Chapter 195 Women as Soldiers
On May 25th, the morning light was dim and the sky was filled with morning glow.
People took to the streets, and the city of Xiajing, which had been silent for several hours, gradually became lively again.
Passing by a newsstand on the street corner, the clerk was waving newspapers and shouting at the top of his voice.
"The latest issue of the newspaper is now on the shelves, don't miss it if you pass by!"
"Good news! Very good news! As of May 24th, our army has successfully captured Changping Pass, the first line of defense of the Great Qi Dynasty. We have also recovered the three lost territories of Xiangluo Prefecture, Fengyun Prefecture, and Hanfeng Prefecture, and successfully rescued hundreds of thousands of civilians!"
The people passing by heard what the newsstand clerk said and were immediately overjoyed.
"As long as we take Changping Pass, our army will be unstoppable and will march straight to the capital of Da Qi. We will rip off the head of the Da Qi emperor and kick it like a ball!"
"Good boy! Our Great Xia soldiers are indeed the most powerful and bravest!"
"Great! Give me a newspaper!"
"Do you understand?"
"I can't understand it, but this newspaper is so meaningful. Even though I can't read, I still want to keep it as a souvenir."
"It's great! We have regained the last three lost territories of Great Xia. Our compatriots who have been stranded abroad for twenty or thirty years are finally home."
"Look at what you said. It makes my nose sore."
"It's not appropriate to shed tears so early in the morning. Whether it's capturing Changping Pass or recovering lost territory, it's a great joyous event. We should be happy."
"That's right! Give me a copy too. I'll keep it as a souvenir. When I'm old, I'll show it to my grandchildren and tell them that our soldiers are divine soldiers sent from heaven. The peace and stability of Daxia today are all thanks to them defending our country!"
"I want one too!"
"Give me one too!"
The waiters were so happy that they couldn't stop smiling. One collected money and the other handed out newspapers, shouting loudly: "Don't worry, everyone has one. Come one by one."
On the outskirts of the crowd, Yan Tiande hesitated for a moment, then parked his tricycle on the side of the road and queued up to buy newspapers.
It was impossible to understand the details based on just a few words from the waiter.
Yan Tiande wanted to see how they won the first battle against Qi.
When the common people saw Yan Tiande in his purple robe, they hurriedly made way for him, saying with great trepidation, "Please come in, sir."
Yan Tiande shook his head: "No need, first come first served."
Seeing that the gentleman insisted, the people had no choice but to give up and stand back to continue queuing to buy newspapers.
Yan Tiande waited for half an incense stick of time and finally got a fresh and hot newspaper.
Glancing at the date at the top of the front page, it was yesterday.
I think that as soon as the good news from Loushan Pass reached Xiajing, Your Majesty ordered the craftsmen to print newspapers, and couldn't wait to announce the news to the world and share the joy with the people.
Yan Tiande got into the car, shook the newspaper, and read it word by word.
Yan Tiande couldn't help but laugh when he saw that under Princess Zhaoyang's plan, the Xia army and the people who lost their land worked together to recover the three lost territories with the minimum casualties and in the fastest time.
"It's good to be back, it's good to be back." A glint of light flashed in Yan Tiande's eyes, "It's good to be home!"
Twenty-three years!
Twenty-three whole years!
The children who were away from home finally returned home!
Yan Tiande took a deep breath and muttered, "They should be speechless now."
She is capable of both civil and military affairs, and has amazing strategies. Who else can be the crown prince of the Eastern Palace?
but--
Yan Tiande's eyes fell on a line of text, and the five big characters "Shaoqing Prefecture Female Soldiers" almost blinded him.
Now, not only the civil and military officials in the court, but all the people in the world will know that Du Qingtang has formed a female barracks in Shaoqing Prefecture.
Thinking of the small court meeting in the near future, Yan Tiande felt a little headache.
Some officials will definitely not let it go, and Du Qingtang is not the type to swallow his anger, so there will definitely be a bloody storm.
"Never mind, His Majesty will always be there to take care of the aftermath for her."
Yan Tiande folded the newspaper, put it in a small cloth bag on the back seat, and headed towards the imperial city.
The small court meeting will begin at noon, so he has to go there quickly, otherwise he will be late.
......
As expected, when Yan Tiande walked into the Golden Palace, all the officials were discussing the issue of female soldiers in Shaoqing Prefecture.
"The Shaoqing Prefecture's female barracks were able to participate in combat, so it's clear they've been around for a long time. Yao Wenjing, the grandson of Yao Daru, clearly isn't that bold. This is most likely Du Qingtang's doing."
"How dare she form a female battalion without permission?"
