Who says sleep is not spiritual practice?

But the masked man in the white robe smelled an unusual aura from it:

"wrong."

"Since the Green Sword Camp killed nearly [-] enemies in the first battle with you, then counting the military achievements of the previous massacre, no matter how you say it, there should be at least [-] gains."

"But as far as I know, Jiang Qingjian's total gains during this trip are only more than two thousand!"

"With his and his mother Jiang Jing's flamboyant personalities, it's impossible to conceal military achievements!"

Hearing the analysis of the man in the white robe mask, Guergen also frowned:

"My lord, I'm stupid and I don't understand what you're talking about."

"Are you saying that Jiang Qingjian underreported his military achievements?"

"But how is this possible?"

"The state of Chu adopts the military merit system, and every promotion to a military rank must obtain enough military merit. Even if Jiang Qingjian doesn't value military rank, he still has to consider the 1000 people under him?"

Who is not interested in military exploits?

On the prairie, Gurgen only heard of people exaggerating their military exploits, claiming that they repelled hundreds of people into annihilation of thousands of people, and using the heads of cattle, sheep and horses to build a mountain of bones to deceive themselves, but he has never heard of someone deliberately underreporting military exploits.

"He did not conceal his military achievements."

The masked man in white robe said firmly:

"He reported killing more than [-] enemies because he had only gained more than [-] in this trip to the north!"

"..."

Guergen is actually not stupid, and he reacted immediately:

"Your Excellency, you are saying that the [-] Green Sword Battalion actually did not wantonly kill and loot on the grassland, but... only fought a battle with the [-] old, weak and disabled soldiers led by me?"

"Can……"

"how can that be possible?"

"The old priest in the Diren tribe is the most respected old man in the tribe. He can't lie to us! The leaders of several tribes have also sent people to confirm the news."

The masked man in white robe said coldly:

"What's so strange about that?"

"If you were the leader of the tribe, if someone gave you enough iron ore, gold and silver to exchange the heads of thousands of old and weak soldiers, would you exchange them?"

"..."

Gurgan remained silent.

He seems to understand.

There are more than 100 Di tribes on the northern grasslands. There are many factors to measure the strength of a tribe. The three main points are the number of young and middle-aged people, the number of cattle, sheep and horses, the number of iron armor and helmets, and the number of machetes and arrows. sharpness!

The reason why weapons and equipment are so important to Di people is also very simple:

There are no large iron mines on the grassland they occupy!

For many tribes, exchanging hundreds or thousands of old, weak, sick and disabled people who would only consume food in exchange for iron ore gold and silver that can enhance the strength of the entire tribe is a sure-fire deal.

However, the Chu government strictly controls the output of iron ore, and the laws related to this aspect are also extremely strict. It is impossible for anyone to make a large iron ore transaction with the Diren tribe.

If someone really exchanged iron ore for Jiang Qingjian's military achievements...

Then this person must be a high-ranking person, and has an extraordinary relationship with Jiang Qingjian.

"I remember!"

Guergen suddenly said:

"When I met the Green Sword Battalion, they had a complete organization. They didn't even have a single wounded person. Everyone's quiver was full of arrows. They didn't look like they had gone through a series of battles at all!"

"The Qingjian Battalion is the only unit under Jiang Qingjian's name. More than 300 of them were born in the Jiang family in Yongzhou. Jiang Qingjian regards them as the direct descendants of the 15 troops who will control the three northern states in the future. Every death is a great loss."

"With Jiang Jing's extreme personality, for the sake of her son's future, she really did something like trading iron ore with Di people to reduce the casualties of the elite of the Green Sword Battalion!"

The masked man in the white robe said nothing.

What is certain now is that Gurgen and the three thousand old, weak, sick and disabled Di people were the outcasts traded by the tribal leaders. is a mystery.

The former is likely to be iron ore, as for the latter...

He is more inclined to be Jiang Jing, the second wife of the Wangfu, but Jiang Jing seems a little insufficient when it comes to a large iron ore transaction.

and……

Even if he didn't reject the Northern King's request, he must know about it.

"Sir, do you need me to investigate this matter?"

When Guergen thought that he and the three thousand old, weak, sick and disabled were sold out, there was a fire in his stomach with nowhere to vent.

Fortunately, he still treats Jiang Qingjian as a brother, and risked his life to help him suppress and test Jiang Qingyu, but in the end he turned out to be a joke being manipulated by others!

"what ever."

The man in the white robe mask didn't seem to care about this, but just urged Guergen to leave quickly:

"It's almost time, you can go."

"Be careful on the road, and don't let your guard down on the grassland. Once Hua Manlou confirms the target, most of them will never die."

"Gurgen, although I don't expect much from you, I don't want you to die so soon either."

"After all, it's not easy for me to prepare a poison."

"..."

Gurgan was speechless.

You are so funny, my lord.

I was asked to collect [-] cavalry, isn't that too high a requirement?

"My lord, then I'm leaving."

Guergen didn't talk too much, and after clenching his fist at the white-robed masked man, he took advantage of the night and the cover of the mountains and forests to rush towards the north.

As for the white-robed masked man...

