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墨書 Inktalez
Before reaching the palace gates, Qin Feng saw thousands of Imperial Guards dressed in black armor with red trousers, the very guards of the palace.
They were lined up for hundreds of meters outside, truly a formidable sight.
Surrounding them were several large horses, each carrying heavy loads; some were filled with provisions, while others contained clothing and other items, ready to set off.
Qin Feng felt a sense of panic and worry; the emperor was indeed preparing to head south, and everything was in place.
It seemed that once the emperor and those royal consorts emerged, they would be able to depart from Tokyo City.
Dismounting from his horse, he realized that the path was completely blocked; riding through was impossible, so he had no choice but to walk in.
The two Imperial Guards also dismounted and led the horses away.
Watching the well-prepared Imperial Guards, Qin Feng noticed a few expressions of discomfort on their faces, as if they felt guilty.
He couldn't help but lower his gaze or slightly turn away.
They must recognize him; after spending several years in the palace's Morning Court, many of the Imperial Guards would surely know him.
He casually remarked, "What are you all doing? Preparing to run away?"
Some remained silent, glaring at him fiercely.
Others were unwilling; they were young men full of vigor who had never fought before. How could they possibly be afraid of the Jin people?
One replied, "Qin Sir, we are not running away. We have received the emperor's orders and are preparing to head south. You should go find the emperor and not make things difficult for us."
"That's enough, that's enough! What's the difference between heading south and running away? The former just sounds better," Qin Feng thought.
He quickly made his way through the crowd, intending to find Lord Li Gang first before meeting the Emperor.
After walking for a while, he indeed arrived at the front gate of the palace, which was quite a long walk.
The thousands of Imperial Guards had blocked the way, along with tall horses carrying heavy burdens—there were quite a few of them.
He also spotted Lord Li Gang wearing a loose Purple Official Robe, engaged in discussion.
Next to him were several Generals and a few Civil Officials dressed in red and purple, all members of the War Faction.
They must have heard that the Emperor planned to lead troops south and had come to persuade him against it, leaving Tokyo City behind.
Among them was his superior, Commandant Ma Jun Du Di Wu, as well as Civil Official Zhao Ding and others.
Once he reached their side, Qin Feng prepared to speak, wanting to ask what was going on.
Li Gang noticed him and said, "Qin Brother, what brings you here? You’re the last to arrive. Come with us! The Emperor is about to lead troops south; we must persuade him. Otherwise, the morale of the army will waver, and the capital may not be safe."
Of course, Qin Feng couldn't directly say that he had been lingering in bed with his wife and didn't want to come down, which was why he was late.
He nodded in agreement and quickly headed inside to try to persuade the Emperor.
They all moved forward; there were even more Imperial Guards at the entrance, and those tall horses carrying heavy burdens were coming out from inside.
Upon reaching the palace entrance, a wave of Imperial Guards was preparing to set off.
Dressed in black armor, each carrying heavy burdens and preparing to flee south, they were neatly lined up on both sides, awaiting the Emperor.
Right Chancellor Li Gang was also heading towards the Emperor's palace while discussing matters with Qin Feng and others.
It was those Peace Faction members again. During the Morning Court, the Emperor had promised to resist the Jin, mobilizing a large number of troops and reinforcing some defenses on the City Wall.
However, that night, led by Li Bangyan, the Peace Faction secretly entered the palace, constantly pestering the Emperor to change his mind, urging him to flee south while continuing peace negotiations.
This led to the scene this morning, where they were preparing to escape south with their troops.
As they approached the Emperor's palace, they saw the Emperor in his Golden Dragon Robe, accompanied by Li Bangyan and others.
There were also many Imperial Guards in Black Armor who had already come out of the palace, ready to depart.
Li Gang and his group quickly stepped forward, performing their duties as subjects and kneeling before the Emperor.
Slowly standing up, Li Gang expressed some anger and reluctance.
He said, "Your Majesty, where do you intend to go? Are you really going to flee south and abandon the hundreds of thousands of citizens of Tokyo City?"
The Qin Emperor in his Golden Dragon Robe appeared somewhat flustered; he was once again confronted by this unwelcome advice from the War Faction—truly unfortunate.
He spoke frankly; after all, he was the Emperor and had made his decision.
"Your Excellency is not wrong; I am indeed going south. Immediately mobilize another twenty thousand troops to accompany me south for my protection."
"There are over a hundred thousand troops from the Jin Kingdom outside the city. Just yesterday afternoon, they captured Huazhou, which is only a couple of roads away from Tokyo City. If they surround us, we won't be able to escape!"
"I will take these twenty thousand troops south first. You continue to lead the Guard Soldiers in the city and resist the Jin people with all your might. Over time, the Jin Bing will retreat, and we can settle for a larger compensation in Silver."
Qin Feng and the others sighed, looking at the emperor with regret. How could he consider fleeing?
Originally, the Guard Soldiers in Tokyo City numbered less than one hundred thousand; any claim of several hundred thousand was just an exaggeration! It was merely a mess left by the previous emperor, with fewer than one hundred thousand troops!
Adding to that were the more than ten thousand Imperial Guards around the emperor. If another ten thousand were reassigned, there would be even fewer left.
To withstand the attack of over one hundred thousand Jin Army soldiers was indeed troublesome; victory was uncertain.
They all shouted for the emperor to stay and not to move the troops.
Li Gang was even more agitated, saying, "The Predecessor Emperor abdicated for the wise and handed over the Great Song's Territory to the Sovereign. Within this Tokyo City, there are ancestral temples of past emperors and countless citizens, not to mention immeasurable Silver."
"Is it appropriate for the emperor to abandon Tokyo City? How will the common people view him if he leaves behind his ancestors' temples and disregards the lives of tens of thousands?"
The Qin Emperor felt his eyes moisten as he listened, sensing his patriotic feelings rise within him. It truly seemed inappropriate.
He wanted to be a wise ruler; how could he abandon his ancestors' temples and tens of thousands of his own citizens?
But when he thought of those ruthless Jin people who were almost at the gates of Tokyo City, if the city fell, wouldn’t he become a king without a country, at their mercy?
That would be even more disrespectful to his ancestors, and he began to hesitate.
Qin Feng and the others felt deeply moved; the emperor could not leave.
The many Imperial Guards around the Qin Emperor also did not want to leave. These were their own kin; how could they bear to abandon them?
Dressed in a purple robe, Li Bangyan, also the Left Chancellor of the court, was a cowardly bureaucrat with an indifferent demeanor.
With Jin Bing almost at the city gates, if negotiations failed and they broke in, they would surely unleash a massacre. If you, Li Gang, want to die, I and that old family certainly do not want to die!
He said, "Li Gang, aren't you not afraid of death? You always boast about being a Loyal Minister, so you should listen to the Sovereign's words. If the Emperor wants to leave, then he can leave. You can take your group of fearless subordinates and desperately defend the city!"
"The Emperor only transferred ten thousand of your troops, and you're already worried. You should hurry back. The soldiers patrolling the City Wall need to reinforce the defensive structures on the City Wall. Hurry up and let us go back!"
Qin Feng and the others were extremely angry; it was this cowardly fellow again, useless and causing trouble—truly a disaster for the court.
Li Gang glared angrily at Li Bangyan. With someone like him, how could he even be worthy of being a Chancellor? It would be an elevation for him to serve as a ninth-rank official.
He spat at him fiercely, making a sound of disdain as he continued to spit several times.
He could hardly contain his resentment; clearly filled with Patriotism, yet always hindered by treacherous officials who provoked and made things difficult for him, unable to showcase his talents to protect the Great Song Territory.
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