March 28th, afternoon.
Twenty li east of Dengzhou City, a newly established camp stretched for several li, with banners fluttering in the wind.
Inside the central command tent, Wu Shangzhi had just finished arranging the defenses of the various units when a personal guard came to report: "The General has ordered that you enter the city immediately."
Without saying a word, Wu Shangzhi mounted his horse and, with only two personal guards, galloped toward Dengzhou.
Along the way, he saw the tight defenses of Dengzhou: three deep moats were dug outside the city, barricades were set up in layers at Luzhai, and watchtowers and sentry towers were scattered everywhere.
What surprised him even more was the cannons mounted on the city wall—not ordinary cannons, but larger models with dark, shiny barrels that gleamed with a metallic sheen in the sunlight.
“This is…” He reined in his horse to examine it closely.
The garrison commander recognized him and quickly saluted: "General Wu, this is the 'Thunder Cannon,' the latest product developed by the Ministry of Works. It has a range of up to 500 paces and can break through the city gate with a single shot. The General ordered it to be urgently transported from Xijing, and it just arrived yesterday."
Wu Shangzhi was shaken.
With a range of 500 paces, that's twice the range of the Divine Machine Cannon!
With such a powerful weapon, even the most fortified city walls of the capital would find it difficult to withstand.
After entering the city, he went straight to the general's headquarters.
The guards saw it was him and let him pass immediately.
The study door was open, and Zhao Muyun was bent over her desk looking at a map. Hearing footsteps, she didn't even look up: "Xiao Wu is here? Sit down."
Wu Shangzhi knelt on one knee: "This humble general, Wu Shangzhi, pays his respects to the Great General!"
Zhao Muyun then looked up, a smile on her face: "Get up. You must be tired from your journey."
He walked around the desk, personally helped Wu Shangzhi up, and looked him up and down: "You've gotten darker and thinner, but you look more energetic. The wind and sand of the Western Regions haven't been wasted."
Wu Shangzhi's eyes welled up with tears: "General...you look much more haggard than before."
"Haha, I've been waiting for you so long!" Zhao Muyun joked, patting his shoulder. "Sit down and tell me about the war in the Western Regions and the events in Hexi."
The two sat facing each other, and the guards served tea and snacks before leaving.
Wu Shangzhi recounted the story from the Battle of Loulan to the Alliance at Shule, from the rescue of Guazhou to the subjugation of the Dangxiang at Wushaoling.
When talking about the lack of hidden eclipse, he said a few more words.
"Although this young man comes from the grasslands, he is a man of integrity and has the makings of a hero. If he can be properly guided, he can become a good general for the court to stabilize the northwest."
Zhao Muyun listened attentively, nodding from time to time.
After Wu Shangzhi finished speaking, he pondered for a moment and said, "Meicang Epang...you did the right thing. The tribes in the Northwest are better managed by appeasement than by conquest. As long as the court can give them a way to survive, they will not rebel."
He paused for a moment: "The Tangut battalion we brought this time will remain under your command. After the war, I will petition the court to formally establish the 'Tangut Guard,' commanded by Mozang Epang, to garrison the Hexi Corridor."
"The General is wise."
Zhao Muyun changed the subject: "What are your thoughts on things in the capital?"
Wu Shangzhi's spirits lifted: "This humble general believes that we should fight a quick battle. Our army has 90,000 men and the enemy has 80,000, so the forces are roughly equal. However, our army has high morale, excellent equipment, and powerful weapons like the Thunder Cannon. We can take it by force."
“A direct assault…” Zhao Muyun shook his head. “Do you know how many people will die in a direct assault?”
"this..."
"At least thirty thousand," Zhao Muyun said in a deep voice. "The capital is heavily fortified, and Li Jingang is fighting like a cornered beast. Do you think it's worth trading the lives of thirty thousand soldiers for a city?"
Wu Shangzhi remained silent.
“So I will wait.” Zhao Muyun stood up and walked to the map. “I will wait for Luoyang to fall into chaos, for the army’s morale to collapse, and for Li Jingang to be abandoned by his followers. What I want is not just a city, but the hearts of the people.”
He turned to look at Wu Shangzhi: "Shangzhi, remember this: a general must not only know how to fight, but also understand people's hearts."
"Why was Li Jingang able to defeat Yin Zhao? Because he seized the opportunity when people's hearts were turning to change. Why are we able to launch a counterattack now? Because the hearts of the people are on our side."
"This subordinate...understands."
"Good that you understand." Zhao Muyun walked back to the desk, took out a letter, and said, "Take a look at this."
Wu Shangzhi took the letter; it was a secret report sent back from the capital by Chen Kai.
The letter detailed the current situation in Luoyang: grain prices were soaring, the people were panicking, there was widespread discontent among the imperial guards, and some generals were even secretly conspiring to surrender the city.
“There are generals in the city who have already agreed to provide support,” Zhao Muyun said. “As soon as we appear in the capital, someone will open the city gates. Therefore, in three days, our entire army will march into the capital.”
Wu Shangzhi's eyes lit up: "Three days later, good!"
"General, Xi Sheng, Liu Yi, Guo Luo, Murong Chunhua, and Lin Yuan also wish to see you!"
“Alright, I’ll go to the camp with you later to visit them.”
"Thank you, General!"
Immediately afterwards, Zhao Muyun, accompanied by Li Si and several other personal guards, arrived at the military camp under the guidance of Wu Shangzhi.
Xi Sheng, Liu Yi, Guo Luo, Murong Chunhua, Lin Yuan, Huan Wu, Namtso, Mozang Epang, as well as Han Fang, Li Mao, Liu Qi and other generals came forward to pay their respects to Zhao Muyun.
Looking at these new and old generals, Zhao Muyun suddenly thought of his old brothers at Yanqingdun.
They chatted happily as night fell.
Inside and outside Dengzhou City, an army of 90,000 began preparing for the final battle.
......
Meanwhile, in the capital city of Dafeng, three hundred miles away, was the Zichen Palace.
The hall was dimly lit, and the ambergris in the bronze beast incense burner had burned out, leaving only ashes.
Li Jingang slumped on the dragon throne, his dragon robe rumpled and draped over his body, his hair and beard matted together in clumps from not having been combed for days, and his eyes were bloodshot.
He didn't look at any of the reports piled up on his desk—he knew without looking that they were all bad news.
"Your Majesty, Minister of War Ma Zongliang requests an audience," the eunuch reported in a trembling voice.
"Let him in quickly!" Li Jingang's voice was hoarse.
Ma Zongliang hurriedly entered the hall, still in his armor and covered in dust from his journey.
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