Destroy Jin and conquer Song, and carry the Northern Expedition through to the end

Chapter 568 The Libra General Feels Uneasy

When Kong Duanqi returned to Dongping Prefecture at full speed, it was already September 1st.

The autumn harvest in the north was mostly over by now, and only a few ragged figures remained in the barren farmland along the way, whether they were catching field mice or looking for some fallen ears of grain to eat.

Upon seeing the galloping horses on the official road, they all lowered their bodies and lay prostrate on the ground, hoping that the passing dignitaries would not notice them.

Kong Duanqi was too lazy to pay attention to these commoners and went straight to the Jiedushi Mansion.

At this moment, Geng Jing was holding a military meeting with his generals to prepare for a series of military actions against the Jin state. Xin Qiji and others were among them, but compared to their enthusiastic speeches during the Jingnan campaign, the three of them were much more silent.

"Commander-in-Chief! Great news!" Kong Duanqi shouted loudly, then approached Geng Jing amidst the stares of the generals: "I have reached an agreement with the Prime Minister of the Great Song Dynasty. As long as our army attacks the Jin Dynasty, the Great Song Dynasty will send troops to Xuzhou to distract the Jin invaders!"

Geng Jing was equally overjoyed, laughing loudly as he said to the surrounding generals, "With the assistance of the Great Song Dynasty, our army is bound to win!"

The crowd instantly erupted in commotion.

However, amidst the cheers, Xin Qiji frowned and asked, "Mr. Kong, is there any definite document?"

Kong Duanqi's smile faltered, and he then said to Xin Qiji, "It's just a verbal agreement. Minister Ye also needs to request imperial decree, but he has already guaranteed that as soon as the decree is issued, he will immediately send an envoy with the documents. What, does Xin Wulang think I'm lying?"

As if sensing the tense atmosphere between the two, the originally booming laughter quickly subsided, leaving only a few people's dry chuckles.

Xin Qiji, however, exclaimed in astonishment: "Who? Minister Ye? Ye Yiweng Ye Gong?!"

Kong Duan nodded emphatically: "Exactly!"

This time, not only Xin Qiji, but also Jia Rui and Li Tieqiang were taken aback and shocked.

Xin Qiji asked again, a hint of anxiety on his face: "It's only Lord Ye, not Lord Yu?"

Upon seeing the three generals, Kong Duanqi felt inexplicably uneasy, but still forced himself to be serious and said, "It's just Lord Ye."

Xin Qiji immediately turned around, ignoring Kong Duanqi, and bowed to Geng Jing, saying, "Commander, this matter cannot be taken seriously. It's not that Mr. Kong is deceiving you, but rather that Ye Yiwen is a complacent official, utterly incapable of handling important military and national affairs. Entrusting our lives to him would lead to disaster!"

Kong Duanqi glared at him angrily: "What Xin Wulang said is completely unreasonable. I see that Minister Ye is shrewd and capable, and he is responsible for the important task of Lianghuai. He is the true Grand Minister of Song. How can you underestimate him like this? Does Xin Wulang think that just because he has been in Song for a while, he can see through everyone with his eyes?"

Xin Qiji felt a wave of disgust, but he still patiently explained to Kong Duanqi: "Prime Minister Ye was the Privy Councilor who was pushed out to take responsibility when the Song Dynasty suffered a major defeat in the Huai River region. He knew nothing about military affairs and had no allies, so the Song court used him as a scapegoat!"

Kong Duanqi clapped his hands suddenly: "That's right! The Song state suffered a great defeat in the Huai River region, but was still able to win in the end. Doesn't that prove that Minister Ye is a great general who can remain calm in the face of danger?"

Hearing this, even Jia Rui could no longer contain himself: "What nonsense about being a great general! The reason why the Song Dynasty was able to win was because Liu Dalang led the Jingnan Army to block Wanyan Liang's retreat, wasn't it because of the bloody battle fought in Chaoxian?"

This damned Minister Ye sits comfortably in Jiankang, a hundred and eight thousand miles away from us, how did it become his achievement?! At least Minister Yu dared to go to the battlefield, this scoundrel…”

Before Jia Rui could finish speaking, Li Tieqiang stepped on his foot.

He immediately stopped talking and turned to look, only to see that Geng Jing's face was as black as charcoal.

Geng Jing hadn't thought much of it before, but lately, hearing people praise Liu Huai made him feel very uncomfortable, even somewhat annoyed.

He himself understood that this mindset was somewhat abnormal.

