It was late summer. Thunder rumbled sullenly, and a torrential rain poured down.
On the wilderness outside Yanjing City, iron cavalry galloped freely. The military formations were like boundless seas, and the swords and spears were like towering mountains. The scene was grand and magnificent.
All the soldiers were covered in black armors. There were no markings, so it was impossible to tell which army they belonged to.
Everything was deathly silent.
The long and strong wind in Yanbei billowed Song Yinghuai's pitch - black cloak.
His dark eyes were fixed intently on the Yanjing City in the distance.
The city in the darkness was like a fierce beast about to wake up from its slumber. Its huge jaws were about to open wide.
Suddenly.
A deafening roar came from under the city, accompanied by the sound of firearms exploding.
Flames shot up into the sky instantly, lighting up the night as bright as day.
A beam of blue light soared into the sky.
"Fourth brother, Lao Tan and the others have succeeded!" Xu Buyue, who was riding side by side with Song Yinghuai, said excitedly.
"Shua!"
Song Yinghuai drew out his Iron Horse and Frozen River long sword and roared in a deep voice, "Soldiers! Follow me to kill the enemy!"
The heavy rain fell like a beaded curtain from the sky, endless.
Thirty thousand soldiers of the Xu Family Army without any markings charged into the panicked southern army's rear like sharp knives, dividing into three groups!
The four - hundred - thousand - strong southern army, which had been raided in their sleep, was in a complete panic. They were scattered like a mob.
In an instant, blood flowed like a river, and limbs flew everywhere.
Even this heavy rain could not wash away the blood on the ground.
This fierce battle lasted until dawn when the sky began to turn white.
Finally, Li Muge was bare - footed and was helped onto a warhorse. Under the protection of his loyal bodyguards, he fled in a hurry towards Jiaodong.
Tan Xiong and the others led their troops to join the Xu Family Army. They burst into loud laughter, which was particularly eye - catching in the dawn after the rain.
"My lord!" Tan Xiong and the others stepped forward, beaming with joy.
Song Yinghuai curled his lips, "Lao Tan, Lao Zhang, quickly organize all the soldiers. Seize the opportunity to pursue the enemy and attack the cities all the way south like chasing a drowning dog!"
"Yes!"
The generals responded loudly. Without even having time to go back and rest, they quickly regrouped and chased after Li Muge's remaining troops.
In this counter - attack battle in Yanjing, among the four - hundred - thousand - strong southern army led by Li Muge, one hundred thousand died overnight.
Li Muge led three hundred thousand defeated troops and retreated southward in a hurry. Every time they passed a city, the city would fall.
The Yan Army completely opened up the route between Yanjing and Jiaodong and chased all the way to Jizhou City in Jiaodong.
Li Muge was terrified. He ordered the soldiers and civilians in Jizhou City to defend the city gates tightly and be on high alert. He himself was in a state of panic, afraid that Jizhou would fall.
On the Mid - Autumn Festival in August of the second year of Xuanwen in Daye, the military report that a large area in the north, including Cangzhou, Baoding, and Yongping, had been occupied by the Yan Army finally reached the capital.
It was the season when osmanthus flowers were in full bloom. The young emperor choked on a piece of mooncake and almost fainted. Everyone was so scared that they quickly prayed.
"Mother!"
"Mother!"
Suddenly, cries came from outside the long - silent Changchun Palace. The young emperor rushed in from the outside in a hurry, shouting as he ran, "Mother, save me!"
Meigu blocked in front of the young emperor and said coldly, "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is not feeling well and has already gone to bed."
"Meigu, I want to see Mother!" The young emperor cried with snot and tears all over his face, "I'll wake Mother up!"
"Your Majesty hasn't visited the Changchun Palace to pay respects to the Empress Dowager for half a month. You didn't even invite her to the Mid - Autumn Festival banquet. Now that it's late at night, you come to look for her." Meigu looked at the young emperor resentfully.
This snot - and - tearful look was exactly the same as when the former crown prince had done something wrong and begged the late emperor for mercy.
Truly, like father, like son.
No matter how cute and elegant he was when he was young, now he was becoming more and more like his father, the former crown prince.
"Meigu, I know I was wrong." Desperate for help from Lü Baiwei, the young emperor finally put down his airs and shouted towards the bedroom, "Mother! Mother! Your son has come to see you!"
"Your Majesty..." Meigu still wanted to stop him, but Lü Baiwei's voice came from the bedroom, "Let the emperor in!"
