Chapter 92

"Report —"

Inside the Directorate, an anxious cry resounded outside the peach blossom forest.

Song Yu, who had been pacing back and forth by the brazier for a long time, rushed to the gate of the courtyard and said in a deep voice,

"Why are you shouting so loudly? How is it? "

Outside the gate, Liu Zhangrun, the son of Liu Pingyang, looked around with uncontrollable excitement in his eyes and said anxiously,

"It's done. Xu Buling was indeed tricked. He rushed to the Wangjiang Platform in a rage and committed the crime of regicide."

Song Yu trembled slightly and was still in disbelief.

"It's done in one go … How is my brother?"

Liu Zhangrun was panting and his body was trembling with excitement.

"I saw it with my own eyes. A sword pierced through his heart and through his body. Liu Yunlin was guarding the imperial chariot. According to his message, His Majesty died as soon as he left the Wangjiang Platform. A country cannot be without a ruler. Now the officials are without a leader and no one is in charge of the court. Please go to Taiji Palace to preside over the situation. "

Song Yu's body swayed a few times. He touched his chest with a look of disbelief in his eyes.

"My brother died just like that?"

Liu Zhangrun raised his hand to hold Song Yu's arm and said anxiously,

"It's true. There's no mistake. Now that Xu Buling committed regicide, he will definitely die. Su Of Gojoseon will definitely send troops out of Qinzhou to pressure the imperial court. The Kings of Shu and Chu can't get to the capital in time and the officials can't afford to wait. Please go to Taiji Palace as soon as possible, King. "

Song Yu was in a daze for a moment and then his expression changed slightly. He rushed out of the Directorate and went to Taiji Palace in the imperial city …

…

Two thousand imperial troops were stationed at Mount Maiji outside the border of Qinzhou. Because Qianyang Pass was guarded by the Xiliang Army, the troops stationed at Mount Maiji were only symbolic and had no practical effect.

At noon, five scouts sat on a beacon left by the previous dynasty on the top of the mountain, eating dry food with water sacks in their hands.

Among the scouts, there was a veteran who was also a corporal. He was sitting in the shade under the beacon and telling some dirty jokes that he had collected over the years.

The four scouts were all newly recruited rookies, no more than seventeen or eighteen years old. If not, they wouldn't have been sent to Mount Maiji, which had been free of war for sixty years, to gain experience. This place was sandwiched between the Great Yue Kingdom's Western Army and the Xiliang Iron Cavalry. Unless one day the Xiliang Army left Qinzhou or the imperial court attacked King Su, there would be no chance of a fire beacon being lit.

Military orders must be obeyed. Since the imperial court had kept this beacon, it would not be set off.

Old Sergeant Wu had been here for his entire life. He could even remember how many trees there were in the poplar forest under the beacon tower. He had long lost interest in it, so he just let a silly recruit stand under the sun and look at it.

Dong — — —

Just as the corporal was spewing out dirty words, ripples suddenly appeared in the bowl of water in his hand.

The soldier who was munching on dry food looked at the corporal and sneered. "Corporal, why are your hands shaking? Could it be that last night …"

"Pfft — — believe it or not, I'll open your bum tonight. My hands won't shake!"

The corporal spat and looked at the water bowl in his hand. He was puzzled. After some thought, he put the bowl on the ground and crouched down to listen.

"Horse hooves … That's a lot …"

The recruit also tried to listen, but unfortunately, he couldn't hear anything. He asked doubtfully,

"We're just foot soldiers, how could there be horse hooves …"

The corporal frowned and thought for a moment. He looked up and said, "Hey, idiot, do you see anything?"

At the top of the beacon tower was a scout who was a little silly. He raised his hand and pointed to the northwest.

"There's a lot of smoke!"

"Smoke?"

The corporal was puzzled. He stood up and patted his butt, then glanced out the window.

Who would have thought that one look would send chills down his spine!

