Chapter 1292

First Volume, Chapter 1292: Before the Great Battle

Hearing his colleagues' murmurs, Chen Zheng, the leader, stood with his hands behind his back, his expression equally grim.

"His Majesty is too eager for quick gains; he has been blinded by a string of victories. If he truly launches the Northern Expedition, it may well be the end of Shedynasty."

Seeing Chen Zheng so pessimistic, the officials exchanged uneasy glances, all wearing solemn expressions.

"Vice Minister Chen, do you believe this war is certain to end in defeat?"

Facing his colleagues' questions, Chen Zheng did not conceal his true thoughts; as a pure-stream loyalist, he still possessed the courage to speak the truth.

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Although Shedynasty has won every battle, don't forget: who fought these two major wars from start to finish?"

"Every frontline general leading the charge are Qin Feng's sworn brothers. In other words, every commander who has been tested in blood and fire, every capable warrior, belongs to Qin Feng."

At these words, the Vice Minister of Rites immediately offered a different opinion.

"That's not right. Zhao Yuxiong and Sun Bo have also been tested, yet they remain loyal to the court and have not followed Qin Feng."

Chen Zheng let out a cold laugh.

"Zhao Yuxiong is indeed a talented general, but consider this: in both the Beidi Campaign and the Southern Campaign, Zhao Yuxiong was never the main commander."

The loyalist officials lowered their heads, recalling carefully, and sighed in unison.

Indeed!

From the very beginning of the Wei Guo War, Zhao Yuxiong was merely a bold frontline warrior, never a rear commander.

If anyone accumulated vast combat experience during this war, it was unquestionably Li Zhang.

And Li Zhang would never betray Qin Feng to serve the Liang Emperor again.

Later, when Shedynasty launched the offensive, Zhao Yuxiong was reassigned to Nan Jing, where he remained locked in stalemate with the southern powerful clans, while Xu Mo and Ning Hu fought the entire Beidi Campaign alongside Qin Feng.

Even during the Southern Campaign, Qin Feng still held overall command, while Zhao Yuxiong remained on the frontline.

When Qin Feng eventually left, Zhao Yuxiong took over command authority—but he never demonstrated unique leadership; he merely followed Qin Feng's strategic blueprint, stepping exactly in Qin Feng's footsteps to complete the war mechanically.

Thus, although Zhao Yuxiong possesses talent, due to lack of experience, he is now merely a bold frontline warrior.

As for Sun Bo…

Don't even mention him—he is nowhere near Qin Feng's level.

The Vice Minister of Rites sighed: "The absence of a general capable of matching Qin Feng is indeed a massive problem."

Chen Zheng snorted: "Is that all?"

"Do our troops really have better quality than the Northern Border Troops?"

"The Northern Border Troops may not outnumber us, but every single soldier is a battle-hardened veteran—his combat effectiveness speaks for itself."

"His Majesty has become far too reliant on Qin Feng; every brutal battle is handed over to the Northern Border, and the result? The Northern Border's combat effectiveness grows stronger, while our various garrison troops grow weaker."

"Beyond that, there are materials and terrain."

"Everyone knows how wealthy the Northern Border is, and as the defender, Qin Feng's position is nearly impossible to breach."

"Moreover, the Northern Border's terrain features vast stretches of plains, where cavalry will gain full advantage."

"Do I need to explain how formidable the North Border Cavalry is?"

At the mention of the North Border Cavalry, all the pure-stream loyalists fell silent together.

After all, Shedynasty lost more than it won against the Beidi because the Beidi Cavalry was simply too powerful.

Yet Qin Feng's North Border Cavalry crushed the Beidi Cavalry outright.

And…

More terrifying still: Qin Feng's cavalry is equally wealthy, with warhorse equipment reaching astonishing levels—even the logistics units are equipped with vast numbers of warhorses.

In short, Qin Feng, holding the home-field advantage, now possesses Heaven's timing, Earth's terrain, and the people's support.

The pure-stream loyalists grew even more pessimistic; in their view, the Emperor's Northern Expedition was nothing short of suicide.

The Vice Minister of Rites could not help asking Chen Zheng: "If you see this so clearly, why didn't you advise His Majesty just now in the Grand Hall?"

This was precisely Chen Zheng's helplessness.

Chen Zheng sighed deeply, shaking his head with a bitter smile: "It's useless."

"His Majesty understands Qin Feng better than anyone—how could he not know Qin Feng's strength and the risks of this Northern Expedition?"

"But His Majesty now thinks only of how to eliminate Qin Feng. If Qin Feng lives, His Majesty will never sleep or eat in peace."

"So no matter what I say, he will never listen. If so, why waste breath?"

The Vice Minister of Rites frowned, his gaze toward Chen Zheng now even more confused.

"Sir, I truly cannot understand: His Majesty and Qin Feng were once a wise ruler and virtuous minister, inseparable—how could they suddenly become mortal enemies?"

"Was it all just acting in concert?"

Chen Zheng did not answer, but asked instead: "If it wasn't acting in concert, then tell me—why have His Majesty and Qin Feng become what they are today?"

Before the Vice Minister of Rites could reply, Chen Zheng had already quickened his pace, walking away without looking back.

He had seen it long ago: from the moment Qin Feng quelled Li Yong's betrayal but spared Li Yong's life, Qin Feng had become His Majesty's greatest threat.

To the Liang Emperor, Qin Feng's act was clearly an attempt to breed a Puppet.

If the Liang Emperor obeyed, all was well; if he resisted, Qin Feng would replace him with Li Yong.

To the Liang Emperor, this was utterly intolerable.

Thus, the mortal struggle between the Liang Emperor and Qin Feng today was destined from the start.

…

The Liang Emperor acted swiftly: from issuing the Imperial Edict to the first troops marching toward the Northern Border, less than ten days passed.

The first contingent numbered only a little over three thousand.

Though small in number, their role was crucial: to consolidate Dingtao County's city defense and create conditions for subsequent forces to reach the battlefield.

And this tactic of "first securing a fortified position, then continuously sending troops into it" was naturally something the Liang Emperor had learned from Qin Feng.

In truth, the Liang Emperor was well aware that an enormous gap existed between himself and Qin Feng, especially in terms of military strength.

Qin Feng's forces were all Tiger Wolf Elite Troops that had been through brutal battles, and they were equipped with massive numbers of Warhorses, making their mobility absolutely monstrous.

By comparison, the imperial army appeared far more bloated and cumbersome.

Even so, the Liang Emperor still believed that mobilizing the full might of the nation to crush Qin Feng was merely a matter of time.

Once Qin Feng fell, then beneath Heaven and Earth there would no longer exist any power capable of threatening Shedynasty—and only then would it be a true reign of ten thousand generations.

Half a month later, yet another batch of troops set out toward the Northern Border.

This time, the commander was none other than Zhao Yuxiong himself.

Zhao Yuxiong led seven thousand main-force troops, advancing slowly toward the Northern Border, his mood exceedingly heavy.

He had once fought and bled for the Northern Border himself, yet now he was to attack it with his own hands...