"This woman is too reckless!"
As Yan Tiande barely stood still, the Minister of Justice cordially invited him: "Second Minister, Du Qingtang's actions violate the ancestral rules. We should petition His Majesty to severely punish her!"
Yan Tiande just wanted to say that the Minister of Justice had accused him with a disappointed look on his face a few days ago, and today he wanted to drag him into the same camp. Did he really think he was a fool?
Just as he was about to decline, a clear female voice rang out from the distance: "Violating ancestral rules? Could you please tell me, which ancestral rule did Du violate?"
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Du Qingtang and Fu Ci walking into the Golden Palace side by side, passing through the crowd, and standing in their respective seats.
The Minister of Justice did not expect Du Qingtang to be so self-righteous even after doing something wrong. He snorted coldly: "When you were an official in Shaoqing Prefecture, Daxia had not yet allowed women to serve as officials. Yet, you took the initiative to establish a female barracks in Shaoqing Prefecture..."
"Master Yuan," Du Qingtang interrupted the Minister of Justice's aggressive words and said calmly, "You are truly old and confused. Don't you know that Shaoqing Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture and the prefect has supreme administrative power?"
"In short, I have the final say on all matters in the entire Shaoqing Prefecture."
"If I want to open a girls' school, I will open a girls' school. If I want to form a women's barracks, I will form a women's barracks. Even if I were to pluck the sun and moon from the sky, no one would dare to say a word."
"Your Majesty hasn't said anything yet, yet you've become furious, jumping up and down, pointing fingers, and immediately accusing Du of violating ancestral rules."
"Ancestral rules? Sir Yuan, please use your brain before you speak. Ancestral rules never stipulated that women could not serve as officials. Not to mention that times have changed. The court has long allowed women to participate in the civil and military examinations and become officials through the imperial examinations."
The Minister of Justice was caught by Du Qingtang and scolded violently. His face turned ashen, his eyes bulged, and he looked ferocious as if he wanted to bite her to death.
Du Qingtang was not afraid at all. He raised his chin slightly and looked at the Minister of Justice with a mocking expression: "If someone didn't know, they would think you lived by the sea."
One official, confused, asked, "What does it mean to live by the sea? Does this have anything to do with forming a female battalion?"
Fu Ci smiled and replied, "Master Du is saying that Master Yuan is too lenient."
Everyone: “???”
Everyone: “…”
Yan Tiande and Shi Zishan looked at each other, both with helplessness and a barely perceptible smile in their eyes.
Listening to Lord Du bickering with others is undoubtedly a pleasure, like a train running at full speed, rushing all the way, with a sense of calm madness that doesn't care about the lives of others.
Shi Zishan sighed softly and said vaguely: "Perhaps this is exactly what Your Majesty wants."
Yan Tiande remained silent, his voice barely audible: "Otherwise, they wouldn't have published the story about the female soldier in the newspaper."
"Du Qingtang, how dare you scold me?!" The Minister of Justice was so angry that he was furious. His fingers were shaking as he pointed at Du Qingtang. The curse words came to his lips but he swallowed them back, "You, you are unreasonable!"
Du Qingtang scoffed, "You are the one who is being unreasonable. I, Du, would never do such a wicked thing as to use the ancestral rules to oppress others."
Du Qingtang stared at the Minister of Justice, his tone barely concealing his pride. "All you need to know is that it was I, Du, who transformed Shaoqing Prefecture, once known for its chaos and violence, into a place of prosperity and prosperity. To this day, its annual tax revenue remains consistently among the top five among the 140 prefectures."
“Can you do that?”
"You can't."
"If you can't, just shut up."
"Whether Mr. Du is guilty or not is for your Majesty to decide, not for you to convict me with just a few words."
Minister of Justice: “…”
Everyone: “…”
Just at this moment, the eunuch's shrill voice was heard outside the hall.
"Your Majesty has arrived—"
When Emperor Qingyuan, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, sat on the high throne, all officials knelt down and saluted, shouting "Long live the emperor" three times.
"Everyone, please stand up."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
All officials stood still, and Fu Rui sang loudly: "If you have something to report, please report it. If not, please leave the court——"
The Minister of Justice could not swallow this anger and stepped out of the group and knelt, saying, "Your Majesty, I have something to report."
Emperor Qingyuan raised his hand: "Approved."
The Minister of Justice kowtowed and said in a thunderous voice, "Your Majesty, Du Qingtang has established a female barracks without the court's permission. He must be severely punished to serve as a warning to others!"
As soon as this statement was made, several officials echoed it.
