While Fengzhou was celebrating the great victory, Zhao Shuhua in Chongzhou City also received the news.
In the main courtyard, Zhao Shuhua gathered the Crown Prince and others to review the intelligence report delivered by the spy.
After reading the letter, Zhao Shuhua looked at those below and said, "The Northwest Frontier Army reaching Wuzhou is one thing, but now they've joined forces with the Rong barbarians. This actually presents an opportunity for us."
Cheng Wei, puzzled, asked, "What does Your Majesty mean by this?"
Zhao Shuhua explained, "Previously, we remained in Chongzhou City due to concerns about the Rong barbarians. But now that the Northwest Frontier Army and Jinzhou Army have allied, we have nothing to worry about. Our original purpose was to help the Crown Prince seize the capital. Now, we should naturally continue with our plan."
Hearing this, Cheng Wei hesitated for a moment and said, "Is Your Majesty certain? I'm afraid the General would not agree if he found out."
Zhao Shuhua frowned slightly at these words, also realizing that Zhao You would likely disapprove. However, further delays would only hinder Yan Che's important affairs.
After a brief contemplation, Zhao Shuhua said, "I will naturally speak with Father about this matter. From now on, you all should focus on preparing the troops."
With this instruction, Cheng Wei and the others naturally complied first.
Zhao Shuhua issued many more orders regarding military preparations before going to find Zhao You.
When she found Zhao You, he was taking medicine. Although his condition had improved somewhat these days, he had not fully recovered, which concerned Zhao Shuhua greatly. She first reported the great victory at Fengzhou City, and upon hearing this, Zhao You's face immediately lit up with a smile!
"Prince Rui is truly remarkable! He's the only one who can set aside past grievances at a time like this!"
Zhao Shuhua knew there was sarcasm in Zhao You's words but had to accept it. After a moment's thought, she said, "Previously, Father was always worried that the Rong barbarians would breach Fengzhou. But now that these two forces have joined together, they should be sufficient to deal with the Rong barbarians. Anyang Marquis and Prince Rui are both skilled commanders who surely won't make mistakes. Given this, Father, shouldn't we march south?"
With the Jinzhou Army and Northwest Frontier Army holding the line together, the Rong barbarians would certainly be unable to break through this defense. If so, why should we wait here?
The thirty thousand troops outside the city wouldn't pose much threat in a real battle. With the capital now vulnerable, this is the perfect time for us to march south.
Zhao You responded, "I heard that Fengzhou also sent messengers with letters."
At this question, Zhao Shuhua nodded, "Yes, it's a letter from Anyang Marquis."
Zhao You sighed, "Asking you to join forces with them, I suppose?"
Zhao Shuhua nodded again but said, "Joining forces with them is absolutely impossible. We're currently branded as rebels, and we don't even know what schemes Anyang Marquis might be plotting. Besides, our troops don't have continuous supply lines - we can't afford delays."
In fact, even now, the Northern Garrison Army was experiencing supply problems, barely managing to hold on.
It was precisely because of this that the Empress was growing anxious.However, Zhao You sighed again, "You may lead the troops south now, but the thirty thousand soldiers outside the city are not easy to deal with either. If a battle breaks out and the Rong barbarians turn around to attack Chongzhou City, what will you do then?" After a pause, Zhao You added, "Moreover, while others are resisting the Rong barbarians, you are taking the Crown Prince south to rebel. Even if Che'er successfully reclaims the throne, how will the people view him?"
Hearing this, Zhao Shuhua pursed her lips and said, "Why care about how others see it? The victor becomes the king, the loser becomes the outlaw. By then, who would remember how Che'er reclaimed the throne?"
Zhao You shook his head with a smile, "If you won’t listen to me, then go ahead and mobilize the army. I don’t approve anyway."
With that, Zhao You turned to rest and fell silent.
Zhao Shuhua waited with a gloomy expression for a moment before turning to leave.
With Zhao You’s words in mind, Zhao Shuhua did not immediately order the troops to leave the city, nor did she plan to reply to Yue Qiong’s letter.
The Rong barbarians still had over a hundred thousand troops left, and it would take time to wear them down. Although the Northwest Frontier Army had come to assist, by the time this battle was over, the Jinzhou Army would inevitably be exhausted. At that point, heading south would not be delayed.
After consoling herself for a while, Zhao Shuhua turned her thoughts to the most pressing issue at hand.
It was already June, and according to the original plan, their supplies should have run out back in April. The reason they had lasted this long was by tightening their belts and replenishing military provisions along the way. However, neither Cangzhou nor Chongzhou were Garrison Granaries with abundant reserves. They had barely managed to stretch their supplies for two months, and now they were running short again. If they were to gather more provisions, they would have to go to the small counties east of Chongzhou. But with the Rong barbarians already appearing, it was likely that these counties were also in chaos.
Zhao Shuhua summoned the military commanders to discuss the matter. The next day, she sent troops to gather provisions while the rest remained in the city on standby.
Zhao Shuhua had assumed that all she needed to do was wait and observe from the city. However, two days later, scouts suddenly reported that eighty thousand Rong barbarian troops were marching toward Chongzhou City! Having discovered the alliance between the Northwest Frontier Army and the Jinzhou Army, they had now turned their attention to attacking his Chongzhou!
The news sent Chongzhou City into an uproar. Even Zhao You rose, donned his battle armor, and ascended the city tower.
