Chaos of the Three Kingdoms Summons

Chapter 2724 Secret Report from the Northern Frontier, Turmoil on the Grasslands

Also in the sixth year of the Qianyuan era.

On the third day of the third month, an urgent report, delivered by express courier over a distance of 600 li, arrived in Luoyang, the capital of the Great Jin Dynasty.

Moreover, almost immediately after this urgent report reached the palace, several eunuchs left the palace to summon several high-ranking military and political officials to the palace.

Important officials such as Li Jing, Wang Meng, Zhuge Liang, Fang Xuanling, and Wei Qing were completely unaware of what had happened when they were ordered to enter the palace immediately upon receiving the news.

They weren't even given time to change into their court robes; they were taken to the palace by various eunuchs while still in their everyday clothes.

Inside the palace, the doors and windows were tightly closed, and the air was filled with the fragrance of incense, yet it couldn't suppress the tense atmosphere that threatened to break down.

Although it was still cold in March, the charcoal stoves in the palace were burning brightly, and as soon as the court officials entered the hall, they felt a wave of heat rushing towards them.

Today's emperor, too, was not wearing a dragon robe, but rather a white robe casually draped over his shoulders. He was reclining in the warm pavilion, with a secret report delivered by express messenger from 600 li (approximately 300 kilometers) on the table in front of him.

This secret report also came as an unexpected surprise to Emperor Li Xiang.

Wang Meng was the first to arrive. After a simple bow, he sat down in his seat without saying anything.

Wang Meng was not young anymore; his beard and hair were now streaked with white, but his face was as ancient and unadorned as a pine tree, and his eyes remained sharp, carrying the insight of someone who had experienced many vicissitudes of life.

Next to enter was Zhuge Liang, holding a feather fan lightly, his expression calm and composed. He bowed simply like Wang Meng, said nothing, and sat down in his seat.

Both of them knew very well that something big must have happened.

Although it's unclear what the big deal is, the time will come to reveal it once the other important officials arrive.

Therefore, the two waited quietly, without letting the eunuchs do anything, and each poured themselves a cup of tea.

Before long, the remaining six ministers and the left and right generals of the Central Imperial Guard finally arrived.

"A thunderclap has arrived on the grassland!"

Li Xiang's voice broke the silence as his fingers slammed heavily on the secret report, "Temujin is dead!"

The several high-ranking officials, both civil and military, all guessed that something momentous must have happened to warrant such a tight summons.

However, upon hearing this unexpected news, a suppressed gasp still filled the hall.

Li Xiang spoke rapidly, his tone leaving no room for argument, "This is a golden opportunity! My mind is made up; the Northern Frontier must be moved! But how? How large? My ministers, let us discuss!"

This time, Li Xiang unusually did not consult with his ministers before issuing his decision.

Or rather, he announced his decision directly to his ministers. He summoned them only to ask for their next course of action, not to question his decision.

Minister of War Li Jing was the first to lose his composure, abruptly standing up and speaking in a loud voice.

"Your Majesty! This is an opportunity not to be missed! Temujin's sudden death and the transition of power in the Yuan and Mongol empires is a change unprecedented in a century!"

"I believe that we should mobilize the entire nation's strength for a swift and decisive strike! I hereby order Yue Pengju, the Marquis of E, who is also the Grand Protector of the Yuan Dynasty and the General of the Hetao Camp, to immediately mobilize all the elite troops, unite with the Northwest armies and the Central Imperial Guard, and take advantage of their internal strife to divide our forces into two routes."

"They marched out of Yunzhong and Yanmen, pretending to launch a feint attack, which made Murong Ke and Mu Huali dare not make any rash moves."

"We marched eastward into Liangzhou, attacked westward into Liangzhou, recovered the lost territories of Liangzhou and Xizhou, and reclaimed our homeland!"

"By recovering Liang and Xi, we can attack the Yuan Mongol homeland without any worries about our rear, and we can also keep the western princes of the Yuan Mongol Empire in check!"

In the Great Jin Dynasty, every general has been studying the Yuan-Mongol affairs in recent years.

Everyone knew that a war between the Jin and Yuan dynasties was inevitable; it was only a matter of time. As the Minister of War, Li Jing certainly wouldn't give up his research on the Yuan and Mongol dynasties.

Therefore, when news of Temujin's death arrived, he almost immediately had a basic strategic intention.

The Yuan Dynasty was different from the Tang Dynasty. Not to mention the current Tang Dynasty, even before the first Jin-Yuan War, the Tang Dynasty at its peak had its national strength.

If the Great Jin doesn't start a war, fine; but if it does, it's basically headed for the complete annihilation of the country.

However, for a large empire like the Yuan Dynasty, it was almost impossible to decide the fate of the world in a single battle.

Therefore, one must take things one step at a time and proceed steadily. Compared to the Yuan Mongols, the Great Jin Dynasty had greater endurance and war potential.

The first priority is to win back the one and a half states we lost.

Once they reclaim this land, they won't have to worry about the defense of the two states of Siyong when they finally send troops to the grasslands.

"Gentlemen, don't forget that among Genghis Khan's sons, there is still Ögedei Khan!" said the mature and prudent Wang Meng.

He actually found it hard to believe that Ögedei, as the eldest son, would be so willing to relinquish the throne to someone else.

While Temujin was alive, he might have been able to keep him under control.

But after Temujin died, was Ögedei still content?

Or rather, were those Mongol nobles still willing to accept this?
“The Khanate of Ögedei is currently at war with the Kushans. Perhaps we could test their attitude!” Wang Meng declared confidently.

In fact, a truly large and powerful empire does not worry about external crises.

A vast empire, and still at its peak, is very difficult for external forces to truly defeat.

The greatest threat to an imperial power always lies within its own borders.

Kublai Khan was too young among his brothers, which is the crux of the problem for the Yuan Dynasty.

Because he was so young, his age was about the same as that of his older nephews.

Therefore, by the time he grew up, his older brothers had already established a strong foundation.

In order to gain an advantage, he wooed a large number of external forces that were not doing well at the time. Among them, the Han Chinese faction was only a part, and it also included people from the Western Regions.

He used these forces that were relatively late to integrate into the Yuan Dynasty and were not doing well within it to quickly grow stronger and fight against his brothers.

This is the fundamental conflict of interest between Kublai Khan and the old Mongol aristocracy.

He was trying to win over these people and take a slice of the pie. Where would that pie come from? It was all an infringement on the interests of the old aristocracy.

With Tolui's death, the old nobles lost their supporters, and Kublai Khan, while ruling as crown prince, thoroughly consolidated his position in the Mongol Empire.

However, this contradiction remained with Kublai Khan; it could only be alleviated, not ignored.

In conflicts of interest, it is impossible to return the interests that have already been severed.

These benefits have already been distributed among his supporters. If he wants to return them, he'll have to ask his supporters if they agree!

In Wang Meng's view, the only way to break the deadlock in the Jin-Yuan War is to grasp this point, rather than relying on endlessly depleting national strength in war.

We must grasp both aspects firmly to win this war for the empire.