Chapter 689: Cracks

On the Dragon Throne.

Dou Mu closed his eyes.

After a long while, he slowly opened them and said to the eunuch beside him, "Transmit my Imperial Edict: immediately recall General Xiao Cheng to guard Xiangcheng."

Having said this, he seemed to lose all his strength, collapsing onto the Dragon Throne and muttering, "Yan Wang, you base-born wretch from a humble family, by what right can you defeat me?"

Before the morning court session, he and Dou Wei had already agreed to recall Xiao Cheng.

This open move made by Yan Wang forced them to make this choice.

He could not risk the collapse of Southern Liang to continue participating in this uncertain war against Yan.

Of course, he also gave the Han Family and the Xie Family a choice.

If Han Zheng and Xie Duan agreed to lead the Coalition to Xiangcheng to resolve the crisis there, they would continue to join them in attacking Yan Wang.

Having settled this matter, he waved his hand to dismiss the court officials.

The next day, Ma Family soldiers indeed appeared beneath the walls of Xiangcheng, and the entire city immediately became tense.

Originally, Dou Wei and Dou Mu were still somewhat hesitant about yesterday's decision.

But when the Ma Family soldiers shot and killed Southern Liang soldiers on the city walls from two hundred paces away, they no longer doubted their decision.

Xiangcheng is located in the center of Jingzhou, dividing Jingzhou into two.

Compared to northern Jingzhou, southern Jingzhou is more prosperous.

Therefore, they must hold onto Xiangcheng.

Otherwise, with the ferocity of the Ma Family soldiers, once they crossed Xiangcheng, they would sweep through the entire Jingzhou like autumn wind blowing away fallen leaves.

The foundation of their Dou Family would be completely destroyed.

Of course, they could also retreat to Yizhou and, relying on the dangerous passes of Yizhou where one man can hold the gate against ten thousand, live in a corner.

But Yizhou is, after all, the foundation of the Xiao Family.

If they went there, they would inevitably feel like they were living under someone else's roof.

This was also the second reason he recalled Xiao Cheng.

To avoid the Dou Family's troops and horses suffering losses in the war against Yan.

In this way, relying on the Dou Family's military strength, even if they retreated to Yizhou, Dou Mu's imperial throne would remain secure.

Furthermore, the Northern Di are allied with his Dou Family; with the support of the Northern Di Iron Cavalry, it would be even more secure and worry-free.

At this moment, outside Xiangcheng.

Dian Zhang held a Telescope, observing Xiangcheng.

He had the soldiers camp at a distance of eight hundred meters outside the city of Xiangcheng.

To avoid being shelled.

Immediately, he sent out three thousand skirmishers to sneak up to the walls of Xiangcheng and shoot the Southern Liang soldiers on the ramparts.

According to the plan, their strategy for Xiangcheng was to surround it without attacking.

Only when a sword is hanging over one's head is it the most dangerous; once it falls, it is all over.

Therefore, if they quickly took Xiangcheng, Xiao Cheng, who was far away in Qizhou, would act recklessly once he received the news.

He would fight to the death against the Prince's Personal Army in Qizhou.

Rather than that,

It is better to make the Southern Liang monarch and ministers inside Xiangcheng nervous, constantly issuing edicts to urge Xiao Cheng to return.

However, just surrounding Xiangcheng was not enough.

They could not do nothing; they had to intimidate the Southern Liang monarch and ministers inside the city.

Therefore, he decided to continue feigning attacks on the city, making the Southern Liang monarch and ministers inside feel that Southern Liang could fall at any moment.

While Dian Zhang was besieging Xiangcheng, a unit of Cavalry escorted a eunuch reading an Imperial Edict, heading toward Qizhou day and night.

Three days later, the team arrived at Lu City.

This day, Xiao Cheng was discussing the march north with the generals of the Coalition against Yan.

The troops and horses of Wu and Nanping arrived one after another.

The time for a decisive battle with Yan Wang had arrived.

When the Imperial Edict arrived, he immediately returned to his villa in Lu City.

The eunuch read the Imperial Edict, and Xiao Cheng's expression changed drastically.

