It must be admitted that Wu Sanjia, who was able to stand out in the "martial arts-respecting" Great Xin Dynasty and be appointed as the new martial arts champion, is quite shrewd and calculating.
Based solely on the movement of troops in Longcheng within Zhuozhou City, a little analysis was enough to pinpoint the truth of the edict left by Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin to Chang Yuchun, the deputy marshal of the Longcheng troops and the general in charge of the southern expedition.
Indeed, this was the case; Chang Yuchun commanded 350,000 troops in Zhuozhou City.
The reason he kept the city closed was because he was waiting for His Highness Prince Jin to lead the Ironclad Cavalry of Longcheng to come to his aid in the southern expedition.
Wu Sanjia decisively ordered: "General Zhao, convey my oral order that the Tiger Warriors shall immediately withdraw and return to Mozhou after nightfall!"
"ah--"
Deputy General Zhao Kui was taken aback and asked with some confusion, "General, are we just going to return to the city empty-handed like this?"
"If we withdraw our troops now, it will be difficult to explain to the imperial court and Prime Minister Qin if they investigate."
Wu Sanjia frowned, his face serious, and said, "General Zhao, if we don't withdraw our troops now, what will happen when Chen Huai'an's Iron Pagoda of Longcheng joins forces with the 350,000 rebel troops in Zhuozhou?"
"It won't be so easy to evacuate now!"
After a pause, Wu Sanjia continued, "A large-scale northern expedition to quell the rebellion is not something that can be accomplished overnight!"
"Right now, the top priority is to preserve this elite new army. We can discuss other matters later!"
"General Zhao, carry out my orders!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
Deputy General Zhao Kui immediately bowed and accepted the order.
Before leaving, he couldn't resist stubbornly adding, "The General is right; in these chaotic times, having military power is the key to victory."
"Besides, the imperial court should have allocated six million taels of silver to our Tiger Legion's new army, but they only gave us a mere one million taels and thought they could get rid of us? Dream on!"
After speaking, Zhao Kui left the central command tent without looking back and went to arrange the army's withdrawal.
Watching Zhao Kui's departing figure, Wu Sanjia, the commander-in-chief of the Tiger Warriors New Army, the mighty general of the Great Xin Dynasty, and the commander-in-chief, couldn't help but shake his head and sigh.
If Deputy General Zhao Kui reacted this way in the face of the imperial court's failure to pay wages and military rewards, one can imagine how the frontline soldiers would react.
Fine!
This is a good opportunity to put pressure on the Prime Minister of Qin and the imperial court by taking advantage of the retreat.
We will not launch the Northern Expedition until we have received our full pay!
That night, the 100,000 imperial troops who had set up camp twenty miles outside Zhuozhou City to besiege the city withdrew overnight under the orders of General Wu Sanjia, and retreated back to Mozhou City in an orderly manner.
The next day.
Chang Yuchun, the deputy marshal of the Longcheng army and general in charge of the southern expedition, was still asleep when he was woken up by his deputy general Liu Ziyu: "Deputy marshal, the imperial Tiger Army outside the city has withdrawn!"
"What?"
Chang Yuchun, who was sleeping fully clothed, suddenly jumped up from the simple bed in the tent.
Then, he rushed to the outside of the tent and asked the spirited Liu Ziyu, "Wu Sanjia has withdrawn his troops?"
Um!
Liu Ziyu nodded heavily and replied affirmatively, "The scouts from the vanguard reported that all the imperial troops outside Zhuozhou City withdrew overnight, leaving only an empty camp."
Chang Yuchun raised an eyebrow and said, "Could it be that Wu Sanjia's plan is to lure the enemy deep into our territory?"
Liu Ziyu pondered for a moment and replied, "Deputy Marshal, it shouldn't be. According to the intelligence gathered by the scouts, the camp of the Imperial Tiger Army is in good order, and all the food, equipment, and supplies have been packed up and taken away."
"It seems that Wu Sanjia withdrew his troops on his own initiative!"
snort!
Chang Yuchun snorted coldly and said, "It seems that the news of my mobilization of heavy troops from various prefectures of Youyun to Zhuozhou must have leaked, alerting Wu Sanjia."
"This Wu Sanjia is really a tough guy to deal with!"
"Liu Ziyu, where is His Highness Prince Jin now?"
Liu Ziyu thought for a moment and replied, "Vice Marshal, based on the time of His Highness Prince Jin's last imperial edict, His Highness should have already passed Chang'an Prefecture and should be on his way to Prince Jin's fiefdom by now."
Chang Yuchun said, "Pass down the order to immediately dispatch an 800-li express courier to the Prince of Jin's residence to inform His Highness of the withdrawal of the Imperial Tiger Army."
"All troops of Longcheng, gather in Zhuozhou City, stand by and prepare for battle. There must be no mistakes!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
......
Longcheng was the fiefdom of the Prince of Jin.
