At dusk, the Vanguard Camp entered the valley.
BOOM...
Suddenly, countless boulders rolled down from the cliffs on both sides, blocking the way forward and back!
Immediately after, arrows rained down, and rolling logs and stones poured from above in untold numbers.
"It’s an ambush! Retreat, retreat now!" the Vanguard Camp’s general roared, his face filled with regret.
’If I’d known this would happen, I would have just stayed put in Iron Wall City.’
But it was too late. Tens of thousands of Northern Desert Iron Cavalry charged out from all directions, pouncing on the trapped Vanguard Camp like a pack of wolves.
Though the Great Xia cavalry were brave, they had been caught in a hasty ambush. Their formation was in chaos, forcing them to fight as individuals with almost no ability to fight back.
The slaughter lasted for a full hour.
By the time night fell, Wolf Fang Valley was littered with corpses, and rivers of blood flowed.
Of the ten thousand soldiers in the Vanguard Camp, fewer than a thousand escaped back to Iron Wall City. The rest were all killed in action—a truly devastating slaughter.
The main general was riddled with arrows, and the vice-general was captured alive only to be beheaded and put on public display. Neither survived.
When the news reached Iron Wall City, Zhao Rui felt as if he had been struck by lightning, barely able to believe his ears.
"How could this... How could this have happened..." He staggered backward and collapsed onto his command chair, his face ashen. Regret flooded his heart.
’I should have listened to Grand General Tantai, not that meddling Emperor Xia.’
But even more terrifying news was to follow. After annihilating the Vanguard Camp, the Northern Desert army did not continue its assault on Iron Wall City. Instead, with the help of a traitor, they followed a smaller path south. A portion of the Da Kuo Iron Cavalry passed through this path and struck deep into the heartland of Northern Xia.
Three cities along the way were completely unprepared and fell in a single stroke. All their resources and provisions were plundered, becoming spoils of war for the Da Kuo Royal Court.
Now, the Da Kuo Iron Cavalry was only a few hundred li from Jinluo Plain, the north’s breadbasket.
The messenger’s voice trembled. "Grand General Zhao, the Northern Desert... they’re bypassing Iron Wall City to strike directly at the Central Plains! Should we dispatch troops to intercept? We can’t let them continue like this!"
Zhao Rui gave a bitter laugh, his face etched with anguish.
’Dispatch troops?’
’Iron Wall City only has 190,000 defenders left. If I split our forces again, we might not even be able to hold the city. And the troops we lost were our most elite unit, the Vanguard Camp.’
’But if I don’t, and I just let Da Kuo rampage through the north, how could His Majesty possibly spare me?’
Just as he was caught in this dilemma, another report arrived: Prince Zhenbei’s Mansion had dispatched 100,000 Wind Snow Cavalry. They had already set out south, galloping toward the Da Kuo Iron Cavalry, apparently to intercept them.
"The Northern King has made his move?" Zhao Rui felt a flash of joy, but his heart sank just as quickly.
’The relationship between Prince Zhenbei’s Mansion and the Imperial Court is delicate, and it turned sour after the Third Prince was deposed. For them to be willing to send troops now, they must have an ulterior motive.’
Sure enough, several hours later, an envoy from Prince Zhenbei’s Mansion arrived at Iron Wall City.
He was a middle-aged scholar with a cold, stern face who introduced himself as Mr. Sima. Upon seeing Zhao Rui, he directly presented a list. "Grand General Zhao, my Prince says that sending troops is possible, but the Imperial Court must pay nine million taels in military salaries, one million shi of provisions, five hundred thousand sets of winter clothing, and thirty thousand warhorses... Furthermore, all of Prince Zhenbei’s Mansion’s taxes for the next ten years are to be waived."
"What? This is extortion!" Zhao Rui’s face contorted with anger.
Mr. Sima said coolly, "Grand General Zhao, you exaggerate. The Wind Snow Cavalry is the Prince’s private army, and their provisions and salaries have always been self-funded. Now that they are fighting for the Imperial Court, shouldn’t the Court offer compensation? Furthermore, regarding the Third Prince, His Majesty has yet to provide a proper explanation. How can anyone trust him? If the general feels this is inappropriate, then the Prince has no choice but to hold his troops back and wait until the Imperial Court has thought things through."
Zhao Rui trembled with rage, but he was utterly helpless.
