On the city wall of Tianyang Pass, Song Xuan stood in the cold wind, his gaze piercing through the mountains and landing in the direction of Yan Kingdom, a barely perceptible sneer on his face.
"My lord, there is a secret letter."
A scout hurried over, handing over a letter with both hands. On the envelope, a foreign seal was faintly visible.
A glint of light flashed in Song Xuan's eyes. He waved his hand and said in a deep voice, "Everyone, step back."
The scouts and their entourage immediately obeyed and quickly left the city wall, leaving Song Xuan alone.
He carefully tore open the envelope, took out the letter, and glanced at it. The contents of the letter made Song Xuan smile even more.
"Da Gan has assembled 30,000 elite troops, waiting only for the order to march east and help you seize the land of Da Wu."
After reading the letter, Song Xuan couldn't help but scoff, his face full of disdain.
"Thirty thousand elite troops? What can that do? Wang Gan, you think you deserve a share?"
After reading the letter, Song Xuan threw it into the brazier beside him without hesitation. The flames quickly engulfed the letter, burning it to ashes.
"Wu Yunyin, your end is coming."
A glint of ruthlessness flashed in Song Xuan's eyes, and his voice carried an undisguised excitement.
Standing on the city wall, Song Xuan secretly plotted how to use Wang Gan's 30,000 troops to realize his ambitions.
"General Song, the imperial edict has arrived!" A messenger's voice suddenly broke the silence on the city wall.
Song Xuan raised an eyebrow slightly, then quickly turned around and went down the city wall.
The imperial eunuch, holding the imperial edict in his hand, stood waiting at the foot of the city wall.
Song Xuan knelt down to receive the imperial edict. The eunuch unfolded the edict and read out Wu Yunyin's decree in his distinctive shrill voice.
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: General Song Xuan is hereby ordered to leave 100,000 elite troops to garrison Tianyang Pass, while you lead the remaining 300,000 troops to return to the capital day and night to defend the Emperor, to deal with the traitor Zhou Xiang, and to protect the peace and well-being of our nation. So be it."
The eunuch's voice echoed beneath the city wall, every word clearly reaching Song Xuan's ears.
Upon hearing this, Song Xuan was overjoyed, and a hint of undisguised excitement flashed in his eyes.
"Your Majesty, I obey the decree! Long live the Emperor!"
The eunuch delivering the imperial edict nodded somewhat apprehensively, handed the edict to Song Xuan, and then hurriedly turned and left.
Holding the imperial edict, Song Xuan watched the eunuch delivering it gradually disappear into the distance and couldn't help but snort coldly.
Wu Yunyin, your death is imminent. I will use someone else to kill Zhou Xiang, then, under the guise of rescuing the emperor, seize control of the capital. At that time, the Great Wu empire will be mine, Song Xuan's, possession.
Song Xuan quickly made arrangements, leaving 100,000 elite troops to guard Tianyang Pass, and instructed his deputy general to be conscientious in his duties and ensure the stability of the border.
He himself led the remaining 300,000 troops on a grand journey back to the capital.
...
In the Zhou Kingdom, inside the royal palace, Zhou Jianjia stood before a huge sand table, her gaze sharp as an eagle, scrutinizing the flags representing the various armies on the sand table.
On the sand table, the movements of all the armies were clearly visible, especially the military deployments of the Great Wu Empire, which were marked with meticulous detail.
Zhou Jianjia was surrounded by military officers, their eyes also focused on the sand table, discussing the changing battle situation.
"Your Majesty, the time has come! This humble general is willing to lead the troops into battle and seize Da Wu!" A military general's voice boomed, his eyes gleaming with the desire for battle.
Another military general proposed a different strategy: "Your Majesty, I believe we should first consolidate the border defenses to prevent other forces from taking advantage of the situation, and then seize the opportunity to act."
The third general was more cautious: "Your Majesty, although the Great Wu is in turmoil, its strength should not be underestimated. We should send scouts to investigate first before making a decision."
Zhou Jianjia looked around, a hint of satisfaction flashing in her eyes. Although not many generals volunteered for the battle, no one opposed attacking Da Wu, and the general direction was unified.
However, despite the harmonious atmosphere in the court, Zhou Jianjia shook her head and refused to send troops.
"I am very pleased with the loyalty of my ministers. However, the matter of sending troops must be handled with utmost caution and must not be acted rashly. The situation in the Great Wu is complicated. If we advance rashly, we may encounter unforeseen circumstances. We must wait patiently until the best opportunity arises."
Veteran Li Guangyi, who had remained silent until now, suddenly stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, within the Great Wu Kingdom, Song Xuan is stirring up trouble, and Zhou Xiang is also eyeing us covetously. If we do not send troops now, we risk missing a crucial opportunity and regretting it later."
Zhou smiled upon hearing this, then turned and sat back down on the dragon throne.
"Marshal Li, are you worried about the stability of the Great Zhou? Don't worry, it won't be stable. There's someone who hasn't made a move yet, so I'll have to wait a little longer."
Li Guangyi frowned slightly. "Who hasn't made a move yet? Does the entire Great Zhou have to wait for him?"
"Of course, this person is none other than the Great Martial War God, now a traitor to the Great Martial Kingdom, Chen Zhennan!"
...
After delivering the imperial decree to Song Xuan, the eunuch secretly breathed a sigh of relief, hoping only that he could return to the capital safely.
This time, he tried to bypass Cuiming Mountain by taking a detour through Qingzhou City. However, fate seemed to be against him. He was captured again by Chen Zhennan's men not far from the city.
The eunuch was taken to the back of Cuiming Mountain. Chen Zhennan looked at the eunuch who had fallen into his hands again and couldn't help but show a look of both laughter and tears.
“Father-in-law, we are truly destined to meet; this is the second time we have met.”
The eunuch, pale-faced and trembling, said, "General, what...what do you want to know? I will tell you the truth."
Chen Zhennan nodded. "Father-in-law, don't worry, I won't hurt you. Tell me, what was Song Xuan's reaction after receiving the imperial decree?"
"After receiving the imperial decree, Song Xuan's lips curled up slightly, as if he was quite pleased. As for the specific reason, I really don't know."
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