"Let's go!"
Wang Chong stood beside two large trees and waved his hand. Whoosh! A single stone stirred up a thousand ripples. In the empty space where only Wang Chong, Xu Andun, and Xu Shiping stood, from near to far, from front to back, countless silhouettes stood up from the ground. In just a short while, it was as if thousands of people had come to life. Some grabbed weapons, some shook off the mud on their bodies, and they all stood up from the ground.
Even farther away, in the densely packed hills, more and more soldiers of the Annan Protectorate army were rising from the ground.
— — Huoshu Huizang's judgment was correct. Wang Chong had indeed prepared a huge trap for Huoshu Huizang to fall into. Moreover, it was a trap made up of forty to fifty thousand soldiers. In addition to the detouring cavalry, the rear guards, and the bait, it was indeed enough to make Huoshu Huizang suffer.
But now, all of this was clearly useless.
"Pass down my order. Ignore the Ouzan soldiers behind us. Everyone, march at full speed. We only have one day. After today, Huoshu Huizang and Mengshe Zhao will join forces and chase us at full speed. This is our only chance. No matter what, we have to reach that location before then. "
"If we can't reach it, all of us will die. That is our only chance of survival! "
Wang Chong looked at the generals gathering around him and said solemnly.
The short pursuit with Huoshu Huizang and the Ouzan army had temporarily come to an end. But for Wang Chong, this war was far from over. But this time, his opponent was no longer the Ouzan cavalry led by Huoshu Huizang, but the Annam Protectorate itself.
Escaping from Lion City and successfully breaking through the encirclement only meant that they had a chance to struggle at death's door. Behind the glory of the merger of the two Annam Protectorate, there were too many hidden dangers. Without the cover of Lion City, without the cover of darkness, and without the once-in-a-decade torrential rain, the Tang army was simply incapable of dealing with the Mengshe – Ü-Tsang army.
More importantly, the southwest no longer had any food!
"Neigh!"
The warhorses neighed loudly. The group of people braved the heavy rain and headed northeast at their fastest speed …
The southwest had finally welcomed a night of peace since the war began, the last night of peace!
…
"Boom!"
A dazzling bolt of lightning snaked through the dark clouds over the capital. But unlike the torrential rains of the southwest, there was only thunder and no rain in the capital. In the folklore, this kind of thunder was called sky thunder.
And this sort of weather had persisted in the capital for several days.
The southwest was in danger and the front line was about to fall. In all directions, Longxi, Anbei, Anxi, and Andong were also engaged in fierce battles. The atmosphere was tense. Such a situation had never occurred since the founding of the dynasty.
"Eunuch Gao, I must trouble you to make an exception and report this to His Majesty. Say that this lowly subject requests an audience! "
In the forbidden area of the inner court of the Imperial Palace, a square-headed, big-eared, chubby, and amiable eunuch in embroidered robes with a round collar stood in front of the jade steps. In front of him were many civil and military officials kneeling on the ground, as well as the head of the Imperial Army.
"Eunuch Gao, I must trouble you to report to the Holy Emperor that the southwest is in danger. Our two hundred thousand Imperial Army soldiers are willing to march to the southwest!
"Right now, all sides are in a state of emergency. For the time being, there are no more soldiers available. Mobilizing the Imperial Army is the best method. Eunuch Gao, everything must be done according to plan! "
A figure was kneeling in front of the steps, fiercely kowtowing. It was the commander of the Imperial Army, Zhao Fengchen.
The war in the southwest had been going on for a very long time. The several thousand clan experts and mercenaries led by Wang Chong had vanished into the south like a bubble, leaving not the slightest ripple. In the view of many people, his fate was already clear. Several thousand soldiers was like a cup of water on a burning cart of firewood in the southwest.
Without a massive army, resisting the Mengshe – Ü-Tsang army of more than five hundred thousand soldiers was like striking a rock with an egg. Thus, the fate of Wang Chong's army had actually been known from the very start. Even though they admired his courage, this was not a wise decision. In the end, they would still have to rely on the army of the Imperial Court.
"Hahaha, Commander Zhao, please don't say such foolish words. With two hundred thousand Imperial Army soldiers marching south, who will defend the capital? Once the foreign cavalry launch a surprise attack, are you planning to leave the Holy Emperor surrounded by the foreign horsemen? Although the Holy Emperor has the ability to move the heavens and doesn't need to worry about this, will we, his subjects, still have the face to continue living in this world? "
The embroidered robed eunuch faintly smiled.
In the Imperial Palace, the only person with the surname Gao and the respect of the civil and military officials and the commander of the Imperial Army was the Holy Emperor's personal Eunuch Gao, Chief Steward of the Imperial Household, Gao Lishi. In the inner court, whether young or old, eunuchs or maids, anyone with the surname Gao would all change their surname.
Thus, in the inner court of the Imperial Palace, there was only one person with the surname Gao and the title of 'Eunuch Gao'.
The Gao bloodline had served three generations of Emperors and had always been known as' loyal eunuchs'. Their status in the Tang dynasty and the palace was transcendent, far beyond that of ordinary officials.
