I am a soldier in the border army

Chapter 664 Ji Yin: I laugh at Han Shao for being unwise and lacking in strategy!

In July, the sun blazes high in the sky.

The earth and sky were scorching hot, like a furnace.

But at this moment, Gongye Jin, who was standing on the banks of the Ji River, felt as if he were in an ice cave, with a chill that cut to the bone.

He had long anticipated the strength of the Zhenliao Army.

And I have made ample preparations.

Putting aside everything else, just the fact that they used a small number of vanguard troops as bait on the surface while secretly gathering elite imperial guards and troops from various prefectures in the rear was a flawless maneuver.

Even so, he still miscalculated!

Looking out, the vast Ji River was stained red with blood.

The long riverbank, which should have been the final resting place of countless treacherous villains, is now filled with the corpses of soldiers from various prefectures.

Thick crossbow bolts pierced through them and the soft riverbank beneath their feet.

Its head hung limply, looking from a distance like fruit growing on a low shrub, which was quite unsettling at first glance.

Further on, the situation faced by the elite Imperial Guards responsible for maintaining order became even more terrifying.

The enormous projectiles that kept crashing down from the distant river surface tore apart the bodies of countless armored soldiers with each erratic jump, exploding into thick plumes of blood mist.

And this is not the scariest thing.

What's truly terrifying are those exploding bombs that explode upon landing.

Each deafening roar was comparable to the full-force attack of a mid-level expert, capable of wiping out an elite hundred-man squad in less than a breath.

……

boom--

The towering warship, as tall as a city wall, crashed ashore, and countless figures in black armor quickly emerged from it.

The heavily armored cavalry charged forward at breakneck speed, their thunderous roar echoing across the riverbank. Their purpose was not to kill the enemy or break through enemy lines, but simply to clear a flat, open area for the main army that followed.

As the lightly armored infantrymen marched in perfect unison, they quickly drew a huge black curtain across the riverbank.

The one-sided slaughter and harvesting began.

During this time, the Imperial Guards attempted a counterattack, successfully bypassing the Zhenliao Cavalry and heading straight for the seemingly vulnerable lightly armored infantry.

What drove them to despair was that no matter how much they disregarded casualties and costs, they could never break through the range of those lightly armored infantrymen.

Under a barrage of tiny bullets, as dense as a torrential rain, human and horse corpses fell one by one, then piled up high.

Not only did they fail to stop the advance of the black-armored infantry, they also successfully slowed down the charge of their own iron cavalry.

But what happened to the cavalry when they lost their speed?
They are lambs to the slaughter.

Soon, the Zhenliao Iron Cavalry, which had been roaming around the area, moved.

And this move was earth-shattering.

It was an overwhelming force!

The elite tigers and wolves charging at the forefront wielded sharp, narrow lances that pierced through armor like paper, impaling and lifting the bodies of imperial guards, their surging energy shattering them in the process.

Limbs, blood mist, shattered armor...

Those who have not witnessed this scene firsthand cannot imagine the cruelty and bloodshed of the battlefield.

Gongye Jin, the commander of the Imperial Guards in this battle, was naturally not included in this group.

He had seen it before.

What I'm seeing now is just a replay of that nightmare from ten years ago.

The same bloodshed.

The same mountains of corpses.

The same thing happened... a complete rout!
For a fleeting moment, Gongye Jin couldn't help but wonder if the Ji River was incompatible with his birth chart.

Otherwise, how could he have allowed himself to suffer such a crushing defeat twice in a row when he was at the height of his confidence?
But that doesn't matter anymore.

The late emperor gave him the chance to make a name for himself in one battle, but he failed.

Fortunately, His Majesty showed leniency, not only rescuing him from prison but also overruling public opinion to reinstate this defeated general.

But now... he's lost again!
And the defeat was even more devastating than the last one!

The Zhenliao Army was far more powerful than the Huangtian Army of the past.

Even if he were given another chance, there would be no second outcome.

"General, let's retreat!"

"If we don't leave now, once the Yan bandit army catches up, none of us will escape!"

Don't assume that cultivators at higher levels can move freely on the battlefield.

Once the enemy finds an opportunity to surround and kill you, you will have no chance of survival.

However, Gongye Jin remained unhurried in the face of his generals' eagerness.

"You may leave; do not concern yourselves with me."

He ran away once before, but this time he doesn't want to run away.

A true man should live life to the fullest and die when he should, for it is better than the daily torment of living a life of ignominy.

He had been to that prison once, and he was determined never to go back a second time in his life.

Having said that, he straightened his armor and took a step, ready to enter the battlefield.

Just as Gongye Jin was filled with the determination to die in battle, a voice suddenly called out to him from behind.

"General, please wait. This is His Majesty's decree."

……

The rebellion of the Zhenliao Army was both unexpected and seemingly reasonable to the people of the world.

Unexpectedly, this was naturally because of the fact that someone's reputation as a loyal and virtuous official of the Great Yong Dynasty was known throughout the land.

Such a sudden uprising has surprised many, with some exclaiming that he appears loyal but is actually treacherous, hiding his true intentions far too well.

