The Bad Guys: Everyone, let’s revive the Tang Dynasty together!

Chapter 439 Before the Battle, the King of Qin (Part 3)

The wind and snow intensified, plunging the world into a chaotic, desolate expanse. The Jingxing Pass, bordering Taiyuan and Zhenzhou, resembled a fissure cleaved by a giant axe, the official road winding between towering cliffs on either side, its narrowest point only wide enough for two riders to pass side-by-side. The wind whistled through the jagged rock faces, whipping up snowflakes that lashed against the cold rocks and armor, producing a sharp, piercing sound.

The rapid sound of hooves approached from afar, like muffled thunder rolling across the narrow valley, echoing through the rock walls. Gongyang Zuo abruptly pulled on the reins, and his warhorse reared up, exhaling a large cloud of white smoke. His weathered face and sharp eyes instantly swept across the perilous place known as "Tumen Pass" in the distance.

Above the pass, a large black banner with the character "Jin" on a red border fluttered in the strong wind, proclaiming the sovereignty of this pass.

After running for two days and two nights, Gongyang Zuo had aged considerably, but his appearance showed no signs of weakness. It was just before dawn, and the sky was still dark. He glanced at the imposing and treacherous Tumen Pass ahead, and then looked back.

A hundred paces away, the figures of a troop of Crow Army soldiers and the ghostly figures of Tongwen Hall elites were already faintly visible. Further away, smoke and dust mixed with snow mist, and the dull sound of horses' hooves, like rolling thunder, came from the mountain wall.

The day before, Li Siyuan's elite vanguard cavalry, led by himself, had also gathered troops from all sides and were relentlessly pursuing the enemy along the Jingxing Pass, one of the eight passes of Taihang.

“We can’t leave.” A cold smile tugged at the corner of Gongyang’s left mouth. His gaze swept over Shangguan Yunque, then fell on the even more exhausted Bago, and the two night scouts carrying the unconscious Li Cunren. He pointed to the entrance of a steeper, narrow path deep within the pass, half-hidden by wind and snow. “Shangguan, take them. Abandon the horses, climb the mountain. Remember, protect the people, protect what the King of Qin wants. You can die, but the people and the things cannot be lost. Crossing the ridge leads to Zhenzhou territory.”

"Gongyang!" Although Shangguan Yunque was often mocked by Gongyang Zuo for being a hermaphrodite, he found it difficult to maintain his usual composure at this moment, and his expression was deeply moved.

"Stop talking!" Gongyang Zuo interrupted sharply, his words as firm as iron. "The man the King of Qin wants cannot be lost. Let's go!" Before he finished speaking, he had already turned his horse around sharply, facing the way they had come.

Shangguan Yunque said no more, gritted his teeth and glanced at Gongyang Zuo and the few remaining men beside him, as well as the dozens of elite night watchmen who had joined him along the way, their faces showing exhaustion and solemnity.

He shouted, "Dismount, all of you, follow me." He led the equally wounded and dying Bago and his companion carrying Li Cunren, quickly dismounted, and nimbly rushed towards the almost vertical mountain path. Their figures were soon swallowed up by the wind, snow, and jagged rocks.

Surprisingly, the few remaining disciples of the Ren character who had escorted Li Cunren did not leave with Shangguan Yunque. Instead, they silently turned around and faced the way they came.

Gongyang Zuo had no time to spare and quickly directed his men to form a relatively sturdy defensive line, relying on the remaining stone fortifications and natural rock barriers at the pass. Steel crossbows were cocked, their cold bolts aimed at the bend in the valley. Caltrops and tripwires were also silently placed along the only viable route for an attack.

The last scout to join the group was an old soldier with a scar on his face. He spat and led his men to the high points on both sides of the valley, positioning themselves above the narrowest part of the pass, intending to defend the left and right flanks.

Almost as soon as the defensive line was formed, the black torrent surged to the front of the pass. Li Siyuan took the lead, reining in his warhorse, his white robe billowing in the wind and snow. Behind him, Li Cunli stood calmly, his hands tucked into his sleeves; Li Cunxiao carried a huge Yuwang spear, like an iron tower; the elite Jin cavalry stood silently, their murderous aura filling the valley.

"The Qin King's forces are indeed valiant and fierce." Li Siyuan stroked his beard and nodded, his voice not loud but clearly audible. "Sixth Brother, we've been chasing them all the way and are certainly exhausted. These people are now at a loss for what to do. Why don't we ask them if they still want to seek their own deaths?"

