Chapter 475 - 429: Managing a Faction

Chapter 475: Chapter 429: Managing a Faction

Recruiting soldiers and forging weapons—this made Bai Yuan practically a king in all but name!

"Eunuch Chang, is this truly His Majesty the Emperor’s will?"

Even Bai Yuan couldn’t help but ask for confirmation.

Eunuch Chang nodded with a smile. "Lord Bai, you can rest assured. These words came directly from His Majesty the Emperor, and I have a secret letter to prove it."

With that, Eunuch Chang produced a slip of paper from his sleeve.

A line of small characters was written on it, confirming what he had just said.

"..."

Bai Yuan gazed at the note, falling silent.

The two sat opposite each other, sipping their tea in silence. After a long moment, Bai Yuan finally spoke slowly, "Since His Majesty has entrusted this to me, I shall naturally do my utmost."

Seeing Bai Yuan agree, Eunuch Chang secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

If Bai Yuan had refused, he truly wouldn’t have been able to face the Emperor.

Emperor Li Chengyuan had stressed the importance of this matter; it was of the highest priority.

The south, west, and east were already being ravaged by the flames of war. Although the Northern Territory faced incursions from the Demon Race marching south, it was largely stable. Therefore, Emperor Li Chengyuan would absolutely not allow Xuan Yang to be caught in a war on four fronts. The Northern Territory had to be secured!

He had previously dispatched four other Jiedu Envoys, but in the end, he still chose Bai Yuan.

The reason was simple: Bai Yuan was strong enough.

His feat of slaying a Mingxin Grandmaster alone was enough to place him a cut above the other Jiedu Envoys.

Li Chengyuan actually had another motive. If the Central Plains and Jiangnan were to fall, the Li Royal Race could at least retreat to the Northern Territory. Bai Yuan, though powerful, had not yet reached a transcendent state. Compared to the other three, with their deeply entrenched networks of power, he was far easier to control.

That was why he had summoned Xu Dingchun to the west, leaving the Northern Territory to Bai Yuan, his disciple, and the other three Jiedu Envoys.

The Northern Territory was already weak; this concentration of power was more than enough to suppress any enemy there.

And indeed, that proved to be the case.

Although the Northern Territory was also plagued by conflict, it was, on the whole, far more stable than other parts of Xuan Yang.

Eunuch Chang suddenly stood and bowed to Bai Yuan. "Lord Bai, these are times of great chaos. For your noble sense of justice, this old servant thanks you on behalf of His Majesty."

Bai Yuan shifted slightly to the side, avoiding Eunuch Chang’s bow.

’It wasn’t some noble sense of justice that made me agree.’

’It simply aligned with my own interests.’

With the authority to recruit soldiers and forge weapons, he could build an army in Shuofang that answered only to the name of Bai. If Xuan Yang were to truly fall in the future, he could use this formidable force to contend for the Central Plains; failing that, he could retreat and ensure the safety of his house.

’Absolute power is the only true guarantee.’

Bai Yuan replied faintly, "I am merely doing my duty."

Upon receiving Bai Yuan’s confirmation, Eunuch Chang was overjoyed and eager to return, wishing he could fly back to report the news to Li Chengyuan immediately.

His Majesty the Emperor was no longer the magnanimous ruler of old. He had become tyrannical, cruel, and cold-blooded. Several ministers and even a Chief Eunuch had already been executed by his own hand.

Eunuch Chang’s anxiety stemmed from his fear that Li Chengyuan would turn on him next.

To serve a king is to live with a tiger.

If Li Chengyuan had once been a fierce tiger that chose its prey, he was now a starving one that would devour anything in its path. The slightest displeasure could lead to a miserable end.

Now that his task was done and he could finally feel some relief, he naturally had to hurry back.

After seeing Eunuch Chang off, Bai Yuan immediately shared the news with Yang Fangyu and Li Huan.

Upon hearing the news, both of them were shocked speechless. This was especially true for Li Huan. As the Crown Prince of the King of Qingzhou, he understood all too well the significance of these two powers. It was almost equivalent to becoming one of the Dukes!

It granted the ability to rebel at any time.

Li Huan couldn’t suppress the smile spreading across his face.

He had just left a Prince’s Mansion, and in the blink of an eye, Bai Yuan had become a figure nearly comparable to a Prince himself.

It was truly a case of finding a new path just when all seemed lost.

The first person Bai Yuan thought of was Tang Tie.

After he brought Tang Tie to Huanglong Prefecture all those years ago, Tang Tie had been managing his blacksmith shops. The business had grown so large that it was said to have expanded into other prefectures.

Now that he had the authority to forge weapons, Tang Tie was the perfect man for the job.

’Raise an army for a thousand days to use it in a single moment.’

Those words were finally coming to pass.

As a famous master blacksmith in the Northern Territory, Tang Tie was sure to shine.

Bai Yuan immediately sent for Tang Tie.

Tang Tie looked at Bai Yuan, a little puzzled.

Ever since he had come to Huanglong Prefecture, Bai Yuan had mostly given him a free hand, yet was responsive to his every need. Working for such a superior was extremely satisfying. What’s more, leveraging Bai Yuan’s influence, he had been able to quickly expand his shops throughout the Northern Territory.

However, he and Bai Yuan typically only met once a year, at year’s end, to go over the accounts.

’So why the early summons?’

Bai Yuan smiled and clapped Tang Tie on the shoulder. "Tang Tie, I have a big business proposition for you. Interested?"

Tang Tie’s eyes lit up. If even Bai Yuan called it a big proposition, it must be something extraordinary. "Lord Bai has only to command."

Bai Yuan said, "The Emperor has granted me the authority to forge weapons. If I asked you to arm an army of one hundred thousand men, could you do it?"

Hearing this, Tang Tie, just like Yang Fangyu and Li Huan before him, wore a look of utter disbelief.

But Tang Tie was no fool. Connecting this to the recent situation in Xuan Yang, he quickly put the pieces together.

"I will give it my all and shrink from no sacrifice,"

Tang Tie’s voice rang with determination.

If it weren’t for Bai Yuan, he and his sister would not have lived so comfortably all these years. He had received a great boon, and it was only natural that he should one day repay it. Tang Tie had always been one to repay kindness.

Bai Yuan nodded in satisfaction. "Very good. Go to Prefect Yang for anything you need."

The network of blacksmith shops Tang Tie operated already had a solid foundation. With just a few modifications, they could become a weapons-forging operation capable of supplying an army of one hundred thousand men.