At the end of the wilderness northwest of Mount Maiji, there was a black line with no end in sight. The dust stirred up by the tens of thousands of soldiers covered the sky, like a tsunami that had just appeared.

"This … this …"

The corporal's pupils shrank and his face turned pale. He turned around and ran to the torch, cursing.

"You idiot, why didn't you say so earlier! Fire, quick, where is the fire! "

The new recruits were still at a loss. They got up and found a torch, then handed it to the corporal.

"What's wrong? What's that?"

The corporal's face turned pale. He ran to the beacon and kicked the idiot away. He stood next to the pile of firewood and horse dung, holding the torch and looking to the northwest. His legs could not stop trembling.

The northwest of Mount Maiji was the border of Qin Province. There was a poplar forest there. Beyond the poplar forest was Su Of Gojoseon's territory.

Although Su Of Gojoseon's troops could be stationed at Qianyang Pass, which was an ungoverned area. It was fine for the people to move between the two sides. But since ancient times, there was an iron law in the imperial court. If a vassal king left his fief without the imperial court's permission, it would be considered as treason.

The garrison at Qianyang Pass changed every three years. It was not the right time yet. Besides, there were too many troops in front of them, enough to send an army to attack Chang 'an.

The corporal knew that Su Of Gojoseon was training his troops in Qin Province, but he should not be training here. Because if he went any further, he would be out of Qin Province!

Under the scorching sun, bean-sized beads of sweat dripped onto the heated stone floor.

The corporal's hand holding the torch trembled slightly. He stared at the black line, not even daring to blink.

Su Of Gojoseon crossed the small poplar forest. If the fire was not lit, he would lose his head.

But if the fire was really lit, it would not just be a pile of firewood. It would be the lives of hundreds of thousands of soldiers who had lived in peace for the past 60 years!

"Tiger —"

"Tiger —"

"Tiger —"

Gradually, the roars of the army came from the sky, increasing in number until only this sound was left in the whole world.

The 80,000 troops swept across the land, stirring up a cloud of dust. The black flags fluttered in the wind, like talismans of death.

The old corporal held his breath as he continued to stare at the forest. He resisted the urge to throw the torch into the forest.

The soldiers were so scared that their faces turned pale and they fell to the ground. First, they grabbed the weapons that were leaning against the wall, then they threw them down and ran down the beacon tower in a panic.

"Tiger —"

"Tiger —"

"Tiger —"

Tens of thousands of people shouted in unison, as if they were right in front of him.

Tens of thousands of blades were like waves, flashing a cold light under the scorching sun that could crush people and things in the world.

The horses' hooves stomped on the ground, smashing a few pots in the beacon into pieces.

The corporal stood alone on the beacon like a wooden man, holding the torch and watching the black sea slowly approach the poplar forest. Closer and closer, closer and closer, until finally …

Boom —

Raging flames rose on the beacon, and thick smoke rose into the sky.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack! "

The corporal picked up the long saber from the ground like a madman and rushed to the military camp at the foot of the mountain. His shrill shout traveled far and wide across Mount Maiji.

Unfortunately, the military camp at the foot of the mountain had already fled, leaving behind only a large number of barracks and the dragon flags that still fluttered in the wind …

…

At the same time.

At the end of a thousand miles of yellow sand in the distant horizon, the black army of Northern Qi appeared at the edge of the sea of sand. Before them was Guazhou, the westernmost territory of Dai Yue. Beyond Guazhou's Yumen Pass was the Western Region.

The leading general rode on his warhorse and looked at the city in the distance. He raised his hand and caught an eagle that was falling from the sky.

The eagle had a paper tube tied to its leg. It had the mark of the Left Prince, Jiang Yan.

The general released the eagle and opened the paper tube to take a look. He then pulled out a scimitar from the side of his warhorse and pointed it at the city.

"Beat the drums!"

Dong, dong, dong —

"Kill —"

Deafening battle cries drowned the entire sea of sand in an instant …