"Eunuch Gao is correct. We were foolish. But Eunuch, time waits for no man! If the Annam Protectorate is completely wiped out, the nearly one million civilians of the southwest will be plunged into misery and suffering. The Mengshe – Ü-Tsang army will continue to advance north and eventually reach the capital! As subjects, we naturally have to keep the enemy at the gates of the country. If we allow the foreign army to invade our subjects, how will we have the face to continue living in this world?! This time, the two Royal Lineages of the Ouzan have mobilized in full force! "
Next to Zhao Fengchen, the white-haired Imperial Censor Duan Cao, sighed.
[Welcome to my WeChat account and Weibo. Just search for Huangfu Qi. There is much content that cannot be found in novels.]
The Tang dynasty was besieged on all sides. The Bureau of Military Personnel, Bureau of Personnel, and Bureau of Revenue had all been mobilized, doing all they could to recruit soldiers. But all of this was time-consuming and laborious. In order to resist the five hundred thousand soldiers of the Mengshe – Ü-Tsang army, the amount of provisions, weapons, and warhorses required was no small sum, and none of this could be accomplished in a short period of time.
War had always been a system, not a simple matter of mobilizing soldiers.
But time waited for no man. Every day, grievous news came from the south. And the situation in the empire had everyone in the capital, from the ministers to the common people, in a state of panic. The current Tang dynasty was experiencing an upheaval that it had never experienced before. As long as one was a member of the Tang people, as long as one had a patriotic heart, there was no one who was not worried.
Every day, the Imperial Court was discussing countermeasures, the debate continuing at every moment. An endless stream of officials wanted to enter the palace and meet with the Holy Emperor. But all of them had been stopped.
In this crisis that affected the entire Tang dynasty, the most supreme existence of the Tang dynasty, the Holy Emperor, had remained secretive about his stance. No one knew what the Holy Emperor was thinking. Even now, the Holy Emperor had not made his stance clear, nor had he made any decision.
"Imperial Censor Duan!"
Eunuch Gao couldn't help but sigh at the old censor's words.
"You know that I have a patriotic heart, but His Majesty is currently resting, and he has long since ordered that no one is to disturb him. There's nothing I can do."
The officials looked at each other in dismay. This sort of excuse had already been used to fool many people.
"Eunuch Gao, just what is His Majesty's stance? Just what is going on here? His Majesty has never been like this before! "
The old censor suddenly raised his head, his eyes blazing like the edge of a blade.
The current Holy Emperor was hailed as the most ambitious ruler in the history of the Central Plains, and he was also an emperor with grand ambitions. His talent and strategy, his decisiveness in killing, his authoritarianism, and his sharp eyes allowed the Great Tang to sweep through the barbarians in his generation and reach an unprecedented golden age.
The previous Holy Emperor had been a man of great talent and bold vision. No matter what he did, he always had a well-thought-out plan. There was no need for the Imperial Court to discuss it. He already knew what to do. All of his decisions were able to win the hearts of the people. But now, the southwest was engulfed in the flames of war, the Annam Protectorate had been defeated, Li Zhengji had been ambushed and killed, and all the protectorates in the north, south, east, and west had been attacked, but the Holy Emperor had still not made a move. This had never happened before!
As an old censor who had served two generations of emperors, Duan Cao was truly unwilling to see this happen.
"Ah, Old Censor, don't you already know about that matter?"
"Ah!"
Upon hearing these words, the old censor's body trembled as if recalling something. He opened his mouth and was about to say something, but Eunuch Gao raised his hand and stopped him.
"Let bygones be bygones. It's enough that you and I know about this matter. As for the southwest … there's no need for you to worry. His Majesty has his own plans. Just because he hasn't made his stance clear doesn't mean that His Majesty isn't concerned about the situation in the southwest. Old Censor, you've served His Majesty for so many years. Surely you don't understand this? "
Duan Cao's body trembled, but he heaved a long sigh of relief. No matter what, as long as His Majesty had made a decision, it was the best result. This was also his greatest harvest from this trip.
"I understand. Many thanks, Eunuch Gao! General Zhao, let's go! "
Duan Cao pulled the confused Zhao Fengchen up and quickly left the palace.
A gentle breeze brushed past the porch, causing the bells to shake one by one.
Eunuch Gao hid his hands in his sleeves, a smile on his lips as he watched Duan Cao's group disappear into the distance. A moment later, when the group had disappeared, the smile on Eunuch Gao's face slowly receded. Sigh, he sighed deeply, worry creeping up his brow like a dark cloud. Soon, Eunuch Gao entered the Sacred Hall.
The golden drapes were layered upon one another, and the golden dragons on them were vivid and lifelike, as if they were about to leap out of the drapes.
And in the depths of the drapes stood the most noble figure in the world. Although he was doing nothing, merely sitting on the drapes, he exuded an aura that reigned supreme over all beings in the world. He was like a deity whom everyone revered.
But for some reason, when Eunuch Gao saw that enormous aura that surpassed all experts in the world, he felt a tinge of weakness. But soon, Eunuch Gao tossed this thought to the back of his mind. Regardless of whether His Majesty was the lofty Sage Emperor or the prince from back then, in his heart, His Majesty would always be the existence that he respected the most, admired the most, and loved the most in this world.
"Your Majesty, are we really not going to do anything about the southwest?"
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