The first snow fell on the ancient city walls of Shangjing. The black and green contrasted beautifully with the Palace, but it did not bring with it a trace of a cold and enchanting aura. No one took pity on the thin layer of white snow on the square. The sky had just begun to brighten when more and more officials began to mercilessly step on it, crushing the white snow into mud.
These officials had serious expressions and hurried movements. They did not have the leisure to admire the snow. Battle reports from the South flowed endlessly into Shangjing and came to the Hall of Governmental Affairs beside the Royal Palace. The Hall of Governmental Affairs was completely enveloped in a tense and oppressive atmosphere. Fortunately, it was not very chaotic.
The sky was very dark. The Northern Qi officials in the Hall of Governmental Affairs were arguing about something. Then, a low voice stopped everyone's argument and made the Northern Qi cabinet recover its silence. In the silence, they quickly decided on a response.
Concerning this battle, the Northern Qi court had made many years of preparations. When the news of the Qing army's brazen attack came, no one was surprised. The methods of control and response during wartime quickly spread from the Royal Palace through the Hall of Governmental Affairs to this seemingly young but actually already lasting for thousands of years. In a short month, all of Northern Qi was mobilized.
A bright yellow royal carriage left the Hall of Governmental Affairs. The officials did not send it off from the back. Instead, they threw themselves back into the busy military and political affairs. In such a dangerous situation, if there were still officials who dared to show off their ability to flatter, they had to be careful of whether or not their heads would be chopped off by the furious Emperor.
The royal carriage came to the front of the Hall of Governmental Affairs. The Northern Qi Emperor, with a gloomy expression, swung his hand and jumped out of the carriage with a few thuds, scaring the eunuchs and serving girls beside him. He did not have the self-awareness to worry about his dragon body being injured. He turned around on the stone steps in front of the Hall. The Commander of the Brocade Guard beside the royal carriage, Wei Hua, and the other three important officials scolded in cold voices, "The Qing Kingdom's internal strife has dragged on for a year. Now that things have come to an end, you are still in such a panic. Why do I keep you useless people?"
A few important Northern Qi officials felt a chill in their hearts. They knew that the Emperor was not in a good mood. The battle report from last night, which had traveled thousands of li, stated that the Qing army in Yanjing had already begun to move. The Qi army stationed in Nanjing had been defeated again and again. Yet, the Commander-in-Chief, Shang Shanhu, was not in Nanjing. He was just hiding in that small city in the Song Kingdom and had not made a move.
After some thought, the officials did not know where the Emperor's anger came from. Was it because of the panic of the officials in the Hall of Governmental Affairs? Was it because he was afraid of the Qing Kingdom's hundreds of thousands of soldiers? Or was the Emperor's suspicion of Shang Shanhu's deliberate silence?
Wei Hua's body was very low. The present Northern Qi court had long become an iron plate in the Emperor's hands. No other faction dared to challenge the dignity of the royal family. Even Master Ku He's death four years ago did not change this trend. Furthermore, with a great enemy before them, no one dared to underestimate the authority of the Northern Qi Emperor.
Wei Hua was a relative of the empress dowager and the Emperor's trusted aide. He knew what the Emperor's earlier words of internal strife in the Qing Kingdom meant. To be able to delay the Qing Kingdom's invasion for a year was completely because of the successive rebellions of the Qing Overwatch Council's last and last two masters. Wei Hua knew that regardless of whether it was the dead Chen Pingping or the unknown Fan Xian, why they would betray the Qing Emperor, probably only the Emperor knew the truth in all of Northern Qi. Thus, he didn't say anything.
Of the three officials, the old Minister of War could no longer stand. He bravely stood out and tried to calm the Emperor's anger. He was worried that the still young Emperor would truly doubt General Shang Shanhu's loyalty. Presently, the Qing army was aggressively launching an invasion. If there was doubt between the ruler and officials, the result of this battle would be known without asking.
