Riding on his yellow horse, Chen Huai'an calmly accepted the kneeling gesture from Tan Li, the garrison commander of Yanqi City.
The two were old acquaintances, having met briefly three years ago at the 60th birthday banquet of the late Emperor Zhao Mang in the capital.
At that time, Chen Huai'an was just a useless prince in the eyes of the world, who was "weak and incompetent and not fit for great things," and Tan Li was just a fourth-rank military officer in the Anxi border army.
Indeed, after three years apart, one should look at a person with new eyes.
Unexpectedly, the one who ultimately rushed to Tan Li's aid from afar and saved the people of Yanqi from the massacre was none other than the useless heir who had been scorned by the court officials and generals.
Due to the Tibetan invasion, Yanqi City had severed its connection with the Anxi General's Office three months prior.
The news that Guo Dingfang, the general of Anxi, led 300,000 Anxi border troops to surrender to Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin in Longcheng has not yet reached the four towns of Anxi.
Even the news of the death of Zhao Gan, the second emperor of the Daxin dynasty, at Tumu Fortress was heard by Tan Li from the Uyghurs who were besieging the city.
Therefore, after Tan Li finished kneeling and bowing to Chen Huai'an, he did not get up, but continued, "Your Highness Prince Jin, this humble general Tan Li is willing to lead the soldiers and people of Yanqi City to serve under Your Highness!"
"From this day forward, wherever His Highness Prince Jin's sword points, that will be the place where my sword, Tan Li's, and the soldiers of the Anxi Border Army of Yanqi City's blades will reach, we will go through fire and water, and die ten thousand times without hesitation!"
After speaking, Tan Li solemnly and respectfully presented his sword to Chen Huai'an with both hands.
Behind him, the more than a thousand surviving border soldiers of Yanqi City also knelt down one after another, offering their weapons like their commander Tan Li.
A powerful, unified roar erupted: "Wherever His Highness Prince Jin's sword points, that is where the blades of the Anxi border troops in Yanqi City will fall. We will go through fire and water, even at the cost of our lives!"
Hahaha!
Upon seeing this, Chen Huai'an, on horseback, burst into a hearty and exhilarating laugh.
Xiao Po, the former commander of the Imperial Guard who had been demoted to a flag bearer in the Prince of Jin's Imperial Guard due to dereliction of duty, immediately understood and stepped forward to speak to Tan Li:
"General Tan, you may not know this, but as early as three months ago, Guo Dingfang, the General of Anxi and the General Who Guards the West, had already declared in Longcheng, the fiefdom of Prince Jin, that he would lead 300,000 Anxi border troops to pledge allegiance to His Highness Prince Jin!"
ah?
Upon hearing this, Tan Li, who was kneeling on one knee, was first startled, and then, after realizing what had happened, he kowtowed to Chen Huai'an again and said, "Your Highness, it is all my fault for being ignorant and presumptuous. I beg Your Highness to forgive me!"
"General Tan, soldiers of the Anxi border army, please rise!"
At this point, Chen Huai'an finally spoke, saying with a smile, "The Second Emperor Zhao Gan was incompetent and foolish, trusting treacherous officials, which led to a chaotic and corrupt court in the Great Xin Dynasty. Loyal ministers and generals were persecuted, and the people throughout the country were suffering."
"I raised an army in my fiefdom of Longcheng to quell the rebellion, which is in accordance with the will of Heaven and the hearts of the people."
"Guo Dingfang, the General of Anxi and the General Who Guards the West, led 300,000 Anxi border troops to join the Longcheng Pacification Army, which further demonstrated the loyalty and bravery of the border troops."
Chen Huai paused for a moment, then said, word by word, "My fellow soldiers of the Anxi border army are loyal to the Han Chinese dynasty, not to the Zhao family's empire!"
"The Dragon City army under my command is loyal to the Han Chinese dynasty, not to me, Chen Huai'an, personally!"
As Chen Huai'an spoke, he rode his horse to the more than 1,000 surviving generals of the Anxi Border Army. His firm and profound gaze swept over their weathered faces, their eyes filled with loyalty, bravery, and determination.
He continued, "Now, the Great Xin Dynasty is falling apart, and externally, the Tibetans, Uyghurs, and various Western Regions are invading our borders, wantonly slaughtering and ravaging the Han people of our border regions;"
"With treacherous officials in power and two princes rebelling and declaring themselves emperors, the country is beset by internal and external troubles."