"Daxia has many autonomous prefectures. If every prefect is like Du Qingtang, who knows, one day they might use the excuse of establishing a barracks as an excuse to openly raise private soldiers and commit treason."
"Your Majesty, please severely punish Du Qingtang, or abolish the autonomous prefecture."
In fact, they originally wanted to bring up the fact that Du Qingtang opened a girls' school in Shaoqing Prefecture - she said it herself - to prove that Du Qingtang had been planning for a long time and had been planning for women to study, take the imperial examinations, and become officials.
But he swallowed the words back when they came to his lips.
Girls' schools have now spread across every inch of Daxia. There is no point in saying more. It is better to stick to the fact that Du Qingtang secretly set up a female barracks.
It was one thing for the imperial court to allow women to take part in the military examination, but it was another to recruit female soldiers from across the country.
They would never allow a woman to extend her hand to the army after she had dominated the entire court!
"An act of treason?" Du Qingtang looked at the official who had said this. "Master Ming, are you implying to Your Majesty that I, Du, have the intention of treason?"
Lord Ming stiffened his neck and said, "I have never said such a thing. Lord Du, do you think so? Is it because you are guilty?"
Du Qingtang stared at Lord Ming, not angry but smiling: "If I had the intention to rebel, and was lucky enough to succeed, I would kill you first."
Master Ming: "???"
Emperor Qingyuan: “…”
Du Qingtang pointed at them one by one and said, "And you guys too."
The officials who had just scolded Du Qingtang the most harshly: "..."
Officials: “…”
Lord Ming was so angry that he fell backwards, kowtowed twice, and cried bloodshotly: "Your Majesty, please listen quickly. Duke Wen has admitted that she has rebellious intentions and is even threatening me openly. Please help me!"
Du Qingtang threw the tablet backhandedly, and it hit Lord Ming's official hat with a bang. It bounced back and landed at her feet.
"Ah!" Lord Ming covered his head and screamed exaggeratedly.
Du Qingtang sneered: "What? Someone like you who is full of evil intentions, even if I smash him to death, it can be considered as getting rid of harm to the people."
Officials: “…”
Emperor Qingyuan glanced at Lord Ming, whose face flushed red and who was choking and speechless, and coughed lightly, "Alright, Lord Du, please stop talking."
"It is I who have been questioned, wronged, and wronged. Why can't I speak out?" Du Qingtang paused. "Besides, it was with your permission that I was able to establish a female garrison in Shaoqing Prefecture. It would have been fine if you didn't defend me, but you actually told me to shut up. That's really unkind of you."
Emperor Qingyuan: “???”
Officials: “???”
As soon as these words were spoken, the Golden Palace was in an uproar.
"Is it Your Majesty's order?"
"If it were Your Majesty, all of this would make perfect sense. No matter how deeply Your Majesty trusts Lord Du, he wouldn't dare to recruit troops without authorization. How would such an act be any different from treason?"
"Alas, Your Majesty has such good intentions."
"So we blamed Master Du wrongly?"
"Obviously."
Emperor Qingyuan: “…”
While the officials were discussing the matter, Emperor Qingyuan glared at Du Qingtang.
Du Qingtang pretended not to see it, picked up the tablet, stood there calmly, with an expression that said, "I told you what can you do to me?"
She can charge into battle for Princess Zhaoyang, and she can also take away most of the firepower for Princess Zhaoyang, but she will not take the blame for treason.
Emperor Qingyuan just stood by and watched coldly as she was attacked from all sides, so don't blame her for dragging him into it.
The veins on Emperor Qingyuan's forehead throbbed, and the corners of his mouth twitched twice. He managed to calm down, clenched and unclenched his fists, and said calmly: "It was indeed my instruction."
Officials such as the Minister of Justice were dumbfounded.
Du Qingtang exchanged glances with Yan Tiande without leaving any trace. The latter understood and stepped forward. "May I ask, Your Majesty, are you planning to recruit female soldiers from across the country?"
Everyone's heart instantly rose to their throat. They dared to raise their heads and stared at the person sitting high on the dragon throne without blinking.
Emperor Qingyuan nodded: "I do have this intention."
My heart, which had been hanging in the air, fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.
Emperor Qingyuan ignored the shocked and distraught expressions of his officials and said seriously, "My dear ministers, you have all seen that women like Li Jin defeated 30,000 men with only 2,000 men. This shows that women have great potential. They can become capable soldiers and generals, and they can also defend the country and expand the territory."
Lord Ming's gray beard trembled, and his tone was difficult: "But Shaoqing Prefecture recruited female soldiers many years ago..."
Emperor Qingyuan's cold gaze fell on him, and the majesty and cruelty of having the power over life and death came over him. Even if Lord Ming had thousands of words to say, they were all stuck in his throat and he couldn't utter a single word.
