Chapter 299 A Small Country Fights to the Death...
Qi Chengming's plan was excellent. The newlywed couple would take advantage of the New Year to go to the garden for their honeymoon. Tao Jiang was also looking forward to it and shyly agreed.
When the time came, Tao Jiang had even packed her trunk and basket to go to the garden, but she could no longer go.
—A urgent report from the border states that war has resumed. The Di Kingdom and the Western Kingdom, along with three surrounding smaller kingdoms, have launched a joint attack.
The battle lines in several locations along the northern and western borders of Dingguo are in dire straits. The most pressured is on a northern prefecture city that has been outflanked and attacked. It is teetering on the brink of collapse and has sent a message for help. Generally speaking... in the few days between sending the message and the arrival of the message, that prefecture city is probably already in dire straits.
At that time.
Qi Chengming was awakened in the middle of the night by an alarm from an infrastructure map while the Di people were swarming south, before he could even write out his urgent report.
When he saw the two large red patches suddenly appear on the map, his heart skipped a beat. Qi Chengming's face darkened for a moment, but he didn't have time to think any further. He lit the candles and immediately summoned his trusted confidants to the palace.
"That's how it happened... Didn't they have troops stationed in Youzhou? How were they able to bypass their defenses?!"
Qi Chengming thought about how many soldiers and civilians would be unable to withstand the surprise attack at this moment, and would be awakened from their dreams like him. His heart was like being boiled in hot oil, but he could only suppress his emotions and calmly discuss matters.
Grand Secretary Mu and Grand Tutor Wu exchanged a furrowed brow, assuming that His Majesty had secretly informed them and received an urgent message from the border in advance.
The Minister of Revenue was trying to do two things at once. He listened to the report while mentally preparing his notes and calculating the cost of grain and fodder. But the more he calculated, the more troubled he became, and his face turned extremely ugly.
Yang Shou's face was ashen. He clasped his hands and stepped forward, replying, "Your Majesty, the army stationed in Youzhou is usually heavily guarded. To bypass them... we can only go through the Yanshan Pass or the weak points in the mountain ridges where the defenses are weakened. Perhaps we have found some kind of shortcut. But... if so many people can cross mountains and ridges without revealing anything and launch a surprise attack on the prefectural city..."
He managed to utter a few words with difficulty: "Most likely... either something went wrong among the generals of Youzhou, or the garrison rotation in Youzhou was taken advantage of, and they were careless."
Yang Shouye had also served in the Youzhou camp and had a deep affection for the people there. Now, hearing such a guess was more painful than being stabbed a few times.
The most urgent matter that His Majesty summoned them to discuss was naturally how to reinforce Youzhou.
But to arrive at such a conjecture... means that we also need to be wary of unrest in Youzhou itself, and how many troops can be mobilized is a concern. This might also be one of the enemy's strategies.
Qin Liusong's heart pounded. He was the person closest to the new emperor's supernatural abilities. While everyone else thought the situation was irreversible, he felt the emperor's anxiety stemmed from the possibility that things could be salvaged and maneuvered. Perhaps this was a warning from heaven.
Qin Liusong advised in a low voice, "Your Majesty, regardless of the method used, we can first transfer troops from the nearby Jingsai Army to provide support. Didn't they just receive a new batch of weapons there recently?"
He was implying something.
Although Qin Liusong didn't know what the weapons His Majesty had secretly sent to several border camps were, another elite force stationed in Youzhou, the "Jingsai Army," happened to possess them. Considering these weapons... there might still be a chance for the prefectural city to recover.
Qi Chengming slowly exhaled.
"Approved."
The Sai army, stationed in the northern border region, consisted of only 85,000 elite troops, who were highly mobile and capable of providing support from afar.
The new weapons were escorted to the Youzhou camp by them. One was a fire arrow as their trump card, and ten Dongfeng cannons were their ultimate weapon. The rest were improved landmines, mortars, hand cannons, and other weapons.
It should have been sent long ago, but this year Fang Bi upgraded the rocket with a portable drill, and after a long period of testing, the route for sending it out was finally determined. It hadn't even reached the Youzhou camp yet... when the accident happened.
Wherever there are powerful weapons like rockets and missiles, there will definitely be a mobile phone to use them. Now it's convenient for him to send orders remotely.
Qi Chengming understood Mr. Qin's words—the situation was urgent, and there was no time to seriously investigate the problems at the Youzhou camp. Fortunately, the border troops were on their way to provide support, carrying such a valuable treasure. If they could show off their power, those with ulterior motives might make a move at this moment—willing to do anything to uncover this secret.
They were able to subtly lure the snake out of its hole.
Anyway, we'll definitely need to use these weapons when we reinforce the city. Using them to lure people in is just going with the flow, and we can't worry about any risks.
Qi Chengming gave Xiao Dezi a look, and Xiao Dezi nodded secretly. He then turned and went to Yinbing Hall, found the cell phone used to contact Jing Saijun, carefully put it in a locked sandalwood box, and brought it back to Qi Chengming in the side hall to issue the decree.
The other military officers had another heated debate and discussion, and soon decided on the plan to go west. When Qi Chengming returned, General Tao volunteered to lead troops to reinforce the area.
The handling of the conflict has come to a temporary end, but the discussion is not over yet.
Why did the Di people suddenly move south? Why did the Western Kingdoms and their allies suddenly launch an attack? Why did the other three small, unnamed kingdoms dare to get involved? Only the Qiang people remained silent because of their wool trade, but were they really not making any moves? With such a large-scale operation outside the Great Wall this time, were they truly unmoved?
