Wuzhou City, Earl's Mansion.

As Emperor Zhaowu of the Tang Dynasty, Chen Huai'an, personally led his army on a campaign, the Marquis of Wuyi, Liu Ziyu, upon receiving the news, immediately ordered all prefectures in Youyun to enter a state of war preparedness.

All the city gates were tightly closed, and the city was filled with a sense of impending doom.

When the vanguard of the imperial army heading north arrived in Jinan Prefecture, Liu Ziyu, the Marquis of Wuyi of the Tang Dynasty, who was guarding Wuzhou City and living in constant fear, finally received reinforcements from the distant Arab Empire—30,000 Turkic cavalry led by Batel, the son of Timur, the Great Khan of the Turkic Khaganate who had been destroyed!

On the same day, at Liu Ziyu's call, the garrison troops of eight places in the Youyun region of the Tang Dynasty, namely Wuzhou, Xinzhou, Weizhou, Ruzhou, Tanzhou, Guizhou, Shunzhou and Youzhou, collectively announced the establishment of the "Anti-Rebel Army" and issued a proclamation to quell the rebellion, openly raising troops to oppose the imperial court.

Liu Ziyu, the former deputy general of the Youyun garrison of the Tang Dynasty and the Earl of Wuyi, proclaimed himself the Grand General of the Expedition and led 100,000 troops from the eight prefectures of Youyun southward to quell the rebellion and cleanse the court of corrupt officials.

Because this coup occurred during the reign of Emperor Zhaowu of the Tang Dynasty, later historians recorded it as the "Rebellion of Emperor Zhaowu"!

When Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an personally led 20,000 imperial guards into Zhuozhou for rest and reorganization, and their forces were poised to strike at Youzhou City, which was occupied by the rebels, the rebel leader Liu Ziyu also convened the first military conference since the establishment of the Tang Dynasty's anti-rebel army in the Earl's Mansion in Wuzhou City.

Inside the council hall, apart from Luo Ping'an, the commander of Youzhou City who was facing the imperial army to quell the rebellion, all the commanders of the other prefectures were present at this military conference.

The meeting had only one topic: how to counter the imperial army's northward advance to quell the rebellion.

It is worth mentioning that Timur, the son of the Great Khan of the fallen Turkic Khaganate, was also among them, and he participated in this military conference as the commander-in-chief of the allied forces in the campaign against the rebels.

At the meeting, Liu Ziyu, the commander of the anti-rebel army, reported the intelligence he had gathered to the commanders of the anti-rebel armies from various prefectures of Youyun present.

Liu Ziyu said, "Gentlemen, according to reports from scouts, the tyrannical Emperor Chen Huai'an has assembled an army of 250,000 for a western expedition, and his first target is the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun."

"At this time, the 20,000-strong vanguard of the Imperial Guards, led by the tyrannical Emperor Chen Huai'an, has already reached the gates of Zhuozhou. Based on my understanding of Chen Huai'an, he will certainly first take Youzhou, then exit through Juyong Pass, attacking Guizhou, Tanzhou, and Ruzhou along the way."

"The other force, after taking Youzhou, will set its sights on Xinzhou and Weizhou, then the two forces will join forces to finally capture Wuzhou;"

"only--"

Liu Ziyu changed the subject, continuing, "Based on the intelligence we have so far, this tyrannical emperor Chen Huai'an might not have the guts to divide his 20,000 imperial guards into two groups."

"His most likely battle plan is to take Youzhou with all his might, then rest and regroup, awaiting the reinforcements marching north from Jinan Prefecture, before dividing his army in two and proceeding with the next phase of the operation as I just analyzed."

"Therefore, the primary task of our anti-rebel army is to fight a good battle to defend Youzhou and to dampen the spirit of the tyrannical Emperor Chen Huai'an and the imperial army in Youzhou!"

With that, Liu Ziyu clapped his hands and said, "Vice General Li, now it's your turn to introduce to the generals the current defensive situation of our army in Youzhou City!"

"Yes, General!"

As they spoke, a fierce general clad in gleaming armor and wielding a ring-pommel sword stepped forward to receive the order.

This man was Li Meng, the deputy general whom Liu Ziyu had promoted from the army. He was also a fierce general from the Youyun region!

Li Meng approached the war drill sand table inside the council hall, pointed at it with his ring-pommel sword, and said, "Gentlemen, our punitive expeditionary army currently has 30,000 troops stationed in Youzhou City, under the command of Garrison General Luo Ping'an;"

"Currently, Youzhou City has ample food supplies and high morale. Moreover, the city walls of Youzhou are tall and sturdy. Even the Shenji Battalion, which is equipped with red cannons among the imperial army's troops sent to quell the rebellion, cannot breach the city walls of Youzhou City without three to five months of relentless bombardment!"