"Since I arrived in Longcheng, I have witnessed countless empty houses and widespread starvation. This great new empire of the Zhao family has long since rotted from top to bottom, inside and out."
"The Han people under the rule of the Zhao family not only had to face the exorbitant taxes and levies imposed by the imperial court, but also the calamities of war posed by foreign tribes!"
As he spoke, Chen Huai'an suddenly raised his voice and said sternly, "As the old saying goes: 'In times of chaos, harsh measures are needed; for a serious illness, drastic medicine is required!' The Great Xin Dynasty has reached a point where it must undergo a complete transformation, everyone—"
"Are you willing to join me in overthrowing this dark and chaotic New Dynasty, and this turbulent world where the people are suffering, and to restore the glorious glory of our Han people on the Silk Road in the Western Regions?"
"willing!"
"willing!"
"willing!"
For a time, the entire city of Yanqi was filled with heartfelt roars of anger.
Even Tan Li, the commander of the defending army who was kneeling on one knee, couldn't help but stand up, raise his arms and shout, with hot tears streaming down his face in his determined eyes.
"Your Highness, I was once a standard-bearer in the army that defeated the enemy. I followed the late king on two expeditions to the Western Regions and was fortunate enough to witness the scene where the late king reached the capital of the Uyghurs, forcing the Uyghurs to kneel and sue for peace, bowing their heads in submission."
At this moment, among the surviving border soldiers of Yanqi City, an old soldier suddenly stood up from the kneeling crowd, his burning eyes fixed on Chen Huai'an on horseback, and asked with a hint of expectation:
"Your Highness, this time you are leading your troops on a long march of a thousand miles to reinforce Yanqi City. Will you be able to lead us to the capital of the Uyghurs again, just as the late King led the army to conquer the Western Regions?"
brush!
Upon hearing this, the once bustling city of Yanqi fell into a deathly silence.
Countless eyes stared intently at Prince Chen Huai'an, who was at the center of the storm.
Among the surviving border soldiers, a considerable number were former soldiers of the Polu Army. After the late King Chen Polu was stripped of his military power by Emperor Zhao Gan, he was dispersed and incorporated into border armies in various places.
These soldiers not only felt a natural affinity for the two generations of Jin kings, but also harbored a deep-seated hatred and irreconcilable enmity towards the Uyghur enemy.
Furthermore, having just experienced the fierce ten-day defense of Yanqi, a considerable number of former comrades-in-arms had fallen to the swords of the Uyghurs.
These low-ranking border soldiers were mostly uneducated and rough men who didn't understand the profound principle that revenge is a dish best served cold.
They believe in holding grudges for a long time, which aligns with their straightforward and loyal character.
Only then did some of the bolder soldiers muster the courage to ask Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin the questions they had just asked.
Faced with the question from a former soldier of the Po Lu Army, Chen Huai'an solemnly replied, "Gentlemen, I, Chen Huai'an, would like to make a statement to you all—"
"The Longcheng army's expedition to the Western Regions is not only to relieve the siege of the Four Garrisons of Anxi, but also to completely subdue the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions, including the Uyghurs, in one battle."
"We must ensure that these barbarians from foreign lands will never again dare to harbor thoughts of harming the people of our Han lands for the next hundred years!"
"Are you willing to come with me to the Uyghur capital, Harabalgas, to witness firsthand how the Uyghur barbarians kneel down and beg for peace with my Han people, bowing their heads in submission?"
"willing!"
"willing!"
"willing!"
Inside and outside Yanqi City, a roar as powerful as a mountain collapsing and a tsunami erupted once again.
Chen Huai'an immediately announced that the Guan Ning Iron Cavalry and the Anxi Border Army in Yanqi City would join forces and head straight for Shule City without stopping, following the direction in which the Western Region barbarian soldiers fled.
At the same time, notices were posted in Yanqi City that from the day the Longcheng army entered the city, the people of Yanqi would be exempt from all taxes for five years and have their taxes halved for ten years.
Upon the issuance of this decree, the people of Yanqi, who had just endured a three-month siege and another fierce battle, cheered.
They even affectionately referred to the Longcheng army as the army of kings, and when they knelt to see off the Prince of Jin as he set off to conquer Shule, they spontaneously shouted:
"Long live the Prince of Jin! Long live the Prince of Jin! Long live the Prince of Jin!"
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