Chapter 290

While Zhang Jie was ascending the throne and indulging in the lap of luxury, far away at the Western Army camp in Shaanxi Circuit,

the various generals were arguing fiercely over the future of their entire Western Army.

The loyalist faction, or rather the Bianliang faction, led by Tongguan, insisted on marching east to rescue Bianliang.

There was also the defensive faction, whose goal was to defend against Western Xia, insisting on guarding every fortress and not giving Western Xia any opportunity to exploit.

Of course, there were even more fence-sitters preparing to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, waiting to see who won before deciding who to help.

After all, judging from the information received earlier, the Great Song seemed, possibly, perhaps, not to be doing so well.

As long as their Western Army held fast to every fortress, then regardless of whether the Great Song wiped out the rebels

and continued its national destiny, or Liang Shan overthrew the Great Song and started a new dynasty,

they would have enough bargaining chips to obtain the treatment they deserved.

"Bianliang must be saved. Without the Great Song, without the Emperor, where would our Western Army be?"

In the Western Army's main tent, Tongguan, with his lion-like face and broad nose, sturdy build, and wearing a helmet and armor,

showing not a hint of the effeminate nature of a eunuch, looked around at the generals and said in a deep voice.

Under his gaze, which felt almost tangible, not a single Western Army general dared to look him in the eye.

"Chancellor Tong's words are reasonable.

Everything we in the Western Army eat and use, which part of it wasn't allocated by the imperial court?

Without the imperial court, are we in the Western Army still the Western Army?

Do you expect Liang Shan to preserve our Western Army after they win?"

As soon as Tongguan finished speaking, several generals who were attached to him immediately spoke up in agreement.

Generals such as Liu Fa, a famous Western Army general known for his bravery who had once crushed the Xia army in the Hehuang region,

and Wang Shunchen, known as the true "Little Li Guang" of the Western Army, skilled in archery,

who had turned the tide of battle with his divine archery during a Qiang ambush, were all moved.

The future, lives, and glory of these generals were all tied to the Great Song,

and Bianliang was the head and heart of the Great Song; the Emperor and the various chancellors of the Privy Council were all inside, so it could not go unsaved.

Immediately, their gazes all converged on Zhong Shidao, who was standing beside Tongguan,

his eyes slightly narrowed, not speaking, and appearing to be in deep thought.

Although this old Grand Coordinator was officially the second-in-command of the Western Army,

Tongguan was ultimately an Army Supervisor parachuted in from Bianliang and found it difficult to intervene in the actual affairs of the Western Army,

so he was actually the one in control of this Western Army, the most elite border force of the Great Song.

Without his permission and cooperation, even Tongguan could not fully mobilize the Western Army!

"Bianliang, I want to save it too; I want to go and serve the King too.

But Bianliang has already been breached by the Liang Shan army."

Zhong Shidao didn't speak, but once he did, his words were shocking.

These words were like a thunderclap on flat ground, shaking all the Western Army generals.

"Impossible, this is absolutely impossible!"

"The walls of the Eastern Capital are high and the moats are deep; even if those Liang Shan bandits are skilled at sieges,

it is absolutely impossible for them to breach it in such a short time!"

Tongguan shook his head fiercely, his tone very firm.

The other generals thought carefully for a moment and also nodded one after another.

It wasn't that they didn't believe the words of Grand Coordinator Zhong Shidao,

but that they had absolute confidence in the city defenses of Bianliang.

The walls of Bianliang had been under construction since the founding of the Great Song,

and after more than a hundred years of expansion and reinforcement, it was no exaggeration to call it the strongest city in the world.

Coupled with the hundreds of thousands of imperial guards inside the city and the millions of shi of grain stored in the various granaries,

as long as there was no internal chaos in the city, it would be easy to hold out for months or even half a year, let alone until the end of time.

It was precisely because they had confidence in the city defenses of Bianliang that they had the time to discuss here

whether to assemble all the elite Western Army forces to go and serve the King,

striving to encircle and annihilate the main force of the Liang Shan bandits under the walls of Bianliang in one fell swoop.

