Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors
Chapter 527 - 272: The Opportunity to Recover Yan Yun

Chapter 527: Chapter 272: The Opportunity to Recover Yan Yun

A year’s time had passed in the blink of an eye.

Qin Huizhi was drinking tea in his mansion.

During this year, his power had once again inflated due to his support for Emperor Yingzong of Qi’s restoration. He had even reached a point where he could decide on major court affairs with a single word.

Whenever his subordinates and ministers encountered significant issues, they would report to him first rather than to the court, seeking his decision.

Such was the pinnacle of a court official’s power.

However, Qin Huizhi had never forgotten the words that General Han Fuyue sent Meng Lin to convey a year ago.

His ambition to usurp the throne burned fiercely, growing stronger by the day, nearly uncontrollable.

In fact, choosing between being a powerful minister or seizing the throne was a difficult decision. But after weighing the options, most would opt to take the gamble.

Because history had shown that powerful ministers rarely met good ends.

Qin Huizhi was acutely aware that although he seemed to wield great power, without the title of emperor, his authority was as transient as duckweed on water.

After his death, his descendents would surely face retribution, and his corpse might even be exhumed and mutilated.

Which powerful minister could escape the emperor’s resentment?

Furthermore, thinking more pessimistically, even before his death, his power could begin to wane.

Emperor Yingzong of Qi, having just ascended the throne and without any foundation in court, had no choice but to hand over all major affairs to Qin Huizhi.

In other words, Qin Huizhi managed to seize more power from Emperor Yingzong than he could have from Emperor Gaozong of Qi.

But Emperor Yingzong was no fool and could sense what was happening.

Initially, he wouldn’t say anything, but over time, resentment would deepen.

The more power Qin Huizhi took from Emperor Yingzong’s hands, the more vigilant and resentful Emperor Yingzong became of Qin Huizhi.

Nonetheless, Emperor Yingzong had opportunities to slowly regain power.

Since the establishment of the Qi Dynasty, the imperial examinations had been the mainstream method for selecting and appointing officials. Those who ascended through this system naturally aligned closely with the emperor.

After all, Emperor Yingzong was still the legitimate emperor in the public eye and the symbol of legal succession; as long as he attended court sessions and interacted with the officials, he would gradually cultivate his own base of support, thus posing a threat to Qin Huizhi’s current power.

Hence, the words Meng Lin had said at that time struck at the very core of Qin Huizhi’s concerns.

Not too hasty, yet haste was necessary!

A year’s time was sufficient.

During this year, Qin Huizhi had intensified his grip on power, taking advantage of the power vacuum during Emperor Yingzong’s initial restoration, securing all crucial court positions firmly under his control.

And then, he awaited one more piece of news.

Outside the mansion, a swift messenger horse arrived.

"Report to Prime Minister Qin! The latest military report from the north!"

The soldier tasked with delivering the message held the military report high over his head, presenting it.

Qin Huizhi’s spirits immediately lifted, and he hurriedly took the report, eagerly tearing it open.

After just a glance, he couldn’t help but burst into hearty laughter, "Good! Good! Very good!"

He exclaimed three "goods" in a row.

The contents of the military report were crystal clear.

Just a few days prior, General Han Fuyue had vowed to launch a northern campaign!

The Zhao Yi Army’s two forces had mobilized: one advanced towards River East, targeting Taiyuan, which was still held by Jin forces. The other departed from Da Ming Prefecture, heading straight for Zhen Ding Prefecture on Hebei West Road!

Once these two locations were seized, an assault on the Sixteen States of Yan Yun was the inevitable next step.

Although caught off guard, Jin still had strongholds like Taiyuan City—a fortress city—and the strategically important Yan Yun states, severely challenging to conquer. This war was likely to be protracted, potentially lasting beyond a year or half.

The reason Qin Huizhi laughed heartily was that this northern campaign vouched for by the Zhao Yi Army was the agreed signal!

While a secret agreement had already been made, trading a vast expanse of land north of the Yangtze River for the Zhao Yi Army’s silent approval and support of Qin Huizhi’s usurpation, Qin had always remained vigilant towards the Zhao Yi Army.

Treaties could always be broken, especially when the other party held the initiative.

Qin Huizhi understood this well.

Only fools like Emperor Gaozong of Qi would naively believe in a treaty’s permanence, thinking they could rest easy thereafter.

Therefore, Qin Huizhi still harbored some worries. What if, amidst his coup d’état and forcing Emperor Yingzong to abdicate, General Han Fuyue’s army turned against him?

Now, however, General Han Fuyue’s northern campaign served essentially as a declaration of safety.

As he went to battle the Jin forces, who would surely gather their armies for a counterattack, once the war began, it was not within General Han Fuyue’s power to stop it at will.

As the two formidable forces in the north clashed, they would be unable to focus on the situation in the southern Qi Dynasty. This made Qin Huizhi’s machinations much safer.

Qin Huizhi stood up and paced quickly around the courtyard. Soon after, he called for his trusted aides.

"Prepare to make our move!"

...

Below Taiyuan City.

Zhao Haiping, while commanding the battle, engaged in casual conversation with General Deng Yuanjing.

"General Deng, how long do you think it will take to breach Taiyuan City?"

General Deng thought for a moment: "Within three days."

Zhao Haiping smiled slightly: "I think so too!"

In Qin Huizhi’s view, the war between the Zhao Yi Army and the Jin was bound to drag on, unlikely to conclude without a year or half.

However, to Zhao Haiping and General Deng, it certainly would not be the case.

Perhaps the battle for Yan Yun would prove somewhat more troublesome—with a long estimate of three to five months, or a short one of one to two months—but the assaults on Taiyuan and Zhen Ding Prefecture should be swift and decisive.