Read Novel Full Chapter 109
Chapter 109: Eldest Brother Regrets
January 23, 2022mich
Chang’an.
After reading the secret report, Li Xuanzhen’s face was as gloomy as water.
Qin Fei and several other ministers followed him out of the study. They looked at Li Xuanzhen’s back, then gave each other a look. Before they could say anything, Li Xuanzhen suddenly trembled and fell to the ground.
“Your Highness!”
Qin Fei came forward a few steps and held Li Xuanzhen up.
Li Xuanzhen clutched the letter tightly and coughed out a mouthful of blood.
Everyone paled with fright. Not long ago, during the Northern Rong’s attack, the Crown Prince defended Liangzhou to the death. His body was seriously wounded, not yet healed; vomiting blood was no trivial matter!
The eunuch was frightened, breaking into a brisk walk, and repeatedly urged the guards to get the imperial physician.
Qin Fei helped Li Xuanzhen back to the house. Soon after, the sound of footsteps came from the front corridor, and the advisors, generals, and soldiers waiting in the outer courtyard had to retreat. Crown Princess Zheng Biyu and the imperial physician came together.
Zheng Biyu entered the inner room and asked, “Why did His Highness vomit blood? Was he practicing martial arts again?”
Qin Fei lowered his eyes, retreated to the screen, and replied: “His Highness has just finished reading the letter from the Pei family.”
On the couch, Li Xuanzhen’s eyes were tightly closed, his face looking ill. He was still clutching the letter in his hand.
Zheng Biyu sat in front of the couch, prying off his fingers. She hurriedly finished the letter, all sorts of feelings welling in her heart, and sighed softly.
Princess Wenzhao has already perished, what was the use of making clear her birth?
The Seventh Princess, whose charm and loveliness made the wealthy youths of the capital yearn day and night for her, would never come back.
The doctor took a look at Li Xuanzhen’s old wounds, reapplied medicine, and wrote a new prescription. He advised, “His Highness’s old injuries have not yet healed. He must be calm, and by all means, not anger.”
Zheng Biyu looked at the unconscious Li Xuanzhen’s tightly knitted eyebrows. Recalling the events of the past few months, she looked grave.
She was afraid it would be difficult for Li Xuanzhen’s heart to calm!
…
A few months ago, the Northern Rong attacked. Li Xuanzhen defended Liangzhou, leading the border station’s soldiers in a bloody battle for several days until the reinforcements came to help.
The news spread back to Chang’an, shocking the court. Not waiting for Li De to send off reinforcements, Jin City, Xiao Pass, and Shanzhou in the northwest, Xiazhou and Jinzhou in the northeast, Jiangzhou and Shuzhou in the south, and Langzhou adjacent to Western Shu simultaneously lit fire beacons in alarm. The next couple of days, several bloody battles erupted at major posts bordering Northern Rong, Southern Chu, and Western Shu, resulting in numerous deaths and injuries.
The whole country was shaken.
When they heard that the Northern Rong cavalry had gone south and Southern Chu had seized that opportunity to attack, the rich and powerful families in Chang’an were frightened and successively fled south with their wealth and valuables. The court’s ministers were scared of out their wits and strongly urged Li De to move the capital.
When the people were in fear, Li Xuanzhen sent a diatribe to Chang’an, attacking those who wanted to abandon the city and flee, saying that if the capital was moved at this time, the people’s hearts would be unstable. Great Wei would be reduced to a laughing stock to the world, so how could they unify the world in the future?
At this time, the 800-mile urgent war reports from Jincheng and Jinzhou were sent back to Chang’an. Although the border stations had hurriedly faced the attacks and lost a few cities, the soldiers were brave and quickly regrouped. They returned back to the Pass and relied on the easily defensible and hard to attack terrain to hold, resulting in a stalemate with the enemy. Moreover, several places had received warnings in advance and sent out timely letters of seeking help. Nearby garrisons rushed to assist, and with soldiers coordinating inside and outside, they swept away the raiding enemy troops, only waiting for the court to continue to send troops and food, so they could take back the border post in one fell swoop.
