Chapter 550: Movements of All Parties

"Your Highness, the Northern Di forces in Ning City have reached two Royal Tents. This does not even include the Xiliang Royal Tent established after the Northern Di destroyed Xiliang. In fact, within a short half-month, forty thousand troops have already gathered in Ning City."

"Moreover, the Northern Di scouts have suddenly begun probing Yanguan more frequently. My men also observed that a large number of trees near Ning City have been felled, presumably to manufacture siege equipment," Xu Ke said slowly.

Zhao Xu nodded.

During this period, the illusion he created at least indicated that half the population of Yanzhou had died of smallpox.

The Prince's Personal Army was almost at sixty percent.

In the eyes of the Northern Di, he only had the one hundred and fifty thousand troops permitted by the Imperial Court under his command.

With nearly sixty percent of the soldiers dead, he would only have over sixty thousand men remaining.

These sixty thousand-plus men would then have to garrison Feihu Pass, the Lengbao, and important cities like Yancheng.

Yanguan would be lucky to have thirty thousand left.

"They are finally going to make a move. If they didn't act soon, this Prince would not have been able to hold on any longer." With the Northern Di about to attack, he felt no tension, but rather a sense of relief.

It is easy to act for a day, but difficult to act for two or three months.

Furthermore, the longer one acts, the easier it is for flaws to appear.

Moreover, creating the illusion of a plague is equally taxing on the people and the treasury, hindering production.

It can be said that to lure the Northern Di into the trap this time, he paid a heavy price.

However, it was all worth it.

His contest with Mule Hongzhen would finally be decided this time.

From now on, he would never again give the Northern Di the opportunity to amass heavy troops in Ningjin Dusi and employ poisonous schemes to harm him.

"I only hope Your Highness can severely punish the Northern Di," Xu Ke said.

His expression was grave.

In his view, the plague created by Yan Wang this time not only deceived the Northern Di but also served as a profound warning to officials like them.

Fortunately, the matter of the plague was discovered in advance.

And fortunately, Yan Wang understood Cowpox Inoculation; otherwise, the illusion of a plague in Yanzhou would have been real.

The Northern Di's next southward invasion would have succeeded.

And they would have become wronged souls under the Northern Di's butcher knives.

Therefore, this made them realize more clearly that they could only fight the Northern Di to the death, until one side completely collapsed.

"That goes without saying." Zhao Xu looked toward the north, his eyes narrowing.

From Xu Ke's gritted-teeth expression, he could guess Xu Ke's emotions.

In truth, regarding the plague, he and Xu Ke both felt some lingering fear.

After all, if one link had been neglected, everything they had accumulated would have vanished like smoke.

Even without Xu Ke's reminder, he would beat the Northern Di to death.

After discussing the Northern Di, Xu Ke's expression suddenly darkened. "Your Highness, this subordinate just received news that the Imperial Palace has been firmly controlled by the Imperial Guards commanded by Xiao Cheng. News from inside the palace cannot get out, and news from outside cannot get in."

"What!" Zhao Xu was startled. "What exactly happened? Tell me in detail."

Xu Ke then presented a document to him.

After hurriedly flipping through it, he understood the general situation.

After Yang Feng was exiled to Yanzhou, Zhao Heng handed the Palace Secretariat to a general he deeply trusted, Xu Meng, to manage.

But seven days ago, while Xu Meng was drinking with his subordinate generals at a restaurant, he suddenly vomited blood and died.

The other generals did not escape this misfortune either.

Afterward, Xiao Cheng used the generals he had planted in the Palace Secretariat to control the entire organization.

The next day, Dou Wei, in collusion with the Han Family, the Wang Family, and other powerful clans, forced Zhao Heng to issue an edict to temporarily establish an organization called the Cabinet.

The Cabinet possessed the power to reject the Emperor's edicts.

This was equivalent to the seven powerful clans, led by the Dou Family, uniting to hollow out Zhao Heng, the Emperor of Great Song, and place him under house arrest in the Imperial Palace.

From now on, the Imperial Court would no longer be the court of the Zhao Clan, but the court of the powerful clans.

"Like the Northern Di, they must also think that this Prince is finished," Zhao Xu said.

Just as the plague in Yanzhou spread throughout Great Song, such an event suddenly occurred in Jingshi.

He could not help but suspect that this was also a side effect of his own scheme this time.

The powerful clans must have assumed he would never recover, which is why they took such a reckless action.

After thinking for a while, he gradually calmed down.

In his view, this was actually just a matter of time.

Since the beginning of the separatist rule, the powerful clans had long been unable to restrain themselves.

Placing Zhao Heng under house arrest and controlling the imperial government was merely a matter of a few months earlier or later.

Great Song was truly sliding into the abyss this time.

"Jingshi is too far, and the powerful clans are holding the Emperor to command the vassals. This Prince's reach cannot extend that far; for now, I can only manage my own affairs," Zhao Xu said to Xu Ke. "However, you must find a way to make contact with Mi Fei; it would be best if you could rescue her."

"Yes, Your Highness." Xu Ke nodded.

Next, Xu Ke spoke about the Liang Family.

After Liang Feng arrived in Lincheng, he was drilling the Navy.

An attack on Yizhou would likely happen within these few months.

Regarding this, Zhao Xu actually hoped the Liang Family could take Yizhou.

After all, Yizhou in the hands of the Liang Family was better than half being in the hands of the Eastern Japanese and half in the hands of the Franks.

Of course, just like the change in Jingshi.

He was currently unable to interfere in this matter either.

For him, the most important thing was still dealing with this invasion by the Northern Di.

Only by heavily damaging the Northern Di could he free up his hands to deal with the current chaotic situation in Da Song.

Let Xu Ke return.

Zhao Xu called Chang Wei over.

In over two months, with the high efficiency of the Steam Engine, the Weaponry Bureau had completed all modifications to the Flintlock.

Moreover, they had delivered thirty thousand Flintlocks, twenty-four Field Artillery pieces, and thirty-six Mortars to the Ningjin Army.

His plan to re-equip the entire army with the Rifled Musket was basically complete.

Now, as soon as the war broke out, the soldiers would be able to pick up their Rifled Muskets and head to the battlefield.

"The Northern Di have finally come."

After Zhao Xu told Chang Wei the intelligence Xu Ke had given him, a light like that of a war fanatic immediately shone in Chang Wei's eyes.

Ever since the Rifled Musket was issued to the Prince's Personal Army, he had been staring at Ningjin Dusi like a fighting cock.

Even if the Northern Di did not come to find him, he estimated he would have requested to take the initiative and attack.

"Do not get excited yet. This time, not only does this Prince want to heavily damage the Northern Di, but I also want to take the opportunity to capture Ningjin Dusi. For this reason, this war will be the first all-out war between this Prince and the Northern Di, and this Prince will also deploy ninety percent of our forces to fight this battle," Zhao Xu said.

Pausing for a moment, he continued: "Go back and tell the generals that this war is of vital importance. Everyone must be on their toes. A storm is brewing within Da Song; only if we fight this battle beautifully can we sit securely in Yanzhou and deal with the chaos within Da Song. Otherwise, we will fall into the passive situation of fighting on two fronts."

"Yes, Your Highness," Chang Wei said. "Whoever holds Your Highness back, this general will be the first to not spare them."

Zhao Xu nodded, and together with Chang Wei, he looked at the map of Ningjin Dusi on the wall.

He said: "This time, besides facing the enemy normally at Yanguan, the most important thing is to coordinate with Zhou Yi's navy to launch an attack on Ningjin Dusi from the sea. Mule Hongzhen wants to hide in the rear and watch the battle in peace? He is dreaming."