warrior. Even in the vast martial arts world, he is a top expert of the younger generation."
"Let's begin." said King Anbei.
As soon as he finished speaking, Captain He shouted loudly, and a faint black light rose from the front of his body under his short coat. The true energy combined with his body, greatly improving his defense. This iron shirt is only a crude, mid-level martial art, but it can effectively protect himself during military battles.
Among the onlookers, a sharp-eyed warrior exclaimed:
"Captain He's iron shirt has already reached perfection. It is no problem for him to resist swords and guns when practicing martial arts. Compared with his progress in martial arts, his daily practice is more commendable. Anyway, I don't want to suffer that."
General Chen remembered the appearance of this warrior and knew that the other party seemed to be trying to get closer to him.
(End of this chapter)