52: Chapter 52 Rebellion!

An urgent report?

The moment those words were spoken, the hall fell into an instant silence.

To use the words 'urgent report'...

Something major must have happened at the border.

At this moment, everyone's heart rose to their throats.

"Speak," Xia Chen's voice was very calm.

Lu Bing raised his head and said in a heavy voice.

"General Ling Yong, the General of the North, has rebelled!"

The hall erupted into an uproar!

"What?"

"Ling Yong has rebelled?"

"This... how is this possible?"

Lu Bing ignored the voices and continued.

"Under the banner of 'cleansing the court of evil and executing treacherous officials,' Ling Yong is leading an army of two hundred thousand south."

"The vanguard has already passed Yanmen Pass and is marching toward the capital."

"The garrison troops along the way have surrendered at the mere sight of them; no one can stop them!"

Grand Tutor Li Hanzhong's face turned deathly pale, and the memorial in his hand fell to the floor with a 'thud'.

Two hundred thousand troops!

Ling Yong had managed the northern borders for twenty years, and the soldiers under his command were battle-hardened elites. Now that they were all marching south, who could stop them?

"Furthermore..."

Lu Bing's voice continued, each word like a hammer striking the hearts of everyone in the hall.

"To the north, the Great Qian Dynasty has assembled an army of three hundred thousand at the border of Shuozhou. They are watching like tigers, ready to march south at any moment!"

Boom—

The entire hall exploded into chaos.

"Great Qian is coming too?"

"Three hundred thousand... they intend to destroy our Great Xia..."

The civil officials turned ashen, while the military generals gripped their swords, yet not one dared to step forward to ask for command.

Combined, the two forces numbered five hundred thousand.

Now, Great Xia's internal affairs were not yet stable, and powerful enemies were pressing in from outside.

What could be done?

Lu Bing continued: "The vassal king of Lanzhou, Prince Kang Xia Tianyi, has joined forces with General Han Tuo, the Great General of the South. Also under the banner of 'cleansing the court of evil,' they have raised an army of three hundred thousand and are marching north!"

At this, even Xia Chen's brow furrowed.

Two hundred thousand from the north, three hundred thousand from the south, and three hundred thousand from Great Qian watching hungrily.

A total of eight hundred thousand troops, surrounding them on three sides.

A deathly silence fell over the hall.

Everyone was stunned by this news.

Eight hundred thousand troops—in the hundred years since Great Xia's founding, when had it ever faced such a situation?

"It's over... it's over..."

An old Imperial Censor muttered, his legs giving way as he collapsed onto the floor.

"Your Majesty, I suggest recalling the Eastern Garrison Army to defend the capital!"

A general stepped forward, speaking with a slightly trembling voice.

"Impossible!"

Another general immediately countered.

"The Western Garrison Army is guarding against the Great Yong Dynasty. Once they are moved, Great Yong will take advantage of the vacancy, and the western front will be completely lost!"

"Then recall the Eastern Garrison Army!"

"The Eastern Garrison Army must defend against maritime threats! The pirates along the southeast coast have become increasingly rampant over the past two years. If the Eastern Garrison Army moves, what will happen to the people along the coast?"

"This won't work, that won't work... are we just supposed to watch Ling Yong and Prince Kang march here?"

Grand Tutor Li Hanzhong stood in the hall, his old face pale and his lips trembling, unable to utter a word for a long time.

He wanted to say something to stabilize the army's morale, but his mind was a complete blank.

Eight hundred thousand troops, surrounding them on three sides.

The only troops the court could mobilize were the two hundred thousand Central Army in Luozhou and the one hundred thousand Capital Garrison in the capital.

Thirty hundred thousand against eight hundred thousand—how could this war be fought?

Moreover, the Capital Garrison guarded the capital region and could not be moved lightly.

If they were sent out and the capital was left empty, the consequences would be unimaginable if someone took the opportunity to rebel.

Grand Guardian Wu Zongxian stood to the side, his face grim and silent.

His heart sank, and he began to calculate rapidly in his mind.

Ling Yong had rebelled, Prince Kang had rebelled, and Great Qian was coming.

As the General of the North, Ling Yong was specifically responsible for guarding the north and resisting Great Qian.

Now, Ling Yong had rebelled, and Great Qian had also massed troops at the border.

Any sensible person could see that Ling Yong had defected to Great Qian.

That damned Ling Yong, what a bastard.

Great Xia was now being attacked from both front and back; one wrong move would lead to the destruction of the nation.

He raised his head and looked at Xia Chen on the dragon throne with a complex gaze.

He wondered what His Majesty would do.

Standing beside Xia Chen, General Dian Wei did not feel fear upon hearing the news; instead, his eyes lit up with excitement.

"Your Majesty! Let me go!"