The young emperor pushed Meigu away and stumbled in. Then he threw himself at Lü Baiwei's feet and knelt down:
"Mother, please save your son!"
Lü Baiwei was dressed in a plain white nightgown. She ordered someone to light the palace lanterns, which illuminated her delicate face. She looked down at the crying young emperor and asked, "Your Majesty, why are you in such a panic?"
"Mother, Yanjing and Hebei have fallen. Uncle Four's army is now attacking Jiaodong. Once Jiaodong falls, half of the military frontlines in the north and south will be connected. My kingdom is in danger. Please save me!"
"Heh!" Lü Baiwei sneered, "It's only been half a month, and Hebei has fallen. I really overestimated your confidant, Li Muge. He is simply useless!"
"Yes... yes..." How dare the young emperor refute a single word? He said meekly, "It was my carelessness. I didn't expect him to be just a paper - tiger. He couldn't capture Yanjing City in half a month, and he even allowed the Yan Army to counter - attack overnight. They lost the whole of Hebei in just three days."
"Your capital army is not much better either. Chasing after Yanjing was useless. You just watched helplessly as they passed Pengze smoothly and entered Shu." Lü Baiwei couldn't help but mock, "Xiao Rencheng has a deep friendship with the King of Yan, but you didn't guard against him at all. You are not good at recognizing people and appointing them. It's only a matter of time before you lose this kingdom. You might as well just sit here and wait for your Uncle Four to come and kill you!"
"Mother!" The young emperor was shocked, "Son... son will listen to you from now on. Please help me think of a way. I don't want to be Song Xiuzhu anymore!"
Once a person ascends to a high position of power, it is extremely difficult to step down.
"Son assures you that I will really listen to you from now on." The young emperor put down his imperial dignity and knelt in front of Lü Baiwei, swearing to the sky, "I am the Son of Heaven. My words are law."
This was exactly what Lü Baiwei had been waiting for.
Her own son wanted to rebel when he grew up?
She always had a way to deal with him.
Lü Baiwei softened her expression and finally relented, "Since Your Majesty still remembers me as your mother, I can't just watch you die... Meigu, bring the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone."
Meigu seemed to have been prepared. She immediately asked someone to set them up.
Lü Baiwei pointed to the bright yellow blank imperial edict and said, "Your Majesty, words alone are not enough. You'd better write an edict to give me a guarantee."
The young emperor was stunned. He looked up at his mother's fierce face. Helplessly, he got up and quickly wrote a guarantee.
Only then did Lü Baiwei say satisfactorily, "When Your Majesty was gathering troops, I personally went to Yuedong to find a great general for you who can rival the King of Yan in this world. By now, he should have arrived in Jizhou."
The young emperor opened his mouth in surprise, "... Who? Who?"
Lü Baiwei slightly curled her red lips, "The commander of the Hu cavalry, Sheng Jiangli."
The strong wind blew backwards, and the smell of blood filled the air.
The flagpole under Jizhou City was broken. The corpses on the city wall were piled up like mountains. The city gate was on the verge of collapse, and flames shot up into the sky.
The sound of the battering rams hitting the city gate was like a soul - calling death knell ringing in Li Muge's ears.
Tan Xiong was riding his warhorse leisurely under the city and shouted loudly, "Lord Li, why don't you just give up resistance? Otherwise, more innocent people will be killed and injured. We are all the people of Daye. We are all from the same root. Why should we fight so desperately?"
Li Muge poked his head out from the city wall and scolded tremblingly, "Bah! I am the teacher of the Son of Heaven. You rebels. Heaven... Heaven will surely punish you!"
"Hehe!" Tan Xiong laughed disdainfully, "If it weren't for your instigation, Lord Li, we wouldn't have rebelled. In the final analysis, you are the chief culprit. As long as you offer your head, I guarantee that not a single thing in Jizhou City will be harmed!"
"You..."
Li Muge became even more panicked. He looked around nervously, afraid that the soldiers around him would be persuaded by Tan Xiong and cut off his head to surrender.
"Don't you dare do anything rash! I am the commander - in - chief of the three armies personally appointed by the Son of Heaven. Killing me is like killing the Son of Heaven!"
Everyone looked at each other, and disgust showed in their eyes.
Judging others by one's own base motives!
Zhang Ce was already impatient and urged, "Brother! Let's stop playing around. Let's get serious. Someone, bring the firearms! Attack... the... city..."
Before he could finish his words.
"Boom!"
A deafening explosion came from behind the Yan Army!