After analyzing the situation in secret, Geng Jing realized that he both hated and envied Liu Huai. The hatred was self-evident; Liu Huai had repeatedly humiliated his generals, recruited Yelü Xingge, and even wrote letters reprimanding and insulting him, which had long infuriated Geng Jing.

This explains the intricate connections between the Taiping Army and the Loyal Army; if their relationship had been even slightly strained, they might have already gone to war.

Jealousy, however, is something that cannot be discussed with outsiders.

Liu Huai, such a young upstart, has gained such great prestige, and even seems to be the leader of the Shandong rebels. Most of the generals of the Taiping Army also have great respect and affection for Liu Huai.

Needless to say, even people like Xin Qiji and others, such as Shi Baiju who was beaten up and Ye Shichan who was humiliated in person, did not think of retaliating, and even felt very little resentment.

Zhang Anguo, the only one who spoke ill of Liu Huai, mostly expressed his dislike for Liu Huai's meddling in the Taiping Army's affairs and his resentment that Geng Jing was not the leader of the Shandong rebels. Deep down, he probably acknowledged that Liu Huai was a great hero.

How could such behavior not ignite a burning jealousy in Geng Jing's heart?

The saying goes that a doctor cannot heal himself. Geng Jing knew perfectly well that this emotion was abnormal and should not be, but that did not stop him from losing control of his expression and turning dark-faced after hearing Jia Rui's words.

Zhang Anguo spoke up at the opportune moment: "Jia Hulu, everyone knows your contributions, so don't flaunt them now. In this situation, what else can we do if we don't trust Lord Ye? Aren't we going to attack Daming Prefecture this winter?"

Jia Rui fell silent.

The Taiping Army plundered the people to boost morale and stockpile military supplies, turning Dongping Prefecture into this mess. While they certainly had their own selfish motives, most of their generals wanted to expand their territory and make a name for themselves.

The Taiping Army had indeed begun to degenerate, but it was not yet beyond redemption and still had ambition.

Could this all-out punch have any other strategic objective besides Daming Prefecture?
Don't forget that at this time, a considerable portion of the Taiping Army consisted of remnants of the Tianxiong Army brought by Wang Youzhi. These Hebei people were attacking Daming Prefecture to fight their way back to their hometown, and they were going to fight to the death!

In short, the wheels of war have already been turned on, and no one can stop them.

Xin Qiji also fell silent, and after a moment shook his head and said, "Things have come to this, and I have nothing more to say. But we still need to send another envoy to contact Minister Yu of Lianghuai and obtain a promise from him..."

"No need!" Kong Duanqi interrupted Xin Qiji sharply, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He bowed to Geng Jing and said, "Commander, I dare to guarantee with my life that this Minister Ye is an extremely arrogant person and will absolutely not betray your authority!"

Xin Qiji, at this point, didn't even bother to acknowledge this self-proclaimed Zhuge Liang, and after a pause, continued, "The military governor still needs to send a military envoy to Linyi to have the Duke of Wei send troops to contain the Jin bandits in Xuzhou. The Song state is unreliable; our army needs..."

"Enough." Geng Jing interrupted Xin Qiji, his tone turning cold: "My Taiping Army is not a vassal of the Jingnan Army, and we don't need Liu Dalang to handle everything!"

After a moment of stunned silence, Xin Qiji said, "Geng Jiedushi, war is a matter of vital importance to the state, a matter of life and death, a matter of survival and destruction. How can you act impulsively?"

Geng Jing remained silent for a moment before looking at Xin Qiji with a somewhat strange gaze: "These words... these words were also taught to you by Liu Dalang?"

Even Li Tieqiang was indignant. He hadn't expected, and couldn't believe, that his elder brother had changed so much in just a few months.

Xin Qiji neither coveted power nor defied authority; he merely expressed his thoughts during a military council meeting. Why then should he be viewed with such suspicion?
However, just as Li Tieqiang was about to say something harsh, Zhang Anguo stood up to smooth things over.

"Fifth Brother, Big Iron Spear, Jia Hulu, your troops have been organized and are all familiar faces. In the upcoming battle, the three of you will be the main force, so you must not be negligent."

As Zhang Anguo spoke, he took a few steps forward and winked repeatedly at Li Tieqiang: "The commander will take overall control and will not allow the Jin invaders to take advantage of any loopholes."

Xin Qiji sighed, then bowed to Geng Jing and turned to leave.

(End of this chapter)