After a pause, Li Meng continued confidently, "According to the General's tactical plan, our punitive expeditionary force will use Youzhou City as the core, employing a strategy of encirclement and annihilation to intercept the imperial troops marching north to quell the rebellion."

"Once the army led by Duke Pang Xianchu of Jin leaves Jinan, a cavalry force will be dispatched to harass the supply lines of the imperial army heading north. Once their supply lines are cut off, the 250,000 imperial troops will collapse without a fight, and our punitive expeditionary army can take advantage of the situation to recover the rest of Youyun!"

As he spoke, Li Meng turned his gaze to General Liu Ziyu, who was in the main seat, as if asking if the latter had anything to add.

Only after receiving the latter's approval did he continue addressing the generals in the council hall: "Gentlemen, that's the general situation."

"The specific tactical arrangements and execution will be issued by the General himself!"

Cough cough!

No sooner had Li Meng finished speaking than Batel, the son of the deposed Khan of the Turkic Khaganate who was sitting next to General Liu Ziyu, suddenly coughed twice and then stood up on his own.

"Excuse me, may I interrupt you all for a moment—"

Timur stood up and said with a smile, "Let me introduce myself. I am Batel, the chief of the Guli tribe of the Turkic Khanate, and the eldest son of the previous Turkic Khan Timur, and the new Turkic Khan!"

Wow!

These words immediately caused an uproar among some of the Youyun generals present.

As garrison generals guarding the border, they had a natural hostility towards the Turks living in the northern deserts, which was almost ingrained in their bones.

The sudden appearance of the enemy leader at their own military conference was bound to put these Youyun generals, who still had a conscience, on high alert.

At this moment, Liu Ziyu, who had proclaimed himself the Grand General of the Anti-Rebel Army, stepped forward and tried to smooth things over, saying, "Gentlemen, please calm down."

"Chief Batel's current status is not only that of the new Great Khan of the Turkic Khaganate, but also that of a special envoy of the Abbasid Caliph of the Arab Empire;"

"This time, I am acting on the holy decree of Abbasid Caliph Safah, leading an army of 800,000 Arab soldiers to conquer the Tang Dynasty and assist the Tang Dynasty's punitive expeditionary force in the Youyun region to overthrow the tyrannical rule of Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an!"

"That's right!"

Batel immediately picked up the thread, saying, "General Liu is absolutely right. My personal visit to Wuzhou City this time represents the Arab Empire's eastern expeditionary army, coming to join forces with the generals from various parts of Youyun to overthrow the tyrannical rule of Emperor Zhaowu of the Tang Dynasty."

"I'm sure you've all heard about it before, haven't you?"

"The atrocities committed by Lan Yu, the Marquis of Anxi of the Great Tang Dynasty, against the Wusun Kingdom in the Western Regions;"

"Furthermore, Emperor Zhaowu, Chen Huai'an, deliberately suppressed and showed prejudice against the generals of the Youyun faction. Even a general like your Grand General, with his outstanding military achievements and meritorious service, still could not gain the court's favor or promotion."

"Furthermore, they will be stripped of their military power on trumped-up charges and subjected to a military interrogation."

Batel has begun listing the "crimes" of Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an, brainwashing a group of generals in the Youyun region who were originally hostile to the Turkic Khaganate, and laying the groundwork for the cooperation between the two sides in the future.

Batel continued, "An emperor like Chen Huai'an treats his loyal subordinates and surrendered generals with completely different attitudes."

"Look at Marquis Anxi, Lan Yu, and then look at your General Liu. Compared to the crimes Lan Yu committed against the Wusun Kingdom, the so-called 'crimes' that General Liu was criticized by the court in the army are utterly insignificant and not worth mentioning."

"But in the end, criminals like Lan Yu, who should have been executed along with their entire families, remained carefree, continuing to serve as the military governor of the Anxi Protectorate and enjoying the privileges of a founding marquis of the Tang Dynasty."

"General Liu and all those present not only failed to receive the rewards they deserved at the post-founding ceremony, but were also stripped of their military power by Chen Huai'an on trumped-up charges, who even directly summoned an army of 250,000 to interrogate them."

"This kind of dog emperor is not worthy of your loyalty at all!"

"right!"

An emotionally charged Youyun general immediately stood up and roared indignantly, "And what about Xiong Kai, the former garrison commander of Youzhou? Wasn't he just angry about the imperial court's rewards for our Youyun generals and wanted to go and argue with that dog emperor Chen Huai'an?"

"In the end, they met a tragic end, their heads separated from their bodies. Isn't this blatant bullying of the military generals of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun?"

"that is--"

These words were immediately echoed by the generals present.

