Go to war
Nineteen years ago, disputes broke out in Nansai. Tribal leaders followed the example of the Central Plains and went to war with each other, intending to lead their own tribes to invade other tribes and establish themselves as kings in Nansai. After several years of war, the Nansai tribes finally remained with two strongest duelists, namely the East Sai tribe with Sai Mang as its king and the West Sai tribe with Sai Han as its king.
The outcome will be decided in a decisive battle, and the winner will be the king. Just before the two sides fought to the death, Saihan sent people to lure Saimang's young son away with a treacherous trick. The young child was ignorant and thought they were taking him out for a walk, but Saihan's soldiers covered his mouth and nose, poisoned him and made him unconscious, then tied him up and took him to Saihan camp. When the child woke up, he found that he could no longer move, and could not even cry out, and could only shed tears of fear.
The next morning, the two sides faced off. Saihan, standing before the battle line, laughed loudly and arrogantly, declaring that Nansai was his territory and demanding Saimang get out immediately. Furious, Saimang raised his weapon and was about to command the tribesmen behind him to attack, but Saihan shouted, "Wait!"
Sai Mang and his tribesmen were already furious, but they saw Saihan ordering his men to bring out a young child. The child was tied to a wooden frame and placed high on the platform, with his mouth blocked. He saw Sai Mang from afar and struggled to open the ropes, but to no avail. The whimpering sound from his mouth was heartbreaking.
Sai Mang recognized at a glance that the tied-up child was his own child. His hands holding the weapon clenched and trembled, but he did not let go.
Sai Mang's heart was twitching. The person tied up opposite him was his only son, his only bloodline in the world. At this time, the indignant morale and fighting spirit of the tribesmen behind him had been mostly extinguished by Saihan. If he surrendered to Saihan because of his own child, how could he be worthy of the long wars and killings over the years, and how could he be worthy of the tribesmen who accompanied him in the battle until today, and even more ashamed of the warriors of his tribe who shed blood and sacrificed their lives.
Sai Mang fought back his tears, his heart dripping with blood as thousands of arrows pierced his chest. He raised his right arm, the weapon in his hand, and with a bloodthirsty cry, he led his tribesmen forward and charged forward. "Son, don't blame me for being ruthless. For loyalty and righteousness, I had no choice but to sacrifice you. If you have any complaints, be my son in the next life, and I will treat you well!"
Saihan's army was originally weaker than Saimang's, and he had just resorted to this treacherous scheme in an attempt to intoxicate the enemy's mind. Unexpectedly, Saimang was so cold-blooded and ruthless that he disregarded the life of his own son just to fight him to the death. Saihan was in a panic, and in his haste, he had no time to care about Saimang's child. He drew his sword to fight and rushed forward.
The Sai Mang side was finally distracted and their morale was broken. They had originally been sure of victory, but in the end they suffered a bitter defeat.
But the child was lucky enough to be saved from the swords by a brave warrior under Sai Mang. He survived. For Sai Mang, it was the only blessing.
After this battle, the Dongsai tribe suffered heavy losses and was expelled from the Xisai. Saihan wanted to take this opportunity to declare himself king in the Nansai.
Sai Mang was unwilling to give up, so he led the remaining brothers to flee to Daqi. He heard that Emperor Wu was brave and good at fighting, and that Qi was powerful, so he told Emperor Wu that as long as Emperor Wu was willing to help him defeat the Xisai tribe, he would lead all the people in Nansai to submit to Daqi.
At that time, the countries in the Central Plains were in conflict and all wanted to expand their territorial territory. Emperor Wu immediately ordered an army of 100,000 to escort the Saimang tribe back to Nansai, and to capture the Saihan tribe in one fell swoop, and to help Saimang establish himself as king in Nansai.
In the end, Saihan's tribe was defeated and had to support Saimang as king. Daqi appointed Saimang as the King of Nansai, and Nansai became the territory of Daqi, under the jurisdiction of Daqi. Since then, Nansai has been stable to this day.
Recently, the former members of the Xisai tribe have become restless again and collectively support Saihan's son Saitu as king. Now the king of Nansai is Saimang's son Saide, the same child who was kidnapped as a hostage that year.
The great hatred for bullying my father and son and driving my tribe out of Nansai has not yet been avenged. Now he is stirring up trouble again. He is settling old and new grudges and fighting a big battle with the Setu side. The two sides fought back and forth, but there was no winner.
