Overnight, Wuzhou City, a key border town among the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun in the Great Xin Dynasty, changed hands.
Liu Ziyu, the military commander of the Tiger Army stationed in Wuzhou, personally led three thousand personal guards in an uprising. Raising the banner of "Purge the court of treacherous officials and eliminate the corrupt ministers," he arrested and imprisoned more than 130 officials of the Daxin government, including county officials and members of the Red-Clad Guard stationed in Wuzhou.
Subsequently, Liu Ziyu, representing the Tiger Army stationed in Wuzhou, announced his allegiance to the Longcheng Jingnan Army of Prince Chen Huai'an.
At dawn, Liu Ziyu, who had successfully taken control of Wuzhou City, ordered his men to open the Laiyuan Gate (North Gate) and commanded his Tiger Warriors to line up and welcome Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin and the Longcheng Jingnan Army into the city.
On this day, Wuzhou City welcomed its first autumn snowfall since the beginning of autumn.
Chen Huai'an, clad in golden armor, with the Seven Star Dragon Abyss Sword at his waist and riding a fine yellow horse, was the first to enter the Wucheng Laiyuan Gate. The iron hooves of his warhorse gently tapped on the ancient bluestone slabs at the gate, producing crisp sounds.
Following closely behind was Xiao Po, the commander of the Golden Guard, who held the battle flag of the Dragon City Pacification Army in one arm.
Then came the Eighteen Riders of Longcheng, all clad in silver armor, who stayed by Prince Chen Huai'an's side at all times.
At this moment, Liu Ziyu, the Tiger-Ben Army adjutant who had been waiting at the city gate for a long time for Prince Chen Huai'an to enter the city, couldn't help but gasp when he saw the endless Jingnan army behind Chen Huai'an, thanks to the reflection of the snow.
He thought to himself, "Thank goodness I chose to be the new dynasty's brother-in-law, rather than a short-lived general who was blindly loyal to the previous dynasty."
Liu Ziyu was a seasoned veteran. Over twenty years of military service had honed his keen eye, allowing him to discern at a glance whether an army was elite or not, and how effective it was in combat.
The Longcheng Jingnan Army under Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin was undoubtedly the pinnacle of combat power among all the armies of the entire Daxin Dynasty.
Whether it was individual weaponry and equipment (armor coverage) or the overall morale and spirit of the soldiers (the murderous intent in their eyes), they far surpassed any army Liu Ziyu had ever seen in his more than twenty years of military service.
Even the Imperial Guard of the late Emperor Zhao Mang, and the Imperial Guard of the capital city today, are far inferior to the Dragon City Jingnan Army, which is now entering the city in an orderly manner.
In fact, Liu Ziyu was not wrong.
This time, Chen Huai'an used the three most elite troops under Emperor Zhao Gan's command to ambush him.
The Iron Pagoda, the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, and the Qin Elite Warriors—each of these armies, taken individually, represents the pinnacle of military strength in the dynasty.
Bringing these three top elite forces together creates a terrifying deterrent and battlefield dominance that is definitely greater than the sum of its parts.
Moreover, in order to establish a good image for the first general of the Great Xin Dynasty to defect, and his Wuzhou Tiger Army.
Before leading his troops into the city, Chen Huai'an ordered his army to don armor and carry swords, and to enter the city armed.
As expected, when Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin and the Jingnan Army of Longcheng made their appearance, they shocked the Tiger Army generals and soldiers who were left to guard Wuzhou.
On the battlefield, facing such an enemy force, the Tiger Legion left to guard Wuzhou would have no chance of winning.
The Tiger Warriors generals present couldn't help but give their commander Liu Ziyu a thumbs up, their eyes filled with admiration.
"General—"
Suddenly, a guard quietly tugged at Liu Ziyu's sleeve, which snapped him out of his daze.
At this moment, Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin had already arrived on horseback, less than thirty paces away from Liu Ziyu and his Tiger Warriors generals.
Upon seeing this, Liu Ziyu hurriedly stepped forward, knelt before Chen Huai'an, and clasped his hands, saying, "This humble general, Liu Ziyu, pays his respects to Your Highness, the Prince of Jin!"
"Greetings, Your Highness Prince Jin!"
Behind him, a group of Wuzhou Tiger Warriors generals also knelt down and paid their respects.
Chen Huai'an, riding on a yellow horse, nodded slightly and said, "Generals, no need for formalities!"
After the Tiger Legion generals stood up, Chen Huai'an continued, "Gentlemen, my uprising in Longcheng this time is to quell the rebellion in accordance with the late emperor's edict, to wield the royal whip to purge the court of treacherous officials and eliminate the corrupt ones."
