Chapter 1293: First Volume, Chapter 1293: The Prelude to Decisive Battle

First Volume, Chapter 1293: The Prelude to Decisive 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 for Shedynasty."

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

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

Facing his colleague's question, 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?"

"Shedynasty has won battle after battle, but 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 leader, is Qin Feng's man."

Upon hearing this, the Vice Minister of Rites immediately offered a different view.

"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 in 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 powerful clans there, while Xu Mo and Ning Hu fought alongside Qin Feng through the entire Beidi Campaign.

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

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, and carried out the war with rigid precision.

Thus, although Zhao Yuxiong possesses talent, due to lack of experience, he is merely a bold warrior at this point.

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 grave problem."

Chen Zheng gave a light snort: "Is that all?"

"Do our troops' quality surpass that of the Northern Border Troops?"

"The Northern Border Troops may be fewer in number, but every 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 forces 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 advantages will be fully unleashed."

"Do I need to elaborate on 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 had lost more than won against the Beidi, precisely because the Beidi Cavalry was too powerful.

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

And…

The most terrifying part: Qin Feng's cavalry were equally wealthy, their warhorse equipment reaching astonishing levels—even the logistics units were equipped with massive numbers of warhorses.

In short, Qin Feng, holding the home-field advantage, already possessed heaven's timing, earth's terrain, and the people's support.

The pure-stream loyalists grew even more pessimistic; in their view, the Liang 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 let out a long sigh and shook his head with a bitter smile: "It's useless."

"His Majesty knows Qin Feng better than anyone. How could he not understand Qin Feng's strength and the risks of this Northern Expedition?"

"But His Majesty now only cares about 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 simply cannot understand: His Majesty and Qin Feng were once a wise ruler and virtuous minister, inseparable. How did they suddenly become mortal enemies?"

"Was all of it just acting in concert?"

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

Before the Vice Minister of Rites could respond, Chen Zheng quickened his pace and walked away without looking back.

He had seen it long ago: from the moment Qin Feng quelled Li Yong's betrayal without killing him, Qin Feng had become the Liang Emperor's greatest threat.

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

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

To the Liang Emperor, this was utterly intolerable.

Thus, the life-or-death confrontation between the Liang Emperor and Qin Feng had long been destined.

…

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 over three thousand.

Though small in number, their role was significant: 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 reinforcing it" was naturally learned by the Liang Emperor from Qin Feng.

In truth, the Liang Emperor also knew that a vast gap existed between him and Qin Feng, especially in terms of troop strength.

Qin Feng's troops were all Tiger Wolf Elite Troops that had fought brutal battles, and they were equipped with vast numbers of Warhorses, granting them extraordinarily abnormal mobility.

In comparison, the imperial army appeared far more bloated and sluggish.

Yet even so, the Liang Emperor still believed that with the full strength of the nation, crushing Qin Feng was merely a matter of time.

Once Qin Feng fell, there would be no force left in Heaven and Earth capable of threatening Shedynasty; only then would true eternal rule be achieved.

Half a month later, another contingent of troops marched toward the Northern Border.

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

Zhao Yuxiong led seven thousand elite troops, advancing slowly toward the Northern Border, his heart heavy.

He too had once fought bloodily for the Northern Border, and now he was to personally attack it...