The battle report of the great victory in Wuzhou City was transmitted back to Prince Jin Yinxi, who was on his way to the capital, as quickly as possible.
Inside the luxurious and spacious carriage, Yin Xi read the battle report, his face showing no emotion.
He gently put down the battle report and tapped rhythmically on the rosewood table with his fingers.
"What a great Zhao Muyun... He is truly a great general for the country."
He spoke slowly, his tone unclear whether it was admiration or fear. "At Zangmapo, we defeated the enemy with a small force. We overcame difficulties in the siege of Wuzhou City. In such a short period of time, we actually drove tens of thousands of Tartar troops from Hedong..."
"Tsk tsk, with such achievements, I'm afraid even the rebirth of the Dayin God of War Han Qinlong would be no more than this, right?"
A trusted advisor beside him said cautiously, "Your Majesty, General Zhao has made great contributions, and it is also because Your Majesty has made the right use of people. Your Majesty, may you be blessed with great fortune..."
"Your Majesty?" Yin Xi sneered sarcastically, "Yes, our Majesty is probably feeling very complicated right now."
He imagined Yin Zhao's frustrated and helpless look when he heard the news, and a hint of pleasure flashed through his heart, but was immediately replaced by greater worry.
Zhao Muyun's knife is too sharp. It is fun to use, but it is also very easy to cut yourself.
The letter urging marriage fell on deaf ears with no response, which in itself was an extremely dangerous signal.
Was Zhao Muyun dissatisfied? Hesitant? Or...had other plans?
"Pass the order down," Yin Xi suddenly said, "Speed up the march! We must enter the capital before Li Jingang!"
"Also, in the name of Your Majesty and this king, issue another commendation order to Zhao Muyun to reward the three armies!"
"Hmm... I'll also appoint him as the Jiedushi of Hedong, in charge of the military and political affairs of Hedong Province. I'll have him guard the North Gate for me... no, for Your Majesty!"
"As for Pei Lun, let's transfer him to the Central Government and appoint him as the Minister of War."
He wanted to win him over, test him, and temporarily keep him in Hedong.
In the closely "protected" carriage of Emperor Yin Zhao, upon hearing the good news, Yin Zhao felt mixed emotions, just as Yin Xi had expected.
On the one hand, this was a victory over the Tartars and a blessing for the country;
On the other hand, the more outstanding Zhao Muyun's achievements were, the more incompetent he, the fugitive emperor, was highlighted, and the more powerful the King of Jin became, and the slimmer his hope of escape became.
Only the secret message from Xiao Wuying, "The late emperor's secret order has reached Zhao Muyun," flickered in his cold heart like a faint spark, giving him a tiny hope.
Yin Qi, the deputy commander of the Longcha Division, is lurking in the Shuozhou army like a real shadow.
He watched coldly as Zhao Muyun commanded the army, interacted with the generals, and handled government affairs.
His every subtle reaction, the allied soldiers' admiration for Zhao Muyun, Yinji's complex attitude of admiration and uneasiness, and even Pei Lun's overly eager flattery were all recorded in great detail and sent to an unknown place through the Longchasi's unique secret channels.
......
Just as Zhao Muyun was busy clearing the battlefield, pacifying the local people, and reorganizing the army, the situation in the Central Plains deteriorated at an alarming rate.
Li Jingang's 100,000-strong army marched eastward with unstoppable force.
The prefectures and counties along the way were either frightened by the military power and opened their gates to surrender; or the officials had already fled and the army collapsed at the first blow.
Ma Zongliang was full of pride and regarded himself as "the greatest meritorious official in the founding of the country."
The vanguard Li Bao was even more arrogant and domineering. He allowed his subordinates to plunder villages and towns and rape women in the name of "raising food and money". Wherever they went, there was grief and the people lost their support.
The army of Prince Jin Yinxi was not to be outdone and accelerated its advance.
Two huge military forces rushed towards the devastated capital city like a race.
The puppet "King of Qi" Gu Dingming sat in the imperial palace of the former Yin Dynasty, feeling very uncomfortable.
The dragon throne is cold, the palace is empty, and the dreams of former glory and wealth have long been replaced by fear.
He was terrified when he heard the news that the armies from the east and west were approaching.
Several Tartar "advisors" still wanted to insist on "holding on and waiting for help", but they were secretly strangled to death in their residence by Gu Dingming and several of his fearful Han officials.
"Quick! Send envoys! Send more! Go see Prince Jin and... General Ma separately!"
Gu Dingming's voice trembled, almost crying, "Just say that this king... no, this guilty minister... is willing to surrender the city, and only asks for your life to be spared and a meal to eat..."
However, he underestimated the temptation of power and the other party's ambition.
When Prince Yinxi of Jin received the surrender letter, he threw it aside without even looking at it, sneering at his attendants:
"A monkey in human form, you think you're qualified to negotiate terms? Send a message to the vanguards: if you encounter any envoys, beat them back with clubs! I will march into the capital with honor!"
He needed a great achievement of "recapturing the capital" to establish his supreme authority.
Li Jingang's reaction was equally brutal. Ma Zongliang directly ordered the envoy's ears to be cut off and sent back:
"Tell that old dog Gu Dingming to clean his neck and wait! Grandpa's knife just needs a sacrifice!"
Almost at the same time, a cavalry unit led by Li Bao, the vanguard of Dafeng, encountered the reconnaissance unit of the vanguard of Prince Jin on the banks of the Zhuoshui River in the southwest of the capital.
Both sides were used to being arrogant, and they drew their swords against each other at the slightest disagreement.
A small-scale conflict broke out instantly, with arrows shot at each other and sabers swung at each other. After hundreds of casualties, both sides retreated.
This small friction was like a spark falling into a powder keg.
Yin Xi was furious when he heard the news. He denounced Li Jingang's rebel army for committing crimes and treason. He issued a proclamation to the world, ordering the front-line troops to resolutely fight back if provoked by the rebels!
Li Jingang was even more furious, and scolded Yin Xi for "holding the emperor hostage, claiming to be loyal to the king but actually being a traitor to the country", and ordered Ma Zongliang to "clear all obstacles, and whoever enters the capital first will be granted the title of marquis"!
What was originally a "restoration" war against the puppet regime and the remnants of the Tartars suddenly turned into a civil war between the two major forces for control of the capital and political dominance.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
