The Emperor of Northern Chu squinted at the flags flying high on the city wall, a mocking smile playing on his lips. He opened his palm behind him and said, "Bring me a bow and arrows!"
The guard immediately brought a bow and arrows and handed them over.
Draw the bow and nock the arrow.
They aimed at the flag fluttering in the wind.
Whoosh!
The arrow pierced the sky and accurately anchored the flag to the city wall. Prime Minister Yan's expression suddenly changed, and the other soldiers on the city wall looked panicked upon seeing this.
"Prime Minister..."
"No need to panic, it's just a trivial trick." Prime Minister Yan roared, picked up the flag, and personally stood on the city wall to wave it.
Whoosh!
The long arrow slashed past.
The arrow nearly hit Prime Minister Yan's arm, startling him so much that he hid behind a pillar in the city wall. Upon seeing this, the soldiers all looked disappointed.
Their commander is so cowardly and afraid of death.
Is there any chance of winning this battle?
Countless soldiers shouted and yelled at the foot of the city wall. The shouts were deafening. Prime Minister Yan realized something was wrong and quickly stood up, looking out through the gaps.
Countless soldiers surged toward this side.
densely packed
Prime Minister Yan swallowed hard and shouted, "Quickly, prepare to defend the city!"
...
The sound of drums echoed in my ears
Empress Yan held a string of Buddhist prayer beads in her hand, her fingers moving rapidly as she stared intently at the doorway.
“Your Majesty, General Huo has already led his troops away. Now the Prime Minister is leading the troops to welcome them. The Prime Minister is the head of all officials, second only to the Emperor. He will surely boost the morale of the army and defeat the treacherous Northern Chu,” Qingzhi said.
Empress Yan listened casually, but her heart felt as if it were being weighed down by a heavy stone.
The beads under my fingertips are moving faster and faster.
Empress Yan was filled with anxiety all day and lost her appetite.
At this moment, Prime Minister Yan hurriedly returned, his silver armor still stained with blood, and he looked anxious. He said to Empress Yan, "Your Majesty, let's retreat."
Gaa!
The prayer beads suddenly stopped.
Why?
Empress Yan's voice trembled, her face filled with disbelief.
"How can we easily defeat the million-strong army of Northern Chu?" Prime Minister Yan said with a calm expression.
Empress Yan gritted her teeth: "Father, do you know what retreat means?"
Prime Minister Yan remained silent.
"The Huo family suffered two consecutive defeats, and the people did not blame the Huo family. But if the Yan family were to withdraw its troops voluntarily, not only would the civil and military officials blame them, but even the people's spittle would be enough to make the Yan family feel ashamed. Where would the Yan family put their face?" Empress Yan's heart pounded.
Perhaps she was furious, for Empress Yan clutched her chest, her face turning pale.
Aokiji knew at a glance that the poison had taken effect again.
"Your Majesty!"
Prime Minister Yan said, "If we don't withdraw the troops, we'll have no choice but to send the Seventh Prince to the battlefield."
"Prime Minister, General Huo gave the Seventh Prince a bone-softening powder before he left. There is no antidote for three months," Qingzhi said.
"What?" Prime Minister Yan swayed, and angrily cursed, "What is that idiot Huo Xi trying to do? At this critical juncture, he still cares about empty fame."
Halfway through his speech, Prime Minister Yan suddenly remembered Huo San and said to himself, "The Yan family shouldn't bear the blame for retreating the army. Let Huo Xi taste the backlash."
Prime Minister Yan sent someone to invite Huo San, then turned to Empress Yan to reassure her: "Your Majesty, please calm down. Let Huo San go and negotiate with Northern Chu to obtain the antidote as soon as possible."
Empress Yan bit her lip tightly.
A moment later, Huo San was brought up.
Prime Minister Yan ordered his men to dress Huo San in armor and said in a deep voice, "Go to Northern Chu immediately to negotiate and obtain an antidote for the Empress."
"Me?" Huo San's eyes widened.
“If Huo Xi hadn’t lost the border town, the Southern Frontier wouldn’t be in this state. Your Huo family committed a crime, so it is up to your Huo family to forgive them.” Prime Minister Yan winked at the guards, ordering them to drag Huo San out and forcibly hang a white flag around his neck.
A white flag is hoisted.
The smile on the face of the Northern Chu Emperor deepened.
"Your Majesty, has the Southern Frontier surrendered?"
The generals seemed somewhat incredulous.
For so many years, we have been suppressed and beaten by the southern border. In the past, it was always others who raised the white flag and surrendered. Today, it is the southern border's turn to be beaten.
The Northern Chu Emperor raised his chin slightly, his face full of arrogance: "The Southern Frontier is beset by internal and external troubles, military power is scattered, the two generals are at odds, the Seventh Prince is unable to go to the battlefield after defeating him, and Huo Xi has gone to Japan to provide support. Now the one who is facing us is Prime Minister Yan, a person who is greedy for life and not afraid of death. How can we not win such a battle?"
Everyone was thrilled upon hearing this.
The Northern Chu Emperor continued, "I have prepared for this war for a full five years. Our supplies are plentiful. All you need to do is patiently exhaust the southern border..."
"Does His Majesty mean to accept the surrender of the Southern Frontier?"
Bei Chu raised an eyebrow and smiled: "If the Southern Frontier submits to Chen Chen, why not accept it?"
"Your Majesty is right."
Occupying southern Xinjiang with minimal losses is naturally acceptable.
"As we agreed before, one country, three cities. The Emperor of Northern Chu shouldn't forget that," someone reminded him.
The Emperor of Northern Chu nodded: "Of course I will not forget."
Of the twenty-seven cities in the southern border, half were abandoned, allowing the northern Chu to take the lead and occupy the remaining half. This directly expanded the northern Chu's territory and replaced the southern border's dominant position.
The siege is temporarily suspended.
Huo San was released from the city gate and immediately seized by the Northern Chu guards. He harbored deep hatred for the Yan family. When brought before the Northern Chu emperor, he reluctantly spoke: "I've come to negotiate. If you are willing to withdraw your troops, Southern Xinjiang will forgive and forget. Furthermore, Northern Chu must produce the antidote as soon as possible, otherwise..."
After talking for a long time without getting to the point, he only caused a burst of laughter from those around him.
"What else?" a general sneered.
Huo San's face turned pale: "If it weren't for that bitch Zhao Jiahua stealing the map of the Southern Frontier, how could you people have broken through the city? The Southern Frontier is full of talented people, and a million-strong army has come out in full force. By then, it will be too late for you to regret it!"
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