Jiuxi

Chapter 934: King Meets King

The beacon fire in Pingyang was blazing, but the Lei Ze Plain fell into an eerie silence.

After the first exploratory battle, Emperor Jing did not launch a continuous offensive, but waited patiently for the situation to change.

During this period, the scouts of the Jing army were secretly fighting with the Qi army's cavalry, while trying their best to collect intelligence on the enemy. Even though it cost a lot, they finally got a general idea of ​​the situation behind the Qi army's camp.

Apart from two batches of grain and supplies from Dingzhou that were transported into Ningling City with the assistance of the Dingbei cavalry, there was no other movement from the Qi army.

Even at this point, Emperor Jing remained calm and composed.

It was not until November 23, when the Qi and Jing armies had been in a standoff for nearly ten days, that Emperor Jing received a secret report from the southwest of Jingzhou.

The Qi army mobilized nearly 100,000 troops and launched a decisive battle with the Jing army's western army outside Pingyang City!

After hearing the news, all the generals of the Jing army breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps Lu Chen still had some unknown plans, but it was an indisputable fact that he had no troops to mobilize.

From the north of Dingzhou, the west of Dingzhou, the Taikang Yongqiu defense line to the southwest of Jingzhou, all the forces of the Qi army including the Beijing army have been displayed on the surface, and even the insignificant miscellaneous troops like the Chengzhou Military Governor's Office have been taken out. It can be seen that Lu Chen has reached the end of his rope.

On the morning of the 25th, after resting for ten days, the Jing army went out of the camp again and lined up, slowly advancing towards the Qi army camp in the southeast direction.

At the beginning of the Chen period, the Jing army stopped when it was still six or seven miles away from the Qi army camp. At the same time, the Qi army also formed a formation and moved forward.

The biting cold wind came from the north, crossing thousands of miles of rivers and mountains, blowing across the vast and flat Lei Ze Plain, causing the flags to flutter.

The early morning sunlight is chilly, shining on faces some young and some weathered, outlining a solemn picture of cold light shining on iron armor.

The front-line positions of the two armies were about two miles apart, and the soldiers in the front row looked indifferently at the enemy opposite.

The wind howled and the battlefield finally became quiet.

Suddenly, a rider rushed out from the Jing army formation and came to the front of the Qi army formation. His powerful voice echoed throughout the plain.

"Your Majesty, Emperor Dajing, invite the Prince of Huai'an of Qi to have a chat in front of the battlefield!"

The Qi army soldiers showed no signs of agitation, but several generals under the king's flag in the central army expressed their opposition.

"My Lord, be careful, there may be a scam!"

Huo Zhen, the commander-in-chief of the Ruyin Army, spoke first. He has always been cautious and steady. Now that the war is about to break out, it seems that there is no point in having a pre-war meeting. As the commander-in-chief, Lu Chen naturally has no need to take any risks.

Xu Gui, the commander of the Fengfu Army, also advised: "It is said that the Emperor of Jing is cunning and treacherous. He may want to get the truth from the prince. In my opinion, you don't need to pay attention to him."

He Gui, Liu Yin, Lu Jing and others also had the same idea.

Lu Chen turned to look at Li Bingxue who remained silent. He saw absolute trust in her eyes and couldn't help but smile. He said calmly, "You should go and meet her, otherwise Emperor Jing won't be at ease."

After he made the decision, the generals said no more. Qin Zilong led five hundred personal guards to surround Lu Chen and moved forward, passing through the gap made by the soldiers in front of the army and coming to the front of the battle.

The same thing happened in Jing’s army, with hundreds of the emperor’s personal soldiers escorting Emperor Jing out of the battle.

The main forces of the two armies stood still as a mountain, with several hundred cavalrymen each advancing slowly towards each other.

When the distance between the two sides was about thirty or forty feet, hundreds of cavalrymen of Jing's army pulled the reins, and Emperor Jing then rode forward more than ten steps, looking at the young commander who had emerged as a rising star on the opposite side.

Lu Chen asked the soldiers behind him to stop, and also took a few steps forward and bowed to the Emperor of Jing Kingdom opposite him.

On the extremely quiet and solemn battlefield, on one side was the emperor of the most powerful dynasty of the day, and on the other side was the upstart who was trying to support the crumbling empire. They stared at each other from a distance of about thirty feet.

At this distance, Emperor Jing could barely see Lu Chen's face. It was a young face that even amazed him. It was handsome and calm, with an exceptionally outstanding temperament.

He first heard this name seven years ago during the border war between Yan and Qi. At that time, Emperor Jing did not take Lu Chen seriously. He was still focusing on opponents such as Li Duan, Li Daoyan, Xiao Wangzhi and Li Tianrun.

In just seven years, he had outlasted Li Duan and Li Daoyan, Li Tianrun was in his twilight years, and Xiao Wangzhi was confined to menial affairs. In his opinion, Southern Qi would become weaker and weaker. Unexpectedly, that young man had risen rapidly to the top and not only shouldered the weight of Southern Qi, but was now qualified to talk to him face to face.

Thinking of this, Emperor Jing said in a loud voice: "The Prince of Huai'an is indeed the best young talent of the time. Seeing him today, he is indeed outstanding and has lived up to my expectations."

Lu Chen was also sizing up this ambitious and capable emperor. He saw that he had a burly figure with long limbs, sword-like eyebrows, narrow eyes, angular facial features, and the demeanor of a natural hero.

He said calmly, "I have often heard that your majesty has a broad vision and a broad vision. Now I know that your majesty is cautious and meticulous, and does not miss any details."

