There is a kind of scholar

Chapter 745 Stepping on the colorful auspicious clouds to turn the tide

Although Luoyang, the sacred capital, is surrounded by mountains, such as Beimang Mountain, Shouyang Mountain, Song Mountain, Longmen Mountain, etc., there is no closed loop between the mountains, and huge gaps can be seen everywhere.

For example, although Mang Mountain in the north of Shendu City blocked the Yellow River that often flooded, it was too short, and even if the Yellow River was added, it would not be enough to meet the "natural danger".

In other words, the north gate of Shendu City is always open.

Now, Zezhou, Luzhou and other places north of Mang Mountain have almost no garrison defense, which is equivalent to the north gate of Shendu City "directly leading" to Taiyuan.

And tens of thousands of Liao troops are attacking Taiyuan.

If they continue to divide their forces and go south, there will be no one to stop them along the way, and they can reach the city of Shendu directly!

Too dangerous!

The queen didn't think much about it, and her strong sense of urgency made her extremely calm. She immediately issued an imperial decree to dispatch troops from other states and counties, especially Hebei and Henan provinces, to King Jingqin.

Soon, everything was arranged.

The queen and her ministers breathed a sigh of relief.

Someone said with a scared expression:

"Fortunately, there is Taiyuan ahead, as well as General Shi Lao, who has contained the tens of thousands of Liao troops, so we have time to mobilize reinforcements from other states and counties."

"..."

The ministers wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads and had heated discussions, either lamenting the power of the Liao army, or thinking hard about making suggestions, and making a lot of noise.

The Queen also breathed a sigh of relief. Although the Liao army was powerful, they were small in number and they were attacking over a long distance. If they faced reinforcements dozens of times their size, they would be enough to fight!
"Report-"

At this time, a scout entered the palace and loudly reported:
"Your Majesty, the Liao army has breached a gate of Taiyuan City. Countless Liao troops have swarmed in. Our army has been defeated and cannot be stopped."

"Taiyuan City was attacked?!"

The Queen was shocked and her heart beat like a drum. They were now counting on Taiyuan to be able to hold on and buy time for reinforcements from various places to enter Beijing. As a result...

Under such a huge blow, the queen who stood up was finally aroused by her old illness. Her vision went dark and she fell directly to the ground, like a jade mountain falling.

"Your Majesty!" Nangong Wan'er and other female officials who were standing by her side saw the opportunity quickly. The Queen was supported by them before she landed, and she sat down on the dragon chair.

Princess Lanling and other ministers were extremely shocked when they heard that Taiyuan City had been destroyed. Now they saw the Queen fainting, and her heart almost stopped beating. They were terrified and felt like the world was falling apart.

"Hurry up and tell the imperial doctor!"

"..."

The hall suddenly became a mess.

Fortunately, after just a few breaths, the Queen woke up leisurely.

Seeing this, she suppressed her physical discomfort and said in a deep voice: "I'm fine, no need to panic. The destruction of Taiyuan city is of great importance. Dear ladies, do you have any good ideas?"

When the Queen fainted just now, although she did not fall, some of the decorations on Ruyun's temples had fallen away, causing her bun to become messy.

Several strands of hair slanted down and scattered randomly on the side of the queen's face, looking embarrassed and messy.

Nangong Wan'er wanted to tidy up her appearance, but the Queen waved her hand to stop her...

The prime ministers all fell silent. For the current plan, there is no other way but to strengthen the defense of the city of Shendu, and at the same time, send people to urge all regions to enter King Jingqin's garrison.

In fact, many ministers thought of Su Xian's name. Marquis of Fanyang County, Marquis of Fanyang County, no matter what you are planning in secret, you should show up now, right?
If you don't show up in Daliang, you will die!

Although the ministers had such thoughts in their minds, no one challenged them.

First, they were not sure whether Su Xian was planning something secretly. What if Su Xian ran away long ago?
Secondly, the current situation is precarious. The Liao army is attacking too fast, and the garrisons from other prefectures and counties are not entering Beijing so quickly. What if...

