Let's look at it from both sides.
While Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin was summoning military generals to train the Longcheng naval army, Wu Sanjia, the commander-in-chief and mighty general of the Daxin Dynasty, was also busy.
Even before the fall of Mozhou City, Wu Sanjia had already transferred more than 30,000 elite cavalrymen from the Tiger Warriors New Army within Mozhou City.
In addition to the 100,000 troops that he had previously ordered to return to Yingzhou City and join forces with the 50,000 Tiger Warriors stationed in Yingzhou, the total force was 180,000.
This army of 180,000 men, led by Wu Sanjia, marched south.
Finally, on June 19th of the second year of the Lingwu era of the Daxin dynasty, they arrived at Jinan Prefecture, the first large city on the army's southward route.
"General, Jinan Prefecture is just ahead!"
Tang Ziyi, the Tiger-like new army garrison commander of Yingzhou, rode up to Wu Sanjia and said with a frown, "General, Wu Qidong, the garrison commander of Jinan Prefecture, seems to be skeptical about our mission to come to the capital to defend the emperor."
"Our scouts report that the gates of Jinan are tightly shut, and the defenders on the city walls are on high alert. What should our army do?"
More than 30 miles outside Jinan, the 180,000 elite troops who had marched south to the capital to defend the emperor were resting in a field.
Tang Ziyi, the garrison commander of Yingzhou, immediately reported the situation in Jinan Prefecture that he had discovered to General Wu Sanjia.
Upon hearing this, Wu Sanjia frowned slightly but did not give a reply immediately.
On his journey south to the capital to defend the emperor, Wu Sanjia encountered difficulties for the first time from the generals of the Xin Dynasty who were guarding the city, preventing the army from passing through.
Among these many garrison commanders, some did not recognize the imperial edict of the reigning Empress Dowager Su Wan'er, even though the edict was stamped with the Imperial Seal of the Great Xin Dynasty.
Some people believe that Wu Sanjia's journey south to the capital to defend the emperor was merely a way for him to gain more power and influence in the court after he had amassed his own military strength.
Some even bluntly stated that Wu Sanjia's actions were an attempt to emulate the traitor Chen Huai'an, using the pretext of coming to the capital to serve the emperor to commit despicable acts.
Wu Sanjia was already used to all sorts of doubts and rumors.
Normally, he would try to be courteous first, then resort to force.
Those city-defending generals who couldn't be reasoned with had all fallen victim to Wu Sanjia's blade. Naturally, the small cities could no longer hinder the Tiger Army's southward advance.
However, Jinan Prefecture was no ordinary small city.
Jinan Prefecture was a military stronghold of the Great Xin Dynasty, with high city walls that made it easy to defend and difficult to attack.
Inside the city, there was a garrison of 50,000 troops.
Wu Qidong, the garrison commander of Jinan, was the most renowned among the many military generals of the Great Xin Dynasty for his skill in defending cities.
If the usual simple and brutal methods of attacking cities were used, Wu Sanjia wouldn't be very confident that he could capture Jinan Prefecture in a short time.
If the army is blocked at the gates of Jinan, and the relentless rebels of Longcheng block its retreat, then it will be a situation where it is caught in a dilemma, unable to advance or retreat.
Therefore, Wu Sanjia immediately decided to personally go to Jinan to meet with Wu Qidong, the commander of the defending army.
Wu Sanjia ordered, "Tang Ziyi, convey my military order: the army shall set up camp thirty li outside Jinan City. Without my order, no one shall send a single soldier to Jinan City."
"This general will personally go to the city of Jinan to meet with Wu Qidong!"
"General—"
At this moment, when the garrison commander of Yingzhou heard that Wu Sanjia wanted to go to the gate in person, he immediately advised him, "General, you must not put yourself in such danger!"
"Who doesn't know that Wu Qidong, the garrison commander of Jinan Prefecture, is a general promoted by the treacherous minister Qin Ruhui!"
"Currently, the Empress Dowager and Qin Ruhui's public falling out in court is common knowledge. Everyone knows that the general's southward march is to the capital to deal with the treacherous minister Qin Ruhui."
"This humble general fears that Wu Qidong, a staunch member of the prime minister's faction, may pose a threat to the general!"
As he spoke, Tang Ziyi hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.
Ultimately, for his own future and the fate of the 180,000 elite new army soldiers, he couldn't help but say, "General, what about Wu Qingyun's son, Wu Fengxian?"
"But it was because Chen Huai'an tricked me into coming to Longcheng that I met such a tragic end!"
"so......."
Hahaha!
Upon hearing his subordinates compare him to that dead bastard Wu Fengxian, Wu Sanjia couldn't help but burst into wild laughter.
After laughing for a long time, he said to Tang Ziyi with an air of dominance, "Tang Ziyi, how can Wu Qidong, the garrison commander of Jinan Prefecture, be compared with the traitor Chen Huai'an?"
"That纨绔子弟 (spoiled brat) Wu Fengxian, a good-for-nothing who only rose to the rank of young general by relying on his father's influence, how could he compare to me?"
snort!
Wu Sanjia snorted coldly and continued, "You've probably forgotten that I, the newly crowned martial arts champion of the Great New Dynasty, earned this title through real combat on the training ground, one sword at a time!"
"In this great new dynasty, no one has yet been born who dares to harm this general!"
With that, Wu Sanjia turned his horse around and shouted, "Left and Right Guards, listen to my command! Follow me to Jinan Prefecture!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Wu Sanjia took the lead and rushed out.
Following closely behind were over eight hundred elite guards clad in armor and carrying swords.
Watching Wu Sanjia's departing figure, Tang Ziyi, the garrison commander of Yingzhou, couldn't help but shake his head, silently praying for the general's safety.
"Report—"
"Reporting to the general, scouts have reported that they have spotted Deputy General Zhao Kui and several thousand Tiger Warriors soldiers behind the main army!"
Not long after Wu Sanjia left, Tang Ziyi, the garrison commander of Yingzhou who was stationed at the main camp and acting as the general, received a message from a messenger.
"What?"
But when he heard that Deputy General Zhao Kui had led several thousand remnant soldiers all the way to the city of Jinan, a look of surprise was clearly on his face.
Afterwards, Tang Ziyi composed himself and instructed the messenger outside the tent: "Pass down the order: the army is to be on high alert."
"No one may leave the camp without my order!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
After giving instructions to his men, Tang Ziyi rose and paced back and forth in the camp, muttering to himself, "That Zhao Kui, of all times, he had to come, leading his remaining troops to catch up with us just when the General was heading alone to the walls of Jinan."
"If Zhao Kui is allowed to return to the main camp, wouldn't my promotion to deputy general of the Tiger Warriors be even more distant?"
"No, this general must think of a way!"
......
On the city walls of Jinan, the troops of the Great Xin Dynasty, guarding the city, stood ready for battle.
Soon, a troop of cavalry galloped into view of the soldiers and officers guarding Jinan Prefecture.
On the city wall, the garrison commander gave the order: "Archers, prepare!"
"If any enemy cavalry dares to approach the city of Jinan, I will immediately shoot them to death with a hail of arrows!"
"Understood!"
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