Mountains and rivers are like a line, there is no retreat
In the hall, several people were discussing the various past events and taboos of the art of rebirth.
Wen Congren came forward with two volumes of military books. The young man looked at Xiao Jingyuan without hesitation: "Since you have come to Shuaicheng, don't be a decoration. Show your value."
Fang Ci's eyes darkened immediately, his guard raised to the maximum. "Wen Congren, you instigated him to do such a dangerous thing on the grassland last time. I haven't settled the score with you yet. Don't even think about bringing him along to do something reckless again!"
This posture is quite like protecting a child at home and not allowing him to hang out with bad friends.
Wen Congren smiled calmly, "Princess, you'd better find out who instigated whom regarding the grassland incident."
Xiao Jingyuan raised his hand to cover his mouth, coughed dryly, and said honestly: "Princess, I am the one who took the lead in this matter."
Fang Ci: “…”
She choked on the words and suppressed the anger that was about to explode.
Xiao Jingyuan lowered his eyebrows and added with obvious guilt: "I'm sorry, I neglected this matter."
The atmosphere turned cold for a moment.
Fang Ci immediately waved his hand and interrupted, "Don't take it personally. This isn't something you can prevent. Even a god would have to step into the trap hidden in the Rebirth Technique."
The original plan was closely linked together, provoking civil unrest in the grassland, supporting the new king, saving Xiao Wujiu, doing Yin Shu a huge favor, and then using secret techniques to prolong his life. Killing three birds with one stone was not enough.
But no matter how much you plan, it is not as good as the foreshadowing of "tracing back to the past".
The technique is full of mysteries, the situation is in a mess, and even destiny is at a standstill.
Seeing that he still had a look of shame on his face, Fang Ci simply changed the subject: "Good fortune and bad fortune go hand in hand. At least Ah Che has been reborn and grown up."
She argued plausibly, as if to put these words into Xiao Jingyuan's heart: "Maybe. Next time you go back, he will be able to stand on his own."
Wen Congren's eyebrows arched when he heard this. His tone was slow and measured, yet it held a certain counter-punch: "If I'm in charge, it's dangerous and harmful. If he's in charge, then fortune and disaster are intertwined? Then, does the princess still want to settle this account?"
Fang Ci: “…”
Wen Congren didn't argue with Fang Ci. He walked straight past Fang Ci, met Xiao Jingyuan's gaze, and said calmly, "Do you want to go to the military meeting?"
Xiao Jingyuan glanced at Fang Ci.
Fang Ci held his forehead, knowing that Long Gui couldn't be persuaded, so he finally waved his hand and said helplessly: "Go away! But remember, no bloodshed, no entering the city, and no stepping out of the Dragon Breath City's martial arts forbidden area, remember?"
Xiao Jingyuan smiled when he heard this. The young man's eyebrows were gentle, and he promised solemnly: "I will obey the order of the princess."
···
The beacon fire started from Tianying Pass, extending to the Huiling Cliff in the west and the outer string of Lanshui in the east.
A line connects forty-seven cities, stretching for thousands of miles, shaped like a bow and as powerful as thunder.
Inside the commander's residence, candlelight flickered, but there was no trace of warmth in the hall.
There were eighteen chairs in the hall. The reinforcements from Yunzhong, the generals from the western border, the imperial city officials, and the commanders from various states were all present.
The leaders of various parties argued endlessly, and the atmosphere was extremely tense with no one to lead the charge.
Everyone understood that this was no longer a threat from the Southern Territory alone, nor was it a border war.
This is a precursor to the collapse of the entire thousand-mile territory north of the southern border.
Wen Congren led Xiao Jingyuan in from the back hall. Xiao Jingyuan looked around and saw that they had arrived at the Western Frontier and the Northern Frontier. Even the generals of the Imperial Guards were present. The scale of this battle was probably no less than the founding war.
Before he could stand still, a man came quickly.
Han Chenglie had originally had a worried look on his face, but when he saw Jamel Xiao appear, he could not hide the surprise in his eyes, and said loudly: "Sir! Why are you here!"
Han Chenglie immediately pulled Xiao Jingyuan to his position.
Wen Congren interrupted him directly: "General Han, you are the decision-maker for Southern Xinjiang. Has the general asked the prince about the hasty abdication?"
Han Chenglie was choked and stunned, and quickly bowed: "This humble official... did not mean that."
Xiao Jingyuan smiled calmly, his tone gentle: "Lord Wen has something to discuss, I will follow him first. The military discussion is about business, you just continue."
Wen Congren led his men across the main hall to the east side hall and ordered his attendants to add tea and set up seats.
Wen Congren took a sip himself before passing it over: "It's not poisonous."
Xiao Jingyuan's eyes twitched: "...It doesn't have to be like this."
Wen Congren said calmly, "The formation here connects to the main hall. If you want to listen, go and listen yourself. If you're too lazy to listen, I'll summarize it for you. Anyway, you know that a group of people arguing will not produce anything."
The real decision-making has always been in the hands of a few people.