Today marks the return of Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin and his generals from Longcheng from their western expedition.
The old monk Dongfang Xiaohe, who was left to guard Longcheng, and General Wang Jian had received a handwritten order from Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin a few days ago, informing them of the exact time of the army's triumphant return.
A grand and solemn welcoming ceremony is naturally indispensable.
Longcheng was not only the fiefdom of the Prince of Jin, but also the place where the dragon rose to power.
The fate of the more than 300,000 people in the city has long been intertwined with the rise and fall of the Prince of Jin's mansion.
Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin's western expedition decisively defeated the Tibetan barbarian army, forced the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions to submit, completely quelled the war in the northwest region, and seized half of the territory of the Great Xin Dynasty.
This unparalleled achievement has long stirred the blood of the people and soldiers of Longcheng.
There is much speculation about when His Highness Prince Jin will ascend the throne and whether he will establish his capital in Longcheng.
The entire city spontaneously decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, creating a grand festive atmosphere to welcome the triumphant Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin and the soldiers of Longcheng.
巳时时分 (9:00-11:00 AM).
The Dowager Consort of the Prince of Jin's Mansion, Xu Ruoyun, the birth mother of Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin; Chen Longxiang, the young prince of the Prince of Jin's Mansion; Dongfang Xiao, the black-robed monk; General Wang Jian; and a group of generals of the Longcheng Polu Army.
They gathered outside Yongding Gate in Longcheng to welcome Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin, who was returning victorious from his western expedition.
Inside Yongding Gate, the city was already packed with people and soldiers, all eager to catch a glimpse of Prince Jin's heroic return from his western expedition.
Thump thump thump!
Thump thump thump!
At this moment, the sound of horses' hooves, like thunder from a clear sky, began to echo outside Yongding Gate of Longcheng.
Accompanied by the approaching sound of hooves, the silhouettes of three thousand heavily armed and armored Dragon City Ironclad Cavalry began to appear in the view of the crowd outside the city gate.
That tall figure clad in golden armor stood out conspicuously among the dark silhouettes of heavy cavalry.
"Beat the drums, sound the horns—"
"Welcome back in triumph for His Highness Prince Jin from his western expedition!"
General Wang Jian's voice was as loud as a bell, and he gave a stern shout.
The dozens of messengers beside him roared in unison, amplifying the general's order many times over, making it echo throughout Dragon City.
On the city wall, the war drum team and buglers, having received their orders, immediately began to beat drums and sound horns.
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
Woohoo—
The next moment, the deep and solemn sound of drums and horns resounded throughout Longcheng and soared into the sky.
Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin took the lead, riding his horse onto the drawbridge spanning the moat and steadily walking towards Yongding Gate.
Following closely behind were the valiant general Pang Xianchu, clad in armor and carrying a sword, with a solemn expression, and Fan Wuji, the vanguard commander of the Dragon City Iron Pagoda.
Then came the three thousand fully armed and imposing Ironclad Cavalry of Dragon City.
When Chen Huai'an rode up to the royal family and the generals of Longcheng who had come to greet him...
With a command from General Wang Jian, it was announced: "Welcome back in triumph for His Highness Prince Jin from his western expedition!"
"Long live the Prince of Jin! Long live the Prince of Jin! Long live the Prince of Jin!"
In an instant, the roars of the soldiers of Longcheng echoed throughout the Yongding Gate of Longcheng:
"Welcome back in triumph for His Highness Prince Jin from his western expedition!"
"Long live the Prince of Jin! Long live the Prince of Jin! Long live the Prince of Jin!"
The shouts of "Long live the Prince of Jin!" were deafening.
Immediately afterwards, led by General Wang Jian, the royal family members and soldiers who came to welcome the Prince of Jin's triumphant return all knelt down to pay their respects to Chen Huai'an.
Only Xu Ruoyun, Chen Longxiang, and Dongfang Xiao stood calmly in place.
"Generals, you may rise."
Riding on a yellow horse, Chen Huai'an first ordered the kneeling generals to rise and dismount, then gracefully flipped off the horse.
He took a few steps to Xu Ruoyun, greeted her, and bowed: "Your Majesty, I have returned!"
Um!
With tears in her eyes, Xu Ruoyun gently stroked Chen Huai'an's cheek and said with concern, "Son, you've lost weight and gotten darker!"
Prince Chen Longxiang, standing to the side, tilted his head, looked around, then leaned close to Chen Huai'an and asked in a casual manner:
"Brother, you've been fighting in the Western Regions for so long, why didn't you bring me back a blonde, blue-eyed sister-in-law?"
"I heard from my mother that when our father returned from fighting in the Western Regions, he brought back two concubines from there."
"I thought you'd bring me back a sister-in-law from the Western Regions!"
"By the way, brother, I've already met that sister-in-law from the Prince of Wuning's mansion; she's incredibly beautiful..."
Xu Ruoyun: "......"
Chen Huai'an: "......"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com