“Has Chang’an fallen?” Upon hearing the messenger’s report, Sima Yue felt a wave of dizziness. How could this happen?!
Since the falling out with Gou Xi, the situation in Yu County has descended into chaos. Despite Liu Kin’s repeated attempts to send troops, they were unable to stop the enemy forces. Although the siege on Xidu wasn’t overly intense, dealing with the troops behind him, the feeling of being alone in the besieged city still filled Sima Yue with dread.
To preserve his life, Sima Yue had sent urgent pleas to various provinces, hoping that someone would send reinforcements. However, the only one who responded, Wang Cheng, hadn’t even reached the borders of Jing County before his forces scattered. Except for the temporary dispatch of twenty thousand reinforcements from Hongnong, there was not a single soul coming to his rescue!
Could it be that everyone hopes for his early demise? This thought made Sima Yue even more restless day and night. If Gou Xi mobilized his troops because of the emperor’s influence, what about the others? Were they starting to waver as well? Without the pseudo-emperor Sima Ying, had the time come to hide his good bow? Previously, Sima Yue had stationed people in Luoyang to guard against any covert actions by the young emperor. Now, was the only solution to resolve this predicament to kill that audacious and arrogant young child?
But Sima Yue dared not. Not only did he dare not take action, but he also carefully restrained his son’s methods. Only with the emperor in hand would Gou Xi refrain from reckless behavior. If he could delay for a day, then he would delay. Sooner or later, Gou Xi’s forces would tire and show weaknesses.
However, while he thought of delaying, others wouldn’t. In the blink of an eye, the western capital Chang’an might be breached by the Xiongnu! Was it because he had transferred the garrison from Hongnong that guarded the western capital? Was it because Gou Xi was causing trouble, and Wang Jun raised an army to attack Bing County? Or was it because…
Sima Yue steadied himself against the table, trembling as he said, “What about Prince Nanyang? Has he escaped from Chang’an…”
Prince Nanyang, Sima Mo, was his younger brother and the one he had dispatched to supervise the four provinces of Qin, Yong, Liang, and Yi, guarding Chang’an.
The messenger cried out, “Prince Nanyang, Prince Nanyang has also been killed by the barbarians!”
Sima Yue slumped to the ground. Another one had died. The four brothers had worked together to defeat Prince Chengdu and Hejian, paving the way for him to ascend to the throne. Now that Sima Teng was dead, Sima Mo had also died. Only Gao Mi, the Prince of Gao Mi, remained. How many more days could he live as an idle regional king? Would he still bring disaster upon these brothers if he did not step down from the position of prime minister and confess his guilt to the emperor now? However, the moment this thought arose, an even greater chill ran down his spine. He could not retreat! If he retreated now, it would not only be his brothers but even his son and wife would not be spared! Among those people in front of him, those relatives who had participated in the power struggle, was there a single one who had a peaceful end? He must hold his ground, he must stand in the court! Otherwise, wouldn’t all the efforts before this be in vain?!
“Get…get the medicine!” Sima Yue clutched his head, the crazy thoughts in his mind causing an excruciating headache. Should he advance or retreat? Should he attack or defend? Would his deceased brothers come to claim his life? It shouldn’t be like this! It shouldn’t be like this!
“Prime Minister…Prime Minister…”
Someone kept repeating something in his ears, but Sima Yue could no longer see those around him clearly. In his eyes, there was only the tray containing the bright red pill. If he took the pill, he could free himself from worries, as if ascending to a heavenly realm. Just take the pill…
He grabbed the pill and stuffed it into his mouth. The pungent taste, usually like wine passing through the throat, now felt like poison, hot flames, and a heart-wrenching pain! Sima Yue screamed in agony, clutching his stomach and rolling on the ground.
※
“What did you say? Chang’an has fallen, and Sima Yue died in sorrow?” Wang Jun stood up abruptly, his fox-like elongated eyes widening!
Sima Yue was dead? This influential minister who controlled the court, causing chaos in the government, had actually died tragically? Died so decisively!
The Battle of Bing County could no longer be delayed! Almost instantly, Wang Jun realized that it was time to make a decisive move! Sima Yue’s sudden death would inevitably catch the court off guard. If he wanted to gain the maximum advantage in this turmoil, he had to act swiftly, crush the Bing County forces, and seize control of the entire territory of Ji County! This way, regardless of whether Luoyang was in his hands, the court would not dare to ignore his presence.
