Chapter 823 The King's Regret (First Update)
Xiao Heng's guess was confirmed in the days that followed.
In mid-August, news came from Tianshan Pass that the Jin army was marching eastward.
Two days later, news also came from Yanmen Pass that the Liang army was marching eastward.
The Han family and the Nangong family are still on their way and won't arrive at the border anytime soon. They must be communicating with the border guard through trusted confidants.
Tianshan Pass was guarded by the Han family's troops, while Yanmen Pass was guarded by the Nangong family's troops. Although there were other generals, the main generals were the confidants of these two families. Almost as soon as the urgent secret report arrived, the troops of the two families quickly cleared the obstacles and controlled the situation at the border.
When the news reached the capital of the Great Yan Kingdom, the king was so angry that he smashed the inkstone in his study!
The eunuchs and palace maids in the room were so frightened that they all knelt down on the ground.
Zhang Dequan didn't dare to utter a sound.
Who could have predicted that after arresting the Han family and imprisoning the Crown Prince, two powerful families would join forces to rebel?
They were far more arrogant than the Xuanyuan family back then.
The Xuanyuan family did not rebel because they had committed crimes and were afraid of being caught.
It was only after learning of the secret agreement reached between the ruler and the states of Jin and Liang that he decided to rebel.
At that time, only the emperor, Xuanyuan Li, and Zhang Dequan, who served tea, were in the imperial study.
Zhang Dequan still finds Xuan Yuanli's indignant words resoundingly powerful.
Xuanyuan Li said, "Shangguan Jingyang, do you really think the Xuanyuan family is your biggest threat? You're willing to negotiate with a tiger just to get rid of them! One day you'll regret it!"
Sixteen years later, Xuan Yuanli's words finally came true.
The ambitions of the Jin and Liang states can no longer be concealed. However, the Great Yan no longer has the million-strong army of the Xuanyuan family. What will it use to fight against the military strength of the two great powers?
Not to mention that the Han and Nangong families also took away nearly half of their troops!
How should we fight this battle?
What chance does it have of winning?
If Xuanyuan Li were still alive, and all the sons of the Xuanyuan family were still in the world, perhaps they could have fought a battle where the few could defeat the many.
But they all died in battle.
Ever since the Han family revealed their true colors, the king has spent not a single day without regret. Whether it is internal troubles or external threats, as long as the Xuanyuan family exists, there will be no so many demons and monsters.
He feared that the Xuanyuan family's achievements overshadowed his own, and wanted to exterminate the entire Xuanyuan clan because of a prophecy.
In the end, however, the Great Yan dynasty still fell into a precarious situation!
The king took a deep breath to calm himself: "I still have a large army, the forces of the Wang and Mu families, and the Black Wind Cavalry... I may not necessarily lose..."
"Report—"
Suddenly, an urgent report came from outside the Imperial Study.
"Announce!" the king said solemnly.
Zhang Dequan summoned the spy into the imperial study.
But more than one spy came.
"Your Majesty, an urgent report from Cangxue Pass reveals that the Chen Kingdom's army is advancing towards the eastern border!"
"Your Majesty, our spies have discovered the Zhao army!"
"Your Majesty, a large army of the Zhao Kingdom has been discovered at Chishui Pass!"
Of the six states in the world, five have already sent troops to the Yan state.
This was no longer just an invasion by the states of Jin and Liang; even three inferior states were taking advantage of the situation and stealing a piece of Yan's prize.
In the past, the three kingdoms of Zhao, Chen, and Zhao would not have dared to do this, but now the news of the Jin and Liang dynasties' Yan army launching an attack has already shaken the world, and the "good news" of the Han and Nangong families' defection has not escaped the eyes of spies from various countries.
If not now, when?
The king's blood surged, and he immediately vomited a mouthful of blood, collapsing and fainting!
Zhang Dequan hurriedly summoned the imperial physician and ordered someone to invite Gu Jiao, Shangguan Yan, and Xiao Heng into the palace.
To be honest, things have really taken us by surprise.
They originally thought that by stopping the Han clan, they could prevent a civil war, and without the drain of a civil war, the Jin and Liang states would not easily confront the Yan state head-on.
Unexpectedly, the Han family and the Nangong family joined forces to rebel, which not only brought internal strife but also directly breached all the border checkpoints of the Great Yan, turning the invasion by the two countries into a plunder by five countries.
In the dream, the states of Zhao, Chen, and Zhao did not participate in the partitioning of Yan, because at that time Yan was just an empty shell, which Jin and Liang could easily take over.
The Great Yan is currently strong and well-equipped, so defeat is inevitable, but it will certainly be a fierce battle, leaving them no time to attend to the eastern border of Great Yan.
"The situation is even more serious than what happened in the dream."
Of all the prophetic dreams Gu Jiao had, this was the one that was most out of her control.
Will everyone eventually meet the ending they dream of?
The carriage arrived at the palace.
The king had just suffered a minor stroke, but was saved by the royal physician. He looked very haggard, as if he had aged more than ten years in a single day.