"I am the Emperor of Great Xia, and you are my subject. The Emperor does not need to explain his actions to his subjects."
Lord Ming felt a chill sweeping through his body. His legs went weak and he knelt straight on the floor. With a loud bang, he hit his head on the ground and trembled.
"I had originally intended to discuss this matter after the war subsided. Since you, my dear ministers, have taken the initiative to bring it up, I will later announce to the world that this matter should be put on the agenda as soon as possible."
Emperor Qingyuan smiled slightly after he finished speaking and asked, "What do you think, my dear ministers?"
Officials: "......"
The matter has already been decided, why are you still asking them?
What good will it do to ask?
They can't object.
What can you do if you oppose it?
They couldn't ask Emperor Qingyuan to take back his decision.
After a long silence, everyone said in unison: "We have no objection."
-
After the morning court session, Du Qingtang led Fu Ci out of the Golden Palace.
Fu Ci smoothed his sleeves and said with a click of his tongue, "I thought today would be another day of wrangling, but I didn't expect it to be over so quickly."
"That Ming Wenjin is so despicable! He actually tried to frame you for treason. He deserves a good beating with a wooden tablet!"
Du Qingtang smiled. It was easy to get out of control if the noise was too loud, so she usually knew when to stop. A light hit was far more humiliating than a slap.
“The first step in anything is always the hardest. Once you get started, the rest will be smooth sailing.”
The officials in the court knew that Emperor Qingyuan was determined to employ women, and they were afraid of ending up like Lu Shao. At most, they expressed symbolic opposition and did not dare to make a big fuss.
"They're so afraid of death and unwilling to give up. They must be heartbroken right now." Fu Ci felt as refreshed as if he had drunk ice water in the dog days of summer. Suddenly, he slapped his head and said, "Xianyu, let's go to the Liuli Workshop after work tonight. The glass lamp in my room is broken, and I plan to buy a new one."
Although Fu Ci lived in Duke Wen's mansion, she was not a shameless person. She paid her food expenses on time every month and was responsible for all expenses herself.
Du Qingtang nodded: "I remember it."
Fu Ci walked briskly, his eyes curved with a smile, looking extremely happy: "That's good now. Whether you are good at literature or martial arts, everyone can find a path that suits them."
Although the road ahead is full of ups and downs, at least it is no longer dark, and even dreaming is a luxury.
They will keep running towards the light, never stopping.
......
On the other side, all the officials watched Du Qingtang and Fu Ci leave, all of them with sad faces and sighing.
"In the past, we always hoped that Your Majesty would regain power, but now it seems that having the final say is not necessarily a good thing."
"For a moment, I really wanted to bang my head against the Coiled Dragon Pillar and die. Maybe His Majesty would revoke his order."
"Forget it. His Majesty has become increasingly dictatorial in the past two years. There's no point in hitting him. He'll lose a life for nothing. It's not worth it, not worth it!"
Yan Tiande shook his head and walked out with his hands behind his back.
Shi Zishan glanced at the panic-stricken officials and quickly caught up with Yan Tiande: "Sir Yan, are you..." Following the orders of His Majesty, secretly promoting the appointment of women as officials and joining the army, which is why he repeatedly stood up to express his support at critical moments?
Yan Tiande nodded: "Yes, many years ago, I was dragged into this pirate ship by Lord Du."
Shi Zishan: "???"
Yan Tiande paid no attention to the expression of his colleague and friend, and continued to speak to himself, "Now that the dust has settled, there's nothing left to hide."
Then he told Shi Zishan everything about what he had discovered Du Qingtang had done in Shaoqing Mansion, how they had an argument, and how he was finally persuaded by Du Qingtang and boarded Du Qingtang's pirate ship.
Shi Zishan: "..."
After a brief silence, Shi Zishan sighed softly and said with an ambiguous meaning, "Perhaps Lord Du is the biggest variable in Daxia."
If she had not invented firearms, Daxia would probably not have been able to remain invincible, let alone have the prosperity and strength it has today.
Without her, Princess Zhaoyang would not return to the court, and the one who would sit on the throne in the future would definitely be one of those mediocre princes.
The Xia Dynasty is on the verge of collapse due to internal and external troubles. What awaits them will be...
Yan Tiande understood what Shi Zishan hadn't said yet. He wiped his face with his hand and patted his friend's shoulder: "Master Shi, this court will sooner or later become a battlefield for these young people."
"I admit that my initial agreement with Lord Du was largely motivated by selfish motives, but the excellence of Princess Zhaoyang, Duke Wen, Earl Haining, and the other women who participated in the civil and military examinations is obvious to all."
