Love Lock

Chapter 318 Rushing to the Rescue of Dongguan

The daylight was perfect in the outskirts of Beijing.

The intense sunlight shone down from the high sky, illuminating the area around the altar and revealing even the tiny weeds growing in the cracks of the stone steps.

The altar was built high, and incense smoke swirled around it.

The wind swept across the countryside, causing banners to flutter and the air to be filled with the solemn scent of incense mixed with earth.

Emperor Jing, dressed in a dragon robe, stood on the altar.

His brows were furrowed with deep thought, and he held the jade tablet high in his hand, facing the heavens.

This time, he offered sacrifices to Heaven not to flaunt his status as emperor, nor for the people's crops to be plentiful, but for a great victory in the urgent battle at Dongguan.

He knew better than anyone that if foreign enemies breached the borders and the throne became unstable, all talk of favorable weather and peaceful times would ultimately be nothing but empty words.

Since it concerned the throne, this time he did not ask the Ministry of Revenue for the ever-present but never-enough silver, but instead directly used his own private treasury.

If the country collapses, what use is private wealth?

His gaze was deep and focused, and his prayers rang out clearly. Every word was a question to heaven and earth, and a resolute statement on the current situation.

As for Zhao Zun, the King of Cangzhou—who had entrenched himself in the northwest, wielded powerful weapons, and had once inflicted a major defeat on the imperial army—he had become a potential threat that could be temporarily set aside.

Since the last battle, Zhao Zun had remained inactive. Emperor Jing secretly calculated that even if Zhao Zun were to take advantage of the situation and bring his army to the city gates...

At that time, he might be able to negotiate with Zhao Zun and share the throne; that wouldn't be impossible.

After all, they were all of the same bloodline of the Great Jing Dynasty, and Zhao Zun was unwilling to see his country and people fall under the iron heel of foreign enemies.
But the Eastern Ming Empire was different.

Those were foreign enemies, the army of a different race, enemies like tigers and wolves.

There is no room for maneuver with the Eastern Ming Empire; the only option is to stop the war with war and wash away blood with blood.

As the eulogy drew to a close, Emperor Jing slightly raised his head, gazing at the clear blue sky. The sunlight was blinding, and he squinted, as if he could see the distant borderlands shrouded in billowing dust and the deafening sounds of battle.

Emperor Jing sighed, his face solemn, and held up three sticks of incense, bowing deeply to the heavens and the earth, and to his ancestors.

Sunlight streamed through the crown, casting shimmering shadows on his slightly pale and tired face.

He muttered incantations, no longer the usual clichés of praying for a bountiful harvest and national peace, but words that concerned the war in Dongguan and the stability of the throne.

"Heaven above, Earth below, and the spirits of our ancestors bear witness... May our soldiers of Great Jing be brave and valiant, defeat the wolves of Eastern Ming, preserve our territory, and ensure the peace and tranquility of our nation..."

His voice trembled slightly, revealing his inner anxiety.

Below the stage, civil and military officials and imperial concubines were arranged according to rank, all in complete silence. The only sounds were the burning flames on the altar and the fluttering of banners in the wind, creating a solemn and oppressive atmosphere.

Just as the ceremony was reaching the most crucial part, the three offerings and nine kowtows, a young eunuch, with a hunched back, quickly approached with small, quick steps.

He looked flustered but bit his lip hard, not daring to make a sound, because he had learned his lesson. The little eunuch who had interrupted the sacrificial ceremony last time had been beaten to death by the emperor's men.

He jogged past the guards surrounding the altar and saw Emperor Jing's devout figure in the distance. Not daring to approach, he could only desperately try to signal to the chief eunuch Li Zhongxin, who was standing to his side.

Li Zhongxin was extremely astute and had already noticed the little eunuch's strange behavior.

He frowned slightly, moved his feet silently, took a few steps back, and came to the side of the little eunuch.

"You damned fool! What kind of heaven-falling event is this that you dare to disrupt the sacrificial ceremony?" Li Zhongxin lowered his voice, his words sounding as if squeezed out from between his teeth.