As the nominal Commander of the Northern Qi military, this official could not just watch as there was any problem between the pillar of the Northern Qi country, General Shang Shanhu, and the Emperor, who used his maturity and steadiness beyond his age to calm the emotions of the officials in court. Thus, he prostrated himself on the ground and admonished endlessly.
The Northern Qi Emperor's expression gradually calmed. He waved his sleeves and had the officials withdraw to deal with the urgent military reports from the South. He himself led Wei Hua into the main hall.
Beside the dragon chair in the main hall, behind the bead curtain, the empress dowager, who had not listened to politics behind the curtain for many years, was waiting for their arrival.
In front of the bead curtain, the Northern Qi Emperor bowed slightly. Wei Hua also bowed. The Northern Qi Emperor's expression had completely calmed. Looking at Wei Hua, he asked in a cold voice, "Are there any new movements from the Qing court?"
Wei Hua was slightly startled. As the head of Northern Qi's spy system, he was responsible for gathering intelligence from the court to the military. However, this intelligence had been delivered to the Emperor's royal study early in the night. For a moment, he didn't know how to answer such a question. What exactly did the Emperor want to ask?
Pondering his words, Wei Hua furrowed his brows and said, "The Jingdou Garrison of the Qing court is still Shi Fei, but Xiao Jinhua has been moved from Nanzhao back to the Northern Camp. Adding to the fact that Wang Zhikun has been stationed in Yanjing for generations, the movement of the Qing generals is not surprising."
The Northern Qi Emperor furrowed his brows slightly and said, "Xiao Jinhua was once the deputy of the Great Prince of the Qing court. His performance during the Jingdou rebellion four years ago was mediocre. Additionally, his relationship with the Great Prince, so he was banished to Nanzhao by the Qing Emperor. It is truly strange that he was moved back to the Northern Camp. What do you think of Wang Zhikun? "
"Wang Zhikun does not reveal himself. No matter how the Qing court changes, he still sits firmly in Yanjing. Based on the court's observations these years, the Qing Emperor has kept him around in preparation for the current Northern invasion." Wei Hua had no choice but to repeat the analysis of the Brocade Guard and the Ministry of War.
The Northern Qi Emperor was silent for a moment. He then suddenly asked, "Is Ye Zhong still in Jingdou?"
Wei Hua replied, "Yes."
The Northern Qi Emperor stared at his face. A cold light shot out from his slightly narrowed eyes. "Are you sure?"
Wei Hua's heart trembled slightly. In a low voice, he said, "I'm sure."
"Then that's strange." The Northern Qi Emperor glanced at the empress dowager behind the beaded curtain and shook his head. "If the Qing Emperor was truly prepared to finish this in one go, how could he still keep Ye Zhong in Jingdou? The Qing court had been tormented badly by Chen Pingping and Fan Xian these years. The generals who were truly good at fighting had either died or betrayed. The Qin family had all died, and the Great Prince had betrayed Dongyi. How could a mere Wang Zhikun make the Qing Emperor feel at ease? If this old man didn't want to personally lead the army, at least someone like Ye Zhong should be placed in the North. "
Wei Hua's heart jumped slightly. He also couldn't understand why the Qing court had arranged the deployment of generals this way. A war between two powerful countries would not be a small skirmish. Even if Wang Zhikun had planned and prepared for this matter in Yanjing for 20 years, if the Qing military didn't bring out a truly powerful figure who could shake the country, how could they show their determination to the world and announce their tyrannical stance to Northern Qi?
Northern Qi was not Dongyi. This country had succeeded the throne of the Wei Kingdom. It had vast territory and a large population. The northeast plains were one of the granaries of the land. Although it had declined for a long time, under the sincere cooperation of the empress dowager and the Emperor, as well as valiant tactics, it had gradually shown its youth. Even with the Qing Kingdom's strength and military power, if they wanted to attack Northern Qi, it would not be a goal that could be achieved in a short amount of time. Presumably, given the Qing Emperor's powerful self-confidence, he would not make such an arrogant judgment.
