Chapter 226 Chen Zhibao takes over as the crown prince, the miserable Xu Fengnian
Tai'an City.

Emperor Zhao Chun's mood was no better than Xu Xiao's.

Li Changan actually almost completely wiped out the Northern Liang Army, the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry was defeated, the Iron Pagoda was destroyed, and Li Changan himself lost less than 20,000 people.

Moreover, because Li Changan's reputation soared, the survivors of the original eight countries came out of the pass and joined him.

In the letter Li Changan wrote to Xu Xiao, he completely disregarded the imperial court and directly asked Xu Xiao to exchange the land of Liangzhou for Xu Fengnian.

The fiefdoms of vassal kings were all conferred by the imperial court. If they were privately transferred among vassal kings, how could the prestige of the Liyang Dynasty remain?

At this time, the imperial tutor Yuan Benxi, who had originally suggested allowing Li Changan to become more powerful, also fell silent.

Before the battle between Shazhou and Beiliang, no one could have imagined that Li Changan could defeat the powerful Beiliang, but now it has happened.

Originally, Beiliang was the only major threat to Li Yang in the northwest, but now Shazhou has also gained a firm foothold. If Li Changan is allowed to occupy Liangzhou, the two sides will be evenly matched.

One serious worry turned into two, and Yuan Benxi was helpless.

"Teacher, now that things have come to this, what should we do?"

Zhao Chun didn't have the heart to blame Yuan Benxi, because the other party's plan was actually not a big problem and was very clever.

It’s just that everyone has underestimated Li Changan’s development speed and his ability to discover talents. Now, the loyal civil and military officials around Li Changan are showing a trend of surpassing Beiliang.

Yuan Benxi coughed twice in embarrassment, "First, send Zhao Gou's elite to assassinate Xu Fengnian."

According to the intelligence, Li Changan tied Xu Fengnian up and hung him on the Jinchang city gate, looking so miserable.

The common people who had been oppressed by Beiliang came to Jinchang City specifically to insult the high and mighty prince with rotten fish and shrimp, and even sewage.

Since he was not secretly imprisoned like last time, Zhao Gou's assassination might have a chance of success.

As long as Xu Fengnian dies, there is no possibility that Beiliang and Li Changan will be of the same mind.

Yuan Benxi and Zhao Chun had just discussed for a long time. In the current situation, Li Changan and Xu Xiao must not be able to work together. Even the slightest possibility of cooperation must be strangled.

This is because these two powerful vassal kings could overthrow the Liyang court at any time if they cooperate.

"Second, issue an edict to Xu Xiao to transfer Liangzhou to Li Changan. From now on, Beiliang will only have Lingzhou and Youzhou, while Shazhou and Liangzhou will be the fiefs of Li Changan."

Zhao Chun nodded helplessly. What else could he do now? He could only continue to add fuel to the fire between Shazhou and Beiliang and let them continue to be hostile to each other.

"And by the way, urge Xu Zhihu to marry Li Changan. Anyway, this marriage will never allow them to truly live in harmony. It will only deepen their hatred."

The Li Yang Dynasty's weakness was once again revealed. They had no way to deal with Xu Xiao, and when Li Changan became powerful, they were even more helpless.

"The only hope now is for Xu Xiao and Li Changan to fight each other and both of them will suffer losses."

The imperial court's military forces are too dispersed. Now the combined forces of Li Changan, Xu Xiao, and Prince Yan Chi exceed the forces that the imperial court can control.

To a certain extent, Li Changan and Xu Xiao are now in a semi-independent state.

As the emperor, Zhao Chun really had no other options except conspiracy and intrigue.

Northern Liang Prince's Mansion.

Xu Xiao sat in the study. In the shadow of the candle, Xu Xiao's face was gloomy and there were more wrinkles on his face.

At this time, a woman's voice sounded outside the door, "Father."

"come in."

