Big Moon Ballad

Chapter 2633 Send Troops
"Can't you give it to me?"

The Tang Dynasty envoy was almost stunned.

In the main hall of Ganlu Palace, Ying Baoyue personally received the envoy from the Middle Tang Dynasty who had sent a letter of state.

"Tell the King of Zhongtang that the Former Qin is willing to form an alliance with Zhongtang and is also willing to send troops to guard the border of Zhongtang, but not at this time."

"Although the Former Qin cannot send troops as agreed, I must see the grain and provisions promised by the Middle Tang first."

"Uh... Your Majesty, what did you say?"

The Tang Dynasty envoy had never seen such a shameless person before and wondered if he had misheard.

"Within three days, the Tang Dynasty must transport these 100,000 dan of grain to the northern border of the Former Qin. It is not enough to just transport it there; the grain transport team must be completely at the command of the Former Qin army afterward."

Ying Baoyue tapped her fingers on the guardrail of the throne, showing no remorse whatsoever for making her outrageous request.

"Besides 100,000 dan of grain, I also want to ask the Tang Dynasty for something else."

The chief envoy from the Tang Dynasty stood there dumbfounded, seemingly unable to react at all. However, a clever-looking young deputy envoy beside him bowed to Ying Baoyue and asked, "What does the former Qin king want?"

“Besides provisions, I also want weapons,” Ying Baoyue said. “Zhongtang is rich in iron ore, and I hope that Zhongtang will speed up production and transfer two-thirds of the weapons in Zhongtang’s treasury to Former Qin.”

"Two-thirds?" Even the deputy envoy was taken aback. "Your Majesty, isn't that a bit too much?"

Ying Baoyue smiled, "The weapons in the Zhongtang treasury are originally intended for trade with other countries. You don't need so many, and I know that perfectly well."

The deputy envoy's eyes flickered. "Are all the things His Majesty requested in advance?"

Ying Baoyue glanced at the deputy envoy a couple more times. "That's right."

“The rebels in the north have not yet reached here. The situation in Northern Wei is more critical now. I must take provisions, weapons and troops north. There are no troops to spare for Zhong Tang.”

"But I can promise the King of Zhongtang that if foreign enemies cross the territory of the Former Qin and invade Zhongtang, I will definitely send troops to help Zhongtang."

The deputy envoy gazed intently at Ying Baoyue, "But by then, Your Majesty will likely have already perished in the north. How can you then fulfill your promise?"

Upon hearing this, the former Qin official beside Ying Baoyue's expression changed drastically. "How dare you!"

“It’s alright,” Ying Baoyue said without any anger. She smiled and leaned over the throne to look at the young envoy.

"If the Northern Wei and the Former Qin fall to the iron cavalry of the Western Rong, and I also die in the north, then no power will be able to save the Middle Tang."

The lips are dead and the teeth are cold.

At this time, the Tang Dynasty devoted all its national strength to helping the Former Qin, which was also helping itself. The Former Qin and the Northern Wei were two barriers in front of the Tang Dynasty.

The young deputy envoy clearly understood Ying Baoyue's meaning. He took a deep breath and bowed deeply to Ying Baoyue, saying, "I understand the former King of Qin's meaning and will convey your request to His Majesty."

At this moment, the chief envoy was almost fainting from listening. Ying Baoyue waved his hand and had someone help him down, leaving only the deputy envoy with His Highness.

"Former King of Qin, my master actually had another letter for you to receive."

Ying Baoyue took the letter presented by the deputy envoy, read it, and smiled, "You really are one of Song Zhai's people."

“I am Wang Jian, a secretary under the Prince of Yuyang.”

"Your prince must have played a significant role in the alliance between the Middle Tang and the Former Qin, right?" Ying Baoyue sighed. "He must have had a tough time."

“My master overruled all objections in the court meeting and is willing to take full responsibility for the alliance with the Former Qin,” the deputy envoy said, looking into Ying Baoyue’s eyes. “This 100,000 shi of grain was obtained by Your Highness through all your efforts.”

But even Qionghua Jun probably didn't expect that the former Qin king would make such an outrageous demand.

