Wei Dong was castrated and entered the palace at a young age. From the palace of the previous dynasty to the palace of the Yan Dynasty, he has experienced turbulent times and regime changes. He has witnessed all kinds of risks and has developed the ability to remain calm in the face of emergencies.
He went to the central military camp first. He had come here to comfort the troops under orders, but now they had suffered a defeat and lost all the cities they had captured. Seeing him coming, all the generals hung their heads in dejection. Only Ding Youtian stood up, bowed to him, called him "Uncle Wei," and forced a smile.
"Your Highness, thank you for your hard work." Wei Dong greeted the Prince of Pingnan first, then bowed to the soldiers and said, "Generals, I am honored to meet you."
"You're too polite, sir." The generals replied listlessly.
"I'm not overestimating my own abilities, so please don't be offended. There have been no generals who have always been victorious, nor have there been generals who have always been defeated." Wei Dong said, cupping his fists and bowing towards the southeast. "My great dynasty is like the rising sun, and the emperor is blessed with great fortune. I believe in us, and the bandits won't be able to easily invade the Central Plains. I've heard some rumors along the way. Many martial arts masters have heard that the bandits are rampant, and now they are spontaneously rushing to the border!"
There are many talented people in the world, and the generals were slightly encouraged after hearing this.
Wei Dong glanced at the group and continued, "All the prefectures and counties are also recruiting young and strong civilians. We've seen along the way that the people are extremely enthusiastic about fighting the foreign enemies. As always, good prevails over evil. With the Emperor's blessing and the support of millions of people, there's no need to worry about not being able to drive away the villains!"
"Well said!" The King of Pingnan felt his words greatly boosted his morale. He slammed the table, stood up, and his fierce eyes slowly swept over everyone in his tent. "My fellow generals, a true man on the battlefield cannot be judged by his success or failure at a moment's notice. We are deeply blessed by the emperor, and it is our duty to defend our borders and resist foreign aggression. We are backed by tens of thousands of civilians. To protect them from the ravages of war, from today on, all of you must obey me. I would rather die in my battle hide than allow barbarians to cross the Qishan Mountains!"
All the generals stood up in unison, "We would rather die in battle than allow the barbarians to cross Mount Qishan!"
With unity, even mountains can be moved. The generals, disbanding their tents, went to their respective units to mobilize their troops before the battle. Ding Youtian and Qin Yifan, along with several advisors, followed the guide to Qishan for a field survey. He already had a preliminary plan in mind to lure the enemy.
Qishan is a dangerous place with cliffs everywhere. To enter Xing'an, one must pass through a long and narrow pass. In the early years, there was a narrow path under the cliff. After Yue Kingdom and Yan Dynasty signed a friendly alliance and traded with each other, the path was widened, but it could only accommodate two carriages running side by side, and some bends could only accommodate one carriage.
After half a month of continuous fierce fighting, the coalition forces of the three countries also needed to take a breath and replenish their troops. They would not attack for the next few days, which gave Ding Youtian and his men time. Ding Youtian planned to bury explosives on both sides of the trail and send someone to pretend to be Emperor Yongkang to confuse Yue's army at the pass.
If Pei Xiyuan knew that Emperor Yongkang had come to Mount Qi in person, he would definitely send Wu Yunzhu to capture Emperor Yongkang alive. As long as Wu Yunzhu was eliminated, defeating the coalition forces of the three kingdoms would be just around the corner!
Ding Youtian learned this trick from the story of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" narrated by Jian Ning, where Liu Bei seduced General Xia Hou. The coalition forces of the three kingdoms relied on the Black Cloud Pearl to recapture fifteen cities in succession and are currently expanding rapidly. If they can capture the king of a country alive, it will undoubtedly be a huge temptation for Pei Xiyuan, who is also a new king like Emperor Yongkang.
After making this plan, Ding Youtian felt heavy and depressed. After all, Wu Yunzhu was Jian Ning's master and his great-grandmaster.
But Wu Yunzhu is an accomplice to the evil, and she is too powerful, just like a god. If she is not eliminated, the Yan army will find it difficult to win, and more soldiers will die in the next battle!
He went back and told Jian Ning about his plan. Jian Ning was silent for a long time, then said sadly: "Death is life, life is death. Even if I can't travel through time again, as long as I can be reborn and forget my past, it may not be a bad thing for her."
Ding Youtian nodded. "In that case, I will follow your plan. First, have Jincheng ride Qiuge back to the capital. We must report this matter to the Emperor and bring back the dragon robes and other ceremonial items. Since this is a show, we must ensure that nothing goes wrong."
Jian Ning had no objection, but she would not participate in burying mines. She had a lot of mines in stock, and she told Ding Youtian how to use the detonating devices.
That night, before Huo Jincheng was about to take Qiu Ge back to Beijing, Jian Ning remembered that he would definitely go back to the mansion to check on Ah Man. If Tian Shi found out, she would definitely ask about Ma Fuquan. So she told Huo Jincheng, "If Sister Tian asks about Brother Ma, just say that he and his son are doing well. Don't say anything else."
Huo Jincheng didn't know the truth yet. When he heard Jian Ning mention Ma Fuquan, he said, "How long will it take for Brother Ma to recover? Why don't I go to the Jin County Escort Agency first to see how he is doing."
"No need, Brother Ma... I'll tell you in detail when you come back. Brother Ma is no longer with us."
"What?" Huo Jincheng's voice suddenly rose, his face full of shock.
"I'll tell you when I get back." This is not something that can be explained in just a few words. Ma Fuquan's body has not stiffened yet, and his body is still slightly warm. He looks like he is sleeping, but he has no breathing or heartbeat. Jane Ning can't understand what is going on.
"Okay, wait for me to come back and bring it along... Never mind, I'll go first." Huo Jincheng asked her about the slug pendant. That day, a wisp of Xiao Ning's soul floated out of the pendant. Afterwards, he asked Jian Ning if she had remembered all her childhood memories.
Jane Ning denied it.
But Huo Jincheng believed in his own feelings. He saw with his own eyes that Jian Ning's soul returned to her body. How could it be possible that Jian Ning still couldn't remember the lost memory?
Jane Ning didn't want to admit it, and there was nothing he could do.
Huo Jincheng rode Qiu Ge back to the capital and requested an audience with Emperor Yongkang overnight. He explained the situation to the Emperor, who readily agreed. He then looked at Huo Jincheng and said, "There's no need to look for anyone else. I think you'll be the one to do it. You've been with me practicing martial arts and studying since we were young, and your build and weight are similar to mine. Some of my habitual movements are difficult for others to imitate, so you're more familiar with them than others. Since you're imitating me, you have to be as convincing as possible. Come, I'll teach you."
Emperor Yongkang ordered someone to call Xiao Shi and asked him to disguise Huo Jincheng. He also personally taught him how to imitate his own walking, including some small body movements. He let him go back only when he felt he was almost there, and asked him to take Xiao Shi with him.
Huo Jincheng first went to the Taifu's residence to visit his parents. When he arrived at the Taifu's residence, it was already the turn of the night. Old Madam Huo had already gone to bed, and the Taifu was still reading a book beside the charcoal brazier. Huo Jincheng rode Qiu Ge directly to the backyard courtyard.
"Master is back." The servant on duty in the corridor reported at the door. The tutor raised his eyes to look at the door and saw Huo Jincheng leading Xiao Shi in.
"Father." He had just called out "Father" when Mrs. Huo's voice came from the inner room, "Is that Cheng'er?"
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