In fact, Qin Ruhui, the treacherous minister who controlled the government of the Great Xin Dynasty, did not come to Kunning Palace to meet with Empress Su Wan'er to discuss the matter of the young crown prince Zhao Lingwu's ascension to the throne.
Instead, he came specifically to inform Su Wan'er.
If Su Wan'er agrees, everyone will get what they want, and everyone will be happy.
If they disagree, that's fine too. The Red-Clad Guards surrounding Kunning Palace will take action to send Su Wan'er and the young prince to reunite with Emperor Jian'an, Zhao Gan.
If Prime Minister Qin Ruhui were to establish a new emperor from among his many sons and heirs, he would support a puppet ruler, which would only be more complicated in terms of etiquette and procedures.
That's all.
After leaving Kunning Palace, Qin Ruhui felt refreshed and his body trembled, and his somewhat hunched back straightened up.
The old face that was once filled with flattery and fawning has been replaced by an arrogant and rampant expression of a petty person who has achieved success.
Outside Kunning Palace, the prime minister's cronies, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately went to greet the beaming Qin Ruhui and offer their congratulations.
"Congratulations, Your Excellency! Congratulations, Your Excellency!"
"From this day forward, the Prime Minister will be the true pillar of our great Xin Dynasty, and the Prime Minister's father to Emperor Lingwu!"
Hahaha!
Upon hearing this, Qin Ruhui burst into unrestrained laughter, making no attempt to conceal his inner elation and satisfaction.
Then he instructed, "Gentlemen, now that a new emperor has been established and the news of the Emperor's death at Tumu Fortress can be announced to the world at an appropriate time to reassure the nation and the people."
"You all, get to work and prepare!"
"Yes, Your Excellency!"
Prime Minister Qin Ruhui, along with his cronies and the Red-Clad Guards, strode away, completely unaware that from the pavilion of Kunning Palace, two pairs of eyes watched them leave through the half-open window.
The people spying from the upper floor of Kunning Palace were none other than Empress Su Wan'er and her son, Crown Prince Zhao Lingwu.
Su Wan'er's once charming and refined eyes, with their sharp corners and upturned corners, had lost their former alluring and refined quality, replaced by endless resentment and ruthlessness.
She spoke softly and calmly to the infant prince Zhao Lingwu, whom she held in her arms:
"Little Lingwu, listen to your mother. You must remember the backs of these bad people. They are all villains who want to seize the land and the country of the Great Xin Dynasty for themselves!"
"I promise you, your mother will not let these villains succeed!"
"Trust Mother, no one can take the throne of the Zhao family of the Great Xin Dynasty from our little Lingwu!"
Listening to his mother's self-talk, young Zhao Lingwu nodded as if he understood but not quite.
......
Yingzhou City, the camp of the Tiger Army of the Great Xin Dynasty.
Inside the central command tent, Li Jingyu, the renowned Flying General and son of a military family of the Great Xin Dynasty, was reviewing intelligence reports from the Tiger Army's siege forces at the Yunzhou front.
Today is the 29th day of the tenth month of the first year of Jian'an.
Ten days have passed since the Youzhou Tiger Army was ordered to besiege Yunzhou City.
However, the 150,000 elite troops were trapped outside Yunzhou City and could not advance an inch.
They couldn't even cross the moat of Yunzhou City.
If it weren't for the fact that Chang Yuchun, the deputy marshal of the Longcheng Jingnan Army stationed in Yunzhou City, had received prior orders from Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin, forbidding him from abandoning the city to fight, then...
Perhaps the 150,000 elite troops that came to attack the city were all wiped out in one fell swoop by the Yunzhou garrison under Chang Yuchun's command.
Several clashes between the two sides outside Yunzhou City ended in defeat for the Tiger Warriors.
When news of the frontline siege forces' failures kept reaching General Li Jingyu, who was commanding the battle from his base in Yingzhou, he became extremely anxious.
It's been several days now, and I haven't been able to eat or sleep well.