“I know it’s not easy for him, but I have no choice,” Ying Baoyue took a deep breath, “I have to make him gamble with me like this.”

For the resources she needed to fight the war, Song Zhai essentially sacrificed his entire fortune and life. “What Your Majesty said, the Prince also told me,” Wang Jian bowed deeply, “If both the Former Qin and Northern Wei fall, then the Middle Tang will not be able to survive either.”

"I will certainly convey Your Majesty's request."

……

……

Three days was still an extremely tight schedule, even though the Middle Tang and Former Qin were neighboring countries.

However, three days later, Ying Baoyue received news that the grain transport wagons from the Central Tang Dynasty had arrived at the border of the Former Qin Dynasty.

Following the provisions were five thousand helmets, three thousand suits of armor, and tens of thousands of spears and halberds.

When Ying Baoyue received the message, she suddenly stood up from the table, her body swaying slightly due to dizziness.

"Hug the moon!"

Ji Jiashu quickly helped her up and said urgently, "You haven't rested for three days and three nights, you need to sleep!"

These past few days, he's watched Ying Baoyue constantly arrange countless things and issue numerous military orders. There are troop deployments, militia recruitment, internal affairs adjustments, personnel appointments, and many other trivial matters.

Ji Jiashu felt that this was different from what he had previously thought about warfare.

He had originally thought that war was simply about deploying troops and then leading them into battle. But he hadn't expected that Ying Baoyue, as the ruler, would spend so much time dealing with matters related to provisions and finances.
Ying Baoyue was so meticulous that she even arranged and oversaw the daily distribution of food to the recruited militiamen and the advance payment of salary to officials who volunteered for battle.

All of this was different from the war that Ji Jiashu had envisioned; on the contrary, it was extremely tedious and filled with meticulous calculations, down to the smallest detail.

He didn't understand why Ying Baoyue would arrange these trivial matters instead of sleeping or eating.

“No, I can’t sleep,” Ying Baoyue said, standing up while holding onto the table. She carefully read through the message that had been delivered to her, then picked up the “ledger” she had kept during her days of internal affairs and added a few entries.

"It'll be done soon. It'll be done soon."

"What's done?" Ji Jiashu was stunned.

Ying Baoyue sat down, slumped wearily onto the table, and stared at the endless sand table. "Jiashu, we can send out our troops now."

She spent nearly half a month reorganizing domestic affairs, mobilizing troops, and preparing for war, taking huge risks to get to where she is now.

After reorganization, preparation, and recruitment of reserve troops, the Former Qin had assembled nearly 100,000 troops and prepared provisions and weapons.

Meanwhile, in Luoyang, the capital of Northern Wei, which was far away, the city was on the verge of running out of ammunition and food.

"Jia Shu, summon the ministers and prepare for the court meeting."

"I'm about to send troops."

"The oath-taking ceremony will be held at noon today. Ten thousand soldiers will remain in Guiyang City, five thousand imperial guards and five thousand militiamen. The rest will all accompany me on the expedition."

"Wait, Baoyue, if you insist on leading the army in person, the other ministers probably won't agree..."

The morning court meeting was followed by the afternoon military campaign, with the king himself leading the troops. Ji Jiashu knew that the old ministers left behind by Ying Hanri would not agree.

Moreover, Ying Baoyue took nine-tenths of the Former Qin's troops with her at once, leaving Guiyang undefended. With such a vulnerable rear and Ying Baoyue's unstable power base, a palace coup could easily occur within the Epang Palace!

“They have no choice but to agree,” Ying Baoyue smiled. “I’ve even finalized the reward and punishment plan.”

"The generals and soldiers who volunteer to follow me on this expedition will be promoted three ranks and rewarded with one hundred taels of silver for outstanding merit; promoted two ranks and rewarded with fifty taels of silver for first-class merit; and promoted one rank and rewarded with ten taels of silver for regular merit."

“Those who die in battle will have their descendants promoted two ranks and awarded twenty taels of silver. Any commander who retreats in the face of battle will be beheaded; any soldier who retreats will have the rear guard kill the front guard; all others who retreat, surrender to the enemy, or plunder civilian property will be punished accordingly.”

"If any ministers in the court oppose my expedition, let them go and smash their heads against the pillars."