"Moreover, information from Bianliang has long been blocked by the Liang Shan bandits,

and countless of our Western Army scouts have been defeated and killed under the interception of the Liang Shan bandits.

How did Grand Coordinator Zhong come to know such shocking news?

Is your Zhong family already prepared to defect to the Liang Shan bandits?"

Tongguan looked at Zhong Shidao with extremely suspicious eyes.

The generals under his command had already placed their hands on their sword hilts,

waiting only for his order to take down the "traitorous" Zhong Shidao!

"I am not defecting to the enemy, but an old friend has brought me definite news."

Zhong Shidao didn't care about Tongguan's blatant and undisguised hostility and smiled bitterly.

"Come, bring the item up."

He then gave an order, and the personal guard outside the tent walked in quickly, holding a slender wooden box.

"Hmph!"

"I want to see what medicine Grand Coordinator Zhong is selling in his gourd!"

Tongguan, who had long been dissatisfied with Zhong Shidao, snorted coldly and, without seeking Zhong Shidao's opinion,

snatched the wooden box and waved his hand to open it.

But the moment he saw what was inside the wooden box,

the anger on his face froze, and his tone became incredulous:

"Impossible, this is impossible!"

His originally ruddy and healthy complexion turned deathly pale.

Liu Fa, who was closer to him, hurried over to look, and immediately exclaimed:

"This is actually the Emperor's Heaven-Dependent Sword!"

"What, it's actually the Emperor's Heaven-Dependent Sword?"

Hearing the words "Heaven-Dependent Sword," the remaining generals hurriedly gathered around the wooden box.

"It is the Emperor's Heaven-Dependent Sword, it really is the Emperor's Heaven-Dependent Sword!"

Looking at the precious sword in the wooden box with dragon patterns decorated on the scabbard

and a bright yellow sword tassel hanging from the hilt symbolizing the Emperor's status, the generals were struck as if by lightning.

The Emperor's Heaven-Dependent Sword was mainly of symbolic significance, and its actual value was not very important;

the important thing was, how could this Heaven-Dependent Sword be in Zhong Shidao's hands?

The Heaven-Dependent Sword was always kept by the Emperor's side, and even if there was an opportunity for it to leave Bianliang,

it would be in the hands of an imperial envoy granted an imperial mission.

Now that this Heaven-Dependent Sword had left Bianliang for no reason,

the implications were truly terrifying to contemplate.

Looking at the incredulous generals, Zhong Shidao also smiled bitterly.

When he saw this Heaven-Dependent Sword yesterday, his reaction was no better than these generals'.

"Grand Coordinator Zhong, you say Bianliang has already been breached, but is there any other evidence?"

The people who had calmed down looked at Zhong Shidao again.

Although the Heaven-Dependent Sword had made them believe the news that Bianliang was lost to some extent,

this did not rule out the possibility that Zhong Shidao was colluding with the Liang Shan bandits to deceive them.

After all, with the strength of the Liang Shan bandits who dared to rebel against the heavens, not to mention forging a Heaven-Dependent Sword,

it was not impossible for them to enter the imperial palace and steal the genuine Heaven-Dependent Sword.

"I knew you wouldn't just believe it like that."

Zhong Shidao looked around at the generals before coming to the back of the main tent and bowing:

"Zhong Shidao requests the presence of the Great Gan imperial envoy!"

"Great Gan imperial envoy?"

Hearing this term, the generals were all shocked.

Great Gan was likely the name of the country established by the Liang Shan bandits.

With even the name of the country out, Bianliang, or rather the Great Song, was likely in dire straits.

"Oh my, Grand Coordinator, you are doing me a great disservice!"

From behind the main tent came a bold and rugged voice.

Immediately following, a big monk with a shaved head, ring scars on his head,

and vivid, ferocious flower tattoos visible on his thick neck,

who, even though dressed in brocade robes, could not hide the aura of a wild outlaw radiating from his entire body,

walked out with large strides.

Who could this Flower Monk be if not Lu Zhishen?