Chapter 194: One Hundred Thousand Soldiers
Beidi, with its beautiful women, fine wine, and elegant clothes, could not dispel the anxiety and coldness between Murong Qi's brows.
He clenched the secretly delivered silk letter in his hand, and his knuckles turned white from the force.
The letter was written in a familiar, elegant handwriting, but the tone was as piercing as an icicle:
"The Third Prince is valiant, and he has dispatched three thousand cavalrymen, hoping to seize the initiative and head straight for the capital. If the Crown Prince delays, not only will the capital change hands, but who will be caught in the trap?"
Just a few words, like a poisonous snake, penetrated into Murong Qi's heart.
Murong Feng actually dared to go straight to the capital with only 3,000 people. Was he arrogant, or did he have some secret agreement with Jiang Qingning that he didn't know about, so he was so confident.
Either way, it means that Murong Qi is excluded and may even become a target of calculation.
"How dare you, Murong Feng, plot against me."
Murong Qi squeezed out these words from between his teeth, stood up suddenly, put the silk letter to the charcoal fire and lit it, watching it turn into ashes, as if burning away the last trace of hesitation.
He must not sit idly by and watch Murong Feng succeed. The big thing must be in his pocket, and Murong Feng must become his prisoner.
"Prepare the horses and enter the palace." Murong Qi ordered sternly, his voice urgent.
A moment later.
The elderly King of Beidi was looking at the sheepskin map sent from the border with a frown on his face.
Although Da Gan has shown signs of decline in recent years, he is still a tough nut to crack and is definitely not an easy opponent.
"Father!" Murong Qi didn't even have time to perform a full ceremony before he hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, I have urgent military information to report!"
Murong Xin raised his head and looked at his eldest son, who looked flustered. He was a little displeased: "Why are you so panicked? It's unbecoming of a prince."
"Father, I have just received confirmed news that Murong Feng has secretly mobilized 3,000 cavalry and is heading straight for the capital of Dagan. He wants to take the initiative and monopolize the unprecedented achievement of conquering the capital of Dagan." Murong Qi spoke very quickly, deliberately ignoring the source of the news.
"What?"
Murong Xin's gray eyebrows suddenly raised when he heard this, and then his face darkened. "Feng'er is so reckless. He wants to attack the capital of Dagan with only 3,000 people. He is going to die."
"Father, my third brother is definitely not someone who would act without a purpose. If he dared to go, he must have something to rely on. Perhaps he has colluded with someone within the Dagan organization to coordinate with him."
Murong Qi took the opportunity to add fuel to the fire. "If he succeeds by chance in taking the capital, then when he returns with such a tremendous achievement, his prestige in the army will be at its peak. Father... who will the people of our country support then?"
These words accurately hit Murong Xin's pain point.
He was old, and what he feared most was that his sons would become too successful and threaten his position, especially these two sons who were equally outstanding but did not submit to each other.
If Murong Feng really achieved such an extraordinary feat, the status of the crown prince might...
Murong Xin was silent for a moment, his eyes shifting. Ultimately, he shook his head, his tone heavy, "Even so, we must not act rashly. The walls of Daganjing are high and the moats deep, with tens of thousands of defenders. How can three thousand cavalrymen be able to break them? Feng'er's move is likely to be futile, and may even result in casualties and dampen our army's morale."
"If we raise a large army now, and if the war goes against our country and our strength is depleted, the surrounding tigers and wolves will surely take advantage of the situation and invade. We will discuss this matter later."
"Father!"
Murong Qi was anxious. He didn't expect his father to be so conservative.
"Opportunities are fleeting. Third brother has already taken the lead. If we don't act now, it will be too late."
"Father, I am willing to lead the army personally, not only to seize the capital, but also to capture Murong Feng, who acted without authorization and nearly ruined our country's affairs, and hand him over to you for your punishment. This is a plan that kills two birds with one stone."
