Chapter 347: Hidden Head War Letter
Zhennan Pass, the central army camp.
Before Nong Zhigao was escorted there, Wen Li'er's thick letter home, filled with longing and good news, had already traveled thousands of miles and arrived in Yan Shixu's hands.
When Yan Shixu read the letter saying that she was pregnant with their fourth child, his heart suddenly pounded.
A huge joy swept over his body, and a bright smile bloomed on his face.
He's going to be a father again!
However, after the joy, comes deeper concern and worry.
What worried him was that she was pregnant, but he was far away in southern Xinjiang and couldn't accompany her and take care of her.
She also had to worry about the heavy affairs in the palace and the "National Protection and Fund Raising Office" and the "Anti-epidemic Branch Office".
He could almost imagine her trying to stay awake, frowning and working hard.
Yan Shixu immediately picked up his pen and wrote another letter, every word of which was a reminder:
Please put aside all your affairs and rest in peace. You can entrust everything to Princess Lin and others. Do not overwork yourself...
“Report—!”
Yan Shixu had only written half of his reply when a messenger's hurried and loud voice suddenly rang out outside the barracks.
"Your Majesty! Nanzhao has sent an envoy with a declaration of war."
The messenger knelt on one knee and held high in both hands a letter tube with a wax seal on it.
Declaration of war from Nanzhao?
Yan Shixu raised his eyebrows slightly, and a sharp hint flashed in his eyes.
He had just assembled elite troops from several surrounding prefectures, together with the Zhennan Army headquarters, a total of 500,000 troops.
They are preparing to march south on a certain day to attack Huanglong.
Unexpectedly, Nanzhao took the lead and sent a declaration of war?
Yan Shixu pondered for a moment and then ordered, "Send Minister Su, Lord Wen, General Chen, and several lieutenants to come here immediately to discuss this matter."
"As you wish!"
Soon, Su Zhanyue, Wen Zhiyan, Chen Zhen and several important border army generals hurried over.
Nanzhao's proactive declaration of war means that the war is likely to break out early.
After everyone sat down in order in the tent, Yan Shixu glanced at them and said in a deep voice, "Read."
The personal guard standing by immediately stepped forward and respectfully took the letter from the messenger.
After checking that the sealing wax was intact, he took out a roll of bright yellow silk from inside and unfolded it.
The handwriting on the silk was wild and unrestrained, with ink dripping all over, exuding the unique unruly and arrogant aura of the Nanzhao King Nong Zhixiang.
The voice of the guards echoed clearly in the silent barracks:
——
Waving the banners and staining the dust with blood,
The army came from southern Xinjiang and shook the world.
Looking south, all the mountains and rivers belong to me.
Order the iron hooves to trample on Yanmen!
I have millions of soldiers.
Anyone who stands in my way will be killed and anyone who stands in my way will be burned!
To avenge the past, the nation fought a war.
You rats will all be doomed!
Once the arrow is shot, there is no turning back.
Commemorate the dead souls on the day the city is broken!
Opening the door is not cowardice,
Waiting for you to fight to decide life or death!
——
Every word in the poem is as sharp as a knife and every sentence is as fiery as fire, full of extreme contempt and arrogant provocation.
When the personal guard uttered the last word "wait", the air in the tent seemed to be ignited instantly.
Except for Yan Shixu who was sitting in the main seat with an unpredictable expression, the other generals, especially the hot-tempered General Chen Zhen, were furious.
"Arrogant! Shameless!"
He slammed his palm on the hardwood table in front of him, making a loud "bang".
His burly body suddenly stood up like an angry lion, pointing his spear to the south with a sound like thunder.
"Nong Zhixiang, this southern barbarian scoundrel, how dare you disrespect the majesty of our Great Yan! Do you really think that our Great Yan's 500,000 brave warriors are made of paper and clay?!"
Another deputy general was so angry that his beard was shaking, and his voice changed. "Your Majesty, this barbarian is so arrogant and domineering, clearly trampling on the dignity of our Great Yan. This is intolerable!"
"Your Majesty." A deputy general stepped forward and challenged for battle.
"I beg you to serve as the vanguard! Assemble the troops immediately and march day and night to attack the Nanzhao gate."
He would personally chop off the head of that bastard Nong Zhixiang and hang it on the city wall of Zhennan Pass!
Let him take a good look with his dog eyes, whose city was destroyed! Whose soul is being sacrificed?
"That's right! Destroy Nanzhao! Leave no one alive!"
"Kill! Kill him without a single piece of armor left! Show our country's prestige!"
"Your Majesty, please give the order! I am willing to be the vanguard!"
“…”
The crowd in the tent was filled with indignation, and the calls for battle grew louder and louder.
It was as if every word in the declaration of war had turned into a red-hot iron, burning their hearts and faces.
Wen Zhiyan's gaze quickly swept across the angry generals and finally landed on the face of Yan Shixu who was at the top.
Su Zhanyue narrowed his eyes slightly and looked thoughtfully at the original silk document that the emperor was holding in his hands and examining over and over again.
Yan Shixu sat upright in the main seat, his fingers with distinct knuckles stroking the words on the silk. His face did not show the raging anger that the generals displayed. Instead, a hint of elusive smile and appreciation flashed across his deep eyes.
His gaze slowly swept across the faces of several generals who were eager to fight, and finally stopped on Su Zhanyue.
He ordered: "Show the declaration of war to Minister Su for review."
"Yes." The personal soldier held the letter in both hands and presented it to Su Zhanyue.
Su Zhanyue lowered his eyes, staring intently at the words on the silk in his hand.
The charm of the turning points of the brushstrokes... so familiar!
He suddenly looked up at Yan Shixu, his lips moving, his eyes filled with shock and a kind of ecstasy that was about to burst out, almost blurting out -
Yan Shixu shook his head at him almost imperceptibly.
Su Zhanyue's whole body trembled, and he forced himself to swallow back the words that were about to come out of his mouth. He just nodded very slightly, lowered his head again, and returned to silence.
However, his hands, tightly gripping the silk cloth and with his knuckles already white, revealed his inner restlessness at the moment.
Brat! I knew you wouldn't die so easily!
How could this be some bullshit declaration of war? It was clearly a hidden letter.
——March south, I will open the city gate for you, wait!
That familiar handwriting, and the self-proclaimed "Gua Ren"...
All of this indicates that Su Muyang is currently in Nanzhao, and has taken over the identity of the Nanzhao monarch.
He was telling His Majesty: The time has come, quickly march south. He would use his identity as the "King of Nanzhao" to act as an insider and open the city gates for the army.
This matter involves so many people and has such high risks that if one is not careful, Su Muyang, who is far away in the Nanzhao Palace, may be put to death.
Just when the generals' calls for battle reached a peak and the entire barracks was like a boiling furnace, Yan Shixu finally raised his hand.
The bony palm simply pressed down calmly and steadily.
The camp, which had been noisy just a moment ago, suddenly fell into a dead silence where one could hear a pin drop.
All eyes were firmly focused on Yan Shixu, waiting for his orders.
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