Crisis in Jiannan Road

After giving Liu Rengui the maximum support possible, all Gao Yuan could do was sit at home and quietly wait for news of victory.

Ever since his last injury, not only the women, but even Mu Sheng, Song Yong, and the others refused to allow him to go on any more expeditions.

Gao Yuan was happy to enjoy the leisure; he stayed at home all day, never stepping foot outside, becoming the most relaxed person in the entire Diannan Circuit.

Watching the two women's growing bellies, Gao Yuan looked forward to becoming a father more and more.

Just as Gao Yuan was preparing to live the life of a shut-in, a piece of news shattered the tranquility.

“Is the news confirmed?”

“It has been confirmed. Western Kang has raised an army of about eighty thousand to attack Song Prefecture and Yaizhou. At the same time, a rebellion has broken out in Yazhou. The rebels have captured Yandao County and killed the provincial inspector. Now, the rebels have swept through five counties of Yazhou.”

“What about Song Ren? Does he, the Military Governor, have no reaction at all?”

“According to reports, Song Ren, the Jiedushi of Jiannan Circuit, is resisting the Western Kang invasion in Song Prefecture and Yaizhou. The heartland of Jiannan Circuit is extremely empty, which is how the rebels succeeded.”

Although he looked down on Song Ren, Gao Yuan knew that his choice at this moment was not wrong.

Compared to the rebels, the Xikang Army was the true existential threat. Once the Western Kang people broke through the Song Prefecture and Yaizhou defensive lines and invaded the Bashu Basin, it would truly be a disaster for the people.

“Zhao Wufang, you bastard. I didn't expect you to actually go through with this.”

Gao Yuan didn't believe Lu Daoyuan's nonsense for a second, thinking that the promises Zhao Wufang had made were merely some money and grain.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Gao Yuan's face darkened visibly, and he said in an icy tone,

“Pass the order: command the Third Division to end their recovery and move west to Dali. Appoint Wen Pin as the Diannan Circuit Campaign Commander, leading the Beiwei Army's First Division and Third Division, as well as the Xuanjia Army from Dali, Lijiang, West City, Menge, and other places to attack Mangkang and Dajianlu.”

“Commandery Duke, the Third Division...”

“I know, but with a foreign enemy invading, how can we rest easy if we don't do something? There are still a thousand guards in Guchang County, plus my Personal Guards; there won't be any problems. Execute the order.”

Just as the others were about to try and persuade him further, a delicate yet firm voice drifted in.

“My Husband is right. This Palace also approves of sending troops.”

The group hurriedly bowed to Zhao Xiyao as she stepped inside.

“Greetings, Grand Princess.”

“You may rise.”

Gao Yuan walked up to Zhao Xiyao and took her small hand.

“Thank you.”

“You and I are husband and wife as one, and my Husband is doing this for the sake of the nation’s righteousness. There is no need for thanks.”

With Zhao Xiyao's full support, Gao Yuan's orders were quickly issued.

For the soldiers of the Beiwei Army, they were most motivated when fighting foreign tribes. Especially after hearing that their comrades in the Second Division were living high on the hog in Zhongnan Circuit, how could they not be envious?

Without needing to carry heavy baggage, each soldier of the Beiwei Army brought ten days' worth of dry rations, filled their water skins, and set off, each leading a pack horse.

Although Song Ren's abilities were somewhat mediocre, he was not a coward. Otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to personally oversee the defense at Song Prefecture.

However, to suppress the rebellion, a large portion of the Jiannan Circuit army had been transferred to the Guanzhong. Now, he had fewer than eighty thousand troops under his command.

Furthermore, he had to split his forces to garrison various places and delay the rebels' progress. Only thirty thousand-odd men were able to follow him to set up defenses in Song Prefecture and Yaizhou.

Watching the Western Kang soldiers flaunting their might outside the city, Song Ren slammed his fist against the battlements.

“Damn it! If those thirty thousand elites were still here, would I let these foreign scum show off here?!”

While he was fuming, a lieutenant suddenly ran over and handed him a letter with both hands.

“Commander, this is a personal letter for you from Commander Gao of Diannan Circuit.”

“Gao Yuan? This guy isn't here to kick me while I'm down, is he?”

