Hiss!
Upon hearing this, Qin Li's pupils constricted. This was truly a grand gesture, granting someone a marquisate directly. Ambitious commoners would likely be tempted.
A generous reward will surely attract brave men; this is a reward of being ennobled, and under normal circumstances, no one would refuse it.
"Report! Chen Sishui's urgent message: One hundred thousand Xiliang Iron Cavalry are bypassing Great Wind Commandery and heading straight for the capital! The capital is in grave danger!!!"
What?
If the previous news had shocked them, now it filled them with fear. They were actually going to attack the capital! This was terrifying!
The civil and military officials all paled; it seemed like things were about to turn sour!
Tan Cheng trembled, muttering, " Xiliang Northern Liang, are they going to bring ruin to Great Ning?"
They've already reached the capital; we can't afford to offend them.
puff!
Li Anlan's expression changed drastically, and he couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood, which he managed to cover with a handkerchief.
The eunuch had already hurriedly gone down to retrieve the memorial.
He finished reading the memorial with a gloomy face, his expression turning extremely ugly. He slammed the memorial to the ground and roared, "What is Chen Sishui good for? He sent him to support Great Wasteland Commandery, and not only did he fail, he actually released him into the capital!"
This is our own stronghold, and they've actually breached it! What sense of security is there left? It's simply unimaginable.
That wasn't all; the memorial contained the most terrifying news yet: Mountain and River Pass was also under attack.
What's going on? Has everyone in Xiliang become a soldier? How come there are so many troops?
Those below dared not utter a sound. This was no small matter; an army of 100,000 was enough to breach the capital, but now the capital had less than 100,000 people left.
Some of the ministers exchanged glances, feeling that their future was bleak and that a change of faction was imminent.
"Hmph, they dared to venture deep into enemy territory alone! This time, I will annihilate their 100,000 men! Issue an edict ordering the prefects of the surrounding counties to send troops to jointly crush the Xiliang Iron Cavalry!" Li Anlan said through gritted teeth.
The sudden incursion of this 100,000-strong army into the capital was a blatant slap in his face; if he didn't kill them, he would never have peace.
Unfortunately, he made his harsh remarks too early.
Soon, a deluge of reports appeared, causing an uproar in the imperial court.
"Report! Urgent dispatch from the Western Regions! Lin Yi Xining Army has also appeared in Xining. They claim to be Pang De, the Junior Commander of Xiliang, and are leading an army of 200,000. They have already occupied Wuning Commandery!"
"Report! Urgent dispatch from the Min River: Guan Yu, the notorious pirate from the East Sea, has launched a massive surprise attack on the coast of Great Ning! The Third Prince cannot hold out!"
"Report! An urgent message from Geng Jinzhong of the South: The Southern Tusi (chieftain) has declared war on Daming in response to the proclamation, claiming to welcome the Great Ning Northern Emperor Lin Yi to rule the Central Plains."
The first two sentences had already broken Li Anlan's defenses, but the last sentence, "Welcome Northern Emperor Lin Yi of the North to rule the Central Plains," completely enraged Li Anlan.
Bang!
Li Anlan kicked the dragon-patterned table in front of him away, and roared, "Hmph, what kind of cats and dogs dare to declare war on my Great Ning? And what about welcoming the Northern Emperor to rule the Central Plains? Where do they put me?!"
Do they think I'm dead?
This is simply outrageous! The southern chieftain dares to join in the fun and even grovel before Xiliang. They are completely courting death.
After eliminating Lin Yi, he intends to raze the southern chieftains to the ground.
"Report! Li Yifeng, Prince of Min, has publicly declared that the Prince of Min's death was the Emperor's doing, and therefore he is preparing to welcome Northern Emperor Lin Yi of the North into the pass. He has now amassed an army of nearly 50,000 and is preparing to attack Great Cang Commandery!"
puff!
When the last report arrived, Li Anlan finally couldn't hold back any longer and spat out a mouthful of blood, then fainted.
Before he collapsed, he had only one thought: How dare Li Yifeng do that?
"This..."
Upon seeing the emperor faint, the ministers were terrified and suddenly lost their composure.
Some astute individuals are already pondering how to balance their relationship with Xiliang and Great Ning. This situation is clearly not right; Great Ning is on the verge of collapse.
"Commander Zhou Zifeng, order the army to impose martial law on the Imperial Palace!"
"Everyone, remain calm! No one is allowed to leave the main hall before the Emperor awakens. Anyone who disobeys will be executed!"
Fortunately, Zhang Zhiwei regained his footing, sending people to fetch the imperial physician while also inviting the Crown Prince and Empress to oversee the situation. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.
"Father!"
Upon hearing the news that his father had fainted, the Crown Prince and the Empress rushed to the main hall.
Seeing the bloodstains on the ground, his heart sank. His father couldn't have fainted like that. What was he to do now? Was he supposed to succeed to the throne?
However, the current situation doesn't seem quite right!
Fortunately, after taking the heart-protecting pills prescribed by the imperial physician, Li Anlan Li Anlan regained consciousness and whispered a few words to the empress beside her.
He then looked at Zhang Zhiwei and Qin Li and said in a deep voice, "Minister Zhang, Minister Qin, immediately send someone to contact the Southern Prefect to mobilize troops. As for the Southern Chieftain, leave him alone for now!"
The best solution is to defeat Lin Yi; otherwise, everything is over!
Furthermore, we should offer amnesty to Guan Yu, the notorious bandit from the East Sea, and appoint him as a prefect, so that he may fight for our Great Ning.
The Prince of Min, misled by others, sent someone to bestow the title of Prince of Min upon Li Yifeng and to thoroughly investigate the culprit behind it.
As for the Western Regions, with Zhang Sixi and Wang Youli, and Wang Dahai of Liangshan Pass, there shouldn't be any problem. However, we can't be careless, as the Prince of Northern Liang will definitely make a move as well!
Now, facing a combined attack from several sides, he has no choice but to sacrifice some territory to maintain overall stability, otherwise he will be completely overwhelmed.
After all this, he summoned Wei Kuang and said in a deep voice, "Summon those aristocratic families for me. Once I fall, those fat sheep won't get away unscathed!"
The powerful families are all incredibly wealthy, and he doesn't believe Lin Yi would do nothing to them. This is his chance to win them over.
[ The Prince of Xiliang responded to the proclamation and led his army south!]
[The Great Wilderness County has fallen, and the two sides engage in a decisive battle at Xuanyi City. The villainous butcher Ning Kun's 300,000-strong army is annihilated!]
The Xiliang Iron Cavalry marched out of the Fishtail Pass, heading straight for the capital!
Despite the imperial court's attempts to block the news, the great victory at Xuanyi City still spread, instantly reaching every corner of the Great West and causing the entire Great Ning to erupt in excitement.
The terrifying fighting power of Xiliang, and their direct attack on the capital, made the people feel their scalps tingle, and for the first time felt that destruction was so close.
Everyone became uneasy. Regardless of the outcome of the war, the common people would undoubtedly suffer the most if war broke out, and many were considering fleeing.
Get far away to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
Some were happy, some were sad. Some who were dissatisfied with Li Anlan were overjoyed at this moment, and some were even preparing to join the Xiliang army.
"The fighting power of Xiliang is too strong! Even General Ning Kun couldn't withstand them and his entire army was wiped out!"
"Unbelievable, how did they manage to break in overnight? That's way too fast."
"Could the news be false? General Chen Sishui is still ahead of us!"