Chapter 141: Each with His Own Thoughts
Lu Chenyang looked at him with a frown, thinking that he was still reluctant to part with Zhao Qingwan.
He thought for a moment and said, "Don't be too sad. I heard that Miss Zhao is still unengaged. She's already seventeen or eighteen, right? She's considered an adult. She hasn't gotten married in such a long time. Maybe she still has feelings for you. You haven't made a mistake."
How pitiful! The girl he likes has drawn a clear line with him. Lu Chenyang feels sorry for him.
Yan Xing glanced at him and said calmly, "The Zhao family has always been planning to make him the Fourth Prince's consort. The Emperor and Concubine Lan both love the Fourth Prince. She didn't marry because she wanted to be the future Crown Princess, not because she wanted to forget her past love for me." He glanced at him and said, "There aren't many people who love someone forever in this world, but there are always people who pursue fame and fortune."
Yan Xing realized that this topic was not favorable to him, so he quickly said, "The Second Prince is unwilling to remain dormant any longer and intends to take advantage of this incident to petition the Emperor to appoint a crown prince."
Force the emperor to appoint a crown prince?
Lu Chenyang frowned: "Isn't it a bit too early?"
Yan Xing nodded: "Indeed, but if there is good news from Ningzhou, it may not be the case."
Lu Chenyang was stunned for a moment. Now it was him and King Nanyang who were supporting the Ningzhou war, but in fact, anyone with a discerning eye knew that the main force was the Lu family army.
If this battle is won, Lu Chenyang's power will definitely increase further.
With Lu Chenyang's support, the second prince will be more confident in being appointed as the crown prince.
This is why Lu Chenyang asked the second prince to hand over the military power of the Yan family army. Military power is the confidence of the second prince and the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion, but by handing over the military power, Lu Chenyang can build another army!
As long as Ningzhou wins the battle, the situation in the entire Dagan will change.
Lu Chenyang's eyes flashed: "So, Ningzhou must be defended?"
Yan Xing nodded: "If... we can take Ningzhou, that would be even better."
As soon as these words were spoken, the two of them looked at each other at the same time.
Lu Chenyang licked his lips and said, "If... we send troops to support us at this time..."
Yan Xing asked, "What about the King of Nanyang?"
"Why don't we let him know?" Lu Chenyang said, "We can quietly lead our troops away under cover of darkness. He might not notice, right?"
Yan Xing frowned. "But if he finds out, he won't let go of this opportunity to retake Shu. As long as he wins, the Cui family won't say anything."
The right to speak is in the hands of the strong. Everything that King Nanyang promised will be bullshit as long as he becomes more powerful.
But Lu Chenyang was in Shu.
If he led his troops away again, the elite troops in the city would be reduced. How could Lu Chenyang hold on?!
Lu Chenyang said: "But if we win, then we will have the final say on the big move."
Yan Xing frowned and said nothing.
This was indeed a temptation that was hard to resist, but he still hesitated.
Lu Chenyang said decisively: "Let's do it! This is worth the gamble!"
Yan Xing frowned: "No, I can't risk your safety..."
"At worst, I will retreat back to Lingnan and exchange Shu for Ningzhou. It's worth it." Lu Chenyang said in a firm tone.
Yan Xing thought for a moment and said, "I'll go. However, I'll leave most of the elite troops with you. You conquered this land with great difficulty, and we must not let it be lost!"
Lu Chenyang's eyes flashed. If Ningzhou was taken, Lu Chenyang's say would become even greater, which would be more beneficial to Yan Xing and the second prince.
But if he could hold on to Shu, it would be more beneficial to Lu Chenyang.
Yan Xing cared more about his interests, and Lu Chenyang felt happy about it.
Lu Chenyang thought for a moment and said, "No need. You should bring more elite troops with you. I am just defending the city. Bring more people with you. If there is a chance, we can occupy the entire Ningzhou. When we capture the prisoners, Quzhou will also be mine."
There was a glint of ambition in his eyes. In this way, they would have the qualifications to negotiate with Emperor Qianyuan by controlling the four states.
By then, the second prince will have a greater chance of asking the ministers to appoint a crown prince.
The two looked at each other, neither saying much, but they already understood each other's thoughts. They had a tacit understanding since the beginning of their cooperation.
But no one expected that it would come to this point so quickly.
Yan Xing's eyebrows were raised, and he was calm and composed: "Don't worry, Ningzhou, I will definitely take it down for you!"
Late at night, Yan Xing led another 100,000 troops and quietly left along the mountain road.
Yan Xing took his men away. In order to prevent King Nanyang from discovering the flaw, the cooks continued to cook as usual every day, and King Nanyang's men could see the fireworks.