And this is understandable, because everyone knows about that person's temper.

He is petty and vindictive.

Ji Yin so openly summoned him to the capital right from the start, even going so far as to deploy troops across the river as a form of coercion.

If Han could tolerate such a situation, it would be unlike him.

As for the banner of "purging the emperor's inner circle" raised by the Zhenliao Army, almost no one paid any attention to it.

After all, these three words have been overused and overused since ancient times.

To take a recent example, the military disaster that Shangguan Ding quelled two years ago was also carried out under this banner.
The only thing that struck them as odd was that the proclamation of the Zhenliao Army referring to Shangguan Ding as "the former prime minister," implying that he had been harmed by treacherous and stingy officials.

What... what kind of situation is this?

So, the late Emperor Taikang fought Shangguan Ding his whole life, only to have it all for nothing?

The newly promoted high-ranking officials in the court were also shocked and surprised by the proclamation of rebellion.

and many more!

its not right!
Wasn't Shangguan Ding killed by His Majesty?

What does this have to do with us?
and also!

Whether it was the powerful minister Shangguan Ding in the past or His Majesty now, when did it become our turn to control the government?

It's totally a distortion of the truth!
Go against Tiangang!

The courtiers, furious and glaring, were filled with resentment.

"Your Majesty! We...we have been wronged!"

"That Yan traitor is utterly inhuman! He brazenly framed us loyal and virtuous people as treacherous and rebellious villains! Is there any justice left in this world?"

"Your Majesty! You must clear our names!"

The grievances were repeatedly voiced in the main hall.

Upon hearing this, Ji Yin, who sat high on the throne, smiled broadly.

"How can I vindicate you?"

"Don't forget, in his manifesto, Han said that I am weak and powerless, and now I am being manipulated and coerced by you. I am afraid that even if I want to, I am powerless."

Seeing Ji Yin's mocking tone, the faces of the court officials turned ashen.

But one has to admit that Ji Yin's words do make some sense.

If Ji Yin is truly manipulated and controlled by them, how can he vindicate them?

Who would believe what I say?
After a moment of silence, Ji Yin, who seemed to be in a very good mood, waved his hand and said.

"Alright, let him be."

"If there is nothing else, let's leave it at that for today. Court is adjourned."

Having said that, he didn't give the ministers a chance to react and simply disappeared from the imperial throne.

The court officials were left alone, looking at each other in bewilderment, unsure of what to do.

Just as they left Weiyang Palace with furrowed brows, a servant from their home, who had been waiting outside the palace, suddenly revealed some shocking news with a look of panic on his face.

"Master! Something bad has happened!"

"Gongye Jin was defeated at the Ji River! 100,000 imperial guards and 500,000 troops from various prefectures were completely wiped out!"

"It is said that the Zhenliao Army has now occupied all of Yuzhou, and their next step is to advance on Sili and head straight for Luoyang!"

A devastating shock!

In an instant, the court officials who had just stepped out of the palace walls were struck dumb as if by lightning.

In the past, they wouldn't have cared about the life or death of Gongye Jin, that defeated general.

Even if all 100,000 elite troops were wiped out, it wouldn't affect them much.

But now they're panicking.

Because the proclamation of the Zhenliao Army clearly stated that there were treacherous officials in the imperial court!

Who is the treacherous minister?

Who else could it be but them? If the Zhenliao Army really marches all the way to the capital, how will they survive?

At this moment, they regretted it.

I regret that I was blinded by the empty fame and fortune of high-ranking official positions and generous salaries, and that I stepped into this huge vortex where a slight misstep could lead to my utter destruction.

Unfortunately, it's too late to regret it now.

"Alas! That mediocre and incompetent Gongye Jin, I told you long ago that we shouldn't have appointed him as a general!"

"Now look what's happened! All 100,000 Imperial Guards have been wiped out in one battle. What are we going to do now?!"

"Who says it isn't?"

"His Majesty is still too young. If he hadn't insisted on reinstating that defeated general, we wouldn't be suffering this pain of losing our army today!"

"That's fine!"

"The key issue is that this guy has drawn most of the troops from the surrounding counties during this battle, leaving the areas vulnerable. How will he defend against those border wolves?"

After saying this, the courtier sighed deeply and said in a panicked voice.

"If we are not careful, the nation may be in danger of collapse!"

After he finished speaking, all the ministers present nodded silently in agreement.

Some impatient individuals even changed the subject and pointed the finger directly at Weiyang Palace.

"Alas! I advised His Majesty before that we should proceed cautiously! The biggest mistake was for forcing that Yan traitor to rebel now!"

"If it weren't for this, how could we have suffered this calamity today?!"

"Let's go! Let's go find His Majesty!"

"Now we implore Your Majesty to rescind your decree and offer the Prince of Yan a generous reward; perhaps it is still not too late!"

After he finished speaking, he saw that the court officials seemed to be afraid of Ji Yin's methods and hesitated to go with him.

He sighed deeply and then said...

