On the night of September 20th, the ninth year of the Xuanli calendar, there was no moon.
The four thousand Divine Sword Army was divided into four regiments. Under the leadership of their respective commanders, they entered the mountain from four directions according to the strategic plan that had been prepared long ago.
After careful consideration, General Peng Chengwu of the Northern Frontier Army strengthened the patrols and defenses of Tiandao Village where his headquarters was located, and sent a scout team to Beishan, not to investigate the movements of Captain Gong Shen's troops, but to see if any reinforcements had arrived.
On the same night, in the temporary meeting hall of Beishan where Gong Shenzhang was, the remaining five Vajras under his command, his wife, the Smiling Fox Liu Jiumei, and several counselors and generals were sitting upright.
"Boss, Peng Chengwu isn't good at mountain warfare. Although he appears to have an army of over 100,000, they're actually vulnerable. Why don't we fight back?"
The one who asked the question was Jingshui Vajra, and his words were naturally agreed by the other four Vajras, but Gong Shenchang did not nod.
"Don't be anxious just yet. My goal isn't to drive away the northern border troops. I want to... devour them all in one gulp!"
The hideous scar on Gong Shenchang's face twitched like a caterpillar. His eyes flashed with ferocity, and he spoke again with a clenched mouth: "As long as we swallow the northern border troops, this vast northern territory will fall into our hands. Now that the Yu Dynasty's war in the east is at a stalemate, even the southern border troops have gone to provide support. Emperor Xuan will certainly have no time to pay attention to the north. We will rest and recuperate in the north, and when the time is right, we will march south. This is the way to serve the country!"
Jingshui Jin Gang was stunned for a moment before he realized that the boss he followed had such strong ambitions!
This is certainly a good thing. If the boss overthrows the Yu Dynasty, people like us will be his loyal followers, and we will surely enjoy endless high-ranking officials and titles.
He immediately stood up and clasped his fists in a salute. "We are rough men, and we only follow the boss's lead. You tell us how to fight, and we will do it."
A scholar on the left of Gong Shenzhang stood up.
He waved his feather fan and spoke slowly, "In the current Yu Dynasty, the emperor is dissolute and corrupt, and all officials are corrupt, causing the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people, and the people are living in misery. My brother Gong answered the call of heaven and came from the Yellow River. In just one year, he has an army of 200,000!"
"This is what it means to follow the will of the people. My brother Gong is the gravedigger of Dayu!"
He paused with the feather fan in his hand, turned around and bowed to Commander Gong, then said, "When a large army rises up, it must be guided by the Yellow Heaven. In my humble opinion, it would be best if Brother Gong established a new dynasty here, donned the yellow robe, and ascended the throne as emperor!"
When he said this, everyone in the conference hall was shocked. Become emperor?
Isn’t it a little early?
Besides, this place is so shabby. Even if he wants to become emperor, he has to wipe out all the northern border troops. It’s not too late to occupy Yongning City.
When Jingshui Jin Gang heard this, he thought it was a brilliant plan, but he couldn't explain why. So he asked, "Does Young Master Shi have an explanation for this?"
Young Master Shi, he was not the young master of the Shi family of Shangjing in the Yu Dynasty. He was from the Shi family of Yongning City, and he had some connection with the Shi family of Shangjing. His father was once the governor of Yongning City. After the fall of the Shi family of Shangjing, he knew that things were not going well, so he took refuge with the headmaster of the palace.
This young master Shi was named Shi An. He studied at the Jixia Academy for four years, majoring in military strategy.
He then returned to Yongning City and became a staff member of the Yongning City garrison. It was he who persuaded the Yongning City garrison commander Yang Xiaoshan to surrender, which led to Captain Gong leading more than 10,000 people to plunder Yongning City.
As a result, he was appreciated by the headmaster Gong and became one of the three core staff members around the headmaster Gong.
Shi An opened the feather fan in his hand with a swish. He looked at everyone with a smile on his face and said slowly:
"As the saying goes, we have a legitimate reason to fight. After this battle, led by Brother Gong, we will go down the mountain. But this battle is the key!"
"Please do not underestimate Peng Chengwu. He is the adopted son of Peng Tu. Although he is now struggling in the Pingling Mountains, the over 100,000 border troops he personally led have not suffered many casualties."
"Brother Gong originally planned to lead him to the territory of the Savages and, together with the Savage State Master, completely wipe out his northern border troops. However, he actually turned back and fled to our Tiandao Village..."
"Everyone, Brother Gong has a backup plan and will soon launch a counterattack against Tiandao Village. Therefore, if Brother ascends the throne and becomes emperor at this moment, there will be at least three benefits."
"First, our Tiandao Army now has someone to follow. Second, fighting for His Majesty is the great mission of every Tiandao Army soldier. We, and all the soldiers, will give it our all! Third, this tells the world that Brother Gong has established a court in Pingling and will fight the Yu Dynasty to the end."
"Think about it, everyone. The Yu Dynasty is already unstable. If the news of Brother Gong becoming emperor gets out, won't heroes from all over the country come to join him?"
"After completely annihilating the northern border troops in this battle, Brother Gong, no, Your Majesty's reputation will surely soar to unrivaled proportions. Even the barbarians will surely look upon you with new eyes."
He quickly put away his feather fan and said, "This is the right time, right place, and right people. The new dynasty will inevitably rise, and the old one will naturally collapse. What do you think?"
Jingshui Jin Gang immediately clapped his hands, "I agree!"
The other four Vajras also agreed, and the rest of the generals and counselors also felt that Shi An's words made some sense - the rebellion had already reached this point, and sooner or later Gong Shenchang would establish a new dynasty and become emperor, so why not do it in the near future.
So everyone in the meeting room offered suggestions.
For example, the name of the Xin Dynasty.
For example, the new emperor’s reign title.
For example, the day when the new emperor ascends the throne and the ceremonial attire that should be worn.
What a lively scene.
Captain Gong naturally had no objection. These country bumpkins kept calling each other "brother, brother" and "boss, boss" all day long without any rules. They made it seem like they were still in the underworld.
Once I become the emperor, you guys can’t call me brother anymore!
Once I sit on the throne, I can finally hold a beauty pageant with a clear conscience!
So, after some discussion, some things were decided.
"I like the word 'Tian' for the name of this new dynasty. 'Heavenly Kingdom' is a resounding name."
"As for the date of enthronement, September 25th will be chosen. We still have five days to prepare, so everyone should hurry up."
"As for the ceremony, let's keep it simple. Once we've completely dealt with the northern border troops and stabilized the situation, we'll hold a grand ceremony in Yongning City and enthrone the ministers..."
The headmaster glanced at these people with dignity, "You are all my trusted confidants and my right-hand men. When that day comes, I will certainly not treat you unfairly!"
"Everyone, stay alert these days, and pay special attention to the food stored in those three places. When the army of the Desolate Nation arrives on October 1st... the death knell of the Yu Dynasty will be sounded here!"
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