Chapter 803
Emperors of the North and South
The moment Ma Xiuying saw Xu Da and the other generals kneel down, she could no longer stand, but she still straightened her chest because she was Zhu Chongba's wife, the wife of the Prince of Wu, and the sister-in-law of these Huaixi generals.
They are the backbone; I cannot fall, no matter how much pain I feel inside!
If I were to fall, these Huaixi generals would be completely lost and might cause a huge mess.
This Wu Kingdom in Jiangnan is the foundation of Chongba's empire. Even if I can't hold onto it, I must ensure its peaceful establishment and prevent any unforeseen complications. Otherwise, how can I face Chongba?
Thinking it over, Ma Xiuying's voice was icy, trembling slightly as she asked, "Xu Da, where is your King of Wu!"
"Get on top, get on top!"
Xu Da couldn't utter a word, and the person behind him was sobbing. Ma Xiuying took a deep breath and said, "Say it, I can handle it!"
"He rose to power, but died in battle!"
Xu Da then collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, "I'm so sorry, sister-in-law, we couldn't bring my brother back! Waaah..."
Upon hearing Xu Da's words, Ma Xiuying nearly fainted. She was about to collapse, and Cui'er was also stunned. Sensing that her mistress was about to fall, she quickly tried to support her. Ma Xiuying then grabbed Cui'er's hand tightly, holding on just like that!
To keep herself from collapsing, while the Huaixi generals were already sobbing uncontrollably, Ma Xiuying forced herself to calm down.
Her face was expressionless, and her voice was flat and suppressed as she asked, "Where is the body of the King of Wu?"
"It was taken away by Chen Jiu Si!"
Xu Da spoke again. Ma Xiuying's hand, which was holding Cui'er's, was trembling. Ma Xiuying took a deep breath. Before she could speak, a small boat appeared on the lake, and Tang He was carried off by Deng Yu.
Seeing this, all the generals were stunned. Feng Sheng asked, "What happened?"
Deng Yu said, "We heard that our commander had died in battle, and the morale of the army collapsed. When the enemy charged, we lost our initiative and were defeated. Commander Tang was also seriously wounded."
Upon hearing this, Ma Xiuying said, "Let's treat Tang He's injuries first."
"The rest of the commanders, listen to my order: abandon Hongdu and withdraw the entire army to Jinling!"
"Ah, madam!"
Upon hearing this, many generals immediately spoke up: "We're abandoning Hongdu? It's the gateway to the east!"
Upon hearing this, Ma Xiuying said, "The King of Wu is dead in battle. Hongdu alone cannot stop Chen Jiu Si's army. Let's return to Jinling first, and then we can talk about other things!"
"promise!"
Upon hearing this, the generals immediately agreed, and the entire army prepared to retreat. At this time, Ma Xiuying returned to her room with the help of Cui'er.
Once inside the house, Ma Xiuying collapsed to the ground.
Then she couldn't get up anymore, and she could no longer hide her tears. She just stood there blankly, crying as if she had lost her soul.
Ma Xiuying's world has collapsed!
……
The Battle of Poyang Lake drew the attention of the entire nation, with countless eyes fixed on the lake. Soon, Chen Jiu Si achieved final victory, and news of Zhu Chong Ba's death spread like wildfire throughout the entire Da Qian Dynasty.
On the battlefield of Luoyang.
Prince Ruyang and Wang Baobao led 20,000 new soldiers and directly blocked the 80,000-strong army of the Daqian attacking Luoyang.
At this moment, a large banner with Chinese characters fluttered in the wind atop Luoyang city walls, and outside, a general was shouting and cursing loudly. That's right, this was none other than Zhai Wang Aluhui, the rising military elite of the Great Qian Empire.
This man is a fearless newcomer, but his military capabilities are only average. He is at most brave, but compared to the three former military leaders of the Great Qian Dynasty, he is simply not worth mentioning.
The three Iron Wall Army Commanders of the Great Qian Dynasty were all powerful figures who shook the world: Boluo Temur, the commander of the Treasure Elephant Army; Li Siqi, the commander of the Azure Wolf Army; and Chahan Temur, the commander of the White Deer Army.
When these three were alive, who in the world dared to bare their teeth at the Great Qian Dynasty? It's a pity that these three are no longer here.
Even Chagatai, the former fourth-ranked general, was unwilling to get involved in these matters. In the end, he had no choice but to send this King Aruhui.
Aruhui's strategic command can only be described with one word: stupid!
The 80,000-strong army was like 80,000 puppets in his hands, lacking any combat flexibility. Wang Baobao, who was on the city wall, saw this and said directly to the Prince of Ruyang: "Father, this guy's troop deployment is as clumsy as wood. Please give me 10,000 soldiers, and I will definitely kill these guys without leaving a single one alive."
Wang Baobao clasped his hands in a gesture of request, eager to earn merit.
The Prince of Ruyang looked at Wang Baobao and said, "No."
