Chapter 433

Guards outside the tent sensed something was wrong, drew their blades, and burst in!

Eight experts rushed up to protect Wang Yang!

Wang Yang looked cold and stern, reached out, and shouted:

"Do not panic! Xue Shao colluded with external enemies and, together with the inner guards, attempted to assassinate this official; he has now been executed. These eight men are my trusted aides, specifically assigned to eliminate traitors."

The guards saw Xue Shao lying face-up in a pool of blood, the corpses of several guards strewn on the ground, fresh blood overflowing, and they were all bewildered and at a loss.

Wang Yang gave them no time to react:

"Ma Yong, stay. Everyone else, withdraw and guard outside the tent. Anyone who dares to leave without authorization will be executed on the spot."

He then pointed to two of the eight experts and handed them his sword:

"You two, take my sword and wait outside the tent. Anyone who disobeys, execute them with this sword!"

The two had long been in the great mansion and were used to such scenes; they accepted the order without the slightest confusion.

The guards dared not delay and immediately withdrew, leaving only the guard captain Ma Yong standing there, stunned.

Wang Yang said nothing, looking at Ma Yong, and paced slowly.

Ma Yong was trembling, not knowing what to do.

Wang Yang suddenly spoke:

"Xue Shao attempted an assassination; were you an accomplice?"

Ma Yong was so scared he knelt down immediately, swearing oaths:

"No, no! This humble one knew nothing! If I had known, may heaven strike me down, may I die a horrible death!"

"Good, I believe you. Four of the six guards have been executed; two remain, fearing the mission failed, and have stolen horses to flee. You take men now and bring back their heads."

Ma Yong hurriedly accepted the order.

"These two guards have decent skills; cornered and fighting for their lives, there may be casualties. I will send two experts to assist you."

Wang Yang pointed to two men to follow Ma Yong out of the tent, then called for a messenger:

"Transmit my military order: Deploy Li Zaifu's unit to station in the central army and guard the main tent!

After Li Zaifu arrives, summon the generals; this official is holding a council!"

After all was done, Wang Yang bowed and smiled to the man who had used the bow to shoot Xue Shao:

"Many thanks, Brother Bai."

And thanked the other experts:

"You have all worked hard."

Bai Si and the other experts immediately knelt!

(Chapter 126 "Qujie Zhen Qi Qiu": At this time, a woman's cold voice came from inside the room: "Bai Si, anyone who steps into the room is to be shot dead; no need to report to me."

Wang Yang had previously asked Bao Yue to do three things for him, and the third thing was revealed here. Sending gold when they met was the signal; if Wang Yang refused, it meant not to act for now. If he accepted, it meant killing everyone in the tent except Wang Yang.)

Bai Si cupped his hands and said:

"It is my duty, how could I dare accept the Young Master's thanks? We eight are ordered to obey the Young Master's command; whatever you require, we will not avoid arrows or stones!"

"Brother Bai, you are too kind. I will remember this favor for helping me at the risk of your lives today—this brother, is your injury serious? Someone! Summon the military physician!"

The man with the injury had a bloody gash on his arm, with blood faintly seeping out; hearing Wang Yang's inquiry, he was flattered:

"Many thanks, Young Master! It's a flesh wound, no matter. Is the Young Master injured?"

Wang Yang smiled:

"I was just watching, what injury could I have? I just bumped into something..."

Everyone's expression changed drastically!

Bai Si asked urgently:

"Young Master, where did you bump? Are you injured?"

It turned out that earlier, a death-sworn guard had thrown his knife in a desperate struggle, intending to hit one of the experts, but the expert kicked the hilt, the knife's trajectory shifted, and it almost hit Wang Yang!

At the time, everyone was fighting with all their might and didn't notice this. Although Wang Yang was watching the fight from the side, he had been alert for the death-sworn "capturing the leader to capture the bandits," and seeing the knife fly suddenly, he hurriedly dodged! He dodged with too much force and bumped into a tent pole; although it hurt a bit, it was not an injury at all.

However, Wang Yang didn't explain the process, only saying he bumped into something by accident, it didn't hurt or itch, and told everyone not to be nervous.

But what Wang Yang didn't know was, how could everyone not be nervous?! Bao Yue had given the order—

If Wang Yang was injured, bring your heads to see her; if there was any mishap, your families would be implicated.

Therefore, everyone fought with their lives the moment they started, swearing to end the battle as quickly as possible, thinking that they would rather be injured themselves than let this ancestor be injured...

