Chapter 549

Having decided to leave the city, the Great King didn't delay any further; that night, as dawn approached, he casually found a weakly defended spot far from the city gate and climbed over the wall to exit the city.

This night was destined to be restless; the Defender of the North Marquis merely received a sealed bun, while the capital's military officials after Guanglie's ascent to the throne collectively suffered disaster overnight, not worth mentioning.

The Great King left the city and headed straight for the Northern Border's main camp; seeing him return safe and sound, the Marquis of the Eastern Capital couldn't help but relax, and quickly asked whether the Great King would attack the city at dawn.

The Great King said mysteriously: "…Wait, let the city brew first; one day won't matter. Let the Imperial Uncle properly experience the feeling of being besieged by the Northern Border's iron cavalry." After saying that, without pause he took the legendary beast and rushed straight to the Supply Camp.

The glutton Xiao Jin had been eating ordinary dry rations for several days and could no longer be coaxed!

The Supply Camp separately packed Xiao Jin's dry rations, and the Great King, accompanied by Wei Shen and Ling Yin, also went to share an early meal; this guy, while eating, complained to Liang He beside him: "If Tong Pass falls, panic will spread inside the city and food prices will skyrocket—I'd love to take our military provisions in and sell them for a profit!"

Liang He: …What a unique way to make money.

The Great King wants money, not life!

He hurriedly reported to the Great King that, in passing, he had dealt with the refugees at Ascending Moon Slope in Prosperous Ritual, and, following the Great King's instructions, had first gone to rescue the eldest son of the Prince of Clear River. The meaning was that they had earned two hundred thousand taels in these two days, so they shouldn't worry about the insufficient military rations.

The Great King sighed sadly: "Even Cool Prefecture collects less than two hundred thousand taels a year, yet this amount our army spends in half a month out in the field. Why, in such poverty, don't let me stay home and honestly escape poverty? Clearly it should be a farming story, not force me to take the script of contending for the world!"

"Ah?" What are you saying? Liang He had a face full of question marks.

Wei Shen curiously interrupted: "How was that two hundred thousand taels spoken of at the time? Make sure the Prince of Clear River can settle the account afterward."

Liang He said: "It's said the Expansive Farming Yang Clan sent people to redeem them, and only after the Snow Cavalry had escorted the people away did they ascend Ascending Moon Slope."

The Great King waved his hand: "Rest assured, there's no one in the world who can owe me money and not pay it back."

Wei Shen: "……Your Majesty is mighty."

Liang He: "……"

The king ate his fill, drank his fill, took out a small handkerchief and wiped his mouth clean, "At dawn hang the flag I prepared, don't rush to attack the city, if there's nothing else go and have a good talk with the Chang'an garrison, I'll go sleep first."

"Your Highness has worked hard, respectfully seeing you off!"

The king nodded, "It is indeed quite tiring." He nodded at Liang He, seeing how much more there was to say, Liang Bin this idiot—what could he possibly compare to!

Only his paternal cousin was behind causing trouble, "Stirring up trouble is indeed quite tiring."

The king was resting, while the city inside was bustling.

The Northern Border cavalry's Black Wind horses are very swift; if they don't move, it's fine, but the news of their departure from Tong Pass never reached Chang'an, and they have already begun setting up camp outside. The messenger was not the scout watching the Tong Pass cavalry, but the one stationed outside Chang'an.

Troops at the city walls, Chang'an sleepless.

An urgent summons called the defending generals to their posts; everyone also couldn't be preparing without rest, right? This mobilization bodes ill.

In the Battle of Wuguan Plain, so many failed to stop the Northern Border cavalry; now all we can hope for is to hold the line. The city-defending troops arranged by Emperor Lie Lie have as commander Dingbei Hou Chen Zhong, with a few other generals assisting—either those brought from Jiangxia or those who surrendered to him. Ranked from highest to lowest, aside from Chen Zhong, none could appear on the city walls at once.

Chen Zhong hastily climbed the city wall, while one chariot-and-cavalry general and two guard generals were slow to take position; at first he didn't mind, but after a while hearing his deputy's hurried report, he stood there stunned for a long time without reacting.

"All gone?"

"A silent sword cut the throat. General Chu was in his mansion, without alarming anyone in the Chu residence; when the household servants discovered him, his blood had already clotted and his body was cold. Most shocking is that the two guard generals died in the Xuanping Camp, besides their personal guards there were no other casualties; the enemy simply marched in and out of the Xuanping Camp so openly..."

The unsaid words need not be spoken; Chen Zhong instantly broke out in a cold sweat, thinking of the letter he burned this morning...

Bai Li Jing could have easily cut off his head, but deliberately left it!

His face grim, he stared at the tent emerging in the hazy morning light, "……The Northern Border isn't just strong in cavalry; there seem to be masters as well. Masters beyond our imagination. The Northern Border is giving a warning: coming today, few of Chang'an's officials will be able to sleep..."

The deputy's face also grim: "If this situation gets out, people will surely panic; we must suppress this."

"Can we really suppress something this big?"

"What does the General mean?"

"Hurry and inform Your Majesty; fortunately this general hasn't slept all night, otherwise... sigh!"

Emperor Lie Lie's subordinate officers, three were beheaded in one night; originally there were only a few trusted generals he could rely on who hadn't even warmed the seat, now it's fine— the second-, third-, and fourth-ranking officers with combat experience were all sent away, and Chang'an erupted in an uproar.

The sky grew bright, the king was still catching up on sleep, the entire camp was silent as well, except that the central army's great banner had a new addition.

This "central army great banner" is the core flag of the army; previously it was a "You" character dragon-pattern flag, using the king's former fief title; the king's status in the military is not low, quite conspicuous. Today another new one was raised; the Duke of Dongdu saw it and laughed for a while, and the opposite side's Chang'an palace, upon learning of it, knew they would have to replace a batch of tea utensils.

Beside the "You" character dragon-pattern flag, a "Jin" flag was openly hung.

"How dare he?! He is Jin, what am I?"