Chapter 689

Zhang Shen had come out to gather fourth-rank experts and some high-ranking generals because the order to retreat was too important. In terms of official position, he was only Yang Gong's aide, not someone who could make decisions.

Yang Gong, who could make decisions, was unconscious, and it was hard to say whether he was dead or alive. The other person who could make decisions had been killed by Xu Erlang.

From Qingzhou to Xunzhou, he had fought and killed all along the way. This delicate scholar with an unparalleled appearance had accumulated an incalculable amount of hostility in his heart.

In the past, even if Xu Erlang had ten times the courage, he still wouldn't have dared to kill a second-rank official of the government.

In troubled times, human life was as worthless as grass. This did not apply only to the common people, but also to the officials and soldiers.

Soon, apart from the generals on duty, all the higher-ups were gathered in the courtyard of the commander's quarters.

Among these people were the chiefs and masters of the Wulin League, Chu Yuanzhen, Hengy Yuan, and Yang Qianhuan, as well as military generals in the court like Yang Yan and Chen Ying. There were also former generals of the garrison of Qingzhou who didn't have high levels of cultivation but had rich experience in leading troops in battle.

It was worth mentioning that the former commander of Qingzhou, Meticulousness, the highest-ranking official after Yang Gong, had already been sacrificed in Xunzhou.

In the inner hall, a middle-aged eunuch dressed in official robes waited for everyone to gather. He looked around and said in a low voice,

"How are Eunuch Yang's injuries?"

Li Mubai, who sat on the first seat on the left, said lightly,

"His life is saved, but he is still unconscious. As for when he will wake up, it is still unknown."

The eunuch frowned and looked to the side at the figure in white who had his back to the crowd.

The white-clothed figure with his back to the crowd raised his chin and said haughtily,

The white-robed figure, who had his back to the crowd, raised his chin and said arrogantly,

"If I, who grasps the moon and plucks the stars, were not here, Yang Gong would have already perished in the city."

The eunuch's lips twitched, but he dismissed the idea of talking to Yang Qianhuan. He withdrew his gaze and continued to ask,

"Where's Yao Hong?"

Everyone looked at Xu Xinnian.

To be honest, Yang Yan and the others had experienced ups and downs in the officialdom for many years. They really didn't dare to kill a second-rank official unless they had no choice.

Meanwhile, the Sect Masters and Sect Masters of Martial Union would not do such a thing. The Administrative Envoy of a State was a Minor Grade 2. How could they, outsiders, kill him as they pleased?

The relationship between Martial Union and the Great Feng Empire was so great. If a fit of anger caused the relationship to break or a rift to form between the two, the losses would outweigh the gains.

Xu Xinnian was probably the only one who had such confidence and decisiveness. Once he saw that something was wrong, he immediately extinguished it. He even knew that everyone had their own concerns, so he took the initiative to stand up and shoulder the burden.

Although he wasn't as dazzling as his cousin, Xu Qi 'an, his ability, courage, and responsibility had won the unanimous approval of Yang Yan and company.

Xu Xinnian replied calmly,

"In order to appease the officialdom and the gentry, he has fallen ill from overwork and is recuperating in the residence."

He just needed to give Yao Hong a chance to "die for his country."

Xu Xinnian wasn't afraid that the empress would condemn him after the matter was exposed. Not to mention whether Huaiqing would condemn him, even if she did, he could just push his brother forward. Who would dare to make a sound?

"Thank you for your hard work, Sir Yao!"

The eunuch coughed and went straight to the point.

"Today, I receive the imperial edict of Her Majesty to order you to evacuate Yongzhou overnight, preserve your strength, and retreat to the capital."

No one spoke. Everyone communicated with their eyes in silence. There was no surprise, only anger and reluctance.

First of all, Yongzhou was the last barrier. Without Yongzhou, the Yunzhou Army would attack the capital.

With the foresight of Xu Erlang and the others, they could actually understand that if they fought to the death with the Yunzhou army in the capital, they would have a higher chance of winning.