Xiao Jingyuan glanced at him sideways: “Brother Wen is so considerate, I’m really flattered.”
Wen Congren glanced at him and said coldly, "Don't be alarmed anymore. With your current luck, you could even choke to death while drinking tea. If you get alarmed again, I'm afraid the Fang family will blackmail me."
Xiao Jingyuan sipped his tea in silence, his fingertips stroking the rim of the cup, as if weighing his words. After a while, he spoke: "I heard from the princess that most of the dispatches in southern Xinjiang these days have been coordinated by you, sir. Should I say... thank you?"
Wen Congren's expression was calm, and his voice was without a single ups and downs: "Great grace, you can't just say thank you."
——The years are peaceful because someone is carrying the burden for you.
Xiao Jingyuan coughed twice guiltily, as if his heart was stabbed, and he hesitated to speak.
Before he could say anything else, footsteps were heard outside the door, the curtain flickered, and Lu Xingchuan walked in quickly.
Lu Xingchuan got straight to the point, without beating around the bush: "Master Xiao, do you have any way to spread the news on the grassland?"
Xiao Jingyuan nodded immediately: "What do you want to do, sir?"
Lu Xingchuan's eyes were cold and sharp, and he got straight to the point: "Spread the news. Say that His Royal Highness Prince Xiang has personally arrived in the Southern Territory. His Royal Highness has a method in hand that can use the Southern Border Dragon Veins to reactivate the old formation and restore everything to its original state. Of course, this also includes the Barbarian King."
Xiao Jingyuan lowered his voice: "Does this old formation really exist?"
Lu Xingchuan remained noncommittal: "Qin Shu said that Ren Xuan has a formation in his hands."
Xiao Jingyuan was slightly surprised: "Ren Xuan knows the art of formation?"
Lu Xingchuan didn't answer, but only said: "So our current statement is that the Lu family has a formation."
As soon as the words fell, Xiao Jingyuan already understood what Lu Xingchuan meant.
It doesn’t matter whether this formation exists or not.
The most important thing in wartime is not the strength or weakness of the troops, but the morale of the army.
It was important to make the Barbarian King hesitate and the defenders confident. It was important to make the Barbarians and our own people believe in the existence of this formation.
Lu Xingchuan's voice sank, his words sharp as a knife: "The stalemate has been prolonged, and it's not in my favor. But the Barbarian King Yao Li is a super-class warrior. If he cooperates with the Barbarians' battle formation, I have little chance of winning."
Lu Xingchuan paused, then continued, "But from what I understand, the 'new king' of the grassland is different from the previous kings. Yao Qi acts cautiously and dislikes unnecessary sacrifices."
Lu Xingchuan said firmly, "If Yao Qi hesitates about the strength of this formation, there will definitely be a rift between the Barbarian King and the new king."
His eyes darkened. "To win over people with force is to prosper those who obey, and perish those who resist. The Barbarian King cannot possibly win over the people. If they develop dissension, that will be our opportunity. Divide and conquer them, and only then will we have a chance of victory."
Lu Xingchuan raised his eyes, his gaze growing sharper. "Master Xiao, the barbarians have threatened to turn your southern border into a pasture. What do you think?"
Xiao Jingyuan chuckled lightly, his words sharp: "Southern Xinjiang will not be regarded as a pasture for foreign races. Either we will die, or these thousands of miles of rivers and mountains will bury their gods."
Lu Xingchuan's eyes were filled with admiration. His expression was solemn, his gaze sharp as a sword. "If the Southern Border falls, then the next ones to fall will be Zhenyang Pass, Huiling City, Longyuan City, and Muyan Ferry. Above that, it will be the capital, the imperial city."
Mountains and rivers are like a thread, there is no way to retreat.
After a moment of silence, Xiao Jingyuan spoke: “So, before that, how long do you want Southern Xinjiang to resist?”
Lu Xingchuan looked at Xiao Jingyuan, his tone as still as a mountain: "No one knows the various city passes in southern Xinjiang, the nature of the generals, and the strength of the troops better than you. Give me an answer."
The candlelight flickered slightly, and a faint light seemed to float under Xiao Jingyuan's eyelashes. He lowered his eyes and remained silent. After a long while, he spoke: "The 20th."
He raised his eyes, not looking away: "We in Southern Xinjiang cannot be alone. I want to participate in the deployment of reinforcements and the allocation of orders."
Lu Xingchuan nodded without hesitation, "Of course, the court will devote all its efforts to the southern aid. You can discuss the matter of mobilizing troops with Mr. Wen in detail."
He paused and said, "I have heard about what happened to you, sir. Just stay in Longxi City and rest assured. Your generals in the southern border are neither obedient nor compliant, and this has troubled you for a long time. What you can do here is no less than what you can do on the front lines."
Lu Xingchuan obviously had no energy left. After he finished speaking, he simply bowed and said, "Excuse me."
Lu Xingchuan turned around and went straight to the main hall.
In the main hall, the sound of the dispute was like a raging fire, boiling endlessly.