Shortly after that, Du Sinan, an official from Jin City, rushed to Jiangzhou without rest. With his silver tongue, he successfully pressed the Southern Chu generals to retreat. That night, Southern Chu and Western Shu simultaneously withdrew their soldiers. A few days later, news came that Southern Chu’s court was shaken and the successor had changed, while the Meng family of Western Shu submitted a formal letter to Great Wei, saying that everything was a misunderstanding and they did not mean to attack Great Wei.
Li De, who had stood his ground against the court’s opinion, angrily rebuked the ministers who suggested the capital be moved for causing harm to the country. He sent troops to reinforce Liangzhou and Jin City and appointed Commander-in-Chief Pei as the head general to recapture the lost cities.
The retreat of Southern Chu and Western Shu gave Great Wei more freedom to act, allowing Great Wei to concentrate its forces on withstanding the threat from the north.
The Northern Rong cavalry came with aggressive momentum, but their numbers were small, their provisions were poor. They could not break through the northern defenses for half a month, unable to penetrate into the Central Plains. Realizing that Great Wei was beginning to launch a counterattack, they did not stubbornly continue to fight. After looting around Jin City, they decisively retreated.
Great Wei held.
However, Helong fell completely into the hands of the Northern Rong, Great Wei’s neighboring country of Northern Han was destroyed overnight, and Jincheng suffered disastrous losses, nearly falling into their hands. As long as Northern Rong concentrated their forces to launch a rapid assault, Great Wei would have to constantly send troops to defend the passes.
The good thing was that Northern Rong was now unable to launch a full-scale attack, and Li Xuanzhen had held Liangzhou, so Great Wei was not completely exposed to the iron hooves of Northern Rong.
Great Wei survived the crisis without any danger.
In those days, everyone was in danger, the situation everchanging, the clouds surging treacherously. In this hair-raising position, Zheng Biyu, a woman deep in the inner palace, could also feel it.
Looking back now, she still had lingering fears, chills traveling down her body.
Great Wei, resisting attacks on all sides, was on the verge of being drawn into the middle of a war.
When the Northern Rong withdrew its troops, Western Shu, Southern Chu, and Great Wei temporarily restored diplomatic relations. While the nation celebrated, the court began to discuss merit and reward. Li De recalled Du Sinan, who had made great achievements in the battle of Jin City. He asked him who had reported to him before the Northern Rong’s surprise attack, allowing him to discover the Northern Rong’s plot in time. Du Sinan not only defended Jin City but also persuaded Southern Chu to give up.
Du Sinan did not give an answer right away.
A few days later, in Chang’an City, the people flocked out to greet the triumphant generals on Zhuque Street.
Li De led the civil and military officials to greet them.
A personal soldier covered all over in injuries came from the north, limping at the front of the procession.
“Liangzhou is held, Jin City is held, Xiao Pass is held, Great Wei is safe and sound. The people are saved from war.”
He fell to his knees under the city gate and raised his head, his eyes bloodshot: “Your Majesty, this general was ordered by Princess Wenzhao to return to the Pass to give warning. Fortunately, I did not disgrace!”
At that moment, not a sound was heard on the street.
His voice echoed for a long time in front of the palace gate.
The bustling crowd silently looked at the personal soldier.
The civil and military officials in splendid attire stared at the soldier in astonishment.
No one spoke for a long time, everyone silent and solemnly hushed.
Li De was stunned for a long time before asking: “Where is Princess Wenzhao? She has done great service to the country; zhen wants to reward her.”
The ministers immediately agreed, incessantly echoing the words of praise.
Tears streamed down the personal soldier’s cheeks: “Yelu tribe was destroyed. Princess, she… she…”
His uncontrollable sobs seemed to use up all his strength.