If he allowed Liang Zixi to take advantage in this battle, all his previous plans would be in vain, and he might miss the opportunity to seize the remnants of Sima Yue’s power. How could Wang Jun let go so easily?!
“Gather the troops near Ji City, and follow me to Ji County! Order all the forces in Bing County to temporarily hold their positions, and wait for me to personally oversee the situation!” Wang Jun declared loudly.
There were still forty thousand garrison troops in Ji City, all loyal to him. By deploying these troops to the battlefield, he could immediately change the situation in Bing County. Wang Jun knew the aristocrats in Taiyuan very well. As long as Liang Zixi showed signs of fatigue, these wolves would feast on his bones before anyone else!
Once victorious in the Battle of Bing County, the next step would be to lead the troops into Luoyang. While Guo Xi had a considerable force at his disposal, could it match up to his own hundred thousand iron riders? As for the puppet in Luoyang, use him if possible; if not, find a way to eliminate him. After all, he had identified a suitable replacement, and when the time came to wield the emperor’s authority to command the vassals, it would be none other than Wang Pengzu!
A fervent ambition blazed within Wang Jun’s chest, casting a somewhat fierce expression across his face. Wang Bin, who attended to him, whispered softly, “My lord, there’s still someone in Ji County, Yi Boyuan.”
Wang Jun sneered, “Just a Jie slave. Send someone to Ji County; I want to see what this slave is planning…”
Military intelligence swiftly arrived, and within two days, it was handed over to the stationed supervisor in Leping, Wang Chang. Upon seeing Wang Jun’s personal message, he couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief, “The Commander orders us to remain stationary, patiently awaiting reinforcements from You County.”
For the You County troops deeply infiltrating Bing County, this past month had been a great ordeal. Starting with the unsuccessful siege of Shang’ai, they were forced to divide their forces. Subsequently, venturing into Leping brought even more disasters, making progress exceedingly difficult.
Zhan County, with its few cities, adopted a defense strategy similar to Shang’ai, but with the absence of military camps outside the city walls, presenting a distinctly defensive posture. Without testing it out, Duan Jilu abandoned the idea of assaulting the city and instead targeted the surrounding villages. However, to their surprise, there were no villages in the entire area of Leping; everything consisted of uniformly structured fortress strongholds!
These were not easy targets! Only after Wang Chang issued a decree did they choose one fortress to siege. The result was five full days and over a thousand lives expended before they successfully captured this small bastion. The defenders left nothing behind; they set fire to the storerooms, leaving only the ground covered in corpses.
This wasn’t the end; before the main army could recover, the enemy reappeared. With meticulous formations and an abundance of arrows, they managed to delay the attackers for another three days. In the end, leaving a few hundred corpses behind, the enemy retreated unharmed into the mountains. The terrain in Leping, filled with mountains, was unsuitable for cavalry pursuit, and fearing ambush, Duan Jilu could only let this group of enemies go.
Where did they escape to? Would they strike from behind while he attacked another fortress? No one could guarantee!
It was only at this moment that Duan Jilu realized Leping was in a state of total preparedness. The civilians likely gathered in a few large cities, and every fortress they encountered had soldiers stationed within! The extent to which they had fortified their defenses and cleared the fields was truly daunting.
What to do next? Force a direct assault on the cities? Continue to target the fortresses, burn down the water mills standing in the fields to force the enemy to reveal themselves? Or perhaps, with light cavalry, make a sudden foray into Jinyang and Shangdang, catching them off guard?
In a rare predicament, Duan Jilu found himself in a dilemma. The only certainty was that this limited military force was insufficient to pose a threat to Bing County. Only with a large army pressuring the border, shaking public sentiment, and forcing the opponent to leave the city, did they stand a chance at victory. Therefore, upon hearing Wang Jun’s command, not just Wang Chang, but even several generals of the Duan clan and the Xianbei breathed sighs of relief.
They couldn’t afford to be led by the nose by the enemy any longer. With eighty thousand troops from Bing County, coupled with thirty thousand from Ji County, and another forty thousand from Ji City, a total of one hundred and fifty thousand troops advancing, completely shattering the morale and military strength of Bing County’s soldiers and civilians, was the best strategy! This was a large-scale battle involving all the forces of You County and even Ping County; how could one not be excited about it?