In short, the eyes of some prime ministers gradually changed, and they were secretly planning a way out.

Qian Zhongshu stood aside, with his head lowered and a sinister smile on his face. He firmly believed that Su Xian would not show up, and it would be a chance for him and the prince to make a comeback soon!

……

After a while, the royal doctor arrived.

After diagnosing the pulse, he quickly prepared a medicine and gave it to the Queen to take.

The Queen looked better.

But she still didn't have time to tidy up her messy bun and looked a little embarrassed.

When some prime ministers saw this, the words "the Prime Minister of the country will be subjugated" suddenly popped into their minds.

But no one dares to say it...

Another half hour later.

A scout enters the hall.

The empress and ministers were dejected, they had already prepared in their hearts that "Taiyuan will be completely breached", and everyone's complexion was very ugly.

The scout stopped when he reached the center of the hall and loudly reported:
"Your Majesty, the Liao army that invaded Taiyuan City was fortunately repelled by General Shi Lao himself, and the city gate occupied by the Liao army was recaptured!"

The Queen and others were all stunned, what do you mean?
General Shi took back the lost city gate again?

Taiyuan was not captured by the Liao army?

After the scout repeated it again, the Queen and her ministers couldn't help but clapped their hands and praised: "Old General Shi is always going strong and has bought precious time for us. It can be said that he has made the greatest contribution!"

However, they were only happy for a while, and immediately another scout came and entered the palace to report:
"There are also tens of thousands of Liao troops flocking to Taiyuan. According to our detailed investigation, they are vowing to take Taiyuan, and they have countless siege ladders and other equipment..."

"..."

The Queen and her ministers were immediately speechless.

Worried.

The Liao army will not stop until they capture Taiyuan.

But what can be done?

They could only send people to urge the various states to garrison King Qin in Beijing and speed up the march.

At the same time, people were sent to continue to inquire about the war situation in Taiyuan.

You must know that there is actually a long distance between Taiyuan and the divine capital, and the transmission of news is delayed. The Queen and her ministers urgently need to know the specific situation in Taiyuan now.

But now we can only wait.

However, half an hour passed and no scout brought back any news.

One hour passed, two hours passed, and still no scout returned.

The waiting process was excruciating. In just two hours, they felt like a century had passed. This process was really painful!
Since the beginning of the war between the two armies, there have been constant exchanges of scouts and postmen delivering messages, but at such a critical moment, the scouts seemed to have all disappeared, which makes people wonder.

For example, has Taiyuan been completely destroyed?

For another example, were all the scouts and postmen captured and killed by the Liao army?

unknown……

at the same time.

The mood of the people in the city of God became uneasy again, because the war situation in the north had been leaked for some reason and was spreading wildly in the city.

On the street, someone shouted:

"Oh my god! There are almost no garrisons in Zezhou and Luzhou in the north of Shendu. The north gate of Shendu opens directly to Taiyuan. It's really too dangerous!"

More passers-by commented:
"It is said that the battle situation in Taiyuan was also very bad. It was invaded once by the Liao army. Fortunately, General Shi turned the tide and regained the lost city gate."

"But I heard that tens of thousands of Liao troops rushed to Taiyuan... Although General Shi is powerful, he probably can't withstand the continuous attacks of the Liao army. What if..."

"If Taiyuan City is destroyed, tens of thousands of Liao troops will march straight in!"

"Then... the army came to the city of God!"

"Oh my god, if I had known that the gods were so dangerous, I shouldn't have taken refuge in the city in the first place. Can I still escape from the city and escape for my life now?"

"Can't get out, the city gate has been blocked..."

"By the way, didn't I say yesterday that Hou Suxian of Fanyang County is very capable? The situation is so critical now, why hasn't he shown up yet?"

"Who knows, maybe he ran away early."

"But didn't the court say..."

"You are stupid. The imperial court only moved the Marquis of Fanyang County out to stabilize the hearts of you and me. But now you see, the Liao army is almost attacking our door."