There are too many things to analyze.
The candlelight in the Zichen Palace burned so brightly that thick tears streamed down its surface, and the persimmon frost made their eyes bloodshot, yet they still dared not neglect their duties, serving the adults strong hot tea again and again.
The Minister of Revenue had just gritted his teeth and managed to maintain the supply of provisions, but now he had no choice but to come out and apologize, revealing the truth:
"Your Majesty, the new grain in the capital has just been harvested on a large scale over the winter and is scheduled to be distributed for seed production next year, but... the national treasury simply cannot supply enough grain."
A campaign of this scale, with multiple outbreaks in the west and north, is trying to supply many places, and it simply cannot be sustained any longer, leaving many gaps and difficulties.
If we absolutely have to fight...
They either exploit the people again, or they make the farmers suffer next year.
Who told His Majesty to be so benevolent towards the people, unwilling to let them suffer hunger through the winter once food was available? This wasn't inherently a bad thing; how many people could survive the winter anyway… but coincidentally, this situation was exploited…
There's plenty of grain grown in Lingnan, but that's too far to quench the immediate thirst. This war is too urgent; it's not a protracted conflict. By the time the grain arrives from all over the country, it'll be too late.
Qi Chengming frowned deeply, but he still knew the gravity of the situation and made a decisive decision:
"Let's use the money first and have Liuzhou send over the seeds. There are still a few months left, so if they're sent quickly, they can be ready for spring planting."
"...Thank you, Your Majesty." The Minister of Revenue breathed a sigh of relief and bowed deeply.
Grand Secretary Mu's face suddenly turned extremely pale, and his shoulders even swayed slightly, attracting Qi Chengming's attention: "Xiao Chengzi, quickly summon an imperial physician! What's wrong with Grand Secretary Mu?"
Mu Jie disregarded everything else, grabbed Qi Chengming's hand tightly, and said emphatically, "Does Your Majesty still remember the final war of the previous life?!"
How could Qi Chengming forget?
In his previous life, Dingguo ended up with a tragic state of shattered lands. Although Qi Chengming hadn't experienced that, he remembered it clearly and had long ago secretly vowed to eventually pacify and unify the surrounding restless small countries.
In my previous life, aside from the time Qi Chengming passed away, when several kingdoms outside the Great Wall joined forces to conquer Dading, attacking it en masse as if it were dealing with the previous dynasty, all the wars Dading had experienced before were minor skirmishes that were eventually suppressed, never on the scale of this one.
"You mean... that the alliance of those barbarian nations happened ahead of schedule?" Qi Chengming thought of the calamity in his previous life, which had actually been foreshadowed. So these people in this life might also harbor the same thoughts, but have been suppressing them and waiting for the right opportunity.
"But why did they choose this time?"
As soon as he said it, Qi Chengming realized his mistake and corrected himself: "No, this is the time they should have chosen."
Grand Tutor Wu also came to his senses, his face turning ashen. Recalling the panic and fear of that time of displacement, his eyebrows and eyes twitched involuntarily.
"His Majesty has just ascended the throne and had his wedding. If he had to choose a time, it would be when his foundation is most unstable. Moreover, the reputation of the three new grains in the country is gradually growing. This year, he has also made trade with the Qiang people, stabilized the war, and developed new weapons... As long as he can recuperate for another two years, then he will be strong and powerful, and his momentum will be unstoppable..."
Are those people idiots?
Naturally, they wouldn't just sit idly by and watch Dingguo grow stronger. Moreover—after this rise to power, it's obvious to the naked eye that it's soaring to new heights, no longer something they can handle. That's why they've frantically united and are going all out in a desperate gamble.
Song Gu sat quietly to the side, taking notes without stopping, and said steadily, "Your Majesty, it's hard to say whether the Qiang people were involved."
"Yes, Your Majesty." The civil and military officials reached a consensus on this issue.
Although the Qiang people agreed to trade with them in the future, if they had the ability to overturn this mess and settle in the Central Plains themselves, who wouldn't be happy? This time it's an unprecedentedly large-scale operation in this dynasty. Can they really resist getting involved? Even secretly?
Therefore, suspicions about the Qiang people will inevitably remain until they are cleared.
"Check it out too." Qi Chengming nodded calmly, entrusting the matter to his cousin with his eyes.
...
Thus, when the scouts, delivered by the urgent messenger, arrived in the capital, they were astonished to find that the city was in a state of high alert, with a tense atmosphere and a large army ready for action. The generals' troops heading west had already set off, and supply wagons were continuously being transported northwards.
It was as if... as if they already knew what had happened.
This matter completely baffled the scout, and his dirty face went blank with anxiety for a moment.
"Don't worry." Qi Chengming specially received him and comforted him gently, "The Jingsai Army that I sent should have arrived on the second day after you left. Just wait a little longer, and I estimate that a conclusion will be reached soon."
"..." The scout swallowed hard, unable to speak, his mind filled with questions.
Passing through the border army?
His Majesty?
How did His Majesty manage to send them from such a distance?
No, I should say, how did His Majesty know in advance? Did Heaven give him a warning?
The scout went to rest in a daze. After traveling for so long, he hadn't had a full night's sleep and was already at his breaking point. But knowing that the predicament in Youzhou could be resolved, he finally breathed a sigh of relief... with only one last worry still hanging in his throat.
When I wake up, I'll have to find out what happened... what exactly happened?
The soldier was thinking this, and before he could even finish the second half of his sentence, he fell asleep as soon as he hit the bed, filled with confusion and bewilderment.
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