Sai Mang defected to Da Qi in order to have a place to lean on and a tree to live under. Now that war has broken out and someone has offended the king appointed by Qi, Sai Mang naturally sent someone to report to the emperor and request support.
When it comes to marching and fighting, no one in the court can match General Shang Gong. Although General Wang is also experienced, he is old. When he heard about the war, he was very excited. However, Lian Po was old, so he was very sensible and did not compete for credit. The task of conquering Nansai naturally fell to General Shang Gong.
Shangguan Yichen accepted the order resolutely.
Emperor Hong told Shangguan Yichen that he was sending him personally to fight this time, not only to ensure victory, but also to show his gratitude for the old King of Nansai's sincerity in joining him. There was another reason...
Emperor Hong felt that the civil strife in Nansai was sudden and strange, and believed that there must be other hidden secrets. In terms of trust, no one in the court could compare to his wise brother. Therefore, Shangguan Yichen received two imperial edicts this time. One was an explicit edict, ordering him to lead troops to Nansai to quell the civil strife, and the other was a secret edict, ordering him to find out the cause of the civil strife in Nansai.
Three days later, on the sixteenth day, it will be easy to travel, march, and deploy troops for battle.
Outside the gates of the Imperial Palace, Emperor Hong and all the civil and military officials of Daqi solemnly watched the troops about to depart on their long journey. General Shangguan Yichen and tens of thousands of soldiers, clad in armor, lined up in formation, flags fluttering, drums roaring, and the soldiers waved their right fists, shouting in unison: "Daqi will win! Protect our peace!"
Shangguan Yichen walked up to Emperor Hong, clasped his fists and said, "Your Majesty, don't worry. I will return victorious with tens of thousands of soldiers!" But his gaze passed over Emperor Hong and fixed on Zhong Yujing behind him.
He then resolutely mounted his horse, his silver-grey armor making his tall and straight figure look even more resolute and majestic. He had the appearance of an immortal, with orchids, jade trees and bright moon in his arms, but because of his solemn and cold demeanor, he gave off an aura that kept people at a distance.
Zhong Yujing suddenly recalled the first time she met him. That day, he came from a radiant light, a god who had returned from hell to save the people from suffering. If his appearance only existed in heaven, he would be a god of war who conquered the world with his bravery.
It was like this that time, and it will be like this time as well.
Zhong Yujing clenched the jade pendant in his hand, and the warmth of his palm was still on the jade.
She thought silently that he would return victorious and safely as he said.
Before leaving, Shangguan Yichen walked up to Zhong Yujing outside the palace. The morning sun shone softly on his face, with a gentle warmth. His eyes looking at her were also rarely filled with warmth.
Zhong Yujing had always felt that his eyes were as deep as the sea, unfathomable, but at this moment, they were like twilight bathing the sea, gently surging the waves, and with a little flickering golden light, everything was so reassuring...
Shangguan Yichen stared at her and said, "Last time I asked for Prime Minister Jing's handkerchief. This time I'm holding it in my arms as a talisman. With it by my side, it's like Prime Minister Jing is by my side. No matter what happens, I can turn danger into safety."
Zhong Yujing nodded and said "hmm".
He added, "It is impolite not to reciprocate. Since I have taken one of the things that was close to my heart from Prime Minister Jing, I will also give one of my things close to my heart to Prime Minister Jing."
He took off the jade pendant from his waist, spread out her hand, placed it in her palm, and then closed her palm with his own.
"This is what I have worn since I was a child. It is made of ancient jade and is very spiritual. It can bring good luck, avoid disaster, and protect peace." He smiled and looked at her.
"How can I accept such a precious thing from Your Highness? The handkerchief is just a small thing, not worth exchanging for such a precious thing from Your Highness!" She refused in panic.
Shangguan Yichen tightly grasped her hand as she tried to release it and push it towards him. "Do you dare to disobey my order?"
She raised her head and looked at him. Although there was a smile in her eyes, she could not refuse and had to accept it.
Only then did Shangguan Yichen smile happily.
Zhong Yujing silently hid the jade pendant in her sleeve.
