Chapter 350: Mobilizing Changqing

Feng Xue and Shan Dian led the remaining troops, silently merging into the vast night.

Ye Wuhen stood on the collapsed city gate, his gaze deep as he watched the retreating Great Qian army.

He gave no order to pursue; the outcome of this war was not decided by the gain or loss of a single city or territory.

At this moment, Crying Dragon Pass was already a ruin.

Yet upon this ruin, the seeds of future hope and revival were sprouting.

As the night deepened, the flames of war gradually subsided.

But behind this battle lay a deeper contest and game.

Ye Wuhen knew that the Night Slayer Army and Great Qian's true war.

It has only just begun now!

And the remnant troops led by Feng Xue and Shan Dian also set up camp in the mountains behind Crying Dragon Pass.

And they dispatched an urgent request for one hundred thousand, heading to Heaven Capital to seek aid.

"What good plans do you have? Speak them quickly!"

Daily drills and war preparations were proceeding in a tense yet orderly manner.

The main hall fell into silence; officials stared at each other, none daring to speak lightly.

They all sensed the emperor's fury was not trivial; any excuse now would only add fuel to the fire.

At this moment, a minister summoned courage and stepped forward, bowing as he spoke.

His voice echoed in the main hall, buzzing in everyone's ears.

An urgent battle report was hastily presented; the news of Crying Dragon Pass's fall struck like a heavy hammer, slamming hard into Si Xiao Fei's heart.

The emperor's fury surged like a sudden storm; he glared at the officials and shouted sternly.

In the mountains behind Crying Dragon Pass, the troops of Feng Xue and Shan Dian grew stronger day by day, morale high.

The officials remained silent as cicadas in winter, heads bowed, not daring to breathe.

However, the Great Qian Emperor Si Xiao Fei, at this moment, had no mind to admire the court's beauty; he sat upon the dragon throne with a grim face, anger flashing in his eyes.

Within Heaven Capital, the imperial palace stood towering, its walls high, its golden and splendid halls glittering under the sunlight.

He slammed the imperial desk, shouting angrily: "Trash! The defenders of Crying Dragon Pass are nothing but trash!"

"Your Majesty, the only plan now is to swiftly dispatch reinforcements to the Northern Frontier to stabilize the situation."

"This is reasonable, but who can bear this heavy responsibility?"

"The Northern Frontier's war concerns Great Qian's safety; a slight mistake could plunge the nation into irreparable ruin."

Si Xiao Fei took a deep breath, striving to calm his anger.

As time passed, both sides were tense in their preparations.

Although they had temporarily lost the pass, they had not lost their confidence and fighting spirit.

And within the pass, Ye Wuhen was also strengthening defenses, preparing to face the impending great battle.

"Officials, Crying Dragon Pass has now fallen; the Northern Frontier is in grave peril."

The emperor, hearing this, furrowed his brows, pondered a moment, then said.

Once again the imperial court fell into silence; all officials knew that at this moment the Northern Frontier needed a commander capable of turning the tide.

Yet scanning the court, few were capable of shouldering this heavy responsibility.

"Your Majesty, only the Grand Tutor Gu Changqing of Great Qian personally going forth can resolve the situation."

Finally, an old minister spoke with a trembling voice.

As soon as these words were spoken, the court immediately erupted in clamor.

Gu Changqing, versed in both civil and military arts, was moreover the pillar of the state of Great Qian.

Yet he was presently suppressing the Yellow Turban Army in the south; how could he divide himself to go to the Northern Frontier?

"The Grand Tutor is presently suppressing rebels in the south; how could he be easily moved?"

The emperor furrowed his brows, gazing deeply at that old minister, and spoke in a low voice.

"Your Majesty, although the Grand Tutor is in the south, his prestige and wisdom are enough to deter the Northern Frontier's Night Slayer Army."

"Only if the Grand Tutor personally goes to the front can he swiftly steady the troops' morale and revive their spirit."

