Chapter 384: Beacon Fires

The fall of Ningping Prefecture is a microcosm of the situation.

As the rebel army grows stronger, the number of fallen cities continues to increase.

Thang Long City.

"General Xiao, the domestic situation is critical, so I will spare you the pleasantries.

Mobilize troops immediately to reinforce all fronts.

You must open up the southern passage of our Great Viet in the shortest time possible, or the southern frontier will be in grave danger!"

Cui Zi spoke with a grave expression.

Between the pirates and the rebel army, Great Viet was in complete chaos.

Those unaware might think the Great Viet Dynasty had reached its twilight years, ushering in an era where heroes vie for supremacy.

As high-ranking officials of Great Viet, they knew very well that this dire situation was entirely orchestrated by the people of the Yu Dynasty.

Whether pirates or rebels, they were all predominantly composed of people from Yu.

At this critical moment in the war between the two nations, such a move clearly aimed to destroy the Great Viet Dynasty.

Knowing the truth was one thing, but speaking it aloud was another.

The situation was already precarious; if everyone realized these enemies were all part of the same faction, the consequences would be even more severe.

The reason people had not yet surrendered to the pirates or rebels was their belief that these forces were unworthy of recognition.

However, if the enemy became the Great Yu Dynasty, the situation would change.

"If you cannot defeat them, join them" is the rule of survival in chaotic times.

Once people believed resistance was futile, a group of collaborators would inevitably emerge within the country.

This was especially true in the newly expanded southern frontier regions, where numerous remnant forces still existed.

As long as Great Yu promised to help them restore their nation, those surviving elders and scions of the old regime would all spring into action.

Against this backdrop, opening the north-south corridor became exceptionally important.

Even a slight delay could cause their decades of expansion efforts to be ruined in an instant.

Compared to the Great Yu Dynasty, their strategic space was already extremely limited.

Having lost half the mountains and rivers of the southern frontier, relying solely on the northern Viet region to resist the Yu army would be exceedingly difficult.

"Prime Minister, what exactly has happened?

How is it that in just over a month, so many rebel armies have suddenly sprung up domestically?"

Xiao Yunfan asked with a face full of confusion.

Having withdrawn from the front lines, he had not even had time to rest before being dragged into this council.

His understanding of the domestic situation was still limited to the rampant piracy.

This return of the army was originally intended to suppress the pirates.

Yet in the blink of an eye, the pirate threat had become secondary, while the endless surge of rebel armies caused far greater devastation.

Countless people of Great Viet were forced into this chaotic war, with flames of conflict visibly approaching the Hanoi region.

"According to gathered intelligence, it is said that White Lotus Sect prisoners of war detained by the Yu army escaped and fled into our country.

Reports from various regions indicate these rebel forces number from tens of thousands to over a hundred thousand.

Wherever they pass, it is like a swarm of locusts descending.

Any household with able-bodied men has them forcibly conscripted, causing astonishing damage to local areas."

Cui Zi's answer failed to satisfy everyone.

Even if detained prisoners of war escaped, they would at most flee to border regions.

How could they suddenly reach the central-southern regions, dragging along massive peasant armies to attack northern Viet?

Everyone was smart enough to know that people from the Yu Dynasty were manipulating events behind the scenes, so they tacitly chose to drop the subject.

"The real situation is even more serious than what the Prime Minister described.

These rebel armies, like the pirates before them, are all extremely brutal.

Any official troops who dare to resist are slaughtered to the last man.

Especially when dealing with officials and gentry, they show absolutely no mercy."

Ruan Yixiu, the Minister of Rites, spoke up to add.

To these high-ranking figures, the life or death of commoners did not matter.

However, slaughtering gentry and officials crossed everyone's bottom line.

If they did not suppress this quickly, perhaps one day such a tragedy would befall their own families.

"Rest assured, my lords; a few defeated generals cannot amount to much.

After the great army rests for a few days, this general will lead troops to wipe them out completely!"

Xiao Yunfan immediately pledged.

Having suffered a humiliating setback on the Yunnan battlefield, he urgently needed a military achievement to prove himself.

Suppressing pirates was a merit, and crushing rebel armies was equally a merit.

The failure to penetrate deep into Yunnan was due to overextended supply lines, where logistics dragged down the army's combat effectiveness.

Furthermore, the enemy stubbornly defended their walls and refused to engage, resulting in this fruitless return.

Now, dealing with a ragtag mob, he felt absolutely no pressure.

"Then we leave it to you, General Xiao!"

Cui Zi said with an exhausted expression.

Clearly, he held little confidence in swiftly quelling the rebellion.

It was not that he distrusted the combat capability of the official army, but rather that the enemy numbers were simply too vast.

With both pirates and rebel armies ravaging the entire coastal region, the damage was widespread.

The navy, originally stationed to defend Hanoi and Haiphong, had sailed out half a month ago to engage the Yu navy and unfortunately suffered another defeat.

