The capital city, the imperial palace.
Li Jingang has not attended court for three days.
Inside the imperial study, memorials were piled up like mountains, but he didn't read a single one.
He was staring at the map, his eyes bloodshot.
"Your Majesty, it's time for your medicine." The eunuch carefully brought over the medicinal soup.
Li Jingang didn't even glance at it, and with a wave of his hand, he knocked the medicine bowl to the ground: "What medicine are you going to drink! Zhao Muyun has already reached Dengzhou, how can I possibly drink medicine?"
The eunuch was so frightened that he knelt down on the ground.
"Where is Li Bao?" Li Jingang asked hoarsely.
Feng Liang replied in a trembling voice, "General Li has already set off from Youzhou, but... but the march is slow, only thirty li a day."
"Why?" Li Jingang roared in fury.
"It is said that... there are many refugees in Hebei, making the roads difficult to travel. Moreover, Xiong Dayong's side... seems to be quite restless, and General Li is going to divide his troops to guard against them..."
"Xiong Dayong!" Li Jingang gritted his teeth. "I have treated him well, yet he dares to..."
“Your Majesty,” Cui Mian said, forcing a smile, “the most urgent task at present is to relieve the siege of Dengzhou. Although Zhao Muyun only has a few thousand men, if he occupies Dengzhou for a long time, those who are watching from the sidelines will surely have ulterior motives.”
"Don't I know?" Li Jingang roared. "But Li Hu just retreated, Liu Song is afraid to fight, and Li Bao is slow... Who else can I transfer?"
After a moment of silence, Cui Mian said in a low voice, "Perhaps... we can ask Wuzhu, the Left Wise King of the Northern Barbarians, to send troops."
"Wuzhu?" Li Jingang was taken aback. "Isn't he currently sending troops to attack Yunzhou?"
"Moreover, we and Zhao Muyun just defeated his army of 100,000."
"Times have changed!" Cui Mian said. "Back then, we joined forces with Zhao Muyun because the Tartars were about to reach our capital!"
"Now that Zhao Muyun has also reached our capital, why can't we cooperate with the Tartars?"
Ma Zongliang, who had remained silent, said with dissatisfaction, "The Tartars are a foreign race. If we cooperate with them, our Great Feng will lose the support of the people."
"Popular support? Our country is in grave danger right now, how can we care about popular support? As long as the Great Feng Dynasty still exists, we can give these troublemakers a year of tax exemption and they will be grateful and regain popular support," Cui Mian said dismissively.
The Cui clan of Hedong, to which he belonged, was a prestigious family. In their view, the will of the people was something that could be manipulated and changed.
A ruthless glint flashed in Li Jingang's eyes: "Good! Issue an order to secretly send someone to contact the Left Wise King Wuzhu. If he can send troops south to contain Zhao Muyun, I will grant him the land of Yanbei!"
"Your Majesty, Yanbei is a strategically vital area, how can we..." Ma Zongliang
"We can't worry about that now!" Li Jingang interrupted Ma Zongliang. "Let's deal with the immediate crisis first!"
"yes..."
The imperial decree was issued overnight.
......
Meanwhile, in Dengzhou City, Zhao Muyun stood on the city wall, gazing at the northern night sky.
Chen Kai came to his side and whispered, "General, Commander Fan has sent an urgent secret report that Li Jingang has suddenly sent an envoy to the northern frontier, presumably to contact the Tartars."
"Finally, you've come up with this plan." Zhao Muyun sneered. "Send a message to Han Zhong and tell Tian Qing that if the Tartars make any unusual moves, there's no need to ask for instructions; just do everything you can to stop them."
“Yes.” Chen Kai paused. “There is one more thing… Liu Song of Jingzhou and Xiangyang is holding back his troops, seemingly observing the situation.”
"It's good to wait and see," Zhao Muyun nodded. "The longer he observes, the more advantageous it will be for us."
"But what if he ultimately chooses to help Li Jingang..."
“He won’t,” Zhao Muyun said confidently. “Once the news of Zhao Mu’s surrender reaches him, he will naturally know what to choose.”
