Chapter 483: Battle of Authority
Chapter 483: Battle of Authority
Tianshui Mountain, the ancestral hall of the Jing family.
Deep in the quiet hall, portraits of successive Jing family leaders are hung side by side, a total of six. The last one is the heroic image of King Jingyang in his middle age.
Two rows of candles flickered slightly. From time to time, deaf-mute but beautiful maids from the ancestral hall brought dishes. King Jingyang sat under the portraits of successive dynasties. His legitimate son, the head of the Jing family, stood aside with a solemn look in his eyes. It seemed that the newly acquired position of Lieutenant General of Cangwu did not bring any joy to this head of the family who had the potential to be an elite.
Not far away, Jing Youxu of the "Mediterranean Sea" remained silent. After Jing Ran's death, he had transformed from an ordinary hero without a mythical form to a complete one. Within the Jing family, a branch could only cultivate one full-fledged hero at most. This was the limitation given by the main line in the fundamental skills. In fact, the vigilance and caution of the big clan towards the small clan for hundreds of years were no less than that towards the central clan.
In a farther corner, the leader of the secret guards held the hilt of a knife, his body covered in a cloak. The three ordinary heroes of the Jing family were all present. In terms of background, they were far superior to the upper-class families.
At a certain moment, the three of them turned back at the same time.
I saw a tall figure walking into the house, led by a maid from the ancestral hall. His outstanding appearance had been confirmed by the noble families in the Western Territory. At this moment, he was wearing a scarlet robe, and his temperament was cold with a hint of weirdness. There was a white snake coiled around his neck. He really didn't look like a righteous person.
"Greetings, Lord Wuyang." The head of the Jing family took the initiative to greet him, "Do you want us to step aside?"
"It doesn't matter."
Jiang He went straight to King Jingyang. As his life was coming to an end, the old king was in a dozing state.
According to the prior agreement, he directly activated the final time ring. A bright light fell, and the wrinkles on King Jingyang's face were slightly smoothed, and a trace of blood flowed out of his body.
The power of time has given him one year of extra life.
The extremely obvious difference between before and after made the head of the Jing family look shocked. The hatred and curse of the Eternal Dark World towards the human race seemed to have met its natural enemy at this moment.
In the corner, the leader of the secret guards, who had always been calm, couldn't help but show a slight fluctuation in his aura. He was one of the dozens of sons born to King Jingyang's concubines, and he was already quite old. Having served as the inner servant of the Jing family over the years, the hidden injuries he had accumulated were shocking.
Among the three, only Mediterranean had a complicated look. He clearly remembered that someone had abandoned him. If the dukes at that time had not been busy fighting for the wreckage of the famous gun, his fate would have been unknown.
“One week at a time, one year of recovery.”
"It takes a lot of effort and energy to activate this move."
"Moreover, King Jingyang's soul can only endure ten times at most. It is unrealistic to solve it once and for all."
"About ten years of life..."
Jiang He spoke nonsense with a calm expression, not caring whether the people present believed it or not.
call!
A gust of wind howled in the ancestral hall. King Jingyang opened his eyes and his brilliance reappeared. He felt that his condition was even better than before the battle of Cangwu.
"Ten years is enough time for my son to try to get promoted."
The head of the Jing family bowed and clasped his fists. He was shouldering a heavy responsibility.
In the corner, the leader of the secret guards saw that Lao Wang had really recovered a lot, and a hint of malice flashed in his eyes uncontrollably. It was not until King Jingyang glanced at him that he completely suppressed it.
Prince Jingyang snorted inwardly. He also wanted to unilaterally exploit Jiang Wuyang, but Duke Yu died in front of him, and he was targeted from beginning to end. Even though there were various interferences, who knew if Duke Wuyang had other preparations waiting for him, like the method of accelerating the passage of time, which made it obvious that the threat was not empty talk.
"Mr. Wuyang, I'll trouble you to take care of the immortal void battleships sent by the two centers on a daily basis."
Prince Jingyang stood up, stroked his beard and smiled.
The other people present secretly showed expressions of pain.
The standard for an Immortal Battleship is to have a main elemental cannon that can fire immortal-level spells, and to have two epic cannons for support. As long as there are sufficient reserves, it will have no problem suppressing ordinary heroes for a certain period of time.
The issue of Prime Minister Bai Gui involved the dark prince Yu Guogong, so the central government was particularly happy when it decided to pay compensation.
Before this, the Jing family had accumulated resources for 500 years and built only two immortal warships, named "Jingtian" and "Weidi" respectively. In the Battle of Cangwu, it was the Jingtian that was responsible for the support, but due to the appearance of Prime Minister Bai Gui, King Jingyang was reluctant to let the warship be buried with him, and directly sent it back along the same route.
The two immortal battleships are the medical fees for restoring one's lifespan. After a day-long negotiation, the Jing family needs to pay it off in one go without being bound by any contract.
Jiang He nodded. This time, the Saint Lilith should be able to recover to the immortal level. When facing ordinary heroes, he would not be without room for maneuver.