Emperor Jing asked, "What do you mean?" Lu Chen smiled and replied, "Your Majesty invited me to talk in front of the battle. I'm afraid you don't just want to see if I have three heads and six arms, but also want to confirm in person whether I am in the battle. This battle is related to the fate of Qi Jing. Your Majesty has been patiently waiting for this period of time, wanting to eliminate all hidden dangers, and has not relaxed at all until now. I admire you very much."

"Hahaha."

Emperor Jing laughed heartily and nodded, "Interesting, indeed interesting. You are indeed a person with a delicate and exquisite heart."

This statement was considered an acknowledgement of Lu Chen's guess. Given Emperor Jing's broad-mindedness, he naturally would not bother to deliberately deny it.

He looked at the calm young man opposite him and said with emotion: "When you led the army to attack Heluo, I thought it was just a fluke. Later, I kept revising this view because you performed too well. I have seen too many talented people in my life, just like your Emperor Gaozong, who continued the country for decades with a weak body. He is the best emperor in ancient and modern times. In the Battle of Yongqiu, I was defeated by the joint efforts of you and your ministers. The lesson from the past is still in front of me. How dare I be careless?"

"Your Majesty is so complimentary."

Lu Chen said slowly, "Jing State is so powerful that our dynasty can only resist it with the united will. I, Lu, shoulder the high hopes of hundreds of millions of people in Da Qi. I know that this battle is very dangerous, but I still want to stop the chariot with my arms. Maybe I can find a glimmer of hope."

On the surface, these words were a sign of weakness, but they had a deep meaning when heard by Emperor Jing.

He couldn't help but smile, and rode forward a few steps and said, "I know you have a hidden killer trick, but I still want to advise you."

Lu Chen raised his eyebrows and said, "Your Majesty, please speak clearly."

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Emperor Jing looked up at the orderly and steady Qi army formation in the distance, and said leisurely: "Lu Chen, you are the most outstanding young man I have ever seen in my life. At your age, you can create a more brilliant future, and you don't have to sacrifice your life on this battlefield. The edict that day was my sincere words. As long as you are willing to lead your troops to surrender, I will say it again in front of the three armies today. I am willing to promise you wealth and glory for generations. The Guangling Lu family can be closely related to the great Jing, and I will never let you down."

These words were transmitted far away with the help of Emperor Jing's profound inner strength. Although they could not reach the ears of all the soldiers, at least the generals commanding the front lines of the two armies could hear them clearly.

The Jing army was naturally envious. As the saying goes, the emperor's words are golden and there is no possibility of breaking his promise.

The generals of the Qi army could not help sneering. Even the Queen of Zhailin knew how to restore order, let alone the Prince of Huai'an, who was highly expected by the Qi and who personally ended the advantage of the Jing army?

Lu Chen was silent for a moment, then he laughed, a laugh that sounded slightly disrespectful.

Emperor Jing didn't care and looked at him indifferently.

After a while, Lu Chen stopped laughing and said with emotion: "Your Majesty, I don't want to be the second Qing Yugong."

After talking for so long, Emperor Jing's calm expression finally showed a ripple.

Lu Chen continued, "I know that His Majesty has always hoped that I would appear outside Pingyang City at this moment and fight to the death with the Prince of Changshan, preferably with both sides suffering losses. Logically speaking, His Majesty has sent this great gift, and I should have accepted it immediately. However, compared with the Prince of Changshan, His Majesty's power is the biggest threat to Da Qi, so I have to give up this precious opportunity."

His voice was very loud, and this sentence made the faces of the generals of the Jing army look a little unnatural.

Emperor Jing said calmly, "You are wrong. If I didn't trust the Prince of Changshan, how could I hand over all 180,000 soldiers of the Western Route Army to him? Lu Chen, I know you have many doubts in your heart, and I also know that you have been trying to sow discord over the years, but I always believe in my Prince of Changshan. Today's talk is because I love your talent and I can't bear to see you die here. You have been suspected by the court of Qi for these years. Although you are in control of the military power now, it is just a stopgap measure of those people in the south. Do you believe it?"

"Since your majesty has said so, it is difficult for me to refute it."

Lu Chen smiled and said loudly: "However, a real man should do what he should do and not do what he should not do. I dare not compare myself to the ancient sages, but I also know the difference between eternal good and eternal infamy. Now that your majesty is personally leading the army to attack, I and the soldiers of Da Qi can retire, because behind us is the country of Da Qi and hundreds of millions of people. Only by turning into a blade to fight against the crisis together can we show our true colors. Even if we die, it is better than becoming a homeless ghost pointed at by thousands of people!"

There was no commotion on the Qi army's position, but all the soldiers who heard these words held their heads high and chests puffed out with determination on their faces.

Emperor Jing naturally knew that he was trying to boost the morale of the troops, but he did not forcefully refute him.

Looking at the deep gaze of the young man opposite him, Emperor Jing smiled softly and then said: "What a courage! I admire you even more now."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Lu Chen bowed and smiled, "Since Your Majesty agrees with what I said, please don't hold back today. Let's win this battle and decide who will rule the world. Let's put an end to the 60-year war and stop the people from suffering from war."

"Okay, I'll give you this chance."

Emperor Jing had a lofty ambition in his eyes. He raised his hand and pointed forward, saying solemnly, "I am grateful for your pure heart. If you are defeated and die today, I will not kill more people in the future."

Lu Chen said no more, looked at the other party steadily, and then turned his horse's head.

Emperor Jing also turned his horse back and returned to the battle formation.

The mighty sound of war drums erupted from the positions of both armies and reached the sky.

(End of this chapter)