The hall was completely silent.
Wu Shangzhi then understood why the Northwest Border Army was in such dire straits.
It wasn't that the generals were incompetent, nor that the soldiers were afraid to die; it was simply that they were at their wits' end.
“General Zhang,” he began slowly, “the Grand General has taken Dengzhou and besieged the capital. The world is about to be unified again. Once the Central Plains are pacified, the court will surely rebuild the Northwest.”
"I hope so," Zhang Zan said with a wry smile. "But I'm afraid... I won't be able to wait until then."
He took out a letter: "After the defeat of Prince Fuyun of Tuyuhun, he sent a letter saying that he wanted to unite with the Uyghurs and Dangxiang tribes to take Liangzhou. If they really join forces, Liangzhou... cannot be defended."
Wu Shangzhi took the letter, and after reading it, a cold glint flashed in his eyes: "What a huge appetite. General Zhang, how many soldiers in Liangzhou are currently fit for battle?"
"At most, eight thousand. But only about five thousand are actually capable of field operations."
"That's enough." Wu Shangzhi stood up. "General Zhang, lend me three thousand soldiers and the Liangzhou army's banner."
"What does General Wu want to do?"
"I'm going to Wushaoling to meet this Yeli Rong." A sharp glint flashed in Wu Shangzhi's eyes. "And while I'm at it... send a message to the Tuyuhun and Uyghur tribes."
"What letter?"
Wu Shangzhi said, word by word, "The Great Yin royal army has returned, and Hexi is still the territory of the Yin Dynasty. Anyone who dares to violate the border will die."
That night, Wu Shangzhi led 13,000 cavalrymen out of Liangzhou and rushed to Wushaoling.
This time, he brought with him the military flag of Liangzhou, as well as a personal letter from Zhang Zan—in which he invited Yeli Rong and the chieftains of various tribes to a meeting to discuss matters related to tea, salt, and iron, in the name of the Liangzhou military governor.
"General, will Yeli Rong come?" Meizang Epang asked.
“He will come,” Wu Shangzhi said calmly. “Because it was clearly written in the letter: if he does not come, he will be considered a traitor and killed without exception. But if he does come... tea, salt, and iron will be plentiful.”
This is an open strategy.
If Yeli Rong doesn't come, it would be an open rebellion, and Wu Shang would have a legitimate reason to attack.
If it comes... then it's meat on the chopping board.
Looking at Wu Shangzhi's calm profile, Mei Zang E Pang felt a surge of complex emotions.
This general is ruthless in his military tactics and decisive in his actions, but... he seems to truly be a man of his word.
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