Chapter 77 Urgent Report from the Border
Winter always comes particularly early in Beijing.
As Shen Jin and Jiang Mianmian's carriage entered Desheng Gate, a few snowflakes began to fall from the sky.
When I left, the autumn wind was bleak; when I returned, it was already the dead of winter.
"I'm finally back!"
Jiang Mianmian lifted the car curtain, looked at the familiar streets and bustling crowds, and took a deep breath of the cold air carrying the aroma of roasted sweet potatoes.
Although the scenery in Jiangnan is beautiful, there's no place like home!
[My beanbag chair, my soft bed, and the charcoal hot pot in the kitchenette... I, Hu Hansan, am back!]
[I made a fortune in Jiangnan this time, so I absolutely have to go to the Treasure Pavilion to celebrate!]
Shen Jin sat down next to her, watching her carefree and happy appearance, and his tense nerves relaxed a little.
He reached out and tucked her wind-blown hair behind her ear, his voice gentle:
"Let's go back to the manor and rest first. There's a welcome banquet in the palace tonight, and I'll take you to eat the new 'Buddha Jumps Over the Wall' dish from the imperial kitchen."
"Buddha Jumps Over the Wall!"
Jiang Mianmian's eyes lit up instantly. "Go! I have to go! For this food, I have to go to the palace to pay my respects to the Empress Dowager!"
However, this ease did not last long.
Just as the carriage reached the center of Zhuque Avenue, a rapid and muffled drumbeat suddenly came from the direction of the palace, penetrating through layers of palace walls and shaking the entire capital city.
"Thump—! Thump—! Thump—!"
The drums thundered, each beat more urgent than the last, carrying a chilling sense of oppression.
The people on the street stopped in their tracks instantly, and the once bustling market fell into a deathly silence. Everyone looked in terror toward the direction of the palace.
"This...this is..."
Jiang Mianmian's heart skipped a beat. Although she didn't understand the rules of a major operation, even a fool would know that the sound of drums beating like an air raid siren meant something serious was about to happen.
What's going on? Is it an earthquake? Or a fire?
Shen Jin's face turned deathly pale in an instant, then turned ashen.
He abruptly pushed open the car door, his eyes fixed on the enormous "Heaven-Shaking Drum" above the palace.
"The thunderous drums sound, signaling the fate of the nation."
Chen Jin's voice was terrifyingly low, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth, "This is... the highest level of wartime alert."
"The alarm will only be sounded when enemy troops are pressing in and the country's borders are in danger."
"War...war?"
Jiang Mianmian was stunned.
Is there a war?
[How could that be? Isn't Da Cheng at its peak? The surrounding small countries have all been defeated! Who would be so bold as to come and die?]
"Shadow One!"
He shouted sternly.
"Here!" Shadow One appeared instantly, his face equally grim.
"Immediately cut off the carriage and switch to a fast horse! Go straight to the palace!"
Shen Jin pulled Jiang Mianmian over and lifted her onto the warhorse that had been brought over. He mounted the horse, held her protectively in his arms, and spurred the horse forward.
"drive!"
The warhorses galloped like arrows released from a bow, rushing towards the palace under the panicked gazes of the people.
Jiang Mianmian nestled in Shen Jin's arms, feeling the intense and heavy heartbeat in his chest.
It seems... my good days are over.
This damned war! Of all times, it had to come just when I was about to enjoy the fruits of victory!
Don't let me find out who did this! Otherwise, I'll definitely chop him up with my 'tofu knife'!
...
The Imperial Palace, the Golden Throne Hall.
The main hall was in complete chaos.
The civil and military officials rushed over from their homes, disheveled and filled with fear, whispering amongst themselves. The young emperor Shen Xingchen, sitting on the dragon throne, was even more terrified, his face deathly pale, clutching tightly the toy bow that Jiang Mianmian had given him, as if it were his only support.
The Empress Dowager sat behind the curtain, trying to remain calm, but her trembling fingers betrayed her inner fear.
"Report—!"
A piercing scream shattered the chaos inside the hall.
A messenger, covered in blood and wearing tattered armor, with three command flags tucked into his back, stumbled into the main hall. He ran so fast that he lost a shoe, leaving a bloody footprint with each step.
"thump!"
The messenger knelt heavily on the ground, his voice hoarse and trembling with sobs:
"Urgent dispatch! Northern Border... Urgent report from the Northern Border!"
"Northern Yan... Northern Yan has broken the alliance and assembled 500,000 iron cavalry to launch a surprise attack on our northern border!"
"At midnight last night... Youzhou fell!"
"At the hour of Chou (1-3 AM)... Bingzhou has fallen!"
"At the hour of Yin (3-5 AM)... Liangzhou has fallen!"
"Overnight...three cities have fallen! The defending soldiers...all wiped out! The Northern Yan army is advancing rapidly, and is less than 500 li from the capital!"
boom--!
These words struck like a thunderbolt, leaving the entire court of officials utterly terrified.
"What?!"
"Three cities captured in one night? How is that possible?!"
"Youzhou is a natural fortress! The city walls are three zhang high, easy to defend and difficult to attack! How could it be that it couldn't be held for even half an hour?"
"Five hundred thousand iron cavalry? Northern Yan has mobilized the entire nation's strength! Have they gone mad?"
Panic spread like a plague within the palace.
Shen Jin led Jiang Mianmian into the hall, just in time to hear this despairing battle report.
He paused, a look of disbelief flashing in his eyes.
Youzhou, Bingzhou, and Liangzhou.
These three cities form the northern gateway to the Great Gan region, strategically positioned to defend the area, their fortifications incredibly strong. Even a force of 500,000 men couldn't possibly breach them all overnight! Unless…
Unless they know the city's defenses inside and out!