"Although I am a man and I have some of the male chauvinism that Lord Du mentioned, to be fair, regardless of whether they are men or women, as long as they benefit Daxia and the people, the court should appoint and use them."
"Unfortunately, many people in the court still don't understand this truth and are still resisting stubbornly."
"Master Shi, please wait, this is just the beginning."
"Once Princess Zhaoyang ascends the throne, there will surely be more policies that benefit women. If they remain restless, they will surely face a bad end."
Shi Zishan remained silent, looking at the tall red wall, a trace of melancholy passing through his heart.
These palace walls trapped His Majesty, the princes and grandchildren, and also trapped them.
After half a lifetime of fame, wealth, intrigue, open and secret struggles, in the end, dust returns to dust, and you can take nothing with you.
Thousands of words converged in my heart, and finally turned into just one sentence: "I hope Princess Zhaoyang can return triumphantly soon."
Yan Tiande twirled his beard and smiled, "Yes."
He believed in the vision of His Majesty and Lord Du.
He believed more in firearms and the hundreds of thousands of soldiers of Daxia.
-
However, the Xia army and the people who lost their land worked together and successfully recovered the three major lost territories in less than two hours.
The people in the city were badly injured in the melee, so Princess Zhaoyang arranged for them to stay in the wounded tents and asked military doctors to treat them.
Over the next three days, Princess Zhaoyang traveled to three cities, pacifying the people and dealing with officials, soldiers, and others of the Great Qi.
Anyone who has a life on his hands will be sentenced to death by slicing.
Anyone who bullies the people who have lost their land will be executed by beheading.
The very few who had not committed any evil were sentenced to beheading.
After the verdict came out, the Xia people and the Xia army all ran around to tell each other and celebrated.
"I was originally worried that His Highness Zhaoyang would be too soft-hearted and let go of those Qi people who had done no evil."
"Everyone knows that wildfires cannot be extinguished, and spring breezes will bring new life, let alone someone as capable as His Highness Zhaoyang. Even if those people did nothing, who can guarantee that they won't come back to bite us in the future? We must eradicate the roots and prevent future troubles!"
"His Highness Zhaoyang is a man who clearly distinguishes between rewards and punishments. He saved us and even made Brother Hu and the others officials."
Although it is only a seventh-rank military rank, the road to attacking Qi is long. As long as you dare to charge into battle and fight bravely, you will definitely be promoted. Maybe you can even become a general in the future!
"If I had known this earlier, I would have followed Brother Hu and the others to the government office to kill the dog official."
"As a human being, we should be content. It's good enough to be alive and wait for the Xia army to rescue us. In the future, we can do some small business, or go home to farm, and then send our children to school. I heard from those female soldiers that the Great Xia has undergone great changes in recent years. There are flat and spacious cement roads, trains that can travel thousands of miles a day, and firearms that can make the thieves of Qi tremble in fear. And there's more! Girls can also go to school, and it doesn't cost a penny. It's really great. The days are so beautiful that I couldn't even imagine them in the past. How could I dare to hope for more..."
The people listened to the woman chattering about the changes in Daxia, looking at the rising sun in the east, tears in their eyes and relaxed and happy smiles on their faces.
......
Starting from May 23, tens of thousands of Qi people were pushed to the execution ground one after another.
For the next three days, the blood on the execution ground never dried up, and the edges of the machetes and guillotines were curled up.
The people of the three cities watched the whole process. Although the scene was bloody and horrifying, no one took their eyes off.
They suppressed their nausea and fear, listened to the Qi thief's cries and pleas for mercy, and looked at the Qi thief's miserable condition. The resentment in their hearts gradually dissipated, and the numbness and despair in their eyes gradually faded, regaining their luster.
On May 26, a group of officials arrived in the three cities by train and took office that day.
The first thing he did after taking office was to post a notice asking people who wanted to find their relatives to come to the government to register.
The government will spread their relevant information to the 140 prefectures of Daxia and do its best to help them find their lost relatives.
When Princess Zhaoyang learned about this, she called the person over and asked about Xia Jing's situation.
The prefect of Hanfeng Prefecture knew this man's identity was unusual, so he didn't dare to fool around. He replied sternly, "The Xiasheng Daily published news of the great victory at Loushan Pass. The officials in the court learned of your request to borrow female soldiers from Shaoqing Prefecture. They had a scene with Duke Wen at the morning court, but ultimately agreed to the court's formal call for female soldiers in early June."
Princess Zhaoyang gently stroked her waist belt and curled her lips subtly. Lord Du would never let her down.
