Ten thousand years.
Zhao Muyun received a new letter from Yang Chao, which sounded urgent and contained increasingly demanding conditions.
"As expected, they've driven themselves to desperation." Zhao Muyun handed the letter to Lin Feng, showing no surprise. "Li Jingang's death warrant is even more ruthless than we thought. Yang Chao is going to fight to the death and drag us into it, to help him beat Zhang Tao."
"He's dreaming," Shi Yong scoffed. "We'll give him weapons, help him fend off Zhang Tao, and let him grow stronger and dominate the region?"
"We can give them some old, substandard weapons," Zhao Muyun said casually. "Holding Zhang Tao back... it's not that difficult. Lin Feng, let me test you. What do you think is the best course of action?"
Lin Feng replied without hesitation: "Zhang Tao, knowing that Yang Chao has rebelled, will surely be cautious and dare not act rashly. He needs to seek instructions from the capital again, or at least gather his forces and proceed slowly."
"This round trip will take two or three days."
“That’s good.” Zhao Muyun nodded. “Let our feints in the Wuguan Road direction make some signs of a large-scale mobilization, so that Zhang Tao thinks we are going to join forces with Yang Chao to attack him. He will be even less likely to make any moves.”
"The armor and weapons that Yang Chao wants?"
"Here you go. Give 30% of the list, including any damaged items. And a bonus: The general's return to power has shaken the world. I hope you will make good use of this weapon to quickly stabilize the situation. I am in Xijing at dusk, awaiting good news. Perhaps we can drink and chat someday."
Zhao Muyun smiled coldly, "Let's raise the momentum of his rebellion even higher."
"In addition, have Fan Bingbing spread the news from the scouts in the capital that Yang Chao, after receiving the imperial edict, angrily destroyed it, killed the messenger, and swore an oath to rebel against Li."
"We need to be quick. We need to spread this fire all over the world before Li Jingang can make his next move."
Shi Yong was both excited and somewhat alarmed: "Grand Commander, isn't this... going too far? What if Yang Chao really becomes a force to be reckoned with..."
“Climate?” Zhao Muyun looked southeast, towards the Central Plains, “A lone wolf, enraged, pounces on another hunting dog that has come on orders.”
"Regardless of who wins or loses, the fighting will be fierce and bloody, attracting all attention. In such chaos, how much focus and strength will Li Jingang have left to concentrate on Xijing and Hedong?"
He paused, his voice lowering: "Besides, Yang Chao is like a tree without roots, suddenly facing a huge change. How stable can the morale of the army be?"
"Zhang Tao was ordered to suppress the rebellion, which is perfectly legitimate, but he is wary of our army due to the hasty engagement. This battle is going to be tough."
"And we... it's time to wrap up our game in Hedong. It's time to lay out new pieces in Xijing."
As if to confirm his words, a messenger came running: "Report! Lord Han Zhong of Hedong has a good report! The Fengtian Army under Niu Desheng suffered a setback in its strong attack on Luzhou. They split their forces to bypass the flanks, but were ambushed and defeated by our troops, suffering a thousand casualties!"
"Ma Zongliang has halted his troops outside Longmen Pass, and his supply lines have been repeatedly harassed by our navy, causing morale to plummet! Lord Han requests permission to launch a counterattack when the opportunity arises."
"Good!" Zhao Muyun's spirits lifted. "Reply to Han Zhong that the timing of the counterattack is up to him to decide. Remember these eight words: defeat them, but don't pursue them too far."
"Our goal is to stabilize Hedong, not to attack Li Jingang's inner circle right now."
"Also, tell Wu Shangzhi to speed up his journey, stop hiding, and make a big show of it, hurry to Wannian!"
"I want everyone to know that our reinforcements, the main force, are arriving soon!"
......
As the sun set once again, it dyed the clouds on the horizon a magnificent yet tragic blood red, like splashed cinnabar, or perhaps foreshadowing an impending bloody storm.
The shadows of the marketplace have already passed; the true banners will soon be waved amidst blood and fire.
The Fengtian Army camp was shrouded in darkness.
The imperial edict ordering Yang Chao to be dismissed from his post, stripped of his power, bound, and sent to his death was like a red-hot iron, searing into his heart and igniting the long-suppressed fear and anger within the entire camp.
Although the order was not made public, the hasty departure of the eunuch delivering the decree, the ashen faces of the core officers and soldiers summoned to the central command tent, and the subsequent sudden increase in vigilance across the various camps, along with the faint sounds of clashing weapons, all indicated that:
The world is about to change.
"Gentlemen!" Yang Chao stood in the tent, with the trampled yellow silk scroll on the ground in front of him.
He glanced around at the dozens of officers and soldiers in the tent, their expressions varied. His voice was hoarse with excitement, yet it carried a ruthless edge, as if he had nothing to lose. "Li Jingang is ruthless! He's like a hunter who puts his prey away after the birds are gone, or a hunter who cooks his dog after the rabbit is dead! My uncle, Yang Yan, made unparalleled contributions in recovering Youzhou and driving out the Tartars, but a single imperial edict stripped him of his military power, and now he's been forced to disappear without a trace, his fate unknown!"
He drew his sword sharply, its cold gleam reflecting in the flickering candlelight: "Now, it's our turn! This imperial decree is for my head, Yang Chao's head, and to seize the Jiannan army that we brothers have painstakingly built up and relied on for our survival!"
"Hand over your troops and be bound and sent to the front lines? That's certain death! Your wives, children, and elderly parents will all become fish on the chopping block!"
Heavy breathing filled the tent.
These generals were mostly Yang Chao's confidants, or had their interests deeply intertwined with the Yang family.
The contents of the imperial edict had already been leaked privately, and everyone was on edge.
"General! Whatever you say, we'll do!" roared a captain with a full beard. "A head lost is just a scar the size of a bowl; we can't just stand there and let someone chop our necks off!"
"Yes! They've gone too far!"
"Return to Jiannan! Support the general to take charge!"
"Let's kill that lackey Zhang Tao first!"
The crowd was indignant, but a few people kept their eyes darting around and remained silent.
Yang Chao took in everyone's reactions, suppressed his killing intent, and said in a deep voice, "To rebel is to seek survival in the face of death! But how to rebel requires a method!"
"Li Jingang has ordered Zhang Tao to lead 20,000 troops to take over, and the vanguard will arrive soon."
"If we hastily break camp and return to Jiannan, Zhang Tao will surely pursue us relentlessly. The prefectures and counties along the way will refuse to let us in, our food supplies will be cut off, and our morale will collapse. This will be a path to our death!"
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