Courtyard House: A System Connecting Two Worlds, Resources for the Nation

After the three entered the hall and took their seats, Chen Xiao personally poured tea for them. Without beating around the bush, he spoke directly: "My lords, now that things have come to this, I will not hold back some things. My Celestial Master is on his way back, and the Empress Dowager and Emperor of Xiao Kingdom are being escorted in the entourage. They should arrive at the North Gate of Tokyo in a day at most."

Xiao Qinyan nodded, holding his teacup.

Although he knew nothing about Zhou Feng's methods in resolving the Liao Kingdom in such a short time and bringing people back to Tokyo, for someone who had already chosen a side, the more mysterious and powerful Zhou Feng was, the more it proved that his choice was correct.

Gao Hu's hand trembled slightly. He seemed to have guessed what Chen Xiao was going to say next! If he guessed correctly, it would be disobedient words from the whole family.

Sure enough, after scanning the two men's faces, Chen Xiao continued, "Once the Celestial Master returns, it's time to get down to business. Some people and some positions should be reshuffled!"

He didn't name names, but Xiao Qinyan and Gao Hu both glanced in the direction of the palace before quickly turning back. The former even took a slow sip of tea, pretending to be calm.

Gao Hu suddenly lowered his voice: "Lord Chen, there is something I must remind you of. When the Imperial City Guard was mobilized today, there was also movement from the Imperial Guard. The men I sent to scout back said that the Imperial Guard at the western camp of the city received a secret order, prepared for battle, and there are quite a few of them. They have already set off."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiao not only did not show any signs of nervousness, but instead leaned back in his chair and chuckled softly.

"Does Lord Gao mean that the Imperial Guards are coming to surround us?"

"That shouldn't be the case. That imperial guard force is quite large, and they haven't shown any signs of entering the city; instead, they've headed north. I think..."

They headed north, clearly heading towards Zhou Feng, who was escorting the Liao Empress Dowager and Emperor back to the city!

Chen Xiao, however, casually picked up his teacup, took a sip, and slowly said, "Lord Gao, what do you think of the fighting strength of the few dozen men left behind by my Celestial Master's Mansion compared to the Imperial City Guard and the Forbidden Army?"

Gao Hu paused for a moment, recalling the miserable state of Lei Jing and his men, and the chaotic environment in the courtyard. A bitter smile appeared on his face as he shook his head and said, "The Imperial City Guards are all highly skilled and ruthless, yet hundreds of them have perished here. Lord Chen's men should be able to take on a hundred men each, and if they were from the Imperial Guards, they could easily take on two hundred men each."

"So, Lord Gao, you think... those thousand-plus men who came down from the Song-Liao battlefield, led by the Celestial Master, each armed with a spear and carrying ample ammunition, plus over twenty armored carts, how many Imperial Guards would it take to subdue them?"

Hearing Chen Xiao's question, Gao Hu opened his mouth, but swallowed the words that were about to come out.

To make a simple comparison, the hundreds of elite troops of the Imperial City Guard were beaten into this state by the dozens of people left behind by the Celestial Master's Mansion.

Meanwhile, over a thousand people returned from Yingzhou, carrying far more weapons and equipment than those who remained behind, including the armored vehicles Chen Xiao had mentioned…

The Imperial Guards who went to ambush them are probably doomed!

According to his men's description of the weapon called "gun," the group could kill enemies hundreds of paces away simply by hiding and using it.

If this magical artifact weren't unique to Zhou Feng, he would have wanted to bring back two to try them out.

Having said all that, it was practically an open secret. Gao Hu didn't hesitate at all. He put his cup down on the table and looked intently at Chen Xiao: "I underestimated the Celestial Master. You are an immortal envoy from Penglai. How could you be ambushed and injured by these mortals? In that case, when the Celestial Master returns, we'll deal with it as it comes! As for the civil officials, Minister Xiao is helping to keep an eye on them. As for the military officers... I'm not very capable, but I do have some friends and acquaintances. I can appease those who need to be appeased and persuade those who need to surrender. If I were to step in, I could at least stabilize seventy or eighty percent of the situation."

Xiao Qinyan raised his eyelids and glanced at Gao Hu.

This guy, you can just talk about your own military generals, why are you mentioning my civil officials?

Wouldn't I, an old man, bring it up myself?

After clearing his throat, Xiao Qinyan nodded slightly: "Aside from the officials introduced to the Celestial Master at the birthday banquet a few days ago, the Imperial City Guard has suffered a great loss here. I'm sure those who are still observing are aware of this. Once the Celestial Master enters the city, coupled with his unparalleled feats, I will be able to persuade quite a few civil officials to surrender."

"Alright! Then I thank you both very much! Let's do everything we can before the Celestial Master returns."

Chen Xiao chuckled and glanced at the two people in front of him out of the corner of his eye.

It's good to roll it up!

It would be much easier for these two men, one a scholar and the other a warrior, to govern the country if they were to work together.

After listening to their words, Chen Xiao stood up and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, saying, "Then I'll trouble you two. Before the Celestial Master returns, let's do everything we can."

Chen Xiao had another pot of tea served in the main hall, and discussed many details with Gao Hu and Xiao Qinyan before letting them leave.

Before, they were afraid that the Imperial City Guard would deal with them, but now that the Imperial City Guard has been crippled, what is there to be afraid of?

If the emperor wanted to use the Imperial Guards to suppress the rebellion, Lin Yin could have overheard the order before it even left the palace.

This is the true meaning of knowing yourself and your enemy, and you will never be defeated.

Meanwhile, in the inner palace, Lei Jing stood with his head down in the warm pavilion, reporting his crushing defeat to Zhao Heng in detail, his face showing a mixture of shame and fear.

After all, it was an armed force directly under His Majesty the Emperor. Hundreds of people were captured and trapped in the Celestial Master's Mansion in a single encounter. No matter how you look at it, this was due to Lei Jing's poor command.

To his surprise, Zhao Heng did not fly into a rage. Instead, he remained silent for a long time before nodding expressionlessly and saying, "I understand. You may leave."

Lei Jing was slightly taken aback and wanted to say something, but as soon as he looked up, he saw Zhao Heng's pale face with his eyes narrowed, and he quickly swallowed his words back.

Ultimately, intimidated by Zhao Heng's expression, Lei Jing simply bowed and left the warm pavilion.

"The fact that the Imperial City Guard could be so badly damaged by the people left behind shows that we underestimated this Celestial Master despite our best efforts to guard against him."

Zhao Yuanran waited in the side hall until Lei Jing left before entering.

Seeing Zhao Heng's expression, he remained silent for a while before pursing his lips and saying, "Your Majesty, should I go and bring those Imperial Guards back? If it's too late, they're probably in grave danger."

"No! Those Imperial Guards may die, but that gives me a chance to frame him! From this moment on, you will remain in the Imperial Guard camp. When that guy returns, lead your troops directly into the city. That will be the day of the decisive battle!"

A hint of madness suddenly flashed in Zhao Heng's eyes.