Chapter 828
The World Shakes
In Huangzhou Prefecture, Chen Jie looked at the battle report sent by Zhang Dingbian, his face showing neither joy nor anger. Logically speaking, Zhang Dingbian had fought a pretty good battle, one could even say it was quite brilliant. He had captured Daoma Pass in just fifteen days and annihilated Subutai, the most powerful general of the Golden Horde. It could be said that he had fought a brilliant battle.
But looking at the casualty figures, Chen Jie couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness: a full 40,000 men had died in this battle, 40,000 troops falling at Daoma Pass. Although they had routed an enemy force of 200,000, the casualties were simply too great.
Forty thousand soldiers—that's forty thousand families! That's enough to break Chen Jie's heart.
However, Chen Jie also knew that in a war, necessary casualties are unavoidable; no one can cover up these casualties, nor can anyone eliminate them.
Chen Jie sighed, and at that moment Su Yunjin walked into the study, bringing a bowl of hot soup. Seeing Chen Jie looking at the battle report with a worried expression, she slowly walked over to Chen Jie, gently placed her small hand on Chen Jie's shoulder, and massaged his shoulder.
"Is Brother Ni's condition stable now?"
Chen Jie asked Su Yunjin, who replied, "Yes, Brother Ni's injuries have improved after you infused him with your life force and he took the pills from Master Bai and the others. However, it will probably take a year for him to fully recover. He cannot use martial arts during this year."
"Did Sister Hua complain about me to you?"
Chen Jie asked Su Yunjin, who replied, "Don't you know Sister Hua? She has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. She knows everything, but she couldn't help herself when she saw Brother Ni like that."
Chen Jie sighed and said, "This world was hard-won."
Su Yunjin said, "But ultimately, things are developing in a positive direction, aren't they?"
Chen Jie said, "Yes, I have already ordered Zhang Dingbian to advance his troops to Baoding Prefecture and wait for me. I will head north to Dadu in three days."
Upon hearing this, Su Yunjin exclaimed in surprise, "So fast? Haven't Xiao Hu and Xu Da already taken down the enemy forces?"
Chen Jie said, "We should attack Dadu first. If they can't take it, we can deal with the remaining enemies later. We can't drag this out any longer, or even more people will die."
Su Yunjin nodded upon hearing this, while Chen Jie said, "However, judging from the battle reports from Xiao Hu and Xu Da, they should be able to take Datong and Jining Prefecture soon."
"This time, I will travel north to Dadu (Beijing) without a carriage. I will walk from Huangzhou Prefecture to the capital."
"This period will take about a month. I have already given them military orders that if they cannot capture the two places after a month, they can temporarily cease hostilities and wait until the Battle of Dadu is over before helping them unify the country."
As Chen explained, Su Yunjin was startled and said, "Husband, with carriages and horses so convenient now, why must we walk to Dadu?"
Chen Jie looked at Su Yunjin's worried expression and said, "This last stretch of road is one I must take, and it is also the key to my martial arts advancement. I need to comprehend the heavens and the earth, comprehend nature, and comprehend what I am fighting for!"
Hearing this, Su Yunjin looked at Chen Jie and said, "Just like when Han Shantong walked step by step from Bright Peak to Mount Wending to fight Phagpa?"
Chen Jie said, "Yes, this is gathering momentum. When I reach Dadu, my momentum will reach its peak, and then I will be able to fight Phagpa."
Upon hearing this, Su Yunjin sighed and said, "Then be careful in everything you do. Are you leaving in three days?"
Chen Jie nodded: "We'll be setting off in three days."
Su Yunjin said, "Ya Ya and I will be seen off by Sister Huang."
Hearing this, Chen Jie looked at Su Yunjin and said, "Hehe, don't worry, I'm not Han Shantong, I will never lose to anyone!"
Su Yunjin gave a soft "hmm," but her eyes were full of worry.
Chen Jie set off from Huangzhou Prefecture three days later, passing through Hubei Road, Henan, and Hebei, heading straight for Dadu. This journey of nearly four thousand li would take Chen Jie a month. During this month, every step Chen Jie took was a process of comprehending the earth and gathering the aura of the human emperor.
When he arrives in Dadu, his imperial aura will reach its peak, which is when he breaks through the limits of martial arts and enters the realm of terrestrial immortals. This is called the gathering of power.
Chen Jie quickly finished handling all military affairs, then found Zhao Ya. All military mobilizations would be summarized by Zhao Ya, decided through internal military meetings, and finally implemented. For the next month, Chen Jie would not be involved in any worldly affairs, and his heart would be completely focused on enlightenment.
As for specific military affairs, Chen Jie has basically finished handling them. For example, the replenishment of Zhang Dingbian's troops, the supply of food and fodder, and the military supplies for Xu Da and Chen Xiaohu have all been completed.
Having done all that, Chen Jie completely relaxed.
The remaining military affairs will be decided by a temporary military council, which will consist of Zhao Ya, Ni Wenjun, Wu Hong, Zhou Chu, and Su Yunjin, who was temporarily added by Chen Jie, and will be handled by a five-person group.
