Chapter 111: The Princes Struggle

Seeing Ge Zhengfeng storm off angrily, without even taking the package of tea with him, Song Xing couldn’t hold back anymore. “Young Master, isn’t this a bit…”  

“Ah, what do you know,” Li Xian glanced at the guards around him and said solemnly, “The theory of ‘commerce strengthening the nation’ is like a strategy for governing a country. Have you ever seen anyone who makes their military strategy known to the whole world?  

These things need to be kept secret, but what Mr. Ge said is common knowledge; these two matters should not be confused.”  

“Alright, alright. Song Xing, take this tea to Mr. Ge. If you get a chance, explain these words to him. If not, then let it be.”  

Song Xing picked up the tea and chased after Ge Zhengfeng. When he finally caught up with him, Ge Zhengfeng was still angry and immediately drove Song Xing away, though he snatched the tea without hesitation, leaving Song Xing speechless. Old people’s tempers are hard for young folks to figure out.  

Just as Song Xing was about to leave and head back up the mountain, he heard someone shout from the mountain gate where the royal tombs were guarded, “Song Xing, there’s another messenger!”  

When he arrived at the gate, he found two groups of messengers. One was from the Li family, delivering a letter from Li Yulong, and the other was from Anyang, bringing another large package.  

After exchanging tokens with the couriers, Song Xing immediately delivered the more-than-ten-pound “letter” to Li Xian.  

Li Xian, who had been leisurely sipping tea, turned pale the moment he saw the pile of letters. “Ah, life is full of helplessness. I’ve traveled two thousand miles, and you still won’t let me go.”  

Suppressing a laugh, Song Xing quickly prepared the table, chairs, and writing materials.  

The first letter Li Xian opened was from his father. Though the letter was thin, it was undoubtedly of great importance. As soon as he read it, Li Xian’s expression became serious. It was brief, but crucial.  

Li Yulong’s letter described the changing situation in the capital, specifically the growing rivalry between the princes! Now that the battle for the throne had begun, officials and families alike were starting to pick sides.  

First, there was the First Prince.  

The First Prince’s reputation was in shambles, but he held control over Baofeng Prefecture and had been managing it for seven or eight years, commanding an army of over 500,000 soldiers. Compared to the Second and Third Princes, the First Prince was far more calculating and was a figure to watch closely.  

Moreover, the Minister of Revenue, Zhang Yuan—father of Li Xian’s “good brother” Zhang Quan—had already pledged his support to the First Prince. With control over vast wealth, the Ministry of Revenue had immediately sent the First Prince tens of thousands of taels of gold and several million taels of silver.

In addition, the eldest son of Grand Commandant Yuan Yong, Yuan Cai, also serves under the First Prince and seems to be quite loyal!

Apart from Zhang Yuan and Yuan Cai, the First Prince has another major supporter—his maternal grandfather! The First Prince’s mother, Xiao Yu, is the daughter of Xiao Liming, the Governor of the Northwest of Great Xia Kingdom. Xiao Liming commands over 500,000 elite troops, and along with additional miscellaneous forces, he is said to command a million soldiers. Xiao Liming has been entrenched in the northwest of Great Xia Kingdom for decades, with deep roots—a true regional king!

Thus, among the three princes, the First Prince remains the “Great” Prince.

Now, the positions of the First Prince and Second Prince have reversed; the First Prince has the power of the Crown Prince but lacks the title, while the Second Prince has the title of Crown Prince but no actual power.

Although the Second Prince holds the title of Crown Prince, he has no strong external support and faces internal resistance—namely from the Wang family, Noble Consort Hua, and even the Empress.

However, the relatives on the Second Prince’s mother’s side are also making efforts and seem to have sharp insight. They managed to win over the Grand Commandant Yuan Yong. Li Yulong is unclear about the specific deals and behind-the-scenes arrangements, but it is clear that the Grand Commandant has begun to support the Second Prince. He is even actively helping the Crown Prince to secure governance over the Dongyuan County, and it seems the Emperor is already showing signs of relenting.

Li Yulong speculates that the Emperor will eventually agree.

In addition, the governors of Zhongshan County, Shi Chengsong, and Luliang County, Zhao Guoshan, have publicly declared their support for the Crown Prince (Second Prince).

Next is the Third Prince.

The Third Prince, only eleven years old, is firmly under the control of the Wang family, which is no small matter. Recently, shocking news has emerged that Guangling County in the southwest of Great Xia Kingdom has fallen under the Wang family’s control! Moreover, General Shangguan Guang, father of Li Xian’s “good brother” Shangguan Yong, has semi-publicly defected to the Third Prince.

Now, even within Wuyang City, the Emperor’s orders no longer hold much authority!

The forces of the Second and Third Princes entrenched in Wuyang City have already begun to draw their swords.

