Chapter 9: The Imperial Court Dispute

  In the central part of Xia Country's floating city, a magnificent palace stood tall, which was also the capital and imperial palace of Xia Country. At this moment, two elderly men were facing off against each other in the palace, while the middle-aged man wearing dragon robes at the head of the table had a difficult expression on his face. The two elderly men who were facing off against each other were not ordinary officials, but rather the former heads of the Qin and Liu families, two of the four great houses of Xia Country. Putting aside the power of their respective families behind them, the cultivation of these two individuals alone had reached the high-ranking Wu Zong realm, let alone the fact that they controlled nearly half of Xia Country's military strength between them.

  "I'm telling you, Liu, if anything happens to my son this time, I will never let you and your family off the hook!" Qin Li said with a fierce expression, staring at Liu Mao. Although his own son had fallen out with him over a woman back then, his own flesh and blood was still dear to him. Moreover, over the years he had gradually come to realize that he had indeed been wrong back then, and his eldest son had also proven himself worthy. So in recent years, he had begun to care about his son's situation.

  "The situation on the battlefield changes in an instant, if your son accidentally dies at the hands of the Winter Nation's people, what does it have to do with my Liu family? If you want to blame someone, blame your son for not being skilled enough." Liu Mao retorted back at Qin Li without showing any weakness.

  "Grass! Old Liu, this time your son deliberately delayed my son's reinforcements by one day. How are you going to settle this account?"

  "Damn it!" Liu Mao heard this sentence, and suddenly became dumbfounded. In his heart, he secretly cursed his own son for being foolish enough to let the Qin family grasp such a handle to attack the Liu family. Didn't he understand the relationship between them?

  "Qin, you old fellow, you say my son delayed your son's reinforcements. Who can prove that? I'd say it was your own son who didn't have the ability! He let Yunzhong City fall in just one day, and I even suspect he might be colluding with Dongguo!" Liu Mao spoke with conviction, and if someone who didn't know his character saw this scene, they would really believe what he said.

  "You fart, my Qin family has been loyal and dedicated to the country for generations. I'd say it's your Liu family that colludes with the traitors of Dongguo, otherwise why would your son deliberately delay the reinforcements for my son? Your intentions are suspicious, please think thrice, Your Majesty!"

  "You're talking nonsense, Your Majesty! I'm truly being wronged! Considering that my Liu family has been loyal and virtuous for generations, how could we possibly commit such a heinous crime? Please help me clear this injustice, Your Majesty!"

  Zheng Chenggong saw the two people in front of him with a wronged expression, and his head suddenly became big. This scolding is not right, saying it is not right, but speaking must offend one of them, which is simply not human inside or out.

  "Your Majesty, we think there's something fishy about this Cloud City business." An elderly man suddenly stepped forward and said.

  "It's getting more and more chaotic." Zheng Cheng was taken aback by the old man's appearance, his head spinning even more wildly. Grandma's tears, did he not check the feng shui today? Because the person who stood up to speak was surprisingly the master of the Zhang family, Zhang Xiaotian.

  Qin Li's eyebrows furrowed as soon as he saw that the speaker was Zhang Xiaotian, because he knew that Liu's daughter had married into the Zhang family as the wife of the current master. When Liu Mao saw Zhang Xiaotian speak up, his face lit up with a smile, after all, it was his own relative, and he must be speaking for him. But what Zhang Xiaotian said next shocked both of them.

  "Your Majesty, according to the news from the border, this time Winter Country has indeed mobilized three routes of troops. One large army is advancing openly, while the other two large armies are making a surprise attack. It can be seen that Winter Country has invested heavily in this campaign. However, General Qin only has one vanguard camp stationed in Yunzhong City, and it would be difficult to hold out for even three days. According to the distance from Longhua City to Yunzhong City, I believe that if we march quickly, we should be able to arrive within a day. So why will General Qin's troops take two days to arrive? There must be some ulterior motive at play."

  Although Zhang Xiao Tian's words did not explicitly state anything, would the officials who can enter the imperial court be fools? Of course, they could hear the meaning behind Zhang Xiao Tian's words. What surprised them was that Zhang Xiao Tian usually stood on the side of the Liu family, so why did he suddenly speak for the Qin family this time? Aren't the Zhang and Liu families related by marriage?

  Qin Li heard Zhang Xiao Tian's words, first stunned, the next moment his eyebrows furrowed even more tightly, staring at Zhang Xiao Tian, as if wanting to see something from his expression, but unfortunately the latter still maintained an attitude of indifference, as if those words were not spoken by him.

  "Could it be?" Qin Li suddenly had a message pop up in his mind, which was from the secret agent he had hidden in Xiao Er's army. The message mentioned that a mysterious master had suddenly appeared in the Hu Tiger Team, and after investigation, it turned out to be a "special" direct descendant of the Zhang family. No wonder, if so, then Zhang Xiaotian's move today would not be strange at all.

  Zhang Xiaotian saw the changes in Qin Lixian's expression and thought to himself, "This old guy is indeed formidable, he actually figured out my intention so quickly. Well, this time's favor should be enough for your son to take care of my grandson in the military. That little scoundrel, kicking out such a genius as useless, I'll fix him good when I get back."

  Zhang Bingwu, who was standing behind Zhang Xiaotian, suddenly shuddered all over and felt inexplicably uneasy in his heart. Had he caught a cold? What a joke! A first-level Wuzong cultivator like him would catch a cold? Zhang Bingwu had no idea that when he got home, he would be scolded by his father.