’The Da Kuo Iron Cavalry is rampaging through the north. Every day of delay means countless common people will suffer.’
’Right now, only the Wind Snow Cavalry from Prince Zhenbei’s Mansion can stop the Northern Desert Iron Cavalry. The cavalry from the 200,000-strong Imperial Guard were almost all in the Vanguard Camp. Now that the Vanguard Camp is destroyed, how can we possibly resist the Da Kuo Iron Cavalry?’
"I... I must report this to His Majesty," he finally said through gritted teeth.
Mr. Sima cupped his hands. "Please, do. However, the Prince said he will only wait three days. If the Imperial Court does not give a reply after three days, the Wind Snow Cavalry will return to Iron Wall City."
The message was sent by 800-li express to White Jade City, arriving dozens of hours later.
Inside Yangxin Hall in Qianqing Palace, Emperor Xia stared at the list, so enraged that he swept all the memorials from his desk onto the floor, his expression savage.
"Bastard! Bastard!" he roared hoarsely. "He’s trying to empty my National Treasury, not even leaving a scrap behind for me! Nine million taels in military salaries, one million shi of provisions... What does he take me for, a fool?"
The officials in the hall were silent as cicadas in winter. For a long time, no one dared to speak.
After what felt like an eternity, the Minister of Revenue stepped forward, trembling. "Your Majesty, the National Treasury... the National Treasury truly cannot produce that much. It was just recently plundered, the two-front war has consumed significant provisions and resources, and with the floods in the south, tax revenues have plummeted. The Treasury Silver is now far from sufficient..."
"Then raise the taxes! By thirty percent... no, fifty percent! Those merchants in Jiangnan enjoy peace and prosperity on a normal day. Now that the nation is in peril, it’s time for them to bleed a little!" Emperor Xia’s eyes were bloodshot, his face a savage mask.
"Your Majesty, raising taxes might provoke a popular revolt..." an old minister couldn’t help but advise.
Emperor Xia sneered. "A revolt? Then we’ll suppress it. I am not even afraid of the Northern Desert and Southern Barbarians. You think I’m afraid of a few unruly commoners?"
He paused, then looked at the Minister of War. "Tell the northern cities to figure something out and scrape some funds together. The 200,000 Imperial Guard are fighting for them. We are solving their crisis. Are they not willing to contribute even a little in provisions?"
"This subject... obeys the decree," the Minister of War, Jiang Mingyuan, said with his head bowed.
One decree after another was swiftly issued, but Emperor Xia knew in his heart that this was all just a drop in the bucket.
’Nine million taels in military salaries, one million shi of provisions... Even if I emptied the National Treasury, I couldn’t gather that much.’
’But if I don’t, and Prince Zhenbei’s Mansion really does withdraw its troops, the Da Kuo Iron Cavalry will charge straight in. The consequences would be unimaginable.’
’Do I... really have to borrow money from the various Sects and Gangs?’ The thought flashed through his mind, only for Emperor Xia to viciously extinguish it.
’The money from the major Sects and Gangs isn’t easy to borrow. It’s high-interest loans, it’s Poison. Once I borrow it, the Imperial Court’s economic lifeline will be firmly in their grasp.’
’But if I don’t borrow, where else can I get the money? My own cultivation and daily expenses require vast resources and funds.’
’After all, the Inner Treasury is also empty. I’m short on cash too.’
Emperor Xia collapsed onto the Throne, feeling his head was about to split open.
’Defeat in the Northern Territory, slow progress on the Southern Border, a clamoring Imperial Court, an empty National Treasury, Prince Zhenbei’s Mansion forcing my hand, various Sects and Gangs eyeing me like tigers... Being the Emperor is truly exhausting. What am I supposed to do now?’
’And then there are all those Hidden spies and agents in White Jade City, a powder keg ready to explode at any moment.’
But what he didn’t know was that, at this very moment in Wenhua Hall, his eldest son, whom he regarded as a good-for-nothing, was gleefully counting newly Refined Qi Nourishing Pills and planning his future path of cultivation.
Hidden within Xia Wuyang’s Personal Space was a vast collection of priceless treasures, more than enough to solve all these problems with ease.
Many of those treasures, in fact, had been "acquired" from the Inner Treasury and the National Treasury.

Comments

Loading...