The general direction remains unchanged: Chen Xiaohu will attack Datong, and Xu Da will attack Jining Prefecture. Once both sides have finished fighting, they will join forces with Zhang Dingbian in Baoding. Then, the three victorious armies will advance directly on Dadu, thus enabling them to launch a devastating attack on Dadu with overwhelming superiority.
When Chen Jie arrives in Dadu, he will have a final battle with the living Buddha Phagpa, who has been a powerful figure in the land for sixty years, and then the great cause of restoration can be completed.
With Chen Jie's military strategy in place, all that remained was some coordination and deployment, which the military team was perfectly capable of handling.
After Chen Jie had done all this, he stayed in Huangzhou Prefecture with his wife and children.
While Chen Jie was with his wife and children, Emperor Qianshun was in a real predicament in the direction of Dadu.
"What! Subutai's 200,000-strong army has been completely wiped out, Daoma Pass has fallen, and the enemy has already entered Baoding Prefecture!"
Upon hearing the report, Emperor Qianshun jumped up from his dragon throne, his face changing drastically. Subutai and his three allied forces were his last trump card, and now you're telling me Subutai has been defeated and the enemy has even reached Baoding Prefecture?
Emperor Qianshun's face turned deathly pale. It was all over.
Emperor Qianshun could no longer sit still and said in a panic, "Quickly send Prince Zhai back to defend Dadu. Dadu must not be lost, it must not be lost."
Upon hearing this, the subordinate immediately said, "Your Majesty, it is said that the Prince of Zhai is going to support Datong. The war in Datong is very intense. The Uriyangkhai of the Ögedei Khanate has fought two siege battles against the bandit general Chen Xiaohu and has gained the upper hand. They are asking for our support!"
Emperor Qianshun said, "They have already attacked Baoding. We have no troops left to defend it. Let the Uriyangkhai hold their ground. Immediately issue a golden edict to recall the King of Zhai."
"Tomorrow, no matter what, bring 100,000 troops back to Dadu. At the same time, order the artisans in the city to reinforce the city walls, and also order all the nobles to contribute their private troops. If Dadu is lost, their good days will be over."
Then Emperor Qianshun asked, "By the way, has the bandit leader Chen Jiu Si also arrived in Baoding?"
The soldier said, "No, he seems to still be in Huangzhou Prefecture." Hearing this, Emperor Qianshun breathed a sigh of relief. Since Chen Jiu Si hadn't come, there was still room for maneuver, after all, there was still a Living Buddha in Dadu.
Emperor Qianshun thought to himself, "Quickly, prepare the carriage for the Great Buddha Temple. I want to see the Living Buddha! I want to go see the Living Buddha!"
"promise!"
As they spoke, the group hurriedly headed towards the Great Buddha Temple. Upon arriving at the temple, Emperor Qianshun was stopped again. They were told that the Living Buddha was in seclusion and was gathering the power of faith from all beings in preparation for the final battle. Emperor Qianshun was asked to remain calm.
Emperor Qianshun was extremely anxious and had no time to wait. He tried to force his way in, but was stopped by his attendants.
"Your Majesty, you mustn't! The Living Buddha is gathering his magical power. Whether Daddy can hold this position or not depends entirely on the Living Buddha. If the Living Buddha can defeat Chen Jiu Si, or even kill Chen Jiu Si, then we might still have a chance to save the collapsing empire!"
"Even if all the reinforcements are defeated, we can still get reinforcements from the Golden Horde, the Chagatai Khanate, and the Ögedei Khanate to restore order."
"To put it bluntly, the most difficult part of this great battle is the fight between Chen Jiu Si and the Living Buddha. Therefore, we must not interrupt it. As long as the Living Buddha is alive, the Great Qian is safe and sound!"
Upon hearing his subordinate's words, Emperor Qianshun realized what was happening. Looking in the direction of the Great Buddha Temple, he pondered for a moment and said, "You're right. From today onwards, I will reside at the Great Buddha Temple and personally protect the Living Buddha!"
Upon hearing this, everyone else nodded in agreement.
Emperor Qianshun then moved into the Great Buddha Temple, waiting for the arrival of the Living Buddha Phagpa. Only by staying here could he feel at ease.
The news of Subutai's defeat also quickly reached the other two major battlefields. In Datong Prefecture, the defending general was Uriyangkhad, the first general of the Ögedei Khanate. When he saw the news of Subutai's defeat, he felt as if he had been struck by lightning.
Subutai was well aware of the dangers posed by the enemy. At this moment, his face turned ashen as he asked, "Where are the troops of the Han general Zhang Dingbian now? Can they provide support to the Han army in Datong?"
Upon hearing this, the person below the stage immediately replied, "Reporting to the general, after Zhang Dingbian's troops captured Daoma Pass, they headed straight for Baoding Prefecture and pressed on to Dadu, but they did not come directly to Datong Prefecture."
Upon hearing this, Wuliangha breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That's good, that's good."
Uliangha then asked, "By the way, where are the reinforcements we requested?"