As for Emperor Qingyuan...
He owed her that.
The gloom in Princess Zhaoyang's eyes disappeared in an instant. She waved her hand to let the prefect of Hanfeng Prefecture leave, sat alone for a while, and then went to comfort the wounded.
Although there were firearms troops, the soldiers at Loushan Pass and the three camps fought as many battles as they needed to, and there were naturally casualties in the fighting.
Fortunately, the Qi army stationed in the three cities had been poorly trained and only had some mediocre skills, so the Xia army suffered only 2,000 casualties.
Compared with the Xia army, the casualties among the civilians were even more severe, with the number reaching as high as four to five thousand.
In the past few days, Princess Zhaoyang went to the wounded soldiers' camp every day. Both the Xia army and the Xia people were grateful to her.
After communicating with Loushan Pass the day before yesterday, the two armies decided to set off tomorrow, heading west and meeting at Hengyang Pass in the northeastern province of Da Qi.
No matter what you think in your heart, you have to do your surface work well, even if it takes only one day.
After visiting dozens of wounded soldiers' tents one by one, it was already evening when it came to the last one.
Princess Zhaoyang suddenly felt a dull pain in her head. She lifted the tent door and walked in. Her tone was gentle, with a faint smile: "How are you feeling today?"
The wounded were lying on their backs, but upon seeing this they quickly sat up and answered in a flurry.
"The wound healed quickly after being sutured and has now scabbed over."
"It doesn't hurt anymore. I guess it won't scab over until the next two days. It's a shame I can't go to the battlefield with His Highness."
"There's still a lot of time to go. It's not too late to go back to the battlefield after you recover." Du Qingtang looked at the only wounded soldier lying in the corner. "How do you feel? Is your wound still bleeding?"
The wounded soldier had his stomach pierced by the Qi army. When he was carried back from the battlefield, his intestines had already come out. He survived after a lot of rescue efforts by the military doctor.
The man with a mustache opened his mouth and said something in a hoarse and weak voice.
Princess Zhaoyang didn't hear clearly, she leaned over and muttered: "If you really can't bear it, you can ask the military doctor to give you some painkillers..."
Before he could finish his words, the hand of the mustache man that was under the quilt shot out like lightning, and the cold light cut through the air and stabbed straight at Princess Zhaoyang.
The guards and the wounded were horrified: "Your Highness!"
The sharp dagger stabbed into her chest. Princess Zhaoyang lowered her head and took a big step back.
The man with a mustache missed his first attack and jumped high from the ground, trying to stab him again.
"Your Highness, get out of the way!"
But Princess Zhaoyang was standing there, motionless, as if she was frightened silly.
Not only Princess Zhaoyang, but also Aunt Yuanshuang with white hair behind her is like this.
The personal guards at the door rushed towards the mustache-wearing man, while the wounded closed their eyes, unable to bear the sight.
It’s over!
His Highness Zhaoyang is in great danger now!
However, at this critical moment, Yuan Shuang suddenly stepped forward, raised his hand and easily neutralized the attack of the mustache man, and while he was in pain, kicked him in the chest.
"Bang!"
The man with the mustache flew backwards and knocked over the only small table in the wounded soldier's tent.
The bodyguards rushed forward and pinned down the mustache-wearing man. Ignoring his bleeding wounds, they quickly and efficiently cut off his jaw, arms, and legs.
The wounded were stunned by this reversal and stared blankly at Princess Zhaoyang who looked calm and composed.
"Your Highness, are you alright?"
"Is Yu Yunshan crazy? How dare he assassinate His Highness!"
Princess Zhaoyang just shook her head slightly, turned around and walked out.
Yuan Shuang followed, and her personal guards followed closely behind with Yu Yunshan.
After walking a distance, Princess Zhaoyang said casually, "No need to stay."
The personal guard was stunned for a moment, but without suspecting anything, he took Yu Yunshan to the other side.
Princess Zhaoyang raised her eyes, the gorgeous sunset reflected in her brown pupils: "I want to see Tian Xiu."
Yuan Shuang responded respectfully and went to do it herself.
......
An hour later, Tian Xiu, wearing a black hood, was escorted by his personal guards to Hanfeng Mansion, Princess Zhaoyang's residence.
The personal guard took off his hood, and Tian Xiu squinted his eyes uncomfortably.
"I thought you could use some clever tricks."
Tian Xiu's eyes adjusted to the light, and he looked in the direction of the voice. His pupils suddenly shrank: "It's you!"
Princess Zhaoyang took a sip of tea and said slowly, "You've lived to this age, but your plan to assassinate me is full of loopholes. It seems I overestimated you."
