Infinite Professions from a Pearl Collector

When news that Jia Ye had been killed and Chen Ye had donned the Yellow Robe reached the Great Yong Capital City, Cao Xun’s face turned pale with anger as he paced back and forth inside Zichen Hall.

In truth, he knew that forcibly stripping the feudatories of their power was a high-risk move. That was why he had sent a simple-minded scion like Jia Ye—precisely to test Chen Ye’s reaction.

If Chen Ye reacted strongly, he would take a step back, giving him a chance to de-escalate. Then, once Chen Ye let his guard down, he would strike again.

By proceeding slowly, piece by piece, he would eventually be able to seize all of Chen Ye’s power for himself.

The plan was sound, but he never expected Chen Ye to completely ignore the rules. In fact, Chen Ye had flipped the entire table.

How could this not send Cao Xun into a blind rage?

The Palace Maids and eunuchs serving in the hall were scared out of their wits. They all dropped to their knees in unison, barely daring to breathe, terrified of becoming the Emperor’s punching bag.

"Good. What a fine Chen Ye!" Cao Xun laughed, his rage reaching its peak. His chest heaved violently, and his eyes filled with a dark, murderous intent. "Relay Our decree! Summon all the court officials."

At the same time, the entire officialdom of Great Yong was in an uproar.

After all, the new Emperor had only recently ascended the throne, and an Alien Monarch controlling a massive army on the border had openly rebelled. This was a major event that threatened to shake the very foundations of the nation.

During the court assembly, the newly promoted nobles were all filled with righteous indignation, acting even more agitated than the Emperor himself.

"Your Majesty, that beast Chen Ye has the heart of a wolf! His crimes are worthy of ten thousand deaths! Your subject requests to be the vanguard. Give me one hundred thousand troops, and I will surely tear that traitor to pieces!" The one speaking was none other than the Commander of the Imperial City Guard, Bai Jing.

"Lord Bai is absolutely right! A traitorous rebel like him must not be tolerated!"

"We beseech Your Majesty to issue the decree and send an army to quell the rebellion!"

The voices of the war hawks grew louder and louder, yet the old ministers who had weathered the storms of the previous dynasty now stood with their heads bowed, silent and still.

Deep down, they knew.

Chen Ye had been operating in Great Liang for a long time, and he had also won the hearts of the people. The foundation of his power was far deeper than anyone could imagine.

To rashly send out troops—the outcome was far from certain!

But Cao Xun was currently in a fit of rage, so no one dared to pour cold water on his plans.

「Meanwhile, at the Meng Family Mansion.」

Meng Yi held a secret letter from the Border Army, sitting motionless for the entire afternoon.

The fading light of the setting sun filtered through the window lattice, stretching his aged shadow long across the floor.

He had read the contents of the letter no fewer than ten times.

Chen Ye had rebelled.

He had long predicted this outcome, but he never expected it to come so quickly, so decisively.

"Father." Meng Yi’s eldest son, Meng Xu, walked in lightly, his face equally grave. "Regarding this matter... how should we position ourselves?"

Meng Yi said slowly, "That boy, Cao Xun, has a cold Heart Nature and his methods are cruel. Since his ascension, his perverse actions have already cost him the hearts of the people. Chen Ye’s actions, though rebellious, are a result of being forced into a corner. He is simply following the tide of the times."

Meng Xu’s heart leaped in shock at his words. "Then, you mean to say..."

"I mean nothing at all," Meng Yi cut him off, his voice returning to its usual calm.

"The Meng Family has been loyal to Great Yong for generations. That is the ancestral precept. Pass down my orders: the family’s Soldiers are to strictly maintain military discipline and perform their duties. Until the Court issues a clear decree, they are not to make any rash moves."

"Yes." Meng Xu bowed and accepted the order. He understood that his father had chosen to wait and see for the time being.

’Being loyal to Great Yong didn’t necessarily mean being loyal to this new Emperor.’

While storms were brewing in the Great Yong Capital City, a grand heaven-worshipping ceremony was taking place in Luojing City.

