All Heavens: From Joy of Life to The Great Feng Night Watchman

Page 417

“We wanted to fight a decisive battle with his army, but he refused to fight unless he was confident of a great victory, and even abandoned Youzhou.”

Li Chang'an was not surprised by Zhong Shentong's actions. The general of a great nation was not a good-for-nothing.

“Zhong Shentong knows that the Northern Mang army is the most important thing that the Northern Mang cannot give up. A Youzhou that has been almost plundered is dispensable.”

“If Zhong Shentong takes the initiative to withdraw his troops, he will definitely be punished and dismissed by the Empress. Such a magnanimous and visionary approach is something that General Gu Jiantang of the Liyang Dynasty does not possess.”

Zhuge Liang continued, "General Li and General Huo demonstrated their military prowess at Yanjia Lake, which allowed Zhong Shentong to accurately assess our strength, thus leading him to make the wisest decision."

"However... with such a capable general in Northern Mang, I believe that with Empress Murong's decisiveness, there will soon be another large-scale southward invasion."

"This time, the military force is probably more than 300,000, and the Northern Imperial City will also bring out more trump cards."

Li Chang'an smiled and said, "The next battle will be a decisive one between us and Northern Mang. If Northern Mang doesn't reveal all its trump cards, we will gradually wipe out its army."

"Strategist, the Empress won't give us much time. Everyone says that the Northern Barbarian army has a million soldiers and is invincible. This time, we will completely expose them to their true colors!"

"A proclamation is issued to the world: the Northern Barbarians are about to launch a major southward invasion. The fate of the Central Plains rests on this battle. Those who are determined to resist the Northern barbarians, come to Beilao Pass and assist me in the decisive battle against the Northern Barbarians!"

Half a month later, the Northern Barbarians arrived in Nanjing.

In the Nanyuan King's mansion, Zhong Shentong, Yelü Dongchuang, and other generals knelt below the steps. In the place where Dong Zhuo had been, the gloomy-faced Empress Murong was sitting.

Another surprising thing was that many familiar faces appeared in the hall, including more than a dozen first-rank grandmasters, as well as long-absent masters such as Murong Baoding, Taiping Ling, and Qilin Zhenren Yuan Qingshan.

Twenty or thirty important officials, including Tuoba Pusa, Li Mibi, Yelü Hongcai, and Helian Wuwei, were also present. Empress Murong had brought half of the court to Nanjing.

It is estimated that only the old crown prince Yelü Hongcai, who had served as regent for thirty years, remained in Beidi City, while the important officials of the court all followed the empress south.

"Zhong Shentong, I planned to stay in Nanjing and wait for you to eliminate Li Chang'an before marching south to completely destroy Liyang. But you've given me a taste of my power."

The Empress was clearly suppressing her anger; her majestic voice made the beams of the hall vibrate. Zhong Shentong did not argue, but truthfully reported, "Your Majesty is wise!"

"Your humble servant is incompetent and unable to defeat Li Chang'an. I dare not hastily engage in a decisive battle and risk losing the main force of the Northern Barbarians. Therefore, I have retreated without authorization. I am willing to die for this cause!"

Of the 300,000 troops, 60,000 to 70,000 were lost. Although they did not suffer a defeat, they fought a very humiliating one.

The Empress looked around the hall and asked, "Gentlemen, what do you have to say?"

At this moment, Yuan Qingshan, the Grand Preceptor of Northern Mang who usually did not concern himself with state affairs, spoke first: "Your Majesty, General Zhong is not only innocent, but has also rendered meritorious service and should be rewarded!"

This Yuan Qingshan is not the Qilin Immortal himself, but one of his three incarnations.

The Daoist saint of Northern Mang, who called himself the Daoist of the Four Directions, cultivated the supernatural power of One Qi Transforming into Three Pure Ones. He predicted that Northern Mang's fate was long, so he used three avatars to guard Northern Mang, while his true body traveled the world.

