The First Lackey Under The Empress

Inside the central army's main tent, Yuan Feng, the commander of the Five Armies Battalion, a man of about forty with a square face, sat with a gloomy and unsightly expression, surveying the assembled generals.

At this moment, within the military tent, the army's generals were gathered, each with an expression of silence, solemnity, or apprehension.

Not long ago, they had led their troops into the third engagement with the Qingzhou rebels, and the result was still devastating. The elite of the Capital Garrison, of which they were so proud, had been utterly routed by the Qingzhou rebels, whom everyone in the army had previously scorned. The extent of the defeat was even greater than the previous two times.

"Are you all mute? Speak! What are the casualty figures?"

Yuan Feng's gaze was sharp as he scrutinized each face, and he questioned them.

A military officer steeled himself and stepped forward: "Reporting to the commander, according to preliminary statistics, in this battle, eighty-seven men were killed, over three hundred were seriously wounded, and more than eight hundred were lightly wounded... The loss of warhorses..."

"Bang!"

Yuan Feng slammed his large hand on the table, interrupting the report. The commander's eyes were bloodshot, and his heart was bleeding!

This number didn't even include the two engagements of yesterday.

He closed his eyes in anguish: "Continue the report!"

A second middle-aged military officer stepped forward, gritting his teeth. His face was still stained with blood, a testament to his bravery in charging into the fray earlier:

"Commander, the urgent matter now is not the casualties, but the declining morale! In just two days, we've suffered three consecutive defeats, each one more devastating than the last! Coupled with Heng Wang's psychological warfare, morale in the camp is now low, and some soldiers have already begun to feel fear of battle... If we cannot turn defeat into victory in the next battle, I fear..."

Yuan Feng clenched his fists tightly, the thick blue veins on the back of his hands bulging:

"This place is not far from the capital. Using carrier pigeons to send messages, the imperial court must have received our request for aid yesterday. Announce to the entire camp that reinforcements are coming to stabilize morale!"

In the past, the officers of the Capital Garrison were constantly engaged in open and covert struggles.

This time, the Five Armies Battalion was entrusted with resisting the rebels, a task that Yuan Feng had actively volunteered for.

They were so impressive when they set out, but now their request for aid revealed just how pathetic they had become.

If it were not absolutely necessary, they would never have willingly asked for help.

Another slightly plump general in the tent wore a bitter expression:

"Commander, do you think that, given the current situation in the imperial court, they will provide support?"

This general, slightly plump in stature but with piercing eyes, surveyed the crowd:

"We might as well be frank. His Majesty has been away from the capital for a long time, the morale of the people in the city is unstable, and the court is in turmoil. Although Grand Tutor is temporarily in charge of the court, he ultimately cannot suppress the officials, as evidenced by the fact that he sent us here but dared not lightly initiate a war!

Now that the news of our defeat has reached the court, imagine what those civil officials will do? I'm afraid they will argue endlessly, and it will take a day or two before they can issue a troop deployment order!"

After a pause, he continued:

"Moreover, given the situation in the capital, compared to sending troops to help us, I fear those civil officials would be more inclined to order us to retreat to protect the capital!

Even if the Grand Tutor makes a decision and overcomes all opposition to send troops to help, when will the reinforcements arrive? Tomorrow? Or the day after? Will the Qingzhou army give us that time?!"

No one answered!

The atmosphere was heavy and oppressive.

Yuan Feng stared at him with a stern face: "So, what are you trying to say? Undermine morale?"

The slightly plump general did not back down or evade:

"Sir! I only want to say that we can no longer passively take a beating. We must make a decision before the enemy's next attack! Otherwise..."

At this moment, the main tent was suddenly lifted, and an adjutant walked in, holding a letter in his hands. He walked to Yuan Feng's side:

"Sir, a letter shot in by the enemy with an arrow."

Yuan Feng expressionlessly tore open the envelope, read it, and immediately felt his heart sink. He sighed to the heavens:

"Two hours. Heng Wang has given us a final two hours to make a choice. Either pledge allegiance, or two hours later, it will be a decisive battle."

Everyone's heart skipped a beat, and they became agitated.

A young general angrily said:

"This is a blatant scheme. The enemy's continuous three attacks are fundamentally aimed at destroying our morale! So as to recruit us and swallow us up!"

Yuan Feng was silent. How could he not understand?

Heng Wang was unwilling to sacrifice too much to forcibly swallow the Five Armies Battalion, so he chose to use deterrence to shake the army's morale, and then use his identity as a "Prince" to coerce and lure them into pledging allegiance.