The old minister took a deep breath and spoke firmly.

Si Xiao Fei furrowed his brows, showing difficulty, weighing pros and cons in his heart.

He knew the old minister's words were not false, yet moving the Grand Tutor was no easy matter.

The atmosphere in the court grew ever more solemn; officials all lowered their heads, daring not to meet the emperor's gaze.

For a moment, the court fell into silence.

"Your Majesty, this old minister has a plan that might work."

Just then, another minister stepped forward, bowing as he spoke.

Emperor Si Xiao Fei lifted his gaze, indicating he should continue.

"We can dispatch an envoy riding swiftly to the south to report the Northern Frontier's urgent situation to the Grand Tutor."

"At the same time, we can gather elite forces from all regions and rush to aid the Northern Frontier to relieve the pressing crisis."

That minister then continued.

Si Xiao Fei, hearing this, saw a flash of approval in his eyes.

"This plan is excellent. Immediately dispatch an envoy to the south to report to the Grand Tutor, and simultaneously order the garrisons of all regions to rush to aid the Northern Frontier."

After pondering a moment, he nodded and said.

With the emperor's command, the court immediately bustled into activity.

The officials all received their orders and departed, preparing to mobilize troops and provisions to support the Northern Frontier.

And Si Xiao Fei sat on the dragon throne, his gaze deep as he looked into the distance, his heart filled with anticipation and worry.

In a temporary camp on the southern battlefield, Gu Chang Qing sat upright in the main tent, his brow locked tight, the Qian capital report in his hand feeling heavy, just like his present worries.

The news that Minglong Pass had fallen took him by surprise, but what made him feel even more troubled was how to balance the war on the northern and southern fronts.

He well knew the Night Sha Army of the northern border was not to be underestimated, but the Yellow Turban Army under Meng Zhang's command in the south was equally not to be taken lightly.

Meng Zhang's use of troops is godlike; if he moves north, the southern front may become perilous.

"Grand Tutor, urgent military news: General Su Ye of Wu Prefecture has sent a letter."

Just then, a hurried footsteps sounded outside the tent; a messenger holding a letter rushed forward, panting, and knelt before Gu Chang Qing.

Gu Chang Qing took the letter dubiously, unfolded it, and examined it closely.

On the letter, Su Ye's handwriting was strong and powerful, expressing his determination to pin down the Yellow Turban Army of Lu Prefecture for the Da Qian dynasty, so that Gu Chang Qing would have no rear worries and could fully focus on the northern border war.

"Is the content of this letter reliable?"

After reading the letter, a flash of joy flickered in Gu Chang Qing's eyes; he raised his head to look at the messenger and spoke in a low voice.

"Absolutely certain, Grand Tutor."

The messenger replied confidently, "The envoy of General Su Ye delivered it personally."

Gu Chang Qing took a deep breath, as if a heavy stone had settled in his heart.

He rose, walked to the map, and carefully examined the situation of the northern and southern fronts.

With Su Ye's promise, he could at least temporarily set aside his concerns about the south.

At the same time, in the imperial palace of the Qian capital, Si Xiao Fei also received the same news.

After reading Su Ye's letter, his face showed a smile long absent.

"Your Majesty, this act of the Heir of the Prince of Yun is truly a blessing for our Da Qian dynasty."

A loyal minister sighed.

"The Heir of the Prince of Yun is loyal and brave; this time he voluntarily pledged to hold back the hundreds of thousands of troops of Meng Zhang at Lu Prefecture, relieving our Da Qian dynasty's urgent crisis, and I am greatly pleased."

Si Xiao Fei nodded, his eyes revealing his approval of Su Ye.

"Your Majesty, sending the three imperial princesses to marry Su Ye was indeed the right move."

"Now it seems that the Heir of the Prince of Yun is not only brave and skilled in battle, but also a person who values loyalty and righteousness, harboring gratitude toward the imperial family."

Another minister took up the conversation and sighed.

(End of chapter)