ALL NOVEL chapter 20
Chapter 20
Emergency Meeting
Qin Ji couldn’t help but agree with his sister’s opinion.
Indeed, although Hanyin City is a pass city set in the gorge, if the northern barbarians really wanted to raid the empire’s territory, they could completely take a detour, bypassing the mountains and attacking from the relatively flat eastern plains. Although there are also heavily fortified fortress cities there, the flat terrain would allow the northern cavalry to fully utilize their advantage. In other words, attacking from there would be less costly.
But in reality?
They chose to attack Hanyin City and even succeeded in capturing it.
“Brother, do you know?” Qin Siyue said, biting into her snack. “When I play strategy games, I never easily seize cities like Hanyin City, especially when my advantage lies in mobility. It’s not wise for a group of cavalry to hold a city. Unless…”
She didn’t continue but pointed to several cities near Hanyin City, then deliberately emphasized by tapping on each city and making a retreating gesture towards the direction of the Xia Kingdom.
Qin Ji suddenly remembered something.
From the military intelligence of other regions, it was clear that this battle was not intense. Although some saw flames and heard shouts from Hanyin City, according to the spies sent out, there was no material or military mobilization between Hanyin City and other cities during the attack.
This was very unusual because the greatest significance of Hanyin City was to act as a nail driven into the empire’s border, pinning any enemy trying to cross the Hanyin Mountains in this gorge, buying enough time for the empire’s subsequent defense and counterattack.
Therefore, according to the empire’s internal strategic deployment, when Hanyin City is attacked, all the cities in the rear would mobilize materials and personnel and quickly prepare to build a second line of defense behind Hanyin City.
But in reality, during the entire attack on Hanyin City, the situation reported by his long-term informants stationed in Hanyin City was that the surrounding cities only made some symbolic movements.
This might indicate a problem—
The northern city of Hanyin, including the surrounding cities, might have already colluded with the enemy.
The problem is very serious.
“Prepare the horse! Quickly! I need to see His Majesty immediately!” Qin Ji, drenched in cold sweat, gave the order and then thought for a moment, “Ling Yan!”
“Yes, young master, what are your orders?”
“I need to go to His Majesty, time is pressing. You ride a fast horse and immediately find all military personnel, including General Bai, and have them rush to the palace to prepare for a meeting!”
“Yes!”
Ling Yan did not dare to delay. Facing Qin Ji’s request, she quickly reacted—she ran to the stable, leaped onto her snow-white fast horse, clamped the horse’s belly with her legs, and with a command, the horse galloped away, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
At this moment, Qin Ji’s horse was also brought over by a servant. He mounted the horse and then pondered for a moment.
“Si Yue.”
“Ah?”
“You get on the horse too.”
“…Eh?” Qin Siyue was stunned for a moment. She completely did not expect her brother to say such a thing.
“You don’t need to do anything, just watch from the side. If I make any possible misjudgments, remind me.” Qin Ji said, “You don’t need to deal with those people, leave it to me.”
“But I can’t ride a horse… Eh eh eh eh eh?”
Before Qin Siyue could react, she was already scooped up onto the horse by Qin Ji. Then, the horse leaped out and galloped through the streets of Tai’an City.
…
Xia Yuxiao looked at Qin Ji in front of her, and Qin Siyue, who was hiding behind Qin Ji and did not dare to look up at her, and couldn’t help but find it a bit amusing.
Qin Ji’s arrival was not surprising, but this time he actually brought his sister, which was quite rare. Xia Yuxiao knew about Qin Siyue’s condition. This sister, who suffered from hysteria, was said to have fluctuating conditions. Qin Ji actually brought her along, was he really not afraid of losing decorum in front of the emperor?
Hmm… probably not afraid. After all, this guy now dared to oppose her openly. Losing decorum in front of the emperor, he probably wouldn’t care, and he would definitely think she would forgive a hysterical patient.
“Is this your urgent military report?”
Looking at Qin Ji, who was still sweating, Xia Yuxiao asked.
She was playing with an expensive pen in her hand. This pen was a gift from Qin Ji on the day she ascended the throne, and now, sometimes she felt uneasy without something in her hand, so this pen naturally became her first choice to play with.
“Currently, this is it. However, what I am reporting is just a general military overview. Now I believe we should quickly and thoroughly formulate countermeasures against possible threats—the northern border, although guarded by Your Majesty’s brother, does not mean absolute safety. We must ensure timely stability of the empire’s control over the north.”
Qin Ji spoke very sincerely. Even Xia Yuxiao, for a moment, had the illusion that this guy was truly loyal to her. But she quickly reminded herself not to trust him easily, not to be led by him, and then she nodded:
“You are right. Now, perhaps we should call the generals over for a meeting.”
“Rest assured, Your Majesty. On my way here, I have already ordered my subordinates to notify the generals. They should arrive soon.”
Qin Ji said.
Of course, the generals would be much slower than him. On one hand, it took time for Ling Yan to deliver the message. On the other hand, even if they arrived at the palace, they had to dismount and walk into the emperor’s hall. The palace was not small, and it would take more than ten minutes to walk there.
What? You ask how Qin Ji arrived so quickly?
He could even enter the palace with his sword and boots, so why not ride a horse through the palace for military intelligence? Military affairs are urgent, and the priority now is to let His Majesty prepare in advance, rather than adhering to those formalities. His horse is still tied to the pillar at the entrance of His Majesty’s hall.
Being able to use the pillar at the entrance of His Majesty’s hall as a hitching post for his horse, this is truly unprecedented.
“You really put people at ease when you handle things.”
Xia Yuxiao’s words were not false. Although Qin Ji could be quite annoying at times, he was quite reliable in such matters.
Less than ten minutes later, footsteps were heard from outside.
“Don’t waste time, tell them to come in directly.”
She instructed the attendant beside her.