Dream of the Red Chamber: After being exiled, I went on a killing spree in Liaodong.

Their only hope was that Duke Jia Yi of Qin had not gone far. If he could return to their aid, there might be a glimmer of hope.

"Yes!" The guard obeyed and ran off quickly.

Sun Hai turned and walked towards the sand table, his gaze sweeping across the map before finally settling on Nanjing.

The plan has been decided.

In the battle of the field, their momentum was blunted, and they retreated to Nanjing. Relying on the strong city walls and high ramparts, they could wait for reinforcements to arrive and perhaps turn the tide.

The next day, the White Lotus Sect did not attack, but instead arrayed its troops in the countryside.

Sun Hai climbed to a high place and looked into the distance. He saw a dark mass of people, a sea of ​​people, a forest of banners, and shouts that sounded like rolling thunder.

A chill ran down his spine.

The last time I saw so many living people crammed together was back when the Later Jin cavalry were pressing in outside Shanhaiguan.

Meanwhile, the carrier pigeons braved wind and rain, working tirelessly day and night, and finally arrived in the capital.

Clutching the secret letter, Xia Shouzhong stumbled and rushed into the palace gate, losing one of his shoes in the process.

Inside the Imperial Study, Emperor Yuankang was in a private discussion with Mark Chao and Wu Ci'en about the threat posed by the Mongol Yuan dynasty, his expression grave.

"Xia Shouzhong? What has caused such a loss of composure!" Emperor Yuankang suddenly stood up.

The fact that this old eunuch was so flustered was no small matter.

Could it be... that the Mongol Yuan dynasty moved south ahead of schedule?

"Your Majesty! Sun Hai has sent an urgent report!" Xia Shouzhong knelt and presented the letter, his voice trembling, "The rebels in Jiangnan... number over 250,000!"

"What?!"

Mark Chao and Cien Wu exclaimed in unison, their expressions changing drastically.

The Great Qian Dynasty has been established for a hundred years, and there have been constant popular uprisings, but they have always amounted to only tens of thousands of rabble, which rise and fall in an instant.

But this time—

Two hundred and fifty thousand!

The heart of an entire dynasty is being ripped open with a bloody gash!

The two men pressed their hands tightly to their chests, slumped in their chairs, their hearts pounding like drums, unable to calm down for a long time.

The world is in utter chaos these days.

Jia Yi led his troops into Nanjing and wiped out the powerful and wealthy overnight, leaving no one alive.

After a few years of relative calm, the Mongol Yuan dynasty suddenly sharpened its swords again, threatening to invade the south.

Even more explosive was the rebellion of the people of Jiangnan! A full 250,000 troops, under the banner of "purging the emperor's corrupt advisors," burned government offices, beheaded officials, and the flames of war raged across the land!

"Your Majesty... what should we do now?"

Emperor Yuankang's face turned pale, and his fingers trembled slightly. He was filled with deep regret. If only he had been more ruthless back then and uprooted the Zhen family completely, how could he have ended up in this state of widespread public resentment?

"Let the Duke of Qin return with his troops and save Jiangnan first!" Wu Ci'en stood up abruptly, his voice resolute.

"But what about the Mongol Yuan forces?" Emperor Yuankang gritted his teeth. "The Embroidered Uniform Guard's intelligence says they've amassed five or four hundred thousand cavalry, ready to march south at any moment! We're being attacked from both sides, how can we possibly withstand this?"

He wouldn't be afraid of even if it were just one of these things.

After all, with Jia Yi around, even if the sky falls, they can hold it up.

The problem is—no matter how powerful Jia Yi is, he's still just a mortal and can't be in two places at once!

"Send Jia Yi to Jiangnan."

An aged yet steady voice rang out.

The retired emperor walked slowly into the imperial study, his dragon robe not yet straightened, but his steps were as steady as a mountain.

"The Mongol Yuan dynasty will advance south in at least three or four months."

"Immediately send someone to deliver an imperial edict, ordering Jia Yi to turn back and quell the rebellion."

Without saying a word, Xia Shouzhong turned and left, his movements swift and decisive.

"But Father... what if the Mongols make their move beforehand?" Emperor Yuankang was still unwilling to give up.

