Although Xie Changgeng had made arrangements before leaving the country, the sudden attack from Changsha State was beyond his expectations. The pre-arranged defense lines were torn apart one after another, and the coalition forces advanced all the way to Shangjing.
This was the first strategic failure Xie Changgeng encountered in his life. Soon, to make matters worse, he received another piece of news.
With the rebellion of the King of Qi, the previous superficial balance of power collapsed overnight. There was no longer any sign of a wise ruler or loyal subjects, and there was no longer any harmony.
Not only Empress Liu, but any of his enemies might use his mother as a threat to capture him, so he arranged for someone to send his mother away from Xie County early on.
What he didn't expect was that something went wrong.
That group of people avoided Empress Liu's men, but they could not avoid King Qi's men.
During the transfer, his mother was tracked down and abducted by the King of Qi's men.
Smoke billowed, and the camps were spread out for ten miles. A bloody battle had just ended on the border. Hundreds of thousands of northern cavalry were still confronting the Hexi army across the river. The next fierce battle was about to begin.
Xie Changgeng had just returned from the battlefield and had not yet taken off his battle robe. He looked at the messenger kneeling in front of him, veins popping out on his forehead, and for a long while, he remained motionless.
Everyone knows that the Jiedushi is a filial son.
His subordinates looked at his face, which was so stiff that it was almost distorted, and all of them held their breath. After a moment, Liu An stepped forward.
"Jiedushi, please don't worry too much! Please give me a group of troops, and I will lead them into the pass right away..."
Before he could finish his words, Xie Changgeng raised his hand to stop him.
"They took my mother just to threaten her. They won't hurt anyone until the very end. The war in Hexi is our top priority right now. You don't have to be distracted. I will take care of it!"
Xie Changgeng's eyes were red as he spoke word by word.
…
After Mu Xuanqing led his troops north, news of victory continued to spread back to Yuecheng. By October, the coalition forces had approached Shangjing, which was in danger, and at this time, Xie Changgeng's main force was still detained outside the pass. Pucheng County Magistrate followed Xie Changgeng's last arrangement and took Empress Liu and her son and a group of civil and military officials to Longguan.
After Shangjing was captured, the King of Qi entered the city and, with the support of the vassal kings, ascended the throne three days later and proclaimed himself emperor. He announced a general amnesty and celebrated with all the people, while taking the opportunity to plunder property and expand the army.
Mu Xuanqing did not participate in this farce-like carnival, and led the army to continue attacking Longguan. Pucheng Ling relied on the terrain and refused to come out, and the two sides fell into a stalemate.
In early November, Xie Changgeng defeated the northern cavalry and broke into the royal court. The Northern King abandoned his land and fled back to the old capital.
This war, which lasted for nearly half a year, came to an end. The northerners were severely damaged and sent letters of surrender and tribute, submitting to the emperor.
On this day, late at night, in the wilderness outside Longguan, the military camp was pitch black, but in the big tent, the candlelight was still bright. Yuan Handing hurried in and presented the letter he had just received.
"Your Highness, I just received accurate news that Xie Changgeng has defeated the northerners and is expected to return soon!"
During the siege a few days ago, Mu Xuanqing was hit by an arrow in the chest. After being treated by a military doctor, he looked very haggard, perhaps because of his anxiety and sleepless nights.
"Where are the King of Qi's people?" he asked.
"I was just about to report to His Highness. Although the King of Qi calls himself the emperor, he must know that Shangjing is difficult to defend. The spies reported that they had withdrawn their troops to the Eastern Capital a few days ago. Longguan has been under siege for a long time and it is not advisable to waste time. Please issue an order immediately to assemble the army and return to Changsha State!"
His expression was extremely solemn, and after he finished speaking, he knelt down towards Mu Xuanqing.
Mu Xuanqing gritted his teeth and said, "There are not many defenders in Longguan anymore! Gather the soldiers tomorrow, have a good meal, and I will personally lead the troops to attack again!"
Yuan Handing looked at Mu Xuanqing without saying a word.
"What's wrong with you? Just follow my orders! Even if Xie Changgeng returns, he won't be that fast!"
Yuan Handing turned around and called out. He saw a dozen lieutenants in armor rushing in. They knelt down and said in unison, "Your Highness, please give the order!"
Mu Xuanqing was stunned, and his eyes swept around the people in front of him, finally looking at Yuan Handing. He stood up suddenly with an angry look on his face.