“Father, I know I didn’t handle the Hongdu matter well, and our army suffered heavy losses. But this time it’s different. This time the opponent is not Zhu Wenzheng, not Xu Da, but this good-for-nothing Aruhui.”
"I could beat a guy like that with my eyes closed!"
The Prince of Ruyang said, "Precisely because he is Aruhui, you cannot send troops."
Why?
Wang Baobao asked the Prince of Ruyang, who, upon hearing this, looked at Wang Baobao and said, "Because he is a Mulan person, and you are also a Mulan person. Mulan people do not kill Mulan people!"
Upon hearing this, Wang Baobao looked at the Prince of Ruyang and said, "Father, the Battle of Poyang Lake is underway, but Chen Jiu Si is not leading us. If the Battle of Poyang Lake is won, those generals who support Su Yun Jin will gain great power."
"But we are only defending Luoyang City and cannot defeat the enemy. This is only a mediocre achievement. How can our Ya Ya compete with Su Yun Jin in this way!"
Upon hearing this, the Prince of Ruyang looked at Wang Baobao and said, "So you're willing to go to war with your own people for the sake of so-called power!"
"How many wars have our tribes fought each other over the years? For the throne, there's been a rebellion every three to five years. How many times have we killed each other? Now you're telling me that the Mulan people don't kill Mulan people? If the Mulan people don't kill Mulan people, why are they attacking us?"
"Aruhui has been shouting and cursing down there for a long time. Why doesn't he know that we Mulan people cannot kill Mulan people!"
Wang Baobao looked at the Prince of Ruyang and said, "Father, there is no turning back for us. The Great Qian Dynasty is over. Now, the only thing we can rely on is Ya Ya!"
"If Ya Ya still has a voice, we can live a better life. If Ya Ya is not valued, what future do we have?"
Wang Baobao addressed the King of Ruyang.
Upon hearing this, the Prince of Ruyang closed his eyes and said, "Do you think Ya Ya can compete with Su Yunjin?"
"Why not? In Chen Jiu Si's eyes, Ya Ya is now on the same level as Su Yun Jin. There is no distinction between them, so there is still a chance."
"What we lack now is supporters like us, we're the ones we're missing, Father!"
Wang Baobao said excitedly. Upon hearing this, the Prince of Ruyang closed his eyes and said, "Then do as you please, I'm tired."
"Understood!" Wang Baobao was thrilled to see that the Prince of Ruyang had relented. These 30,000 reserves were his chance to turn the tide.
Just then, a messenger rushed up from below the stage and said, "General, urgent military intelligence from 800 li away!"
Upon hearing this, the Prince of Ruyang looked at the messenger and said, "Speak."
"Yes!"
The soldier clasped his hands in a fist salute and then spoke: "In the Battle of Poyang Lake, our army won a great victory. The Prince of Han was victorious, and Zhu Chongba died in battle at Poyang Lake. The Prince of Han ordered that the Luoyang battlefield be resolved quickly, and then the army be stationed here to await our army's recovery of the southeast before launching a northern expedition!"
Ah!
Upon hearing this, the Prince of Ruyang was startled: "The Prince of Han has won?"
We won!
The messenger spoke excitedly, and upon hearing this, the Prince of Ruyang took a deep breath and said, "It seems that the world truly belongs to the Chen family now!"
As the Prince of Ruyang pondered this, Wang Baobao excitedly shouted, "We won! Hahaha, we did a great job! Vanguard soldiers, listen to my command! Charge with me! The Prince of Han has won! We must clear the way for the Northern Expedition and remove all obstacles for the Prince of Han! Kill!"
Wang Baobao shouted and immediately gathered 10,000 troops, who charged forward. With 10,000 against 80,000, the advantage was in his hands. Wang Baobao was full of energy and did not seem to think that he was the minority.
Aruhui was indeed useless. When he saw Wang Baobao charging forward, he was first startled, and then he wanted to fight Wang Baobao head-on.
But then suddenly all the cannons on the walls of Luoyang went off. Some of these cannons were left behind by Chen Xiaohu, while others were transported with the Prince of Ruyang.
These cannons were incredibly powerful; they were almost earth-shattering, if not spectacular.
The reason it was useless was that Prince Ruyang did not want to openly break with Daqian, but now that Wang Baobao had charged forward, he could not watch his soldiers suffer casualties in vain!
He is now the commander-in-chief of the Huangzhou Prefecture and Luoyang garrison, not the Prince of Ruyang of the Great Qian Dynasty. As the commander-in-chief, his first priority is to ensure that his soldiers do not die in vain. If he watches Wang Baobao charge forward and remains indifferent, watching these Huangzhou Prefecture reservists go to their deaths...
Is he still considered the commander-in-chief of this army? He should be an enemy spy.
Therefore, when Wang Baobao led his troops in a charge, he, as the commander-in-chief, had to provide support. At this time, he ordered the artillery to provide cover, and then ordered the remaining 20,000 men to follow up with the charge, while he personally oversaw the attack.
