"Huo Dao, over the years, you have forgotten your duty as a servant. Yesterday, you asked His Highness what the purpose of the northward journey was. Was there even a need to ask?"
“I am willing to kill the Uyghurs, but if he makes peace with Emperor Yangsheng and the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry falls into Emperor Yangsheng’s hands, I will not be willing.”
"Huo Dao, you are too arrogant. To kill the most powerful minister of Great Xia and the most trusted confidant of His Majesty is tantamount to declaring war on the court. Do you really need His Highness to tell you this in person?"
"Why doesn't Your Highness say so directly? Do our loyalty still need to be tested?"
"Why is His Highness reporting to you? You are actually disloyal from the bottom of your heart. You want to interfere with your master's choices and you want your master to do what you want."
Xiahou Yan said bluntly, "Huo Dao, if you want your master to be your puppet, you're willing to go through fire and water if he meets your wishes, but if he doesn't, you refuse to carry them out."
This is the greatest act of infidelity; even kneeling to death would not be forgiven.
Huo Dao wanted to deny it, but Xiahou Yan said, "Huo Dao, Xue Jingfei, let's go to Tianshan. After we part ways, we'll sever all ties."
Huo Dao and Xue Jingfei refused to leave, both shedding tears.
“Xiahou Yan, we have all risked our lives for Your Highness. Look, all the scars on my chest are for Your Highness. I have never been disloyal.”
"Huo Dao, isn't it normal for your master to have scars? Do you expect your master to be grateful? And you still say you're not treating your master like a puppet?"
"..."
Of the thirty-two men, apart from the three mentioned above, the remaining twenty-nine expressed their reluctance to leave and chose to follow their master as ordinary soldiers, charging wherever their master directed.
The three of them left that day.
On December 17th, the grain and fodder carts set off first.
December 18th, an auspicious day, the army set off.
Early in the morning, in Ganzhou Prefecture, bugles sounded and tens of thousands of people gathered in the square outside the prefectural government office. Yin Jin'an rode on a warhorse, while Gu Bahuang brought Chu Jiang and Vice Minister Cui from the prison and made them kneel before the army.
Yin Jin'an explained the purpose of this mission to everyone: "To repel the invaders, eliminate treacherous officials, cleanse the court of corrupt ministers, and restore a peaceful and prosperous Great Xia Kingdom for the people."
Chu Jiang is the prime minister of the Xia Kingdom and the most powerful minister in Western Xia. The news that Yin Jin'an wanted to kill him as a sacrifice to the flag spread throughout the entire state yesterday.
As soon as it was light, officials and people from the surrounding counties arrived early.
When Gu Bahuang brought the man up, many county magistrates and their constables gasped in shock. He really was Chu Jiang.
They were even more surprised when they heard that the one who took action was Gu Bahuang, the only descendant of the Gu family and the eighth grandson of Gu Hanqing, the Great General Who Protects the Nation.
Minister Cui never expected that he would actually be dragged out to be sacrificed to the flag. He struggled desperately, and the desire to survive in his eyes was impossible to hide.
However, his mouth was gagged, and he couldn't say anything.
What's going on? Why isn't His Highness acting according to common sense?
Doesn't he want to know the real killer?
Nobody paid him any attention.
When the auspicious time arrives, the flag is raised in a sacrificial ceremony.
Chu Jiang and Minister Cui's heads were chopped off, and a surge of hot blood gushed out.
Army, set off!
Yin Jin'an's army was invincible.
Chu Jiang and Vice Minister Cui were beheaded by Yin Jin'an. The court's spies rushed to report to the court. Empress Chu cried bitterly and made a scene in front of Emperor Yangsheng.
"It's all your fault. You insisted on keeping him. Now look what's happened, he's rebelled."
Emperor Yangsheng was both angry and afraid. He knew Xiao Jin'an's fighting prowess better than anyone, and with the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry returning to the battlefield, he feared his head was in grave danger.
He immediately issued an imperial edict, ordering troops to be stationed along the route, and to kill any Tiger and Leopard Cavalry they encountered, except for those who were to resist Jiegan's army.
As for the "eldest prince," Emperor Yangsheng gritted his teeth and ordered him to be killed!
However, the imperial army was no match for Yin Jin'an. In fact, the general who was "rehabilitating" him asked, "Is the one who comes here the traitor Xiao Jin'an?"
Yin Jin'an didn't answer, but waved his hand and shouted, "Bomb him!"
Unless someone greets them politely with "Your Highness the Crown Prince," they'll be killed without hesitation if things don't go their way.
Those who know what's good for them can be talked to. Yin Jin'an might even test their character and knowledge, and have Wang Can write down their names for future use.
It took only twenty days to fight all the way from Ganzhou to Lingzhou.
On the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, Yin Jin'an's Northern Expeditionary Army met Jie Gan's army in Lingzhou.
Lingzhou, the prefecture closest to Xingqing Prefecture, with its capital Wuzhong Prefecture only seventy li away, was the last line of defense for the capital.
Jiegan has already occupied Wuzhong Prefecture.
With the city gates tightly shut, Yin Jin'an dispatched Yang Hanfeng, a member of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, to investigate.
Gu Bahuang led everyone to set up camp in Ping'an Town near Lingzhou. Along the way, more and more people joined, and the number of people who started from Ganzhou was now 50,000.
If Yin Jin'an hadn't asked Gu Bahuang to carefully select the troops, the force would have numbered no less than 200,000.
Soon, Yang Hanfeng returned and reported: "Your Highness, Jiegan's forces have suffered more than half losses, and now only about 50,000 men remain. Three days ago, they attacked Wuzhong Prefecture and refused to come out. The imperial court has sent 150,000 troops to surround Wuzhong Prefecture and intend to starve them to death."
Yin Jin'an asked, "Have the people in the city run away?"
"The common people knew in advance that the Uyghurs were coming, and some of them fled, but the prefect closed the city gates, so most of them did not escape."
"Wouldn't that mean the common people would starve to death too?"
"Yes, Your Highness. The general leading the army is Chu Bubai. Chu Bubai is the eldest son of the Prime Minister of Chu and has been appointed as a third-rank General of the Cavalry."
Yin Jin'an muttered "Invincible, Unangry" twice, one martial and one scholarly. Chu Jiang, that scoundrel, is quite good at naming things.
“Your Highness, Chu Bubai is indeed very powerful. In his early years, he studied with Taoist priests in Kunlun Mountain and possesses two powerful magical treasures.”
Yang Hanfeng said that one of the two magical treasures was a celestial bead, which was a single bead that, when thrown into the air, shone so brightly that it would blind the enemy and kill them.
Another magical artifact is a fire-breathing gourd. When the gourd's mouth is opened and a mechanism is pressed, it will spew out fire. Although it won't kill you, if it burns your face, temporarily incapacitating you, it can be fatal.
Yin Jin'an scoffed, "A mere trick!"
Throw a clay pot grenade, and the opponent is instantly killed.
Since we've run into them, let's kill both the insiders and the outsiders!
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