"I ask the General to immediately lead the troops back to resolve the crisis in Xiangcheng, otherwise Southern Liang is in danger." The eunuch's expression was urgent as he urged him.

Gu Ertu was also there at the moment.

However, he did not belong to the Southern Liang officials, so he just listened from the side.

"Qinzhou, Yongzhou, and Xiao Pass have all fallen!" He was terrified beyond belief.

This meant that all roads to the Northern Di were cut off, and one hundred thousand Northern Di cavalry were trapped in Da Song.

If this news spread through his army, the soldiers would likely go mad.

Unable to return to the Grassland, they would become orphans without a home.

Xiao Cheng scanned the Dou Family generals in the courtyard, only to see them casting their gazes toward him, waiting for his orders.

Those gazes clearly told him that he should return to Southern Liang immediately.

Xiao Cheng frowned; the two hundred thousand troops who had come to Qizhou this time were mostly Dou Family soldiers.

If he disobeyed the Imperial Edict, these Dou Family generals would not let him off lightly.

"I never expected Yan Wang's true killing blow to be here. I admire him, I truly admire him," Xiao Cheng laughed bitterly three times.

Then his eyes narrowed, "But if you think you can destroy the powerful clans of the world just like this, you are thinking too simply."

Then he said to Gurtu, "Great King Gurtu, are you Beidi leaving or not?"

"Once your Southern Liang troops leave, the Anti-Yan Coalition will lose heart; what is there left to fight for? Of course we are leaving," Gurtu snorted angrily. "How is this Yan Wang so difficult to deal with!"

Having said this, the two looked at each other, speechless.

That night.

It was pitch black.

The Southern Liang and Beidi troops stationed outside Lu City quietly broke camp and left.

At the same time, Xiao Cheng ordered a letter to be delivered to Han Zheng.

He broke camp and left secretly because he was worried that Han Zheng would be enraged and obstruct their return to Southern Liang.

Sending the letter to Han Zheng was to carry out the imperial order, inviting the troops of the Han Family and the Xie Family to go to Xiangcheng to assist in the battle.

The Imperial Palace sleeping quarters.

Han Zheng was sleeping soundly.

Ever since the entire Anti-Yan Coalition had arrived, he had never slept so peacefully.

Just then, a flurry of hurried footsteps startled him awake.

The imperial eunuch entered his sleeping quarters holding a letter.

"Your Majesty, it is bad! The Southern Liang troops have broken camp and left, saying they are going to reinforce Xiangcheng."

Upon hearing this, Han Zheng felt as if he had been struck by lightning, his head going numb.

His hands trembling, he tore open the letter and read it from beginning to end; he was almost furious to the point of death.

Breathing rapidly, he suddenly cursed, "Dou Wei, you old scoundrel! When you swapped your own son for the Third Prince back then, I knew you were an unreliable bastard. Now, for your own selfish interests, you have betrayed us again. From now on, I will not share the same sky as you."

Then, he cursed again: "You want us to defend Xiangcheng, but who will defend Lu City for me? Keep dreaming!"

After cursing, he tore the letter to shreds and wailed loudly.

Xiangtian Tailang, who had fled to Lu City, brought news that the Dongying warships had likely been completely annihilated by Yan Wang's fleet.

The Anti-Yan Coalition had already lost an arm, and now that the Southern Liang troops and the Beidi Cavalry had withdrawn, how could this war still be fought?

After a while, he cursed Yan Wang again for being despicable and shameless.

He dared not engage the Anti-Yan Coalition in a head-on battle, so he set a trap to break the Anti-Yan Coalition apart.

After venting for a while, he lay back on the bed.

Tomorrow morning, the people from the Xie Family, the Liang Family, and the Fan Family would all know that the Southern Liang troops had withdrawn.

How would they react when that time came?

Having lost the assistance of the Southern Liang and the Beidi Cavalry, would they still be able to defeat Yan Wang?

Thinking of these things, his thoughts could not help but become chaotic.

He truly did not know what to do next.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he said to the eunuch, "Immediately invite Lord Sato here; I have important matters to discuss with him."