"Your Majesty, Li Chang'an's fortune is so great that even the Emperor of Liyang cannot compare. Since the internal strife in Liyang, Liyang's fortune has been declining, while Li Chang'an and Xu Fengnian's fortune has been rising."

"Xu Fengnian's current fortune is not as good as Li Chang'an's. The only person in the world who can suppress Li Chang'an's fortune is His Majesty!"

"In other words, Li Chang'an seized the opportunity when the general was withdrawing his troops, which was a sign of good fortune. If we were to engage in a decisive battle rashly, we risk the annihilation of the entire army!"

The Northern Mang Empress had to take Yuan Qingshan's words seriously, as this Grand Preceptor rarely offered his opinions. This was the first time in decades that such an extraordinary person had offered advice—just over ten days ago, he had suggested that the Empress personally lead the campaign.

He also said that Northern Mang was blessed by Heaven, with the Empress's army personally leading the campaign against Li Chang'an. They would surely receive divine favor and defeat the unlucky Li Chang'an, thus ensuring Northern Mang's eternal prosperity.

Tuoba Pusa then advised, “Your Majesty, the Grand Preceptor is mistaken. The General suffered a great defeat at Yanjia Lake the first time, losing Dong Zhuo and Chunsun. However, Your Majesty did not blame him and even gave him a chance to redeem himself.”

"His second campaign south not only resulted in the loss of Youzhou, which Xu Fengnian had handed over, but also the loss of over 60,000 troops. Such heavy losses severely damaged the prestige of the nation and he cannot be blamed!"

For a time, the high-ranking officials expressed their opinions, but the majority still supported Tuoba Bodhisattva. After all, the Qilin Zhenren, a divine being, had not appeared in the world for a long time and was somewhat eccentric.

Finally, Zhong Shentong kowtowed and said, "Since I have suffered a defeat, I am willing to accept my punishment. However, I hope Your Majesty will give me a chance. I am willing to be a vanguard soldier on the southward march and witness the day when my army tramples through Shazhou!"

The Empress was not a foolish ruler, and she knew that Zhong Shentong was not a coward who feared death. He took the initiative to withdraw his troops in order to preserve the strength of Northern Mang. As for Yuan Qingshan's words, it was better to believe them than not.

"Zhong Shentong is relieved of his post as Grand General. This time, as the army marches south, you will serve as the vanguard."

Then, she addressed the assembled officials in the hall, saying, "Gentlemen, internal strife has broken out in the Li Yang Dynasty, and the time that our dynasty has been waiting for to unify the world has arrived."

"You all heard what the Grand Preceptor just said. Li Chang'an, whom we thought was a minor figure, is very likely to be our dynasty's greatest enemy in the south!"

"In other words, if Li Chang'an is eliminated, the remaining Xu Fengnian, Zhao Bing, and others are all worthless trash!"

"I have decided to personally lead the expedition. Tuoba Bodhisattva, immediately assemble an army of 600,000 and engage Li Chang'an in a decisive battle!"

Zhong Shentong brought back 200,000 troops, and Tuoba Pusa led 100,000 troops south from Beidi City. Only by gathering another 300,000 troops could they finally reach 600,000.

Having already lost nearly 300,000 troops, Tuoba Pusa knew that deploying 600,000 troops in this battle meant that he had used all his trump cards and was going all out.

"The minister obeys the order!"

Upon hearing that the Empress had made her decision, and that the Northern Mang court, which had enjoyed decades of peace, was finally going to fight, the civil and military officials in the hall couldn't help but recall the glorious era when they had wiped out the Great Feng in one fell swoop.

Back then, we destroyed the Great Feng, but we did not eliminate the eight states of the Spring and Autumn Period. Now, by destroying Li Yang, we are completing the unfinished task from back then!

The Empress's decision not to march south because of Xu Xiao has left many in the Northern Barbarian lands feeling secretly resentful. Now, with a great war about to begin, civil and military officials, as well as martial arts masters, are all getting excited.