Li Cunli nodded slightly, spurred his horse forward half a step, and spoke with a clear voice, imbued with inner strength, that pierced through the wind and snow and echoed throughout the valley: "Listen up, gentlemen ahead. I am Li Cunli, Marquis of Xue of Jin. By order of the King of Jin, I am pursuing the traitors Bago and Li Cunren. These two scoundrels colluded with the barbarian Yelü Lage to steal the imperial treasures, and their crimes are unforgivable. You must quickly make way and allow my royal army to pass through and capture the traitors. Anyone who dares to obstruct us will be considered an accomplice to the rebellion and will be killed without mercy."

Gongyang Zuo remained expressionless, only chuckling as he nocked an arrow and pointed it directly at Li Cunli. The eyes of the people around him were equally cold and hard.

Seeing this, Li Cunli remained unmoved and was about to lash out when Li Siyuan, who was beside him, rode forward, raised his hand to stop him, and then smiled and said kindly.

"Gentlemen, this is the decree of the Prince of Jin. The pursuit and suppression of the rebels involves the relations between our two nations and also concerns the safety of your Great Liang. The two traitors, Bago and Li Cunren, have stolen the Tiger Tally and Seal of Jin and have colluded with Yelü Lage, the rebellious king of the northern deserts, intending to lead the barbarian cavalry south to wreak havoc on the Central Plains. The evidence is irrefutable. As border guards, it is your duty to defend our land and resist the barbarians. If you allow these two traitors to escape into Liang territory with their valuable weapons, they will surely be used by the barbarians. If the barbarian cavalry marches south one day, the people of Hebei will suffer terribly. Wouldn't you then be sinners for all time? Quickly step aside and help our royal army capture the traitors and eliminate the border threat. This is the only way to fulfill your duty. This is also a great act to maintain the alliance between Liang and Jin and jointly resist foreign aggression. The Prince of Jin and the Prince of Qin will surely reward you handsomely."

“But if you remain obstinate…” At this point, Li Siyuan’s eyes narrowed and his smile turned cold, “then you will be enemies of the Jin Kingdom. Behind you is the mighty pass of the Jin Kingdom, and in front of you is the royal army behind me. Crushing you all will be as easy as turning my hand.”

He turned slightly to the side, and behind him, in the valley, a dark mass of Jin cavalry stood silently. Although they were restricted by the terrain and could not deploy, their imposing and murderous aura, as solid as a mountain, pressed down on everyone behind the stone fortress.

"Grandpa's head is right here. Instead of wasting time talking nonsense, why don't you just take it quickly?" Gongyang Zuo grinned, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes. He immediately turned his longbow around, the bowstring hummed, and an arrow shot out like lightning, straight at Li Siyuan's face.

"Truly audacious." Li Cunli, standing to the side, flicked his wrist slightly, and the soft sword at his waist was drawn like a silver snake. With a flash of cold light, the arrow that had been shot at him was silently cut in two in mid-air and fell to the ground.

Li Siyuan's expression remained almost unchanged, and the fingers stroking his beard did not even pause. However, a cold light suddenly gathered in his eyes, and he swung his hand sharply: "Kill!"

However, the anticipated cavalry onslaught did not materialize. Faced with narrow passages and menacing crossbows behind stone ramparts, the Crow Army displayed the discipline and discipline expected of an elite force.

"Dismount and form ranks."

A short, forceful command rang out in the Jin army ranks. The front-line Crow Army cavalry moved swiftly, landing with a clean, decisive motion. They quickly handed their horse reins to their comrades in the rear, while soldiers behind them swiftly passed them heavy shields. The shields, made of hardwood reinforced with fine iron, were nearly a man's height and over three feet wide, with thick leather lining the edges to prevent impact.

"Shield wall, rise!" the officer shouted.

The dismounted soldiers remained silent, their arm muscles bulging as they forcefully lifted and pushed the heavy shields forward. With a dull thud and the scraping of metal, a thick, tight, almost impenetrable wall of steel instantly took shape in the narrow passage. The shields fit together perfectly, and the tips of spears gleamed coldly from the pre-drilled gaps. The entire shield wall, like a slowly moving steel behemoth, began its steady and resolute advance towards the stone fortress, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression.