But the problem was that this was a risky move. Daibun would have no way out.

Secondly, if they surrendered Yongzhou, Xu Pingfeng's combat power would increase to another level. The Yunzhou Army would seize the resources in Yongzhou and recruit soldiers. It wasn't easy to cripple the Yunzhou Army. Were they going to waste all their efforts?

Finally, what would happen to the people in Yongzhou?

Although people's lives were worthless in troubled times, people still had compassion. If the Yunzhou Army massacred the city, the hundreds of thousands of people …

Seeing that no one spoke, Li Mubai coughed and said,

"I'm sorry, but I can't comply!

"If we abandon Yongzhou, it will boost the morale of the Yunzhou Army and allow them to recover. The tribulation battle in the north hasn't ended yet, but if we follow Her Majesty's instructions, even if Xu Yinluo wins the tribulation battle in the north, we may not have a chance of winning. "

Don't forget that the success of Luo Yuheng's tribulation only equaled that of the Yunzhou Army. It didn't mean that Daibun could fight back against Yunzhou.

Zhang Shen said,

"Her Majesty is talented, but she's not good at leading troops to war. It's inevitable that she would make a mistake.

"As the saying goes, when a general is on the battlefield, he can't obey the emperor's orders. We have our own ideas. If Her Majesty wants to blame us, you can look for me, Zhang Shen."

Yang Yan and the others were Wei Yuan's trusted aides, and they were the Empress's trusted aides as well. However, they supported the scholars of Yunlu Academy on this matter.

Her Majesty, Huaiqing, was as talented as a man and even better than the average scholar. But she was also a woman, so what did she know about war?

However, they were the empress's subordinates, so they didn't show their thoughts.

Fu Jingmen snorted.

"If you want to retreat, you can do it yourself. The Wulin League will not retreat!"

Yang Cuixue touched her sword and said in a low voice,

"This old man's disciples all died in Harmony Prefecture, so I should also die here. Only then would I not be master and disciple in vain.

"The Wulin League is not under the control of the imperial court. If you want to leave, you can leave."

The generals of Qingzhou were slightly moved, and their blood was boiling.

Her Majesty was right. These people really disobeyed … The eunuch remembered what Her Majesty had told him before he left for Yongzhou.

Her Majesty said that if the troops in Yongzhou disobeyed, she would tell them that Duke Wei had come back to life.

Her Majesty had foresight! The eunuch took a deep breath and said,

"This is Duke Wei's order!"

After he finished speaking, he realized that the hall suddenly became so quiet that a pin drop could be heard. Everyone looked at him without saying a word.

The look in their eyes was very strange, indescribably strange.

After a few seconds, the veins on Yang Yan's forehead protruded as he enunciated each word.

"Are you making fun of us?"

He swore that if this damn eunuch dared to admit it, he would dare to stab his spear through his chest in front of everyone.

The eunuch came from Huaiqing's mansion, so he was not afraid at all. He said calmly,

"Duke Wei has come back to life today. Her Majesty personally summoned his soul. If you don't believe me, you can verify it when you return to the capital. "

There was an uproar in the hall.

Everyone had different expressions on their faces. There was ecstasy, confusion, astonishment, doubt, and excitement …

Zhang Shen said in a low voice,

"If Wei Yuan has really come back to life, then I agree to retreat to the capital."

Because with Wei Yuan in command of the army, the decision to retreat to the capital was not a desperate attempt, but a desperate attempt to find a way out.

But everyone still did not believe it.

Wei Yuan had already died in Jing Shan City. How could he come back to life?

At this moment, the people in the hall heard Yang Qianhuan say slowly,

"He is not lying!"

Everyone's eyes immediately focused on the back of the warlock in white's head.

Yang Yan quickly asked for confirmation,

"Did you use the Aura Observation Spell?"

"You don't seem to have turned your head …" Xu Erlang and others added in their hearts.

Yang Qianhuan snorted, then said in a slow, impatient tone, "You're right, Master.

"No, I didn't look. But … "

He purposely paused for a moment to gain everyone's attention.

