Chapter 1007
Words:1833Update:22/06/26 06:38:50
In the Spring Grand Competition of the West-Hill Divine Palace, a nameless little Taoist boy from the woodshed of the Revelation Institute won first place and displayed an unimaginable state.
In the distant grassland, a young slave who collected cow dung for a living won the contest. He was freed from slavery by Chanyu of the Golden Tribe and became a glorious warrior.
In the Grassland Contest, two young attendants were taken as core disciples by the national master. The Golden Tribe had 13 priests with profound states and the national master seemed to have become more powerful.
Similar things happened all over the world. A middle-aged priest in the Taoist temple of the Kingdom of Song entered the Knowing Destiny State by the well. Similar things happened in many other Taoist temples.
The plain Taoist temple deep in the mountains of the Divine Halls of West-Hill was quiet as usual.
The Zhishou Abbey had been deserted for several years since the abbey dean left. The withered leaves piled up on the stone steps and became thin and brittle due to the wind.
The door of the temple opened by itself.
The tactical array in the temple was still running. No one could get in except for the wind. The breeze blew over the lake and blew the golden and white straws under the eaves. It seeped in through the window and lingered on the beams and walls. Finally, it came to the table in front of the window and opened the big book like a pair of invisible hands.
The breeze was illiterate but it still flipped the book randomly. The book was flipped and the white paper kept falling down. The ink characters on it became blurred lines.
The breeze slowed down and the characters became clearer.
The "Ri" Handscroll that recorded the names of the most powerful cultivators in the world of cultivation had fewer names compared to a few years ago, such as Liu Bai, Ye Su, and Chen Pipi, but there were more names. Some of the new names were unfamiliar, such as Hengmu Liren.
Haotian was fair. She gave her followers all kinds of benefits in the spring breeze and rain. She did not forget to give immortality to some people in Chang 'an. But at the same time, she was not fair either. That was because the Divine Halls of West-Hill was cool while Chang' an was hot in the summer.
It had not rained for several days in the late summer. The streets of Chang 'an were scorched by the scorching sun. The water in the well at the entrance of the alley was clear and cool, but the steam coming out from the well was intimidating. The dry world was filled with the smell of smoke and fire. It seemed that the city would be set ablaze with a single spark.
The situation in Chang 'an was the same. The seemingly peaceful atmosphere was actually filled with endless pressure and impatience. The empire had started to prepare for the upcoming war. The officials and scribes in the government were running around to deliver documents. The transportation of food and fodder had entered the most important stage. The military was on standby. Countless military orders were sent from the city to the counties and the frontline.
To the north of the Vermilion Bird Avenue, past the Jianshen Archway, there was a large forest. Behind the forest was a green meadow. There were dozens of buildings with bright tiles and black eaves. This was the military headquarters.
The centermost pavilion was the main government office of the Military Ministry. Several deacons and officers stood solemnly at the stone steps outside the building. They were all drenched in sweat. But no one knew whether it was because of the suffocating heat wave or because of the suffocating tension represented by the voices behind them.
"The focus of the war is definitely the South Jin. If we can get out of the Verdant Canyon in half a month and open up Qinghe Prefecture, we can help the Sword Garret stabilize the South Jin."
The speaker was Shu Cheng. He had been transferred back to Chang 'an several years ago to take charge of the overall defense of the Tang army. He was no longer the Commanding General of the West. General Xu Chi stayed in the Northern Battlefront Camp to face the powerful Golden Tribe Royal Court. Now that he was the head of the Military Ministry, his opinion was naturally important.
It was very quiet in the pavilion. Several generals and more than a dozen staff officers remained silent. They did not agree or disagree with what Shu Cheng said.
Everyone knew that if they could ally with the South Jin, the Tang Empire would be invincible. But this was impossible. First of all, the Tang army was not sure that they could open up Qinghe Prefecture in half a month. Even if they could, they could not rebuild the navy in such a short time. How could they cross the Great Swamp?
The most important problem was that the Tang Empire and the South Jin Kingdom had been enemies for many years. Although the Sword Garret was now on the opposite side of Taoism, the royal family of the South Jin Kingdom, the army, and the ordinary people would not choose to ally with the Tang Empire.
"I thought the final battle would still be in the north."
A general gave his opinion. In the war against the Tang Empire several years ago, the Golden Tribe Royal Court was the biggest threat to the Tang Empire and the biggest benefit after the war. There was no doubt that the Wolf Cavalry on the grassland was the most powerful enemy of the Tang army. They were also the enemy that the Tang army wanted to defeat the most.
When two armies fought, the most important thing was the momentum. If the enemy's strongest force could be defeated, many difficulties would be solved. The Tang army chose the Golden Palace as their opponent, which was not a mistake. However, the problem was that the Northern Battlefront Army was severely short of warhorses because of the cession of the Xiangwan Plain. The Northern Battlefront Army alone was far from enough to defeat the Golden Palace, let alone drive them out of the Seven Stockaded Villages.
"When we signed the agreement with the Divine Halls of West-Hill, the Academy promised the imperial court that even if we ceded the Xiangwan Plain, there would be no problem. So I think there should be no problem. General Xu Chi also expressed the same idea in his letter. What we need to do is to cooperate with the Academy."
General Shu Cheng looked a little tired. He said, "The problem is, if we choose to fight the Golden Tribe from the beginning, even if we can gather the power of the whole country to win, what about the other directions? Once the Divine Halls of West-Hill regains control of the South Jin Kingdom, how can we take back Qinghe Prefecture? "
Qinghe County had to be taken back because every day that the warlords existed in this world was another day of humiliation for the Tang Empire. The Golden Tribe Royal Court had to be massacred because there were countless souls of the Tang army waiting to be redeemed by their comrades at the frontier fortress. The Yan Kingdom had to be conquered because it represented betrayal and unbearable slaughter.
Correspondingly, the Tang Empire was surrounded by danger. The temporary peace of the Yuelun Kingdom did not mean anything. Far away in the West Wilderness, the barbarians whom the Tang army had never fought had begun to gather their cavalry. Maybe in a few months, they would join the Golden Tribe Royal Court's army to invade the south. Similarly, the Yan Kingdom was recovering under the rule of Emperor Chongming and with the help of the Divine Halls of West-Hill. With the help of the cavalry of the East Wilderness, the Yan Kingdom would not be as weak as it used to be. It was even more so for the Qinghe Prefecture and the South Jin Kingdom in the south.
In this world, the enemies of the Tang Empire were everywhere. So there was no peaceful border. In this world, the enemies that the Tang had to defeat were everywhere. So there was no main direction to attack.
"Did the disciples of the Sword Garret go to the Great River Kingdom for shelter last time?" Shu Cheng asked.
The current situation was clear. If the Divine Halls of West-Hill went north, the South Jin Kingdom would not be able to protect them. In the eyes of the Tangs, the disciples of the Sword Garret had helped them before. So they had the obligation to protect them.
At this moment, there was a military report from the South Jin Kingdom outside the building.
The Sword Garret told the Tangs that they were not willing to retreat and were determined to defend Linkang.
Why were they not willing to retreat?
Liu Yiqing's answer in the letter was simple: Because they were not willing. (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian.Com to vote for me. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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