※
“You County has mobilized again, with an army of forty thousand! And the Xianbei forces in Leping have also begun to stay put, seemingly waiting for Wang Jun’s attack!”
Reading the battle reports, Liang Feng felt a chill down his spine. He hadn’t expected things to turn out like this!
In this military campaign, Liang Feng had considered everything that could be considered, even willing to abandon years of effort to build up the region if it came to that. However, he never anticipated that Sima Yue would suddenly die! With his death, the vacuum of power immediately became another threat. And Wang Jun, attracted by the stench of this power vacuum, became a vulture and a scavenging dog.
If Sima Yue hadn’t died, the You County and Bing County war would have been a localized conflict. Once either side crossed the bottom line, they would likely withdraw and cease fighting, as no one would be willing to risk their lives in a desperate struggle. However, with Sima Yue’s sudden demise, this war became relentless! To gain greater authority, Wang Jun would undoubtedly rush southward, aiming to control all of Ji County and threatening Luoyang. And Liang Feng would become the biggest obstacle in his path!
This battle wouldn’t be easy. Even the large and small noble families in Bing County became destabilizing factors. Who knew if they would sense the unfavorable situation and join Wang Jun? Whom would the court lean towards? And what about the powerful and vigorous Xiongnu, who had just taken over Chang’an?
The conflict had to be resolved quickly!
But how to fight? With insufficient forces, engaging in a direct confrontation would lead to substantial losses. Liang Feng’s resources were not comparable to Wang Jun’s; he couldn’t afford a head-on battle!
“Lord…” Beside him, Zhang Bin wore an anxious expression and whispered, “Urge General Yi to mobilize his troops.”
Only Yiyan’s deployment of troops can resolve the crisis in Bing County. However, this would likely result in the loss of all the hard-won commanderies and counties in Ji County. Even Yiyan’s official position and rewards are now at risk. Moreover, even if he returns, this battle remains challenging…
After contemplating for a long time, Liang Feng let out a sigh. “Send a letter to Ji County.”
Even if it’s a dire situation, they must take a gamble!
Another confidential letter was quickly dispatched on a fast horse, galloping towards Ji County. However, at this moment, a stranger arrives at Yiyan’s camp.
An envoy from You County.
“Has Chang’an fallen?” Upon hearing the messenger’s report, Sima Yue felt a wave of dizziness. How could this happen?!
Since the falling out with Gou Xi, the situation in Yu County has descended into chaos. Despite Liu Kin’s repeated attempts to send troops, they were unable to stop the enemy forces. Although the siege on Xidu wasn’t overly intense, dealing with the troops behind him, the feeling of being alone in the besieged city still filled Sima Yue with dread.
To preserve his life, Sima Yue had sent urgent pleas to various provinces, hoping that someone would send reinforcements. However, the only one who responded, Wang Cheng, hadn’t even reached the borders of Jing County before his forces scattered. Except for the temporary dispatch of twenty thousand reinforcements from Hongnong, there was not a single soul coming to his rescue!
Could it be that everyone hopes for his early demise? This thought made Sima Yue even more restless day and night. If Gou Xi mobilized his troops because of the emperor’s influence, what about the others? Were they starting to waver as well? Without the pseudo-emperor Sima Ying, had the time come to hide his good bow? Previously, Sima Yue had stationed people in Luoyang to guard against any covert actions by the young emperor. Now, was the only solution to resolve this predicament to kill that audacious and arrogant young child?
But Sima Yue dared not. Not only did he dare not take action, but he also carefully restrained his son’s methods. Only with the emperor in hand would Gou Xi refrain from reckless behavior. If he could delay for a day, then he would delay. Sooner or later, Gou Xi’s forces would tire and show weaknesses.
However, while he thought of delaying, others wouldn’t. In the blink of an eye, the western capital Chang’an might be breached by the Xiongnu! Was it because he had transferred the garrison from Hongnong that guarded the western capital? Was it because Gou Xi was causing trouble, and Wang Jun raised an army to attack Bing County? Or was it because…
Sima Yue steadied himself against the table, trembling as he said, “What about Prince Nanyang? Has he escaped from Chang’an…”
Prince Nanyang, Sima Mo, was his younger brother and the one he had dispatched to supervise the four provinces of Qin, Yong, Liang, and Yi, guarding Chang’an.
The messenger cried out, “Prince Nanyang, Prince Nanyang has also been killed by the barbarians!”