On their return journey, they were ambushed by pirates and nearly annihilated.

Currently, the naval defense capability of the Great Viet Dynasty was practically zero.

Facing relentless attacks from the enemy, they were completely passive and taking beatings.

His intuition told him that having the main force confront the enemy at Zhennan Pass was a mistaken decision.

Pirates could attack from the sea, White Lotus rebels could come from the sea, and the main Yu army could do the same.

Their initial probing attacks had already left them struggling to cope.

Once the Yu Dynasty launched an amphibious assault, the danger would become real.

Realizing a problem did not equate to being able to solve it.

The Viet Emperor had ascended the throne less than a year ago and was precisely at the stage where he needed to establish his authority.

Old ministers like themselves were already unwelcome.

Voicing opposition would only worsen relations between both sides.

Moreover, the distant expedition had consumed massive amounts of money and grain, while the front lines had lost over ten thousand soldiers.

If they withdrew the army now, someone would have to take responsibility for the failure of the war.

The Viet Emperor could not bear this blame, nor did the frontline generals wish to carry it.

If someone tore through the veil of secrecy now, this black pot of blame would most likely land on his head.

The excuse was ready-made: mismanaging the domestic affairs so terribly that the great army was forced to abandon the fruits of victory.

As long as one's skin was thick enough, one could completely declare a great victory.

Losses of soldiers and generals, as long as the government did not acknowledge them, would effectively not exist.

Shu Region.

Looking at his old brothers who had fled from Jiangnan to seek refuge, Wei Hao was filled with mixed emotions.

In less than two short years, the once-renowned White Lotus Holy Kingdom had become nothing but a thing of the past.

Of the former three kings and one emperor, only he remained as the sole survivor.

"Are you saying that Brother Fu's death was caused by the betrayal of the Anqing garrison?

Yet this king recalls that Fang Mochuan was not that kind of person."

Wei Hao asked with furrowed brows.

Choosing to betray at the moment of life and death was not a strange occurrence.

Over the past few years, he had witnessed too much deceit and treachery.

However, those who betrayed were mostly outsiders.

The core figures of the White Lotus Sect were too deeply involved in the rebellion; even if they surrendered to the court, they would still be purged.

This group of people remained extremely firm in their stance against Yu.

"Your Highness the Eastern King, one may know a person's face but not their heart!

According to what we have learned, after His Majesty crossed the river, he was ambushed by the Anqing garrison.

If not for their sudden betrayal from behind, we might have broken through the encirclement of the official army."

Liu Laoxu stated frankly.

Deep in his heart, he too was unwilling to believe that Fang Mochuan would betray the rebel army.

Once this bad precedent was set, it meant that unconditional trust had vanished.

Including those of us who have come to seek refuge with the Eastern King, we may also face suspicion in the future.

But the fact that the Anqing garrison stabbed the Righteous Army in the back is something many people already know.

Even if they do not speak of it, the Eastern King will know soon enough.

"Enough, matters will eventually be clarified.

Brothers, since you are willing to acknowledge me as your Eastern King, then from now on we shall work together.

Once we overthrow Great Yu, glory and wealth will be plentiful for everyone.

If any of you have other ideas or paths to take, I, Wei, will not stop you.

As long as you do not defect to the false dynasty, we shall forever remain brothers!"

Wei Hao declared with an air of bold heroism.

To contend for the world, treating scholars and worthies with humility is essential.

Most of those present were old brothers who had emerged from Guangxi.

If he could not even tolerate them, then expecting the heroes of the world to submit would be nothing but a joke.

Yet regarding these remnants of Fu Haoxuan's forces, he lacked trust.

The fuse of this contradiction had been deeply buried since the split years ago.

Had the official army not been so fierce in their encirclement and suppression, these people would never have come to seek refuge with him.

Even while under his roof, these fellows still addressed Fu Haoxuan as "Your Majesty" at every turn.

Clearly, in their hearts, the deceased Fu Haoxuan was the true Emperor, while he was merely that Eastern King.

"We thank Your Highness, the Eastern King!"

The crowd's response caused Wei Hao's brow to furrow slightly, before smoothing out again.

"The welcoming banquet is ready; brothers, follow me to the rear hall for the meal."

The words he had prepared to speak from the heart, at this moment, he chose to swallow back.

Since they could not share hearts, he might as well just go through the motions; keeping up appearances was sufficient.

For the great cause of opposing Yu, these people would certainly be used, but they could not be heavily relied upon.

Fortunately, Fu Haoxuan died cleanly; his head had been taken by Great Yu to be displayed everywhere, leaving everyone with no further delusions.

Had it been like the White Lotus Sacred Emperor, where the living were unseen and the dead left no corpse, it would have been far more troublesome.

Even now, there were still those within the Righteous Army ranks who missed the vanished White Lotus Sacred Emperor.

"Your Highness, the Eastern King, there is no rush for the welcoming banquet.