Tian Xiu stood upright with his hands tied behind his back. Although he looked down at Princess Zhaoyang from a high position, he looked like a balloon with a hole in it, revealing a bit of bluffing: "The winner is the king and the loser is the bandit. I have nothing to say."
"I just hate the way fate has played tricks on me." Tian Xiu curled his lips. "My grandson could have earned a military merit, returned to Xiajing in glory, and then, with my support, challenged the Fourth Prince and ultimately ascended to the throne, ruling the country."
"And you, Xia Danrong, should have died in Great Qi. You were the Emperor of Qi's Consort Xia until your death."
"What a pity! My grandson fell into the hands of the Qi bandits and became a cripple. He was also adopted by the sickly Prince Cheng, completely eliminating his chance of inheriting the throne."
"On the contrary, you, who were regarded as a discarded child by His Majesty and given to the Emperor of Qi as a gift, returned to the court in glory and became His Majesty's chosen heir to the throne."
At this point, the emotions that Tian Xiu had been trying hard to suppress burst out, the hatred in his eyes almost solidified into substance, and veins bulged on his forehead.
"Why did you come back?"
"If you stay in Da Qi and serve as your Concubine Xia, the Third Prince, as your Majesty's only son, will be the next emperor for sure."
"You deserve to die! Why don't you just die?"
"As long as I kill you, His Majesty will recognize the Third Prince again. Then, I will be the Emperor's grandfather, and all the troops in the world will be under my command. What will happen to that kid Pei Yuchun?"
"It's a pity that I was still one step behind and lost to you." Tian Xiu's tone was low for a moment, and then he laughed out loud, "But it doesn't matter, the world will definitely belong to the Third Prince in the end!"
Princess Zhaoyang listened to Tian Xiu's crazy talk, not even bothering to glance at him. She stroked her wrist and said lazily, "The evil will last for a thousand years. I must live at least one or two hundred years."
"It's you, on the contrary." Princess Zhaoyang changed the subject and spoke softly, "Since Deputy General Tian is determined to die, I will grant your wish."
Tian Xiu's smug smile froze on his face, and he glared at him with his big, copper-bell-like eyes: "This general is the commander-in-chief appointed by His Majesty himself, and there are countless Tian family soldiers in my army. You can't kill me!"
"In terms of numbers, the Pei family's army is larger. A few soldiers from the Tian family can't cause any trouble." Princess Zhaoyang said in a contemptuous tone, "In terms of status, I am the master and you are the servant. Do I need a reason to kill you?"
After saying that, he waved his hand, and the personal soldiers, ignoring Tian Xiu's struggle and abuse, covered his mouth again and dragged him out.
In just a cup of tea, the guards returned and said, "Your Highness, it's been cleaned up."
Princess Zhaoyang turned the pages of the military book, her eyes fixed on the profound military tactics: "You go to Loushan Pass and temporarily take over Tian Xiu's identity."
The personal guard took the order and left, disguised as Tian Xiu, riding back to Loushan Pass overnight.
Outside the tent, Tian Xiu's personal guards had been waiting for a long time. Upon seeing him, they quickly came forward and said, "General, why are you back just now? General Pei just summoned the other generals for a meeting, and it's probably all over by now."
Tian Xiu opened the tent door and walked in, saying nonchalantly, "It's over, it's over. I won't be leading the next battle anyway."
Upon hearing this, the personal guards were at a loss for words and instead presented a letter: "General, this is from Xia Jing."
"Tian Xiu" sat down behind the long desk, opened the letter, glanced through it, and after reading it, he picked up a pen to write a reply and asked his personal soldiers to deliver it.
-
On May 22, the Xia army recovered three major lost territories.
On May 23, the Xia army captured Changping Pass.
On May 27, the two armies set out again, advancing westward.
With the firearms army leading the way, artillery could easily blast open the city gates. The lethality of gunpowder and muskets was equally astonishing. The morale of the Xia army increased greatly, and their fighting spirit was high. They captured a city almost every three to five days.
The two armies attacked at the same time, but in just half a month, the northeastern province of Da Qi was completely occupied.
In mid-June, the 300,000-strong army gathered together and was invincible all the way. They were unstoppable and forced the Qi army to flee in panic.
Under the threat of firearms, more than half of the city officials voluntarily opened the city gates and surrendered.
The officials in the remaining half of the city were quite principled and led the military and civilians to defend the city to the death. However, in the end, they were no match for the power of hot weapons and were reduced to ashes under the fierce artillery fire, with no trace left of their bodies.
The 300,000-strong army advanced rapidly and in just half a year, they took over half of the territory of Da Qi.
