Inside the city of Mozhou, at the Tiger Warriors' new army camp.
While conflicts erupted among the generals under Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin during the siege, the Tiger Warriors, who were defending Mozhou City, also faced new conflicts and problems after resolving their food and supplies issues.
The actual ruler of the Daxin court, Prime Minister Qin Ruhui, issued an order that the newly appointed Minister of War, Huang Silang, rush to Mozhou overnight to oversee the battle on behalf of the court.
At this moment, Huang Silang, the Minister of War, had already "usurped" the position of the chief commander of the central army tent, which originally belonged to Wu Sanjia, the Grand General of the Great Xin Dynasty.
Sipping his finest West Lake Longjing tea, Huang Silang asked slowly, "General Wu, when will the army leave the city to quell the Longcheng rebels?"
Leave the city and quell the rebellion?
These two words struck Wu Sanjia and his deputy Zhao Kui as if they had been struck by lightning. Their minds went blank, and their bodies involuntarily stiffened.
Zhao Kui tentatively replied, "Lord Huang, do you mean to have the Tiger Warriors stationed in Mozhou City take the initiative to go out of the city to fight the rebels in Longcheng?"
"Otherwise what?"
Huang Silang glanced at Zhao Kui and said irritably, "General Zhao, according to my understanding, the rebel army besieging Longcheng only numbers 350,000 troops."
"There are 250,000 elite Tiger Warriors in this city of Mozhou. Shouldn't they take the initiative to leave the city and fight the Dragon City rebels to the death?"
At this point, Huang Silang turned his gaze to Wu Sanjia, the commander of the Tiger Legion, and continued in an aggressive tone, "General Wu, the eight million taels of silver from the imperial court have already been allocated to your Tiger Legion."
"Back then, you, General Wu, solemnly promised Prime Minister Qin and the current emperor that as soon as the funds arrived, you would immediately lead your troops on a northern expedition!"
"What, now that you've got the money, have you forgotten your promise to launch the Northern Expedition?"
"Lord Huang, I will never forget your promise to launch a northern expedition to quell the rebellion and recover lost territory!"
Wu Sanjia replied calmly, "However, even in the Northern Expedition to quell the rebellion, strategy and timing are crucial; we cannot simply rush about like headless flies."
"Currently, 350,000 rebel troops from Longcheng have gathered outside Mozhou City, and the commander of these troops is none other than the traitorous Chen Huai'an. If we rashly lead our army out of the city to fight, we may fall into Chen Huai'an's trap."
snort!
Minister of War Huang Silang said with a forced smile, "Then please tell me, General Wu, when will the Tiger-Ben New Army in Mozhou City be able to leave the city to launch a northern expedition to quell the rebellion?"
"This official should also have an explanation to give to Prime Minister Qin and His Majesty!"
Wu Sanjia remained composed and replied indifferently, "Lord Huang, leading troops into battle is no child's play. When the time is right, I will lead my troops north to quell the rebellion!"
"Lord Huang, if there is nothing else, I will take my leave now!"
After saying that, Wu Sanjia ignored Huang Silang's reaction and turned to leave the central command tent.
Upon seeing this, Deputy General Zhao Kui also got up and left without saying a word.
Only Minister of War Huang Silang remained, pounding his fists and stamping his feet in anger in the main tent, shouting, "Lawless! These arrogant and unruly soldiers are utterly lawless!"
"Bring me pen and ink! I need to draft a memorial for Prime Minister Qin and His Majesty!"
"Yes, sir!"
......
No sooner had Wu Sanjia left than his deputy Zhao Kui followed him eagerly.
After moving closer to Wu Sanjia, he lowered his voice and said, "General, this Huang Silang is really taking a trivial matter too seriously. He actually dares to order you around and tell you how to lead troops into battle."
snort!
Zhao Kui snorted coldly and continued, "Who in the Great Xin court doesn't know that this Huang Silang is just a sycophant? By flattering Prime Minister Qin, he rose from a lowly clerk serving tea and water in the Ministry of War to the position of Minister of War."
"Don't you think it would be better for Huang Silang to be a figurehead in the position of Minister of War?"
"With a major battle imminent, they still insist on jumping out to show their presence; it's utterly disgusting!"
"General Zhao, please say no more!"
Wu Sanjia, however, took it in stride, waving his hand and saying, "After all, Prime Minister Qin spent eight million taels of real money on our Tiger Legion."
"Naturally, they also want to gain some political capital from our Tiger Legion in a short period of time."
As he spoke, Wu Sanjia pointed to the city wall of Mozhou and said, "See that? The 350,000 rebel troops from Longcheng outside this city wall are Prime Minister Qin's best bargaining chip for gaining political capital in the court."
"If our Tiger Warriors can once again behead the traitorous minister Chen Huai'an and launch a northern expedition to recover lost territory, then Qin Ruhui's position as the retired emperor will truly be secure!"
Forehead......
General Wu Sanjia's remarks immediately astonished and left Zhao Kui, the deputy general, in disbelief.
In his memory, the general had always regarded Prime Minister Qin as his lord, and even when Prime Minister Qin was in arrears with the provisions and pay of the Tiger Warriors, he never complained to him.
These words today have completely overturned Zhao Kui's understanding.
hehe!
Wu Sanjia suddenly chuckled self-deprecatingly and looked at his deputy Zhao Kui, saying, "What, do you think I've changed, daring to utter such treasonous words?"
Um!
Zhao Kui nodded honestly.
Wu Sanjia said, "Previously, I had been feigning compliance with Qin Ruhui, simply to secure the deserved pay, compensation, and military rewards for the soldiers of my Tiger Legion!"
"Now, I have enough silver and provisions to support 300,000 Tiger Warriors for half a year, so why should I bother to please Qin Ruhui?"
"In this new imperial court, who doesn't know about the corrupt prime minister Qin Ruhui's usurpation of power by deceiving the emperor and concealing the truth?"
"Such disloyal and unfilial people deserve to be killed by everyone. How could I, as a general, possibly collude with them and become their accomplices?"
As he spoke, Wu Sanjia patted his deputy general Zhao Kui on the shoulder, looked at him with a serious expression, and solemnly said, "General Zhao, now that things have come to this, it is time for us to consider the future of our 300,000 Tiger Warriors!"
Upon hearing Wu Sanjia's words, Vice General Zhao Kui felt his blood surge and became extremely excited.
She even couldn't help but swallow.
He then immediately bowed to Wu Sanjia and said, "General, I, Zhao Kui, am so fortunate to have been able to reach where I am today thanks to your guidance and support."
"In the future, no matter what choice the General makes, I, Zhao Kui, will follow him to the death, even if it means going through fire and water!"
At this moment, Wu Sanjia's rugged face finally revealed his long-hidden ambition and desire.
Born in a chaotic era and holding significant military power, how could he possibly remain under someone else's control forever?
Qin Ruhui deserves the title of "Emperor Emeritus," and so do I, Wu Sanjia!
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