"Stupid!" Murong Xin slammed the table. "A hundred thousand strong army is no joke. Gathering food, supplies, mobilizing and deploying troops is not something that can be accomplished in a few days. Once the war begins, there will be no turning back. Although our Northern Di is strong, we are not yet at the stage where we can swallow up the Da Gan in one go. There is no need to mention this matter any further!"
Murong Qi's heart was completely sank. Seeing that his plan was about to fail, he was so anxious that sweat broke out on his forehead. His eyes involuntarily glanced at the Queen of Beidi who had been sitting quietly beside him, listening silently to the conversation between him and his son.
Although the Queen of Beidi was his adoptive mother, she was better than his biological mother.
The queen received her son's gaze and understood.
She put down the teacup in her hand and sighed softly. Her voice was gentle but carried an undeniable power: "Your Majesty, what Qi'er said is not entirely unreasonable."
Murong Xin looked at the queen, his brows still furrowed. "Does the queen also think we should send troops?"
The queen slowly stood up and walked over to Murong Xin, saying softly, "Your Majesty, Feng'er is young and impulsive, and indeed has acted rashly, but Qi'er's concerns are not groundless."
"Now that the news has arrived, regardless of Feng'er's success or failure, Beidi cannot remain unaffected. If Feng'er fails, it will only harm our Beidi soldiers and generals, and it will also damage our Beidi prestige."
"If he succeeds," she paused, observing Murong Xin's expression, "Your Majesty, just imagine, a prince who can conquer the capital of Dagan with only three thousand cavalrymen, what kind of fanfare will he bring upon his return? That would be a blessing for the country."
Her words were more tactful than Murong Qi's, but they touched Murong Xin's deepest concerns more deeply.
The Queen continued, "Qi'er, as the Crown Prince, is more thoughtful and considerate. He is willing to lead the army personally, partly to enhance our nation's prestige. Seizing this opportunity may be a godsend."
"Secondly, it's for the greater good. We need to clean up any mess that might arise and bring back Feng'er, who acted on his own, to prevent any discord and calamity within the Northern Di realm. It's for both public and private reasons that I should agree to his request."
She gently placed her hand on Murong Xin's arm and said, "Your Majesty, Qi'er has always been prudent and not one to act rashly. Since he has made this request, he must be quite confident. Moreover, our Beidi cavalry is at its peak with a hundred thousand men. Dagan is currently facing internal and external troubles, and the defense of the capital may not be as strong as the legend says."
"If we don't act now, once Da Gan has recovered, or if he becomes coveted by other forces, wouldn't we, the Northern Di, miss out on a golden opportunity? Even if things don't go smoothly, with the might of our army, we should be able to retreat unscathed."
The queen's words were like a trickle of water, gradually softening Murong Xin's firm rejection.
He looked at his eldest son, who looked anxious but expectant, and thought of the possible threat posed by his second son, who had always been undisciplined and had made many military achievements. The balance in his heart finally tilted.
After a long silence, Murong Xin let out a long sigh, as if he had aged a little in an instant.
He waved his hand, his voice filled with fatigue and a subtle hint of helplessness: "Forget it... forget it... I'll do as you wish, Crown Prince. I will give you 100,000 troops for a quick victory. Remember, if something is impossible, do not force it. Be sure to preserve your strength and return to the country. As for Feng'er... do your best to capture her alive."
Murong Qi was so overjoyed when he heard this that he could hardly suppress the smile on his face.
He immediately knelt on one knee, his voice trembling slightly with excitement: "Your son obeys your command and will live up to your father's trust. I will capture the capital, capture Murong Feng, and enhance the prestige of our Northern Di nation!"
"Go..." Murong Xin closed his eyes and stopped looking.
Murong Qi suppressed his excitement, bowed respectfully and left the study.
As soon as he left the palace, the respect on his face was instantly replaced by a determined sharpness.
"Send the order!" He shouted sternly to his trusted generals who had been waiting outside. "Call the troops! Gather the leaders of all tribes and come to the Crown Prince's Mansion immediately for a meeting. Within three days, a hundred thousand troops must march!"
"Yes, Your Highness." The trusted general agreed and immediately rushed away.
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