This method was very effective, because the Empress had disappeared and her life or death was unknown. All that remained in the court was a group of ministers, while Heng Wang was a legitimate "royal..."

Yuan Feng dared to assert that many of the military officers in the tent were now wavering.

Anyway, they couldn't win. Instead of fighting to the death and being branded as rebels by the new emperor in the future, it would be better to rely on the royal family.

But Yuan Feng did not believe that the Empress would die so easily, especially since, according to rumors, the one escorting her was the legendary "Zhao Du'an."

As a participant in the military exercise back then, Yuan Feng had a fresh memory of Zhao Du'an.

"Now is not the time to curse. We only have two hours left. Let's all think about how to deal with this?" Someone shouted.

"Sir, why not give me a detachment of elite troops to launch a surprise attack from the rear and catch the enemy off guard!" One person volunteered.

"Are you going to send them to their deaths? In my opinion, we should retreat! As long as we retreat to this position, we can use the terrain to restrict those fiends and block them, waiting for reinforcements!" Another person analyzed.

Immediately, the former retorted with a sneer:

"How can we retreat in just two hours? I'm afraid that as soon as we move, the enemy will pursue, and the soldiers below will immediately become routed soldiers! A complete defeat! We should take the initiative to attack!"

"No, we should proceed cautiously..."

For a time, opinions in the tent were divided into two factions, and the military officers argued until their faces and necks were red, and saliva flew everywhere.

Yuan Feng sat upright in the main seat, indecisive. It was not that he lacked decisiveness, but that in the current predicament, the chances of success were extremely slim no matter what he did.

Just as he closed his eyes again in pain, thinking that he was trapped in a desperate situation, suddenly, the tent was opened again.

The adjutant who had delivered the letter returned, his expression excited:

"Generals, please stop for a moment. Scouts report that behind us, in the direction of the capital, a large number of troops are approaching from afar, no more than a few miles from the camp! Suspected to be the Divine Machine Battalion coming to our aid!"

What? Reinforcements are here?! Yuan Feng stood up abruptly, both happy and surprised. The speed at which the reinforcements arrived far exceeded everyone's expectations.

The arguing military officers were also stunned, their expressions varied, unable to believe it.

"Come with me, and you will know when you see it with your own eyes!"

Yuan Feng strode forward, leading a group of military officers on horseback to actively rush towards the rear of the camp.

...

Behind the barracks, there were mountains blocking the view. The crowd went around the hill, raised their eyes and looked, and their spirits were lifted.

They saw that on the road sheltered by the forest ahead, military flags were indeed approaching. However, those infantrymen stopped two or three miles away from here.

Immediately, a small wave of people also separated from the team and quickly approached here.

Two armies will not get too close before they greet each other, this is the rule.

"Commander Shi?! It really is a fellow from the Divine Machine Battalion!" The young general who advocated the attack said in surprise.

Yuan Feng, with his square face, also showed joy and greeted him with a big laugh:

"Brother Shi, you've finally come, haha."

Da da da... Shi Meng, the commander of the Divine Machine Battalion, who was burly but meticulous, reined in his horse, jumped down, and also walked over with a big laugh, extending his fist and bumping it with Yuan Feng, who was a few years older, grinning:

"Brother Yuan, my Divine Machine Battalion has been ordered to come and assist the brothers and eliminate the rebels. Hehe, after a hurried march, it seems we are not late."

After the Divine Machine Battalion left the camp, they were overtaken by a carrier pigeon sent from the direction of the capital on the way, and learned about the intelligence of the Five Armies Battalion's defeat.

Yuan Feng smiled wryly. Time was tight, and he was not in the mood for small talk. He also subconsciously ignored the words "ordered" and thought it was a reference to the troop deployment order.

A general beside him hurriedly said:

"Commander Shi, may I ask how many troops the Divine Machine Battalion has dispatched this time?"

The rest of the people were also uneasy, because the Divine Machine Battalion had come too fast!

According to the time of the request for aid, the fastest way for the Divine Machine Battalion to arrive so quickly was that Shi Meng had only brought a part of the elite troops, abandoned the supplies, and marched in a hurry.

Even, it was only possible if he brought some cavalry.

If that was the case, it would only be a drop in the bucket and would not be enough to resist the Qingzhou rebels.