The beautiful main hall of the Northern Qi Royal Palace immediately sank into silence. The Emperor slowly paced his feet under the throne. His brows were furrowed into a pretty circle. He was analyzing what his powerful counterpart in the Qing Kingdom wanted to do. The war had already begun. There was no baiting or probing. Hundreds of thousands of people had already paid with their lives. Since the war had already begun, why did the Qing Emperor still not display a ferocious and wolf-like aura? On the contrary, he appeared to conform to convention. Furthermore, there was a sense of pettiness in this kind of convention.
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Wei Hua also sank into silence. His gaze followed the Emperor's footsteps and moved endlessly. He was also calculating endlessly in his heart. Although, in his opinion, given the might of the Qing military, it didn't matter who the Qing court used as commander. He faintly felt a glimmer of surprise to see the Emperor look at the choice of commander of the Qing army this way.
Suddenly, he thought of General Shang Shanhu, who was far away from the Qi defense line in Nanjing and alone in the city of the Song Kingdom. His heart jumped slightly. He wanted to say something but was afraid the Emperor would become angry again. He gazed at the blurry figure behind the curtain of beads and secretly gritted his teeth. "Perhaps the Qing Emperor is afraid of General Shang Shanhu's military strategy and is unwilling to attack with all his strength. However, the army is slowly pressing forward, forcing a gap in the Qi defense line under this enormous pressure. The Qing court will use this gap to leap forward …"
Before he finished speaking, the Northern Qi Emperor had already smiled. More accurately, a not-quite-smile rose to his face. He looked at Wei Hua's face calmly but also full of pressure. The gap Wei Hua spoke of earlier was not actually a gap in the arrangement of Northern Qi's military power. Rather, it was a gap in the hearts of the people. Just like how the old Minister of War had remonstrated on the snowy ground earlier, the Northern Qi officials were all worried that General Shang Shanhu, the pillar of the court, would provoke the Emperor's anger because the war in the South was not going well.
The two countries had been at war for over a month. As the commander of the South, not only did Shang Shanhu not stop the Qing army's invasion, he had also left the Nanjing defense line and hid in the distance. He ignored dozens of urgent edicts from the court and watched as the Qing army advanced a hundred li.
In the Northern Qi court, the Emperor's anger had already been displayed without any concealment. Thus, there was the argument in the Hall of Governmental Affairs, the officials' guesses, the Minister of War's remonstrance on his knees, and Wei Hua's daring secret words.
Unexpectedly, he did not receive the Emperor's angry reprimand. The Northern Qi Emperor only looked at him with an indifferent expression and slowly said, "You underestimate me. Those people in the Qing court also underestimate me."
Wei Hua's heart shook slightly. He didn't know where the Emperor's words came from.
"I have never doubted Shang Shanhu's loyalty." The Northern Qi Emperor's sword-like eyebrows rose. His voice was indescribably cold. "No, accurately speaking, I don't care whether or not General Shang Shanhu is loyal to me. As long as he is loyal to the court and this country, that is enough."
Wei Hua's expression changed slightly. He didn't understand. He thought to himself that the Emperor's anger, which worried the Northern Qi officials greatly, as well as the scolding of Shang Shanhu coming from the Royal Palace, were all fake?
"If the Qing Emperor truly thinks that I would make a mistake under his pressure, I can only say that the Qing Emperor is far from as powerful as I imagine," the Northern Qi Emperor said calmly. The Northern Qi Emperor calmly said, "All of this was done for the southerners to see. It could also be said that it was done for you officials to see."
"If the Qing army truly dared to charge North, would they not be worried about General Shang Shanhu at the waist of their thin dragon and the power of Dongyi?" The Northern Qi Emperor said with slight mockery. "Would the southerners fall for my tricks? I don't believe it. I didn't think that these officials in court would jump in one by one. "
Wei Hua was silent for a moment. He then said, "However, Your Majesty's anger is enough to intimidate the officials. I am only worried that some officials in court will misjudge Your Majesty's edict and implicate the soldiers on the front lines."