The Emperor of Qi sent people to negotiate peace and offered gold, silver, beauties, and cities, just to stop the fighting and keep the remaining half of his territory.
Princess Zhaoyang refused to respond and had the envoy sent by the Emperor of Qi thrown out of the military camp. Her eyes were sharp and she exuded a coldness that was completely unbearable. She said, "We will capture Annan Prefecture in two days."
"yes!"
Eighteen hours later, the Xia army captured Annan Prefecture and incorporated it into the territory of Daxia.
The Emperor of Qi was shocked and angry, and sent an army of 200,000 to reinforce. Unfortunately, he was still no match for the powerful firearms and the high-spirited Xia army.
In the following six months, the Qi army suffered continuous defeats, and the signs of national destruction were obvious, and there was no way to turn the tide.
......
When the Xia army broke through the imperial city, the Emperor of Qi was drinking and having fun with Concubine Mei and several other concubines.
The commander of the Imperial Guards entered, his expression solemn: "Your Majesty, the Xia army is approaching. Please allow me to escort you out of the capital."
The Qi Emperor's hand trembled, and the wine glass fell, soaking his dragon robe. His face was full of disbelief: "The Xia army has entered the imperial city?"
The commander of the imperial guards nodded.
The Qi Emperor's expression changed drastically, and he pushed Concubine Mei away from his arms: "Quick! Escort me out of the palace!"
As long as the green mountains remain, there will be no shortage of firewood.
Wait until he regroups and takes back his kingdom to avenge today's revenge.
When Concubine Mei saw the Emperor of Qi change into his eunuch uniform and leave with the commander of the imperial guards without looking back, her face turned pale with fear: "Your Majesty! Your Majesty, do you not want me anymore?"
The Emperor of Qi ran faster.
His life was almost gone, so how could he care about his favorite concubine?
You can have many women and children, but if you lose your life, you lose everything.
"Your Majesty! Commander Ruan!"
The Emperor of Qi did not even look back and headed westward under the escort of the commander of the imperial guards.
The palace was in chaos, with screams, cries, and curses heard everywhere.
The Emperor of Qi had no time to care about anything else. He was only concerned with escaping. He gasped and asked, "Lord Ruan, where are you taking me?"
The commander of the Imperial Guards flashed a smile and said in a deep voice, "Of course... I will send you to see His Highness Zhaoyang."
His Highness Zhaoyang?
The Emperor of Qi was stunned. Before he could react, he was kicked over by the commander of the imperial guards, gagged, and tied up.
The commander of the imperial guards brought the Emperor of Qi to the Golden Palace. The concubines, princes, princesses, nobles, and officials were all tied up and huddled in the corner, shivering.
Princess Zhaoyang, clad in silver armor and holding a long sword, stood under the dragon throne, her sharp gaze fixed on the commander of the imperial guards.
The commander of the imperial guards was unhurried and bowed calmly, saying, "I, Ruan Liang, have been waiting for Your Highness here for a long time, following the orders of my master."
Princess Zhaoyang raised her eyebrows: "Master?"
Ruan Liang replied calmly, "Duke Wen of Great Xia, Du Qingtang."
Princess Zhaoyang smiled slowly and her eyes moved down to Emperor Qi.
The Emperor of Qi shuddered, his legs went weak, and he prostrated himself on the spot, with pleading eyes.
He obviously recognized Princess Zhaoyang.
Not only Emperor Qi, but also Concubine Mei.
Concubine Mei recalled how she had humiliated Princess Zhaoyang in the past, and was so frightened that she fell to the ground and kowtowed heavily, regardless of the hemp ropes binding her hands.
She regretted it!
She shouldn't have been jealous of Princess Zhaoyang's beauty and tried every means to humiliate her.
Unfortunately, although she was filled with regret, Concubine Mei's mouth was blocked and she couldn't say a word. She could only sob and cry.
Princess Zhaoyang looked down at the two of them condescendingly.
In the past, they were high and mighty and forced her to kneel and serve them. Now, they knelt at her feet, begging her with tears streaming down her face to spare their lives.
Princess Zhaoyang smiled slowly and stepped forward with her sword in hand.
The Emperor of Qi felt dizzy and vaguely saw a headless corpse fall to the ground.
Concubine Mei watched Princess Zhaoyang cut off Emperor Qi's head with a sword and was so frightened that she became incontinent on the spot.
There was another dizzying moment, and a headless corpse fell to the ground with a thud.
Princess Zhaoyang raised her knife and slashed twice, and blood bloomed on her face in an astonishingly bright color.
In the east, a golden crow leaped out of the horizon.
It's dawn.
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