vstars Chapter 2003 The Angry Tang Emperor
Chapter 2003 The Angry Tang Emperor
Li Jing paused, his tone becoming even more solemn, carrying a resolute air of cutting off one's own arm:
"At the same time, Gao Xianzhi and the leader of the Blood Eagle were clearly informed that if the main force of the Chu army, especially the Vermilion Bird Legion or Xue Huaide's troops, were discovered..."
"If they do move towards the Canglang River, order them not to fight recklessly, to preserve their strength, to immediately abandon their current positions, and to retreat in an orderly manner to the main defense line of Zhennan Pass!"
"We must not allow ourselves to be divided and surrounded by the Chu army, and then defeated one by one!"
"As ordered!"
The messenger memorized the second order.
"besides!"
Li Jing strode to the desk, spread out a specially made bright yellow memorial, picked up the brush, and looked solemn.
"This commander must immediately submit a memorial to His Majesty, detailing in detail the events leading up to and following the disastrous defeat at Luoxia Mountain, the sudden change in the current situation between the enemy and ourselves, the enormous losses suffered by our army, and the perilous situation we face!"
As he ground the inkstone, he said in a deep voice, "This battle concerns the fate of the nation, and the situation is no longer something that I, a mere frontline commander, can decide on my own."
"We must ask Your Majesty for a decision: should we continue to reinforce our troops and fight the Chu army to the death here, or should we devise another plan?"
"Quickly arrange for a messenger to deliver this message to the capital at the fastest possible speed!"
"Yes! Commander!"
Knowing the matter was of utmost importance, the messenger dared not delay and immediately turned and left the tent, rushing off.
Inside the large tent, only Li Jing remained.
He picked up the brush, which was soaked in ink, but held it in mid-air for a moment before putting pen to paper.
Every word was written with unusual weight.
He knew that the day this memorial arrived in the capital, it would cause a stir in the court.
The battle situation in southern Xinjiang also entered a more complex and dangerous phase due to the disastrous defeat at Luoxia Mountain.
His primary task now is to stabilize the situation, consolidate his forces, and await the emperor's final decision, guarding the southern gateway for the Tang Dynasty amidst this turbulent period.
It was the dead of winter, and Chang'an was shrouded in solemnity.
The sprawling palaces and halls were covered with snow that had not yet melted, and glistening icicles hung from the eaves, reflecting a cold light in the gray sky.
The howling north wind swept through the long palace corridor, swirling up fine snowflakes that lashed against the vermilion palace walls and tightly closed doors and windows, creating a mournful sound that added to the harshness and desolation of the harsh winter.
Inside the Taiji Hall, at the heart of the palace, a completely different scene unfolds.
Huge bronze pillars with coiled dragons supported the high and wide roof of the hall, where the underground heating was burning brightly, providing warmth and dispelling the cold outside.
Wisps of smoke rose from the gilded incense burner shaped like animal heads, exuding a calming sandalwood fragrance.
Emperor Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty sat behind a large rosewood desk, wearing a black sable cloak, intently reviewing the mountain of memorials.
With his vermilion brush, he wrote imperial edicts, outlining the workings of the empire. His brows would sometimes relax, sometimes furrow slightly. The only sounds in the hall were the rustling of paper and the occasional crackling of charcoal fire, creating a solemn and tranquil atmosphere.
However, this tranquility did not last long.
Suddenly, a series of extremely hurried, even somewhat panicked footsteps came from outside the hall, breaking the silence of the Taiji Hall as they approached.
Before the eunuchs on duty could announce the arrival, the palace doors were suddenly pushed open, bringing in a chilling blast of air.
The current prime minister, Changsun Wuji, even had his official hat slightly askew.
He clutched a letter with a feather stuck in it tightly in his hand, his face ashen, and rushed into the hall. Disregarding proper etiquette, he hurriedly reported:
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened! General Li Jing of Zhennanguan has sent an urgent message via carrier pigeon, covering 800 li!"
"Something terrible has happened at the front!"
Li Shiming's hand holding the vermilion brush suddenly paused, and a drop of bright red vermilion almost dripped onto the memorial.
He suddenly looked up, his sharp, hawk-like gaze instantly locking onto the letter in Changsun Wuji's hand that symbolized the most urgent military intelligence.
An ominous premonition, like a cold snake, instantly coiled around his heart.
Without any hesitation, he immediately put down the vermilion brush and said in a deep voice, "Quickly! Bring it here!"
The eunuch standing by hurriedly ran to take the letter from Changsun Wuji's hand and respectfully presented it to the emperor with both hands.
Li Shiming grabbed it, quickly peeled off the sealing wax, and unfolded the urgent report, which was as thin as a cicada's wing but as heavy as a thousand pounds. His eyes flashed like lightning as he rapidly scanned every word on it.
At first, he was able to maintain the dignity of an emperor.
But as he read on, his breathing became noticeably heavier, and his fingers, gripping the letter tightly, turned white at the knuckles and trembled slightly.
When Li Shiming saw the words "Helian Wujiu's 40,000 troops were wiped out", "Luoxia Mountain camp was lost", "Wang Zhongsi's troops suffered nearly half casualties", "General Gongsun Wei died for his country", and "a total of nearly 100,000 soldiers were lost", he felt a surge of blood rush to his head.
Suddenly everything went black, and his body swayed involuntarily, almost falling off the throne!
"His Majesty!"
Upon seeing this, Changsun Wuji and the eunuchs in the palace were terrified and cried out, trying to rush forward to help him up.
Li Shiming abruptly raised his hand to stop them. He took a few deep breaths, forcibly suppressing the dizziness and churning blood.
But his face had turned ashen, and his chest was heaving violently.
After a long while, he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence through gritted teeth, his voice hoarse and low from extreme anger and sorrow:
"Nearly 100,000 soldiers, nearly 100,000 brave warriors of the Tang Dynasty!"
"To perish like this... to be lost in the southern borderlands, what a disgrace! This is an unprecedented disgrace since I ascended the throne!!"
"What? Ten...ten thousand?!"
Although Changsun Wuji was mentally prepared, hearing the number with his own ears was still like being struck by lightning.
Startled, he took a half step back, his face drained of color, and his voice trembled:
"Your Majesty, this...how is this possible? When did the Chu army acquire such a powerful force?"
"Could it be...could it be that the Chu Dynasty has massively reinforced its troops?"
Li Shimin slammed the urgent report heavily onto the imperial desk, making a dull thud that even made the imperial brush on the brush holder jump.
His eyes flashed with cold light, filled with boundless rage, and he said in a chilling voice:
"That's right! That brat Chu Ning has transferred all of his troops guarding Youzhou—the 100,000-strong Vermilion Bird Legion—to the Southern Frontier!"
"Li Jing stated in his letter that it was precisely with this fresh force that Feng Mulan was able to quickly defeat Helian Wujiu and, in coordination with Xue Huaide, cause Wang Zhongsi's great defeat!"
He grew increasingly agitated as he spoke, abruptly standing up, his black cloak sweeping across the imperial desk, his voice like shards of ice clashing:
"What are those Privy Council spies and border scouts I'm keeping around for?!"
"The mobilization of the 100,000 Vermilion Bird Legion is no small matter. They failed to detect it beforehand, leaving me in such a passive position and causing such heavy losses to the soldiers on the front lines!"
"Incompetent! A complete bunch of useless trash!"
Li Shiming grew angrier as he spoke, slamming the letter down on the table with his right hand, his face radiating fury.