"Imperial edict has arrived!"
" Xiliang Commandery was promoted to Xiliang Province, becoming a superior unit to the commanderies and counties. He was promoted to Governor of Xiliang, overseeing all administrative affairs..."
When the imperial edict reached Xiliang Commandery, the entire Xiliang erupted in cheers; the crown prince had been promoted again.
This speed is simply too fast. Adding to his previous appointment as the governor of Xiliang, he has been promoted three ranks in just one month. The prince has set a record that is unprecedented in Great Ning.
In the officialdom of Great Ning, apart from the princes, no official has ever risen through such a terrifying speed.
Even Bai Zizai couldn't help but give a thumbs up, praising, "The young master has indeed surpassed his teacher; Li Anlan has gone to great lengths for him!"
The creation of an extra state-level unit out of thin air, just for the Crown Prince alone, is an incredibly generous move and demonstrates the Crown Prince's current power.
How strong is it?
Their power was so great that even the emperor changed the system; this was already terrifying. Otherwise, Li Anlan wouldn't have compromised.
"Hmph, to put it bluntly, he just doesn't want the heir to become a feudal lord, so he created a province. This guy is cunning!" Yi Yun couldn't help but sneer.
Following the development model of Xiliang Commandery, if the crown prince were to advance further, he would reach the level of a feudal lord.
Now Li Anlan has only used one state to get rid of him, without changing anything else. He's incredibly cunning. If he hadn't given Bai Zizai the supplies he requested, he would have cursed Li Anlan's ancestors for eighteen generations.
Chen Qun was both amused and exasperated, sighing, "The emperor is probably tormented, after all, he doesn't want to see a second Northern Liang emerge, but now our lord is already developing into a second Northern Liang."
"With war raging across Great Ning, he has no choice but to rely on his lord's power. Therefore, he can only provide a pretext, and the rest will have to be compensated with supplies!"
This time, Li Anlan sent weapons and equipment for an army of 100,000, as well as a large amount of food and supplies; it was definitely a huge financial blow.
"Hmph, this guy is cunning. Although the governor is above the prefect, he only gave me administrative power, without mentioning military power at all. This guy is leaving himself a way to settle scores later!" Lin Yi sneered.
Upon hearing this, everyone frowned slightly. This was indeed a problem; Li Anlan clearly hadn't given up on punishing the Crown Prince.
"My lord, what should we do? Why don't we just keep watching Tuoba Yu cause trouble? Anyway, his next step is to cross the river and attack Wuning Commandery!" Wang Yue thought of a wicked idea, "Why don't we just take the goods and not do anything?"
Lin Yi shook his head and said quietly, "He won't fight!"
"Why?"
" The Great Ning River is several times larger than the Song Tao River. The Song Tao River is just a branch of it. Without a boat to cross it, what can he do but try to cross it with a hammer?" Lin Yi said irritably.
Wang Yue chuckled dryly. That was indeed a problem; the Great Ning River couldn't be crossed directly.
Lin Yi then sighed, "There's another crucial problem: if we wait any longer, even if we take Ningchuan Commandery, the people of Ningchuan Commandery will resent us, so it will be a losing proposition."
We're Winning People Over with Virtue System; if it were a system filled with complaints, then we could wait a while longer.
"So, we're just going to leave it at that?"
Of course not!
A glint of light flashed in Lin Yi's eyes, and he sneered, " Li Anlan has given me a reason. My Xiliang Province can't possibly only have one county, can it? This Ningchuan Commandery must have been prepared for me!"
You're pretending to be stupid, aren't you? Giving me empty promises, huh? I'll pretend to be stupid too and just eat your Ningchuan Commandery.
"Haha, brilliant!"
Chen Qun couldn't help but applaud. The prince's move of pretending to be ignorant was just right. However, what's in our hands isn't so easy to take away.
No wonder the lord sent Gongsun Zan to attack Ningchuan Commandery. Logically speaking, it would be best for Gongsun Zan to cause trouble in the heart of the Northern Region Barbarians, but now he is being used in Ningchuan Commandery. It is because Gongsun Zan is to restrain Great Ning!
Compared to Zhang Liao and Ma Chao, Gongsun Zan is the most like a ruthless and ambitious hero. With him guarding Ningchuan Commandery, Li Anlan might not necessarily gain any advantage.
Bai Zizai couldn't help but laugh loudly, "This is great news! It used to be so difficult to enter the capital. Now that the Crown Prince has taken Ningchuan Commandery, we can reach the capital in no time. It's fantastic! I'll go to court Tiandu from now on and drive those old fogies crazy!"
"Um, you're so old, don't be so cheeky, let me go instead." Yi Yun chuckled, looking longingly at him.
This isn't about attending court or not; this is about showing off our power and influence.
Lin Yi's lips twitched. He was helpless against the two's increasingly tacit and incompatible nature, and could only say in a deep voice, "Send orders to Zhang Liao and Gongsun Zan: the opportunity has arrived. Let them make their move!"
"Yes!"
Wang Yue was overjoyed; Ningchuan Commandery was now within reach.
Just as he was about to leave, he saw his lord also mounting his warhorse, and he was taken aback. Was his lord going too?
Seeing his surprise, Lin Yi couldn't help but laugh and said, "I am the Governor of Xiliang, and Ningchuan Commandery will be my territory from now on. Of course I have to take a look, otherwise what will I do if I don't know the way!"
"That's a perfect reason!" Chen Qun smiled and followed. He also wanted to see Ningchuan Commandery; that Great Ning was another world altogether.
Curious!
Bai Zizai laughed heartily and said boldly, "Your Highness, I'll go with you. With me Bai Zizai, protecting you, no one will be able to harm you."
"Tch, does the young master need your protection? Don't you see how many experts and fierce generals surround him? I'll go instead. I'm more familiar with Great Ning and know where the fun places are!" Yi Yun laughed as he followed.
Hahaha!
Lin Yi couldn't help but burst into laughter, waving his hand and saying, "Then let's go! Let's go take over Ningchuan Commandery together. That will be our territory from now on. If we don't go there in person, it won't feel like a proper conquest!"
Everyone was slightly taken aback, but after thinking about it carefully, they couldn't help but nod silently.
That makes sense!
While Lin Yi was getting promoted and making a fortune, Tuoba Yu was doing just as well.
Ping'an City!
This place has now become Tuoba Yu's forward base, which he plans to use as a stepping stone to move on to the next path.
Seeing the royal edict in his hand, a smile flashed in Tuoba Yu's eyes. The king had given him a reason he couldn't refuse.
He's Martial Divine Minor Titled King, and he can choose his own territory—things that others would kill for.
Yelü Dashan, standing to the side, was filled with envy and exclaimed, "The Little Prince is already the highest-ranking official under the King, even above the Prime Minister, and he also has his own territory and army. General, you've really risen to prominence this time!"
This kind of treatment was practically a kingdom within a kingdom, something he had always dreamed of. Now that Tuoba Yu had actually achieved it, he was simply envious.