Clearly, the Youyun generals present still harbored resentment over the incident where several Youyun generals broke into the palace at night and were ultimately executed.

Most of these military generals were simple-minded and physically strong, and they were exceptionally brave on the battlefield, but such a personality made them easily provoked.

Sure enough, with just a few words from Batel, those generals who were originally hostile to him, a Turk, immediately turned their attention to Emperor Zhaowu, Chen Huai'an.

This laid the groundwork for the generals of the various prefectures of Youyun to open the city gates and welcome the Turkic enemy army into the city.

Seeing that the groundwork had been laid, General Liu Ziyu stood up and began to prepare to wrap things up.

Liu Ziyu said, "Brothers, please be quiet and listen to what I have to say!"

Whoosh!

The once noisy council hall suddenly fell silent.

Liu Ziyu said, "Ever since I returned to Youyun after participating in the investiture ceremony, I've had this thorn stuck in my throat. The unjust deaths of Vanguard General Hu Dalin, Youzhou Garrison Commander Xiong Kai, and the remaining three military brothers from the Youyun region are weighing heavily on my heart, making it hard for me to breathe!"

"They died not only for me, Liu Ziyu, but also for all the generals in the Youyun region who suffered injustice and prejudice!"

Eh—

As he spoke, Liu Ziyu sighed, his eyes reddening, and continued, "However, their deaths not only failed to awaken any remorse in the court and the dog emperor towards us, but instead intensified the persecution of our Youyun faction generals;"

"Under these very circumstances, my adoptive father, the founder of the civil and military officials of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, and the current Prince Zhao of the court, has abandoned us and chosen to side with the court and the dog emperor;"

snort--

Liu Ziyu snorted coldly and said, "It's not hard to understand. We are just someone's adopted son, not their biological son. But his daughter is the founding empress of the Tang Dynasty, and the dog emperor is his son-in-law. How can we outsiders compare to his family?"

"but--"

Suddenly, Liu Ziyu's tone shifted, and he said sternly, "I, Liu Ziyu, cannot sit idly by and allow the court and the dog emperor to persecute you. I cannot stand by and watch the dog emperor uproot and exterminate all the civil and military officials of our Youyun region."

"Therefore, I must stand up and lead the brothers in the Youyun region to rise up against the tyranny of the dog emperor Chen Huai'an and the persecution of our civil and military officials in the Youyun region!"

Liu Ziyu's words had already evoked empathy from many of the generals in the Youyun region. They looked at General Liu Ziyu with tears in their eyes, and had made up their minds to be willing to die for him at any time!

Liu Ziyu continued earnestly, "Brothers, it's just that I, Liu Ziyu, am incompetent. Without external help, I cannot lead you against the imperial court and secure a bright future for you all."

"In desperation, I could only turn to the Arab Empire, which was capable of rivaling the Tang Dynasty, for help. That's why the Great Khan of the Turkic Khaganate, Batel, personally led his Turkic cavalry to come and assist us!"

"The uprising to quell the rebellion and purge the court of corrupt officials is merely a pretext we raised to silence public opinion; we do not actually intend to cross the Yangtze River."

Liu Ziyu chuckled self-deprecatingly, then said, "In fact, I'm sure everyone here, like me, is aware of our limitations. With the strength of our Youyun region, we are not yet capable of conquering the world and vying for supremacy in the Central Plains."

"Now, I can responsibly tell everyone that our goal is to make the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun independent of the Tang Dynasty;"

"Besides, the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun originally belonged to us. It was only because we were deceived by Chen Huai'an's sweet words that we handed over this great land to him. It's time for us to take over the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun ourselves!"

"Yes, the General is right!"

This "inspiring" speech immediately garnered the support of a group of generals for Liu Ziyu's remarks.

Immediately, someone raised their arms and shouted, echoing, "Since the Five Barbarian Invasions, the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun have always been managed by us, the people of Youyun. What right does Chen Huai'an's Tang Dynasty have to interfere?"

"That's right, I wholeheartedly support the people of Youyun governing Youyun, and I believe the people of the sixteen prefectures of Youyun will also support us!"

"General, I'm not going to say anything more. Just assign the combat tasks. I, Guo Zhendong, will only say one thing: if you tell me to go east, I will never go west!"

"General, assign tasks. We should have rolled up our sleeves long ago and fought the imperial army in a real battle, to show them who the true master of Youyun region is!"

"General..."

In an instant, the huge council hall was filled with voices volunteering to fight.

Looking at the faces before him, filled with righteous indignation and shared hatred of the enemy, Liu Ziyu knew very well that the morale and fighting spirit of the troops had reached their peak.

He wanted to seize this opportunity to strike hard and severely damage Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an, who was personally leading the expedition!

"All soldiers, listen to my command—"

"Your subordinate is here!"