After the treatment, King Jingyang stroked his beard for a moment, his face became haggard again. He adjusted his external state to the precarious state he had just had.
"Please come in, guest."
The head of the Jing family clasped his fists and accepted the order.
At the same time as Jing Ran's funeral banquet was being held, the lieutenant general of the Admiral's Command, the supreme elders of the Tiangong Sect and the Wansai Sect, and four representatives of the top-class families at the peak of the gold level came to the ancestral hall together.
At the long table, the maids from the ancestral hall stepped back, and the wine and dishes had been served, a total of sixty-four dishes. The eldest son's private chef showed off his special skills, among which the rouge dragon breast was a whole lot of deep red in color, and the ingredients were selected from the gold-level rouge fish. It is worth mentioning that since the demise of the Yu family, rouge fish has become a swan song.
Prince Jingyang sat back under the portrait and symbolically drew the curtain. Instead, the head of the Jing family sat on the main seat at the long table.
"I hope you will forgive me for not welcoming you here."
"Your Highness' words are too serious."
"Your Highness and I really hit it off right away."
"The prime minister is going too far."
The three heroes responded one after another. Lieutenant General Garrison was obviously more indifferent, which meant that the Admiral's Command had no inclination to get involved in what was to come.
Tiangong Taishang seemed quite enthusiastic. Tiangong Sect was one of the ten major sects in the empire and was best at building void battleships of various levels. He had a great interest in the two Immortal-class ships sent by the Central.
Wansai Tai Shang pretended to be angry and pointed the finger at Bai Gui bluntly. The Wansai Sect was best at building fortresses and cities and had a huge influence in the local area. The central government needed to centralize power, and this piece of fat meat was a great tonic.
Four peak gold masters took their seats. They came from four top-ranking families: Yan, Fu, Shan and Ruan. Theoretically, they had no right to speak, and their current stance was consistent with that of the Jing family.
"Prime Minister Bai Gui has insulted our Jing family too much."
Seeing Jiang He also sitting down, the head of the Jing family shook his head and said frankly.
"They plotted to kill Lieutenant General Cangwu and ordered Yu Zhong to attack my father. They are both pillars of the Western Territory. Such a despicable act has angered both heaven and man. It is foreseeable that the following peaceful times will come to an end. This is what Bai Gui and the King of the Western Territory have brought upon themselves."
"That's right. That's right." Tiangong Taishang agreed.
"The sky is falling." Wansai Taishang sighed. The lieutenant general of the garrison said nothing, just picking up dishes. In fact, for some things, being able to sit together already showed their attitude. He was more interested in the chicken marrow and spring bamboo shoots in front of him. It was not easy to obtain chicken marrow. The process was complicated and the ingredients were rich. It also needed the first fresh bamboo shoots in the spring bamboo forest as the main ingredient, which was worth a fortune.
On the left side, Jiang He sipped the osmanthus wine on the table. The two generals of the Jing clan did not direct their spearheads at the entire central government, but limited their attacks to Prime Minister Bai Gui and the King of the Western Territory. Their style was similar to that of clearing the court of evil officials.
The head of the Jing family clapped his hands, and a maid from the ancestral hall came over with a sachet and sprinkled the source salt inside into the wine pot.
"Source gold is something that is born and raised by nature. As you all know, the will of heaven does not favor humans. Whether you use it for cultivation or daily contact, it will cause petrification. It's just a matter of how much."
"Source salt can alleviate petrification, so it is an indispensable item for all living beings or source force practitioners."
"Nowadays, the government is corrupt and corruption is rampant. The prisoners responsible for mining and drying in Cangwu Province are no longer under the control of the Yu family..."
The head of the Jing family sighed with compassion.
Wansai Taishang sighed, "A rebellion is inevitable."
"That's right, that's right." Tiangong Taishang said with a smile.
The three giants present reached a consensus.
The central government's plan to clean up the local areas has failed, so it has to bear the backlash from the local areas, and the Western Palace, the administrative agency of the court in the western border, is the first to be hit.
"If there is no price, who cares about justice and the law of nature?" The head of the Jing family smiled casually: "Everyone, enjoy your meal."
At the same time, Jiang He heard the prompt sound.
[Tip: Main quest ⑤ Salt Disaster has been released]
[Task Introduction: Due to dissatisfaction with the centralization of power in the local areas by the imperial court, a rebellion secretly promoted by the aristocratic families is about to break out.
The Wansai Sect, which planned to take the opportunity to clean up the middle and lower-level families of the Jing family, attempted to destroy cities in various places and rebuild them, and the Tiangong Sect, which had a large backlog of pre-ordered warships due to its hasty defeat in the spring and winter wars, were like greedy dragons, spying on the six provinces and were never satisfied.
Old Wang is critically ill, and the two brothers, Fu Shi, are eyeing the position of the aristocratic family.
The low-key Shan family has been accumulating strength for a long time in an attempt to give birth to heroic elites.
A group of tyrants are fighting for food, and the middle and lower class families in Cangwu Province are full of greed.
He raised a tiger to harm himself, and chose to stand by and watch the imperial general raise the price due to two crises of defeat.
