The Lord Of Blood Hill

Before the first month of the lunar year ends, a shocking piece of news hits the court officials who have just returned to work and are still settling in, it feels like a bolt from the blue.

The rebellious group in Zhilan Prefecture, who had been pacified by imperial decree, has risen up again.

Upon hearing this, the officials in the court erupt in furious curses, claiming these rebels are nothing but wolves with wild ambitions, incapable of accepting the empire’s rule.

As the court debates how to dispatch troops to suppress the rebellion, the seventh prince, who remains under house arrest, receives the news and is stunned for an entire day.

Then, through his connections, he begins to gather his followers.

He’s not planning an escape, although confined, he still has many ways to contact the outside world and can even sneak out occasionally.

He’s preparing to advance his own plan ahead of time.

Lucy, still puzzled about Benjamin’s actions, notices the seventh prince’s unusual moves and immediately understands what’s happening.

Especially the next day in court, when Zhang Che jumps up to accuse several officials, those who originally supported the pacification decree.

If the pacification was a mistake, then the seventh prince Nangong He, who proposed and carried it out, is clearly the main culprit.

This basically declares that he has no chance at the throne anymore.

With no other choice, Nangong He must take a desperate gamble.

Lucy advises him to stay calm, but Nangong He is stubborn, this is his last chance.

Helpless, Lucy can only choose to cooperate with him.

Meanwhile, Benjamin’s forces, after more than half a year of rest and training, have further improved their combat strength.

Their public reason for rebellion is simple: imperial officials pushed them too far, forcing them to revolt.

In the past year, Benjamin has secretly trained 20,000 elite soldiers, bringing his total to 60,000.

Dividing his forces into three routes, he swiftly sweeps through Lu Jiang Prefecture on the southeast border, nearly taking control of the entire region.

The rapid success is due to prior groundwork.

With Fang Yuan and others’ cooperation, Lu Jiang Prefecture has been infiltrated like a sieve. Across the region, Benjamin has cultivated tens of thousands of troops.

Now Benjamin’s territory borders the South King’s three southwestern prefectures, but the two sides keep to themselves.

The South King has no intention to send troops. After all, his son was just executed; he’s not eager to stir trouble.

To the north of Zhilan Prefecture lies Liu Mang, who, with 40,000 elite soldiers, can only maintain a defensive stance.

He immediately initiates wartime mobilization, expanding recruitment.

Though recruiting new soldiers is too slow to matter now, the main goal is to mask their true intentions, gathering small and medium-sized units scattered across the region under centralized command.

Benjamin’s renewed rebellion also emboldens some local powers in the southern empire to test the waters.

Within just one month, seven out of the twelve prefectures in the South Regions erupt in rebellion.

As the situation spirals further into chaos, the empire knows it must strike hard.

The tenth prince, Nangong Ying, who is about to marry, petitions the emperor to postpone his wedding and volunteers to lead the southern campaign to suppress the rebellion.

Nangong Ying has battlefield experience along the border and, among the princes, is second only to the eldest prince in military command ability.

This mission requires a commander strong enough not only in rank but also in military skill. After much consideration, Nangong Ying is the clear choice.

The court mobilizes a total of 100,000 Forbidden Army soldiers, plus 50,000 standing troops, 150,000 elite soldiers in all, marching straight toward the South Regions.

By February, the army arrives at Zhilan Prefecture but hasn’t yet engaged the rebels when even worse news breaks: the South King has rebelled!

This is a disaster that shakes the very foundation of the court!

Though the rebellion by the South King feels sudden, many can understand his reasons.

In reality, this is all the work of Henwell and his allies.

Additionally, the steward Lu Bajin’s faction intervenes behind the scenes.

Together, they feed the South King false information.

The tenth prince Nangong Ying’s campaign is officially to quell the rebellion, but in truth, under the emperor’s orders, it aims to strike the South King unexpectedly and eliminate him.

Having just lost his son, the South King naturally refuses to surrender quietly.

The emperor has gone this far, if the South King doesn’t rebel now, then when will he?

The impact of the South King’s rebellion goes beyond his royal status—it’s also because of the banner he raises.

He claims that the current emperor’s ascension was illegitimate, accusing him of secretly murdering the previous emperor and seizing the throne through patricide.

With such accusations, even if the emperor wants to ease tensions, it’s no longer possible.

Compared to the South King’s rebellion, Benjamin’s uprising suddenly seems less significant.

So the court immediately issues an edict to the tenth prince.

He is ordered to try his best to pacify Benjamin, then unite their forces to deal with the South King first.

This strategy comes from Zhang Che and gains full support from the court officials.

Right now, the South King’s situation is far more urgent, and the consequences are far more severe.

Originally, Nangong Ying thought pacifying the repeatedly rebellious Benjamin would be difficult. But after making contact, he finds it’s not so hard.

Benjamin accepts the decree again, submits to the court, and takes charge of Lu Jiang Prefecture, managing both military and civil affairs, holding a second-rank official position.

When Nangong Ying’s report reaches the capital via a swift martial courier, everyone finally understands the reason behind Benjamin’s renewed rebellion.

It all stems from officials recommended by the seventh prince who bullied the people excessively, forcing Benjamin to rebel again. The blame falls squarely on Nangong He.

Nangong Ying honestly reports that Benjamin possesses impressive governance and military skills and is a great asset to the court.

Intelligence from court spies also reveals that Benjamin was won over by Nangong Ying’s personal charisma.

This makes sense since Nangong Ying has a military background, and Benjamin respects him greatly.

Nangong Ying’s efforts not only immediately quell the rebellion but also add 80,000 elite soldiers to the empire’s forces.

The emperor, who had looked quite worn down, suddenly seems much more spirited and praises Nangong Ying highly.

When Nangong He hears this news, his face darkens like the bottom of a burnt pot.

But what troubles him even more is yet to come.

Shortly after, another piece of intelligence reaches the palace.

After Nangong Ying secretly persuades Benjamin to surrender, they keep up the appearance of hostility for the time being.

Benjamin, meanwhile, secretly contacts the South King’s side and pretends to defect, forming an alliance against the imperial army.

The South King is deceived and sends two elite guard units into Zhilan Prefecture, planning a surprise attack on Nangong Ying’s forces.

However, these troops are completely wiped out by Liu Mang.

Following that, Nangong Ying and Benjamin launch a joint assault, attacking from two sides and swiftly capturing a prefecture under the South King’s control.

Most importantly, they catch the enemy off guard, using superior numbers to annihilate the South King’s elite troops.

Losing 100,000 soldiers, the South King’s remaining 100,000 troops cannot hold onto two prefectures.

They retreat and barricade themselves in the southernmost prefectural seat, surrendering control of another prefecture.

By persuading the rebels to surrender and demanding proof of loyalty, Nangong Ying reclaims three prefectures for the empire within two months.

This monumental achievement sparks rumors both among the city’s common folk and within the court that the emperor is preparing to name the tenth prince as crown heir.