The enemy troops were pressing down on the territory, and the people were terrified. Even though Duke Cheng and the five-pronged army were stationed and assembled, a gloomy cloud still shrouded the entire Northland.
Looking around, the bustling and lively market has disappeared, and the soldiers are running back and forth non-stop, all well-dressed, making people look intimidated.
People on the road are crowded together, pushing carts, driving horses, dragging their families and families, leaving the villages where they live, and gathering in accordance with the government's arrangements to the tightly guarded Fucheng and the nearby Tunbao.
People can leave, but a lot of livestock and food will have to be left behind, and losses are inevitable. However, as long as people are still there and Cheng Guogong guards the border and repels the gold thieves, these losses are nothing.
Moreover, the Northland has been stable for ten years, and everyone believes that Duke Cheng can still ensure the stability of the Northland. Therefore, despite the gloomy clouds, the people who were moving around were busy but did not panic.
But when the news reached the capital, the entire capital was in panic. It had been stable for ten years, but the memory of the golden thief marching through the capital more than 20 years ago and even taking away the emperor still remained in the hearts of many people.
The atmosphere in the court was even more tense.
The court meeting lasted from dawn to dusk, and then the court officials and ministers were able to leave the palace and go home, and it continued the next day.
"All Hebei West Road and Hebei East Road are under martial law, and the entire territory is closed to clear the way." Ning Yan read out, and then looked at the crowd, "Now the thieves and slaves are threatening the territory, and we will work together to repel the thieves and bandits."
The emperor, who seemed a little anxious while sitting on the dragon throne, interrupted him.
"I don't want to hear anymore what Duke Cheng Guo did." He said, his expression full of exhaustion. It was obvious that he had not slept well for several days. "Have you determined how many thieves and slaves are coming this time? Who will be the commander-in-chief?"
Before Ning Yan could speak, Huang Cheng, who was sitting aside, spoke quietly first.
"Thirty thousand thieves slaves, led by Dapeng King Tuobawu," he said.
Upon hearing this number and the commander-in-chief, there was a gasp in the hall.
Thirty thousand!
"When the country was in crisis, there were only 20,000 thieves." A gray-bearded official murmured.
"And this time it is Tuoba Wu who is the commander-in-chief." Another official also said to himself.
At that time, his brother Tuobasu was shot to death by Cheng Guogong's rebellious army, and the Golden Thieves royal family fell into chaos. Tuobawu returned from fleeing for five years and killed his brother. He supported Tuobasu's eldest son to ascend the throne and was named King Dapeng.
Tuoba Wu has a good relationship with his brother, but now he is coming fiercely, and he must be seeking revenge.
Ning Yan clearly saw the emperor's face turn pale. He was looking at the atmosphere in the court, and he hurriedly raised his hand to signal.
"Are they seeking revenge? We are the ones with the blood feud." He shouted in a deep voice, "They have 30,000 thieves. What do we have to fear from the 45,000 generals of the Great Zhou Dynasty?"
He said and bowed his hands to the emperor.
"With the Fifth Route Army of Duke Cheng in the north, Taiyuan in the west, Shandong in the east, and the army of Henan in the southeast, our Great Zhou Dynasty is like a copper wall. No matter how aggressive the gold thieves are, they will definitely return in vain and kill them all.
"
Yes, that's right. Ten years of stable maintenance will make your army strong and strong.
"Raising an army for a thousand days and using it for a while. Your Majesty, are our Zhou soldiers afraid of the golden thieves? The golden thieves cut off our prefectures and counties and took away my people. Today is the time for us to take revenge and regain the lost territory."
Several other ministers stood up and kowtowed.
"Your Majesty, Emperor Renxiao is still imprisoned in the golden land. For the sake of the safety of all people, we have kept our promises and kept our promises. This time the gold thieves broke the contract and broke the promise. I ask your Majesty to order the army to bring back the spirit of Emperor Renxiao."