A pair of soft hands as white as jade pushed open the door, and Xu Zhihu in a red dress slowly walked into the study.

Xu Zhihu was already 23 years old. Because the emperor wanted to marry her to Li Changan, but Xu Xiao was unwilling, she had never been able to get married.

According to Xu Xiao's plan, once Li Changan is killed, Xu Zhihu will be free to marry.

But now Li Changan is not only alive, but is living a better and better life.

"Daughter, you know everything about Fengnian, right?"

Xu Zhihu said in a gentle voice, "I see. Even gods would have difficulty predicting such an outcome."

Who could have imagined that the once-powerful Northern Liang Army would suffer such a crushing defeat, with even the Iron Pagoda being completely destroyed.

Xu Xiao, the legend of the Liyang Dynasty, was defeated by a new legend!

"Father, Liangzhou is the foundation of Beiliang. If we really give up Liangzhou, I'm afraid the generals will not accept it."

Xu Xiao said with a gloomy expression, "That's true, but if we don't let Beiliang go, Fengnian will be gone."

"Yuan Zuozong led more than 3,000 Great Snow Dragon Cavalrymen to bypass Youzhou, and another 1,000 of them were eaten by the Northern Mang."

"Of the 115,000 men who marched west this time, only these two thousand Snow Dragon Riders returned."

"Even if we conquer Shazhou for my father now, we are not sure of victory."

What Xu Xiao said was from his heart. If Xu Fengnian could not come back, what was the point of retaining the three states of Beiliang?

"Moreover, the imperial court has issued an order to let Li Changan temporarily take charge of Liangzhou, which is simply adding fuel to the fire."

"The court is urging you to marry Li Changan as soon as possible... But it's no big deal, just ignore it."

Xu Zhihu was also in a complicated mood at this moment.

If Beiliang loses one state, it will be sandwiched between the imperial court and Shazhou, and its situation will become worse day by day.

However, if Li Changan did not give up Liangzhou, given his style, he might really kill Xu Fengnian.

After so many years, she knew very well that Xu Xiao would never give up Xu Fengnian.

"Father, if we agree to Li Changan's conditions, how will we explain this to the generals in the army?"

Xu Xiao smiled bitterly, "Of course... I can't explain it."

"Unless, let Chen Zhibao take over the position of the Crown Prince in exchange for his efforts to suppress the rebellion."

When Xu Zhihu heard Xu Xiao's decision, he was stunned.

From now on, the Beiliang King’s Banner...will no longer be named Xu?
At first glance, this is unacceptable, but upon closer thought it is a helpless act.

Xu Fengnian suffered a disastrous defeat in his western expedition, and more than half of the generals who supported him died.

In the current Beiliang Army, the majority of people support Chen Zhibao. Chen Zhibao already has a very high prestige, and now he is the number one person after Xu Xiao.

If Xu Xiao insisted on using Liangzhou to exchange for Xu Fengnian, then he would have to make a deal with Chen Zhibao.

He used his future position as King of Northern Liang in exchange for Chen Zhibao and his followers' support for Xu Xiao to give up Liangzhou.

Xu Zhihu glanced at his father, the Xu Rentu who had wiped out the six kingdoms back then, now looked a little depressed.

The dignified King of Beiliang is now so frustrated.

Three days later, Chen Zhibao was summoned to the Qingliangshan Palace.

Chen Zhibao wears white armor and a white robe, and is known as the White-Clothed Soldier Immortal. He is the most prestigious among Xu Xiao's adopted sons.

When he came this time, he could vaguely guess what Xu Xiao meant.

"Foster father, are you calling me here this time because of the prince's matter?"

Xu Fengnian was captured, and Li Changan demanded an exchange for the land of Liangzhou. Everyone in Beiliang knew about it.

Xu Xiao said slowly, "How do you think this matter should be handled?"

Chen Zhibao frowned slightly and said with a firm look, "Foster father, for the sake of Beiliang's foundation, Liangzhou must not be given up."