Unless they know where the secret passages are, where the blind spots are, and where the troops are weak!
Shen Jin suddenly remembered the "remnants of the previous dynasty" he had found in Jiangnan, Lin Wan'er's letter, and Xiao Yi with his sinister eyes.
"Deployment map".
His calm voice was as cold as ice, "The deployment map must have been leaked."
Only by obtaining the most confidential Nine Gates Defense Map of the Great Gan could such a precise and swift breach of the city be achieved!
"The Regent has arrived!"
When people saw Shen Jin, they clung to him like a lifeline and surrounded him.
"Your Highness! You're finally back! What... what are we going to do?"
"Your Highness! Northern Yan is advancing with overwhelming force, shouldn't we...shouldn't we negotiate peace?"
"Peace talks my ass!"
Jiang Mianmian couldn't help but swear.
Standing beside Shen Jin, listening to these spineless words, she was so angry she wanted to hit him.
They've already come to your doorstep, killed your people, and seized your land, and you still want to negotiate peace?
Is this ceding territory and paying reparations? This is kneeling down and begging for mercy! You've completely disgraced Da Gan!
[Chen Jin, don't back down! Go for it! Twist Xiao Yi's head off and use it as a football!]
Shen Jin gripped her hand tightly, drawing strength from her angry outburst.
He strode onto the high platform, stood beside the dragon throne, and scanned the entire audience with his piercing gaze:
"What's the panic!"
A furious shout silenced the entire room.
"Having built our nation into a great power for a century, have we ever feared barbarians?"
"Since they dare to come, let's make sure they don't leave alive!"
Shen Jin turned to the messenger and asked in a deep voice, "Besides the three lost cities, who is in command at the front now? Where are Prime Minister Jiang and Vice Minister Jiang?"
Upon hearing this, the hall fell into a deathly silence.
Jiang Mianmian's heart skipped a beat.
Wait... my dad? And my brother?
Aren't they in the capital? Could it be...?
The messenger looked up, his face streaked with tears:
"Your Highness... Half a month ago, Prime Minister Jiang was ordered to inspect the northern border, and Junior Minister Jiang accompanied him as a guard..."
"When the Northern Yan launched their surprise attack... the Prime Minister and the Vice Minister were... inside Liangzhou City!"
"Now... Liangzhou has fallen, and the Prime Minister and the Junior Minister... led their remaining troops to retreat to Jue Long Valley... only to be... completely surrounded by the Northern Yan army!"
"What?!"
Jiang Mianmian felt a sudden darkness before her eyes, her legs went weak, and she almost collapsed to the ground.
[Father...Brother...]
[Surrounded? Dragon Valley? That's a death trap!]
[That old man who only peeled lychees for me...that brother who, though a bit of a freak, would buy me roast duck...are they...going to die?]
An unprecedented fear, even stronger than the fear she felt when facing a horde of zombies, instantly overwhelmed her.
Those were her family members.
She is the biggest bond in the world for her.
Shen Jin caught her and could feel her body trembling violently.
“Dragon Valley…” Shen Jin muttered to himself, his face extremely grim.
The terrain there is treacherous, easy to defend and difficult to attack, but it is also a dead end. Once surrounded, without water and food, escape would be impossible.
The Northern Yan people did not kill them immediately, but instead surrounded them without attacking; their purpose was clear—
That's bait.
They used the current prime minister and the vice minister of the Court of Judicial Review as bait to force the main force of Da Gan to fight a decisive battle, and to force Chen Jin to go to his death!
"Royal Uncle..."
The young emperor ran down from the dragon throne, grabbed Chen Jin's sleeve, and cried, "Save the Prime Minister...save Brother Jiang Li...I don't want them to die..."
The Empress Dowager sat behind the curtain, and although she was also alarmed, a hint of schadenfreude flashed in her eyes when she heard that Jiang Zhan was surrounded.
Jiang Zhan has always supported the Regent, making him a thorn in her side. If she could use the Northern Yan people to get rid of him…
"Regent," the Empress Dowager spoke, her voice cool, "since the Prime Minister is besieged, please send troops to his aid immediately. However... the capital's defenses are weak, Your Highness cannot take all the Imperial Guards with you."
This is sending Shen Jin to his death, and also cutting off his escape route!
Jiang Mianmian suddenly looked up and stared intently at the beaded curtain.
[Old hag!]
At this point, are you still scheming? Still fighting amongst yourselves?
That's a capable prime minister! A pillar of the nation! How could you possibly try to use someone else to do your dirty work?!
Good! Very good!
Jiang Mianmian wiped away her tears, pushed away Shen Jin's support, and stood up straight.
Her eyes, which were usually always smiling, were now burning with raging anger and fighting spirit.
"Your Highness."
Jiang Mianmian looked at Shen Jin and said, word by word:
"I'm going to the North."
"I'm going to save my dad, save my brother. I'm going to... tear Xiao Yi, who dared to harm my family, to pieces!"
Shen Jin looked at her.
He saw determination, madness, and the shadow of the "strongman" who had fought his way through the apocalypse in her eyes.
This time, she wasn't doing it for money, nor for food.
It is for protection.
"good."
Shen Jin gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, his eyes becoming incredibly determined.
"I will go with you."
"Not only must we save lives, but we must also reclaim the lost cities, one by one!"
"Send the order! muster the troops! March out!"
With the Regent's order, the massive war machine of Da Gan was finally set in motion amidst the crisis.
For Jiang Mianmian, her "couch potato" life came to a complete end at this moment.
Instead, something that would soon strike fear into the hearts of the Northern Yan people—
A female warrior in the apocalypse.
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