The local prime ministers and the central government were stuck in a quagmire and were unable to interfere again due to the protests of the kings.
All the malice is focused on the twelve-year-old King of the West. Can the old servant of the King protect the inheritance of the palace? The future is uncertain.]
[Mission Specifications: This Salt Disaster will be a battle for authority over the three major battlefields of End, All Beings, and Dusk. The winner will gain greater authority to select locations for the Golden Age World Battle (the origin has 50% by default, which does not change with the number of battlefields)]
[Mission victory or defeat criteria: Before the Salt Calamity begins, each battlefield chooses a camp until the Bronze-level creature, the King of the West, or the Gold-level creature, the Lord of Salt, is completely dead]
[Task requirements: This battle for authority is the Golden Age, and the Pillar of Eternal Marrow strictly prohibits high-level living beings from intervening]
[Executive Officer's Mission Content: Kill the King of the West and the Lord of Salt]
[Task time limit: 180 natural days]
[Task Penalty: None]
[Quest Reward: Epic Suit Upgrade Scroll*1/Exclusive Tier 1 World Invitation* (World where the Sin of Wrath Candidate is located)]
[Countdown to the arrival of the three major battlefield players: 72 hours]
[End of Battlefield: 1000 people]
[Battlefield of All Beings: 1000 people]
[Dusk Battlefield: 1000 people]
……
That evening.
The unique sunset glow of the Dawn Continent falls on the earth.
Tianshui City, the palace’s large study.
As the highest official position in the Western Region, the title of King of the Western Region is hereditary. The first King of the Western Region once reached the pinnacle of heroism and was ranked among the Pillars of the State, but as time went by, the qualifications, prestige and resources of the direct bloodline gradually declined. After the previous king fell into the water and died of illness, the Jiedushis recommended their youngest son to succeed him, and now he is only twelve years old.
In the name of glorifying the family tradition and reviving the ancestral business, the six military governors arranged heavy schoolwork for the King of the Western Territory. The old servant, who was almost the same age and strength as King Jingyang, was very embarrassed about this, because the old bartender, the military governor of Cangwu, was his eldest son and it was difficult to choose between the two.
The past twenty years can be said to be the most glorious period for the Jiedushi. Whether they were seizing power or hiding away from the world to travel, it was difficult for the royal palace to make effective interference.
In the big study.
In response to the Duke's collusion with the dark race, the death of one of the Jing family heroes, the fall of Lieutenant General Cangwu, and the power vacuum in Cangwu Province, the Jiedushi gathered together for a rare meeting.
Cangwu Province is both a frontier and one of the richest places. It is located at the exit of Tianjiang River and has a large and considerable number of salt-drying fields. Most of the resources used by Duke Yu to secretly cultivate the two mythical forms came from here.
"King Jingyang will not live long, and will no longer be able to interfere in Cangwu's affairs. The palace and I should quickly occupy it and take it down first."
"No, Duke Yu has been secretly plundering the people's wealth for the past twenty years in order to advance his career. After two defeats and recent suppression from all sides, the people in the country are already living in misery."
"If we take away the income from the salting that supports our business, the situation will be unpredictable."
Several military governors argued fiercely, with different opinions on whether to drain the pond to catch all the fish or to reap the harvest over a long period of time.
The King of the West sat on the huge and majestic throne. His still young body looked extremely small. He kowtowed from time to time, his eyes were bleary and he felt very sleepy. The heavy workload almost consumed all his energy, but the praise and flattery from his servants and officials made him never tired of it.
"Your Majesty." An aide called softly.
"Hmm?" The King of the Western Territory rubbed his eyes and said, "What's the matter?"
"The people of Cangwu are now starving and eating porridge. It's a horrible sight." The staff shed tears silently and said with regret: "Duke Yu is a traitor. The heavy taxes have made the people of Cangwu suffer terribly, especially the salt tax. I dare to ask the king to show mercy and sympathize with the people."
The King of the Western Territory was horrified. The lessons about benevolent rulers, righteousness, courtesy, and great love kept emerging in his mind. He said without hesitation, "This is absurd. Yu Zhong deserves death. Pass on my royal decree to exempt Cangwu Province from taxes for ten years."
The words were loud and clear.
The tears on the aide's face disappeared, and he was overjoyed.
The six military governors stopped arguing and all looked at the child king on the throne with sparkling eyes.
"Long live the king, His Majesty!"
……
Imperial Millennium, March 4th.
The Western Border Palace issued an order that from now on, Cangwu's tax revenue would no longer be submitted to the palace, but would be controlled by the major military governors and would be increased by 30% according to current standards, including 50% of salt tax.
Because the royal palace no longer distributed taxes, the various Cangwu families that were tax payers were unable to receive their payments for that month. The Yulu Le family tentatively added maintenance fees to the Yulu County garrison corps. When they were not explicitly prohibited, other families followed suit and came up with various excuses.
In just one night, the tax system collapsed.
Among them, the salt-drying land, as the richest area, was repeatedly "plundered" by various families.
(End of this chapter)