On the city wall of Shule, the defending general Deng Yucheng glared angrily.
The border troops under his command, armed with swords, spears, and halberds, stood ready to unleash a cold arrow at the Guan Ning cavalry outside the city.
As a former member of the "Crown Prince's faction" and a staunch supporter of the tyrannical Second Emperor of the Great Xin Dynasty, Deng Yucheng's hatred for Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin and his Longcheng Polu Army was no less than that for the Western Region barbarian soldiers who had been besieging Shule City for months.
In Deng Yucheng's eyes, Chen Huai'an, who raised an army in Longcheng and rebelled under the banner of Jingnan, was undoubtedly the number one traitor of the Great Xin Dynasty and should have his entire family executed!
Especially after learning that Chen Huai'an had led his troops to ambush Emperor Jian'an Zhao Gan at Tumu Fortress, causing the emperor to commit suicide due to unbearable humiliation, he further labeled Chen Huai'an as a "regicide and traitor."
Furthermore, even when the barbarian troops from the Western Regions besieged the city, they did not forget to pay homage to Zhao Gan, the patriarch of Daxinbao, from thousands of miles away. They built a cenotaph for Zhao Gan in Shule City and called on all the soldiers and civilians in the city to worship for three days.
From that time on, Deng Yucheng's hatred for Chen Huai'an was deeply ingrained in his bones.
Therefore, when he discovered that the reinforcements that had rushed to the aid of Shule City, causing the 50,000 Western Region barbarian soldiers who were attacking the city to flee in panic, were actually the rebel army of Longcheng, whom he hated, Deng Yucheng's desire for revenge was immediately aroused.
Seeing that Deng Yucheng, the garrison commander of Shule, was ungrateful, Tan Li, the adjutant who was calling for help at the city gate, immediately brought out his superior, Guo Dingfang, the General of Anxi and the General of Zhenxi.
Tan Li earnestly said, "General Deng, you are mistaken!"
"His Highness Prince Jin raised an army in Longcheng to quell the rebellion, truly to purge the court of treacherous officials, eliminate corrupt ministers, consolidate the foundation of the nation, and secure the country. Moreover, he was acting on the late emperor's edict. How can His Highness Prince Jin be compared to a traitorous minister?"
"Furthermore, General Deng has been trapped in Shule City for a long time and is unaware of the orders from the Anxi General's Office. General Guo, the General Who Guards the West, has already issued an order declaring that 300,000 Anxi border troops are loyal to Prince Jin. This order will take effect from the first day of the tenth month of the first year of the Daxin An era!"
After a pause, Tan Li continued, "General Deng, His Highness Prince Jin personally led the elite cavalry of Longcheng, traversing thousands of miles to reinforce the Four Garrisons of Anxi, not only to relieve the siege of the Four Garrisons;
"Moreover, it is to lead the Anxi border army to strike directly at the Uyghur stronghold and restore the glory and splendor of the Han people on the Silk Road!"
"General Deng, open the city gates and welcome His Highness Prince Jin into the city. Let His Highness Prince Jin lead us to wipe out the kingdoms of the Western Regions and ensure that the barbarian soldiers will never dare to invade our Han borders and slaughter our Han people again for a hundred years!"
"shut up!"
Suddenly, Deng Yucheng roared from the city wall, "Coward Tan Li, stop spouting nonsense and trying to demoralize our army! Guo Dingfang is just like you, a coward who is afraid of death and a disloyal and unjust person."
"If Guo Dingfang hadn't defied the emperor's will and hesitated to lead his troops to attack Longcheng, how could Chen Huai'an, that traitor, have led his troops to ambush Emperor Jian'an at Tumu Fortress, causing the emperor's death, the dynasty to fall into chaos, and the people to suffer a great calamity?"
Even if Chen Huai'an travels thousands of miles to lead troops to aid the Four Garrisons of Anxi; even if he pacifies the Western Regions and restores the glory of the Han people on the Silk Road; so what?
Deng Yucheng continued to roar, "Does this change the fact that Chen Huai'an raised an army in rebellion, murdered the emperor, and betrayed the country?"
"I, Deng Yucheng, and the border soldiers in Shule City would rather die on the battlefield, rather be wrapped in horsehide and die, than stoop to colluding with a traitor like Chen Huai'an!"
"As long as I, Deng Yucheng, have a breath left, those traitors and rebels will never be allowed to enter the gates of Shule City!"
After saying that, Deng Yucheng pointed his sword and shouted sternly, "All soldiers of the Anxi Border Army, listen to my command! Prepare for battle!"
brush!
At Deng Yucheng's command, the Anxi border army archers on the city walls of Shule City all aimed their powerful bows and crossbows at the outside of the city.