"You are all excellent generals in the army and pillars of the country. At this time when the new emperor is incompetent and treacherous officials are in power, you have been able to stand up without hesitation and follow me to the south to fight against the rebels, consolidate the foundation of the country, and secure the nation. I am very gratified."
"If the late emperor could know this from beyond the grave, he would also appreciate your loyalty and patriotism."
As he spoke, Chen Huai'an suddenly drew the Seven Star Dragon Abyss Sword from his waist, pointing its blade with domineering force, and said, "I hereby, in the name of the Prince of Jin, promise you all—"
"After the success of the Jingnan Campaign, you will all be promoted three ranks, granted titles of nobility and generalship, and your wives and children will be granted official positions!"
brush!
Upon hearing this, the Tiger Legion generals present were initially surprised, but then overjoyed.
Lieutenant General Liu Ziyu was the first to kneel and kowtow, shouting, "The Prince of Jin is mighty!"
"The Prince of Jin is mighty!"
All the Tiger Warriors generals knelt down and shouted.
"Long live the Prince of Jin! Long live the Prince of Jin! Long live the Prince of Jin!"
"Long live the Prince of Jin! Long live the Prince of Jin! Long live the Prince of Jin!"
Amidst the cheers of the Tiger Warriors, Chen Huai'an led the Longcheng Pacification Army into Wuzhou City in a high-profile manner.
Then, they split into three groups.
General Huo Qubing personally led several hundred elite Tiger and Leopard Cavalry soldiers out of the city to Tumu Fortress to scout out the enemy situation for the main army;
Pang Xianchu and Fan Wuji led the Iron Pagoda Cavalry, Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, and Qin elite troops to the camp to rest and prepare for battle.
General Wang Jian personally led a contingent of Qin elite troops to take full control of the defenses of Wuzhou, ensuring that no word would leak out before the great battle.
As for Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin, he went to the general's mansion under the guidance of Liu Ziyu.
Prince Liu Xinwu of Wuning had been waiting at the general's mansion for a long time.
The hour of Mao (5-7 AM).
The rooster that roams freely in the outbuildings in the backyard of the general's mansion has crowed for the third time now.
Inside the study, Prince Liu Xinwu of Wuning, who had not slept all night, was still full of energy and showed no signs of fatigue.
At this moment, Liu Xinwu had already changed out of the armor of a lieutenant general's personal guard and replaced it with a plain robe of superior quality.
Originally, he planned to wear a prince's outfit consisting of a four-clawed python robe.
Thinking about it later, wouldn't it be awkward if that little brat Chen Huai'an also wore a python robe?
In Liu Xinwu's view, today's meeting with Chen Huai'an was not a meeting between the first and second princes of the Great New Dynasty, but a meeting between an elder and a junior, a father-in-law and a new son-in-law.
Less red tape and more warmth and harmony are the way to go.
Liu Xinwu was pacing back and forth in his study, waiting anxiously.
This scene reminded Liu Xinwu of the time when he decided to lead his troops to submit to the Xin Dynasty established by the late Emperor Zhao Mang, and he waited all night in the military camp for Zhao Mang to come to his door.
Just like today, there is a mix of anxiety and anticipation, and a touch of nervousness in that anticipation.
"His Highness Prince Jin has arrived!"
Soon, the sound of a servant from the General's Mansion reporting from outside the study came from outside.
Liu Xinwu also pulled himself out of his chaotic thoughts, took a deep breath, and turned to look at the door.
Creak!
With a creak, the wooden door to the study was pushed open from the outside.
Chen Huai'an outside the door and Liu Xinwu inside the room exchanged a glance, first startled, then burst into laughter.
That's right, these two are wearing the same outfit.
Chen Huai'an, standing outside the door, was also dressed in a simple outfit of high quality, the style of which was identical to that worn by Liu Xinwu.
However, Chen Huai'an is tall and slender, making him a natural clothes hanger.
The simple white robe he wore accentuated his elegant demeanor, making him clearly a gentleman.
In contrast, Liu Xinwu, at the age of fifty, already had an out-of-shape, bloated figure.
Wearing this plain robe, he looked more like a Maitreya Buddha who had grown hair and returned to secular life.
Hahaha!
Finally, it was the seasoned Liu Xinwu who spoke first, breaking the awkward atmosphere: "Nephew Huai'an, it has been more than three years since we parted in the capital, hasn't it?"
Chen Huai'an smiled and bowed, saying, "Nephew Chen Huai'an greets Your Highness!"
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