Han Chenglie placed his palm on the table in front of the table and spoke in a voice as sharp as iron: "Last night, the barbarians stormed Shaoxu City, killing 70% of the 20,000 soldiers in the city. These beasts can be killed, but not completely. They seem to be constantly spawned by some source, and the more we fight, the more we multiply. This time, we must not fight for a long time."
Han Chenglie did not give many options, because the conclusion had already been written in this series of casualties.
——The Barbarian King must be killed as soon as possible.
If the source of this ferocious beast is not destroyed, it will be consumed to death.
Lu Xingchuan's tone was calm, yet firm, and unquestionable. "Across the Southern Border Dragon Vein, a thousand-mile martial arts ban is in effect. This is a significant obstacle to the Barbarian King. He will undoubtedly attack from these twenty-one cities. Leveraging the power of the Dragon Vein's earth energy, I'll mobilize a thousand-man formation to save the Barbarian King's life. There's no need to discuss this matter further."
However, along the Southern Border Dragon Vein, each of the twenty-one cities needed a thousand Formation Masters. Even if all the military Formation Masters were exhausted, there would still be gaps, so the only option was to recruit more from the aristocratic families.
The question is, who is willing to be sacrificed?
The head of the Imperial City's Du family suddenly fell to the ground, kneeling for a long time. "Your Majesty... everyone has their own aspirations. The only thing I can promise is... my own life."
He kowtowed, his voice mournful: "I am incompetent, I... wish to resign from this position."
In the main seat, the usually gentle Qin Xuan's eyes were filled with anger. He laughed in anger: "Resign? Your Du family has been a family of three officials for four generations, enjoying the blood and sweat of the people, why didn't you resign? Now that we need you to send someone out, you resign?"
The Du family patriarch raised his head, his face pale and tears welling in the corners of his eyes, yet he remained stubborn: "Your Majesty, you must take a long-term view... Lord Lu is risking everything with this strategy, sacrificing tens of thousands of people for the death of one man. How is he any different from a gambler? Your Majesty! How can you destroy such a pillar of the court in one night?!"
Qin Xuan suddenly slammed the table and stood up, his voice thundering: "The building is about to collapse, and the pillars of your Du family are not stepping forward. What use are they to me?!"
As soon as these words were spoken, all the ministers fell silent, the wind blew through the curtains, and the candlelight trembled.
Ren Xuan sighed as he watched. It was only because Qin Xuan was so benevolent and tolerant that anyone in the court dared to shirk responsibility. "How about you try replacing him with a dog emperor? He dares to bargain over military affairs? I'll give you three copies of the Nine Clans List every day."
As expected. Thousands of miles away in the Imperial City, Qin Shu, who was in the Tongying Formation, said impatiently, "Royal brother, what are you talking about? Drag Ren Xuan out and chop him off."
Qin Shu said calmly, "If he wants to die, let him do it. If he doesn't want to, find someone who does."
Ren Xuan clasped his fists and said "yes".
Seeing that Ren Xuan really came with a knife, Minister Du was shocked all over and his words became more urgent.
His face turned pale, and he stood up suddenly, his voice trembling: "Your Majesty—Your Majesty! I am not afraid of death! But Lord Lu's plan, the Lu family did not send anyone themselves! To save Southern Xinjiang from danger, Southern Xinjiang did not send anyone themselves! Instead, he forced us, the civil officials and the strategists—to fight to the death?"
He bowed deeply and said fiercely, "Your Majesty! What on earth is the logic behind this?!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere became even more tense, and people in the hall began to discuss again.
If Southern Xinjiang can't hold out, no part of Dagan will be immune. Everyone present knew this. But ultimately, the land is divided into north and south, and people have two hearts.
Some people think they can walk away cleanly as long as there is no blood at their feet.
Lu Xingchuan didn't hesitate and said in a clear and crisp voice: "Since we are gambling with our lives, someone has to make the first throw."
He said, "I, Lu Xingchuan, will go to the border town in person."
There was a pause in the hall, but Minister Du was still unwilling to give in and continued to argue:
"The old minister can still go!"
"But since Lord Lu wants my nephews from the Du family to sacrifice their lives, I would like to ask - why are your nephews from the Lu family not included in this list?"
"Your nephew Lu Xiyun is the most outstanding martial artist in the world! Why wouldn't he go to this dangerous situation?!"
When these words were spoken, everyone was shocked.
Lu Xingchuan frowned slightly but said nothing.
Ren Xuan even knew what Lu Xingchuan was hesitating about. From the Southern Prince's Mansion to Huangge City, and then to the war in Southern Xinjiang, unexpected things happened frequently. The evil influence on Lu Xiyun had been dragging on for a long time.
In the hall, Lu Xiyun frowned. He took a step forward and was about to speak, but someone knelt down first.
The red-robed civil servant kowtowed to the ground: "Evil contamination is a disaster. There are many precedents in the records of our Ministry of Justice. The prince is innocent of evil, so it is inappropriate to use force. Please think twice!"
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