"Sappers, clear the obstacle!" The order came from behind the moving shield wall. Several shields parted at narrow gaps, and a dozen lightly armored sappers darted out like cheetahs, hugging the outer edge of the shield wall. They then used long-handled iron hooks to reach out from under the shields and precisely hook onto the wooden stakes and caltrop netting. Their comrades behind them heard the order and pulled with all their might, and the heavy obstacles were slowly moved aside.

Behind the shield wall, other sappers crouched down, extending heavy hammers and battering rams from the bottom seams and slamming them hard into the frozen ground. With a muffled thud, the barbed wire under the snow bounced up and flew everywhere, and then long-handled rakes swept out, quickly pushing the scattered barbed wire to both sides.

"Archers, suppress them." The third command rang out.

Behind the shield wall and on the high ground to the sides, the Jin army's archers and crossbowmen quickly took their positions. Longbows were drawn taut like crescent moons, and crossbows were steadily set up. With a signal from the officer, a dense rain of arrows, accompanied by a piercing whistle, swept over the shield wall and towards the scout positions behind the stone fortifications. The arrows, like locusts, struck the wooden shields and rocks with a dull thud, suppressing the scouts' crossbowmen and making it difficult for them to aim freely.

"Hold on, let's feed them for a round first." Gongyang Zuo's voice remained unchanged, even carrying a hint of particularly gleeful sneer.

Dozens of scouts guarding the pass braved the volley of arrows and boldly extended their crossbows from the gaps in the fortifications. They did not fire blindly in volleys, but instead used their precise skills to calmly target the engineers and archers exposed between the shield walls, or the weak points at the joints of the shield walls.

The precise shots were indeed effective instantly. An engineer struggling to drag the barbed wire was struck in the neck by a crossbow bolt and fell to the ground without uttering a sound; an archer giving instructions was hit in the forearm by an arrow and screamed as he retreated behind the shield wall; a crossbow bolt with a tricky angle struck the joint between two shields, the force of which made the shield-bearing soldier's arm go numb and caused the shield wall to sway slightly.

"Advance quickly." Li Siyuan's indifferent voice came from behind.

Despite suffering casualties, the Crow Army's shield wall advanced even faster. The dull, powerful sound of shields striking the ground and rubble was like war drums pounding on the hearts of the attackers. Arrows from both sides crisscrossed in the air, and the screams of death were incessant. The snow was trampled into a muddy black, mixed with glaring dark red and fallen corpses.

The defensive line was quickly compressed and torn apart. Li Cunxiao finally roared and joined the battle, wielding a Yuwang Spear and sweeping through the enemy ranks. Two night scouts who were firing from the stone ramparts were sent flying along with their crossbows, the sound of bones shattering clearly audible. A bloody gap was instantly torn open in the defensive line.

Gongyang's left eye bulged as he drew his sword to meet the attack. The blade flashed like a bolt of lightning, slashing towards Li Cunxiao. The latter neither dodged nor evaded; instead, his large left hand shot out, his palm, covered by a simple arm guard, slamming hard against the side of the blade.

"Clang!" A piercing metallic clang rang out.

Gongyang Zuo felt an irresistible force surge through him; his tiger's mouth split open, his long sword nearly slipped from his grasp, and he was thrown back, his chest heaving with blood and qi. Meanwhile, Li Cunxiao's right hand wielded the Yuwang Spear, which came crashing down with a howling wind pressure. Gongyang Zuo instinctively rolled to the side at his limit, and as the spear swept past, the rock where he had just stood was shattered into pieces.

Shards of stone flew, slicing a bloody gash across Gongyang's left cheek. He suppressed his surging blood and knew he couldn't fight back, so he switched to hit-and-run tactics, relying on the night watchmen around him to protect him with their lives. He used poisoned arrows and grappling hooks to constantly harass Li Cunxiao's lower body, clearly trying to stall for time.

Even so, the so-called defensive line, under the repeated assaults of overwhelming force, crumbled and receded rapidly like a reef constantly battered by giant waves. The night scouts responsible for leaving behind to hold off the enemy suffered heavy casualties, with men falling one after another. The defensive perimeter was compressed to the entrance of the mountain path, teetering on the brink of collapse. Most critically, Jin soldiers inside the Tumen Pass behind them seized the opportunity to swarm out and prepare to ambush Gongyang Zuo and his men from the rear.

Li Siyuan, in the distance, squinted his eyes, calmly waiting. But just as Li Cunxiao was about to completely tear apart the last line of defense, a deafening roar suddenly erupted from the other end of the pass, in the direction of the east gate of Tumen Pass. The sound wave swept through the canyon, making everyone's ears ring. Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared blankly to the east.

