The phrases "Prince of Jin" and "Long Live the Emperor" sound somewhat incongruous.
Fortunately, Chen Huai'an didn't care about these details.
If Fan Wuji, the commander of the Ironclad Cavalry of Longcheng, were to witness this scene, he would inevitably raise the issue of urging His Highness Prince Jin to don the yellow robe and be crowned on the throne.
However, for Chen Huai'an, who aspires to become an emperor for all time, he still has no intention of ascending the throne.
The First Emperor set an example for later rulers. Before he had conquered the six states, did King Zheng of Qin not ascend the throne and claim the title of First Emperor?
Chen Huai'an was the same; what he wanted was not to live a life of seclusion, to become emperor and enjoy himself, nor was he to divide the country into two parts and rule over half of it.
What he wanted was an unprecedented unified Han Dynasty; an unprecedented golden age where all foreign lands submitted and all nations paid tribute.
Given the speed at which Longcheng's troops sweep across the land and conquer, that day is surely not far off.
Let's get back to the main topic.
Chen Huai'an personally led 30,000 Guan Ning cavalry, and after joining forces with the Anxi border army defending the city, the army did not rest and went directly to Shule City in pursuit.
"Report—"
"Your Highness Prince Jin, our army has captured over ten thousand Western Region barbarian soldiers outside Yanqi City. What should we do with them?"
Before the army set off, Lan Yu, the commander of the Guan Ning Iron Cavalry, immediately sought out Chen Huai'an to ask him how to deal with the prisoners.
Indeed, the commander of the Guan Ning Iron Cavalry summoned by Chen Huai'an was none other than Lan Yu, a fierce general of the Ming Dynasty and a nobleman from Huaixi.
The reason is simple: Lan Yu is not only brave in battle, but also cheap. He was recruited with only 80,000 system points.
As for Lan Yu's arrogant and domineering behavior, and his history of relying on his military power.
Chen Huai'an wasn't worried at all.
After all, the soldiers summoned by this system are all private soldiers who are absolutely loyal to Chen Huai'an, so it is most appropriate to make Lan Yu the vanguard commander.
After hearing Lan Yu's report, Chen Huai'an glanced at him and said meaningfully, "General Lan, you can handle the prisoners yourself!"
drive!
After saying that, Chen Huai'an slammed his fist on the horse's belly, and the yellow horse immediately reared up and galloped away like a gust of wind.
After pondering for a moment, Lan Yu ordered the accompanying Guan Ning cavalry general, "Men, drive all these prisoners of the Western Region barbarians to the quicksand of the Gobi Desert on the other side!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
......
The city of Shule, one of the Four Garrisons of Anxi, is thousands of miles away. The 50,000-strong Western Region coalition army has been besieging Shule for half a month.
Due to its geographical location, only about 10,000 Anxi border troops were stationed in Shule City.
The commander defending the city was Deng Yucheng, a third-rank military officer in the Anxi border army.
This general was an out-and-out member of the "Crown Prince's faction." He joined the army at the beginning, serving in the imperial guard of the late Emperor Zhao Mang. He gradually rose through the ranks to become a military commander in charge of his own territory based on his military achievements.
The imperial edict promoting him to the rank of Third-Rank Military Officer was personally issued by Emperor Zhao Gan, the Second Emperor of the Great Xin Dynasty.
They possess military capabilities to command troops and defend a region, but they are also blindly loyal.
The city walls of Shule were high, and the city had ample reserves of food, fodder, and military equipment.
Even after being besieged for three months and subjected to a half-month-long attack by Western Region barbarian troops several times their size, the defending general Deng Yucheng remained calm and composed.
On this day, Deng Yucheng, who was still handling official business at the General's Mansion, suddenly received a report from a messenger at the front.
"Report—"
"Reporting to the General, the Western Region barbarian troops who were attacking Shule City outside the city have retreated!"
Outside the study, the breathless voice of a messenger could be heard.
"What?"
Inside the study, Lieutenant General Deng Yucheng, who was bent over his desk reviewing official documents, suddenly stood up from his chair, rushed to the door in a few quick steps, and flung the door open.
Then, with a stern expression, he looked at the panting messenger and said sternly, "What did you say? Say it again!"
The messenger swallowed hard and said with difficulty, "General, the Western Region barbarians have retreated!"
Hahaha!
Upon receiving an affirmative reply, Deng Yucheng immediately burst into laughter: "It must be the imperial reinforcements that have arrived. The imperial court has not forgotten us, and the emperor has not forgotten Shule City!"
"Men, prepare my armor!"
"This general must personally go to the city walls to welcome the imperial reinforcements! Hurry!"
Soon, with the help of his servants, Deng Yucheng finished putting on his armor, grabbed the sword hanging in his study, and then left the mansion, mounted his warhorse, and headed straight for the walls of Shule.
When he climbed the city wall, he saw the Western Region barbarian soldiers outside the city fleeing in panic towards the city of Kucha, not even having time to take their supplies, as if they had been frightened by something.
"General!"
"General, the enemy soldiers have retreated!"
"General, have the imperial reinforcements arrived? The Western Regions bandits attacking the city have abandoned their supplies and equipment, fleeing in disarray!"
Wherever Deng Yucheng went, the Anxi border army generals guarding the city greeted him and reported everything they had seen on the city walls.
Seeing this, the experienced and composed Deng Yucheng did not rush to express his opinion. Instead, he climbed up the city gate tower, shaded his eyes with his hand, and looked into the distance. Sure enough, on the sand dunes of the Gobi Desert at the edge of his vision, he saw a troop of cavalry that was faintly visible.
Because of the great distance, he was unable to confirm the identity of the cavalry at that moment.
He even secretly suspected that this was a charade staged by the Western Region barbarian soldiers attacking the city.
Deng Yucheng immediately ordered: "All generals, listen to my command! No one is to open the city gates without my order! All soldiers of the Anxi Border Army inside the city, please go up to the city walls and guard against enemy tricks!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
With Deng Yucheng's order, the Shule City garrison, which had relaxed, immediately tensed up again and went up the city wall to prepare for battle in an orderly manner.
Until the cavalry that appeared on the Gobi Desert dunes got closer and closer to Shule City.
The soldiers guarding the city walls could see with the naked eye that the flag bearer of the cavalry unit carried a scarlet banner with a large character "晋" (Jin) written on it.
It's the cavalry of the traitorous minister Chen Huai'an!
Deng Yucheng's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately ordered: "All troops, prepare for battle!"
"All troops, prepare for battle!"
At a command, war drums thundered and horns sounded atop the city walls of Shule.
Outside the city, the Guan Ning cavalry, speeding along at high speed, could naturally hear the bugle calls of the defending troops on the city walls as they prepared for battle.
Woohoo!
Woohoo!
In an instant, the sounds of reining in warhorses and stopping them rose and fell.
Lan Yu's cavalry vanguard, unsure whether those on the city walls were friend or foe, had no choice but to stop far away from the archers' range.
Upon seeing this, Tan Li, the garrison commander of Yanqi City who was accompanying the army on its expedition to the Western Regions, took the initiative to ride forward and call out: "Is General Deng Yucheng of the Anxi Border Army on the city tower?"
"I am Tan Li, the garrison commander of Yanqi City and the military advisor of the Anxi Border Army!"
At this moment, Deng Yucheng stepped forward from the city wall and said sternly, "Tan Li, I never expected you to be such a coward who would surrender to the traitor Chen Huai'an!"
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