Chapter 26: It Was Time for a Purge

Long Xiaoyuan didn’t know that…

Shi Qingzhou felt complex…and was able neither to cry nor to laugh.

It turned out both he and his father were over-worried. Did Long Xiaoyuan know nothing?

His father thought that the military leadership of the Lin family was going to be stripped off, so did him when Long Xiaoyuan wanted to appoint a young leader.

Perhaps, they thought too much?

“Your Majesty, may I ask…why you want to appoint a young general to suppress the bandits of Mount Yong?”

“Why?” Long Xiaoyuan was puzzled and said, “Haven’t I say that an ox-cleaver doesn’t need to kill a chicken? Your father should play an important role on the battlefield. How could an experienced general be used to suppress the bandits? Isn’t there a capable man in my country?”

Hearing this, Shi Qingzhou couldn’t help twisting his lips. It turned out that Long Xiaoyuan thought so.

For an instant, Shi Qingzhou wanted to laugh. Actually, he smiled.

From the start to the finish, both he and his father thought too much…His Majesty’s thought was so real and straightforward.

“Qingzhou?” Long Xiaoyuan felt even more confused seeing Shi Qingzhou’s smile and found that the dark breath of Shi was gone with it. Thus, Long Xiaoyuan was relaxed with relief and asked, “Qingzhou, what did I do wrong? Can’t I use a young general?”

“No.” Shi Qingzhou said shaking his head, “I misunderstand you.”

“Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding?” asked Long Xiaoyuan immediately.

Shi Qingzhou said with his lips slightly pursed, “I think…you want to strip off my father’s military power.”

“Ah?” Long Xiaoyuan said with his eyes wide open, “How do you draw such a conclusion?”

Shi Qingzhou said with a sigh, “Isn’t that obvious? Your Majesty, you asked to meet Minister Shi but asking him to recommend someone to suppress the bandits instead of ordering him to do so. The recommended man will naturally lead my father’s troop to Mount Yong.”

Long Xiaoyuan was speechless and murmured, “I don’t think too much…Besides, there are still troops. Why does he need to use your father’s troop?”

Shi Qingzhou said with a smile, “Yes, there are still troops, but not many are capable to kill bandits. This time, my father’s troop has to be divided…If you agree with that, the new general can lead the troop in any name.”

Long Xiaoyuan frowned and seriously said, “Qingzhou, I don’t want to use your father’s troop.”

Shi Qingzhou was stunned and stopped smiling. “What?”

Long Xiaoyuan said, “What are the soldiers doing in the army? Aren’t they used to face the emergencies? If they can’t suppress the bandits, what’s the point of them?”

Shi Qingzhou kept silent with a serious expression.

Long Xiaoyuan continued, “I let Minister Shi recommend a young general, but I want him to choose a capable man. I’ll use the soldiers in the army. They need blood.”

Shi Qingzhou took a deep breath. “However, those soldiers are involved with some interests of the imperial clan.”

He added with a smile, “The imperial clan belongs to the imperial family and is near Mount Yong. If the imperial clan wants to enjoy the interest and refuses to give in, I won’t let it happen. Humph, I want them to do something. Besides, it’s bad that their power is too big.”

Shi Qingzhou took a deep breath. “Your Majesty, don’t you find it rather…difficult.”

Long Xiaoyuan blinked. “Difficult? No one wants to do so? Good. I’ll ask them to lead the troop…if they don’t want to do so, they won’t be the imperial clan anymore.”

Long Xiaoyuan took it for granted, but Shi Qingzhou gasped with terror. “Your Majesty, a slight move will change the whole situation.”

“Doesn’t matter. Since Minister Shi is here, I don’t have worries at all.” Suddenly, Shi Qingzhou felt proud, which made himself shiver. He fixed his eyes on Long Xiaoyuan and said lightly, “Okay…I get it. My father and I will support you.”

Long Xiaoyuan smiled, leaned over, and kissed Shi Qingzhou’s mouth.

“There are 150,000 soldiers totaled in the army. I have 70,000 to myself, leaving the rest respectively controlled by five Wangyehs. All those soldiers turn lazy. Now, it’s time for a purge.”