Loan Wusheng

Chapter 224 The Great Battle of Yuan Dan, the Supreme Saints of Confucianism and Taoism!
This secret report was sent by his father-in-law, Cai Kang.

Including travel time, this incident should have occurred more than a month ago.

The veracity of this matter is questionable.

After all, the seven Yuan Dan cultivators besieged Emperor Yongchang that day.

Although Emperor Yongchang held power over the world, he was only a Yuan Dan cultivator after all. Moreover, there was an unusual phenomenon of a Yuan Dan cultivator falling that day, which also proved that Emperor Yongchang had fallen.

This event can be said to have been witnessed by Cai Kang himself, and it is absolutely impossible to fake.

If that's the case, what's the situation with Emperor Yongchang who landed in Jiaodong Commandery, and where did he get 30,000 sailors?

Zheng Jun couldn't help but feel a bit of a predicament.

If Emperor Yongchang had not died and had returned like lightning, it would have been a huge problem for Zheng Jun himself.

After all, the legitimacy of Emperor Jinglong, whom Zheng Jun supported, came from the deceased Emperor Yongchang. Zheng Jun even gave Emperor Yongchang a posthumous title and temple name, Emperor Liezong Zhao of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

How did he come back to life?

Cai Kang's letter also stated unequivocally that the identity of the Yongchang Emperor was somewhat genuine, because Yue Guogong Shu Weiyuan had already sent people to investigate and confirmed that he was indeed the Yongchang Emperor.

Meanwhile, the Kings of Qi, Wei, and Han, as well as the King of Yue who had betrayed Emperor Yongchang, were now somewhat taken aback. They had already met in Linzi and decided to form a "Four-King Alliance" to conquer Jiaodong Commandery.

but……

Zheng Jun sensed that there must be something wrong.

Even if Emperor Yongchang hadn't died, how could he have landed in the East China Sea and defeated Qin Cunhai, who controlled Jiaodong Commandery?

Shouldn't he come and join those 'loyal ministers and generals'?
There must be something fishy about this matter!
Zheng Jun took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "There must be someone impersonating someone else. Yu Shen, after you go back, issue an edict in my name... in the voice of Emperor Jinglong to refute this!"

Emperor Jinglong, whose personal name was Prince Jing, Li Yue, was the youngest son of Emperor Yongchang.

Having the son deny his father's claim that the Jiaodong Prefecture was fake should also be a legitimate and justifiable argument.

Even if it can't stand firm...

It doesn't matter.

At worst, we can rebel and declare ourselves emperors.

The worst outcome would be nothing more than being besieged by the surrounding feudal lords, so what?

In this world, there have been instances of people of different surnames establishing themselves as emperors. Weren't Emperor Xiao Luan of the Southern Liang Dynasty and Emperor Lu Meng of the Eastern Wu Dynasty both people of different surnames who established themselves as emperors?

It's not surprising that he, without the title of King of Han in Hanzhong, declared himself emperor and became the emperor of the Han Dynasty.

"promise."

Upon hearing this, Yu Shen immediately clasped his hands in agreement.

Zheng Jun exhaled, looked at the thousands of cavalry around him, took a deep breath, and said, "The whole army speeds up. By this time tomorrow, I will be resting and setting up an ambush in Jincheng County, Longzhou!"

"Yes!"

As Zheng Jun issued his military order, tens of thousands of cavalrymen charged forward in an instant, causing the earth to tremble as if a dragon were turning over.

They all rushed towards Jincheng County in Longzhou.

Meanwhile, Zheng Jun's three armies had already begun their expedition.

In particular, the main force led by Xu Shimao has already crossed the border.

Xu Shimao, however, felt somewhat apprehensive.

The reason was simple: Zheng Jun trusted him too much, to the point that Xu Shimao was at a loss.

He had never seen a general like him, who came from nowhere, being given such important responsibilities right from the start of his service in a history book.

Isn't the Prime Minister afraid that he will lead his 150,000 troops to be completely wiped out and surrender to the enemy?

Xu Shimao couldn't understand it, but he didn't want to think about it anymore.

When he was under Zhai Qian's command, he was unremarkable.

If he were to join the Li clan of the feudal lords, he would only become a minor general in their camp.

