On the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, in Xijing, at the Hall of Mental Cultivation
The charcoal fire was burning brightly, making the hall warm and cozy, but the atmosphere was so heavy that it was hard to breathe.
The urgent report of victory, delivered by express courier, had been on the emperor's desk for two hours.
Yinji looked at those lines of text repeatedly: "On the 26th of the twelfth month, General Zhao Muyun captured Wuguan and Dengzhou, 500 li from Luoyang. Li Jingang was terrified and urgently summoned Li Hu back to reinforce the city, and also urgently mobilized troops from various places."
"Great! That's wonderful!"
Minister of War Pei Lun's voice trembled with excitement, "The General is truly a divine general! A thousand-mile raid, striking straight at the heart of the enemy, this battle will surely be recorded in history!"
Minister of Revenue Fan Nan frowned deeply: "The General's military prowess is undeniable, but... Dengzhou is now an isolated city. Five thousand soldiers have penetrated five hundred li into enemy territory. If Li Jingang were to launch a full-scale attack..."
"Minister Fan is overthinking it," Pei Lun waved his hand. "Since the General was able to take Dengzhou, he must have a backup plan."
"A backup plan?" Zhou Hong, the Minister of Rites, said quietly, "Minister Pei, don't forget that the General only took five thousand men with him when he left Lantian."
"Even if one person rides two horses and travels light, how many days can the provisions last? What if we run out of arrows? What should we do with the wounded?"
He turned to Yinji and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I believe the most urgent task is to order the General to quickly withdraw to Wuguan and defend it from the stronghold. Although we have captured Dengzhou, we cannot hold it for long."
"Withdraw?" Pei Lun exclaimed anxiously, "Minister Zhou, do you know what taking Dengzhou means? It means that the might of our Great Yin army is already at Li Jingang's throat!"
"This means that the whole world can see that the Great Yin is about to recover its lost territories and restore its prosperity! If we withdraw now, what will become of the army's morale? What will the onlookers think?"
“But if the Great General were to fall…” Zhou Hong retorted sharply, “the collapse of the pillar that supports our Great Yin would be the real catastrophe!”
That's enough.
Yinji finally spoke.
His voice wasn't loud, but it instantly silenced the hall.
The young emperor stood up, walked to the huge hanging map, and his gaze fell on the point in Dengzhou.
He has looked at this spot countless times these past few days.
“What you all say makes sense,” Yinji said slowly. “Dengzhou is an isolated city, and Master is an isolated army. We are running out of supplies and reinforcements are hard to come by—does Master not know these things?”
He turned around, a wisdom beyond his years gleaming in his eyes: "Master knew, but he still went. Why?"
No one answered from inside the hall.
"Because this is the way to break the deadlock." Yin Ji asked himself and answered, "Our Great Yin is surrounded by enemies on all sides and is passive in every way. If we just defend step by step, can we hold Longmen Pass, can we hold Yunzhou, can we hold Lantian, can we hold Hedong?"
He traced his finger across the map: "Master is using offense as a form of defense, bringing the war to Li Jingang's home. Only when he's suffering will we be in a better position."
Pei Lun's eyes lit up: "Your Majesty is wise!"
“However,” Yinji changed the subject, “Minister Zhou is also right; a lone army cannot hold out for long. Therefore—”
He looked at Pei Lun: "Minister Pei, how many more troops can be transferred from Guanzhong and Longyou?"
Pei Lun pondered for a moment: "Five thousand Imperial Guards need to be left to protect the capital, and the troops stationed within the pass cannot all be mobilized. At most... we can still spare two thousand men."
“Two thousand…” Yin Ji pondered, “Find a way to transfer three thousand troops from the garrisons in Xiazhou and Yanzhou, appoint Zhong Meng as the commander-in-chief, and lead these five thousand men, carrying provisions and weapons, to leave Wuguan immediately and rush to Dengzhou to provide relief.”
Zhou Hong said urgently, "Your Majesty, if these five thousand men are sent away, the defenses of Xijing will be weakened..."
"With me, my beloved ministers, and three thousand imperial guards in Xijing, that is enough."
Yinji waved his hand, "In addition, allocate all the newly manufactured thunderbolts and fierce oil from the Ministry of Works to the reinforcements. Also, take those ten divine cannons with you."
Yinji said firmly, "My master is risking his life on the front lines; I cannot let him be unarmed."
He paused, then said, "Send an order to Longmen Pass, instructing Lin Feng to take immediate action to rest, repair the city's defenses, and reinforce the defensive line. Li Hu has withdrawn and will not return for some time. However, we must be wary of him returning."
"Yes!" Pei Lun accepted the order.
"Furthermore," Yinji said, looking at Fan Nan, "the Ministry of Revenue must do everything in its power to ensure the supply of grain and fodder. Tell all prefectures and counties that the spring tax can be deferred this year, but the military rations must be in full."
"Your subject understands."
As he issued his orders, the young emperor displayed unprecedented decisiveness.
After the officials had left, Yinji stood alone in the hall, looking towards the southeast.
"Master, this is all I can do. The rest of the game is up to you."
......
On the same day, at Longmen Pass.
When Lin Feng received the news of Li Hu's withdrawal, he could hardly believe it.
"They've really retreated?" He rushed up the gate tower and saw that the Fengtian Army's camp was indeed being dismantled, and the army was marching south.
"Absolutely true!" Lieutenant Xu Yunlong exclaimed excitedly. "The scouts report that the General has captured Dengzhou and his army is heading straight for Fengchao, the capital! Li Jingang has urgently summoned Li Hu back to reinforce the city!"
Lin Feng was stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter: "Excellent! A thousand-mile raid, a siege of Wei to rescue Zhao, the general is truly a genius!"
He immediately ordered: "Send word to the entire army to rest and recuperate! The wounded brothers should take good care of their wounds, and the arrows and logs should be replenished immediately. The damaged city walls must be repaired within three days!"
"General, should we go out of the pass to pursue them?" He Yunsheng asked.
Lin Feng shook his head: "The general's order is for us to hold our ground. Although Li Hu has retreated, it's hard to say whether it's a trap to lure the enemy. Our task now is to seize the time to restore our fighting strength and strengthen our defenses."
He looked south and murmured, "The general is fighting alone in Dengzhou. Only when we stabilize the situation here can he play chess in peace."
The area inside the pass immediately sprang into action.
Soldiers repaired the city walls, craftsmen rushed to make arrows, and doctors treated the wounded.
After more than a month of bloody fighting, Longmen Pass finally had a chance to catch its breath.
Everyone knew that this panting was the result of the general risking his life.
......
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