"Your Majesty... they've arrived... the urgent report has arrived..."
Three hours remained until dawn when Yuan Qing's voice abruptly echoed from outside.
Yan Han's closed eyes snapped open, then narrowed as he gazed toward the palace entrance.
Outside, snow continued to fall thick and fast like willow catkins, accumulating in deep layers on the front steps. Knowing Yan Han's anxiety, Yuan Qing had been standing outside the palace gate clutching his horsetail whisk and wrapped in a cape, straining his eyes. Suddenly, he spotted several torches moving rapidly along the palace corridor behind Zhengyang Gate, and his face immediately lit up with joy.
They're here! The long-awaited news! Finally here!
Four men hurried to the palace entrance, the two leaders both dressed in imperial guards' uniforms. The foremost was Lin Xie, nephew of Lin Zhang, who currently held the position of deputy commander of the imperial guards. Seeing Lin Xie, Yuan Qing's brow furrowed slightly - the Emperor had been awaiting news from Zhao Yu, so why had Lin Xie come instead?
"Young Commander Lin, why are you the one who came?"
Lin Xie moved quickly, wearing only his military uniform without even having time to don a cape.
He swiftly ascended the steps. Only then did Yuan Qing clearly see the two men following behind. These two wore crimson military uniforms, their bodies covered in frost from wind and snow, their faces showing obvious frostbite. Looking at the mud stains on their uniform hems and boots, it was clear they had traveled a long distance!
And these uniforms were definitely not those of the capital garrison troops...
Yan Qing's brow tightened further, but Lin Xie already spoke in a low voice, "Eunuch, something major has happened! Has His Majesty retired?"
Yuan Qing shook his head, "Not yet. These two are..."
Before he could finish, Yuan Qing spotted the golden-feathered arrows in the hands of the two men behind. The remaining words stuck in his throat, and Yuan Qing's heart shook - having served in the palace for so many years, he knew golden-feathered arrows were the most ominous objects. He immediately grew somewhat flustered, "This... where is this from..."
"Yingzhou! From Yingzhou! Eunuch, please announce us quickly!"
Lin Xie's tone was urgent. Only after he spoke did Yuan Qing hurriedly turn and enter the palace hall. Coming in from outside, Yan Han was already looking over with solemn eyes, "It's not Zhao Yu's men who have returned? What has happened?"
Yuan Qing's earlier shout had startled him awake, and shortly after he had heard murmuring voices. But if it were Zhao Yu's men, Yuan Qing should have announced them immediately - why would he be so pale-faced? Yuan Qing hurried to the imperial desk, "Your Majesty, it's not Vice Commander Zhao's men. They're soldiers from Yingzhou, carrying golden-feathered arrows..."
At these words, Yan Han's heavy-lidded eyes immediately trembled. His brow furrowed deeply, "What did you say!?"
Yuan Qing said with a pained expression, "They're soldiers with golden-feathered arrows from Yingzhou..."
Yan Han straightened up abruptly, "Summon them—"
The appearance of golden-feathered arrows always accompanied urgent military reports. Having governed for many years, Yan Han's sense of crisis suddenly surged in his heart!
Yuan Qing hurried to the entrance, "Quickly! Come in and speak! His Majesty summons you..."The two men, covered in dust, hurried into the hall with heads bowed, holding the golden-feathered arrow. They knelt immediately upon entering, with the leading soldier raising the golden-feathered arrow above his head and trembling as he spoke, "Your Majesty, we are personal guards under the command of Luo Xiucheng, the Regional Commander of Yingzhou. Three days ago, heavy snow fell in the north, and a large number of refugees flooded into Yingzhou. This situation was initially considered normal, and the Regional Commander did not pay it much mind, as he was busy discussing disaster prevention measures with Magistrate Wan of Yingzhou. Unexpectedly, around two hundred of the refugees who had entered the city suddenly rioted the next day. Though their numbers were small, they quickly set fire to the city’s granaries and military supplies. Moreover, Commander Luo was severely injured by an assassin. Shortly after, an army of over twenty thousand troops appeared west of Yingzhou. As soon as Commander Luo heard the size of the force, he knew the situation was dire. He immediately ordered the two of us to take the golden-feathered arrow and travel day and night to the capital. Your Majesty, please dispatch troops quickly to lift the siege on Yingzhou!"
The speaker’s words were filled with anguish and tears. Though clearly terrified, his tone was firm and urgent when he pleaded for Yan Han to send reinforcements. After hearing this, both Yuan Qing and Yan Han were utterly shocked. Yingzhou was the northernmost city closest to the capital. If the enemy had already reached Yingzhou, did that not mean the capital itself was in imminent danger?!
"Where did this army of twenty thousand come from? Who commands it?" Yan Han’s voice was dark and foreboding as he questioned the soldiers. The leading soldier shook his head in panic. "We did not know when we left, but Commander Luo said that, given the direction, the only force capable of attacking Yingzhou from the north would be the Northern Garrison Army. A few days earlier, an imperial envoy had arrived in Yingzhou, and Commander Luo had already known about the unrest in the north…"
The so-called imperial envoy referred to Minister Ge Yang and his party, who had been dispatched after learning that Cangzhou had fallen into the hands of the Northern Garrison Army.
Ge Yang had traveled north with the imperial decree to assess how far the Northern Garrison Army had advanced. Yet, the message received three days earlier indicated that Ge Yang had reached Chongzhou but made no mention of the Northern Garrison Army marching south. If that was the case, how could Yingzhou be under siege?
After a glance at the two travel-worn men, Yan Han calmly waved his hand. "Leave the golden-feathered arrow and go rest for now."
Yuan Qing stepped forward to take the arrow, and the two soldiers withdrew. As soon as they left, Yuan Qing immediately said, "Your Majesty, this doesn’t make sense. Minister Ge’s report made no mention of the Northern Garrison Army moving south. Where did they come from, and how dare they attack Yingzhou directly?!"
Yan Han’s brow furrowed tightly. The golden-feathered arrow was genuine, and the two men, their faces frostbitten, would not have risked their lives to deliver a false report. The only explanation was that the Northern Garrison Army, upon learning that the Empress and the Crown Prince were detained in the capital, had bypassed key strongholds like Fengzhou and Chongzhou in desperation. Taking a northwestern route, they had advanced directly to Yingzhou, catching the city completely off guard. Once Yingzhou fell, the capital would be next!
Zhao You! What a cunning Zhao You! If he could capture the capital directly, Crown Prince Yan Che could ascend the throne immediately, rendering it unnecessary for the Empress and Crown Prince to travel north.
Yan Han clenched his fists tightly. Zhao You had served as Grand General Protector of the Nation for many years, guarding the northern borders without a single misstep. With the Northwest Frontier Army to the west and the Northern Garrison Army to the north, these two tigers defending the nation could bare their sharp claws at any moment, whether dealing with internal or external threats. Such an unorthodox and daring move was exactly the kind of thing Zhao You was capable of pulling off.Yan Han's eyes were frosty with fury. "Where is Zhao Yu!? Summon Zhao Yu and Lin Zhang back to the palace immediately! Also call the Minister of War and the Duke of Wei into the palace! And fetch Zheng Baishi!"
Yan Han was frantic. This sudden military dispatch had shattered all his plans. Compared to the Northern Garrison Army's intent to attack the capital, Yan Chi's life became secondary. Now he could only hope that Zhao Yu had already dealt with Yan Chi, so he could focus entirely on confronting the Northern Garrison Army...
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