Shi Meng smiled, saw through their thoughts at a glance, and wore a mysterious smile on his face:

"Heh, everyone, rest assured, this time, I have brought out all the Divine Machine Battalion's assets to help. If you don't believe me, look."

Everyone followed his fingers and looked, only to see another small team rushing from the distant forest.

The leader, a gaunt figure with a proud chest and head held high, exuded the arrogance of a craftsman. It was none other than Chen Gui, the head of the Firearms Bureau.

"It's Chen 'Fire God'?"

"Did he bring firearms?"

Yuan Feng and the others were overjoyed. Chen Gui's appearance meant that Shi Meng must have brought a large number of firearms, which was undoubtedly good news.

Chen Gui reined in his horse, cupped his fist, and said with a smile:

"Commander Yuan, long time no see. I heard that the Qingzhou rebels have hidden evil beasts? Caught you all off guard? I'm curious, how many of my cannons can those things withstand?"

Yuan Feng respected this craftsman, who held a special position despite his low rank. He still remembered the shocking scene of the military exercise that day.

He said solemnly, "With Chen 'Fire God' taking action, this defense line should be able to hold. At least, it can withstand the Qingzhou army for a while longer."

Shi Meng, Chen Gui, Tang Ping, and other Shenji Camp generals exchanged glances but remained silent.

Clearly, Yuan Feng's words meant that he recognized the power of firearms, but he didn't believe that the addition of the Shenji Camp could reverse the situation and defeat the rebels.

It should be noted that Yuan Feng had witnessed the power of new firearms and was not ignorant… Well, although the firearms he had witnessed were already outdated, belonging to the previous generation's obsolete products…

However, Yuan Feng's judgment was enough to show that the rebels were more powerful than imagined.

Chen Gui smiled, wanting to boast a little, but he held back and instead wore a mysterious smile on his face:

"Don't worry, everyone. There is another person who came to support us this time, who is far more important than me and Commander Shi combined. He will surely sweep away the decline and promote the prestige of the imperial court!"

Ah? Who are you talking about? More important than Shi Meng? Could it be that the Minister of War also came with the army?

The officers of the Five Armies Camp looked at each other in confusion. Shi Meng was a third-rank military general. In the capital, besides the few in the樞密院 such as Xue Shence, no one else could be said to be steadily higher in status. They couldn't think of anyone else.

But Xue Shence had already led people south to Linfeng.

Could it be that a civil official who doesn't understand fighting came to join in the fun? Wouldn't that be adding to the chaos?

However, judging from Chen 'Fire God's' temperament, he didn't seem like someone who would openly flatter people… Everyone's appetite was whetted, and they looked at the official road again expectantly.

At this moment, the third team of riders arrived. The leader was wearing bright armor, but no helmet, with a blood-red cloak behind him, which was extremely eye-catching.

Before the person arrived, the voice came first.

"Commander Yuan, it's been a few months. Do you still recognize Zhao?"

The familiar yet unfamiliar voice entered everyone's ears. It was clear that he didn't shout loudly, but it was as clear as if he were right beside them.

The man on horseback was extremely handsome, with a high nose bridge, moderately thick lips, and thick, brush-like eyebrows, under which were bright, piercing eyes.

His lips held a calm and confident smile.

One hand loosely held the reins, while the other gently rested on the hilt of the ancient-looking Zhen Knife at his waist.

Hiss…

Zhao Du'an reined in his horse and stopped in front of the generals, facing everyone, and smiled, "What? You really don't remember?"

Boom!

At this moment, all the generals of the Five Armies Camp had their pupils shrink violently. Their minds were as if struck by thunder, blanking their brains and stiffening their expressions, unable to restrain their disbelief.

Zhao… Zhao Du'an!?

The Grand Protector of Great Yu, the Empress's appointed consort, the man nicknamed "King Yama Zhao"?

For this man who had risen in just one year and created countless legends, the generals of the Jing Camp were probably one of the groups who knew him the most deeply.

This was because Zhao Du'an was originally an unknown infantryman in the Imperial Guards. Due to the Xuanmen coup, he was accidentally remembered by the Empress. Then, recommended by Sun Lianying, he entered the Baima Prison and lay low for more than half a year, being mistaken by everyone as a good-for-nothing playboy.

Then, due to the Zhuang Xiaocheng case, he tore off his disguise and became an instant sensation… His official position rose like a rocket, until he entered the Shenji Camp, facing the doubts of countless soldiers, he slapped them in the face forcefully… completely establishing his prestige in the army.