The night was deep.

In the central camp, torches were all lit. There were several layers of armored soldiers on both sides, all with blades drawn.

The generals were urgently summoned in the middle of the night, already full of questions, and now seeing this formation, their hearts were even more chilled, knowing there must be a change tonight.

They whispered a few words outside the tent, and after being summoned to enter, they stopped talking and waited solemnly.

Before long, Wang Yang, wearing his sword, walked in quickly, followed by a team of new guards.

The generals bowed and cupped their hands, their voices echoing in the tent:

"Greetings, Military Commander!"

Wang Yang walked to the main seat, turned to the generals, his face as calm as water, and his first sentence was like a thunderclap:

"Gentlemen, this official has received confirmed reports—Wang Yi and Liu Tan have broken the siege of Wenyang and launched a surprise counterattack, seizing Jingzhou."

After a deathly silence, the tent was in an uproar!

The generals had long heard rumors of trouble in Jingzhou but had never dared to believe it; hearing it from Wang Yang's own mouth now, they had no more hope! They felt as if the ground beneath their feet had vanished, as if they had fallen into an ice cellar!

It's over, it's over! Everything is over!

Wang Yang let them be chaotic for a while before raising his hand to signal silence and continuing:

"Xue Shao knew of this long ago but concealed it, even forging the Prince's order to force me to advance. Jingzhou is the foundation of our army; now that the foundation is lost, what is the use of taking Yong? I refused to comply. Xue Shao then colluded with the six guards beside me to assassinate me, intending to seize the army for himself—"

Wang Yang clapped his hands, and two armored soldiers brought in a bloody sack; as the sack hit the ground, seven heads rolled out. Their faces were ferocious, and the blood had not yet dried.

The generals were horrified!

Wang Yang's voice became even calmer:

"I have already killed these seven men. As for what to do next, it concerns our future and survival, so I invite you all to discuss it together.

There are two paths to choose from now. The first path is to continue stationing at Shankou while reporting to the Prince and asking for strategy.

But Jingzhou is lost, and the situation is as precarious as a pile of eggs. A messenger going back and forth will cause delays and changes. Once the main army in Ying dissolves, we will be isolated on the Han River, surrounded by enemies on all sides, branded as rebels, with our families there and us at a dead end here; advancing means becoming captives, retreating means execution. What will we do then?

The second path is to return to Jingzhou.

Although we are on the Han River now, we don't need to turn around to return to Jing. We are currently at Shankou; moving forward is Yangkou, and from Yangkou, one can enter Jingzhou from the west via the Yang River, which is a tributary of the Han River. When Liu Bei abandoned Fancheng, he 'sent Guan Yu with hundreds of ships to meet at Jiangling,' which is the waterway he took. Later, when Guan Yu attacked Cao Ren, his naval force was mighty, and he also sailed against this waterway.

Now that the summer floods have just passed and the autumn waters are full, this is heaven-sent capital for us to return to Jing!

Moreover, the Prince raised his troops under the pretext of barbarian unrest.

Although he provoked the barbarians and caused them resentment, the various barbarian tribes also have their own gaps.

I once served as an envoy to the barbarians, met their chieftains, and negotiated quite smoothly, knowing their intentions.

If I act as a mediator and use the name of the imperial court to recruit and pacify the Jing barbarians, the three major tribes of Wenyang, Yongning, and Yidu will surely be willing to respond for us!

I will lead the army back to Jing, unite the strength of the three tribes, display our power among the barbarians, proclaim our prestige and virtue, and subdue the rest—it will be done in the blink of an eye!

Not only can we earn merit for ourselves, but we can also redeem the Prince's sins. Compared to taking Yongzhou, the ease and profit are more than ten times greater! Turning defeat into victory, there is nothing better than this!

As for the rest, I will handle it. I dare not promise wealth, but I can guarantee, first, that your families will be safe, and second, that your official positions and property will remain intact, and you will not be pursued by the court—"

He paused and slowly scanned the generals:

"I just don't know, do you trust me?"

The ways to earn merit at present are nothing more than three—

First, suppress rebellion; second, attack Wei; third, subdue the barbarians.

The first two paths are the easiest to think of and the easiest to crash on. Suppressing rebellion means turning back to fight the Prince of Badong; if Wang Yang were overconfident, he could naturally do so. But using the Prince of Badong's own troops to fight the Prince of Badong carries considerable risk, easily inciting resistance among the soldiers, and he himself might be branded with the bad name of "betraying one's master."