"Deng Yucheng, are you trying to disobey orders?"
Below the city, Tan Li was also furious, saying, "The entire Anxi border army has already declared its loyalty to His Highness Prince Jin, yet you, a mere garrison commander of Shule City, dare to act against the tide. Are you planning a rebellion?"
"It is you who want to rebel, not this general!"
On the city wall, Deng Yucheng snatched a bow, raised his hand, drew the bow, and shot an arrow at Tan Li below the city without hesitation.
Whoosh!
The arrow barely grazed past Tan Li, which shows that Deng Yucheng had held back with that shot.
General Tan, be careful!
Outside the city, the soldiers of the Yanqi border army who were accompanying them immediately spoke up to remind them.
Tan Li was also startled. He did not expect Deng Yucheng to shoot an arrow at him directly, and he spurred his horse back dozens of steps.
"Deng Yucheng, how dare you shoot an arrow at this general!"
Tan Li was so angry that he was in a frenzy, but he couldn't do anything about Deng Yucheng. He could only ride back to the front of the Guan Ning cavalry in a disheveled state.
At this moment, Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin, clad in golden armor and with the Seven-Star Dragon Abyss Sword at his waist, calmly rode his horse to the outside of Shule City, and witnessed the conversation between Tan Li and Deng Yucheng.
"Your Highness—"
Tan Li, looking disheveled, approached Chen Huai'an and said, "This Deng Yucheng was once a member of the Crown Prince's faction. The order to promote him to the position of garrison commander of Shule City was personally issued by the Second Tyrant Zhao Gan."
"so......"
Tan Li hesitated for a moment, but finally forced himself to say, "Your Highness, the soldiers of the Anxi Border Army in Shule City are all first-rate soldiers!"
"Your Highness, I humbly request that, for the sake of the loyalty and righteousness of the soldiers on the border of Shule City who are fighting bloody battles against the barbarian soldiers of the Western Regions to protect the city, you refrain from ordering a full-scale attack on Shule City for the time being!"
"This humble general is willing to risk his life to guarantee that the border soldiers in Shule City are willing to be loyal to His Highness Prince Jin!"
"General Tan, if you ask me, what's the point of talking to these remnants of the army on the city walls!"
Before Chen Huai'an could even speak, the fierce general Lan Yu, who was sitting to the side, couldn't sit still any longer and immediately said, "Your Highness, this humble general is willing to lead the Guan Ning Iron Cavalry to launch a strong attack on Shule City!"
As he spoke, Lan Yu pointed behind him to the siege equipment that the Western Region barbarian soldiers who had besieged the city had hastily retreated from, and continued:
"Your Highness, the large siege weapons are readily available. This humble general will only need three days to capture Shule City and resupply the army with provisions and supplies!"
"Your Highness, we must not launch a direct attack on Shule City!"
Upon hearing Lan Yu's words, Tan Li hurriedly said, "Your Highness, the garrison of Shule City is also part of the Anxi border army, and even more so, they are loyal to Prince Jin. If we launch a strong attack on Shule City, wouldn't that be like flooding the Dragon King Temple, with our own people fighting each other?"
Lan Yu stiffened his neck and said, "General Tan, who's family with us? Have you ever seen someone shoot arrows at their own people? Have you ever seen a family member block their own lord from entering the city?"
Tan Li: "I..."
The two argued incessantly, while Chen Huai'an watched calmly.
He believed that, given Lan Yu's personality, if he hadn't been there to keep him in check, he would indeed have been capable of launching a full-scale attack on Shule City.
Not to mention the current garrison of Shule City, they haven't even declared their allegiance to the Prince of Jin and joined the Longcheng army.
Even if the soldiers and garrison of Longcheng dared to block Lan Yu outside the city, this kid would probably still attack the city without hesitation.
After all, Lan Yu has a criminal record.
The bombardment of the Ming army defending Xifeng Pass was Lan Yu's doing.
"Your Highness, this humble general is willing to enter the city alone to plead for a way out for the border soldiers in Shule City!"
At this moment, Tan Li suddenly said, "Your Highness, if this humble servant cannot persuade the Anxi border army in Shule City, it will not be too late for Your Highness to send General Lan Yu to lead his troops to attack the city!"
"To prevent the soldiers of the Anxi border army from turning against each other, this humble general is willing to risk his life!"
"I hope Your Highness will grant my request!"
After saying that, Tan Li dismounted and knelt down straight in front of Chen Huai'an.
Having said all that, Chen Huai'an naturally couldn't refuse Tan Li's sincere loyalty.
He immediately ordered: "Lan Yu, pass down the order that the army retreat ten miles and set up camp."
Then he said to Tan Li, "Tan Li, I will only give you one night. Tomorrow at noon, the army will attack the city on time!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com