Seeing the enthusiasm on everyone's faces, Kim Geon-in nodded in satisfaction.

Then, he said in a deep voice:

"The reinforcements have gone, but it seems they are not yet able to completely suppress the rebels. To suppress the rebels, we need to gather all our forces!"

He turned to look at Kim Jo and continued:

"Originally, I wanted the Shenji Battalion to fight alongside us, with you as the commander-in-chief. But now that we've decided to take down the rebels in one fell swoop, we must be fully prepared!"

"Therefore, I will personally lead you to suppress the rebels!"

"Time is of the essence. After tonight, we'll set off immediately tomorrow morning!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Jin Zhao cautiously suggested:

"General, there's something I'm not sure if I should say."

Everyone had just sworn allegiance to him and helped him become emperor, so Kim Geon-in's attitude softened considerably. He nodded and said:

"Speak freely!"

Jin Zhao stroked his chin before continuing:

“In the past, when General Jin Mang was in the army, he said that whenever he was going to take on a battle, he had to be prepared for both victory and defeat.”

“Therefore… this humble general feels…” Kim Jo said, while observing Kim Geon-in’s expression.

Jin Jianren's expression remained unchanged, but Jin Ming, standing to the side, frowned and interrupted:

"What do you mean? You're not suggesting that our attempt to suppress the rebels will fail?"

"Jin Zhao, how could you do this...?"

Jin Ming was interrupted by Jin Jianren waving his hand, and he said to Jin Zhao, "Continue."

Jin Zhao immediately waved his hand and hurriedly said:

"No, no, no, please don't misunderstand me."

"What I want to say is that the signal fire at Bailiyuan is an urgent warning, and the situation is critical. Although reinforcements have been sent to Zhongnanguan to resist the rebels."

"But I am worried... that the rebels might have already breached Zhongnan Pass before reinforcements arrive."

As soon as he finished speaking, Jin Ming said in a deep voice:

"Impossible! The signal fire from Bailiyuan indicates that they have been defeated, not that they have already lost. They are still fighting fiercely, but the battle is going poorly."

"This battle is not completely over yet, so why would the rebels launch another attack on Zhongnanguan? Who can withstand such a head-on fight?"

“Those are all people! The rebels will also suffer casualties and get tired. I don’t think they can break through Zhongnanguan immediately.”

Kim Geon-in remained silent, only touching his forehead.

Kim Jo glanced at Kim Gun-in, and seeing that he didn't speak, he continued:

"That being said, every battle the rebels fought on their way south was swift and fierce."

“The defenses of Anyang County, which was guarded by Lian Xiaoru, were so tight that they were virtually flawless, yet Anyang County was breached in just a few days.”

"Furthermore, it was not the infiltration of the inner city by rebels that led to its fall, but rather the result of a direct assault."

"After capturing Anyang County, they soon set up a trap at Yanluo Mountain, killing the barbarian army and the troops led by General Jin Mang in one fell swoop."

"Taking this as a lesson, I think Zhongnan Pass... could very well be breached before reinforcements arrive."

At this point, many of the generals nodded in agreement.

Even Jin Ming, who had spoken earlier, fell into deep thought at this moment.

Kim Geon-in then looked up at Kim Jo and said with a solemn expression:

"If we're preparing for the worst, you might actually be right."

"If Zhongnanguan is breached, we will only be able to engage them in skirmishes on the road."

Jin Zhao nodded repeatedly and then said:

"What the general says is true; that's what I think too."

"The best outcome would be to hold a blocking battle at Zhongnanguan, inflict casualties on the enemy, and then open the gate for a pursuit."

"But if Zhongnan Pass falls and they continue south, while we are on our way, then we might have to engage in a battle on the road. I think that's... not a good idea!"

"To defeat the rebels, we must take the lead and decide the battlefield. This will greatly increase our chances of victory!"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Kim Gun-in, who then slowly uttered two words.

Huichang.

Along the road from Zhongnanguan to Jinling, there is a city called "Huichang".

Several years ago, a battle took place in this city, a battle that was extremely fierce.

Kim Geon-in was a participant in that battle.

After that battle, most of Huichang's city defenses were damaged, but after the war ended, the imperial court sent people to repair them and added a lot of defensive equipment on top of the existing defenses.

This is precisely to prevent the same thing from happening again in the future.

As a result, Huichang has now become a heavily fortified city, no less so than Anyang County. In addition, compared to the well-defended Anyang County, Huichang City has a lot more weapons.

These are all measures to deal with foreign enemies. However, in recent years, the court's already meager military budget has been mostly spent on the Shenji Battalion.

The remaining portion passed through many hands before finally reaching Huichang, which was now "peaceful," but not much remained.

Even so, Huichang is still considered a military stronghold today.

At that moment, Kim Geon-in uttered the words "Huichang".

Jin Zhao lowered his eyes but did not speak again, while Jin Ming spoke directly:

"General, does this mean that if the rebels break through Zhongnan Pass, we should prepare to fight them in Huichang?"

Kim Geon-in did not immediately give an answer when asked the question.

He rubbed his temples and fell into deep thought.

The Battle of Huichang was a past event he was reluctant to discuss.

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