"Handing, what do you mean by this? I treat you as my brother, how dare you force me?"
Yuan Handing said, "Your Highness, calm down. How could Handing have such courage? But before the troops were dispatched, the princess summoned me to the Temple of the Former King and told me that if the war was delayed for a long time or if she knew that Xie Changgeng had returned, she would order me to bring Your Highness back."
"The princess ordered me to tell Your Highness that she knew Your Highness had been wishing for a long time, and that it was the duty of the Mu family to personally avenge your aunt. So when Your Highness decided to send troops north, she did not dissuade Your Highness, because what Your Highness thought at the time was not completely unreasonable. If such a good opportunity is missed, I am afraid that Your Highness will be unhappy in the end."
"My lady said, do your best and leave the rest to fate. The soldiers are loyal, and Your Highness has done his best. If it is God's will, and you insist on revenge and disregard the safety of Changsha's soldiers, then even if your aunt is in heaven, she will not be happy."
"Your Highness, please listen to the princess's words and stop the fighting now so that we can make plans for the future!"
Yuan Handing kowtowed to the ground with a resounding sound.
The generals behind him kowtowed and requested in unison.
Mu Xuanqing walked with heavy steps past Yuan Handing and others who were kneeling at his feet.
He drew aside the curtain and looked out.
Under the night sky, as far as the eye can see, there are camps one after another. In the distance, from some unknown corner, the sound of a leaf flute drifted in the wind. The flute sounded sobbing, as if it carried a few wisps of homesickness. It only blew a few times, and then suddenly disappeared, probably stopped by someone nearby.
Mu Xuanqing stood there stiffly for a long time, then slowly turned his head.
"Send an order, return the troops to Changsha."
His voice was extremely difficult. After he finished speaking, he vomited blood, his body swayed, and he fell to the ground.
…
Her young brother was still upset after all. On his way back south, he was depressed and exhausted, and his injuries continued to worsen. After entering Changsha State, he was unable to move and stopped in Yunmeng City.
When Mu Fulan, Lu Aju, Lu Lin and others arrived at Yunmeng City, the prince had been in a coma for several days and was only breathing his last breath.
Mu Fulan used a golden needle to wake him up. Mu Xuanqing opened his eyes and looked at his wife who was holding his hand tightly for a moment. His distracted eyes gradually became clear.
He smiled at his wife, then raised his other hand with great effort, stroked Aju's hair, and said softly: "I'm sorry..."
Lu and Aju burst into tears.
"Sister, don't blame yourself. This is probably your fate." Mu Xuanqing said again.
"No matter what you said at the beginning, my brother would not listen to you. It is all my own fault that my brother is in this situation..."
"The reason why my father promised you to that Xie was because he didn't trust me as his son. I have always refused to accept it. I thought that this time, I could prove to my father that I could do it. Now I know that my brother is really useless..."
He murmured, his sight seeming to pass through the people around him and drift into the void somewhere unknown.
"After my brother leaves, I'll leave the matter to you..."
Mu Fulan burst into tears and could hardly control herself.
The young king of Changsha died suddenly of illness on his way back to the south. When the news spread, the people were grieved and the whole country was in mourning.
The people and things in the outside world did not stop because of the changes here. New news came every day.
Xie Changgeng has returned.
Empress Liu returned to the capital and order was restored at the court.
The King of Qi retreated to the Eastern Capital, occupied half of the country, gathered his forces, and established a new court.
Xie Changgeng was also crowned king. From then on, he completely controlled the court and held great power. Soon, he would launch a war against the forces that hindered his great plans in the name of suppressing rebellion.
As for Changsha's neighbor, the previously defeated Fuzhou governor is now ready to make a comeback.
From the moment she watched her brother the king send his troops north, Mu Fulan knew that such a situation would occur sooner or later, whether her brother the king was present or not.
She is ready.
During the day, she faced the officials of Changsha State who were in a state of panic and handled the endless stream of issues with a calm attitude. But when it got dark, she couldn't avoid insomnia all night long.
Before her death, the prince told her not to blame herself, but how could she do that
After the national mourning, her sister-in-law fell ill, but Mu Fulan knew that she couldn't fall ill with her.