The little eunuch trembled with fear and almost cried.

He took out a small bamboo tube sealed with sealing wax from his sleeve and presented it with both hands.

He lowered his voice to a whisper: "Sir, please calm down! It was a message sent by carrier pigeon from the East Gate that arrived first. The messenger was stopped at the outer checkpoint and couldn't be let in... I... I really couldn't afford to delay..."

The words "Dongguan" struck Li Zhongxin's heart like a heavy hammer.

His expression changed, and he snatched the bamboo tube away.

Such a vital military and national event, even a sacrificial ceremony to Heaven, must not be delayed.

Li Zhongxin took a deep breath, steadied himself, and quietly returned to a short distance behind Emperor Jing, standing with his hands at his sides, waiting for an opening.

Just as Emperor Jing finished his round of kowtows and was about to rise, Li Zhongxin seized the opportunity, stepped forward, and reported urgently and clearly in a voice that only the two of them could hear: "Your Majesty, an urgent report from the East Gate, sent by carrier pigeon."

Emperor Jing froze abruptly as he was about to bow again. He straightened up abruptly, disregarding his decorum, and turned his head sharply, his gaze fixed on the small bamboo tube in Li Zhongxin's hand.

He snatched it away, his fingertips even trembling slightly, and deftly crushed the sealing wax, pouring out a tightly rolled-up thin silk.

Unfolding the thin silk, the writing on it was small and dense, yet it burned his eyes like a red-hot branding iron.

"...The iron cavalry charged, and the central army was broken...Commander Lu personally led his guards to meet the enemy, but was captured...The Dongming army took advantage of the situation and launched a fierce attack, and Dongguan City almost fell...Fortunately, reinforcements arrived in time, and the enemy was barely driven back to twenty miles outside the city...However, the casualties in the city were heavy, and the loss of food and weapons was enormous..."

"puff--!"

Emperor Jing felt a sudden, unpredictable rush of blood to his throat. His vision went black, and he spat a mouthful of blood directly onto the cold bluestone slab in front of the altar. The crimson bloodstains were a shocking sight in the sunlight.

"His Majesty!"

"emperor!"

The audience erupted in panicked screams and commotion.

The Empress, who was closest to him, paled and rushed forward to support the swaying Emperor Jing, her voice trembling with tears: "Your Majesty! What's wrong? Don't frighten me!"

Li Zhongxin was terrified and screamed in a shrill voice, "Imperial Physician! Quickly, summon the Imperial Physician! Hurry!"

Emperor Jing's chest heaved violently, his face was ashen, and his lips were stained with blood. He pushed away the empress and eunuchs who tried to help him and struggled to raise his arm.

Pointing towards the palace, his voice hoarse and trembling: "Return to the palace...ring the bells immediately...attending court!"

After he finished speaking, he coughed violently again, almost unable to breathe, and only the eunuchs supporting him prevented him from collapsing.

The second sacrificial ceremony to Heaven came to an abrupt end amidst chaos and panic.

……

In the Golden Palace, the bells tolled urgently and heavily, making the hearts of all who heard them clench.

The officials had already learned from the chaos at the altar that His Majesty had vomited blood, and were now hastily summoned to the palace. Their faces were filled with suspicion and uncertainty, and they whispered among themselves. The hall was filled with a buzzing sound, and the oppressive atmosphere of an impending storm was palpable.

Emperor Jing changed into his everyday clothes, his face still pale, but his eyes were like fire, and he forced himself to sit on the dragon throne.

He glanced at the anxious officials and nodded slightly to Li Zhongxin.

Li Zhongxin stepped forward, unfolded the letter sent by carrier pigeon stained with the blood of an emperor, and read it aloud clearly in his distinctive high-pitched voice.

Each word was like a heavy hammer, striking the silent hall and the hearts of every minister.

"...Marshal Lu has been captured..."

"...Dongguan City almost fell..."

"...Heavy casualties..."

"...Reinforcements are urgently needed..."

With each sentence read, the faces of everyone in the hall paled a little more.