The battlefield situation changed instantly. Wang Baobao and Ruyang Wang, two top-notch strategists, dealt with the blockhead Aruhui with ease.
The battle quickly came to a conclusion: the army of Prince Ruyang won a great victory, and Aruhui led his remaining troops in a frantic retreat, heading straight for Dadu.
Two days later, news also reached the capital and the imperial court.
Emperor Qianshun looked at his ministers below and said, "My dear ministers, news has come from Jiangnan. In the Battle of Poyang Lake, the rebel Chen Jiusi won a complete victory, and Zhu Chongba died in battle at Poyang Lake."
"Now that Chen's power is established, do you gentlemen have anything to teach me?"
Upon hearing this, the courtiers fell silent, whispering among themselves, clearly shocked by the news.
The courtiers remained silent, everyone trembling with fear.
Emperor Qianshun then looked at the assembled officials below and said, "You all receive the emperor's bounty and share his burdens. You are all important ministers of my Great Qian Dynasty. At this time of upheaval, do any of you have anything you would like to teach me?"
Upon hearing this, the ministers all lowered their heads. What was the point of teaching them now? They might as well just wait to die!
However, they could not say this outright, nor did they dare to say it outright. After all, they were still subjects of the Great Qian Dynasty. Now, these subjects of the Great Qian Dynasty were all thinking about whether to surrender or run away. After all, emperors come and go, but subjects remain the same. They still had a good way out!
Many ministers bowed their heads in silence, but Emperor Qianshun grew anxious and looked down at the crowd, calling out by name, "Prime Minister!"
Old Hama immediately stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "You are the head of all officials. At this critical moment for the nation, what are your thoughts?"
Old Hama said, "Your Majesty, I believe that the traitor Chen has now occupied Jiangnan, and it can no longer be returned to our Great Qian territory. Therefore, I think we can give the traitor Chen more power to appease him!"
After hearing what the old man said, Emperor Qianshun asked, "How can I put his mind at ease?"
Old Hama said, "Your Majesty, I believe we should send Chen Jiu Si a generous gift and then establish a brotherhood alliance with him!"
"A brotherhood alliance?"
Emperor Qianshun frowned. Old Hama said, "That's right. Your Majesty can write a letter to Chen Jiu Si, stating that you are willing to share the world with Chen Jiu Si. The content is simple: the land currently occupied by Chen Jiu Si, as well as the land occupied by Zhu Chong Ba, can be given to Chen Jiu Si. We will only retain Hebei, Shandong, and the grasslands, and govern them separately!"
"From now on, he will be the emperor of the South, and you will be the emperor of the North. From now on, we will be brothers."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Qianshun frowned and looked at Old Hama, saying, "Then wouldn't I have suffered too much loss?"
Old Hama said, "Things have come to this point, and we are powerless to change anything. We might as well leave it as it is, so that we can still retain some land and rights."
Emperor Qianshun frowned, and after a long while, he asked, "Will Chen Jiu Si agree to that?"
Old Hama said, "Why would he object? Isn't he from the Zoroastrian sect? Their Zoroastrian slogan is to restore the Song dynasty."
"Even at its peak, the Song Dynasty was only this bad. Compared to the Southern Song, it was much worse. Now that he has achieved his goal, why does he need to launch a northern expedition?"
"After all, we also have a terrestrial immortal, a living Buddha. His northern expedition is a gamble with his life. If he loses, he will lose everything he has now. So if he is a smart man, he will definitely agree!"
"only!"
Old Hama paused for a moment, and Emperor Qianshun asked, "What's wrong?"
"Your Majesty, even if we are brotherly nations, there must be elder and younger brothers. Could Your Majesty please take a step back?"
"How dare you!"
Before Old Hama could finish speaking, an old general appeared, fully armed, standing there with wide eyes, and roared, "Old Hama, what do you mean? I've been putting up with you for too long!"
"I can tolerate the situation between the North and South, but you actually want His Majesty to become a concubine?"
"Who is Your Majesty? He is a descendant of the Heavenly Khan, a descendant of the invincible Golden Family. When has the Golden Family ever suffered such humiliation? No, I will never agree to this! Your Majesty must not be subservient!"
Upon hearing this, Old Hama looked at the old general who had come out and said, "Chagatai, it's easy for you to talk when you're not in the situation. Fine, you're arrogant. Then lead your troops south now, capture Chen alive, and bring up Chen's head. I will immediately take back what I just said."
"Do you have that ability?"
Do you have one?
Old Hama looked at Chagatai and said, "Then Your Majesty cannot be a concubine."
Old Hama said, "Alright, I won't be a coward. You go and solve it. Just now, when His Majesty asked for advice, you lowered your head to your crotch. Now you're all excited. If you have a solution, just say it. I won't stop you. If you don't, get out of here. The empire is in this predicament because it has raised a bunch of incompetent ministers like you!" (End of this chapter)