War was always about logistics. The general bathed in blood at the front while the officials played with the Emperor's heart at the back. It was often like this in the world. The Northern Qi Emperor's expression didn't change. Looking at Wei Hua, he said, "That is why I asked you to come today. Those who follow my orders these days and submit memorials attacking General Shang Shanhu's subordinates will all be expelled from court."
Wei Hua's heart jumped. With a great enemy in front of them, was there going to be another upheaval in the court?
"I know what you are worried about. Don't worry too much. The dangerous situation is already set. This is not the court of the past. If these useless people who only know how to think about me are captured, then they are captured. Who would dare to say another word?"
The Northern Qi Emperor sat on the dragon chair and turned his head to glance at the bead curtain. He saw his mother behind it nodding slightly. Sitting up straight, he said with a dark expression, "From now on, any official who dares to speak ill of the general will be beheaded! Anyone who causes trouble on the front lines will be beheaded! "
"You are not bad. The Minister of War is also not bad." The Northern Qi Emperor looked into Wei Hua's eyes. "If, at this time, you still don't speak up for General Shang Shanhu, I'm afraid I will have to behead you. When a country is about to fall, I do not keep useless people or idle people. "
Wei Hua's body trembled slightly. Only now did he know that the Emperor had probably completely opened his heart to General Shang Shanhu a long, long time ago, which was why he could face the tense situation so calmly. However, with this, who in the entire Northern Qi court could control Shang Shanhu far away in the South? If Shang Shanhu truly had disloyal thoughts …
"Do you know how to lead an army and fight?" the Northern Qi Emperor suddenly asked with slight mockery.
"I don't know military affairs."
"I can't either. Since it is so, things like fighting have to be left to people who know how to do it. Since I have used Shang Shanhu, I will continue to use him without hesitation," the Northern Qi Emperor calmly said. "From today onwards, the military and civil affairs of the seven counties in the South will all be under General Shang Shanhu's command. Gather the power of the entire court to help General Shang Shanhu resist the enemy. In a moment, send down the edict."
For some reason, Wei Hua stared in a daze and somewhat rudely at the young Emperor in front of him. He suddenly felt his body heat up. His originally fearful emotions became unusually calm and determined. He knelt on one knee and replied crisply, "As you wish!"
Wei Hua withdrew from the Royal Palace. He didn't know what kind of waves the Emperor's edict, which gave one-third of the power of the Northern Qi court to Shang Shanhu, would bring. The Northern Qi Emperor, who had just issued the edict, was unusually calm. He looked coldly at the thin layer of snow outside the Palace without a glimmer of fear.
Everyone feared the Qing army's valiant and unparalleled battle power. However, the Northern Qi Emperor was not afraid because he had Shang Shanhu. Furthermore, he dared to use Shang Shanhu more thoroughly than any other ruler.
Although he didn't know much about military affairs, he knew that the vast war between the two countries was, in the end, a competition of national power. As long as the Northern Qi court didn't make any mistakes, no matter how powerful the invaders in the South were, they would not be able to destroy Northern Qi in a few short months.
In the end, everything needed time. The Northern Qi Emperor was still young, but the powerful ruler in the South was already old. The Northern Qi Emperor could keep the Qing Emperor waiting, but the Qing Emperor himself did not want to wait for too long.
The Northern Qi Emperor narrowed his eyes slightly. There was still a question in his heart that he could not get rid of. If the Qing Emperor truly did not want to keep him waiting, why did the battle in the South appear so cold and tangled? Was the Qing Emperor worried about Shang Shanhu, Dongyi, or something else?
He should be almost at Jingdou, right?
The beaded curtain moved slightly. A girl wearing a flowery, cotton-padded jacket walked out from behind the curtain, supporting the empress dowager. The empress dowager looked warmly at the Northern Qi Emperor. She couldn't help but feel a powerful sense of satisfaction in her heart. With a son like this, or rather, with a daughter like this, what else was there to ask for?
