My Cultivation Has a Progress Bar

Chapter 367: Chapter 2: Court, Provinces

「Shangjing City.」

The Five Yang Palace, encircled by a golden radiance—what the common people called the Imperial Palace—seemed to have a deeper golden glow hanging over it these past few days.

Dahua Hall was the palace where Emperor Yuanding usually rested and meditated. Since last year, it had been guarded by fully armed Iron Armored Soldiers. The more aesthetically pleasing Golden Armor Guard could only patrol the outer perimeter.

At the entrance to a meditation room deep within the palace, a Military Officer in the brilliant red qilin robe of a Vice Commander of the Imperial Guard stood to the left, his icy gaze fixed on everyone who came and went. To the right, a young man in the short golden robe of a Sacrificial Captain stood with his eyes narrowed to slits, as if deep in some kind of prayer.

THUD THUD.

The heavy sound of military boots approached from outside. The person was moving quickly, and the Iron Armored Soldiers had not stopped them. The Vice Commander of the Imperial Guard fixed his gaze on the entrance to the inner hall.

A few breaths later, a middle-aged man in the dark, close-fitting combat uniform of the Imperial Guard appeared at the doorway. His collar was embroidered with inconspicuous gold threads—the mark of a Ten Thousand Households commander.

It was Leng Kezhen.

He was currently serving before the Emperor.

"My Lord!"

Leng Kezhen bowed to the Deputy Commander at the door but ignored the Sacrificial Captain on the other side.

The Deputy Commander merely nodded as a deep but weary voice came from within the meditation room. "Is that Lord Leng? Let him enter."

Upon hearing this, the two men at the door parted like automatons to clear a path.

Leng Kezhen walked directly into the meditation room.

Inside, the golden radiance was almost tangible. Leng Kezhen greatly disliked this place, especially the thick scent of the incense burners, but he had no choice in many matters.

Leng Kezhen habitually glanced toward the window. It was open, and a young man in a python-patterned robe was leaning against the wall beside it. That was Princess Xia Yao’s husband. During the Emperor’s seclusion, this personage had accumulated so many titles that even Leng Kezhen couldn’t keep track of them all, such as Cabinet Minister of Political Affairs, Minister of War, Commander of the Imperial Guard, and Grand Master of the Sacrificial Hall, among others.

"His Majesty said you may dispense with the courtesies. State your business directly."

The speaker also wore a python robe. He looked to be no older than thirty, but unlike the man by the window, he stood ramrod straight, radiating a powerful aura.

This was a Prince, and one of the founding Princes at that. He managed the Royal Family of the Xia Dynasty and was named Xia Shen.

"The Rebel Army has become a formidable force. They have plundered the prefectures and counties in the south of Pingzhou Road and have ample supplies of food, armor, and weapons. A report from half an hour ago states that they have over twenty thousand armored soldiers, as well as millions of slaves they have coerced into their ranks. They are currently sweeping north across Pingzhou Road."

Leng Kezhen reported in a low, grim tone.

Xia Shen frowned slightly at the news and turned to look at the Emperor, who was seated cross-legged on a prayer mat.

The Emperor wore only a thin, white short shirt. A dense golden light enveloped his entire body. His face and hands were covered in fine, golden lines that looked like cracks in his skin, giving the impression that his body would shatter at the slightest touch.

His qi was connected to the entire Imperial Palace’s Divine Technique Formation, merging as one with the thick golden clouds above.

"What do the members of the Cabinet say?"

The Emperor’s voice was aged, and he spoke in short, breathless sentences.

Xia Shen looked toward Jiangcun by the window. Leng Kezhen also stepped aside, perhaps thinking Jiangcun would walk over to reply, but Jiangcun simply spoke from where he was leaning. "Didn’t I just say?" he asked casually, before answering:

"We discussed it for some time. The final decision is to provisionally order Feng Wei, the Governor General of Pingzhou Road, to assemble the Government Soldiers and repel the enemy outside the Prefecture City. The Ministry of War will also urgently dispatch thirty thousand Government Soldiers from Qingpu Road to quell the rebellion."

It was a very prudent plan.

"Can Feng Wei stop the Rebel Army?" Xia Shen asked. After all, if Feng Wei failed to repel them, the rebels could march all the way to the outskirts of Shangjing City. If the Capital City was besieged, even if the siege was eventually broken, the entire world would be shaken.