"Yuan Qingshan and Murong Baoding, issue this proclamation to all the grandmasters of the land: this battle concerns the fate of the nation. Those who wish to assist me in quelling the rebellion in the south, come and serve in the army!"

Having learned that Grandmaster Li Yang was assisting Li Chang'an in guarding the pass, the Empress believed that these martial arts forces should also be mobilized to use Grandmasters to fight against Grandmasters.

If an army were to fight against a Grandmaster, the casualties would easily reach hundreds or thousands, which some could not withstand.

"Your humble servant obeys the decree!"

Empress Murong personally took charge of Nanjing, assembling a large army, and the entire Northern Mang Dynasty began to operate in a grand and bustling manner.

In Liangzhou City, many people were kneeling beneath Li Chang'an's throne; these were the first people to come and seek refuge with him.

The identities of these people surprised Li Chang'an. He had thought it would be good enough to summon some grandmasters, but the first group of people to arrive were not only martial arts figures.

"Hu Gonglie, the garrison commander of Huatai under the Southern Tang Dynasty, pays his respects to my king and General Gu!"

An elderly man in military uniform with white hair, a thin face, and a piercing gaze, with a stiff white stubble on his face, spoke first.

Gu Dazu stared at the old man in astonishment, "Hu Gonglie, you're still alive?"

Hu Gonglie's voice was firm and powerful, showing no mercy to the Hong family emperor, "Back then, the Hong family emperor surrendered before the battle even began, living a pathetic life and dying a humiliating death!"

"The general left the Southern Tang in anger, and I also felt that I had nowhere to go, and I was unwilling to surrender to Liyang. So I simply led tens of thousands of old soldiers to become outlaws on the border of Tang and Chu. Ten years have passed and now only more than 20,000 people remain."

"Having heard that the King of Tang has risen to power in the Northwest and defeated Xu Xiao, the King of Northern Liang, this humble general has turned his attention from Southern Tang to the Northwest. After fighting for more than half a year, by the grace of Heaven, I have finally met my King and my great general!"

Hu Gonglie insulted the Hong family emperor, but Li Chang'an didn't care at all. What did the Hong family emperor have to do with me, the Li family emperor?

He was a reincarnation, and if the relationship was good, Li Chang'an would not hesitate to make a good connection. In Li Chang'an's eyes, a useless fool like the Hong family emperor was nothing more than a tool for reincarnation.

"General Hu has fought across thousands of miles; it seems he trusts me?"

Hu Gonglie, a veteran of countless battles, spoke without restraint: "Your Highness first fought against Beiliang, then against Liyang, and later achieved consecutive victories against Beimang. Your achievements this time are a hundred or a thousand times greater than those of the late Emperor!"

"Now that the Northern Mang army is pressing in, the fate of the Central Plains rests on this battle. This humble general is willing to serve as a vanguard under my king's command!"

Li Chang'an nodded and said, "General, you need not stand on ceremony. With your help, Northern Mang will surely be defeated."

Beside Hu Gonglie stood two middle-aged generals, their expressions extremely complex. There was worry, a hint of resentment, but mostly hesitation.

"The guilty general Ye Xizhen."

"The guilty general Yao Jian."

Li Chang'an remained calm, a playful look flashing across his lips. These two were Xu Xiao's adopted sons and Chen Zhibao's staunch supporters.

In the original novel, Xu Xiao poisoned his two adopted sons, who were loyal to him, so that Xu Fengnian could secure the throne after his death.

These two men had hired assassins to kill Xu Fengnian when he was traveling in the Northern Wilderness.

However, now that Xu Fengnian's travels in Northern Mang are over, there's no need for these two to hire assassins. Chen Zhibao was also killed by Li Chang'an long ago, and these two didn't have any major grudges against Xu Fengnian.

