The Empress Kneels in Her Palace to Admit Her Mistakes After Slaying Her Ways in the Female-Oriented

Ren Tianye suddenly stood up.

Tongguan Pass has fallen?

Tongguan Pass is the gateway to the capital, and its natural defenses are as formidable as a natural barrier.

He had been keeping a close eye on Lin Zixiao's army. According to intelligence, they were still quite a distance from Kyoto. How could this be...?

We arrived at Tongguan in no time?

Could they really breach Tongguan Pass in an instant?

It should be noted that as soon as he took control of the capital, he immediately reinforced the surrounding defenses. The generals appointed to key locations like Tongguan were all elite troops brought from his northern frontier.

Absolutely loyal to him, yet it's broken?

"Lord Baoguo!"

The messenger said, "It is said that the deputy envoy in the city was persuaded by someone sent by Lin Zixiao to kill the garrison commander and surrender Tongguan."

"Lin Zixiao's army was originally very far away, but it was obviously premeditated, so they sped up their march, bypassed several large cities, and rushed straight here."

Ren Tianye suddenly realized.

Although what the messenger said was mostly speculation.

Judging from the actual situation, it should be roughly the same.

I never expected Lin Zixiao to have such methods!

This instantly made Ren Tianye's situation critical.

After all, Tongguan was the gateway to the capital. Now that Tongguan had fallen, the gates of the capital were wide open, and Lin Zixiao's men could rush to the city walls at any time, posing a threat to him.

This matter is extremely urgent.

Ren Tianye dared not be negligent in the slightest and immediately issued an order to summon military generals such as Wei Shuo, Wang Ming, and Shi Hu, as well as civil officials such as Su Pengcheng, to the Duke of Ren's mansion to discuss important matters.

Su Jin originally had something to report.

For her, it was still a huge deal.

But seeing the situation now, he shut his mouth and had no choice but to put down the letter from his second uncle, Su Hong, which he was holding, and wait for a suitable opportunity to take it out again.

She then said her farewell and slowly withdrew.

As soon as she stepped down, Wang Ming, Wei Shuo, and others arrived at the tent. With scouts reporting one after another, everyone had a clearer understanding of the situation of Lin Zixiao's army.

After capturing Tongguan, Lin Zixiao's army did not rest for long and rushed straight to the capital at great speed.

"They want a quick and decisive victory!"

Ren Tianye instantly guessed Lin Zixiao's thoughts.

After discussing the matter with his generals and soldiers, he decided not to sit idly by and wait for death.

Although, with his current strength, and with the high walls and thick walls of Kyoto, he had every opportunity to sit in the city and watch Lin Zixiao arrive, and then turn Kyoto into a fortified city.

but,

How can we simply hand over the initiative in the war?

It's important to understand that any battle involves more than just direct confrontation; morale and the overall situation are often the deciding factors.

Ren Tianye then ordered, "Where is Wei Shuo?"

Wei Shuo was instantly jolted awake.

Is it his turn again?

Haha, I never thought that even in his old age, he would still have the opportunity to make contributions to the new dynasty.

He immediately stepped forward and said, "Your subordinate is here."

"You are tasked with leading 50,000 elite troops to ambush the rebels at an abandoned post station 30 miles outside the capital. However, remember, this is not a death battle with the rebels. Your focus is on harassing the enemy's supply lines, mopping up the vanguard, and conducting night raids."

"To wear down their morale!"

"If given the opportunity, we should try every means to cut off their supply routes."

Wei Shuo was somewhat disappointed upon hearing this.

I thought the Duke was going to put him in command of the elite troops and carry out a decapitation strike, but I didn't expect the operation to be so conservative.

However, he also knew that the Duke was responsible for defending the capital and would never be able to lead a light cavalry charge to fight such a fast-paced, blitzkrieg-like war as he had.

He immediately bowed and accepted the order.

Ren Tianye then explained the situation to the others one by one.