Dressed in the Yellow Robe, Chen Ye personally lit the ceremonial incense and candles.

Behind him stood Wang Xing and his other trusted generals, as well as tens of thousands of common people who had rushed over upon hearing the news.

The sacrificial text, written by Chen Ye himself, was read aloud to the crowd by a scribe with a booming voice.

The proclamation denounced the new Emperor Cao Xun for ten great crimes: "Patricide and usurpation, an offense against heaven and reason; butchering his own kin, an outrage to gods and men; dismissing loyal officials and promoting perverse policies; exploiting the common folk, leaving the people unable to live..."

Finally, the proclamation concluded with a thunderous declaration.

"Today, We, following the will of heaven and the desires of the people, and with the support of the Great Liang Soldiers and People, have been left with no choice but to raise an army! We swear to execute the national traitor, restore justice and order to our Great Yong, and save the countless masses from fire and water!"

"Execute the national traitor!"

The Soldiers and common people below erupted in a roar like a mountain collapsing into a tsunami, the sound waves soaring to the heavens.

The hearts of the people were with them, and morale was sky-high!

After the heaven-worshipping ceremony concluded, Chen Ye immediately summoned his generals for a war council.

"Your Majesty!" Wang Xing’s face was flushed with excitement. "Give the order! This humble general is willing to be the vanguard, to strike directly at their heart and charge right into the Capital City."

"What’s the rush?" Chen Ye smiled, signaling for him to calm down. "You eat a meal one bite at a time, and you walk a road one step at a time."

He walked over to a massive sand table and pointed his finger at a city.

"The Great Yong Court may seem powerful, but the new Emperor’s foundation is unstable. Mobilizing a large army can’t be done overnight, and that is our opportunity."

"Our first target is Shuozhou!"

"This city is the gateway to the Central Plains. If we take it, we’ll be able to advance or retreat as we please, and our rear will be completely secure!"

Hearing this, the spirits of all the generals were lifted.

Before dawn the next day, on the grand training grounds outside Luojing City, an army of thirty thousand had already assembled. A dark mass of Soldiers stretched as far as the eye could see, yet this massive crowd was utterly silent. The only sound was the fluttering of the great banners bearing the character ’Chen’ in the morning wind.

Clad in armor and mounted on his warhorse, Chen Ye slowly rode past the front of the formation.

He didn’t give any impassioned pre-battle speech.

But as he passed, an invisible power radiated out from him, instantly blanketing the entire army.

Dragon-Commanding Army!

The Talent of a National Guardian Dragon General!

Every Soldier felt a warm current surge through them, their bodies seemingly filled with inexhaustible strength. Any trace of nervousness or fear in their hearts vanished in an instant, replaced by a fervent will to fight and absolute loyalty.

The look in their eyes changed.

It was a fanaticism that saw death as a homecoming and saw the man before them as a god!

In that moment, the thirty thousand men seemed to merge into a single entity, becoming an iron torrent capable of destroying anything in its path.

"March!"

Chen Ye uttered just a single, quiet word.

"ROAR!"

The thirty thousand men roared as one, the sound shaking the countryside. Then, they began to march in perfect unison, rolling toward Shuozhou like a great tide.

Inside Shuozhou City, the Garrison Commander was still fretting about the rebellion in Luojing. He never imagined that Chen Ye would move so quickly.

Thus, when Chen Ye’s army appeared before the city walls, the Garrison Commander thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.

However, that was only the beginning. When the assault began, crashing against them like a monstrous wave, only then did the Garrison Commander understand the meaning of true despair.

The army led by Chen Ye didn’t seem human. They were a legion of tireless, fearless war machines.

In just two days, Shuozhou City was breached.

When Wang Xing led the army into the city, the terrified citizens hid in their homes, trembling.

However, the expected burning, killing, and looting never occurred.

The army that entered the city was highly disciplined. Their conduct was impeccable. They even sent men to calm the populace and opened the granaries to distribute food.

This act swiftly won the hearts of the people of Shuozhou.

And the news of Shuozhou’s fall, as if given wings, flew at top speed toward the Great Yong Capital City.