Chapter 1653: Each Planning Separately

Normally, this urgent dispatch would have gone directly to Qiu Long, but since he had just been in a private conversation with King Yao, it was redirected to a young palace attendant.

Upon seeing the broken wooden stick on the tray, Qiu Long’s eyes widened once more.

This, this, this means!

He snatched the tray, turned, and rushed back, almost forgetting to close the door.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"

King Yao had taken his medicine and applied two drops of eye drops, quickly resting his eyes to recuperate.

"What is it now?"

"The red pear wood stick is broken; Yuquan Palace sent it urgently," Qiu Long said hoarsely. "The Luodian people have launched a full-scale invasion; the northern front, the northern front has just erupted in war!"

King Yao opened his eyes and sat upright.

News from the northern front had finally arrived, but at this moment?

He saw the stick on Qiu Long’s tray, bright red, a color signifying extreme urgency.

Normally, the sight of this vermilion color would make his heart pound, but now he felt a strange numbness.

Far too many significant events had transpired that night.

"Are the Luodian people also joining the fray?"

The Yao Kingdom was not large, but even with demon bird messaging, intelligence about a sudden war in the north would take at least from dawn till dusk to arrive. This was where the red pear wood stick proved invaluable.

This stick was crafted from a branch of an ancient pear tree in Yuquan Palace. Its principle was similar to that of the "thousand knots": it was refined from two branches growing from the same fork, which were identical in length and thickness. If one branch broke, the other would also break, and in the exact same location and manner.

Compared to the "thousand knots," its effective range was much greater, extending for hundreds of miles.

Moreover, leveraging the unique properties of the twin branches, users could convey additional signals by breaking them in various ways. For instance, this particular red pear wood stick, marked "Northern Border," featured calibrated markings; breaking it at different points corresponded to specific events.

The other twin branch was in Yuwen Yong’s possession.

The message he conveyed to King Yao via the stick was: "The Luodian Kingdom has launched a full-scale invasion of the northern front."

After the death of Yao Kingdom’s renowned general, Xue Zongwu, the Luodian Kingdom had indeed become restless for a time, seizing opportunities to stir up trouble. However, the Yao Kingdom quickly dispatched two great generals, Yuwen Yong and Chongwu, to the northern border, thereby stabilizing the situation.

For the past three months, the Luodian Kingdom had remained remarkably quiet, so their sudden assault at this critical juncture was entirely unexpected!

They must have seen the Yao Kingdom in disarray and sought to exploit its vulnerability.

Qingyang had met Qu Ruhai, the Left Zongzhang of the Luodian Kingdom, numerous times in Tianshui City, both openly and discreetly. Therefore, the Luodian Kingdom’s sudden military offensive in Yao’s northern region was most likely a coordinated effort with Qingyang.

Furthermore, Yuwen Yong described the Luodian Kingdom’s deployment as a "large-scale" one, indicating it was no longer a mere raid but a substantial and aggressive frontal assault!

Given the Luodian Kingdom's typical conduct, this would involve at least several thousand cavalry.

He instinctively stood up, but his body swayed slightly. Qiu Long quickly helped him sit back down, saying, "Your Majesty, please don’t let this upset you so much…"

King Yao stared at the red pear wood stick, speaking slowly, word by word:

"I understand now, I finally understand! She doesn't merely intend to instigate an uprising; she doesn't merely aim to rebel!"

Until this moment, he had believed that Qingyang’s uprising was merely to depose him and install a new king.

Perhaps this was also Beijia's intention.

Yet, it was only with the sudden invasion by the Luodian people that a stark realization hit him: Qingyang’s sinister plot was to completely dismantle the Yao Kingdom!

She intended to destroy not just him, but the entire Yao Kingdom!

No, no, Qingyang represents the Demon Emperor… Could it be that Beijia intends to wipe the Yao Kingdom off the map of the Shining Gold Plains?

Fear and anger, like a surging tide, instantly engulfed him.

Strictly speaking, Qingyang was not a native of Yao but an overseer dispatched by Beijia. Therefore, even if she plotted treason, it could not be accurately termed "rebellion."

But at that moment, Qiu Long dared not correct his slip of the tongue.

King Yao's teeth gnashed loudly. "I have always treated her with courtesy, yet she, heh, she wants to destroy the very foundation of the Yao Kingdom!"

Even when Qingyang had pushed him to his absolute limit, he had never considered taking her life. Yet this venomous woman, she, she sought to obliterate the Great Yao's two-century-old dynasty!

The Yao Kingdom had always revered Beijia as a superior nation, treating them with the utmost deference and granting their every request. He truly could not fathom what he had done to displease the great lord so much that they insisted on seeing the Yao Kingdom utterly destroyed!

"Damnable, damnable! That old sorceress has gone too far, Beijia has gone too far!" King Yao’s eyes slowly turned crimson. "Tonight, it must be tonight!"

Qiu Long dared not ask, yet he could not refrain from doing so. "Your Majesty?"

"Tonight, she must not leave the Royal Palace!"

Despite his raging fury, King Yao’s mind remained remarkably clear. Although the situation both within and outside Tianshui City, and throughout the Yao Kingdom, could be described as chaotic, the core issue was singular:

Qingyang!

If he could just eliminate Qingyang and the Yao Kingdom's northern front could hold off the Luodian forces, then a great deal of this immense catastrophe could be averted.

As for the displaced people and the chaos in Tianshui City, they were comparatively insignificant.

When had displaced people ever been able to truly overthrow anything?

Once Qingyang, the primary instigator, was eliminated, he would have ample time to calmly address the remaining issues.

King Yao knew that Qingyang was surrounded by powerful individuals, but this was Yao’s capital, his domain!