"Hou Suxian of Fanyang County lied to us..."

"Then what should we do now?"

"What else can we do? Of course, the most important thing is to rush out of the city and escape!"

"..."

In the city of Shendu, panic and rumors spread like a tide. Although several major yamen tried their best to stop it, how could they stop hundreds of thousands of Zhang Youyou's mouths?
This huge divine capital city is on the verge of collapse.

……

Vientiane Shrine, main hall.

It was already afternoon.

The ministers and the Queen were still waiting anxiously.

The situation in the north is still unknown.

King Qin's garrison arrived in Beijing, but the number was too small and far from enough.

The queen's messy hair still had no time to take care of it, and her cheeks were messy and disheveled. She looked very embarrassed and looked like a king who had subjugated her country.

After another half an hour, finally, a scout came back.

The expressions of the Queen and her ministers were complicated, with worries and hopes intertwined.

When the scout entered the palace, everyone's hearts instantly went cold because the scout's clothes were very dirty and messy, as if he had just experienced a life-and-death battle.

"How is the war in Taiyuan? Tell me quickly." The Queen stood up and asked in a deep voice.

"Report to your majesty." The scout said with a sad tone in his voice: "The four gates of Taiyuan City have been breached by the Liao army, and countless Liao troops have filed in."

"General Shi led his troops to fight to the death, but more Liao troops swarmed in. Even General Shi may not be able to restore the situation!"

"Broken...broken..."

The Queen felt as if she had been hit by a hammer, and there was a loud bang in her head.

Her fingertips were trembling slightly, and fear flashed in her eyes.

Then he swayed and sat back on the dragon throne, no longer holding the majesty of a high and mighty emperor.

At this time, the queen's old illness relapsed and she suffered from angina pectoris. She had a painful expression on her face and covered her heart with her hands.

Thinking back more than ten years ago, she ascended to the throne through a cruel power struggle and brought the Liang Dynasty to a higher level. It can be said that the country is prosperous and the people are safe.

But she ignored the combat effectiveness of the Liang soldiers and thought that the Liao Kingdom could be stabilized through trade...

As a result, now, she has failed, completely defeated, and is even very likely to become the king of the Liang Dynasty!
This was a burden she couldn't bear.

How will Qingshi evaluate her?
At this time, Su Xian's figure flashed before her eyes, but she just smiled bitterly and resolutely smashed Su Xian's shadow into pieces.

It's now like this, and Su Xian hasn't shown up yet. Even if he shows up, it probably won't bring about a miracle... She is completely disappointed in Su Xian, and she has misjudged the person!
Princess Lanling also thought of Su Xian at this time. Even if she believed that Su Xian was like her, she couldn't help but be shaken at this moment. Why didn't Su Xian show up? Could it be that... he had already escaped from the battle?
"Impossible!" Some prime ministers did not want to believe it. "Taiyuan has an old general named Shi who is personally in charge. It is impossible for Taiyuan to be breached by the Liao army. This is impossible!"

"..."

The reinforcements coming from various places to the capital and King Qin have not arrived so quickly. Taiyuan was captured by the Liao army at this time. It is self-evident what it means -

Tens of thousands of Liao cavalry will quickly cross Luzhou and Zezhou, cross the Yellow River, cross Mang Mountain, and then approach the city of Shendu!
Are you really going to go this far?
It's only been a few days since the war started, and the Liao army on the northern grasslands is approaching the city of Shendu...

The hall suddenly became quiet.

Everyone looked at the high queen.

However, the queen was also speechless.

After such a long silence, someone suddenly reported: "Your Majesty, before the Liao army arrives, please move to Chang'an. The passes around Guanzhong are enough to deal with the Liao army."

The Queen covered her heart with her hands, and after taking a few deep breaths, the symptoms of angina pectoris gradually subsided.

She looked very ugly and slowly stood up from the dragon chair.

Moving to Chang'an is indeed the best choice at present.