"If he can’t, I’ll make a trip myself. I could wipe them out with a wave of my hand," Jiangcun said with casual indifference.

The meditation room fell silent. After a few breaths, the Emperor’s aged voice spoke up. "If only the great game of this world were so simple. Recklessly deploying a Third Realm Cultivator would plunge the world into chaos in an instant!"

The Emperor sighed, then made his decision. "Send a detachment of the Imperial Guard to garrison south of the Nong River!"

Leng Kezhen raised his eyes to look at the Emperor. ’In truth, there was something else he hadn’t said: while the local Government Soldiers were well-equipped, their level of training was little better than that of the rebels.’

"The question is, who will command this Imperial Guard detachment?" Xia Shen asked.

Although the combat strength of the Imperial Guard was not what it used to be, they at least still drilled every day. This meant that when they took the field, they would know how to fight. The problem was that the Imperial Guard was full of noble lords. If the commander wasn’t chosen carefully, it would be a true disaster.

Another silence fell over the room. Then, Emperor Yuanding opened his eyes. They were a solid gold, with no visible pupils. As he opened them, the golden cracks around his eye sockets grew denser.

"A truly troubled time!"

The Emperor looked at Xia Shen and said wearily, "You will personally pay a visit to the residences of Duke Dingguo and Duke Zhenguo."

「...」

「Yunjiang Road.」

Qingyang Prefecture, perched atop a mountain, had been rather desolate for the past half-month. The rebellion in Pingzhou Road had brought the flow of traveling merchants from north and south to a halt.

The military camp outside the Prefecture City, once utterly deserted, had suddenly burst into activity. The rebellion in Pingzhou Road had made the Governor’s Mansion feel the danger, prompting them to issue an unprecedented order to drill the troops.

At first, no one took the order seriously. But dozens of bloody heads displayed in the camp reminded the soldiers of every battalion that they came from military households. Although training had finally begun, discontent was also building.

Twenty li from this large camp, there was another military encampment: the Demon Race barracks under the jurisdiction of the Demon Suppression Department. Ever since they had been stationed here, the camp’s gates had remained tightly shut, opening only for a short time in the morning to allow supply wagons in and out.

Though the camp appeared quiet, the Central Army area was bustling with activity. Hundreds of Demon Race officers in the uniforms of Captains sat around more than a dozen bonfires, where legs of lamb sizzled and dripped with grease over the flames.

Inside the Central Army Camp.

An Ox Demon with the head of a black wild bull sat in the commander’s seat. He was the Commander-in-Chief of this camp, Niu Zhen.

"General, the Xia Family Dynasty has reached its end. In all of Yunjiang and Pingzhou Roads, only your great army is a viable force. If you just nod your head, my Yang Family is willing to assist you in achieving supremacy!"

The speaker was an old human man sitting in the seat of honor below the commander. He was the former Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Yang Kui!

Niu Zhen chuckled, raising his cup to invite Yang Kui to drink. In a droning, rumbling voice, he said, "Lord Yang, please, have some wine."

Yang Kui frowned slightly but did as he was told, downing the wine in his cup in one gulp. Just then, a Tiger Demon sitting opposite him asked, "The elite troops of Bin Pass are still intact. Is Lord Yang sending us to our deaths?"

"You need not worry about the garrison at Bin Pass!" Yang Kui gave a cryptic smile, seeming completely confident in his ability to take the pass.

"Oh?" The Tiger Demon glanced at Niu Zhen, who was still drinking in the commander’s seat, then met Yang Kui’s eyes, probing, "We would like to hear the details."

"The Court’s first thought when dealing with the Rebel Army in Pingzhou Road will surely be the Government Army from Qingpu Road. But I guarantee you, the Government Army from Qingpu Road will be defeated. At that point, the Rebel Army can march straight north. When that happens, the Court will certainly dispatch a detachment of the Imperial Guard south to engage the enemy. At the same time, to be safe, they will definitely order you and the Bin Pass garrison to march north and encircle the rebels!"

Yang Kui laid out his plan with great confidence. "When the Bin Pass garrison marches out, they will certainly hold a large sacrificial ceremony. Our opportunity lies within that ceremony..."