After Li Zhongxin finished reading, the entire Golden Palace was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; it was deathly silent.

Shock, disbelief, fear, shame... a mix of emotions clung to the faces of the officials.

The garrison commander, a pillar of the nation, has become a prisoner of the enemy.

The seemingly impregnable Dongguan City was almost breached?
This is an utter disgrace! The overwhelming strength of the Dongming army sent chills down everyone's spines.

Emperor Jing's voice broke the deathly silence, carrying an uncontrollable weakness and anger, as well as a hint of barely perceptible panic.

"You all heard that? Huh? Dongming is practically trampling my Great Jing's face underfoot! Lu Chengyun... good-for-nothing!" He slammed his hand on the armrest of the dragon throne, which triggered a fit of coughing, causing him to bend over. He was furious.

Li Zhongxin quickly stepped forward and gently patted his back. All the officials fell silent, none daring to speak.

After a long while, Emperor Jing caught his breath and swept his gaze across the princes: "Why are you all mute? Where is your usual eloquence? Speak! What should we do now? Should we still save Dongguan? How should we save it?"

The Minister of Revenue stepped forward first, looking troubled: "Your Majesty, the last time we supported Marshal Li, we almost emptied the grain and silver reserves of the neighboring prefectures. Where will the grain and silver come from for this second reinforcement? Even if we levy more taxes, I'm afraid it will be too late to help those in need and could easily lead to a peasant uprising."

"As for provisions and pay, I will allocate them from the imperial treasury again!" Emperor Jing interrupted him, his tone resolute. "Even if we have to sell everything we own, you must hold Dongguan for me!"

Dongguan was the easternmost pass of the Great Jing Dynasty. If Dongguan fell, the Ming cavalry could advance unimpeded through the various prefectures and counties. But victory and defeat are common in war. What angered him was not that Dongguan had almost fallen. What angered him was that even a dignified marshal of the pass had become a prisoner of the enemy, which was a humiliating blow to him, the emperor of the Great Jing Dynasty.

At this moment, Cao Ge, the Minister of War, stepped forward and reported, "Your Majesty, what about the troops? Most of the available troops from Yun, Ji, and Liang prefectures, as well as the surrounding areas of the capital, have already been transferred to Dongguan. If we were to transfer more troops now, the only options would be from Xuzhou and Jingzhou. However, these two places are far from Dongguan, and with the army setting out and supplies and provisions following, it would take at least a month to reach the front lines. I'm afraid... I'm afraid it won't be enough time!"

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded, their faces showing despair.

At this moment, a loud voice rang out: "Your Majesty, have you forgotten Cangzhou? The Cangzhou army has been fighting against the Turks for many years and is the most elite force in the land! If the Cangzhou army were to take action, the siege of Dongguan would surely be lifted!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a censor from the Censorate. However, as soon as he finished speaking, he was met with fierce rebuttal.

"Absurd!" Minister of War Cao Ge shouted sternly. "Cangzhou King Zhao Zun has already raised an army, and his intentions are despicable! To send him to aid Dongguan at this time is tantamount to asking a tiger for its skin! Moreover, the Cangzhou army defends against the Turks, Ala, and Meng in the north. If it is mobilized, the northern border will be left undefended. If the northern barbarians invade the south, wouldn't our Great Jing be attacked from both sides? This proposal is absolutely unacceptable!"

That censor was just a civil official; he was good at impeaching others, but he knew absolutely nothing about troop movements.

He was refuted so blatantly that he blushed and retreated in embarrassment.

The situation inside the hall reached a stalemate once again.

Everyone knows that what Cao Ge said is true. The Cangzhou army has that powerful and mysterious "Aimu Sixteen". Although powerful, it is no longer under the command of the imperial court and has become a major threat.

Emperor Jing propped his head up with his hand, glared at the clueless censor, and felt that the censor was deliberately rubbing salt into his wounds.

As he listened to the argument below, he felt a splitting headache and an increasing tightness in his chest.

He was well aware of Zhao Zun's threat. He had even considered negotiating with Zhao Zun to jointly defend against foreign enemies should the capital fall.