Finally, Li Yulong pointed out several key points.

1. All three princes have tried to win over the Li family, but the Li family has used the construction of the imperial mausoleum as an excuse to refuse all invitations. Li Yulong has already shut the doors and declined all guests.

The benefit of building the imperial mausoleum is finally evident. You fight, we watch!

2. Prime Minister Ouyang Wubing has been released but was also dismissed from office. However, Li Yulong emphasized that this was not due to the Emperor’s ruthlessness, but rather to protect the Prime Minister. Ouyang Wubing is upright, and if he were to become involved in the struggle among the princes, it would inevitably lead to the extermination of his entire clan.

However, a Prime Minister remains a Prime Minister, and even after being dismissed, many still vie for him. Li Yulong sternly ordered Li Xian—not to recruit Ouyang Wubing; if Ouyang Wubing enters Anyang, he must be expelled.

3. Yuan Yong’s support for the Second Prince may have ulterior motives because the largest family in Dongyuan County is the Yuan family! Now, Zhongshan County, Luliang County, and Dongyuan County seem to be forming a united front, with a strong sense of common cause.

4. Great Xia Kingdom is now divided into five parts. The First Prince occupies Baofeng County and subtly controls the northern Xin’an County—Xin’an County’s south is Wuyang, and its north borders the Kingdom of Cai.

5. In the south, Nanyang County is controlled by the Kong family, which is now indisputable.

6. Kaiping County and the small Anyang County, with only one township, belong to the Li family. However, the Li family remains loyal to the Emperor.

7. To the south of Wuyang, the imperial capital, lie two small counties: Ningzhou to the southeast, also called Ningzhou County, and Songzhou to the southwest, also called Songzhou County. These two counties are small and referred to as “prefectures,” but they are the gateways to the imperial capital of Wuyang.

For now, these two counties appear loyal to the royal family. But who knows what they’re doing secretly.

And Songzhou County is where Xu Ren previously stayed.

“What a mess!” Li Xian rubbed his forehead vigorously, organizing his thoughts carefully before letting out a sudden sigh. “The domestic market for legitimate commerce seems to be failing, but the military industry is a highly profitable business. However, we must be cautious with the military industry to avoid being bitten back.”

“Let’s see what news has come from Anyang.”

The first letter he looked at was from Xia Qingqing. As expected, it was filled with expressions of her feelings, which, of course, were what Li Xian focused on. It was only in the final part of Xia Qingqing’s letter, just before ending, that she mentioned a little about the current situation in Anyang. However, more details had to be gleaned from the letters of Xu Ren and Yan Ze’an.

Xu Ren’s letter was concise and to the point, laying out the current situation in a clear and orderly manner. Li Xian could hardly find any issue with Xu Ren’s report, except for one matter that Xu Ren couldn’t decide on himself—a matter that Li Xian hadn’t discussed before setting out. Well, actually, it wasn’t just one matter, but a series of issues, such as—deploying troops!

Xu Ren’s analysis was spot on. The governors of Zhongshan County and Luliang County had made a foolish move by actively coming to threaten Anyang, which conveniently gave Anyang an excuse to deploy troops.

Li Xian thought about it for a moment but didn’t make any immediate decision. Instead, he picked up Yan Ze’an’s letter. Yan Ze’an’s report was much more detailed, listing everything down to the smallest details.

The main focus in Anyang currently was resettling the refugees—those seized from Huaishua County of the Kingdom of Cai, as well as others bought from various parts of the Great Xia Kingdom. The next priority was the development of military equipment and industrial plans. Everything was progressing well, and Li Xian was pleased as he read it. However, Yan Ze’an’s letter was quite lengthy, and by the time Li Xian finished reading, it was already late in the afternoon.

Finally, there was one last letter, from Tang Rong. Tang Rong’s message was simple and brief, consisting of just three sentences: The energy project was a success! The ironclad ship was a success! The welding technology was a success!

The energy project was, in fact, the “Spirit Stone Charging” plan. It involved using a spirit-gathering array, compressors made of black iron, and high-voltage currents to recharge spirit stones.

Though the recharged spirit stones had impure spiritual energy, making them unsuitable for cultivation, they were perfectly fine for industrial use!

“Excellent!” Li Xian was overjoyed. With wires, energy, and industrial foundations all in place, everything was ready! With this in mind, Li Xian picked up Xu Ren’s letter again and replied directly: Permission to deploy troops. Target Luliang County to establish Anyang’s authority!

Just as he was about to put the letter away, Li Xian thought for a moment and added a few more sentences before sealing the letter. He then wrote another letter to his father, the main point being—I’m going to take action against Luliang!

He then ordered Song Xing to lead the guards and set out for Anyang overnight.

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