  Liu Mao's mouth was wide open, with an expression of complete disbelief, staring at Zhang Xiao Tian. If he hadn't heard it himself, he would have thought that Zhang Xiao Tian was joking with him.

  The atmosphere in the imperial court was a bit strange at this moment, the emperor did not speak, and the civil and military officials in the court were all stunned. However, after a while, the officials of the three forces also cast their eyes on the representative figures of their respective forces, as long as their superiors said one word, they would be ready to attack.

  Zheng Chenggong's eyes swept over the faces of Liu Mao, Qin Li and Zhang Xiaotian one by one, and his mind also pondered the meaning of Zhang Xiaotian's move today. Was there a conflict between the Liu family and the Zhang family? Impossible! If the Zhang family and the Liu family really had a conflict, he wouldn't know about it! Since the Zhang family and the Liu family didn't have a conflict, why would the Zhang family help the Qin family today? Is there something fishy going on here?

  "Could it be that mysterious young guy?" Zheng Chenggong suddenly recalled the latest news he had received last night about the Manton Squad, which was that when the vanguard camp of the Manton Squad in Yunzhong City was on the verge of being wiped out, a high-ranking martial arts master emerged from the squad and turned the tide, even helping Qin Xiaotian successfully break through. Could it be that Zhang Huaming is a member of the Zhang family? If so, then Zhang Xiaotian's actions today are still understandable, after all, the western border is the territory of the Qin family.

  "Gentlemen, the vanguard of the Měng Hǔ Tuán has successfully broken through. Let's put this matter aside for now and wait until we repel the invasion of Dongguo. I will then investigate thoroughly and give the three elders a satisfactory answer."

  "We obey the sacred decree." Zhang Xiao Tian, Liu Mao and Qin Li said in unison.

  Qin Li heard the emperor's words and compromised, although he had grasped this small handle of the Liu family today, but he also knew that this handle could not bring the Liu family to death, so naturally he would not press too hard, after all, if pressed too hard, neither side would benefit.

  Liu Mao was originally caught by Qin Li, and now hearing the emperor's words, he naturally rejoiced. Moreover, today Zhang's family seemed a bit off, so he had to ask his daughter quickly if she had any conflicts with Zhang's family. He had to solve the problem as soon as possible. If Zhang's family really stood on the same front line as Qin's family, then Liu's family would be in danger. After all, Qin's family controlled the military power that was not inferior to Liu's family, and Zhang's family controlled the financial lifeline of Xia Guo.

  Zhang Xiaotian originally didn't want to get involved in the dispute between the Liu and Qin families. In the past, it was his own son who took the lead, and sometimes he couldn't say a few words, after all, it was a family relationship. This time, he changed his stance and spoke up only to give a good impression to that famous but useless grandson in the army. If the emperor wants to be a peacemaker now, this is naturally what Zhang Xiaotian would like to see.

  "By the Emperor's decree, Guan Yuan is appointed as the Great General of the Expeditionary Force, commanding one route of troops to march to Longhua City and join forces with the Fierce Tiger Corps to defend Longhua City. Tianyuan is appointed as the Great General of the Expeditionary Force, leading one route of troops to march to Shanhai Pass and join forces with the Knights' Corps to defend Shanhai Pass. If either side loses the battle, there will be no need to return to the capital."

  "We obey Your Majesty's decree." The civil and military officials of the court all said in unison.

  "Retreat." Zheng Chenggong waved his hand and left.

  "Hmph!" Liu Mao and Qin Li glared at each other before turning to leave, and the officials from both sides followed suit after seeing their masters depart. In a short span of ten-odd breaths, the imperial court was emptied.

  Zhang Xiao Tian gazed at the two groups of people from the Liu and Qin families leaving, a hint of playful smile on his face, but unfortunately, a voice ruined his pleasant mood.

  "Father, why today?"

  Zhang Xiaotian's good mood was instantly ruined when he heard his son's question, and with an angry expression, he turned to his son and shouted: "Useless trash, go back and clean up yourself!"

  Zhang Wubing was inexplicably scolded by his old man, and he was covered in sweat. When he saw the back of his father leaving, he followed up with a wronged expression on his face.

  After Zhang Xiatian returned home, he only gave one order, that is, the name of Zhang Huaming's biological mother Wang was recorded in the genealogy. This order caused a sensation in the Zhang family. To know that being recorded in the genealogy also means truly entering the family. If Wang, the mother of Zhang Huaming, was not recorded in the genealogy, she would only be a servant in the Zhang family, even if her son was the biological flesh and blood of the master of the house. But now it's different, Wang's name is recorded in the genealogy, which means that she is now the second lady of the Zhang family, fully qualified to sit on an equal footing with the current Mrs. Liu of the Zhang family. Especially her son will also have the right to compete for inheritance rights in the future.

  After Zhang Bingwu was summoned by his father into the study for an hour, he left and his first command upon leaving the study was to have Wang move to the West Wing. This command caused another huge stir in the Zhang household, as it implied that Zhang recognized her as his wife, a status previously unknown.

  "Could it be that I've really been blind all these years?" Zhang Wubing's mind was still reeling from the news his father had just told him in the study. He couldn't believe that the child he had carelessly brought into the world after a night of drinking could actually be a genius, a high-ranking martial artist? Good heavens! How old is he now? If he hadn't misremembered, that kid should still be under sixteen this year, right? To have reached such heights at just sixteen years old - what kind of freak was this?! Without a doubt, having achieved such greatness at such a young age, there's no need to wonder how far he'll go in the future. He firmly believed that once this kid returned home, his standing in the eyes of their family's ancestors would be higher than his own.