Chapter 104: Spreading the News

"What is to be done?" A group of ministers outside the Daqing Palace were in an uproar.

"Our dynasty cannot even handle the Jin alone, let alone with the Western Xia now added to the mix. The fall of the pass was inevitable," another minister remarked.

The crowd had been basking in the joy of the great victory at Shunchang, but in just two days, the Guanzhong region had fallen. With Guanzhong lost, even the victory at Shunchang seemed futile. Once the Western Xia and the Jin joined forces, what would become of the forty thousand defenders in Shunchang city?

"A nation cannot go a day without a ruler. Stand aside! We must see His Majesty. With Guanzhong lost, we urgently need his decision," one minister shouted, attempting to force his way into the Daqing Palace, only to be blocked by the palace guards.

"With powerful enemies surrounding us and His Majesty’s life hanging in the balance, I believe we should invite the Retired Emperor to return and take charge of the government," another minister suggested.

"An excellent proposal. If we cannot reach a peace agreement with Western Xia and Jin quickly, our dynasty will be in grave danger when their combined forces strike," a third minister added.

The ministers argued incessantly. These were all officials who supported a peace policy. Previously, Zhao Huan had kept them in line with his iron-fisted rule, but with him absent, they had resurfaced, harboring delusions of restoring Zhao Ji to power.

Inside, Zhao Huan lay on his bed. Though his body remained weak, his spirit was sharp. Every word spoken outside was reported to him by his eunuchs, who meticulously recorded every official involved. These were the people who would face a reckoning when the time came.

The imperial physician knelt before Zhao Huan. Seeing the Emperor awake, he finally let out a sigh of relief, feeling as though his head was, for now, secure on his shoulders.

"When you go out, spread the word that I am likely beyond recovery," Zhao Huan commanded.

"Your Majesty... I deserve to die!" The physician was terrified, begging for mercy. Such a claim was a capital offense that could lead to the execution of his entire clan. Even with ten heads, he would not dare to spread such a rumor.

"Do as I say. If you succeed, not only will I pardon you, but I will reward you. But if you fail or let the news leak, guard your head," Zhao Huan said sternly. Since the fire had already been lit, he would add more fuel to see exactly who would be flushed out.

Trembling, the physician left the room. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to compose his emotions; for the sake of his life, he had to follow orders.

As he emerged from the Daqing Palace, officials surrounded him, anxious for news of the Emperor’s condition. The physician waved his hand to push through the crowd, but they clung to him.

Dare not state that the Emperor was already recovering, the physician could only shake his head helplessly and say, "My lords, I have truly done all I could." With that, he turned and left, ignoring all further questions.

This news caused a sensation. The implication was clear: Zhao Huan was dying. Those with ulterior motives began to make their moves. It was time to pick a side.

During the morning court session, the officials split into two factions: one supporting the succession of Zhao Huan's son, Zhao Chen, and the other urging the Retired Emperor, Zhao Ji, to resume governance. The two sides clashed, neither willing to yield, arguing from dawn until dusk without resolution.

Zhang Xian knelt before Zhao Huan. He had followed orders, mobilizing five thousand Flying Feather troops to stand by for command.

"Find someone reliable and send an imperial decree to Wu Jie. Tell him to hold Daqing City; reinforcements are on the way, and the Western Xia army will soon withdraw. Tell him to wait for an opportunity to counterattack, but until the Western Xia retreat, he is not to yield even a single step, even if it costs him every last man," Zhao Huan instructed.

Zhang Xian went to carry out the orders. With the arrangements made, Zhao Huan finally felt at ease. He reckoned the Western Xia forces would be retreating soon.

The fall of Fuping City had been entirely unexpected for Wu Jie. The city was easily defended and difficult to attack; logically, it should not have fallen so easily, especially since the Western Xia had sent a blunt general like Li Changqi. Indeed, in the beginning, Wu Jie spent his days basking in the sun on the city walls, ordering his men to loose arrows whenever the Western Xia attacked, cutting down waves of their soldiers.

After the Western Xia retreated, Wu Jie would send men outside to collect the usable arrows; life was quite leisurely. Eventually, the Western Xia seemed to grow smarter, ceasing their attacks and opting for a siege, hoping to starve the defenders out.

Wu Jie had laughed at this, unconcerned, until the unexpected happened.

Fen Renduobaozhong arrived. As one of the few renowned generals of Western Xia, he led twenty thousand troops himself. Li Changqi immediately sought him out, urging him to launch an immediate assault to take Fuping City in one blow.

After observing the terrain, Fen Renduobaozhong shook his head, rejecting Li Changqi’s proposal.

"Is the Great General afraid?" Li Changqi asked, clearly displeased. He regretted listening to Fen Renduobaozhong's advice. They had besieged the city for seven days, yet it remained as solid as a fortress, with no shortage of food or water, let alone any sign of surrender.

Li Changqi regretted not launching an all-out assault from the start. Although he had already lost over ten thousand men, he did not care; if it meant taking the city, losing a few tens of thousands was a small price to pay.

"Little Prince, do not say that. Fuping is a fortress that is easy to defend and hard to attack. Even if I were to throw all twenty thousand of my men into the breach, success is not guaranteed," Fen Renduobaozhong replied.

"Hmph! Then what? Are the twenty thousand men of Western Xia to be stopped by such a tiny place?" Li Changqi snapped. "I don't care! If you have no better plan, then order the full army to attack. I refuse to believe their supply of arrows is endless."

Fen Renduobaozhong smiled. "Little Prince, there is no need for such haste. Things have not reached that point yet. In truth, Fuping City is not impossible to break. I have a strategy we can test; if it fails, we shall consider other options."