Their voices were choked with sobs, and two old ministers started to cry, grabbing the ground with their heads, and their gray beards and hair became more and more messy.
This caused the previous atmosphere of fear and horror in the hall to be swept away, replaced by sadness and anger.
And grief and anger are also the source of strength.
"Your Majesty, please fight!"
"Your Majesty, please mobilize your troops and march north."
At that time, many ministers stood up and said one after another.
The emperor was also comforted by this grief and anger, his expression returned to calm, and he sat up straight.
"My dear friends..." he said.
As soon as the words were spoken, a sharp warning was heard from outside.
"Urgent report! Urgent report! Yaoziguan has been lost! The golden thief has crossed the Juma River, Rongcheng has been lost, and Xiongzhou is in danger!"
With shouts, a guard rushed in, followed by the eunuch, who held a document in his hand.
There was a sudden silence in the court hall.
Ning Yunzhao, who was standing at the end of the queue, raised his head.
"This is not good." He said to himself.
The main hall became as lively as a market.
The eunuchs brought the map and laid it out. The emperor had already stepped down from the throne. The courtiers crowded in front of the map and watched as several generals pointed out the specific locations.
"This route was the one that invaded Hejian Mansion before."
"Last time I said negligence was excusable, but what about this time?"
"We have been preparing for the war for so long, and yet we were easily defeated. Is Ansu's army dead there?"
There were noisy shouts and questions.
Sweat broke out on the emperor's forehead and he supported the eunuch's arm.
"Where is Duke Cheng Guo?" he asked.
Ning Yan pointed at a location.
"Gong Cheng Guo is currently in Suicheng," he said, "leading the Guangxin Army to set up defenses."
"What kind of defense is this? What kind of defense is this? The gold thieves are here..." a minister asked anxiously.
"So what if we come here?" Ning Yan also shouted, interrupting the minister's words, reaching out to point at the Juma River line on the map, "The Jin people's 30,000-strong army issued a gauntlet and worked hard to conquer every Juma River.
Is there anything strange about conquering the city?"
Everyone around was stunned for a moment, and the noise stopped.
"The war has just begun, and the victory or defeat is uncertain. A temporary victory is not a victory, and a temporary defeat is not a defeat." Ning Yan continued, reaching out and clicking on the map again, "I believe that Duke Cheng's army will arrive soon.
Come on, that is the real battle, and I also believe that Duke Cheng Guo will win!"
There was a silence in the main hall, which calmed down the irritability and panic just now.
"Yes, Lord Ning is right."
"Yes, even though a challenge has been issued, this is still a surprise attack."
"There are only three forts on the Juma River side. How can they be the opponent of a 30,000-strong army?"
Discussions rang out again in the hall, and several military generals came forward to point to the map and introduce the defense and assembly routes of Baoding, Shun'an, Yongxing, etc., and repeatedly ensured that the troops were sufficient.
The emperor helped the eunuch and his complexion improved.
"Since the gold thieves dare to invade, we want them to know that we were able to fight them ten years ago and they stayed away. Ten years later, we can still do it." Ning Yan Surong said, "Let the gold thieves hear this battle.
We, the Great Zhou, are so afraid that they never dare to step into my Great Zhou realm again."
Ning Yan turned around and saluted the emperor.
"Your Majesty, Wan Sheng!" he bowed and said.
All the ministers saluted one after another.
"Wonderful victory, ten thousand victory."
The emperor looked at the ministers and forced a smile.
"Okay, okay, Wan Sheng." He said after plastic surgery.
The atmosphere in the hall was once again warm, with almost everyone bowing and shouting, except for Lu Yunqi, who was always like a wooden pillar and stone sculpture, and Huang Cheng, who was gifted to sit across from him.
For Lu Yunqi, apart from the emperor's words, he could hear nothing else, whether it was important matters of family and country, or the lives and deaths of the people.
Huang Cheng, on the other hand, was sitting and leaning slightly, without raising his hands. His lowered eyes seemed to be asleep. (To be continued)