The Northern Qi Emperor turned around and looked at Haitang Duoyao wearing the flowery, cotton-padded jacket. He smiled warmly and said, "Aunt disciple, if you could bring heavenly soldiers and generals from the Temple, why would I need to suffer so much?"
Haitang slowly shook her head and didn't say anything. She thought to herself, if the Emperor knew that the support he wanted the most in his life had been destroyed by her and Thirteenth Wang, what would he look like?
"Remember what Fan Xian told you before. This world is theirs and ours. In the end, it is ours." The Northern Qi Emperor seemed to have thought of something. He suddenly opened his mouth and calmly said, "I still don't know where his confidence comes from. Faced with the dangerous situation in the South, I can faintly grasp this feeling."
Haitang Duoyao was silent for a moment. She then said, "When he was in Jiangnan, he also said that we are the sun at six or seven in the morning."
"The Qing Emperor … is just a setting sun." The Northern Qi Emperor furrowed his brows slightly. It was as if even he didn't believe this judgment. The calmness on his face was actually mostly faked. He wasn't sure if the power of the entire country was in Shang Shanhu's hands. Would it be enough to temporarily stop the Qing Emperor's steps toward unifying the world? No matter how much of a genius Shang Shanhu was on the battlefield, in the end, he was only one person.
The empress dowager, who had maintained a warm silence, suddenly laughed and said, "Looks like I, this setting sun, can only go hold my granddaughter."
A wave of laughter finally rang out from the oppressive Northern Qi Royal Palace. The Northern Qi Emperor looked at Haitang and was silent for a moment. He then said, "Come with me to see Hong Doufan."
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In the Royal Palace of the Qing Kingdom in Jingdou, a setting sun hung in the western sky. The weather was still warm, and the twilight was like blood. It reflected off the red palace walls and bright yellow glazed tiles of the Royal Palace, making it seem like it was about to burn.
The Qing Emperor, with a slightly tired and haggard expression, lay on a reclining chair in front of Taiji Palace. His fingers slowly combed the fur of a large, fat white cat. The fat cat seemed to enjoy the service of a powerful ruler. It lay lazily and occasionally turned its body, moving its soft abdomen close to the tips of the Qing Emperor's fingers.
Of course, the fat white cat did not know how terrifying the Emperor's fingers were.
A military general stood silently in the dusk, standing very close to the Emperor. He didn't say a word. He only looked at the white cat under the Emperor's command and the two fat cats stretching lazily behind the wooden chair. He couldn't help but feel that it was absurd.
These three cats were yellow, black, and white. They all looked unusually fat from being raised. However, the Palace rarely kept these small pets. No one knew how these seemingly ordinary cats had obtained the Emperor's favor.
None of the emotions in his heart showed on the general's face. Even if a two-year-old baby died in front of him, he would not be moved in the slightest. Furthermore, he was not a brute who only knew how to fight. Before he returned to the capital and entered the Palace, he had already found out enough information.
These three fat cats belonged to the Fan manor. They had been raised by Princess Chen since they were young. At some point, she had brought them into the Royal Palace to play with the Emperor. The Emperor had kept these three cats until now.
They seemed to be just three cats, but in the eyes of this general, he always felt that this seemed to represent a deeper meaning. However, he did not dare to ask, nor did he have anyone to ask, because no one in this world knew whether that person was dead or alive.
The Qing Emperor pulled back his gaze from the sunset clouds and glanced at the general. He said, "That kid in Northern Qi is only acting for you to see. The court raises so many people in the Bureau of Military Affairs. Are they doing nothing?"
It was impossible to tell how old this general was because his gaze was clear and cold. He seemed very young, but his face was full of hardships. After thinking for a moment, the general straightforwardly said, "On the battlefield, we use direct tactics and surprise to win. No matter how cunning Shang Shanhu is, as long as Your Majesty gives the order, the lives of the three armies of the Iron Riders of the Qing Kingdom will not disappoint your expectations. As for the matter of using troops, Your Majesty can decide on your own. There is no need for the Bureau of Military Affairs to do more useless work."
