bestfiction Chapter 786 Something Big Happened in Northern Xinjiang
Chapter 786 Something Big Happened in Northern Xinjiang
"Oh! You made me so nervous." Seeing that the last few guards had all passed through the gate and the sound of horses' hooves stepping on the bluestone slabs in the city was crisp, Tang Shuang lowered the curtain at the back of the carriage.
She breathed a long sigh of relief, patted her chest twice, and then took Xiaoyu, who was silent beside her, into her arms. A relieved smile finally appeared on her lips. Xiaoyu also gave her a smile that had just recovered from her shock, and then her eyebrows curved.
Adou, who was lying in his sister's arms pretending to be asleep, suddenly opened his eyes when he heard this. His black pupils were like two burning obsidians. At this moment, he realized that this child was quite good-looking.
He straightened up instantly, his little hands still clutching at his sister's lapel. He looked excitedly from one to another, his eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings. Finally meeting his sister's eyes, he opened his mouth in disbelief, his voice soft but filled with joy, "Are you okay? Have you gone into town?"
Seeing his sister nod confidently, a gentle smile on her lips, the little guy immediately slid off his sister's legs, his shoes making a thud on the car floor. Then he sat upright in his seat, his hands neatly placed on his knees, his back as straight as a newly-stretched bamboo, as if he had never been afraid before.
From beginning to end, Ah He remained calm and showed no fear at all when the crisis occurred just now.
She lowered her eyes and straightened Adou's crooked collar, her fingertips gently stroking the sickle hidden at her waist, and then remained calm. It was as if the fear of being misunderstood by the young lady before entering the city was not her true fear.
...
The group had just settled down in Qiantang County. Before they could unpack and carefully put their luggage away, and before they even had a moment to breathe to discuss their next move, emergency smoke signals were lit on the border beacon tower - something big had happened in the northern border!
After General Jing Changjiang and his brave and battle-hardened Iron Eagle Battalion withdrew, the imperial court appointed the new Grand Commander-in-Chief, Jiang Shouhuai, to take charge of the military power in the northern border.
However, the new commander-in-chief clearly failed to shoulder the responsibility.
After the Tatars marched south and captured five important cities in succession as if they were in an empty city, the enemy seemed satisfied with the looting and remained silent for more than two years.
Who would have thought that just after the New Year, the silent grassland would be in chaos again. The Tatar tribes returned with an even more ferocious and unstoppable attitude, with their cavalry rolling and their troops heading south. Their intention was obvious: they wanted to continue to encroach on the territory of Daqing.
The two sides engaged in a brutal battle, but before the 20th day had passed, tragic news began to trickle into the capital: the crucial cities of Xianyang and Weinan had fallen again! Even more shocking and despairing was the fact that the Grand Commander, Jiang Shouhuai, was captured alive by elite Tatar troops while commanding the battle in Pingliang City!
In this battle, the defending soldiers fought bravely but were outnumbered. They suffered heavy casualties and corpses everywhere, and the losses were extremely heavy.
The news of the commander's capture came like a bolt from the blue, instantly crushing the morale of the soldiers and civilians of the Northern Frontier. Leaderless, the army's morale collapsed. Already demoralized by shortages of food, wages, and winter clothing, the situation worsened, with entire units of soldiers deserting.
The entire northern border defense line fell into a quagmire of chaos and despair.
At this moment, General Jing Changjiang, who had led his troops out of Lingnan and was marching north day and night, was approaching the north. The scenes he saw along the way were even more shocking and heartbreaking.
The roads were crowded with border residents fleeing south in panic from the north. They brought their families with them, their faces covered in dust, and their eyes filled with panic and helplessness.
What is even more worrying is that the panic caused by the Tartar invasion spread like a plague, and many people who originally lived in the interior also heard the news and joined the crowd of refugees.
There was wailing everywhere along the way, and the cries were deafening. Nine out of ten houses in the village were empty, and the scene was desolate and dilapidated. It was truly a case of people suffering and you could say that all lives were in ruins.
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in the imperial palace of the capital, the atmosphere in the Golden Throne Hall was so solemn and suffocating that it was practically suffocating. The dog emperor, having just received the blood-stained, urgent war report from eight hundred miles away, sat dejectedly on his dazzling, golden throne, the symbol of supreme power.
His face was ashen and his eyes were dull. Although he was only in his forties, he looked more than ten years older than his actual age. The dignified demeanor he used to have was gone, and his whole body exuded an air of helplessness and almost despair.
In a tone that was almost groaning and lacking confidence, he addressed the civil and military officials who were silent and somewhat lazy below the stairs, "My dear ministers, tell me, in this critical situation, what should we do?"
The words of this great king were weak and powerless. At this moment, his mind was already in a mess and he had no idea of his own. He actually threw this huge problem that concerns the survival of the country completely to His Highness's ministers.
After a brief silence, several important officials stepped forward:
"Your Majesty! If the northern border defense line collapses completely and the Tatars advance straight in, Daqing will be in danger and the country will be overthrown! We must immediately dispatch elite troops from all over the country to quickly reinforce the northern border!" The left prime minister's voice was hurried, with obvious panic.
"Your Majesty! The army cannot be without a commander for a single day! The most urgent task is to quickly select a general who is capable of fighting and can stabilize the morale of the army to replace Jiang Shouhuai and take charge of the overall situation in the northern border! This matter must be decided today!" The right prime minister added immediately, his tone firm.
The Imperial Censor, the Vice Minister of War and others also stepped out of their ranks, each one arguing over the obvious truth.
However, although their words were urgent, they were still scratching the surface. The most crucial issue - whether to rescue the captured Jiang Shouhuai, and who to recommend to go and turn the tide - no one dared to point it out clearly. Everyone knew that it was a hot potato and no one dared to take it.
The reason is simple. Looking around at the military generals in the court, there is really not one person who can really shoulder this heavy responsibility!
If not for this, Jiang Shouhuai should have been put in jail after losing five cities in a row, escorted back to the capital, and replaced by a better general.