The person riding in the emperor's dragon carriage was not Zhao Gan, the second emperor of the Great Xin Dynasty, but his favorite concubine, Wenren Yu.
The imperial carriage moved alongside the infantry and baggage train, trailing at the very back of the entire imperial army that was suppressing the rebellion.
At this moment, the supply train was moving slowly in a long, single-file formation above a valley in the hilly area of Tumu Fortress. None of the imperial soldiers accompanying them sensed the danger permeating the air.
To spare Consort Wen from the discomfort of a bumpy ride in the imperial carriage, a large number of laborers were working along the route to widen the official roads and fill in the potholes.
This dragon carriage, inlaid with gold and silver and shimmering with pearls, was pulled forward by six fine horses.
The coachman nervously wielded his whip, fearing that the horse might accidentally disturb Consort Wen, who was resting inside the imperial carriage, and thus end up with her body torn apart.
Inside the imperial carriage, Wenren Yu, dressed in elegant and luxurious attire, lazily stretched her slender waist, yawned, and ordered the accompanying palace maids to open the carriage windows, wanting to get some fresh air and see the scenery of this "northern frontier".
For Wenren Yu, who had long lived in the deep palace, accompanying the emperor on his personal expedition was a unique experience.
In her view, this was simply a leisurely journey through nature, filled with poetic and artistic pleasures, music, chess, and poetry, without a trace of the cruelty of war.
Even less than the day she was brought out of the former emperor's palace by the late emperor Zhao Mang, witnessing the clash of swords and the bloodshed.
Looking at the beautiful scenery outside the car window, Wenren Yu's mind was filled with the promise Zhao Gan made to her before he went to war: "The day the royal army returns victorious from the northern expedition will be the day I bestow upon you the title of Empress of the Great Xin!"
Wenren Yu muttered to himself, "If only this Northern Expedition to quell the rebellion could be as easy and pleasant as my journey from the capital to Youzhou!"
"When I return to the capital, I'll have to call myself 'This Empress,' hehehe!"
Inside the imperial carriage, Wenren Yu covered his face and laughed foolishly.
Upon seeing this, the two palace maids immediately made a gesture of kowtowing and kneeling, shouting "May Your Majesty the Empress be blessed!"
That address of "Your Majesty the Empress" touched the very core of Wenren Yu's heart.
Thump thump thump!
Thump thump thump!
Suddenly, Wenren Yu, who was in a good mood inside the imperial carriage, seemed to feel the carriage shaking irregularly.
Furthermore, the frequency of the vibrations is increasing, becoming more and more rapid.
Just as she was about to order her maids to question the coachman about what had happened, a terrified and desperate scream came from outside:
"Enemy attack—"
Immediately following was the Imperial Guard commander responsible for protecting Consort Wen, who roared almost in a hoarse voice, "Guards! Protect the Empress! Protect Consort Wen!"
Then came the howling that swept across the mountains and plains, an overwhelming and deafening roar:
"Purge the court of corrupt officials, eliminate treacherous ministers, consolidate the foundation of the nation, and secure the country!"
"The army that quelled the rebellion in Longcheng is here! You treacherous officials of the court, why don't you surrender and accept your death!"
"Kill them!"
Accompanying the earth-shattering howl was the thunderous sound of horses' hooves.
Inside the imperial carriage, with the help of the trembling hands of the accompanying palace maids who lifted the curtain of the carriage window, Wenren Yu saw a tall, golden figure leaping down from the hillside not far away.
Behind this golden figure were countless cavalrymen clad in heavy armor, and even their warhorses were covered in thick armor.
These cavalrymen, like demons from hell, held their swords, spears, and halberds high, the blades gleaming with a dazzling, cold light in the afterglow of the setting sun.
Upon seeing this, Wenren Yu immediately collapsed onto the couch inside the dragon carriage.
A thought kept swirling in my mind: It's over, I can't be the Empress anymore, I can't be the Empress of the Great Xin Dynasty!
Outside the imperial carriage, the commander of the Imperial Guard responsible for protecting Consort Wen was still struggling to control his warhorse, drawing his ring-pommel dagger and issuing the order: "Imperial Guards, protect the Emperor!"