At this moment, Zhuge Liang, who was sitting at the lower end of the table, couldn't help but angrily rebuke, "Ye Xizhen, Yao Jian!"

"You two are both renowned generals who have fought many battles. You made many achievements in the wars during the Spring and Autumn Period, and you have never committed any misdeeds while guarding Beiliang for more than ten years."

"What were you risking your lives for, that you personally sent the people of Youzhou to the iron hooves of the Northern Barbarians? Now, more than 100,000 people of Youzhou have died or been injured, their bones piled up like mountains! Shouldn't you be held accountable for this blood debt!"

"The people of Youzhou revere you as gods, yet you are so heartless and immoral. How can you bear this? How can you live with your conscience!"

"You two shameless scoundrels who disregard the lives of ordinary people, how can you have the face to stand in this world! And look at General Yan Wenluan, who died in battle at Beilao Pass, how can you still have the face to kneel here!"

As they listened to Zhuge Liang's words, Ye Xizhen and Yao Jian's expressions grew increasingly grim, their indignation overflowing, and their resentment could no longer be suppressed.

“Your Highness, Lord Zhuge, it was not our wish to give up Youzhou. Xu Fengnian, in order to befriend the Northern Barbarians, had them attack Your Highness first before handing over Youzhou to them.”

"Although we disagree, all the most vehemently opposed senior officials have been assassinated by the terrestrial immortal behind Xu Fengnian. We dare not speak out against it."

We have been locked in a stalemate with the Northern Barbarians for over a decade; how can we willingly watch them invade Youzhou!

"Having heard that Your Highness is about to fight a decisive battle with the Northern Barbarians, we took advantage of Xu Fengnian's distance in Jizhou and led more than 30,000 of our trusted Northern Liang men to join Your Highness the Prince of Tang under the cover of night."

"We know we have failed the people of Youzhou and have no face to beg Your Highness to take us in. We and our soldiers are willing to fight the Northern Mang army to the last man to avenge General Yan Wenluan and the more than 100,000 people of Youzhou!"

Li Chang'an could tell from the emotional values ​​of these two that they genuinely hated Xu Fengnian. While they weren't exactly loyal to him, they weren't hostile either, and that was enough. As long as they had a grudge against Northern Mang, that was enough.

"With such thoughts, it is not in vain that the people of Youzhou have supported us for more than ten years. With the war between Tang and Mang imminent, I hereby appoint you two as vanguards. I hope you will do your best."

Beside Ye Xizhen and Yao Jian was a fat man dressed in a python robe. Even Li Chang'an found the appearance of this member of the Li Yang royal family amusing.

"Zhao Ying, the Prince of Huainan of Liyang, I have heard that you are offering your fiefdom to me, and voluntarily surrendering?"

The fat man immediately bowed deeply, his expression extremely sincere, "Your Highness, the Prince of Tang, is ordained by Heaven and has received the Mandate of Heaven. Now that Li Yang is in chaos, only Your Highness can quell the chaos, restore order to the world, and bring peace to the land..."

Zhuge Liang interrupted him directly, saying, "Compared to Zhao Bing and Xu Fengnian, we are the closest to your fiefdom, which is why you came to join us, right? Tell me, how many troops did you bring?"

Zhuge Liang did not hesitate to expose the lies of this flattering prince. He had only pledged allegiance to Li Chang'an because his fiefdom was closest to Qingzhou.

Zhao Ying and Zhao Bing had a so-so relationship. Even if Zhao Bing, the Prince of Yan, gained the throne, Zhao Ying would not benefit much. He probably wouldn't even be able to remain a vassal king, and might even lose his life.

One of the six major vassal kings, Prince Zhao Ying of Huainan, was stationed in Xiongzhou. He was known for his strict adherence to rules and regulations, never daring to overstep the boundaries of the imperial clan. Even when his descendants were punished for violating the rules, the gentle and refined Prince Zhao Ying never uttered a word.