Chapter 149: Emperor Longtai!

"Your servant, Zhang Zhiji, heir to the Duke of Ying, kowtows to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty live for ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years..."

A short while later.

Zhang Zhiji walked through the world's most magnificent vermilion walls and glazed turquoise tiles, arriving at the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the East Warm Pavilion, which served as the living quarters of the Longtai Emperor.

Before the mysterious golden thread screen within the hall.

Zhang Zhiji hurriedly and respectfully knelt upon the ground, paying homage to the Longtai Emperor, who was wreathed in curling wisps of fragrant incense.

The Longtai Emperor was around forty years of age.

He lacked the heavy corpulence and dullness typical of the sovereigns of the Great Qian dynasty.

On the contrary.

His figure was remarkably lean, and his piercing eyes, sharp as a falcon's, seemed capable of penetrating every secret in the world.

Once Zhang Zhiji finished his kowtow, a faint smile finally emerged on the Longtai Emperor's icy countenance:

"Little Six, you did very well this time. You did not disappoint Us; Our heart is deeply gratified."

Hearing the Longtai Emperor bypass his formal given name and directly address him by his childhood moniker, "Little Six," Zhang Zhiji felt as though he had received an imperial pardon, and he hurriedly knocked his head against the floor again and again to express his gratitude.

After all.

To be addressed by one's childhood nickname on such an occasion spoke volumes; it clearly signified that the Longtai Emperor truly acknowledged and accepted him.

The reason behind Zhang Zhiji's childhood name, "Little Six," was not particularly complicated.

It was simply because his five older brothers had all died prematurely in childhood, leaving only him to survive and safely reach adulthood.

After exchanging a few preliminary pleasantries, the Longtai Emperor inquired about the specific details of Zhang Zhiji's recent mission in Qizhou.

Zhang Zhiji had naturally prepared for this long in advance, and he immediately began to recount the events to the Longtai Emperor in an orderly fashion.

Naturally.

He meticulously scrubbed away any trace of Li Yuanjing, attributing all these achievements entirely to his own efforts.

As a renowned playboy of the capital, Zhang Zhiji's storytelling (and boasting) skills were naturally top-tier.

Hearing him describe the perilous and thrilling moments, even the Longtai Emperor could not help but furrow his brows tightly and clench his fists.

And when he heard how Zhang Zhiji turned danger into safety, even the Emperor could not help but let out a long sigh of relief.

When Zhang Zhiji finished narrating his series of maneuvers in Fengcheng, which had nearly uprooted the foundations of the Scent-Smelling Cult there, a genuine smile broke across the Longtai Emperor's icy face:

"Little Six, you handled this matter well, exceedingly well. You truly did not disappoint Us! You need not remain so stiff; rise and speak."

The Emperor tossed a box of candied fruit to Zhang Zhiji with a smile, and then asked:

"Little Six, in your estimation, how much longer will it take to completely eradicate the scourge of the Scent-Smelling Cult and bring all the military forces of Qizhou under control?"

"This..."

Zhang Zhiji, who had just scrambled to his feet eagerly, suddenly gave a start. He abruptly dropped back to his knees with a heavy *thud*, kowtowed forcefully, and cried out:

"Your Majesty, this subject is guilty! Your... Your Subject has not devoted much of his energy to the Scent-Smelling Cult during this period..."

"What?"

The Longtai Emperor's expression, previously quite pleasant, darkened instantly. His falcon-like eyes fixed dead upon Zhang Zhiji as he barked:

"Little Six! What do you mean by this? Are you playing games with Us?"

"What did We send you to Qizhou to do? How dare you tell Us that you haven't applied your mind to the Scent-Smelling Cult? Then tell Us! Where on earth have you been focusing your efforts?!"

Seeing the Longtai Emperor instantly fall into the rhythm he had designed and fly into a thunderous rage, Zhang Zhiji did not panic in the least; in fact, his admiration for Li Yuanjing reached an absolute zenith.

It was as if Li Yuanjing, though absent from the towering Forbidden City, had foreseen and calculated every single turn of events.

He hastily straightened his back and replied:

"Your Majesty, the task Your Majesty assigned to this subject was to gather the military power of Qizhou and pacify its hinterlands. While the Scent-Smelling Cult was indeed part of my mandate, it was, after all, only one task among many."

"Your Majesty, how would this subject dare deceive you? Apart from stabilizing my own footing, all my energy during this time has been concentrated on the grand strategic situation of Qizhou."

"This subject believes that although the Scent-Smelling Cult is a major domestic affliction for our Great Qian, our truly formidable enemy at present is still the rebel leader, Li Huangchao!"

"Furthermore, Your Majesty, based on this subject's observations, Li Huangchao's rebel army and the Scent-Smelling Cult do not seem to have deep ties; rather, there appears to be a certain degree of friction between them..."

"Oh?"

This carefully crafted rhetoric quickly captured the Longtai Emperor's attention. He leaned forward, staring straight at Zhang Zhiji:

"Little Six, what is the meaning of this? Give Us the detailed account!"