He looked southeast: "Judging by the time, your men should have arrived in Lingnan. We should have news in a few days."
The night wind blew his cloak.
The city walls of Dengzhou were brightly lit.
Ten miles outside the city, in the continuous camps, five thousand reinforcements had arrived—Zhong Meng had led the reinforcements there.
With the addition of the original troops, the reorganized surrendered troops, and the incorporated Southern Yue army, the garrison in Dengzhou now numbers 17,000.
Although he might be facing 100,000 or even 200,000 Fengtian troops, Zhao Muyun already had a plan in mind.
This grand game of chess is gradually approaching its end.
......
The festive atmosphere of the New Year had not yet dissipated when a rapid-fire report of good news once again shook the entire city.
"Great victory! Great victory! The General has decisively defeated the Nanyue army at Lushan, annihilating 2,000 enemy soldiers and capturing 2,000! Zhao Guang, the nephew of the Nanyue King, has surrendered!"
The victorious knight rode through Suzaku Avenue, and the people poured into the streets, cheering like a tidal wave.
"Great General, you are mighty!"
"May the Great Yin Dynasty prosper!"
Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Yinji held the victory report in his hand, his fingertips trembling slightly.
He read it word by word, his eyes sparkling.
"In the Battle of Lushan, Generals Xiao Cheyun and Yang Chao led their troops in an ambush and annihilated the entire Nanyue army. Zhao Guang was captured and surrendered, and has already written a letter to persuade King Zhao Mu of Nanyue to surrender... Good, good!"
He raised his head and looked at the assembled officials in the hall: "My dear ministers, the General has once again performed a great feat!"
Pei Lun's voice trembled with excitement: "Your Majesty, this battle is of extraordinary significance! If Nan Yue surrenders, Liu Song of Jingxiang will be shaken, and Li Jingang's southern reinforcements will be completely lost! The General is truly a divine being!"
Gu Cheng frowned slightly: "Your Majesty, it is true that the General's military strategy is brilliant, but... Dengzhou is now the center of the vortex. Li Jingang will definitely devote all his strength to encircling and annihilating us. Our army is isolated on enemy territory, and our food and supplies..."
“Minister Gu is overthinking it,” Zhou Hong retorted, a rare occurrence for him. “Since the General dares to defend Dengzhou, he must have a plan to defeat the enemy. Besides, General Zhong Meng’s 5,000 reinforcements have already arrived at Wuguan Pass, with ample supplies and weapons. What is there to fear?”
Yinji looked at Zhou Hong, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes—this usually cautious Minister of Rites was actually so supportive of Zhao Muyun today.
“Minister Zhou is right.” Yin Ji suppressed his doubts. “Issue an imperial decree to allocate another 50,000 shi of grain and 200,000 arrows to Wuguan. Also send imperial wine, sheepskin coats, honeycomb briquettes and other winter supplies.”
"Minister Fan, you will represent me to reward the troops."
"Your Majesty is wise." Zhou Hong and Fan Nan bowed.
After the court session, Yinji summoned Pei Lun for a private audience.
"Minister Pei, what do you think of Zhou Hong's attitude today?"
Pei Lun looked wary and pondered, "Minister Zhou was a subject of His Majesty and the late Emperor. You should know him better!"
Yinji smiled faintly: "He knows he is loyal, but he is rather stubborn. If I ask him directly, he may not tell the truth."
Pei Lun, a seasoned official, was not easily fooled. He bowed and said, "Then I do not know."
He just won't tell me!
Yinji sighed inwardly, then looked towards Dengzhou and changed the subject, saying, "I know perfectly well what kind of person my master is. I only hope he is safe and sound."
“The General is invincible and blessed by the heavens; Your Majesty need not worry,” Pei Lun quickly replied.
"Minister Pei, you may step down!"
"Your subject takes his leave."
After Pei Lun left, Yinji summoned the chief eunuch Chen Hong: "Help me change my clothes, I'm leaving the palace. Also, summon the Empress!"
"Where is Your Majesty going so late?" Chen Hong asked worriedly.
"The General's Mansion..."
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