But that was the last step, a humiliating one!
Now, Dongguan is in grave danger, and distant water cannot quench the immediate fire. Internal troubles are also imminent. Is it truly that Heaven intends to destroy our Great Jing? Both sacrificial ceremonies to Heaven have been interrupted. Is it really that Heaven does not support him as emperor?

He rubbed his temples wearily, his voice filled with helplessness: "Is... there really no way? Dongming will never give up. Are we just going to stand by and watch Dongguan fall?"

Just then, Cao Ge, the Minister of War, stepped forward again with a glint in his eyes and said loudly, "Your Majesty, perhaps there is another plan we can try!"

"Speak!" Emperor Jing suddenly looked up, as if grasping at a straw.

"Didn't His Majesty select elite troops from the Beijing Garrison, the Three Great Camps, and the various guard posts protecting the capital to form a new army, and entrust it to Commander Da Jiu, who won the competition, for training? Now this new army has been trained and is only 10,000 strong, but it comes from the elite troops of various armies. Why not send this army on horseback to quickly reinforce Dongguan? Even if it cannot completely turn the tide of the battle, it can at least help Marshal Li stabilize the situation."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Jing was first taken aback, then suddenly realized! The anxiety of the past few days and the blow of the disastrous defeat at Dongguan had made him forget the move he had personally laid out!
"Yes! Yes! And the new army! And Da Jiu!" Emperor Jing's emotions suddenly surged, a sickly blush rising on his pale face. "Quickly! Issue an edict! Summon Da Jiu to the palace immediately!"

However, some ministers still expressed their concerns: "Your Majesty, although Minister Cao's words are reasonable, a force of ten thousand men, thrown into the battlefield where hundreds of thousands of troops are fighting at Dongguan, may be like a drop in the ocean..."

Emperor Jing, however, seemed to have found his way, and spoke with unwavering resolve.

"That's better than nothing! After all, Marshal Li is getting on in years. This new army is well-equipped and well-trained, and might be able to achieve a surprise victory! Even if it can't defeat the enemy, it's good to strengthen the city's defenses!"

Emperor Jing stroked his chin, feigning deep thought: "The troops from Xuzhou and Jingzhou must be deployed to guard against Zhao Zun, the King of Cangzhou. At this moment, this new army is the fastest force to reach Dongguan!"

As he spoke, a shadow crossed his eyes. "What Minister Cao said is absolutely right. The King of Cangzhou must be on guard. The troops of Xuzhou and Jingzhou must closely monitor the movements of Cangzhou and must not be allowed to take advantage of the chaos!"

Just then, a message came from outside the hall: "The new army commander awaits orders outside the Great Hall of the Ninth Prince!"

"Announce it! Announce it quickly!" Emperor Jing said urgently.

A moment later, Da Jiu, whose sharp and capable air was still evident in his new military officer uniform, strode into the hall.

He knelt on one knee, his voice strong: "This humble general, Da Jiu, pays his respects to Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"

He had clearly rushed back from the military camp on the outskirts of Beijing, and his breathing was still a little unsteady.

"Rise, my dear minister!" Emperor Jing raised his hand and said impatiently, "Urgent military news from Dongguan: Lu Chengyun has been defeated and captured, and Dongguan City was almost lost!"

Even with Da Jiu's composure, upon hearing this news, his pupils contracted sharply, and his face instantly filled with astonishment.

He had heard of Lu Chengyun's abilities, and the entire Dongguan Army was quite powerful, so how could it have fallen to such a state?

The strength of the Eastern Ming army far exceeded expectations!
Emperor Jing continued, "Although Marshal Li Jianyong has temporarily stabilized the situation, Dongguan remains in grave danger. The imperial reinforcements will take time to arrive, and distant water cannot quench an immediate fire. I intend to send you immediately to lead the new army, lightly equipped, to rush to Dongguan's aid! Your new army has been trained for a long time and is well-equipped. I require you to assist Marshal Li in defending Dongguan for me! Can you do it?"

Upon hearing this, Da Jiu was greatly shocked.

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