He went to the south to seek refuge with Xiao Luan and Lu Meng, but the south was full of powerful and influential families, so how could he possibly have a place in the country?

Looking across the land of heroes, only the Prime Minister has a place for him.

This was also the main reason why he brought Shan Xiong Yi to join Zheng Jun.

But now that he's truly being given important responsibilities, he's finding it somewhat difficult to adjust.

The position of Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Expedition can be said to be the one on whom the Prime Minister entrusted the important task of conquering Guanzhong. Although he only commanded 150,000 troops in his own army, he could still issue orders to the other two armies, after all, he was the overall commander of this campaign.

Such a heavy responsibility is arguably the greatest among all the generals under the Prime Minister's command!
This truly moved Xu Shimao, and he felt a sense of loyalty, like someone willing to die for their lord.

Zheng Jun had no choice but to accept Xu Shimao's idea.

He doesn't have many capable people under his command.

Dugu Yuan and Yu Shen were knowledgeable in military strategy, but they were too young and somewhat naive; Xu Hou was knowledgeable in military strategy, but he was only at the level of an ordinary general and not a famous general of his time.

If one had to name a famous general of our time, it would only be Xu Shimao, who had just joined his service.

Zheng Jun had studied Xu Shimao's record in Qingzhou. Although he had been defeated by Dou Huaichong, who was under the command of the Prince of Qi, he was still very strong. Dou Huaichong was only able to defeat Xu Shimao because of the overall situation.

Therefore, Zheng Jun placed a great deal of trust in Xu Shimao.

Trust Xu Shimao!
As for him personally, he was determined to search the mountains and seas and destroy the Prince of Jin!

……

Jincheng Commandery, the territory of the Prince of Jin.

Thirty thousand elite troops of the Zhenxi Army are rapidly advancing eastward.

The army's overall march was somewhat slow, but there was nothing that could be done about it.

The 100,000 soldiers of the Zhenxi Army stationed in Qizhou were all infantry, with no cavalry.

After all, Qizhou is mostly desert with a hot climate and no suitable land for grazing horses. There are quite a few local camel cavalrymen, but they are not part of the Zhenxi Army's organization. Therefore, there are not many cavalrymen in this army of 100,000.

The vanguard of 30,000 men who were rushing this time were the most elite troops in the Zhenxi Army with profound cultivation. In addition, a large amount of supplies were carried by the 70,000 troops in the rear, which is why they were able to travel from Qizhou to Longzhou so quickly.

Thirty thousand soldiers of the Zhenxi Army marched in orderly formation across the loess soil of Longxi towards Guanzhong.

The autumn sun shone on their dark faces, reflecting a resolute look. These veterans, who had returned from the Western Regions, had endured the desert sands and the bitter cold of the border. Now, returning to their homeland, their expressions showed both weariness and a sense of ease and anticipation.

"I heard that Guanzhong is in chaos right now. That scoundrel King Qin was killed by a guy named Zheng Jun?" An old soldier with a full beard carried a spear and chatted with his comrade as he walked.

"That's right. It's said that Zheng Jun was originally a county official who conquered Lanzhou and killed the Prince of Qin. He's a renowned hero! Now he has occupied the capital and even installed some kind of Emperor Jinglong."

Another person chuckled and said, "Those powerful lords in Guanzhong must be jumping up and down in a panic, which is why they're so eager to welcome our prince back to keep order."

A young soldier who looked quite young, seemingly newly recruited into the Zhenxi Army, whispered, "We also benefited from Zheng Jun's influence; otherwise, we don't know when we would have been able to return from Qizhou..."

The soldiers chatted idly, their expressions relaxed, while in the center of the Zhenxi Army ranks, a large banner embroidered with the character 'Jin' fluttered in the wind.

Beneath the great banner, Prince Li Shen of Jin rode a pure white dragon steed, wearing a brocade robe and with an ancient longsword hanging at his waist.

His face was handsome, and his brows exuded a refined air, which was completely different from the image of him in the rumors of having affairs with concubines and being licentious.

Li Shen gazed eastward, a complex light flickering in the depths of his eyes. He gently stroked the hilt of his sword and murmured to himself, "Guanzhong... I have finally returned."

Since he was exiled to Qizhou by his father, he has not returned to the Central Plains, nor to his hometown, for more than a hundred years.