These words were not flattery. A flattering official would never say such harsh words. Rather, it was true. This general had great faith in the Emperor's military abilities and naturally sighed with emotion.
"Northern Qi has retreated again and again with the intention of retreating to the front line in Nanjing, using distance to exchange for time. That kid wants to waste time with me." A disdainful smile rose to the corners of the Qing Emperor's lips. "Shang Shanhu has his hand on the waist. It is indeed brilliant. However, the situation is as such. As long as this nail is pulled out, who can stop my army from heading North?"
"The North needs a commander." The Qing Emperor closed his eyes and allowed the blood-like dusk to envelop his thin face. "Wang Zhikun has been raised for a dozen years. He has become somewhat blunt. To pull out this nail, Shang Shanhu, he must pass through Dongyi. Although I have not sent down an edict, it is clear that Governor Wang is afraid of the 4,000 Black Knights and the 10,000 soldiers in the boss' hands. If he is so restrained, how can he succeed?"
Immediately after, the Qing Emperor glanced at the young general and furrowed his brows slightly. "You have just returned from the grasslands. You are not clear on the matters of the Bureau of Military Affairs. Don't always argue with your father. As a son, this is improper!"
For some reason, the topic had turned in this direction. The general's heart chilled. He lowered his head and agreed.
The Qing Emperor stared at his face and slowly said, "Don't count on me sending you to the North to pull out the nail. You don't have enough experience. Most importantly, after entering and exiting the grasslands, you have honed your ruthlessness. However, your craftiness and patience are still lacking. You are not a match for Shang Shanhu."
The general abruptly raised his head. A glimmer of dissatisfaction appeared on his face.
"Ye Wan, you are still too inexperienced," the Qing Emperor slowly said. "The Hu people of the grasslands are not as cunning as the people of the Central Plains. You have entered deep into the grasslands in pursuit of the Chief's court. Your courage is commendable. Have you thought about why the 7,000 Northern Man Iron Riders are still unable to come into contact with the court? If the court met up with the 7,000 Man riders on the snowy grasslands, would you still be able to escape back alive? "
This young general was one of the rising stars of the Qing court. He was the son of the Head of the Bureau of Military Affairs, Ye Zhong, and the commander of the Qingzhou victory, Ye Wan. After the Qingzhou victory, Ye Wan had led 4,000 Qing elite Iron Riders in pursuit of the remaining soldiers of the Chief's court. He had earned a fearsome reputation on the grasslands. In the end, he had returned alive from the grasslands. Although there were only 800 of the 4,000 Iron Riders left, such an achievement was a remarkable matter in any of the Qing Kingdom's military operations.
However, the Qing Emperor's light words struck a certain corner of this young general's heart. It also startled the faint doubt in Ye Wan's heart. Why was it that during the months of dangerous pursuit, Chief Su Bida's remaining soldiers of the court were still unable to make contact with the 7,000 Man riders?
Ye Wan's heart trembled slightly. He looked at the Emperor's face, which was gradually showing signs of age. He wanted to seek an answer.
"Although Fan Xian took Haitang Duoduo to the Temple, he still did not forget to set up a contingency plan on the grasslands," the Qing Emperor said with an indifferent expression. "Martial arts are always outside of poetry. Victory and defeat are also outside of the battlefield. When you understand this, the commander of my Northern expedition will be you."
Ye Wan stood silently by the Emperor's side. His heart felt slightly heavy.
"Victory and defeat in this world is actually outside of the battlefield. Within a year, if Fan Xian dies, I will have won. If I die, the people in this world who do not like me will have won. "
It was as if the Emperor was narrating the matter of someone else. His fingers tightened gently and lifted the fat white cat into his arms. He gently combed its fur meticulously.
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