In the middle of the night, a lone star hung in the sky, and a bone-eroding cold wind raged across the earth. The lights in the palace of the Northern Wei Dynasty were dim, and some lanterns hanging in the palace corridors swayed back and forth.
The sound of hurried footsteps stopped suddenly, a sound of pushing the door was heard, and a low and hoarse voice sounded.
"Your Majesty, Generals Zhang He and Cao Ren are here!"
"boom!"
Cao Cao slapped the memorial in his hand on the wooden case, an angry look appeared on his face, and said sternly: "Let the two of them enter the palace, defeat my 200,000-strong army, and still have the face to return to the capital."
A few moments.
Zhang He and Cao Ren entered the Yangxin Hall. They held helmets in one hand and a broad sword at their waists in the other. Their hair on their temples was messy and they looked like they were worn by the world. They knelt down and saluted, with a strong look of self-blame on their faces.
"The guilty ministers Zhang He and Cao Ren pay their respects to the emperor!"
"Zhang He, Cao Renzhen thinks so highly of you two, but your entire army was wiped out in the battle of Luling. It really makes me feel sad."
Cao Cao looked at the dejected look of the two men. It was obvious that they had returned from a long-distance attack without stopping, because the silent dust could be seen in the gaps between their armors.
"Your Majesty, the general will not be able to escape the blame for the battle in Luling. I hope the Emperor will be punished!"
Zhang He and Cao Ren still don’t know how the enemy soldiers of Dongwu appeared that night, and how they knew that there would be thick fog and east wind that night, and the fire burned all the warships of the Northern Wei Dynasty, and all the soldiers were buried in the sea of fire.
Even now, the two of them still have lingering fears.
"Zhang He, Cao Ren's defeat on the battlefield resulted in the annihilation of the entire army. The crime is unforgivable. I remember the great contributions you two have made over the years, so I will spare your lives."
"From now on, I will be deprived of my general title and reduced to a small soldier. I will be punished with meritorious services."
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for not killing me!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for not killing me!"
After Zhang He and Cao Ren left the Yangxin Hall, Cao Cao looked solemn and heartbroken. His two hundred thousand troops were burned to the ground. If the two were not brave generals with outstanding military exploits, he would have divided them into five pieces to vent his anger.
"Your Majesty, in the battle of Luling, our army was defeated strangely. I still can't believe it. In one night, a fire burning the sky devoured our army."
Xun Yu looked suspicious, frowned, and spoke in a low voice.
"Wen Ruo, this matter will come to light sooner or later, just wait and see. I don't believe that Soochow has such a resourceful genius."
Cao Cao's eyes flashed with ferocity, a cold voice sounded, and he waved his hand to signal Xun Yu, and Xi Zhicai and the two exited the Yangxin Hall.
at the same time.
In the Soochow Palace, Sun Ce hurried to the Imperial Study Room. After the father-in-law who stayed behind reported the matter, he pushed the door open and entered, his armor making a creaking sound.
"My son, please see your father!"
"Ce'er, you've traveled thousands of miles to come back. It's been a long journey, so you don't need to be polite. Please get back on your feet as soon as possible!"
Sun Jian already knew that the battle of Luling City was victorious. When he saw the military reports sent back by Taishi Ci and Lu Su, Sun Jian could not believe that this battle actually caused the souls of the 200,000 Northern Wei army to return to the river.
"Cer, you mentioned something important in the military report. What is it that makes you so worried?"
"Father, do you still remember the person who advised our army?"
Sun Jian's expression condensed and he said: "Of course I remember, without this man's clever plan, how could our army win?"
"Father, this is the letter he left before he left. Please take a look at it!"
Sun Ce handed the letter to Sun Jian, only to hear him murmur to himself: "Leaved?"
Sun Jian's voice was full of regret. He originally wanted to use this to give him a large reward so that Emperor Chu could stay and serve in Soochow.
"What?"