"Report—"
"Reporting to the General, there is an urgent military situation at Tumu Fortress!"
Suddenly, a messenger's voice came from outside the tent.
Soon, a weary and dusty messenger from the Tiger Warriors, supported by his personal guards outside the tent, entered and knelt before Li Jingyu.
"General, His Majesty's 200,000-strong imperial army, which was sent to defend against Japanese pirates, was defeated at Tumu Fortress. His Majesty is in disgrace, and the army has scattered like birds and beasts!"
"What?"
Upon hearing this, Li Jingyu, who was sitting in the center of the tent, immediately stood up.
Ignoring all prestige as a great general, he rushed to the messenger's side in a few strides, grabbed him by the collar with one hand, and lifted him up.
He asked fiercely, "Say that again!"
The messenger looked aggrieved, but still replied with a sob in his voice, "General, this humble servant saw it with his own eyes!"
"The entire area around Tumu Fortress, spanning dozens of miles, was littered with the corpses of the imperial guards who were sent to defend against the Japanese pirates, as well as the burned grain and supplies."
"This humble general, this humble general finally managed to dig out a breathing man from the pile of corpses. He told this humble general that the Emperor was captured alive by the rebel army of Longcheng at Tumu Fortress."
"Life or death, life or death unknown!"
Teng!
Li Jingyu shoved the messenger to the ground, and as if his energy had been instantly drained, his eyes became unfocused and his spirits were low.
The emperor who bestowed upon him the Yellow Axe and Bow and Arrows has been captured. How can this war be fought?
Next, Chen Huai'an, this traitorous minister, only needs to escort the emperor to the city gates of various cities and knock on the gates. Without losing a single soldier, he can sweep through the major cities of the Great Xin Dynasty with unstoppable momentum.
He thought he had met a wise ruler and could inherit his father's will, make contributions to the Great Xin Zhao Dynasty, and be ennobled and appointed prime minister.
Who would have thought that Zhao Gan was all bark and no bite, all show and no substance, and might even become the first emperor in history to be forced to call himself a doorman.
This war is unwinnable!
However, what made Li Jingyu even more desperate was yet to come.
He had just dismissed the messenger who had returned from Tumu Fort when he received another urgent military message from the rear.
"Report—"
"Reporting to the General, urgent military intelligence!"
The next moment, Li Jingyu's deputy general, Feng Zhongliang, rushed into the central command tent.
Feng Zhongliang looked panicked and said urgently, "General, something terrible has happened! Our army's supply lines have been attacked by the rebels in Longcheng!"
"The cavalry of the Longcheng rebels circled around from the northern desert to Wuzhou, and then in the Tumu Fort area, they inflicted a great defeat on the Imperial Guards and Japanese pirate troops personally led by the Emperor. They then pursued the army along its marching route and launched a surprise attack on our supply lines!"
"At this moment, the vanguard of the Longcheng rebel cavalry is less than two hundred li away from Yingzhou City. In a day or two, their forces will be able to directly threaten our rear!"
"General, this battle is lost!"
Thump!
Inside the central command tent, Li Jingyu, who had been standing, felt a jolt of fear upon hearing the news from his deputy, Feng Zhongliang, that the army's supply lines had been attacked. He then slumped into a chair.
For Li Jingyu, the news of the emperor's capture still left him with room to maneuver, whether to fight or flee.
However, the news of the attack on the army's supply lines was like a bolt from the blue for him and his 200,000 elite troops, forcing them to make an urgent decision.
It is now early winter, and the 200,000 Tiger Warriors, who have lost their supplies of food and provisions, do not even need the rebel army of Longcheng to take action. A heavy snowfall at any time would be enough to kill Li Jingyu and the Tiger Warriors.
At this moment, Li Jingyu no longer hesitated.
He immediately ordered, "Deputy General Feng, pass down the order: the Tiger Army besieging Yunzhou must immediately and orderly withdraw to Huanzhou without fail!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com