We came to submit to you not in pursuit of glory and wealth.

What we mainly desire is revenge, to overthrow the dark sky of Great Yu.

Against that rogue Li Mu, we indeed were no match, but when it comes to dealing with that scholar Xu Wenyue, we are very experienced!"

Fang Yuxuan, the Marquis of Wumu, suddenly spoke up.

All this talk of revenge and overthrowing Great Yu was merely a pretext; the real issue was treatment and status.

Today was the first meeting between both sides, and also the most suitable time to negotiate for better treatment.

After today, the Eastern King would inevitably arrange for people to contact them privately.

Once a temporarily formed group, their dissolution and fragmentation were inevitable.

With only this handful of remnant troops, sticking together gave them bargaining chips for negotiation.

If they were scattered and broken up, any subsequent negotiations would leave the terms entirely up to the other party.

For the sake of their own interests, even knowing that speaking now might offend Wei Hao, he still acted as the one to stick his head out.

As for settling scores later, Fang Yuxuan did not believe he would live to see that day.

After the Yu Army pacified Jiangnan, they would certainly march in force into Shu.

With the State of Chu gone and the State of Wu unable to halt the enemy's spearhead, what could an Eastern King who could not even secure Shu rely on to stop the main force of the official army?

In his view, Shu was merely a temporary foothold.

Once the main force of the official army attacked, everyone would have to embark on the path of flight once more.

Just as historical patterns dictated—those who initiate the uprising rarely meet a good end.

The White Lotus Sect initiated the great cause of opposing Yu, which destined them to be the unfortunate "pioneers for kings."

The Eastern King, so high and mighty today, might within a year have his head hanging from the city walls at the hands of the enemy.

Facing such a leader who could perish at any moment, he naturally lacked any sense of awe in his heart.

"Since you brothers are so experienced in dealing with Xu Wenyue, then after resting and replenishing, go attack Xu Wenyue's department.

My demand is not high; simply capture Chengdu Prefecture as quickly as possible."

Wei Hao, without changing expression, dug a pit for them.

He himself had led the main force to besiege Chengdu Prefecture for over half a year, yet all efforts were in vain.

Since these old ministers from the State of Wu were acting so arrogantly, he would let them jump into the trap!

If they defeated the Shu official army and successfully occupied Chengdu Prefecture, then everyone would be happy.

If they suffered a major defeat, it would at least suppress their arrogant spirit.

In the days ahead, he must devote more energy to countering the westward advance of the Marquis of Zhenyuan.

With so many precedents as warnings, he knew very clearly who posed the greatest threat.

Once the armies of the noble families broke into Shu, his good days would be over.

The most urgent task was to quickly seize the northern Shu region, then capture Hanzhong, lock the northern gate, and lay the foundation for carving out Shu as a separate domain.

His intuition told him that the official army was about to launch a counteroffensive.

"We thank Your Highness, the Eastern King, for your trust; we brothers will certainly not disappoint!"

Fang Yuxuan immediately declared his stance.

All promises were empty; only the army in one's hand was real.

Having fled all the way to Shu, this was precisely the time when rest and replenishment were needed.

Only by restoring their strength as soon as possible could they seize the initiative in the coming changes.

"Do not thank me yet; Xu Wenyue's level of military command is average, but he is a master at playing politics.

The Tusi of Shu have all been deceived by him into opposing the Righteous Army.

Next, as we face the westward advance of the false dynasty's Marquis of Zhenyuan, we must concentrate all our strength to respond, meaning the support we can give you is limited.

While attacking Chengdu Prefecture, you must also beware of the Tusi of western Shu.

If possible, it would be best to eliminate them all at once!"

Wei Hao immediately raised the stakes.

Fang Yuxuan had agreed too readily, to the point where he could not help but suspect whether the other party was merely fooling him.

Xu Wenyue's forces were huddled within the city walls; they only needed to defend in a standard manner, which could maximally conceal their deficiencies in military command.

Seeking an opening in the enemy's defenses to recapture Chengdu Prefecture in one stroke was nearly impossible.

Over the past year and more, he had tried various methods to lure the enemy out, yet they simply would not take the bait.

"Rest assured, Your Highness; this general understands these issues.

The reason the Tusi are difficult to deal with is that in those barren mountains and evil waters, they have geographical advantages to rely upon.

As long as we lure them out, they will be much easier to handle.

When it comes to schemes, those local bumpkins cannot compare to that old good-for-nothing Xu Wenyue."

Fang Yuxuan immediately gave his guarantee.

In fact, before the soldiers were handed over, no matter what demands Wei Hao made, he would agree to them all without hesitation.

These matters had been discussed beforehand.

Other issues could be considered slowly after their strength was restored.

If Wei Hao possessed the qualities of an emperor and defeated the Marquis of Zhenyuan's forces on the battlefield, they would submit directly.

If he could not defeat the enemy on the battlefield, then all promises were mere empty talk.

(End of Chapter)