Chapter 979: Follow to the Death
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“Due to the drought, the Di people have been invading the North frequently in the past two years. If we send troops now, we’ll be able to take down all the cities along the way in three months at most and go straight to Quanzhou. In autumn, the Di people will have to stock up on winter supplies and will definitely come aggressively. King Yue Fei will want to resist external enemies, so he’ll be even more occupied.”
In comparison, the King of Liang’s advantage was simply too obvious. If he did not rebel at this time, he would have to wait until King Yue Fei stabilized the North?!
That would be akin to having his head kicked by a donkey.
Someone chimed in. “That’s true. When the Di people invade wantonly, the North will lose its defense. Then, the Di people will march straight in and take down the capital. The Great Zhou Dynasty might very well face a predicament of being sandwiched from the inside and out. It’s not like such a thing hasn’t happened in history. Even if the Imperial Court wanted to, they wouldn’t ask Yue Fei to order the King of the North to send troops.”
Yin Huaixi was the first barrier against the Northern Barbarians. They could not afford to lose him.
There were many troops in the capital, and they were the most well-equipped and elite troops of the Great Zhou Dynasty. There were also many generals who could fight. Yin Huaixi had to resist external enemies, so how could he spare the time?!
The King of Liang was waiting for this opportunity to take advantage of it.
“If King Yue Fei can’t send troops to help, we can avoid fighting him head-on.”
“It’s not that I’m afraid of King Yue Fei. His Highness’s goal is to stay in the capital and avoid fighting King Yue Fei head-on. It’s also to recuperate and conserve his strength. When His Highness takes over the capital and naturally occupies the defense, he can gather the remaining troops of the capital and reap the resources of the capital. At that time, he won’t be afraid of the North, which lacks resources.”
“King Yue Fei was tripped by the Northern Barbarians, so you don’t have to worry.”
After everyone discussed at once, they immediately realized that this was indeed the best time to send troops.
Not only could they avoid King Yue Fei, but they could also catch the Imperial Court off guard.
Although that was the case, there was still an aide who had objections. “Although that’s the case, the garrison stationed in the Rehe area is the first barrier to the three cities in the capital. The 500,000-strong army is not to be trifled with.’
The person guarding Rehe was Duke Duan, an old general who had been through hundreds of battles. Back then, it was also him who had initiated the palace riot with the Empress Dowager, who was still the Empress then, and helped her ascend the throne today. Only then did he have the wealth and glory of Duke Duan’s Residence.
Rehe was located in the north of Hebei and was neighboring the capital. The two armies were still fighting, and the Imperial Court had also sent more reinforcements to suppress the rebellion and exhaust them to death.
After taking down Rehe, the army would definitely suffer heavy losses and need a long time to rest. During this period of rest, the Imperial Court would continue to send troops to quell the rebellion.
This was also one of the reasons why there had been few rebellions by ministers since ancient times, and there were few successful ones.
Liang Jingxuan gave an aide a look, and the aide immediately understood. He immediately retorted, “Although that’s the case, the soldiers stationed in the
Rehe are usually raised indulgently in the army. They haven’t even fought a few decent battles. They’re only doing it on the surface. If they really go to the battlefield, they’ll become weaklings. How can they compare to our Liang army? All of them are experienced and brave.”
“Don’t forget that the three camps of the capital have 150,000 troops. In addition to the imperial guards and the Imperial Clan Guard, there are definitely more than 200,000 soldiers in total. They’re all the most elite troops of the Great Zhou Dynasty and are equipped with the best equipment and weapons.”
“Typically, when you take advantage of the king, why don’t you feel that your hands are burning? When it comes to it, you act like cowards and upset troop morale. Those who upset troop morale will be executed according to the law as a warning to filial piety.”
“Those bastards in the capital only know how to enjoy themselves. After so many years, they can’t even deal with Shandong. What’s there to be afraid of?!”
The room was immediately in an uproar.
The King of Liang did not stop them. Everyone who had been to the battlefield knew that prideful soldiers would definitely lose.
It wasn’t until two old generals almost fought that the King of Liang stopped them. “Everyone, please calm down. There’s no doubt about the strength and advantage of the Liang army, but on the battlefield, we have to fight with our lives. We can’t have any superior or lucky thoughts. This is a difficult battle to begin with. Everyone here trusts you with their lives. We have to go all out and be confident in our strength. At the same time, we have to be cautious. Don’t underestimate any opponent.”
With just one sentence, they calmed down.
King Liang also knew that this was a tough battle. He wanted to fight because he had no way out. Previously, he had colluded with the Weining Marquis Residence to persecute King Li of Zhou. It was already a great rebellion.
Now that Ning Yuanbo’s residence was in jail, because Concubine Lan had returned and the emperor was seriously ill, the palace was sealed. Ning Yuanbo’s case had never been tried, which gave him more time to plan.
However, not inspecting Ning Yuanbo’s case now did not mean that it would never be inspected. This matter was like a knife hanging over his head. If he was not careful, King Li of Zhou’s outcome back then would be his end.
Was he willing?
NO!
After all, he was going to die. Why not take a risk before he died?
Now was the best time to mobilize troops. If they missed it, they would never have a chance again when King Yue Fei completely stabilized the North.
Liang Jingxuan naturally understood what the father was thinking. He took a dagger and cut it fiercely on his palm, and blood immediately gushed out.
He clenched his palm, and bright red blood slowly dripped into the wine glass, dyeing the bright wine red.
As the blood dripped, Liang Jingxuan raised his wine glass high and raised his voice. “I, Liang Jingxuan, am here to swear a blood pact with all of you. Please believe in us, father and son, and conspire with us. In the future, when we achieve our great ambitions, we will definitely reward all of you for your hard work and contributions. We won’t let you down. Let’s drink this glass of wine first!”
With that, he raised his head and downed his wine.
Immediately, an old minister also cut his palm and dripped blood into his cup. He raised his wine glass and stood up. “Your Highness, we’ll follow you to the death. ”
“We’ll follow you to the death.”
“We’ll follow you to the death.”
No one present mentioned Liang Jingye, the heir who had been sent to the capital as a “hostage.” Everyone knew very well that from the day Liang Jingye stepped into the capital, he had been a dead person.
News that the emperor was seriously ill and could not come to the court spread privately in the royal court.
At this moment, someone in the court suggested that Ning Yuanbo’s case be tried.
“Ning Yuanbo is suspected of cheating in the examination. He should be tried immediately, but because of many reasons, there was no choice but to postpone it again and again. Now, it’s time for a conclusion to this case. It’s time to give justice to those innocent students who were implicated in the fraud in the examination and died in vain. We can’t let the hearts of the thousands of students in the world go cold.”
These words stood on the high ground of righteousness and morality, and received the support of many court officials.
“The Imperial Court needs fresh blood to continue operating. The imperial examination is to choose talents to govern the country. It’s a move that can determine the country. We can’t be negligent. Ning Yuanbo’s case has dragged on for so long, and many students are already criticizing it. If it continues to drag on, it will inevitably affect the prestige of the Imperial Court and the next examination.. “