Upon hearing this, the soldier immediately put on a bitter face and said, "King Zhai originally led 100,000 troops to Yangquan, but troops from the Dadu direction have already been dispatched with the king's imperial edict to transfer them back to Dadu to help with the defense!"
Upon hearing this, Uriyangkhad's face immediately turned ugly. The soldiers had been transferred away?
The soldier lowered his head, and Wuliangha said with a bitter face, "That bandit general Chen Xiaohu outside the city is also troublesome. We have already fought him twice, but we have not gained any advantage."
"Without reinforcements, how can we cope?"
The soldiers didn't know how to answer Uriyangkha. Uriyangkha pondered, wondering if he should abandon Datong and lead his troops back to the Khanate of Ögedei.
As soon as he had this idea, he immediately dismissed it. No, how could a son of the grasslands be a coward who runs away?
Moreover, although the capital is mostly dilapidated, the Living Buddha is still there. As long as the Living Buddha is there, there is hope. If I were to run away, and the Living Buddha were to defeat Chen Jiu Si in the future, then I would become a traitor and a coward to the Mulan people.
These infamy will haunt him for the rest of his life. Absolutely not, absolutely not!
Wuliangha thought to himself, "Notify the entire army that we will stay in Datong for two months. After two months, we can retreat no matter what."
Two months was the timeframe estimated by the Uriyangkhai. After this period of intense bombing, the soldiers were all homesick. If they were not given a specific timeframe, they could easily mutini. Therefore, he gave a timeline of two months.
Uriyangkhad estimated that the Han army had already reached Baoding and was at the city gates, and that a close battle was imminent. It might only take a few days or a month for the decisive battle to begin. At that time, regardless of whether Dadu had fallen or not, he could escape back to the grasslands.
If Dadu had not fallen and the Han rebel leader had been killed in battle, then he could have helped Dadu launch a counterattack against the Han people.
In short, if we can hold Datong for another two months, we can pursue the enemy if we win, retreat if we lose, and remain in an invincible position.
Uriyangkhad's plan was quite clever. At this moment, Uriyangkhad looked at the map and said, "The Han army's attacks are becoming increasingly fierce. Hmm, someone, I need to write a letter to the Han army on the other side."
Soon the pen and ink were ready, and Wuliangha picked up the brush and wrote a letter, which he then ordered to be delivered to Chen Xiaohu's camp that day.
At this moment, in Chen Xiaohu's military camp, Chen Xiaohu saw the battle report and orders sent by Huangzhou Prefecture.
The battle report sent by Huangzhou Prefecture stated: Zhang Dingbian's army captured Daomaguan in ten days. Ni Wenjun killed Subutai, the top general of the Golden Horde, and annihilated more than 100,000 enemy soldiers. Two hundred thousand Golden Horde soldiers suffered a crushing defeat, and less than 10,000 fled north.
Upon seeing the battle report, Chen Xiaohu's eyes widened. Zhang Dingbian, the number one general in the world, truly lived up to his reputation. Amazing, amazing!
Chen Xiaohu couldn't help but exclaim "Wow!" twice. At that moment, he glanced at the secret report from Huangzhou Prefecture, which was issued by the Huangzhou Prefecture Temporary Military Command Group.
The content mainly discusses two points.
First, Chen Jiusi has already gone into seclusion. He will no longer participate in the remaining military operations plans. The temporary military command group will cooperate with the various armies to complete the military objectives. The members of the military group are: Su Yunjin, Zhao Ya, Ni Wenjun, Wu Hong, and Zhou Chu.
Secondly, Chen Jiusi is about to march north on foot and will arrive in Dadu in about a month to fight Phagpa. During this period, he hopes that each army will do its best to achieve its military objectives.
To cooperate with Zhang Dingbian's army to complete the encirclement of Dadu. Of course, if it is impossible to complete the encirclement, then wait for Dadu to be recovered, and the army will turn back to help them deal with Datong and Jining Prefecture.
After reading the document, Chen Xiaohu couldn't sit still any longer. He slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and said, "Summon Commander Ding and General Ou to come here to discuss military matters."
Soon, Ding Pulang and Ou Puxiang, the two commanders of the Buddhist army who were cooperating with Chen Xiaohu in this battle, entered the tent. Chen Xiaohu showed them the documents, and the two were stunned. They then angrily said, "Commander Hu, this is an insult to us!"
“I admit that General Zhang is a capable military commander, but if the King of Han takes Dadu and then helps us take Datong, what will we do? We'll be so ashamed! This is absolutely unacceptable! I disagree!”
Ding Pulang shouted.
"Yes, Tiger General, I think we must take Datong City within a month and join forces with Zhang Dingbian's army to besiege Dadu. Otherwise, we'll be laughed at. Is there any army in the world as incompetent as ours?"
The group was filled with excitement. What soldier doesn't have a sense of collective honor? Waiting for others to help them would be laughable. Soon, the three of them reached a consensus: they must take Datong within a month, march into the capital, and build momentum for the King of Han.
Just as the group was finalizing their strategic plan, someone suddenly came to report that an envoy from the Uriyangkhai had arrived! (End of Chapter)