Chapter 114, Chapter Seven: A Sound That Shakes the World
"What? Shi Le actually ordered Shi Hong to personally lead the expedition?" Liu Qin was overjoyed. "Immediately muster the troops and come with me!"
"Third Young Master, please wait. We haven't asked the Lord for permission yet. What if he disagrees?" the lieutenant asked hesitantly.
Liu Qin glanced at the sky. "If we want to launch a surprise attack, now is the perfect time. But if we ask him, it will take half a day to get there and back. My troops are closest to Shi Hong right now. If we miss this opportunity, we'll regret it later. Fine, I'll only take a thousand men. If anything goes wrong, I'll take full responsibility! Go ask the brothers who wants to come with me!"
Liu Qin secretly led his troops to pursue the Zhao army in Yangping County. They marched five hundred li in three days and caught up with the remnants of the Zhao army at the Majia River, where they intercepted and killed Crown Prince Shi Hong.
When Liu Jun heard the news, he was stunned for a long time. He first said angrily, "He sent troops out without permission, and with only this few men. Who gave him the courage? How could he be so reckless!"
Then, in a fit of rage, he laughed, “This kid is lucky. Men, quickly reorganize the troops. Shi Le will not let this go easily after losing his beloved son. He will definitely launch a fierce counterattack in the next few days. Order all units to make preparations as soon as possible.”
Shi Hong was kind and benevolent and fond of Confucianism. Although he was too gentle and weak, he was well liked by Shi Le. In his early years, Shi Hu was able to compete with him. However, since Shi Hu's death, no one has been able to shake his position as crown prince. This time, Liu Jun came with great force and had reached the doorstep. Sending Shi Hong to the expedition was to increase his military achievements and popularity, and also to show that the "Imperial Family" would not give up a single city or hamlet and would share weal and woe with the people.
Unexpectedly, by sheer coincidence, they ran into the Jin army. Not only did he lose his military achievements and reputation, but he also lost his son's life. Upon hearing this, Shi Le vomited blood and fainted on the spot. After finally recovering, he swore to the heavens that he would fight Liu Jun to the death.
Without saying a word, Liu Jun also swore an oath in the army dressed in plain clothes, determined to take Shi Le's head and avenge Liu Kun, Liu Zun, and the other two.
For a time, both armies were filled with lamentations, and it was unclear which army would ultimately prevail.
The battle raged on for two months, and Sima Ye was restless in Chang'an. Apart from the love poem he wrote last time that contained hidden sorrow, he could hardly get any news about Liu Jun. Even the official gazettes were only sporadic.
“Your Majesty,” Wen Qiao couldn’t stand it any longer and went to advise, “this war with Zhao is different from the past, involving hundreds of thousands of people, and it may take several years to achieve victory.”
Sima Ye shook his head, "I am not rash, I am just worried..."
"To give an inappropriate example, such wars of national annihilation are like the battles of Yiling, Chibi, and Guandu..."
The more he spoke, the uglier Sima Ye's expression became. Finally, he slowly said, "Taizhen... am I really a foolish ruler?"
"Why do you say that, Your Majesty?" Wen Qiao said with a smile. "Your Majesty has worked diligently and frugally to govern the country over the years, which has been seen by both Chinese and foreigners. How can you be considered a foolish ruler?"
"Then why, seeing Shi Le on the verge of destruction and the Central Plains about to be unified, do I feel more sorrow than joy?" Sima Ye walked slowly, his thin figure elongated by the candlelight, flickering in the dim palace, like a ghost. "Jiangdong requested that Liu Jun be granted the title of Duke. Regardless of whether it was to sow discord, given his achievements, it is only right. And look at the powerful governors of various prefectures, who among them is not his old friend and relative? What is even more frightening is that the Lius under his command are like wolves and tigers. How do they compare to the Cao family?"
Seeing that Wen Qiao was still carefully choosing his words, Sima Ye couldn't help but laugh and say, "I know what you're thinking. Are you trying to say that all the Sima brothers came from the same place?"
"Your subject dares not."
Sima Ye said softly, "Whether I dare or not, this day is coming. He often mentions the Duke of Gaogui and the Duke of Changdao to me. Which one do you think I should be?"