More than a month has passed since Shangguan Yichen left, and most of the news coming from the southern border is victory. The war is more complicated and fierce than expected. It was originally just a power dispute within the tribe. After the Daqi army arrived, they found that Setu’s group was mixed with the remnants of the Dan Kingdom. Shangguan Yichen and the soldiers not only had to help Setu defeat Setu, but also had to deal with the remnants of the Dan Kingdom hiding behind Setu. The war that was originally a sure win has become complicated and changeable. Originally, we were going to support Setu, but now Chengjie wants to target us. Daqi was attacked from both sides.
In the court that day, all the officials once again debated the issue of the southern border raised by Emperor Hong.
General Wang, unable to personally fight on the battlefield, was already feeling frustrated. Naturally, he took the lead in discussing the war, speaking first. "I believe the remnants of the Dan Kingdom are no threat at all. Since they were defeated by my Great Qi back then, these insignificant remnants today are even less worth mentioning. We should prioritize quelling the civil unrest in Nansai and focus on Setu. The war was started by him. As long as we pacify this faction, dampen their momentum, and seize the opportunity to take them down in one fell swoop, we will surely achieve complete victory! As for the remnants of the Dan Kingdom, they're merely sycophants following behind Setu, fanning the flames. Now that Setu's forces have been severely defeated, they naturally have no further ambitions. We can use this opportunity to surround Nansai, under the pretext of helping to stabilize the people of Sai, and completely eradicate the remnants of the Dan Kingdom. This way, we can eliminate the hidden dangers forever."
General Wang pinched his waist and looked fiercely.
As expected, the Minister of Justice stepped forward to refute, "Warfare is complicated. How can we underestimate the enemy? It has been over ten years since Emperor Wu destroyed the Dan Kingdom. For over a decade, there has been no trouble, and the territory of the Dan Kingdom has always been peaceful. Why have the remnants of the Dan Kingdom suddenly rebelled among the Nansai tribes? I believe this matter is far more complicated than it appears. It is hard to predict whether there is another conspiracy. In my opinion, we should not underestimate the remnants of the Dan Kingdom and the Setu gang. We should attack from both sides and evenly distribute our forces to prevent any deception. If they make a feint to the east and attack in the west, our army will be trapped."
Si Tu Ting Wei stroked the catfish's whiskers.
General Wang was indeed indignant and said, "Humph! I only just realized today that although the Minister of War has never seen a battle and appears frail, he can speak eloquently about war. His skill in theoretical discussion truly puts me to shame."
Minister of Justice Si Tu refused to give in, saying calmly, "General Wang is polite. I am not talented, but I have only studied a few more years. I am not a minister who only knows how to plunder and kill people."
Seeing the two sides arguing with anger and about to fight again, Emperor Hong intervened in time to suspend the meeting. He put on a friendly smile and said, "My dear ministers, what you said is reasonable. Let's stop here for today's discussion on the war in Nansai. I have heard your opinions clearly. I will go back and discuss it with you again on another day after I return."
Then he glanced at Eunuch He.
Eunuch He hurriedly shouted at the top of his voice: "Dismiss the court!" He was extremely relieved. It took a lot of effort for him to lead the young eunuchs to mediate the fight last time, but this time he finally didn't have to go through so much trouble.
Prince Ping and Yi Fei walked out of the main hall and headed east. When they reached the southeast corner window, seeing no one around, Prince Ping lowered his voice and said to Yi Fei, "Send someone to Nansai to inquire about the war situation. Tell them not to expose themselves for the time being and continue to conserve their strength. Let Shangguan Yichen and his men win small battles and relax their vigilance. When the time is right, follow my orders, rise up again, and annihilate the enemy in one fell swoop!"
"Yes, Father!"
As soon as Yifei's footsteps sounded, King Ping called him again.
Yi Fei turned around and asked, "Father, do you have any other instructions?"
Prince Ping pondered, "Allow some more money and supplies from the army to ensure they have enough food. Tell Wang Qiang to be smart and report it immediately." After a moment's thought, he added, "Also, be extremely careful. The situation is tense now. We must not let it leak out and give them something to hold against us."
Yifei nodded seriously and went ahead as ordered.
King Ping looked around again and saw that there was indeed no one around. He waved his official sleeves, put his hands behind his back and paced in a circle, then went in another direction.
On the inside of the window, Zhong Yujing's face slowly appeared from behind a pillar in the hall. Through the window lattice, she stared coldly at King Ping's back.
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