The Slender Waist-Chapter 827 - 582: Sudden Military Intelligence_2

Feng Yun and Xiaoman escorted her to the gates of the mansion.

After her carriage had departed, they bid farewell to Princess Chang and returned to the palace.

-

The red sun sank in the west, casting its glow upon the glazed tiles.

Qianyuan Hall bathed in a solemn, dignified aura.

A month later, Yu Zhong and Shi Yin, who had been sent to Cangyan Mountain, delivered triumphant news: the Northern Rong forces were not the reported 100,000 strong but merely a chaotic mob of 30,000 to 50,000. Unwilling to confront the Da Yong Army directly, they resorted to their usual tactics of ambushes and raids, exploiting Cangyan Mountain’s terrain to appear and vanish unpredictably, pillaging mercilessly...

On the third day of their arrival at Cangyan Mountain, Yu Zhong and Shi Yin intercepted and annihilated a vanguard cavalry unit of the Northern Rong in a canyon.

The Imperial Court was ecstatic, celebrating the achievements of the Northern Yong Army.

Pei Jue stood beside the desk in the Imperial Study, hands clasped behind his back, his piercing gaze fixed upon the map of Da Yong spread across the table, a chilling determination emanating from his expression like trapped hostility frozen above the empire’s vast expanse.

"Your Majesty, have you discerned something?" Feng Yun approached him at some unknown point, her hands gently encircling his waist from behind.

Pei Jue was unshaken.

There was only one person who could come and go freely from his study: her.

"No news from the south—it’s unsettling."

Feng Yun glanced at the map and furrowed her brow.

"I thought Your Majesty might be troubled by the disaster relief."

Pei Jue replied, "Disasters are acts of heaven—unpredictable. But calamities brought by men must be guarded against."

"Right indeed."

A faint smile appeared at the corner of Feng Yun’s lips.

"Has my brother sent any word at all?"

"He has," Pei Jue responded. "Five days ago, everything was normal."

By all accounts, five days was not a long time. An absence of unusual reports was no cause for concern; there was little to worry over.

Yet Wen Xingsu was a meticulous man. Pei Jue had sent him to Dan Prefecture to oversee the troops, harboring concerns about the Qi Army. As a vassal, it was his duty to dispel the Emperor’s suspicions—even daily reports were expected.

Feng Yun’s heart skipped a beat, and she lifted her eyes to him.

"Do you think something might have happened to my brother?"

Their gazes locked.

Pei Jue studied her for a brief moment, then abruptly said in a deep voice, "Summon my men!"

A guard immediately entered.

"Your servant is here."

Pei Jue ordered, "Send for Wei Zheng of the Imperial Cavalry Division."

The attendant quickly departed.

Pei Jue coldly commanded again, "Gather the court officials in the capital—assemble in Qianyuan Hall for deliberation."

"Understood."

Feng Yun watched him quietly.

Pei Jue hesitated briefly. "Lady Yun, will you wait here for me, or would you prefer to attend the discussion?"

Feng Yun replied, "I think I’ll go check on Rui Bao’s studies instead."

Pei Jue nodded, wasting no time before heading to the grand hall.

The main hall of Qianyuan was exceptionally vast, easily accommodating hundreds for council meetings. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

In the silence, time seemed to crawl by...

Officials began arriving at Qianyuan Hall one by one.

The atmosphere was solemn, oppressively tense.

After roughly the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Wei Zheng finally hurried in.

However, he was not there to take orders; he came bearing urgent news.

"Your Majesty, the Imperial Cavalry Division has received word: the Nanqi Emperor has personally led his army, advancing west along Hexi River, through Chunning, crossing treacherous mountain ranges, and has attacked Guyi County City... Guyi has fallen."

His statement exploded like a thunderclap.

The Minister of the Imperial Secretariat was struck with horror and fury.

"If Qi Country mobilized an army of 500,000, there would surely have been signs. Are the scouts we employ all imbeciles? How could they know absolutely nothing?"

The officials nodded in emphatic agreement.

"Guyi has fallen—where is Governor Wen?"

Governors are charged with directing all military affairs.

Naturally, the blame of the court turned towards Wen Xingsu.

Wei Zheng sighed, his gaze fixed on the Emperor seated silently upon the Dragon Throne.

"There is something you may not be aware of, gentlemen: Nanqi Army performed this operation with utmost secrecy. By the time the Imperial Cavalry Division caught wind of their movements, the Qi forces had already reached the gates of Guyi. Not only that, they had long since bribed Guyi City’s commander into betrayal. The commander defected on the battlefield, opened the city gates with the help of internal collusion. The defenders, caught off guard, mounted a desperate resistance but were overwhelmed. Guyi fell in a mere hour. Were it not for Governor Wen’s timely actions, rallying Nan Yong troops from Dan Prefecture to block Qi forces at Suo Yue Ridge, the consequences would have been catastrophic..."

Deploying reinforcements takes time.

Wen Xingsu had done all that was humanly possible. While the court officials burned with urgency, they could find no fault in him.

Ao Zheng glanced at the Emperor, his voice tense. "To lose Guyi City—and if Dan Prefecture falls next—Xinzhou will be defenseless, its borders laid bare and precariously exposed..."

"The Prime Minister is absolutely correct. At this critical moment, our court must immediately marshal an army to aid Governor Wen, repel the Qi forces, and reclaim Guyi!"

Before the voice had faded.

A loud announcement came from outside.

"Report—"

"Urgent news from the Nan Yong Army—"

Everyone felt their hearts tighten.

This had to be the latest intelligence from Wen Xingsu.

Inside the grand hall, the officials held their breath, pin-drop silent.

A messenger strode into Qianyuan Hall, knelt before the Emperor, and presented his report.

"Your Majesty, the Qi Emperor has issued a proclamation and dispatched a national letter to the world, declaring his intent to challenge the Da Yong Emperor to a duel of honor."

A duel?

The court broke into murmurs.

The national letter was presented. Pei Jue gestured for the court officials to read it.

The ministers passed the letter around, each growing increasingly incensed.

Years ago, during the Jin and Qi war, the Jin Army, confident in their overwhelming advantage, had accepted the Qi Emperor’s proposal. To avoid escalating the conflict and preserve civilian lives, three challenges were posed to determine Xinzhou’s ownership.

Upon reflection, it had clearly been a trap laid by Xiao San.

Only the shortsightedness of Empress Dowager Li had led her to agree.

That time, thanks to the valiant efforts of the current Empress, who broke the challenge with her unparalleled arithmetic talents and defeated Qi scholar Yan Buxi, Jin won two out of three rounds, securing Xinzhou justly.

Resolving disputes through intellectual prowess, avoiding bloodshed, that event had been lauded as a model of diplomacy. The Qi Emperor’s gentlemanly reputation earned him years of admiration as a virtuous sovereign...

But now they had reaped all the benefits, flourished in peace, strengthened in secret, only to tear up the treaty and launch a surprise attack, catching their ally off-guard, and only then "gracefully" issuing a formal declaration of war?

Unthinkable!

The court erupted in furious condemnation.

"Qi people truly are shameless!"

"Xiao San is dishonorable—despicable!"

"This so-called duel must be a trap."

"Your Majesty must not fall for their cunning schemes."

Pei Jue listened calmly.

Slowly, he ran his hand along the Dragon Throne, then stood up.

"I will go."