"At this critical juncture for our nation and its people, we must all unite as one!"

"But if you back down, it will be too late to regret it when the blade is at your throat!"

Upon hearing this, the court officials suddenly realized what was happening and hurriedly echoed his sentiments.

"Let's go! Let's go together!"

And so, the group of court officials who had just left the palace gates returned.

They headed straight for Weiyang Palace.

……

"Haha! That's interesting!"

In July, the Imperial Garden is at its most beautiful.

Ji Yin leaned against the carved railing, teasing the rare red carp in the Imperial Garden's Brocade Pond with bits of food in his hand.

I don't know if they're saying fish are interesting, or people are interesting.

Linghu An, who was serving nearby, cautiously probed.

"Just now, a traitor spoke disrespectfully to His Majesty. Should I take his place...?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Yin stopped laughing and squinted at Linghu An.

Only after Linghu An was sweating profusely did he smile slightly and offer his approval.

"Indeed, I appreciate your loyalty."

Linghu An felt relieved and quickly pretended to be extremely grateful.

Fortunately, Ji Yin had already withdrawn his gaze at this moment and said calmly.

"Don't kill him yet, keep him alive. He still has some use to me."

Then, changing the subject, he asked a question.

"Gongye Jin isn't dead, is he?"

Linghu An said respectfully.

"Fortunately, His Majesty was brilliant and issued an edict in advance, which saved him from death."

Wear it a thousand times, but flattery never wears it.

Ji Yin was somewhat smug.

"With his limited abilities, he's only good enough to fight Huang Tianzei."

"He's really not good enough against that pawn."

Linghu An was puzzled.

"Since Your Majesty knew this, why did you still use him?"

His words were somewhat offensive, but fortunately, Ji Yin was in a good mood at the moment, so he didn't take it to heart.

She glanced at him briefly and smiled.

"You just don't understand."

As he spoke, he even offered an explanation for Linghu An.

"You think that little pawn won this battle?"

"No, it is I who have won!"

Just then, a young eunuch rushed in, looking somewhat flustered.

"Your Majesty...Your Majesty, those court officials have returned and are now blocking the palace entrance, clamoring to see you!"

Ji Yin, whose fish food was just empty, turned his head to look at the little eunuch and said something.

"I understand."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Huangmen breathed a sigh of relief.

But the next moment he suddenly felt a surge of blood and qi, before he could react.

boom--

A burst of blood mist exploded, and Ji Yin casually condensed the blood mist into a blood pill, then threw it towards Jinchi as bait.

Seeing the red carp in the pond frantically scrambling for food, Ji Yin laughed heartily.

"Look, using human blood as bait is really something else."

"I used 100,000 imperial guards as bait. No matter how cunning that soldier was, he still fell into my trap."

Having said that, he ignored Linghu An and left with a flick of his sleeve.

Linghu, left alone, stayed quietly for a while before bending down to pick up a piece of cloth that had just been left behind and using it to wrap a blood pill.

"Take your time with the conception. Wait until this period is over before coming into this world again. You should be able to live a good life then..."

"Don't rush, don't rush—"

……

Ji Yin, who had once again ascended the throne in the main hall, looked down at the court officials in their crimson robes.

Before they could even speak, Ji Yin said with a smile.

"You want me to bow down and beg for mercy from that Yan traitor? I can grant your wish."

"We can draft the decree now..."

As he spoke, Ji Yin actually took out a blank imperial edict and picked up a pen to write on it.

This move immediately left all the court officials bewildered.

Some secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Some, however, harbored doubts.

However, some people think that Ji Yin was probably frightened by the Zhenliao Army and was just taking advantage of the situation to back down.

Just as everyone was having these thoughts, Ji Yin continued with a smile.

"However... have you thought this through?"

"Since the Yan bandits have already raised an army, they will surely not give up until they achieve their goal. Whether my imperial edict will be effective remains to be seen."

"In addition, I would like to remind you of one more thing."

"I have inherited the legacy of the late emperor, and that Yan bandit has always considered himself loyal and virtuous. I suppose even if he marches all the way to the capital, he will not dare to do anything to me."

"But you guys, well, that's not necessarily true."

As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions on the faces of the court officials, who had even shown some joy, instantly froze.

After a moment of thought, one of them suddenly raised his head and looked at Ji Yin on the imperial throne.

At this moment, there was nothing they didn't understand!
So it turns out... so Ji Yin's goal from beginning to end was never just Prince Yan, Han Shao!

And them too!

"Your Majesty, what is your preference? Please speak frankly."

Ji Yin laughed heartily.

"What I want is very simple."

"Either you join me and we eliminate the Yan traitors!"

"Either..."

“When the Yan rebels invade the capital, I will break through the great formation, open the city gates, and let the Yan rebels enter the city, so that they can cut off the heads of you treacherous and rebellious ministers.”

Which one do you choose?

Upon hearing these words, everyone in the hall, regardless of rank or status, changed color.

At this moment, everyone had only one thought in their minds.

Ji Yin, you're a fucking lunatic!

……

(End of this chapter)