He made a mistake, and his father not only exiled him to that remote place, but also reduced the number of guards in the Prince of Jin's mansion and sent them all to Lingzhou to fight as soldiers in the Southern Expeditionary Army.

Li Shen had no royal guards by his side, only the Zhenxi Army he could rely on.

Strictly speaking, Longzhou can also be considered part of the Central Plains.

But in the heart of Prince Li Shen of Jin, only when he set foot on the land of Guanzhong could he truly say he had returned home.

"Whoo~"

Li Shen let out a breath and asked, "How much longer?"

If it weren't for the 30,000 Zhenxi Army soldiers around him, Li Shen would have even wanted to unleash the divine power of the Yuan Dan Martial Saint and return to Haodu alone.

Upon hearing Li Shen's question, the deputy general rode forward respectfully and said, "Your Highness, we will arrive at Jincheng County in two more days. However, the scouts we sent out along the Baiyu River have not returned with any news, and we fear they may have encountered some misfortune."

Baiyu River is a major river that runs through Longzhou and Guanzhong.

The ferry crossing midway is called Hanya Ferry.

This is also the destination of this luggage.

Upon hearing his deputy's reply, Li Shen's lips curled into a slight smile: "I'm afraid he fell victim to Zheng Jun's cavalry. Hearing of my return, he's bound to make some moves, and is probably attacking Guanzhong right now. This man certainly has some guts, but..."

At this point, Li Shen paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes: "I want to see what kind of trouble this 'King of Han' can cause."

Upon hearing the prince's words, the surrounding guards all showed expressions of reverence.

In their hearts, His Highness Prince Jin was not only a powerful ruler guarding the Western Regions, but also a hidden Yuan Dan Martial Saint.

With His Highness Prince Jin here, what is there to mention of Zheng Jun?
Prince Li Shen of Jin was completely unconcerned about this.

He returned this time to compete with Zheng Jun for supremacy.

If you don't even dare to say a harsh word, wouldn't that be too weak?

"Your Highness."

The deputy general standing to the side was quite cautious. He said to the Prince of Jin, "The scouts have lost contact. This is a major event. When I came here, I consulted with the Governor of Liangzhou, Zheng Jun, about his tactics and strategies. I believe that this bandit is fond of risky and unconventional tactics and often resorts to surprise attacks."

"Therefore... this time, as our army returns to the Central Plains, I believe we should proceed with caution."

Seeing the deputy general's caution, Prince Li Shen of Jin laughed and said, "General Guo is still too cautious. What does a minor official in a county know about military strategy? In my opinion, this man is probably currently launching a fierce attack on Guanzhong, intending to take it before I arrive."

Upon hearing this, the lieutenant remained silent.

Prince Li Shen of Jin, however, was extremely wary.

He said this simply to belittle his opponent and to make his personal guards think that Zheng Jun was nothing special.

Deep down, Li Shen was still quite wary of Zheng Jun. After all, Zheng Jun was the first person since the beginning of the Great Conquest to have the record of killing two Yuan Dan cultivators!
The Deer Demon King of the Northern Demon Court and his foolish younger brother, Prince Qin Li Xun, both died at his hands.

Although neither of their deaths was caused by Zheng Jun alone.

The Deer Demon King was killed by being surrounded and attacked, and King Qin Li Xun was not in his prime.

However, both of them were genuinely killed by Zheng Jun, and the King of Jin should not underestimate them.

Upon realizing this, Prince Li Shen of Jin immediately said, "Issue the order that all troops take turns resting, and at any time, at least ten thousand soldiers must be in armor!"

"promise!"

Upon receiving the order, the guards immediately went to relay it.

Before long, the entire Zhenxi Army began to change.

After the Zhenxi Army completed its reorganization, it continued its advance.

About half a day later, the outline of Jincheng County was faintly visible. Li Shen suddenly felt the earth tremble slightly. He looked around and couldn't help but chuckle: "The whole army is preparing for battle. Zheng Jun has actually come."

Upon hearing Prince Li Shen's words, the surrounding guards were taken aback.

They didn't sense any enemy troops.

However, since this was the order of the Prince of Jin, they naturally didn't say anything more and immediately made arrangements to prepare for the formation.

"All troops, don your armor!"

"Quickly, quickly, everyone put on your armor!"

"..."