The Northern Garrison Army originally numbered a hundred thousand, but Zhao You had left ten thousand in Cangzhou when he departed. Later, during the battles for Fengzhou and Chongzhou, they suffered further losses, leaving only around eighty thousand troops—roughly equal in number to the Rong barbarians.
Although the Rong barbarians were fierce and ruthless, defending the city gave the Northern Garrison Army a significant advantage. However, Chongzhou was not as fortified as Fengzhou. The thought of the approaching Rong barbarian army cast a shadow over Zhao Shuhua’s heart. If they were entangled by these eighty thousand troops, not only would it be impossible to preserve their strength for the march south, but it would also be difficult to prevent the Northern Garrison Army from being depleted!
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Zhao Shuhua made a decision without hesitation.
She wrote a letter and sent it by fast horse to Fengzhou.
Since the Rong barbarians had shifted their attack, it was time to join forces.
Zhao Shuhua did not consider her actions treacherous. Instead, she was certain that Yue Qiong would come to reinforce Chongzhou.
By the afternoon of the following day, the eighty thousand Rong barbarian troops had arrived outside Chongzhou City.Zhao You made the decision to keep the army defending the city without venturing out, intending to use Fengzhou's method to hold out for two days while waiting to see if Yue Qiong would respond. However, the Rong barbarians, driven by their previous defeat, launched a full-force assault on Chongzhou with renewed vigor. On the second night, the eastern section of Chongzhou's city walls was breached once, as Rong soldiers scaled the battlements and slaughtered all the defending troops. Had Zhao Jing not led a counterattack, Chongzhou would likely have fallen.
That single night alone cost them a thousand casualties, despite their defensive advantage.
This made Zhao Shuhua realize even more keenly the formidable combat strength of the Rong barbarians, and she grew increasingly anxious waiting for Yue Qiong's reinforcements. Yet Yue Qiong had not appeared for two days, leaving Zhao Shuhua deeply troubled. In the strategy hall, she declared, "If we continue defending like this, our supplies in the city will be exhausted. By then, no battle strategy will save us. Thus, it is my opinion that we should take the initiative and engage the enemy outside the city as soon as possible. Waiting for Anyang Marquis seems futile."
She added with a cold laugh, "If pushed to the brink, we can simply retreat."
Though the officials below were also intimidated by the Rong barbarians' momentum, retreating outright was seen as a disgrace. Thus, they cooperated when Zhao Shuhua proposed formulating a battle plan. Yet the thought of facing the bloodthirsty Rong demons outside filled them with dread.
Zhao Shuhua and her advisors deliberated through the night, with Zhao You making several appearances, finally devising a strategy for the following day. Just as the Northern Garrison Army steeled themselves for a desperate fight, the Rong barbarians outside Chongzhou unexpectedly and silently withdrew.
This sudden development took Zhao Shuhua and the others by complete surprise. Fearing a Rong trick, they dared not pursue and hastily sent scouts to investigate.
The scouts did not return until nightfall, bringing news that astonished everyone.
The Rong had previously lost over thirty thousand troops at Fengzhou, leaving them with only about 150,000 to 160,000 men. Finding Fengzhou a tough nut to crack, they had split their forces, sending half to Chongzhou. With this division, their main camp was left with just eighty thousand soldiers. Upon receiving the Empress's letter, Yue Qiong did not rashly march to reinforce Chongzhou. Instead, he coordinated with the Northwest Frontier Army to target the Rong main camp, reasoning that if the main camp was threatened, the Rong at Chongzhou would withdraw without a fight.
First, the Northwest Frontier Army burned the Rong's provisions, followed by a surprise attack. Yue Qiong personally led the Jinzhou army in support, and their combined efforts forced the Rong main camp to retreat and relocate. Fearing isolation from their main force, the Rong outside Chongzhou withdrew immediately upon receiving the news.
Learning the full story, Zhao Shuhua's resentment toward Yue Qiong lessened somewhat. Zhao You, upon hearing it, sighed deeply.
The Rong retreat brought relief to all of Chongzhou. The next day, an envoy from Fengzhou arrived.
The envoy was Yue Qiong's trusted general. Although Zhao Shuhua had not responded to Yue Qiong earlier and had only sought his aid when in dire straits, the envoy remained courteous. He conveyed that, even now, Yue Qiong was willing to ally with the Northern Garrison Army, vowing not to raise a single sword against them until the Rong barbarians were repelled.Though initially harboring doubts and reservations, Zhao Shuhua considered Yue Qiong's contribution in relieving Chongzhou and found her resentment gradually fading. After careful deliberation, she agreed to the envoy's request. The envoy then presented the latest intelligence, reporting that the Rongman forces were retreating toward Cangzhou. Whether it was the Northwest Frontier Army or the Jinzhou Army, both were mobilizing northward. If the Empress was willing to join forces, it would be best to advance north as well. After conveying this, the envoy gave Zhao Shuhua one day to reconsider.
The next day, Zhao Shuhua personally wrote a letter and handed it to the departing envoy before beginning military preparations.
By the third day, she dispatched fifty thousand troops toward a small town called Wei County south of Cangzhou. Simultaneously, both the Northwest Frontier Army and the Jinzhou Army marched rapidly toward Wei County, while the Rongman forces temporarily encamped at Fallen Phoenix Slope north of the town.
The final great battle was imminent.
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