"These nine border strongholds are not just for show," the retired emperor sneered. "Niu Jizong commands 120,000 troops of the capital garrison, guarding the capital. Even if they can't hold out the entire front, they can easily hold out until Jia Yi returns to reinforce."

He paused, looked at the overcast sky outside the hall, and said in a low voice:

"But... it's the common people who are suffering."

Emperor Yuankang remained silent, his gaze passing through the main hall and landing on the distant horizon where smoke and dust billowed.

It felt like a huge boulder was pressing on my heart.

This emperor was a pathetic and shameful ruler.

"Their lives were exchanged for a glimmer of hope for the Great Qian Dynasty."

The retired emperor closed his eyes, his tone heavy, "We...have no other choice."

---

"Madam! The Duke... is not coming back!"

Baozhu burst into the room with a shrill voice, startling Qin Keqing, who was kneeling in front of the Buddha burning incense and praying for blessings. She fell to the ground with a thud, knocking over the incense burner.

"Baozhu! Has something happened to Third Master?!"

Qin Keqing grabbed her wrist tightly, her fingertips were icy cold, her eyes instantly turned red, and tears welled up in her eyes, as if they were about to burst forth.

"No, no!" Baozhu quickly waved her hands. "Madam, you've misunderstood! The Duke is fine, he's perfectly alright! It's just... we just received news from the palace that there's a peasant uprising in Jiangnan, and the court has urgently ordered him to change course and quell the rebellion!"

Qin Keqing felt a sudden relaxation throughout her body and almost collapsed.

Ruizhu quickly stepped forward to support her, and glared fiercely at Baozhu: "Your mouth is enough to scare people to death, isn't it?"

Baozhu stuck out her tongue and shrank her neck.

She never expected that her words would frighten the mistress like this...

---

At this moment, the southern battlefield was filled with the deafening sounds of battle.

Sun Hai led the Jiangnan Grand Camp in a crossfire with the White Lotus Sect's allied forces.

The light of blades shone in the sunlight, blood mist filled the air, severed limbs and heads littered the ground, and the earth was stained dark red.

"Fortunately... I can still fight."

Sun Hai stood on the high slope, looking at the soldiers who were still struggling ahead, and felt a little relieved.

They had assumed this rabble would scatter at the first charge, but the White Lotus Sect had unexpectedly fielded an army of 250,000, a truly astonishing force.

"Order the entire army to advance! Leave no room for retreat!"

With a wave of his hand, he deployed all 50,000 of his most elite troops to the battlefield.

He mounted his horse and personally charged into the enemy ranks with his spear.

"kill!!!"

But just as he charged forward, a man suddenly leaped out from the enemy ranks in the distance!

Li Tianyi, clad in armor and wielding a hammer, with broad shoulders and a thick back, charged straight at the central army of the Jiangnan camp like a demon god descending to earth!

"Bang!!!"

"Bang!!!"

With each step, the ground trembled.

With every swing of the hammer, a soldier's head explodes, blood splattering everywhere!

Wherever they went, corpses littered the ground, and no one dared to stand in their way!

"Waaaaah—"

As the horns blared, the morale of the White Lotus sect surged, and they launched a full-scale counterattack!

Sun Hai's pupils contracted as he stared intently at the charging figure: "Who is that person?! How can they be so ferocious!"

Alarm bells rang in his mind.

This isn't a traitor; it's a demon descended to earth!

What chilled him even more was—

The soldiers behind him were beginning to waver.

Some people quietly retreated, while others frequently looked back, waiting for the commander's flag to move so they could immediately slip away.

Who was Li Tianyi? He saw through the enemy's wavering morale at a glance.

A sinister smile spread across his face.

"Brothers—come with me to take his head!!!"

So he relentlessly pursued a troop in the enemy formation, like a hungry wolf eyeing a deer with a broken leg, waiting for a fatal blow.

Once this route is defeated, the entire Jiangnan Grand Camp will collapse like a tall building whose foundation has crumbled!

"Quick! Stop him!"

Sun Hai finally saw through Li Tianyi's killing move, and his voice changed.

He suddenly waved his hand, and his personal guards surged out like a tide, their blades flashing in the blood-red sunset, rushing straight at the figure that seemed possessed by a demon god.

"One comes, kill one! Two come, wipe out two!"

Li Tianyi roared like thunder, swinging his heavy hammer in a deathly whirlwind.