"The rest of you, do not panic! Gather all the supply wagons together and form a defensive formation around the imperial carriage. We must not allow the thieves to disturb the Imperial Concubine's journey!"
"Those who fear war and those who flee will be killed without mercy, and their entire families will be exterminated!"
Despite the Imperial Guard commander's desperate attempts to suppress the unrest, the frightened infantry and baggage train of the Japanese pirates were unwilling to obey his orders.
At this point, let alone executing nine generations of relatives.
Even exterminating ten generations of your family wouldn't help!
These soldiers, who were on guard against Japanese pirates, fought against the Japanese and pirates along the coast year-round. They fought on the beach and on ships, and every single one of them was a hero.
But if they, especially these infantrymen who are supply troops, were to face the Ironclad Cavalry, whose men and horses were both heavily armored and armed to the teeth, they would be in a much tougher position.
Even if you had eight lives, you wouldn't dare to face the Ironclad Pagoda's charge head-on!
Moreover, behind these super heavy cavalry were countless light cavalry.
This was a devastating blow to the already exhausted imperial infantry fighting against the Japanese pirates, and countless soldiers fled in panic out of their instinct for survival.
Of course, there were also imperial cavalry and imperial guards protecting the supply train. Upon discovering the Jingnan army in Longcheng, they immediately formed battle formations and charged forward to try to block the Iron Pagoda's advance, buying time for the main army to form ranks and await reinforcements.
However, in the face of absolute power, all resistance is futile, merely adding a few more achievements to the military record of the Longcheng Jingnan Army.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
The two armies clashed in close combat, exchanging a volley of arrows before finally engaging in a fierce battle on the narrow official road.
Clad in golden armor, Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin led the charge, charging into the enemy ranks alone on horseback.
Anyone who dared to step forward to stop him was slashed, swept, or stabbed off his horse by Chen Huai'an's halberd, which easily pierced through the hastily organized defensive line of the imperial cavalry.
The three thousand Iron Cavalry of Dragon City that followed behind, when facing the imperial cavalry and supply infantry, their offensive could only be described as rampaging and utterly devastating.
In just one round, they completely breached and destroyed the imperial army's defenses, routing the enemy.
Finally arriving at the battlefield were ten thousand Tiger and Leopard Cavalry led by the valiant General Pang Xianchu. All they had to do was continue tearing through the enemy's defensive line, which had been pierced and destroyed by the Iron Pagoda, until all the enemy soldiers on the battlefield were killed.
In the blink of an eye, Chen Huai'an had already spurred his horse to the front of the emperor's dragon carriage, and stood face to face with the Imperial Guard commander, whose legs were already trembling.
Chen Huai'an raised his halberd, pointed the tip with domineering force, and said sternly, "I ask you, is the person riding on the imperial carriage the current emperor, Zhao Gan?"
The commander said tremblingly, "Chen, Chen Huai'an, are you the traitor Chen Huai'an?"
This commander had met Chen Huai'an once in the capital city and remembered Chen Huai'an's appearance.
However, the weak and useless young master in his memory was now wearing armor and wielding a long spear, charging into the battlefield with the courage of ten thousand men. This made him somewhat unsure whether this was really Chen Huai'an.
Chen Huai'an said sternly, "I am acting on the late emperor's edict to purge the court of treacherous officials and eliminate corrupt ministers. Tell me, is Zhao Gan inside?"
"The traitor Chen Huai'an has rebelled against the Heavenly Gang; everyone has the right to kill him!"
The commander was quite tough; now that he had confirmed Chen Huai'an's identity, he was no longer afraid.
"Chen Huai'an, prepare to die!"
Before he finished speaking, the commander had already spurred his horse forward, brandishing his ring-pommel sword and slashing at Chen Huai'an.
"Foolish!"
With a casual thrust of his halberd, Chen Huai'an cut the commander down from his horse.
He then rode forward.
He raised his halberd and used the tip to lift the curtain of the imperial carriage.
What came into view was a foxy face that, even with tears streaming down its face, could not hide its captivating charm!
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