Gongyang Zuo and the remaining men exchanged a glance, a resolute look flashing in their eyes. Instead of retreating, they advanced, suddenly rushing towards the west gate of Tumen Pass, where the troops had just poured out.

Amidst the chaos inside and outside the pass, a man with a veiled face led over a hundred riders, bringing with him the pungent smell of gunpowder and a chilling aura, as they surged into the east gate of Tumen Pass, where sawdust flew everywhere. The newcomer spoke almost nothing; wherever he went, swords flashed, and Jin soldiers fell one after another. He fought his way from the east gate all the way to the vicinity of the west gate inside the pass, where he rescued Gongyang Zuo and the dozen or so surviving men, helping them mount their horses.

But this was not the end of it. The man with his face wrapped in a veil did not stop. Instead, he reined in his horse, turned towards the Jin army outside the west gate who were about to pursue them, and shouted loudly.

"By order of the King of Qin! The land west of Tumen Pass belongs to the State of Jin. However, the land east of this pass is Daliang, the capital of Jin! If any Jin troops dare to cross the border to pursue and kill us, it will be considered a declaration of war! Retreat immediately! Otherwise, the entire Hedong region will have no choice but to destroy the state to appease the King of Qin!"

The battlefield came to a standstill. The murderous Li Cunxiao also stopped in his tracks, scratching the back of his head in bewilderment as he looked back at his backbone, Li Siyuan.

Li Siyuan's face instantly turned ashen, but he did not respond directly. Instead, he raised his hand to signal Li Cunli to step forward, then spurred his horse forward a few steps, pointing at the man and demanding, "And who are you? You led your troops to break through my Tumen Pass, killing and wounding the guards. Does this not constitute a declaration of war between our two countries?"

"I am Wen Tao, a thousand-household commander of the Northern Garrison of the Great Liang! The man you just surrounded and killed was Gongyang Zuo, the Northern Garrison Commander of the Great Liang!" Wen Tao's eyes, the only part of his body visible, were as cold as ice. He pulled on the reins, swerved his horse left and right, intimidating the restless Jin soldiers around him. He also pointed at Li Siyuan: "I don't care who you are, but I will only give you one piece of advice: do not make a mistake!"

"Commander Wen, you flatter me." Li Siyuan's voice was unreadable, but every word was clear. "In the pursuit of the rebels, we must act expediently in an emergency. If there are any accidental injuries, the State of Jin will apologize to the King of Qin and provide generous compensation. However, the rebels are so close at hand, how can we afford to delay? Now that Commander Wen has arrived, why not come with me into the pass and capture the rebels together? This would be in the benefit of both countries."

Wen Tao sneered inwardly, but asked solemnly, "Does Your Excellency truly intend to enter the pass?"

"So what if it is?" Li Siyuan squinted.

Wen Tao said no more, gave a cold laugh, and spurred his horse eastward. The hundred or so cavalrymen who came with him did not hesitate and turned their horses around to follow closely, scattering iron nails and caltrops along the way.

"Fourth Brother." Li Cunli stepped forward at the opportune moment, hesitating to speak.

"We must pursue them!" Li Siyuan suppressed his surging anger, his tone almost reckless. "Send the Tongwen Hall and the Shang Organization to send men into the mountain pass. Sixth Brother, Tenth Brother, Eleventh Brother, follow me to pursue Wen Tao! We must capture and kill Bago and Li Cunren, and retrieve our adoptive father's belongings!"

Li Cunli, realizing the gravity of the situation, immediately ceased his admonitions. The black torrent split in two, each carrying an even more ferocious killing intent, rushing towards the snow-covered mountain valley and the snow-covered Hebei plain, respectively. The earth groaned under the iron hooves, and the wind and snow seemed to freeze in the face of this overwhelming killing intent.

------

South of Zhenzhou, in Zhaozhou, lies the Zhao King's Palace.

The palace, warm as spring, was filled with a faint scent of medicine and sandalwood. King Zhao Rong, wrapped in a heavy sable coat, was pale-faced and nervously fiddling with an exquisite hand warmer.

A close attendant rushed into the hall, his voice tinged with urgency: "Your Majesty! Urgent report! Marquis Xue of Jin, Li Cunli, and Governor of Daizhou, Li Cunren, have personally led several thousand elite cavalry across the border into Zhenzhou. Liang Dynasty's Wen Tao and his Iron Forest troops made a brief attempt to intercept them at Tumen Pass, but... but the Jin army still disregarded the obstruction and insisted on entering the territory. Zhao Hongyin, the garrison commander of Zhenzhou, has rushed to request an imperial edict for a decision!"