Xier, A'sao, A'ru, and her family need her protection. The millions of anxious people of Changsha who have just lost their king need her to stand up and let them know that the Mu royal family, which has protected them for more than two hundred years, has not abandoned them.
…
This day was the last day of the national mourning in Changsha State. Zhao Xitai came from the Eastern Capital to pay condolences on behalf of the King of Qi.
He entered the palace, burned incense and worshipped respectfully in front of the mourning hall, and was then led to Xuanchong Hall.
Mu Fulan was dressed in white, with black hair. She stood by the window, looking as light as a March snowflake on the pear blossom. If you came closer and exhaled her hot air, she would melt into water.
Zhao Xitai stared at her for a moment, then walked towards her slowly and whispered, "I feel very sorry about your brother's affairs. I know you won't believe me, but there are some things I really can't decide now. After conquering Shangjing, I also want to send troops to help your brother conquer Longguan, but my father..."
"Congratulations." She interrupted him with a smile.
"Now that you are the crown prince, you still remember to come here to see my brother off."
"My lady!"
Zhao Xitai walked a few steps towards her and held her cold hand tightly.
"It doesn't matter how you scold me! I came here this time, although I was sent by my father, but it was also my own wish. The last time I came to propose to you, you rejected me without even meeting me. No matter what you think or what others think, I really want to marry you."
"Now I have the capital of the East in my hands, the terrain to rely on, sufficient money and food, and an increasing number of troops, which is enough to compete with Xie Changgeng. If your country of Changsha is willing to serve my father, from now on, we will be family members and we will form an alliance. If you are attacked by Xie Changgeng, my father will not sit idly by..."
Mu Fulan withdrew her hand and sneered.
"Prince, do you think your father, the Emperor, is trustworthy?"
Zhao Xitai said word by word: "My lady, you and I have been playmates since childhood. In my heart, Zhao Xitai, you are the only one. I swear to the heavens with my life that in the future, when I take control of Dongdu, I will protect you to the end!"
Mu Fulan looked at him and smiled, "But I don't know when you will be able to take control of Dongdu?"
Zhao Xitai gritted his teeth, moved closer, and whispered, "Originally, this is a family matter, not worth telling to outsiders. You know, I have been weak since I was a child, and I didn't expect that my father had already prepared for my death. In the early years, he kept many magicians, indulged in the art of sex, and wanted to have a child. My mother only found out about this at the beginning of the year. He actually gave birth to a son, who is already quite old. He was afraid that the feng shui of the mansion would affect his death, so he was raised outside and didn't bring him back. If it weren't for my mother's family, I'm afraid I wouldn't be the prince."
He sneered. "He is only interested in finding another son and cultivating him with all his strength. How can he have any father-son feelings towards me? If so, I will not just sit there and wait for death."
"My Lady, Xie Changgeng is ruthless and ungrateful to you, but I am different. I will take good care of my body, and when I take power, I will always put you first. Believe me!"
Mu Fulan looked at Zhao Xitai, who was showing excitement, and said softly, "I heard that Xie Changgeng's mother is in your hands now?"
Zhao Xitai nodded: "That's right. Empress Liu was going to take action, but she was too stupid. I used a little trick and succeeded. With his mother here, he will be restrained when the critical moment comes, which will be of great use to us."
Mu Fulan was silent for a moment.
"It's a pity that what you say now doesn't count," she said.
"If you can't go back this time, and you want to exchange yourself for Xie Changgeng's mother, do you think your father will agree?"
Zhao Xitai was stunned and hesitated, "What do you mean?"
Mu Fulan stared at him.
"This world is in chaos. To be the emperor, everyone has to rely on their own abilities. Even if there are conspiracies and intrigues, it is understandable. But there is one thing, do you know what it is that I despise the most?"
She paused.
"The thing I hate most in my life is capturing the parents and wife of the enemy and using them as hostages."
"Since you are here, then you can rest well here for a few days. When I am free, I can also take care of your body. When your father thinks it through and is willing to send Mother Xie here, it will not be too late for you to go back!"
She flicked her sleeves, sweeping away a jade bottle beside her.
Amid the sound of the jade bottle shattering, the door was quickly pushed open and dozens of guards rushed in.
Yuan Handing pointed his sword at Zhao Xitai's neck and said coldly, "Your Highness, you are in Dongdu, so you must have someone else. If your father is reluctant to exchange you for someone else, I advise you to ask your own people to find a way to send the old lady here!"