"He is Emperor Chu!"
Sun Jian looked shocked, the palms holding the letter trembled slightly, and an incredible look appeared in his black eyes.
"Father, Emperor Chu mentioned in his letter that powerful forces would join forces to sweep through the countries in the East China Sea. I don't know how my father would make a decision."
Sun Ce asked, and Sun Jian looked sad and said in a low voice: "The Emperor of Chu is such a monster, no wonder he was able to sweep across the south of the East China Sea in just two years. He is so young and promising, and I am ashamed of myself."
"Cer, Emperor Chu mentioned in his letter that after the Lunar New Year, he would launch an attack on Jiangdu and the Northern Wei Empire, hoping to form an alliance with us. I have to think about this matter carefully. You go back and rest first. Tomorrow
Enter the palace with Quan'er, and I will give you an answer then."
Sun Ce made a salute with his fist and exited the imperial study. Sun Jian put the letter on the wooden case and muttered to himself.
"The State of Chu launched an attack on Fusang and conquered Kyushu Island in one fell swoop. However, he commanded our army to defeat the Northern Wei army at the foot of Luling City. What did Emperor Chu intend to do with this move? Did he want to give me a show of strength, or did he want to give me a gift?
A big gift?”
Sun Jian was a little confused about Emperor Chu's intentions. He lost all the joy brought by the victory. He looked at the letter on the wooden case, got up and walked towards the Jade Palace.
Sun Jian's favorite concubine lived in the Jade Palace. In the past, he would go to the Jade Palace when he had something to worry about, and it was the same tonight.
............
Three days later.
A carrier pigeon landed in the imperial palace of the Northern Wei Dynasty. A father-in-law with a sharp mouth and monkey cheeks took down the letter and hurried to the imperial study.
A few moments.
A high-pitched voice came from the imperial study, saying: "Your Majesty, there is news from Soochow."
"Bring it over quickly!"
Cao Cao's urgent voice sounded, and he suddenly stood up and took the letter from the young eunuch. Both Xi Zhicai and Xun Yu had doubts on their faces, and their eyes focused on Cao Cao.
"It's you!"
"Kill my 200,000-strong army. From now on, you and I will fight to the death!"
Cao Cao held the letter in his hand, his fingers making a squeaking sound, his eyes became sinister, and his face was ferocious and terrifying.
Xun Yu and Xi Zhicai had never seen Cao Cao so angry. They were so frightened that they did not dare to ask questions.
a long time.
Cao Cao let out a long sigh, raised his hand and handed the letter to Xun Yu, playing with Zhicai and Zhicai. The two of them stared attentively, with a look of fear on their faces.
"Emperor Chu was the initiator of the burning of Red Cliff. This is simply shocking. The Chu Kingdom has been fighting continuously on Kyushu Island during this period. It is unbelievable that Emperor Chu would actually appear in Soochow."
"Yes, this is simply unbelievable. Your Majesty, could Emperor Chu already know that the Mongolian army's siege of the city was Master Jia's plan, so he went to Soochow to help him?"
Xi Zhicai and Xun Yu screamed in surprise, and Cao Cao slapped the table and shouted, "Do you really think Emperor Chu is a god?"
"If he knew about Jia Xu's plan to force the Mongolian army into the city, do you think Jia Xu would return unscathed?"
Hear the sound.
The two were frightened, and Xi Zhicai suddenly spoke: "Your Majesty, the Chu Kingdom is currently attacking the Fusang Empire. Do you want to send troops to help Fusang?"
"The Fusang Empire is notorious and has long been the target of public criticism. Let the Fusang Empire consume Chu's military strength. We just lost 200,000 warriors. How can we have the troops to help him?"
"Okay, you two step aside, I want to be quiet!"
Cao Cao looked gloomy and waved to Xun Yu, and Xi Zhicai left and fell on the wooden couch beside him. He looked a little tired. (To be continued)