The hand warmer in the hands of the thirty-something King Zhao Rong fell and rolled a few times on the thick carpet. He stood up abruptly, but his body swayed uncontrollably, and his face turned ashen: "Disaster... disaster! The army of the King of Jin... how... how could they have entered my territory? Weren't they only supposed to assist the night scouts in searching for important people? How did they manage to lure the Jin army out of the pass and invade my borders?"

The attendant prostrated himself on the ground, not daring to answer. Wang Rong was at a loss and had no choice but to hastily summon his adopted son Zhang Wenli, his top general Li Honggui, and his most trusted eunuch Shi Ximeng into the palace.

After the three men entered the hall and learned the reason, Zhang Wenli immediately stepped forward and said urgently, "Your Majesty! Although the State of Jin has suffered a national loss, its foundation in Hedong remains intact, and its elite troops are unparalleled in the north. Li Cunren and Li Cunli are no ordinary men, and King Li Cunxu of Jin is an even more capable ruler. At this moment, they are acting on the king's orders to pursue and suppress the rebels, which is perfectly justified. If our State of Zhao were to forcibly obstruct them, it would be tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock, and we would immediately face the calamity of collapse. We should quickly order Zhao Hongyin to retreat, and send an envoy to apologize to King Li Cunxu and the Grand Commandant, making it clear that we have no intention of offending them, and allow them to act as they see fit, urging them to withdraw their troops as soon as possible. This is the best course of action!"

Li Honggui's face immediately darkened, but out of respect for Zhang Wenli's status, he could only remind him in a deep voice: "What you say is true, Lord Zhang. However, Prince Qin, Xiao Yan, is at the height of his power, having conquered Qi and Shu. His Tiance Prefecture already controls most of Hebei, Feng Dao is stationed in Yingzhou, and Wang Yanzhang is the governor of You and Ji. Our Zhao Kingdom has been a vassal state of the Liang Dynasty for many years, and Your Majesty and my eldest son are both hostages in Bianliang. Prince Qin's anger may be even greater than that of Jin. Wen Tao was specially ordered by Prince Qin to provide support. If we sit idly by and watch his subordinates be slaughtered, or even allow the Jin army to pursue and kill at will within our territory... When Prince Qin comes to punish us in the future, given Xiao Yan's strength, annexing Chengde and Yiwu may be as easy as turning his hand. At that time, how will we conduct ourselves?"

Zhang Wenli, his neck stiff, retorted rapidly, "General Li, you are mistaken. The power of the Liang Dynasty is well known. But it is precisely because of its power that its ambition to annex is so obvious! Xiao Yan has conquered Qi and destroyed Shu. How could he possibly allow the Hebei warlords to live in peace? The Zhao Kingdom will be annexed by it sooner or later. This is the will of Heaven, and cannot be reversed by human effort!"

“However…” He changed the subject, turning to Wang Rong, “Jin is different. Jin and Liang are mortal enemies. If Jin is strong, Liang is weak; if Liang is weak, Zhao might still have a chance to breathe. This is the principle of mutual dependence. If we offend Jin today to appease Liang, we will be cutting ourselves off from the only force that can check Liang. The main force of the Jin army has already entered our territory. If we forcibly stop them now, not only will we not help Wen Tao, but we will also bring about our annihilation. How can Zhao, a small country, withstand the conflict between two great powers alone? The most urgent task is to swallow our anger for now and let the Jin army act. This is not out of fear of Jin, but for the survival of Zhao! As for the King of Qin’s questioning…”

He took a deep breath. "Our Zhao state is weak, with few soldiers and generals, and is powerless to stop the Jin army from entering the country. This is the truth. If the King of Qin is angered by this, wouldn't he lose the support of all the regional warlords? At that time, I will personally go to Bianliang on behalf of my father and explain our predicament. Perhaps we can find a glimmer of hope. It is better than us all perishing now!"

Upon hearing this, Li Honggui, who knew which side this man had already sided with, immediately flew into a rage. This fellow's son was not in Bianliang, so of course he could speak so easily!
But he suppressed the urge to rebuke and was about to argue again when the eunuch Shi Ximeng, seeing the two arguing and Wang Rong's face growing paler, hurriedly interrupted in a shrill voice.