I want to hit him … The veins on the back of Yang Yan and others bulged, and they could not help but tighten their grip on their weapons.

Yang Qianhuan didn't care what the others thought. He himself was as calm as an old dog.

He said unhurriedly, "But I have seen Wei Yuan's body in Song Qing's secret chamber, and I also know that Xu Qi 'an has been trying to resurrect Wei Yuan."

Oh, it's Wei Yuan who was resurrected by Xu Yinluo … Everyone suddenly realized.

The doubts in Yang Yan's and Jinluo's minds dissipated.

If it was Xu Qi 'an who was resurrecting Wei Yuan, it was indeed more believable than the explanation of "Her Majesty personally summoning the soul to resurrect Wei Yuan."

Li Mubai exhaled as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He looked around at the crowd.

"So, what do you think?"

"Let's withdraw!" Fu Jingmen immediately said.

Everyone chose to withdraw from Yongzhou on the spot. Yang Yan and the others could not wait to return to the capital and see Wei Yuan.

"Yang Yan, Chen Ying, Yang Qianhuan …"

The Palm Eunuch called out the trusted aides of Wei Yuan and the Empress, as well as the Act Tough King.

"All of you have other tasks and do not need to return to the capital with the army."

Yang Yan and the others looked at each other and said,

"What instructions does Duke Wei have?"

The Palm Eunuch took out a brocade pouch and smiled.

"It's all in there."

The Palm Eunuch could leave as he pleased, but the evacuation of the army was a tedious and complicated task, including but not limited to gathering troops, moving weapons, money, and destroying the ballistae and cannons that could not be carried.

Because the Yunzhou Army was only 25 kilometers away, they could not evacuate on a large scale in order not to alarm the enemy.

Therefore, the garrison did not alarm the civilians. However, Xu Erlang asked Miao Youfang to lead the troops and bring along the rich and officials.

Those who were unwilling to leave would be persuaded by reason.

In addition, Li Mubai ordered people to make straw dolls and placed them densely on the city wall to confuse the Yunzhou Army's scouts.

…

At dawn, when the sky was darkest.

The Yunzhou Army, which had already assembled, quietly approached Yongzhou City under the cover of the main army.

A scout with decent cultivation base relied on his powerful eyesight and a telescope to look at the top of Yongzhou City. He saw the densely packed figures standing on the top of the city wall in the darkness.

"Hiss, something is wrong …"

The scout sucked in a breath of cold air and said to himself,

"Why did their numbers suddenly increase by several times? Did they expect us to attack the city?"

Normally, there would not be too many guards on duty at the top of the city wall. Most of the soldiers would rest in the barracks at the foot of the city to ensure that they were in peak condition.

It was the scout's job to be vigilant.

The scout turned to his companion and said, "Go back and report that the situation at the top of the city wall is not right. There are a lot of people on duty at night to prevent any traps."

He was worried that their movements had been predicted in advance. The garrison was fully prepared and had even formulated an attack plan.

The scout quickly went back to the Yunzhou Army to report the situation. For the sake of caution, the army stopped and sent scouts to patrol the surroundings to collect information.

The scout quickly went back to the Yunzhou Army to report the situation. For the sake of caution, the army stopped and sent scouts to patrol the surroundings to collect information.

Time passed minute by minute. The sky gradually brightened in the east and the pitch-black sky turned blue.

At this time, the Yunzhou Army discovered that something was wrong. The people standing at the top of the city wall were actually straw dolls.

Straw dolls?

In the military tent, Qi Guangbo's heart sank after hearing the report.

He said, "Send a winged cavalry warrior to investigate the situation."

A rider from the Vermilion Bird Army rode a winged cavalry warrior and rushed to Yongzhou City. He circled above the city for a long time before returning to the Yunzhou Army.

The garrison of Daibun had retreated from Yongzhou City. The barracks were empty.

Qi Guangbo no longer hesitated. He sent his army to the city and easily took over Yongzhou City.