At this time, the war in Ningzhou was also very tense.
Ji Ping was the commander-in-chief this time. Yan Xing gave him the elite soldiers in the army. He had his own way of leading the army. After the Lu family army joined the battle, the situation immediately turned to their side.
The Yilin Army, which was said to have a million-strong army, was beaten back step by step.
When Cui Yong saw the bravery of the Lu family army, he was even more impressed and wanted to support Lu Chenyang even more.
Especially with the Nanyang King's comparison, this time, to show his respect for the Cui family, the Nanyang King had specially appointed his nephew Zhang Zhi as the commander-in-chief. However, the soldiers he led were not very good. Not only were they not as brave as the Lu family army on the battlefield, but their military tactics were also not as flexible and adaptable as Ji Ping's. They were only icing on the cake.
In fact, even if the Prince of Nanyang failed to rescue Concubine Cui, the relationship between the two sides was not affected. After all, the Prince of Nanyang had tried his best to rescue her, even neglecting his other children. His attitude was clear, and Cui Shi could not find any fault with it.
What's more, it is impossible for Cui to give up the King of Nanyang, whom she had invested in for so long, just for a daughter.
Therefore, Cui's support for King Nanyang did not change at all. On the contrary, they gave more.
However, this aid to Ningzhou made Cui Yong dissatisfied with the King of Nanyang. Although his attitude was very pretentious, it was clear whether he was putting in any effort.
The Lu family army was the first to stop the Yilin army, followed by the Ningzhou defenders. The Ningzhou army really rushed forward, and the Ningzhou army suffered the most casualties this time.
I won't talk about the Ningzhou Army, that's what they should do. But when thinking of the Nanyang Army, Cui Yong sneered. In his opinion, the Nanyang Army was his pet dogs, and it was their duty to protect his home, but in the end, they didn't help when things went wrong.
Cui Yong was very dissatisfied with King Nanyang.
But now is not the time to talk about this. Ji Ping also received the news that Yan Xing was leading his troops on the way to provide support, and asked him to be prepared to occupy Ningzhou at any time.
Ji Ping received the letter and began to make preparations secretly. But Ji Ping did not expect that someone else had the same idea.
In order to create conditions for the occupation of Ningzhou, Ji Ping decided to repel the Yilin Army first and drive them out of Ningzhou City before reinforcements arrived.
He planned a general offensive, contacting the Ningzhou Army and the Nanyang Army for three-way coordination. Of course, he didn't trust the Nanyang Army that much, so he only asked the Nanyang Army to cooperate and block the Yilin Army's retreat route. The main combat force of the attack was still them and the Ningzhou Army.
For this general offensive plan, Ji Ping also found Cui Yong as a guarantor to ensure the smooth progress of the tripartite cooperation.
After hearing Ji Ping's plan, Cui Yong immediately agreed. Driving out the Yilin Army and relieving Ningzhou's predicament was his ultimate goal.
He went to see Zhang Zhi, told him the plan, and asked him to cooperate.
Zhang Zhi gave Cui Yong face and agreed immediately.
Cui Yong stroked his short beard and said, "Then this matter is settled. If I can help Ningzhou out of its troubles, I will come to thank the prince in person."
Zhang Zhi patted his chest and assured: "Don't worry, clan leader, I will do my best."
Cui Yong smiled with satisfaction and turned to leave.
Zhang Zhi looked at his back, but his expression was meaningful.
Zhang Zhi called his deputy general and said, "Send men to guard these positions. On the day of the general attack, follow my orders and let the Yilin Army go. We will attack Ji Ping!"
The men were shocked: "General... this... if this happens, what will happen if Ningzhou is lost?"
Zhang Zhi said nonchalantly, "By this point, the Yilin Army and General Lu are already exhausted. How can they possibly have any fighting power? This is a perfect opportunity for the Nanyang Army to reap the benefits!"
The deputy general frowned: "But if that's the case, Cui's side..."
Zhang Zhi sneered, "Ningzhou will be mine by then, and Cui will have to hold back even if she's dissatisfied!"
Cui's attitude towards the Prince of Nanyang wasn't arrogant, but it wasn't polite either. Zhang Zhi had long been dissatisfied. A mere aristocrat dared to treat him like this! It was simply outrageous that they didn't take the Zhang family seriously!
Whatever noble families are, in the face of absolute strength, they are nothing but a group of people who are greedy for life and afraid of death.
"Your Highness..." the deputy general reminded again.
Zhang Zhi glanced at him and said, "This is what the prince meant."
The deputy general no longer had any concerns and nodded in agreement: "Yes, I will deploy it right away."
Ji Ping was also discussing the deployment for the day of the general attack with his subordinates.
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