According to the concepts of the time, even if one rebels, there is still the bond of ruler and subject. Changing sides and turning the rebel flag into a legitimate one is one thing; but turning one's weapons back to strike one's master is another.

Therefore, during the Liu Song dynasty, Zhu Chaomin followed the Prince Liu Yixuan in rebellion; after failure, Zhu Chaomin sent the Prince out of the city to run, but the Prince was pampered and could not run, so Zhu Chaomin waited until the next day to put the Prince in prison and surrender to the court. Later, when the court discussed the crime, Zhu Chaomin deserved death for treason, but the Minister argued:

"Since the thief has fled, one man can capture him. If Chaomin were a fickle, profit-seeking villain, he should have taken him directly; this would not only avoid punishment but also earn an 'unrighteous reward.'"

The meaning is that Liu Yixuan could have been easily captured by one person at the time. If Zhu Chaomin were a fickle, profit-seeking villain, it would have been better to capture Liu Yixuan directly to claim credit! There was no need to let him run.

Note that Liu Yixuan was an undisputed rebel at the time; capturing a rebel for the Son of Heaven to show loyalty was in line with great righteousness, but in the court, it was still called an "unrighteous reward," which shows the concepts of the time.

So Wang Yang can change sides, can earn merit, and can even, like Zhu Chaomin, be forced to capture the Prince of Badong when he has done all he could, but he cannot stab the Prince of Badong directly, otherwise it is unrighteous.

And the Northern Expedition against the Wei people, which is the opposite of unrighteousness, seems like great righteousness, but it actually hides disasters.

First, the Northern Dynasty is formidable; without careful planning, an isolated army advancing lightly will have an uncertain outcome.

Second, the Northern Expedition is a matter of the overall situation, where the court's major policies lie, and one move affects the whole body. Acting without authorization, even if victorious, could lead to disaster; a charge of "unauthorized provocation of border conflict" would be enough for everyone to suffer. This conforms neither to Wang Yang's Northern Expedition strategy nor to the court's current policy of exchanging envoys with the Northern Dynasty and resting the people. In Chinese and foreign history, there has never been a lack of examples of wars causing disasters; many were not because the military use was not sophisticated enough, but because the politics were too naive.

Third, human nature fears difficulty and loves ease, avoiding danger to seek safety. The generals were already shocked and fearful because of the loss of Jingzhou; if they were ordered to pass through border provinces, cross the border into the north, and fight to the death with barbarian horses in this situation, nine out of ten would be terrified.

But if you talk about going home to suppress the barbarians—

And there are three major barbarian tribes to help! (Thanks to Military Commander Wang!!!)

Isn't that like taking something from one's own pocket?!

And besides Wang Yang's plan being straight to the heart, Wang Yang's status and reputation also played a significant role.

If it were Li Jingxuan, saying he could protect everyone's official position and life, and saying he could negotiate with the three major tribes, it would be useless.

Xue Shao saying this would be slightly better than Li Jingxuan, but not much better.

But Wang Yang is different.

Based on his talent and family status, his weight in Jingzhou, and his relationships with all sides, including his relationship with Wang Yi, which of these things he said was completely baseless? If he said he could protect them, he really might be able to!

In the entire army, besides his Langya Wang family, who else can speak to the court?

Not to mention the prestige Wang Yang has accumulated while leading the army! The Langya Young Master has high skills, sitting on the bow of the boat in white! Let alone the Prince of Badong being too far away to ask for strategy. Even if he were asked, what strategy could he give?

Now that the Langya Young Master is here, how could there be a reason to abandon the high for the low?!

Although most of the generals were moved, they were either unsettled by the series of changes or wanted to see what others thought and dared not speak first.

Before anyone reacted, Li Zaifu stood up, pressed his sword, his face flushed, and said loudly:

"Things have come to this; besides the Military Commander, who can keep us alive?!

Today's matter, disaster and fortune are one; we only follow the Military Commander's orders!"

Zhang Guo knelt first and said loudly:

"Correct! We only follow the Military Commander's orders!"

Li Tao followed closely:

"We only follow the Military Commander's orders!"

He Nanqing, Yang Fu, Zhou Meng, and others followed one after another; soon the whole tent bowed their heads, their voices merging into one, shaking the tent:

"We only follow the Military Commander's orders!!!"