After some exploration and investigation, he discovered that the garrison of Daibun had taken away the provisions, gold, silver, and armaments. They had also destroyed the large-scale equipment.

Only a few hundred thousand citizens of Yongzhou were left.

…

Inside the barbican.

After listening to Qi Guangbo's report, Xu Pingfeng, who was dressed in a snow-white robe, wasn't surprised.

He exhaled and said, "Wei Yuan wants to compete with me in the capital."

Qi Guangbo, who was dressed in military attire, placed his hand on the hilt of his saber and said slowly,

"As expected of Wei Yuan. Such decisiveness isn't something an ordinary person can have."

Instead of defending Yongzhou to the death, it was indeed a better idea to retreat to the capital to preserve their high-end combat power and troops. However, the corresponding price was enough to put a group of experienced generals and strategists in a difficult position.

However, the first thing Wei Yuan did after his resurrection was to transfer the troops of Yongzhou back to the capital to increase the capital's defense.

A qualified commander was reflected in these details.

Qi Guangbo continued,

"Money, provisions, and armaments have been taken away. However, the citizens are still here. Every household has some reserves. The forces of the Jianghu in Yongzhou are also still there. Very good."

Those who could live in Yongzhou City were all well-off. If they dug three feet into the ground, they would be able to obtain a considerable amount of wealth to supplement the expenses of the army.

As for the forces of the Jianghu in Yongzhou, they could be roped in and used to make up for the lack of combat power.

Xu Pingfeng said,

"After a short rest, I will immediately head north after I have refined Yongzhou. Wei Yuan wants to use Yongzhou to feed us and buy time? How can we let him do as he wishes? "

Qi Guangbo sucked in a deep breath, and his fighting spirit rose.

"The advisor's idea is to deploy troops in the capital before the Northern Calamity War ends and force Xu Qi 'an and the other Transcendents to use the capital as a battlefield to determine the winner with Daibun."

Xu Pingfeng nodded slightly.

"It's time for this war to end. Do we have to be entangled with Daibun for a few more months? I won't give Wei Yuan a chance to breathe. Let's fight speed with speed and end it quickly. "

Qi Guangbo nodded. That was his idea too.

At this point, the battlefield had been pushed to the capital. It could be the final conclusion of the Battle of Zhuolu.

"How is the war in the north?"

He found it hard to believe that Galo Tree and the White Emperor had not killed the Transcendents on Daibun's side.

Xu Pingfeng said,

"My clone has already gone to the north."

The clone did not have much combat power. He was just worried about the northern battlefield and wanted to see what was going on with his own eyes.

As a chess player, he was used to having everything under control. Therefore, when the war in the north fell into a stalemate, he instinctively felt anxious and uneasy.

But he was sure that something must have gone wrong in the Heavenly Calamity War.

Xu Pingfeng could more or less guess that the problem was with Xu Qi 'an. The problem was that his "Dao" was getting stronger as the battle went on. However, even with his wisdom, he still could not figure out what kind of power could support a Second Grade Warrior to fight with a First Grade Warrior for so long.

It was unheard of.

Of course, he did not know that there were only a handful of people in the world who knew this, and they were all old monsters who had lived for countless years.

That Immortal Tree was living a comfortable life in the palace.

…

"Aunt Mu, don't you know?"

Xu Lingyue blinked her eyes, and said in a soft, weak, and harmless tone,

"The Spring Sacrifice is over. My brother's marriage with His Highness Lin An will be in half a month. Didn't my mother tell you?"

In the palace, at the stone table in the elegant courtyard, Mu Nanzi said angrily,

"Your mother only knows how to grow flowers all day. Those who don't know would think that she is the Flower Goddess!"

Xu Lingyue said blankly,

"What Flower Goddess?"

"Nothing. I'm going to Feng Qi Palace to see that old woman!" Mu Nanzi stood up.

Xu Lingyue was shocked and looked at Mu Nanzi repeatedly. The old woman must be referring to the Empress Dowager. Who was she to dare to call the Empress Dowager that?