Song Ren grumbled to himself while opening the letter, but when he opened it and scanned the contents, he felt deeply ashamed of his previous thoughts.

“I... I didn't expect him... he actually...”

Seeing the shifting expressions on Song Ren's face, those around him didn't dare to breathe. The lieutenant who had just delivered the letter looked around before gathering the courage to ask,

“Commander, what does Commandery Duke Gao say in the letter?”

Song Ren took a few deep breaths and held up the letter, waving it.

“Soldiers! Gao Yuan, the military governor of diannan circuit, has sent a letter. To support us, he has already dispatched an army to attack Mangkang and Dajianlu in Western Kang. I believe it won't be long before the Western Kang people retreat because they are being attacked from both sides!”

“Boom!”

The news caused an instant explosion of excitement on the scene. Joyous expressions appeared on everyone's faces, and many began scrambling to read Gao Yuan's personal letter.

Song Ren, however, looked into the distance with mixed emotions.

From a personal standpoint, he had been humiliated by Gao Yuan. While he might not hate him to the bone, he certainly disliked him intensely.

Furthermore, The Emperor's attitude toward Gao Yuan was one of wariness and hatred, and as The Emperor's loyal dog, he should have felt the same.

But now, Gao Yuan was sending troops to rescue him instead of kicking him while he was down, leaving his heart in a state of great conflict.

“I really don't know what the future will hold!”

Regardless of how he would face Gao Yuan in the future, at the very least, this news greatly boosted the morale of the defenders in the two prefectures, sweeping away the gloom of the rebellion in the heartland.

The Western Kang people also got a good taste of the Jiannan Circuit soldiers' bravery and skill in battle.

The attacking Western Kang soldiers not only failed in their siege and suffered heavy casualties, but one night, Song Ren even organized a raid that burned over twenty thousand dan of grain, dealing a heavy blow to the Western Kang morale.

On the other side, Wen Pin began a steady advance upon receiving his orders.

Because they were about to enter the plateau, Wen Pin followed Gao Yuan's requirements and chose to march slowly, allowing the soldiers to gradually adapt to the high-altitude environment.

Combined with the use of Rhodiola, in less than half a month, the vast majority of the soldiers had adapted to the climate.

The Western Kang people never would have imagined that Gao Yuan would suddenly send troops onto the plateau to launch an attack against them, and that the direction of the attack would be the most critical point: Dajianlu.

That was the logistics base for the eighty thousand Western Kang troops and also their path of retreat. Once it fell, it would be a total disaster for them.

Upon hearing the news, the Western Kang commander Tuoba Tao panicked and mobilized ten thousand troops to return and provide reinforcements.

Wen Pin knew that with only two divisions of the Beiwei Army and one division of the Xuanjia Army under his command, trying to capture Kangding City was a fool's dream.

Therefore, from the very beginning, he set his sights on besieging the city to strike at the reinforcements.

Wen Pin ordered the Xuanjia Army to display many banners, dig many cooking pits, and build straw men to create the illusion that ten to twenty thousand troops were besieging the city.

At the same time, he frequently moved out to eliminate enemy scouts and sentries, yet deliberately let through the messengers the Western Kang people sent for help.

Unexpectedly, Tuoba Tao really fell for the trick and only sent ten thousand troops back as reinforcements.

The night on the plateau was exceptionally quiet, with only the occasional howl of a wild beast. The Western Kang reinforcement camp also quickly fell into silence.

After days of marching, the Western Kang soldiers were exhausted and were all sleeping soundly.

Less than two hundred paces outside the main camp, the well-fed soldiers of the Beiwei Army stood motionless against the cold wind, quietly waiting for the order to attack.

After about an hour, a Squad Leader ran over.

“Reporting to the General, the sentries have been eliminated, and the enemy's main gate is under our control.”

“Good. Pass the order: the whole army is to move out. Be careful not to make a sound; use stealthy attacks as much as possible!”

“Understood!”

The soldiers passed the message by word of mouth, and the order was soon in place.

The lurking tigers had already moved out, while the lambs waiting for slaughter were still dreaming of the burning, killing, and looting they would do after invading the heart of Bashu.

Night raids were the specialty of the Beiwei Army. With plenty of meat and balanced nutrition, they were not bothered by night blindness.

Everything proceeded extremely smoothly. One life after another came to an end in their sleep.