He stood there, looked in the direction of the palace, and asked in his heart:

"Father, will you be the one who made a deal with Di Ren?"

Chapter No.17 The prince is dying

Reject the Northern Palace.

Incense burner yard.

Tonight, the second wife, Jiang Jing, wore a long skirt embroidered with peacocks spreading its tail, and the hem embellished with jasper dragged on the floor, which was about ten feet long.

There are a total of 99 peacock feathers on the skirt, and each piece is plucked from the tail of a live male peacock by a special person to show the noble status of the owner of the skirt.

Jiang Jing has more than [-] long skirts made by similar techniques.

At this time, Jiang Jing was writing a letter in the room of her son Jiang Qingjian.

On the side, an old servant with an unremarkable appearance was grinding ink for him.

The old servant was short in stature and looked like a dwarf. When grinding ink, he needed to step on the stool to reach the table with his hands. His movements were also very funny, like a playful child.

But no one in the palace dared to laugh at him.

Because he is from the Jiang family in Yongzhou, he is one of the only four congenital second-rank Haoyue realm masters in the palace, and his status is second only to King Jubei and the second wife.

There are three states in the northern border of Chu State.

Yongzhou, Bingzhou, Youzhou.

24 years ago, Jiang Qiushui, who was the governor of Anbei at the time, laid down Youzhou, which was occupied by the Qiang people at that time, for the royal family of Chu State. With three words, with a single stroke of a pen, Jiang Qiushui was rewarded with all the land of the three states in the north.

Among the three prefectures, Bing prefecture was the base camp where Jiang Qiushui had cultivated for many years, and he was concurrently the governor at that time.

Youzhou was conquered by him with his troops. After the defeat of the Qiang people, they returned to the Chu State. The leaders of several major tribes were half afraid of Jiang Qiushui and half convinced, and dared not do things that were obedient to others.

Only Yongzhou, which was completely controlled by the Jiang family, did not obey this King of Rejecting the North.

It is rumored that Jiang Qiushui fought openly and secretly with the Jiang family for more than a year in order to seize the control of Yongzhou. Married into Jubei Palace.

The woman's name is Jiang Jing, and the dowry shop is ten miles long, plus an old servant who is born in the second-rank Haoyue realm.

Another year later, the woman gave birth to a baby boy named Jiang Qingjian.

The Jiang family of Yongzhou had high hopes for Jiang Qingjian and poured incalculable resources into him, especially after the eldest wife and eldest son of the royal family went south to the capital to be protons 12 years ago, they intensified their efforts and gradually extended their hands into the three northern states military power!

Anyone can see the Jiang family's ambition for the next throne.

And Jiang Jing is also happy to see her son Jiang Qingjian succeed in inheriting the throne with the support of the Jiang family.

Even if the authority of this throne will be discounted.

"Qingjian led his troops to the north again, and refused to stay at home for a night, saying that the soldiers under his command hadn't returned home for half a year to kill Di Ren, and he was no exception."

"Going north, going north again, my mind is full of military achievements!"

"Heh, it's just like his father!"

"There is one thing I have always wondered about. Do men like to fight and kill so much?"

"Qingjian is, and Qiushui was also when he was young. When he was old and fell ill, he would get up and go to the north gate to hold a banquet for the soldiers who returned from victory."

Jiang Jing stopped writing and asked the old servant:

"Old Liu, do you think Qingjian will be a qualified King of Rejecting the North in the future?"

The old servant smiled and nodded:

"My son is compassionate to the soldiers, and has the responsibility of defending the family and the country. He will definitely be a qualified King of Rejecting the North."

Jiang Jing was not satisfied with this answer, and sighed:

"From the moment I gave birth to the green sword, I have been looking forward to the day when he will wear the python robe."

"But now is not the time!"

She grabbed the table with all her strength, and embedded her ten fingers into the tabletop, letting the sawdust pierce her skin, and vented in a frantic tone:

"It's too early, it's really too early!"

"Qingjian is only 22 years old, his military career is only at the sixth rank, his martial arts cultivation is only at the acquired eighth rank, and he has only a thousand elite soldiers under his command..."

"But Mr. Liu, do you know..."

Jiang Jing stared at the old servant, her eyes were bloodshot, resentful and pitiful:

"do you know……"

"My lord, he is dying!"

"..."

The old servant was silent.

The Jiang family in Yongzhou was also caught off guard by the sudden deterioration of the king's condition.

They didn't expect that the man who had been born and died on the battlefield for decades would die of illness in bed one day?

It's ridiculous and pathetic.

It is obvious that if the King of the North is dead, the entire state of Chu will not be able to find another person with enough ability and reputation to take charge of the three northern states in a short time!

And Jiang Qiushui's position as a king with a different surname may not necessarily be hereditary!

Once he dies, I believe that the royal family of Chu State will be happy to separate the three states in the northern border and separate the powers.

But what the Jiang family wants is the right to govern the entire three northern states!

So for Jiang, the King of Rejecting the North cannot die for the time being!

He had to hold out until the day when Jiang Qingjian had enough reputation in the three northern states.

"The Jiang family will fully support the son, no matter the cost!"