He strode forward and knelt on one knee, his voice like a great bell.

"Give me a troop to lead north, and I'll bring Ling Yong's head back for you!"

Xia Chen glanced at him but did not respond.

Dian Wei grew anxious: "Your Majesty! I really can do it!"

"What is that Ling Yong supposed to be? I could crush him with one hand!"

"That's enough."

Xia Chen waved his hand, signaling him to step back.

Though Dian Wei was brave, he was only suited for charging into battle.

Letting him lead an army north against two hundred thousand elites would be no different from sending him to his death.

In the hall, the officials were still arguing incessantly.

"Your Majesty, I believe the priority is to move the Luozhou Central Army north to intercept Ling Yong, and then move a portion of the Western Garrison Army south to deal with Prince Kang..."

"No! The Luozhou Central Army is the first line of defense for the capital. Once moved, the capital will be empty. If Ling Yong splits his forces for a surprise attack..."

"Then what do you suggest? Are we to do nothing?"

"Enough!"

Xia Chen, irritated by the bickering, quickly spoke up to interrupt.

The hall fell silent instantly.

Everyone raised their heads to look at Xia Chen on the dragon throne.

Xia Chen slowly stood up, his gaze from behind the imperial crown sweeping over everyone in the hall.

That gaze was terrifyingly calm—no anger, no panic, not even a ripple of emotion.

"What is there to panic about?"

Xia Chen's three light words made the officials' hearts skip a beat.

"Who said there are no troops?"

The officials looked at each other.

Could it be that His Majesty still held some trump card?

Xia Chen did not explain; he simply called out toward the outside of the hall.

"Summon Li Wen Loyalty for an audience."

The hall was silent.

Li Wenzhong? Who was that? No one had heard of such a person.

Everyone's gaze turned toward the hall doors.

A moment later, a steady sound of footsteps came from outside.

The footsteps were neither hurried nor slow; every step on the bluestone floor produced a dull echo.

Suddenly, a tall figure appeared at the entrance of the hall.

Looking against the morning light...

The man's profile was like it had been carved by a knife or axe—rugged and sharp.

He was tall with broad shoulders and a wide back, dressed in black military attire.

A long saber hung at his waist, and his steps were steady and powerful.

The morning light spilled over him, plating him in a layer of golden brilliance, accentuating his heroic and extraordinary bearing.

The moment he stepped into the Hall of Supreme Harmony, an invisible pressure spread through the air.

That pressure was extremely domineering.

It was as if it were turning into sharp needles, piercing into the officials within the hall.

Heaven-Man Realm.

The faces of all the civil and military officials changed abruptly.

This aura... another Heaven-Man Realm expert!

How were there so many Heaven-Man Realm experts by His Majesty's side?

Dian Wei was in the Heaven-Man Realm, Wuming was in the Heaven-Man Realm, Wei Zhongxian was in the Heaven-Man Realm, and Lu Bing was in the Heaven-Man Realm.

And now another Heaven-Man Realm expert had arrived!

Just what kind of lineup was this?

Did the late Emperor leave so many Heaven-Man Realm experts for Xia Chen?

Then why were there not so many in the court when the late Emperor was alive?

The officials looked at each other, each trying to find an answer in the other's eyes.

But they all shook their heads in confusion.

Li Wenzhong walked to the center of the hall and knelt on one knee.

"Your servant, Li Wenzhong, greets Your Majesty!"

Xia Chen looked at him, his admiration and satisfaction unconcealed.

His face was resolute and handsome, radiating a heroic aura.

Truly a young general!

"Rise."

Li Wenzhong stood up, his gaze sweeping over the officials in the hall.

His eyes held a look of disdain, causing the surrounding civil and military officials to fall silent.

At that moment, Xia Chen's voice came from the dragon throne.

"Li Wenzhong, I appoint you as the Great General of the Northern Expedition. You shall lead the Xuanjia Army north to meet the enemy."

"Your servant accepts the decree!"

As Xia Chen's voice fell, the hall was silent for a moment.

Then, it was as if a pot had boiled over.

"Xuanjia Army? What Xuanjia Army?" an Imperial Censor couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

"I've never heard of it... when did the court have this unit?" The official next to him was also bewildered.

"Could it be the late Emperor's private army?"

"An army of one hundred thousand?"

"That's one hundred thousand! That's no small number; how could there have been no word of it?"

"Indeed, the movement, provisions, and pay for an army of one hundred thousand—wouldn't all of that have to go through the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War?"

"But we... knew absolutely nothing!"

Li Mingqi, the Minister of Revenue, stood up, his face flushed with anxiety.

"Your Majesty, I manage the world's wealth and grain, and I have never heard of any Xuanjia Army!"

"Where will the pay for one hundred thousand people come from? From where will the provisions be moved? This... this..."