Having many children brings many blessings; the struggle for power begins with marriage.

Ziyang City.

As the autumn wind blew, General Du Yongyuan of the imperial court stood on the city wall, looking at the Northern Kingdom's flag fluttering in the distance, his heart filled with worry.

Although he had never personally experienced the fighting prowess of the Northern Kingdom soldiers, the several wars the Northern Kingdom had fought since the Northern King arrived showed that the Northern Kingdom's army was far superior to that of the Great Xia army.

The Northern Kingdom not only defeated the northern barbarians, but also the powerful Great Wu, even forcing Great Wu to cede territory and pay reparations. The Northern Kingdom was no longer just a vassal state of a single dynasty.

Moreover, this time the Northern army marched south, and it wasn't just the Northern soldiers who went south; the Northern King also went south with them. If it were just the Northern army that went south, then the Northern Kingdom would most likely only be trying to achieve some kind of political goal. But if the Northern King went south with them, then it proves that the Northern King was aiming to seize the throne.

Any enemy that stands in the way of the Northern King will be wiped out by the Northern army.

There was another very painful thing in Du Yongyuan's heart.

When he was heading north, the Xia emperor had someone hint to him that if he encountered the northern army, he should put up a symbolic resistance, but he should never actually resist. In the end, they had to create the appearance that the imperial army had been defeated.

As a smart man, Du Yongyuan could not possibly not know what Emperor Xia was planning. Emperor Xia wanted to lure the Northern King to the capital.

It was one thing for the Xia Emperor to lead the Northern King to the capital, but he also had to send 200,000 troops north to their deaths. It would have been better not to send them at all; they could have stayed in the capital and waited for the Northern King to lead his army south.

What's the point of doing this?

Doing so would only deplete the imperial army's troops and demoralize them. Once the Northern King arrived in the capital, the imperial army's chances of winning would actually decrease.

Just then, a lieutenant approached Du Yongyuan and said, "General, according to our scouts, there are only 200,000 Northern soldiers near Anping City. Should we launch an attack?"

Upon hearing this, Du Yongyuan chuckled, "Taking the initiative to attack? You certainly have a knack for that."

"Rumor has it that in the battle of Yong'an County, the Northern Kingdom's soldiers defeated the Great Wu's 300,000-strong army in less than a day. Do you really think that we new recruits are more capable than the Great Wu's seasoned veterans?"

The 200,000 imperial soldiers led by Du Yongyuan were not the elite of the imperial army; they were all recruited in the last year or two, and many of them had never fought in a battle, so they had virtually no combat capability.

Du Yongyuan suspected that the Xia Emperor might have deliberately sent 200,000 troops to their deaths so that the Northern Kingdom would think that the imperial army was only this weak and thus lower their guard.

If elite troops had been sent from the beginning to resist the northern army's attack, the northern king would have been very cautious when he marched south.

Not sending troops is also not an option. If the imperial court doesn't send a single soldier, even a fool could guess that the court has dug a huge pit for the Northern King and is waiting for him to fall into it.

Regardless of the reason, Du Yongyuan was very unhappy.

Du Yongyuan is a general, after all. If he suffers a defeat, it will damage his reputation.

But he also knew that his 200,000 lazy recruits were no match for the Northern Army; he was just a tool in the hands of the Xia Emperor.

Thinking of this, Du Yongyuan sighed. Oh well, he was just a general and couldn't change anything. He would just have to obey the Xia Emperor's orders.

at the same time.

Anping City, where Lu Chen temporarily stayed.

After a period of preparation, all pre-battle work has been completed, and all that remains is for Lu Chen to give the order.

At this moment, Xuan Yuan Chen arrived at Lu Chen's study where he was temporarily handling government affairs. "Your Majesty, we are now awaiting your command."

Lu Chen glanced at the map on his desk and said calmly, "No rush. Send someone to deliver this letter to the garrison commander of Ziyang City."

At this point, Lu Chen pushed the letter he had just written in front of Xuan Yuan Chen.

Looking at the letter in front of him, Xuan Yuan Chen instantly understood Lu Chen's meaning. Lu Chen intended to persuade Du Yong Yuan to surrender. After all, Du Yong Yuan and his 200,000 troops were all from the Great Xia, and Lu Chen himself was a vassal king of the Great Xia, so it would be best to avoid war if possible.

Xuanyuan Chen took the letter and immediately said, "I will arrange for someone to deliver it right away."

Xuan Yuan Chen then left the study and sent someone to deliver Lu Chen's handwritten letter to Du Yongyuan.

It was evening.

By the dim candlelight, Du Yongyuan was still examining the map, trying to find the best escape route.

Just then, a soldier at the door said, "General, the Northern King has sent an envoy!"

Upon hearing this, Du Yongyuan was taken aback.

He immediately came out of the room, looked at the soldier at the door, and asked, "Who did you say sent an envoy?"

The soldier replied, "General, it is the King of the North."

After pondering for a moment, Du Yongyuan said, "Immediately invite the envoy to the study."

"Yes, General."

A short while later, a soldier from the Northern Kingdom dressed as an ordinary civilian arrived at Du Yongyuan's study. He personally handed Du Yongyuan a letter, saying, "General Du, this is a letter from our King. He hopes that you will prioritize the well-being of the nation and not become a follower of traitors."

Hearing this, Du Yongyuan chuckled inwardly. The Northern King had the nerve to call others traitors when he himself had come south to fight for the throne.

Du Yongyuan then took the letter from the soldier, opened it, and began to read it carefully.

Lu Chen's meaning was very simple: he wanted him to surrender directly and not get involved in the struggle for the throne.

Du Yongyuan thought that if he surrendered directly, wouldn't that be the same as standing on the side of the Northern King, and wouldn't he also be involved in the struggle for the throne?

Moreover, the Xia Emperor is still alive, and the Northern King's southward march is an attempt to seize power. If he were to surrender to me now, he would become a rebel himself.

If he betrays his country, his relatives and friends in the capital will all suffer.

Du Yongyuan then said to the Northern soldiers in front of him, "Go back and tell the Northern King that he appreciates the King's kindness, but my relatives and friends are in the capital. I do not want to be a traitor, nor can I be a traitor."

After hearing Du Yongyuan's words, the soldier didn't say anything more; he was just a messenger. "I understand."

Du Yongyuan then ordered the northern soldiers who were delivering the message to be escorted out of Ziyang City.

After the northern soldiers left Ziyang City, Du Yongyuan stared blankly at the letter in his hand.

Du Yongyuan had no idea who would be the final winner. As things stood, the Northern Kingdom was indeed very strong, having even defeated the Great Wu.

However, the Crown Prince and the Prince of Zhao in the south are also quite powerful, and they also have a chance to compete for that position.

Of course, the key issue is that his relatives and friends are still in the capital, so he cannot betray the court at this time under any circumstances.

If he surrenders, his family and friends will likely become victims of his blade immediately. (End of Chapter)