Relatively speaking, it's more conventional.

It's nothing more than layered defense, internal control, and other similar measures.

Their strategies are all about seeking stability first and then pursuing victory.

Everyone accepted the order.

Ren Tianye stood up and said, "Lin Zixiao, son of Lin Zi, started an uprising in the south to avenge his father. Along the way, he has gathered heroes and good men. Now he has seven brothers who call themselves the Seven Heroes of Chifeng, and each of them is extraordinary."

"In this battle, you must all give it your all."

"Stay true to your duty and wait for the right opportunity."

Everyone roared in agreement, "Yes!"

Immediately, everyone went about their respective tasks.

Ren Tianye, while keeping a close eye on military affairs, also sent a message to the palace to inquire about the recent situation of Empress Xiao Mingzhao.

After all, Lin Zixiao raised an army because Empress Xiao Mingzhao killed his father, and he raised the army under the slogan "The emperor is foolish and kills the loyal, so we raise an army to quell the rebellion".

Their goal was to get Empress Xiao Mingzhao.

If he could revive Xiao Mingzhao, then he would have a chance to make a move on this matter.

Of course, Ren Tianye was aware of this as well.

The slogans are just slogans. Once the army sets out, conquers cities and seizes territory, and is now almost at the gates of Kyoto, then the slogans will actually become less important.

After all, no one can refuse the supreme ruler.

Lin Zixiao's subordinates were even less likely to refuse the opportunity to serve him.

but……

The necessary procedures still need to be carried out.

If it has even the slightest effect, then it has an effect.

……

Night was approaching.

Amidst the rolling mountains, Wei Shuo and his men lay in ambush.

As a skilled warrior who dared to lead a light cavalry deep into the desert back then, Wei Shuo's ability to use people was quite extraordinary.

Ren Tianye assigned him 50,000 elite troops, but he did not send out all 50,000. Instead, he selected only the 3,000 most elite troops.

These three thousand men, without heavy armor or extra equipment on their horses, hid in the deep mountains and dense forests during the day, completely concealing their tracks, and only planned to act at night.

However, their geographical location was quite good, allowing them to clearly see Lin Zixiao's 200,000-strong army, which had already set up camp.

As the saying goes, a true expert's skill is immediately apparent upon their first move.

Wei Shuo knew from just looking at Lin Zixiao's troop deployment that Lin Zixiao had definitely received the true teachings of Lin Yi, the commander of the Chifeng Army.

Lin Zixiao's 200,000-strong army was encamped only 30 miles from the capital, nestled against the mountains and beside the water. The four camps in front and behind guarded the central government, with flags of five colors, clear divisions of troops, and strict watchtowers.

From afar, it resembles a boulder standing on the plain; up close, it looks like an iron chain across the river.

Every move and stance has its own rules and methods.

It is a sight to behold and will chill one to the bone.

"Lin Zixiao is truly remarkable!" Even Wei Shuo couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "A born general, capable of commanding an army of two hundred thousand—he has the makings of an emperor!"

"Unfortunately, we ran into the Duke."

"If it weren't for the Duke, the world of Great Yu would surely have fallen into the hands of Lin Zixiao."

"But now..."

"You'll have to take my hit first!"

Wei Shuo had already made up his mind.

Lin Zixiao's army has just arrived, so we need to make Lin Zixiao suffer a setback, dampen his spirits, and wear down the morale of their army.

Of course, Wei Shuo strictly followed Ren Tianye's orders.

He wouldn't actually follow his usual pattern and launch a sudden attack. What he wanted to do was to harass Lin Zixiao's supply lines, as Ren Tianye had planned.

He had already thoroughly investigated Lin Zixiao's grain supply routes.

The grain supplies were transported from various southern states, including Jingxiang and Jianghuai, so they had to pass through a main official road, with at most some secondary mountain roads.

These are the places that Wei Shuo intends to target.

……