Although saying this means giving up Xu Fengnian, it is also the wisest choice.

Xu Xiao put his hands behind his back and his face was gloomy for a long time.

"I am old, Feng Nian is no longer capable of the responsibility, Huang Man'er only has brute force, from now on, Beiliang... you will have to shoulder the responsibility."

For many years, Xu Xiao had never said such words, not even a word of it had been leaked.

But now, Xu Xiao actually said clearly that he wanted Chen Zhibao to take over Beiliang!
Chen Zhibao suppressed his inner excitement and unconsciously exerted force with his hands, almost crushing the teacup in his hand.

"Godfather...you..." Xu Xiao turned around and stared into Chen Zhibao's eyes, as if he had made up his mind.

"Feng Nian came back to take care of me in my old age. You are the crown prince of Beiliang."

Chen Zhibao knew very well that this was an exchange of interests!
He became the Crown Prince of Beiliang and took over the Beiliang foundation, but in exchange, he had to agree to let Xu Fengnian come back.

As long as Chen Zhibao does not object to exchanging Liangzhou for Xu Fengnian, the opposition in Beiliang will be suppressed.

Chen Zhibao is much stronger than Xu Fengnian, and he can start a new business even if he leaves Beiliang.

The Liyang court had used this incident many times to alienate Chen Zhibao and Xu Xiao, but Chen Zhibao, thinking of the father-son relationship, did not defect.

There was a hint of loneliness in Xu Xiao's eyes.

"Bao'er, you should know better than me that Fengnian can't handle Beiliang."

After being captured twice and losing an army of 100,000, even if Xu Fengnian came back, he would not have the prestige to inherit the throne.

Chen Zhibao was actually very nervous inside. He didn't know whether Xu Xiao was just delaying tactic or was sincere.

But he was very confident. His prestige and qualifications were far greater than Xu Fengnian. As long as Xu Xiao was willing to let him be the crown prince, he would be able to do it steadily.

Therefore, even if Xu Xiao is now delaying the battle, Chen Zhibao is not afraid.

"Godfather, I will definitely fulfill my mission!"

"Everything that Li Changan took from Beiliang, I will make him spit it out mouthful by mouthful!"

"Not only must we spit it out, we must also seize Shazhou as well to avenge our foster father and Fengnian!"

As expected, he was the arrogant and proud soldier in white. Chen Zhibao’s reaction did not escape Xu Xiao’s expectations.

In fact, Xu Xiao is sincere now, because no one is willing to accept Xu Fengnian continuing to be the crown prince.

It would be better to give the position of Crown Prince to Chen Zhibao first and get Xu Fengnian back first.

When Xu Fengnian comes back, if he still has the ambition, Xu Xiao is confident that he can leave him a legacy.

After the two men finished their discussion, Xu Xiao summoned all the generals and announced in public that Chen Zhibao was the Prince of Beiliang.

Afterwards, under Chen Zhibao's persuasion, Chen Zhibao's supporters all agreed to exchange Liangzhou for Xu Fengnian.

So what if they disagree? After all, Xu Xiao is still here, and giving up the throne of crown prince is already a big concession.

Jinchang City.

The city celebrated this great victory over Beiliang for three days and three nights.

After this battle, Beiliang no longer had any overwhelming advantage over Shazhou.

The most miserable person these days is Xu Fengnian.

The sun was blazing high in the sky, and Xu Fengnian was hanging miserably on the city gate which was more than ten feet high.

His hands were wrapped with hemp ropes, and beside him were dozens of Jinyiwei armed with embroidered spring swords.

Xu Fengnian's face was pale, his skin was cracked from the sun, and his whole body was in unbearable pain. From time to time, mosquitoes and birds would land on him to suck his flesh and blood.

The Jinyiwei beside him was still reminding him, "The prince said that you can commit suicide and no one will stop you."