No matter how formidable Qingyang and her subordinates were, their numbers were ultimately limited. Could they possibly stand against his army?

King Yao asked Qiu Long, "Is Zhao Song still waiting outside?"

"Yes."

"Excellent. Call him in again. I intend to set a trap!"

King Yao smiled coldly. No matter how capable Qingyang was, she was ultimately an outsider. To seize his kingdom, she would require an insider’s cooperation.

King Yao understood that the most critical immediate step was not dealing with Qingyang, but rather eliminating the threats within his own immediate circle!

"Issue the royal decree, quickly!"

Qiu Long hurried out. He still needed to issue King Yao’s royal decree swiftly, hoping there was still enough time!

The chaotic battle within Tianshui City raged until Hai Shi (9-11 PM), with neither side gaining a decisive advantage. For the first time, the patrol army failed to achieve a swift and overwhelming victory against the displaced people.

General Li Qibo and Bai Tan discussed and adjusted their tactics multiple times, deploying mountain-splitting gunpowder to demolish the high walls of the displaced people’s strongholds, and bringing in large numbers of cultivators to employ various divine abilities.

While cultivators’ powers might be diminished against the army’s elemental forces, they were one hundred percent effective against the displaced people.

For a time, the situation appeared to improve.

Unexpectedly, at that very moment, General Li Qibo was inexplicably assassinated at the official residence.

Bai Tan was also suddenly ambushed on his way to the displaced people’s camp. Two waves of arrows rained down from the shadows, followed by several war puppets, and behind them, three to four hundred displaced people armed with swords and spears.

Among them were robust and agile individuals who wounded many soldiers. Bai Tan cut down three, but sustained an arrow wound in his arm and a sword cut to his shoulder.

Later, Bai Tan’s reinforcements arrived successively. Seeing they were outmatched, the displaced people quickly retreated.

Bai Tan ordered his personal guards to search the bodies of the displaced people. To their surprise, they found the tokens of King Yao’s palace guards on them. They also noticed that the boots they wore looked familiar; upon closer inspection, they realized, *ah*, they were also of the palace guard style!

How could palace guard tokens and attire be found on displaced people?

Bai Tan’s personal guard exclaimed, "General, this one is disguised as a palace guard! He still has a waist token on him!"

"This one too!"

"And this one! His weapon is a Three-Star Saber!"

The Three-Star Saber was the standard issue weapon for palace guards, its design distinct from other blades.

The patrol army in the rear was utterly bewildered, unsure of what exactly was unfolding before them.

Had they killed displaced people, or had they killed palace guards?

At this moment, a personal guard whispered to Bai Tan, "General, the palace city's South Gate is secured."

The subsequent plan could now proceed.

Bai Tan, one hand pressed against his wound, loudly declared to the patrol guards behind him, "There’s chaos within the palace city! The rebels, impersonating palace guards, first assassinated the general and then attempted to harm me!"

"My King is in peril! All of you—" He pointed his long saber resolutely towards the palace gates—"follow me back to the palace to defend the King!"

He had always projected an image of unwavering loyalty to the monarch and was a leading opponent of Qingyang. Everyone knew he was the King's most steadfast supporter, so it was no surprise that the rebels would target him first.

Standing amidst the flickering firelight, covered in blood, his face was etched with profound concern for his nation and his King.

Upon witnessing this scene, the Yao soldiers felt their blood surge, their spirits greatly emboldened. They cried out, "To the palace! Defend the King!"

"To the palace! Defend the King!"

"To the palace! Defend the King!"

The echoes resonated.

Knowing that the tide had turned in his favor, Bai Tan swiftly redeployed and organized his forces according to plan.

To outsiders, it appeared he was selecting elites from the city’s various district patrol armies and then integrating them with the Imperial Guards to form a King-defending force. Since the displaced people’s unrest in the capital was ongoing and escalating, Bai Tan could not withdraw all the troops suppressing the riots; he could only take the most capable and return.

Although this elaborate process took some time, he was now the supreme commander. Others could at most secretly curse him for his unusual methods.

The scene was momentarily chaotic, with various military units moving in and out.

Consequently, Bai Tan's newly reassembled force was filled with unfamiliar faces; they all seemed to be strangers. This was not surprising: how could the Imperial Guards recognize individuals from the city patrol army? The city patrol army itself was further subdivided into various districts, gate towers, and alleyways, and they did not typically convene for meetings, so it was impossible for everyone to be familiar with each other.

However, observant individuals might have noticed that these unfamiliar faces were robust and capable but taciturn. When asked, "Which district are you from?" they paid no heed.

Yet, amidst the current chaos and warfare, no one had the time for excessive scrutiny; a brief private grumble was the most anyone could manage.

In truth, only a portion of the Imperial Guards and the city patrol army led by Bai Tan’s confidants were ultimately integrated under his command. The other seventeen or eighteen hundred soldiers, dressed in city patrol army uniforms, were actually temple soldiers and guards from various temples!

A census conducted in the Yao Kingdom two years prior had revealed 187 temples of varying sizes scattered throughout Tianshui City. It was perfectly normal for larger temples to have over two hundred guards and smaller ones three or four.

Tianshui City officials had authorized temples to hire temple guards to deter petty criminals and protect temple property. Consequently, various temples selected strong, able-bodied devotees and trained them rigorously. These temple guards were loyal and capable, no less effective than the royal palace elites.

However, this strength was dispersed among numerous temples, usually only causing minor disturbances. The Yao Court had never anticipated that it could coalesce and unite into a formidable force right under their noses!

This dormant force was now being utilized. The temple guards and soldiers chosen by the temples to participate in the day’s events, besides being physically strong and well-trained, also had to possess fanatical devotion!