"Your Majesty, please don't let your mind wander. After all, whether we can defeat Shi Le this time is still unknown..." Wen Qiao said solemnly. He didn't know what Sima Ye was planning, but he knew that the newcomer was not well-intentioned. As an elder of Sima Ye's mansion and Liu Jun's cousin, he had to mediate to prevent things from escalating to a point of no return and causing a tragedy like Cheng Ji assassinating the Duke of Gaogui, which would be a laughing stock for all time.
Unfortunately, before he could finish speaking, Bi Gong suddenly pushed open the door, "Your Majesty, a great victory at Qingzhou!"
In the distance, a dirty messenger held aloft a wooden box and shouted, "Great victory at Qingzhou!"
Wen Qiao thought it was just a routine victory report and was about to step forward to receive it when he heard the messenger shout loudly, "Shi Le died in the army, his remaining troops retreated to Jizhou, and Qingzhou and Yanzhou have been completely captured!"
Wen Qiao could barely suppress a gasp, but then he saw Sima Ye swaying precariously beside him, his expression dark and unreadable, and he knew something was wrong.
Sima Ye slowly revealed a smile, signaling Bi Gong to bring the victory report. After carefully reading it several times, he raised his voice and said, "May Heaven and our ancestors protect us! Tomorrow, I will announce this to all my ministers at the court assembly. Tai Zhen, order the Minister of the Imperial Household to prepare for the offering to the ancestral temple. Once the General returns in triumph, we will present the captives to the temple! Furthermore, regarding the rewards and honors for the generals, I request the Secretariat to draft a plan. When they are ennobled or appointed as prime ministers, we must not let the soldiers feel disheartened."
"Yes!" Wen Qiao stepped back with a smile, but his palms were covered in cold sweat.
Did the emperor truly wish to be like Liu Xie or Cao Huan?
In the summer of the twentieth year of Jianxing, the Jin and Zhao states fought a great battle in Qingzhou and Yanzhou, which lasted for two months and the outcome was still uncertain.
In June, a severe drought struck the north, and Zhao's supplies dwindled, prompting him to decide on a decisive battle. Liu Jun ordered his elite troops to contain the main force, while simultaneously mobilizing a large army to encircle Zhao. Finally, he personally led his elite cavalry in a surprise attack on Shouzhang.
In the midst of the chaos, Shi Le, still recovering from a serious illness, was further weakened by the continuous fighting and the sweltering heat, and his body quickly gave out.
Liu Jun, pitying his old age and weakness, hung up a sign of truce. Unexpectedly, Shi Le was filled with grief and anger upon hearing the news, and soon fell ill and never recovered.
On the second day of the seventh month, Shi Le died in the army camp at the age of fifty-nine.
When news of his death arrived, the morale of Zhao's army plummeted. The remaining generals were incapable of leading the troops, and the army suffered repeated defeats, almost being wiped out at Rencheng.
Liu Jun pressed his advantage and advanced all the way to Dingxiang. Qin King Shi Hong, who had hastily ascended the throne, surrendered. The rest, Pengcheng King Shi Kan and Nanyang King Shi Hui, led their people to flee north to the Xianbei.
While continuing his pursuit, Liu Jun also made contact with the Xianbei. Murong Hui was an extremely shrewd man who had seized the opportunity of the turmoil in the Central Plains to rise to power, pacifying the Yuwen Xianbei, the Duan Xianbei, and even launching a campaign against Goguryeo. Sima Ye, adhering to the principle of befriending distant states while attacking nearby ones, had been very accommodating to him, appointing him as Attendant-in-Ordinary, General of Chariots and Cavalry, Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Barbarian Military Affairs of You and Ping Provinces, Governor of Ping Province, and granting him the title of Duke of Liaodong. Murong Hui had always considered himself a subject of Jin and was quite respectful to the court.
Therefore, he dared not harbor the bandits this time, and immediately handed them over as soon as Liu Jun sent the letter.
At the same time, Liu Jun also recovered the entire Ji Province. Thus, the Central Plains, which had been trampled by the iron hooves of the Hu tribes for nearly thirty years, was restored. The refugee army that had been resisting the enemy for many years all surrendered to Liu Jun. In addition, along with the gentry and common people, Liu Jun gained a total of 500,000 households after this battle.
In October, Liu Jun went to his ancestral home in Zhongshan to pay respects to his ancestors. Surprisingly, a white deer, a white snake, a white tiger, a white pheasant, and a white crane appeared in the world at the same time, which was considered an auspicious omen by the people.
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