"Generals, please do not be hasty. In my humble opinion, this is a golden opportunity. Why not join forces with Wang Chuzhi, the Prince of Beiping, to establish the 'Hebei Self-Defense Alliance' and jointly resist the Jin and Liang armies? In the past, how glorious were the three towns of Hebei when they joined forces? Now, Xiao Yan is facing Jin in the north and Chu in the south, while Li Cunxu is trapped in Yunshuo. It is the time for our three towns to rise again. If we can get Wang Chuzhi's support, we can rely on the natural barrier of Taihang Mountain to maneuver."

Listening to the arguments from the three sides, Wang Rong felt a splitting headache and was completely at a loss. He slumped back onto his throne, buried his head in his hands, and cried out, "Jin is not to be trifled with... Liang is not to be trifled with... What... what should I do? What should I do!"

Li Honggui's words about Liang's anger and the hostage situation were still ringing in his ears, and Shi Ximeng's words about independence were tempting. However, Zhang Wenli's assertions that "Liang will surely swallow Zhao," "if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold," and "the city will be overthrown immediately" made him even more fearful. Thus, under the urging and debate of the group, he had no choice but to give the order with a trembling voice, which sounded particularly weak and powerless.

"Quickly, quickly send orders to Zhao Hongyin... and the soldiers at the front lines: do not engage the Jin army. If they want to arrest people... let them arrest! As long as they don't attack the cities... let them do as they please. Prepare generous gifts and send envoys... no, send high-ranking officials! Send them to Taiyuan to apologize and explain to the King of Jin, and to Bianliang to plead with the King of Qin. Tell them that our Zhao state is weak, with few soldiers and generals, and is truly powerless to stop the Jin army from crossing the border. We had no intention of disrespecting the King of Qin's request... I earnestly hope that Your Highness the King of Qin will understand..."

Zhang Wenli breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly praised his father as wise, but Li Honggui, frustrated and disappointed, slammed his fist down and stormed off.

Shi Ximeng, who had always been at odds with Li Honggui, sneered inwardly. He stepped forward and gently comforted the distraught Wang Rong, while waving his hand to signal his attendant to quickly deliver the imperial edict.

Before the two men could finish their words of comfort, and less than a quarter of an hour after the attendant left, a series of hurried and chaotic footsteps suddenly came from outside the hall. Another attendant practically tumbled and crawled into the hall, his face pale and his voice trembling with sobs.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened! An envoy from the Liang Dynasty has arrived!"

Wang Rong, who had just been coaxed, turned pale and blank for a moment. Zhang Wenli, however, suddenly stood up and asked sternly, "What's wrong? Could it be those Liang envoys who have been left in the city? Find an excuse to send them away. If they want to see the king, say that the king is ill."

“No, not from within the city…” The attendant’s face was deathly pale, his voice trembling uncontrollably, “It’s…it’s new! Wang Jingren, the military governor of Xingzhou Anguo during the Liang Dynasty…”

“Wang Jingren?” Zhang Wenli frowned, interrupting impatiently, “Wang Jingren isn’t good either, he still gets..."

"Not only! Not only!" the attendant almost cried out, his voice barely audible. "Wang Jingren, along with Luo Shaowei, the Prince of Ye and Military Governor of Weibo, Tian Daocheng, Commander of the Palace Guard, Li Si'an, Commander of the Iron Cavalry, Yan Bao, Military Commissioner of Mingzhou, Le Congxun, Prefect of Xiangzhou, and He Delun, Prefect of Beizhou, were the seven envoys. They...they killed the messengers we sent to Zhenzhou to deliver the imperial edict, ordering Your Majesty to personally come out of the palace to receive the emperor immediately. Just now, before the city gates were even locked, they led their troops all the way in, killing dozens of guards...Now, they are being led by General Li Honggui, and they have arrived right at the palace gates!"

The hall suddenly became dead silent.

Zhang Wenli's stern expression froze instantly. His mouth gaped open in astonishment, his eyes filled with bewilderment and confusion, as if he had been stunned by the string of names.

Shi Ximeng, who was standing to the side, was about to ask a question: How could half of the military governors and prefects of Hebei have gathered in Zhao Prefecture? But he seemed to have thought of something, and he and Zhang Wenli both swallowed hard. Then they turned their heads suddenly and in alarm to look at the throne.

But then they saw that their King Zhao, Wang Rong, had turned pale again, and his body swayed. Without uttering a sound, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted from fright.

(End of this chapter)