Meanwhile, thirty miles outside Jincheng County, the autumn twilight had already painted the sky red.

Zheng Jun stood on a high slope, gazing into the distance at the Zhenxi Army troops that stretched out like a snake.

Twenty thousand cavalrymen had quietly completed the encirclement, like a pack of lurking wolves, waiting for their prey to step into the final trap.

"Prime Minister, General Wei's vanguard has cut off the enemy's retreat."

Dugu Yuan reported in a low voice, pointing to the smoke rising in the distance: "The Prince of Jin's 30,000 troops are already trapped like turtles in a jar."

Zheng Jun nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield like lightning.

He noticed that although the Zhenxi Army had traveled a long distance, their formation remained intact. Under the large banner with the character "Jin" in the center, a figure in white stood out. Upon seeing this, Zheng Jun couldn't help but say, "It seems that the Prince of Jin has already realized that something is wrong."

"Pass the order."

Zheng Jun's voice was as cold as iron: "Wei Quan will lead 5,000 cavalry to attack the left flank, Dugu Jing will lead 5,000 Xianbei cavalry to attack the right flank, and the rest of the troops will follow me to attack the central army."

"promise!"

The war drums suddenly sounded, startling countless birds into flight.

After Zheng Jun gave the order, Wei Quan launched the first offensive, with three thousand iron cavalry rushing towards the flank of the Zhenxi Army like a flood.

The sound of horses' hooves thundered, and the lances in the cavalrymen's hands gleamed coldly in the setting sun.

"Enemy attack!"

A sharp bugle call rang out from the Zhenxi Army. Prince Jin, Li Shen, suddenly looked up, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, which then turned into a cold smile: "They've arrived."

Although he had sensed something unusual, he did not expect Zheng Jun to arrive so quickly.

With this thought in mind, he dismounted, his white robes fluttering without wind, and the ancient sword at his waist drew three inches from its sheath with a 'clang'.

"Form an iron wall formation! Archers, prepare!"

The well-trained Zhenxi Army swiftly changed formation; the shields of the front rank slammed heavily into the ground, while the spears of the rear rank rose like a forest. Archers drew their bows taut, arrows pointing diagonally towards the sky.

"put!"

A thousand arrows were fired simultaneously, their sound like the buzzing of a swarm of bees.

"Change!"

Wei Quan shouted, and the cavalry formation suddenly changed. The front row raised their iron-clad round shields, and arrows clattered and fell on the shields.

However, dozens of riders were still hit by arrows and fell from their horses, but their momentum only increased.

"boom!"

The cavalry surge crashed violently against the shield wall.

The neighing of warhorses and the shattering of shields were incessant.

Wei Quan swept his longsword horizontally, and a blue blade of energy severed three shields, allowing the cavalry behind him to seize the opportunity to break through the gap!

Meanwhile, Dugu Jing's Xianbei cavalry had already reached the right flank.

These grassland riders, on horseback, drew their bows and nocked arrows, aiming specifically at the throats of officers.

"Protect the prince!"

Lieutenant General Guo Yi stood ready with his sword drawn, and his personal guards quickly formed a circular formation.

However, a white figure shot into the sky from the formation. Prince Jin, Li Shen, stood in the void, and the pressure of the Yuan Dan Martial Saint spread out like a tide.

"Zheng Jun. Prime Minister Zheng! Now that you're here, why hide your face?"

The sound wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly. The battlefield fell silent; even the soldiers in the midst of battle involuntarily slowed their movements.

On the high slope, Zheng Jun chuckled softly, and his figure suddenly disappeared.

The next moment, he appeared in mid-air, confronting Li Shen across the distance.

The air between the two was distorted and deformed by the collision of their true energy, and a faint sense of tension arose.

“Your Highness Prince Jin has come from afar, and I, Zheng, have come here to welcome you.”

Zheng Jun cupped his hands, but his tone lacked any respect: "However, the Emperor Taizu ordered you to guard the strategic location of Qizhou, and you are not allowed to leave your fiefdom without an imperial edict. Your Highness, Prince Jin, what are you doing..."

Li Shen's gaze narrowed slightly as he noticed the nine illusory images of blazing suns swirling around Zheng Jun.

"So it was the Radiant Sunlight..."