Because Chang'an was originally the retreat for the Liang court.

Chang'an is surrounded by mountains, and there are only a few passes for entry and exit. It is easy to defend but difficult to attack. It can be said that "one man can guard the pass and ten thousand men cannot open it."

However, the Queen was really unwilling to do so.

First, she doesn't like Chang'an, where she has bad memories.

Secondly, being forced into Chang'an by the Liao army was really too embarrassing for her as an emperor. How will this be recorded in history?

But she still retains her rationality after all. No matter what, for the moment, Chang'an is the only way out.

After hesitating for a while, the Queen looked gloomy and slowly spoke, "Retreat Chief..."

However, before he could finish his words, a voice with a long tail sound suddenly came from outside the hall: "Report——"

The Queen's words were interrupted, and she and the ministers looked towards the entrance of the hall.

When he was young, a scout entered the palace. The scout's clothes were in pieces and his face was stained with dried blood. He seemed to have just retreated from the battlefield.

"Tell me, has Taiyuan been completely occupied by the Liao army? Are tens of thousands of Liao soldiers heading south towards the divine capital?" The Queen smiled bitterly.

But this was good, but it strengthened her determination to move to Chang'an.

For the sake of Daliang's country and the country, so what if he suffers infamy?She had already thought about it.

The prime ministers had the same idea as the queen. They were already thinking about going back to pack their bags soon. In their haste, they hoped that no accident would occur.

The scout stood still in the center of the hall, with a happy expression, he said loudly:

"Your Majesty, the tens of thousands of Liao troops who attacked Taiyuan, for unknown reasons, actually withdrew from Taiyuan in the blink of an eye and ran northward without a trace!"

"..."

The empress and ministers were taken aback for a moment, the Liao army... has withdrawn?
Didn't they just capture Taiyuan?

How could it be withdrawn?
impossible!
This is not common sense.

"How dare you! In broad daylight, in front of the emperor, you dare to talk nonsense and make up rumors? Come on, drag me down and chop him down!" Some people were furious and did not believe the scout's words at all.

"Your Majesty, please spare my life. Everything I said is true..."

As soon as the scout was dragged out of the hall, another scout came into the hall, bringing the news that "the Liao army on Guannei Road was rapidly retreating."

The Queen and her ministers were confused again, and the Liao army on Guannei Road also withdrew?
Immediately afterwards, more than a dozen scouts successively brought the same news, saying that the Liao army had withdrawn for unknown reasons, and that the Liao army retreated in a hurry and did not take care of the loot, prisoners, etc.

Only then did the Queen and her ministers believe it, and quickly ordered the first scout to be released.

Then, the Queen's face was filled with joy and suspicion, and she said:
"The Liao army's retreat without reason is certainly a good thing for us, but I must know what happened? There must be a terrible reason!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a woman wearing a mask suddenly walked into the hall. She was the leader of the inner guard.

Under normal circumstances, the chief minister would not come to see the queen at this time, nor would he appear in front of the ministers, but this time the situation was really special.

"Your Majesty, my subordinates have just received a secret report that the Liao Kingdom in the north...has changed!"

"King Hunxie led his troops to attack the royal court and forced Emperor Liao to abdicate. The first imperial edict issued by King Hunxie after he ascended the throne was to recall all the Liao soldiers who went south!"

"..."

There was an uproar in the hall, and the ministers were discussing heatedly. They didn't have time to pay attention to who the masked woman was, but they vaguely guessed something.

The Queen had no time to pursue the rash actions of the Grand Pavilion Leader. After hearing this, her expression changed drastically and she murmured to herself:
"I see... But after King Hunxie ascended the throne, why did he recall all the Liao troops?"

"Reporting to your majesty, this matter is a long story. In short, this is mainly due to our court, Marquis Suxian of Fanyang County. It was Su Xian who secretly promoted this matter!" the chief minister reported.

"Su Aiqing?!" The Queen was dumbfounded and stood there in a daze.

"..."

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(End of this chapter)