The alliance was reached on that day.
Wu Shangzhi immediately ordered Guo Luo to lead a thousand heavy cavalry into the territory of the Western Turks to "assist" in the suppression of the defeated Northern Di troops.
In reality, it serves two purposes: surveillance and a display of force.
Three days later, the situation in the Western Regions was initially stabilized. Wuxian saw the Dayin army pursuing them, but dared not linger. He led his men around the Sayan Mountains and returned to the northern desert.
Wu Shangzhi stood atop the city wall of Shule, gazing eastward.
At the end of the endless yellow sand lies the Central Plains, a place that haunts our dreams.
"General, envoys from the Western Regions are waiting outside the city, requesting an audience," a personal guard reported.
"Let them in."
The King of Khotan, the King of Shule, the King of Kucha...
More than ten kings from the Western Regions filed in and knelt down in worship.
"The kingdoms of the Western Regions are willing to forever acknowledge the Great Yin as their suzerain and never betray him!"
Wu Shangzhi helped them up one by one: "Please rise, everyone. The stability of the Western Regions depends entirely on your unity. I will report this to the court, and you will surely be rewarded."
After the princes had left, Wu Shangzhi immediately summoned the document: "Draft a report immediately and send it to Xijing by express courier, and send a copy to the Grand Commander at the same time."
He paused, then added, "I will write another secret letter to the Grand Commander: The Western Regions are now pacified, and I will soon lead 10,000 elite troops back east. We expect to arrive in Xijing in early March. Please give your instructions, Grand Commander."
The messenger set off overnight.
Wu Shangzhi looked towards the eastern horizon, where the first rays of dawn were just beginning to appear.
Grand Commander, this humble general...should return soon.
......
February 3rd, Ye County.
Liu Song paced back and forth in his study, with three letters on his desk.
The first order came from the capital and was a stern command from Li Jingang: "Immediately lead your troops north to join forces with Ma Zongliang and attack Zhao Muyun. Anyone who dares to disobey will be punished as a traitor!"
The second letter came from Lingnan and was personally written by Zhao Mu, the King of Nanyue: "My foolish brother has already submitted to the Yin Dynasty, and the Grand General has promised me the title of King of Lingnan, which will be hereditary. Brother Liu, you control Jingzhou and Xiangyang, so you should make plans as soon as possible. Li Jingang's fate is sealed, so do not make a mistake for yourself."
The third letter... came from Dengzhou.
Liu Song picked up the letter with trembling hands. The five words "Written by Zhao Muyun" on the envelope felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.
He opened the letter and read it carefully, word by word.
The letter was short, but every word carried immense weight:
"To Governor Liu: The Songshan Mountains and the Han River have been a powerful region since ancient times. You have governed Jingzhou and Xiangyang for twenty years, protecting the borders and ensuring the safety of the people. Your contributions are invaluable to the nation."
"Now the false emperor Li Jingang has seized the throne of the Great Yin Dynasty, incurring the wrath of Heaven and the resentment of the people, and his defeat is inevitable."
"If you surrender Jingzhou and Xiangyang, the court will reward you handsomely and allow you to govern Jingzhou and Xiangyang for generations, sharing the prosperity of the country."
"If you remain obstinate, the army will arrive soon, and everything will be destroyed. It will be too late to regret then. I urge you to think carefully about what to do."
Liu Song sighed deeply and slumped into his chair.
The aide whispered, "General, it's time to make a decision."
"Do you think Zhao Muyun's words are credible?" Liu Song murmured.
“It’s credible,” the advisor affirmed. “How shrewd is Zhao Mu, the King of Nanyue? The fact that he has surrendered shows that the Yin Dynasty is indeed sincere.”
"Furthermore, Zhao Muyun is a brilliant strategist, and now he has achieved a great victory at Wancheng. If he were to truly lead his army to attack, Jingzhou and Xiangyang..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.
Liu Song closed his eyes for a long time, then suddenly asked, "What are the soldiers in the city thinking now?"
The staff reported truthfully: "Most of the generals have wavered. Especially after learning that Nan Yue has surrendered and Li Hu's army has been completely wiped out, no one is willing to fight to the death with Yin's army."
"And what about the common people?"
“The people…” the aide smiled bitterly. “General, the people of Jingxiang have not suffered from war for decades. Who would be willing to risk their lives for Li Jingang? A children’s rhyme is already circulating in the city: ‘Jingxiang is a land of fish and rice; return to the Great Yin and be spared from disaster.’”
Liu Song suddenly opened his eyes: "Someone is deliberately spreading this!"
"Yes," Pang Qing nodded, "but what can the general do if the people's hearts are like this?"
Silence fell over the study. The sound of a night watchman's drum came from outside the window; it was midnight.
Finally, Liu Song stood up, walked to the window, and looked up at the northern starry sky.
"Mr. Pang."
"exist."
"Go to Dengzhou yourself," Liu Song said slowly. "Tell the General that I... am willing to lead the eight prefectures of Jingzhou to submit. But there are three conditions."
"Please speak, General."
"First, the court appoints me as the military governor, a hereditary position; second, I will remain in charge of the military and political affairs of Jingzhou and Xiangyang, with the court only sending a supervisor; third..." Liu Song turned around, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, "I want to see Li Jingang destroyed with my own eyes."
The aide bowed and said, "I will convey this message word for word."
That night, the advisor secretly left the city with a personal letter from Liu Song and rode at full speed to Dengzhou.
Three days later, at the Dengzhou Military Governor's Office.
After reading Liu Song's letter, Zhao Muyun smiled: "Liu Song certainly knows how to bargain. But... we can agree to his offer."
Yang Chao hesitated: "General, the position is hereditary, so perhaps...?"
“Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.” Zhao Muyun waved his hand. “Liu Song has been cultivating Jingzhou for ten years, and his power is deeply entrenched. If we were to launch a full-scale attack, it would take at least three months and result in tens of thousands of casualties. Now, we can subdue him with a single imperial edict. Why not do it?”
He looked at Liu Song's advisor: "Go back and tell Commander Liu that I agree to all three conditions. But there is one requirement—within three days, the Jingxiang army must move north and make a show of attacking the south of the capital."
"This is..."
"Let's add fuel to the fire for Li Jingang." Zhao Muyun's eyes flashed coldly. "Let him know that even Jingzhou and Xiangyang have rebelled."
The aide understood: "Understood!"
After the staff left, Zhao Muyun immediately summoned a document: "Draft a memorial, requesting Your Majesty to appoint Liu Song as the military governor of Jingxiang Circuit, with the position being hereditary."
"At the same time, a military order was drafted, ordering Liu Song to lead the Jingxiang army north to Nanyang to threaten the southern flank of the capital."
"yes!"
......
Two days later, the news reached the capital.
Li Jingang was having breakfast when, upon hearing the news, the jade bowl in his hand slammed to the ground.
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