Sima Yue slumped to the ground. Another one had died. The four brothers had worked together to defeat Prince Chengdu and Hejian, paving the way for him to ascend to the throne. Now that Sima Teng was dead, Sima Mo had also died. Only Gao Mi, the Prince of Gao Mi, remained. How many more days could he live as an idle regional king? Would he still bring disaster upon these brothers if he did not step down from the position of prime minister and confess his guilt to the emperor now? However, the moment this thought arose, an even greater chill ran down his spine. He could not retreat! If he retreated now, it would not only be his brothers but even his son and wife would not be spared! Among those people in front of him, those relatives who had participated in the power struggle, was there a single one who had a peaceful end? He must hold his ground, he must stand in the court! Otherwise, wouldn’t all the efforts before this be in vain?!
“Get…get the medicine!” Sima Yue clutched his head, the crazy thoughts in his mind causing an excruciating headache. Should he advance or retreat? Should he attack or defend? Would his deceased brothers come to claim his life? It shouldn’t be like this! It shouldn’t be like this!
“Prime Minister…Prime Minister…”
Someone kept repeating something in his ears, but Sima Yue could no longer see those around him clearly. In his eyes, there was only the tray containing the bright red pill. If he took the pill, he could free himself from worries, as if ascending to a heavenly realm. Just take the pill…
He grabbed the pill and stuffed it into his mouth. The pungent taste, usually like wine passing through the throat, now felt like poison, hot flames, and a heart-wrenching pain! Sima Yue screamed in agony, clutching his stomach and rolling on the ground.
※
“What did you say? Chang’an has fallen, and Sima Yue died in sorrow?” Wang Jun stood up abruptly, his fox-like elongated eyes widening!
Sima Yue was dead? This influential minister who controlled the court, causing chaos in the government, had actually died tragically? Died so decisively!
The Battle of Bing County could no longer be delayed! Almost instantly, Wang Jun realized that it was time to make a decisive move! Sima Yue’s sudden death would inevitably catch the court off guard. If he wanted to gain the maximum advantage in this turmoil, he had to act swiftly, crush the Bing County forces, and seize control of the entire territory of Ji County! This way, regardless of whether Luoyang was in his hands, the court would not dare to ignore his presence.
If he allowed Liang Zixi to take advantage in this battle, all his previous plans would be in vain, and he might miss the opportunity to seize the remnants of Sima Yue’s power. How could Wang Jun let go so easily?!
“Gather the troops near Ji City, and follow me to Ji County! Order all the forces in Bing County to temporarily hold their positions, and wait for me to personally oversee the situation!” Wang Jun declared loudly.
There were still forty thousand garrison troops in Ji City, all loyal to him. By deploying these troops to the battlefield, he could immediately change the situation in Bing County. Wang Jun knew the aristocrats in Taiyuan very well. As long as Liang Zixi showed signs of fatigue, these wolves would feast on his bones before anyone else!
Once victorious in the Battle of Bing County, the next step would be to lead the troops into Luoyang. While Guo Xi had a considerable force at his disposal, could it match up to his own hundred thousand iron riders? As for the puppet in Luoyang, use him if possible; if not, find a way to eliminate him. After all, he had identified a suitable replacement, and when the time came to wield the emperor’s authority to command the vassals, it would be none other than Wang Pengzu!
A fervent ambition blazed within Wang Jun’s chest, casting a somewhat fierce expression across his face. Wang Bin, who attended to him, whispered softly, “My lord, there’s still someone in Ji County, Yi Boyuan.”
Wang Jun sneered, “Just a Jie slave. Send someone to Ji County; I want to see what this slave is planning…”
Military intelligence swiftly arrived, and within two days, it was handed over to the stationed supervisor in Leping, Wang Chang. Upon seeing Wang Jun’s personal message, he couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief, “The Commander orders us to remain stationary, patiently awaiting reinforcements from You County.”
For the You County troops deeply infiltrating Bing County, this past month had been a great ordeal. Starting with the unsuccessful siege of Shang’ai, they were forced to divide their forces. Subsequently, venturing into Leping brought even more disasters, making progress exceedingly difficult.
Zhan County, with its few cities, adopted a defense strategy similar to Shang’ai, but with the absence of military camps outside the city walls, presenting a distinctly defensive posture. Without testing it out, Duan Jilu abandoned the idea of assaulting the city and instead targeted the surrounding villages. However, to their surprise, there were no villages in the entire area of Leping; everything consisted of uniformly structured fortress strongholds!
