The Later Three Kingdoms: Slaying Deng Ai, and Reviving the Han Dynasty

Chapter 136 Seizing Power (Part Two)

"Da da da!!!"

"drive!"

Chengdu was like a boiling pot of water; those with ability and those without all wanted to leave the city for refuge.

People panicked, people were terrified, people were afraid.

"Make way, make way."

Wearing heavy armor and a long, sharp lance, with a bow and arrows hanging from his back and wielding a golden whip, Mi Zhao led more than ten men, also clad in heavy armor, galloping towards the palace.

His face was cold and hard; he showed no mercy to anyone who blocked his path, raising his whip to strike. Wherever he went, men and horses fell over.

That's too late.

He had to rush back to the Tiger Cavalry camp, otherwise some of the Tiger Cavalry might scatter on their own.

"Make way, make way!" More than ten strong men under Mi Zhao's command waved long spears with holsters to drive away the people.

Chaos, chaos, chaos!!!

In this race against time, Mi Zhao led more than ten riders into the palace and arrived at the Tiger Cavalry Camp.

Just as Mi Zhao had predicted, most of the Tiger Cavalry were prepared to obey orders, but a small number planned to leave.

With the commander absent, what's the point of fighting?

When they saw Mi Zhao return, the Tiger Cavalry, who were originally preparing to pack up and go home, looked completely bewildered. "Didn't you go home? What are you doing back here?"

"Whoa!!!" Mi Zhao tightened the reins, and the warhorse beneath him stopped abruptly in pain, turning back to look at Mi Zhao with displeasure.

Mi Zhao took a deep breath, shook his body, revealing a sharp look, and took the lance from his shoulder and held it behind him. A cavalryman dismounted, knelt on one knee, and took the black holster from Mi Zhao.

The sharp edge flashed and disappeared in an instant, the long spear exuding an astonishing killing intent.

Mi Zhao shouted loudly, "By imperial decree, the Prince of Beidi is appointed General of the Coffins and Caskets, leading several thousand soldiers from the princes and the crown prince."

"I have also decided to go into battle. I will send men to retrieve the Tiger Cavalry who have returned home, and immediately muster my troops and prepare for battle."

"Chang Ping, Zhao Zhong, Liu Yang, and Deng Yuan, you are in charge of the Tiger Cavalry affairs. I'm going to see General Zhuge right away."

He was physically strong and had a loud voice. The Tiger Cavalry Camp was not large, and even in a noisy environment, his voice could not be drowned out.

All the remaining Tiger Riders were immediately stunned, then their blood boiled, and they shouted, "Yes!"

Those whose names were called by Mi Zhao immediately scattered to gather their troops.

The morale and mobility of the Tiger Cavalry increased by more than half.

Mi Zhao was the commander-in-chief, and he treated them very well on a regular basis.

Before Liu Chen fell from his horse, he enjoyed training in riding and archery with them. Before being enfeoffed as a king, Liu Chen often led them on hunts.

Regardless of whether the King of the North is infamous or not, they have a good impression of Liu Chen, who is now in charge.

Mi Zhao returned, and the morale of the army instantly rallied.

"Knock knock knock!!!!"

"Waaaaah!!"

The Tiger Cavalry beat drums to rally their troops, and some left the Tiger Cavalry camp to catch up with those who had already returned home.

Just as Mi Zhao ordered.

"I will not go to a battle that is doomed to failure. But the King of the North... is a brother. And he has a chance." Mi Zhao's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and the thought of Liu Chen made his blood boil. He turned his horse around and shouted, "Come with me to see General Zhuge!"

"Yes!" More than ten riders responded loudly in unison, escorting Mi Zhao to General Wei's residence.

General Wei's residence.

Soldiers guarded the mansion, their faces solemn, their vigilance extremely high. In these chaotic times, they had to be wary of assassins.

The gates opened, and countless officials and generals came and went.

Inside the lobby.

Zhuge Zhan sat in the main seat, with General Zhao Guang, Minister Zhang Zun, and Li Qiu, the Right Commander of the Imperial Guards, among others, below him.

Beside him was Zhuge Shang, who was only eighteen years old.

Zhuge Shang wore a short cap and a linen robe with the sleeves tied up. He knelt with a sword in his hand, looking heroic and upright.

He glanced at his father, then at the assembled generals, his heart trembling with excitement. Like a newborn calf unafraid of a tiger, he knew the nation was in grave danger, yet he couldn't contain his excitement.

He felt the call of the battlefield; he wanted to be like Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, leading his troops to victory in every battle.

The others didn't share Zhuge Shang's excitement; every single one of them had a grim expression on their face.

First, there is a shortage of personnel.

Many generals and officers have fled.

Even the soldiers deserted. The Imperial Guard could barely muster 30,000 men, but their organization was disorganized.

Moreover, the Imperial Guards have not fought in many years, and their combat effectiveness is truly worrying.

He led these 30,000 men to fight against Deng Ai's 30,000 elite troops from Yong and Liang.

Even Zhuge Zhan, who had never led troops, knew that this was impossible.

The fact that these people are sitting together to discuss what to do instead of running away immediately is already quite impressive.

"Da da da!!!!"

Suddenly, an official rushed in, stumbled and fell to the ground. He scrambled to his feet, his face extremely grim, and said, "Reporting to the general, much of the grain in the granary has rotted. The quantity is also much less. Many weapons and equipment are damaged. Bows are eaten by insects, weapons are rusted, and even saddles are mostly broken."

Zhuge Zhan and the others had already sensed something was wrong when they saw the officials in such a panic, but upon hearing this, their expressions changed drastically, and they all stood up, revealing expressions of disbelief.

"Leaving aside weapons, the granaries in Chengdu are piled high with grain!" Zhuge Zhan couldn't help but step forward, grab the official by the collar, and exclaimed with wide eyes, "How could it all be rotten?"

Zhuge Zhan had been in charge of the government for years, and he hadn't noticed that even the granaries were empty.

Zhuge Zhan is simple-minded; the others need to remain calm.

Zhang Zun sighed, plopped back down, and said, "It's rotten to the core. It's full of rats. What kind of rats have a granary and don't steal food? Just because the numbers match doesn't mean there's that much actual food."

After a pause, he looked up at Zhuge Zhan and said, "General, don't worry about whether the numbers are correct or not. First, make sure the current grain is accounted for and put away securely. Then, requisition grain from the powerful clans inside and outside the city, as much as you can. Inventory the quantity of equipment; use the good ones. Let the rotten ones rot."

The official whose collar had been grabbed by Zhuge Zhan looked utterly miserable.

Zhuge Zhan froze for a moment, then blankly released the official, slowly walked to his seat, and sat down, looking dazed. What have I done? What have I done all these years assisting the court?

They did nothing.

Huang Hao!!!

He was now increasingly resonating with Jiang Wei's feelings, and he even wished he could lead his troops to the palace to kill Huang Hao.

But he can't do that.

He is not a traitor or a rebel.

He couldn't bring himself to send troops to attack the palace.

"Father," Zhuge Shang called out, noticing his father's lack of response. "Give the order quickly! Take stock of what we have now; we're setting out tomorrow."

Zhuge Zhan then realized what was happening and ordered the officials, "Do as Minister Zhang says."

"Yes." The official composed himself, nodded, and turned to leave.

No sooner had he left than another official entered from outside. His face beaming with joy, he reported, "Reporting to the General."

"General Huqi Jianmi, along with the King of Beidi and General Caiguan, have arrived."