However, Xu Fengnian did not want to die, he had not lived yet.

"Xu Xiao will save me, he will definitely save me."

Although his spirit was on the verge of collapse, his eyes were completely dull and he was mumbling like a madman.

A large number of people gathered at the gate of the city, and they kept insulting and spitting on the prince of Beiliang.

At this moment, he no longer had any hatred towards Li Changan in his heart, only fear that penetrated deep into his bones.

If I could go back, I would never provoke Li Changan again. He could dominate the world in any way he wanted, and it would have nothing to do with me, Xu Fengnian.

The first time he was caught, he still wanted revenge.

But when he was caught the second time, he had already become well aware of Li Changan's methods. This man seemed to be assisted by God!

Xu Fengnian even fantasized that if he had divine help, or was the reincarnation of some powerful god, he might be able to beat Li Changan up and get his revenge.

But is there really such a good thing in the world?

There were more than a dozen corpses lying in the square in front of the Jinyiwei. These were spies from the Fushuifang who wanted to rescue Xu Fengnian.

At this moment, a black hidden weapon suddenly shot out from the crowd and shot towards Xu Fengnian.

"laugh!"

A sword energy broke through the air, and Wu Liuding, who was on duty on the top of the city, easily knocked away the hidden weapon.

Then he leaped into the crowd and pulled out the person who fired the hidden weapon.

A man with ordinary appearance was pulled in front of the Jinyiwei by Wu Liuding.

"Tell me, is he from Beimang or someone from the imperial court?"

There is unrest at the gate of Jinchang City these days. The spies from Beiliang want to rescue Xu Fengnian, while the people from Zhuwang and Zhao Gou want to kill Xu Fengnian.

The man was still stubborn, "I don't understand what you are saying!"

Wu Liuding didn't waste any time and directly threw him to the Jinyiwei.

The leading Jinyiwei killed the man with one sword and threw him into the pile of corpses.

Such people are not worth interrogating. No matter whether they are from Beimang or the imperial court, they should be put to death.

After this battle, the people of the six counties of Shazhou became more confident in Li Changan.

Before, Li Changan had a head-on battle with the Northern Liang Army, and many people were very nervous.

After all, these people grew up listening to horror stories about Xu Xiao killing people, and everyone knows that Xu Xiao is a myth from the Spring and Autumn Period.

But now the war is over, no one is dissatisfied. In the game between the two kings, King Tang wins!

into the night.

The bright moon is in the sky, and the stars are sparse.

In the backyard of the palace, a woman in white was dancing under the moonlight, her long skirt fluttering, her stunning appearance captivating.

Huyan Guanyin's face flushed as she performed a newly learned dance.

After a while, after the dance, Huyan Guanyin sat back next to Li Changan.

"The Huyan tribe finally survived and was able to compete with those large tribes, all thanks to the prince's help."

Huyan Guanyin's red lips moved slightly, her long eyelashes fluttered, and her body leaned softly on Li Changan.

The fact that Li Changan sent the Huyan tribe to fight this time showed that he trusted the Huyan tribe, and Huyan Guanyin was happy.

She held the arm of her host, Li Changan, and stared at Li Changan affectionately with her bright peach blossom eyes.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to serve you."

There is no shortage of women around Li Changan, including Xu Weixiong, Hongshu, Qingniao, Pei Nanwei, Jiang Si, Xue Songguan, and Guanyin in White.

But there is never too many beauties, not to mention that Li Changan’s ranking as a romantic man has not yet reached the top.

Li Changan was in a good mood after winning the battle against Beiliang. This victory showed that he had finally gained a firm foothold in this world.

It was the right time for Huyan Guanyin to throw herself into his arms.

In the night wind, Li Changan picked up the gentle and affectionate Huyan Guanyin by the waist. It was time to start reaping her great fortune.

The door was closed and rain was hitting the banana leaves.

(End of this chapter)