Then, whether it was convincing Mr. Zhengyang, making the world-renowned Confucian willingly call him "Teacher."

Or at the Buddhist debate in the Eastern and Western Buddhist sects, his impassioned speech actually attracted the descent of gods.

Both undoubtedly added a mysterious color to this name again.

As for going out to Taicang, Huting, and Binhai to capture Zhuang Xiaocheng, and even going deep into Jiancheng Dao… in comparison, they seemed ordinary.

How could the generals of the Five Armies Camp not be familiar with such a person? Not be deeply impressed?

And now, Zhao Du'an, who had already gained countless buffs, suddenly appeared before everyone's eyes.

"Zhao… Grand Protector Zhao?!"

Yuan Feng, who had a square face, almost lost his voice, suspecting that he had seen wrongly. Immediately, a bigger question涌上心头, and he couldn't help saying, "Aren't you protecting the Empress outside…"

Gah—

Yuan Feng suddenly stopped talking, his pupils widened, realizing something.

If Zhao Du'an, who was protecting the Empress, had returned… then the Empress… Thinking about the Shenji Camp's early arrival, and Shi Meng's sentence "By Imperial Decree"…

"Hehe, Brother Yuan guessed right. The Empress returned to the capital the day before yesterday," Shi Meng said with a smile:

"The Empress issued an edict, declaring the vassal kings as rebellious traitors, and ordered us to suppress the rebellion under the leadership of Grand Protector Zhao. Otherwise, why do you think we came so quickly?"

Boom—

Two thunderbolts fell in everyone's minds.

Chen Gui smiled and chimed in from the side:

"Not only that, but the Empress and Grand Protector Zhao turned misfortune into blessing. The Empress has entered the Heavenly Human Realm, and Grand Protector Zhao has also entered the Mortal Realm."

Boom—

Another thunderbolt sounded in everyone's minds.

The young Duke Tang Ping, wearing silver helmet and armor, unwilling to be a transparent person, curled his lips and said:

"Not only that, but Li Yanfu was so daring that he actually attempted a coup to seize power. The two Imperial Guards commanders were also rebellious, colluding with him. However, this group didn't even make a splash and was jointly killed by the Empress and Grand Protector Zhao. Heh, this is the fate of traitors."

Boom—

Another thunderbolt roared in everyone's minds.

The successive explosive news shocked the Five Armies Camp so much that they were dizzy and unable to recover for a while.

They tried their best to digest these changes and news.

The young Duke's last sentence made some generals present sweat on their foreheads and feel a strong sense of fear in their hearts.

They couldn't help but think:

If they really couldn't withstand the pressure and chose to serve Prince Heng, what would await them?

Fortunately… fortunately…

At this moment, many generals felt a sense of relief after surviving a disaster, and then they were filled with great joy.

"The Empress… is blessed with good fortune. Now that she has returned to her throne, everything will turn for the better!" Yuan Feng's lips trembled, revealing a smile.

A genuine Heavenly Human sitting in the capital almost ensured that the capital would not fall due to violence.

"Prince Heng doesn't know about this yet?" He reacted.

Zhao Du'an examined the group and smiled slightly: "It takes time to transmit the news."

That's right. If Prince Heng knew this information, he would understand that it was no longer possible to seize the capital by force. The most likely option was to quickly withdraw his troops, thereby割據 Qingzhou, in order to图后续… Everyone was smart and immediately understood.

Zhao Du'an raised his hand, suppressing the commotion, and said lightly:

"Today, I came here to completely suppress this rebel army on the border line before Prince Heng reacts and escapes. Enough with the idle talk, Commander Yuan, I need to understand the current situation."

Yuan Feng's spirit was shaken, and he did not dare to delay, immediately telling the situation quickly, and at the end said:

"The other side attacked the camp three times, each time more forceful than the last. Our Five Armies Camp is good at battle formations. Once the soldiers form a formation, the two armies fight, and they are invincible. But the rebels don't know where they got a bunch of chariots pulled by '獠兽', charging wildly, making it difficult for us to form a formation…"

獠兽… Zhao Du'an pondered for a moment, did not comment on this issue, but suddenly said:

"You said the other party gave you a two-hour deadline?"

"Yes. But our Five Armies Camp is loyal to the Empress and will never…" Yuan Feng hurriedly expressed his loyalty.

"Hey," Zhao Du'an suddenly raised his hand, interrupting him, the corners of his mouth rising, revealing a smile:

"I think that surrendering to the other party may not be impossible."