Li Shen loved reading and naturally recognized the inherited supernatural power of the former Yu royal family at a glance. His gaze gradually turned cold: "Father's decision to kill all the Yu royal family members in the world was indeed correct! Now, you have become such a scourge."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li drew his ancient sword from his waist. The sword had no sharp edge and was as smooth as jade.

Before he finished speaking, Li Shen thrust out with his sword.

It seemed ordinary, but it stirred up the primordial energy of heaven and earth, and tiny cracks appeared in the space at the tip of the sword!
Facing Li Shen's sword, Zheng Jun suddenly drew his Dragon Abyss Blade, his azure-gold true essence surging like a raging torrent.

Zheng Jun merely turned slightly to the side, thus avoiding the seemingly ordinary yet deadly sword energy. His blade sliced ​​through the sky, leaving behind nine illusory images of blazing suns.

"Li Shen!"

Zheng Jun burst into laughter, his voice echoing across the land: "You dare mention the founding emperor? Who in the entire court doesn't know about your sordid affair with one of the founding emperor's concubines?"

These words were like a thunderclap, and an uproar immediately broke out among the 30,000 soldiers of the Zhenxi Army.

Li Shen's refined face twisted instantly, and the jade sword in his hand trembled with a 'clang'.

"presumptuous!"

Li Shen's white robes billowed, and thousands of golden characters appeared around his body, which was the manifestation of the supreme Confucian and Taoist mental cultivation method, "The Spring and Autumn Righteousness Secret".

The characters condensed in the air into four ancient seal script characters: 'propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame,' which pressed down on Zheng Jun.

Zheng Jun neither dodged nor yielded, unleashing the full power of 'Radiant Sun', with nine phantom images of the great sun colliding violently with the golden characters.

"boom!"

With a deafening roar, a shockwave swept through the area, tearing the ground apart and sending dozens of nearby cavalrymen flying.

"What? Did someone touch a sore spot?"

Zheng Jun's sword stance shifted abruptly, transforming into "Green Water Slaying the Dragon," the azure blade light surging like a long river: "The Emperor Taizu spared your life back then only out of consideration for our father-son bond. Now, you disloyal and unfilial wretch, how dare you presume to claim legitimacy?"

Li Shenyu pointed his jade sword repeatedly, writing the five large characters "天地有正气" (Heaven and Earth are filled with righteous energy) in the air.

Each word carried immense weight, neutralizing Zheng Jun's sword strikes layer by layer.

Immediately, Li Shen's face darkened: "Zheng Jun, you are nothing but a lowly clerk, how dare you discuss matters of the imperial family?"

Zheng Jun snorted coldly, and flames surged on the Dragon Abyss Blade, unleashing a torrent of scorching sword energy: "I, Zheng Jun, am upright and honest, a thousand times better than a hypocrite like you!"

"Confucian and Taoist practices? You dare to use them? Do you even deserve to be called a man of propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame?!"

After saying that, a hundred fiery red sword lights fell like meteors. Li Shen was caught off guard, and a patch of his scholar's robe was scorched.

A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes: "You actually know 'Wildfire Splits'?"

Although surprised for a moment, he quickly regained his composure, and the jade sword drew the character '仁' (ren, meaning benevolence) in the air, transforming into a golden barrier to block the remaining sword energy.

"Li Xun taught you, right? What a pity..."

Li Shen suddenly changed his sword stance, and thousands of golden characters condensed into a long dragon of text: "The sages of Confucianism and Taoism, how could you possibly fathom their depths?!"

The long dragon of characters circled briefly in the sky before roaring and rushing towards Zheng Jun, imprisoning the air wherever it passed.

Zheng Jun felt his true energy circulating sluggishly, as if he were bound by some kind of rule.

Upon seeing this, Zheng Jun's eyes narrowed.

The ultimate sages of Confucianism and Taoism?

and many more.

This guy doesn't seem to be planning to unite the 'Lord of the World'; he appears to be taking a different path!
Upon realizing this, Zheng Jun immediately made a plan in his mind.

"What Confucian and Taoist sages?"

As Zheng Jun pointed his blade, nine great suns and the light of green water erupted simultaneously: "He's nothing but a hypocrite! Today I will clean house for the founding emperor!"

The two forces collided in mid-air, plunging the world into darkness!
(End of this chapter)