He lay on the bright yellow dragon bed, his breath light and ethereal.
He tasted the bitterness of regret and the bitter fruit of retribution.
Gu Jiao examined him and found that he was not in any danger, but his body would not be able to recover to its former agility in the short term.
Gu Jiao and Xiao Heng could tell that he had something to say to Shangguan Yan, so they turned around and walked out.
Zhang Dequan also withdrew with his palace servants.
Only the father and daughter remained in the vast bedroom.
Shangguan Yan stood before the dragon bed, gazing calmly at the aged and powerless king, and asked with a piercing tone, "Do you regret it?"
The king's lips twitched twice, and a trace of regret flashed in his cloudy eyes, but he remained stubborn and unwilling to admit his past arrogance.
But in reality, he had already regretted it.
He just didn't expect that he would regret it so thoroughly.
It wasn't the Xuanyuan family that stole the destiny of the Great Yan dynasty; it was Xuanyuan himself.
He annihilated the Xuanyuan clan, destroying the strongest barrier of the Great Yan.
Great Yan became fish on a chopping board, and even the lower kingdoms raised their butcher knives against Great Yan.
He thought to himself countless times, if the Xuanyuan family were still around, who would dare to invade!
"Save...save it..."
He opened his mouth and tried to say something, but his voice was weak and unclear because he had just suffered a stroke.
"You want me to save the Great Yan?" Shangguan Yan said calmly, "I will not agree to that."
"life……"
He meant to save your life and escape as quickly as possible.
The Great Yan Dynasty is doomed.
The legitimate princess of the Great Yan will not have a good ending.
Leave with your two children and never come back.
The King of Great Yan looked towards the doorway, which was half-open. From his angle, he could not see Xiao Heng, only his shadow cast on the ground.
He opened his mouth with difficulty, but ultimately could not utter the name.
-
Gu Jiao and Xiao Heng squatted on the ground, and Xiao Heng broke off a tree branch and drew a map of the six kingdoms.
Xiao Heng pointed to the map with a tree branch and said, "The Yan Kingdom is in the middle, with the Ice Plains to the north and the Red River to the south. Its western border is adjacent to the Jin and Liang Kingdoms, and these three kingdoms form a pincer movement."
Gu Jiao understood: "That's why the State of Jin tried to win over the State of Liang in the first place, in order to prevent the State of Liang from becoming an ally of the State of Yan."
Xiao Heng nodded: "That's right."
"What about the east side?" Gu Jiao asked.
Xiao Heng tapped two small circles on the map with a twig and said, "To the east are the states of Chen and Zhao. Chen is in the northeast, Zhao is in the southeast, and Zhao is the farthest. We have to go around Chen to get there."
Gu Jiao asked, "The Tianshan Pass, which blocks the Jin Kingdom, is guarded by the Han family, and the Yanmen Pass, which blocks the Liang Kingdom, is guarded by the Nangong family... What about the Chen and Zhao Kingdoms?"
Xiao Heng said, "Cangxue Pass is guarded by the Mu family's troops to prevent the Chen Kingdom's iron cavalry from invading; Chishui Pass is guarded by the Wang family's troops to prevent the Zhao Kingdom's navy from invading. If the Zhao Kingdom wants to attack the Yan Kingdom, the best way is to bypass the Chen Kingdom and go through Changping Pass on the icy plain, where it is guarded by local troops."
Gu Jiao paused: "Zhao is the farthest, so they can't get here this quickly."
Xiao Heng looked at the map and said, "Judging from the distance and marching speed, the fastest are the armies of Jin and Liang, followed by the navy of Zhao, and then the iron cavalry of Chen."
Gu Jiao then asked, "Who is leading the troops in Zhao Kingdom?"
Xiao Heng pondered, "To cross the Chishui River, we need a navy to escort us. If nothing unexpected happens, it will be my father—the Marquis of Xuanping."
Gu Jiao: "..."
Should we fight or not?
"Where is Chen Guo?" Gu Jiao asked.
Xiao Heng thought for a moment: "Although there is no definite news from Chen, Chen suffered a defeat last year. In order to boost morale, Yuan Tang should personally lead the expedition."
As for who would lead the Zhao army, Xiao Heng was not quite sure, as he did not know much about the Zhao state.
However, it is certain that the State of Yan could not possibly contend with the invasions of five states simultaneously.
Gu Jiao asked curiously, "Neither Yuan Tang nor His Majesty Zhao knew we were in Yan. If they knew we were going to fight... would they still fight?"
Xiao Heng stared at her intently: "You... want to go into battle?"
Gu Jiao squatted down and drew circles on the ground. She hummed in response and said casually, "I am the commander of the Black Wind Camp, so I should be going into battle, right?"
The commander of the Black Wind Cavalry can quit whenever he wants.
Xiao Heng opened his mouth: "You..."
"It's not entirely for you and Jingkong."
Gu Jiao understood what he wanted to say, and she looked up at the endless sky.
"I just felt that I should do it."
I'm having a bit of writer's block. I'll update again this afternoon.
(End of this chapter)
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