Growing increasingly confident, Zhang Zhiji proceeded to lay out Li Yuanjing's assessment: that the rebel main force was merely staging a feint against Old Qi Pass, while their true targets were Zhongdu Fengyang and the hinterlands of Huguang.

"Crack!"

"Absurd!"

"Outrageous!!!"

Hearing this conjecture abruptly, even the Longtai Emperor could not suppress his fury; his face turned ashen and grim, as if he were about to devour someone alive!

At this moment.

The Great Qian dynasty had reached such a perilous juncture—with the Liaoning frontier yielding no results, the northern barbarians in the Northwest growing increasingly rampant, and the realm plagued alternately by severe droughts and catastrophic floods, spawning a terrifying monster like Li Huangchao.

Whispers were already beginning to circulate within the imperial court, with some hoping that the Longtai Emperor would issue a "Decree of Self-Blame."

Once Zhongdu Fengyang truly fell...

How could he, the Longtai Emperor, easily bear the cost of such a catastrophe?

By then, it would likely no longer be a matter of merely issuing a decree of self-blame; rather, people might claim that he had lost the Mandate of Heaven, and some might even force him to abdicate!!

Yet, having reigned for over two decades, the Longtai Emperor still possessed sufficient political poise and statecraft.

After a moment of recuperation, he managed to steady himself, locking his gaze onto Zhang Zhiji:

"Little Six, how certain are you of this matter?!"

Zhang Zhiji's heart skipped a beat.

To his astonishment.

Li Yuanjing had guessed correctly yet again; the Longtai Emperor naturally demanded quantifiable assessments for such critical matters...

Yet, things had reached a point where Zhang Zhiji was already riding a tiger and difficult to dismount—what other choice did he have?

He answered respectfully:

"Your Majesty, this subject is seventy percent certain!"

"Your Majesty, after returning to the capital this time, this subject deliberated and deduced this repeatedly with my father, and my father also concurs with this judgment!"

"It is only regrettable that my time in Qizhou was ultimately brief, and my manpower and energy were limited. Dealing with the Scent-Smelling Cult consumed a vast amount of my resources, leaving me unable to secure every single specific detail with absolute certainty..."

While the Longtai Emperor was not exceptionally versed in military tactics, he was thoroughly proficient in court maneuvering and well-read in history, possessing ample experience of his own.

The moment Zhang Zhiji outlined the potential move the rebel leader Li Huangchao might make, the Emperor had already formed his own preliminary judgment.

And when Zhang Zhiji invoked the name of the veteran Duke of Ying, Zhang Wen, the Longtai Emperor's trust in this assessment instantly escalated by several notches.

After all.

Old Duke of Ying Zhang Wen was a seasoned veteran who had clawed his way out of piles of corpses; how could the Emperor dare ignore a judgment endorsed by such a figure?

Especially since Zhang Zhiji had not returned empty-handed from this campaign, nor had he falsely claimed credit by butchering innocents—he possessed genuine, solid achievements!

"Hoo..."

Pondering for a long while and pacing back and forth several times, the Longtai Emperor abruptly turned his gaze to Zhang Zhiji:

"Little Six, what do you think should be done about this?"

Seeing that the Longtai Emperor had once again stepped precisely into the "trap" laid out in advance by Li Yuanjing, what could Zhang Zhiji do besides marvel in deep admiration?

He replied respectfully:

"Your Majesty, such matters of state and military are beyond what this subject dares to discuss presumptuously! This subject only knows to fulfill my duties and execute every task entrusted to me by Your Majesty to the best of my ability!"

"Nonsense about not daring to discuss it!"

The Longtai Emperor flared up in anger, lashing out with a kick to Zhang Zhiji's shoulder that sent the young man stumbling sideways. The Emperor cursed:

"Little Six, I thought you were a loyal subject, but it turns out you are playing slippery tricks with Me now as well?"

How could Zhang Zhiji dare accept such an accusation?

He hurriedly resumed kowtowing frantically, chanting "Your subject deserves death."

"Sigh..."

Seeing Zhang Zhiji react thus, the Longtai Emperor could not help but let out a profound sigh. A desolate flash crossed his aged eyes as he scolded:

"Enough, enough, Little Six, stop putting on a show for Me! How could I not know your bitter plight? If anyone is to be blamed, it is that there are simply too few people in this world who remain as loyal to Me as you..."

Realizing that the Longtai Emperor had finally come around, Zhang Zhiji felt a surge of elation. In his heart, he knew that the plan hatched by him and Li Yuanjing had succeeded!

He hurriedly renewed his fervent kowtows to pledge his unwavering loyalty to the Emperor.

The Longtai Emperor waved a hand with a trace of agitation and said:

"Little Six, let Me ask you this!"

"As for the matter of the rebel leader Li Huangchao, I will temporarily leave that aside. But regarding the situation in Qizhou, including the Scent-Smelling Cult, how long will it take you to secure it for Me, and what do you require of Me?"

Zhang Zhiji's heart gave a leap of intense excitement—had the time finally come for him to state his terms?

He cautiously replied:

"Your Majesty, if I am granted three thousand elite troops, this subject is confident that the Qizhou hinterlands can be pacified in about a year. If given five thousand troops, perhaps a little over half a year will yield results..."