These were not easy targets! Only after Wang Chang issued a decree did they choose one fortress to siege. The result was five full days and over a thousand lives expended before they successfully captured this small bastion. The defenders left nothing behind; they set fire to the storerooms, leaving only the ground covered in corpses.
This wasn’t the end; before the main army could recover, the enemy reappeared. With meticulous formations and an abundance of arrows, they managed to delay the attackers for another three days. In the end, leaving a few hundred corpses behind, the enemy retreated unharmed into the mountains. The terrain in Leping, filled with mountains, was unsuitable for cavalry pursuit, and fearing ambush, Duan Jilu could only let this group of enemies go.
Where did they escape to? Would they strike from behind while he attacked another fortress? No one could guarantee!
It was only at this moment that Duan Jilu realized Leping was in a state of total preparedness. The civilians likely gathered in a few large cities, and every fortress they encountered had soldiers stationed within! The extent to which they had fortified their defenses and cleared the fields was truly daunting.
What to do next? Force a direct assault on the cities? Continue to target the fortresses, burn down the water mills standing in the fields to force the enemy to reveal themselves? Or perhaps, with light cavalry, make a sudden foray into Jinyang and Shangdang, catching them off guard?
In a rare predicament, Duan Jilu found himself in a dilemma. The only certainty was that this limited military force was insufficient to pose a threat to Bing County. Only with a large army pressuring the border, shaking public sentiment, and forcing the opponent to leave the city, did they stand a chance at victory. Therefore, upon hearing Wang Jun’s command, not just Wang Chang, but even several generals of the Duan clan and the Xianbei breathed sighs of relief.
They couldn’t afford to be led by the nose by the enemy any longer. With eighty thousand troops from Bing County, coupled with thirty thousand from Ji County, and another forty thousand from Ji City, a total of one hundred and fifty thousand troops advancing, completely shattering the morale and military strength of Bing County’s soldiers and civilians, was the best strategy! This was a large-scale battle involving all the forces of You County and even Ping County; how could one not be excited about it?
※
“You County has mobilized again, with an army of forty thousand! And the Xianbei forces in Leping have also begun to stay put, seemingly waiting for Wang Jun’s attack!”
Reading the battle reports, Liang Feng felt a chill down his spine. He hadn’t expected things to turn out like this!
In this military campaign, Liang Feng had considered everything that could be considered, even willing to abandon years of effort to build up the region if it came to that. However, he never anticipated that Sima Yue would suddenly die! With his death, the vacuum of power immediately became another threat. And Wang Jun, attracted by the stench of this power vacuum, became a vulture and a scavenging dog.
If Sima Yue hadn’t died, the You County and Bing County war would have been a localized conflict. Once either side crossed the bottom line, they would likely withdraw and cease fighting, as no one would be willing to risk their lives in a desperate struggle. However, with Sima Yue’s sudden demise, this war became relentless! To gain greater authority, Wang Jun would undoubtedly rush southward, aiming to control all of Ji County and threatening Luoyang. And Liang Feng would become the biggest obstacle in his path!
This battle wouldn’t be easy. Even the large and small noble families in Bing County became destabilizing factors. Who knew if they would sense the unfavorable situation and join Wang Jun? Whom would the court lean towards? And what about the powerful and vigorous Xiongnu, who had just taken over Chang’an?
The conflict had to be resolved quickly!
But how to fight? With insufficient forces, engaging in a direct confrontation would lead to substantial losses. Liang Feng’s resources were not comparable to Wang Jun’s; he couldn’t afford a head-on battle!
“Lord…” Beside him, Zhang Bin wore an anxious expression and whispered, “Urge General Yi to mobilize his troops.”
Only Yiyan’s deployment of troops can resolve the crisis in Bing County. However, this would likely result in the loss of all the hard-won commanderies and counties in Ji County. Even Yiyan’s official position and rewards are now at risk. Moreover, even if he returns, this battle remains challenging…
After contemplating for a long time, Liang Feng let out a sigh. “Send a letter to Ji County.”
Even if it’s a dire situation, they must take a gamble!
Another confidential letter was quickly dispatched on a fast horse, galloping towards Ji County. However, at this moment, a stranger arrives at Yiyan’s camp.
An envoy from You County.
