Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors
Chapter 531 - 273: Trial Cleared!

Chapter 531: Chapter 273: Trial Cleared!

The Zhao Yi Army had besieged Yan Jing for over a month when the Jin people dispatched a large force to aid them. Poor field command and lack of unity among their divisions led to a great defeat by the Zhao Yi Army below the walls of Yan Jing.

Afterward, the Zhao Yi Army advanced unstoppably, capturing Yan Jing and beginning their conquest of the Sixteen States of Yan Yun.

In fact, by this time, Yan Yun had already become accustomed to foreign rule, and most people harbored no desire to be assimilated into the Qi Dynasty.

Wherever the Zhao Yi Army went, strict military discipline was enforced, and the civilians were left unharmed. They executed the wealthy and distributed their lands, quickly gaining the support of the people.

Meanwhile, the Qi Dynasty was plunged into severe internal strife.

After Qin Huizhi had placed Emperor Yingzong of Qi under house arrest, he did not dare to kill him outright but continued to purge the court, suppressing any official bold enough to submit a critical memorial.

As news of Qin Huizhi’s intention to usurp the throne spread, uprisings occurred everywhere, which Qin Huizhi suppressed with large military forces.

Though Qin Huizhi acted against the principles, he firmly controlled the reins of government. With the Central Forbidden Army quelling the rebellion, the local rebels, unsupported, were on the verge of being subdued soon.

Thus, the situation Qin Huizhi faced had stabilized once more.

Just a year or two more, and with Emperor Yingzong slowly dying, everything would naturally fall into place.

Unexpectedly, at this critical juncture, the Zhao Yi Army, having already occupied Yan Yun, made a new move.

General Han Fuyue still left the main army in Yan Yun, but he himself took only 30,000 elite troops and, purportedly to protect the dynasty, made a rapid march toward the capital of the Qi Dynasty.

Qin Huizhi, who had deployed substantial forces to suppress the revolts, found his defenses significantly weakened, and the soldiers along the way either fled at the sight of the Zhao Yi Army or passively watched, sympathizing with the righteousness of the Zhao Yi Army.

The mere 30,000-strong cavalry force, not considering its logistical support, penetrated deep into Qi territory and marched straight for the capital.

...

"Damn it!

"Just 30,000 men, only 30,000!

"My Qi Dynasty still boasts hundreds of thousands in the Imperial Guard; how could we let 30,000 travel such a distance, entering as if into no man’s land!

"Could it be that my dynasty is all traitors!

"Han Fuyue ... Han Fuyue ..."

In the court, Qin Huizhi cursed vehemently.

But when it came to Han Fuyue, although his teeth were clenched in hatred, he couldn’t finish his thoughts.

And the courtiers, all were silent.

What could they say?

These officials were mostly those who remained after numerous purges. Many were sycophantic ministers who colluded with Qin Huizhi. Even if not directly his supporters, they had grown accustomed to being politically astute and keeping silent.

In such circumstances, indeed, no one spoke.

Qin Huizhi had every reason to be furious, for General Han Fuyue’s sudden military action had completely disrupted his well-laid plans.

He had already dominated the court and held great power firmly in his hands. Emperor Yingzong was easier to manipulate than Emperor Gaozong of Qi, having little popular support due to his involvement in the Jingping Incident, despite his legal authority.

Moreover, though the coup was orchestrated by Qin Huizhi in secrecy, the populace clearly saw it as instigated by Emperor Yingzong, believing him to be in collusion with Qin Huizhi to poison Emperor Gaozong—the perceived true story.

And removing this scapegoat, Qin Huizhi, would have been much simpler and smoother than deposing Emperor Gaozong directly.

While rebellions were rampant across the region, time was expected to quell these disturbances.

Although Qin Huizhi still didn’t dare to openly kill Emperor Yingzong, the more time that passed, the more it played to his advantage.

As for General Han Fuyue, Qin Huizhi considered him a minimal threat.

Firstly because General Han Fuyue was occupied with Yan Yun; for both the Qi Dynasty and the Jin people, the strategic importance of Yan Yun was crystal clear.

If the siege of the strong city dragged on and Jin reinforcements arrived, the Zhao Yi Army faced the risk of annihilation. Emperor Taizhong of Qi had lost there in the past.

Though later General Han Fuyue inflicted a major defeat on Jin reinforcements in the field and took the opportunity to capture Yan Yun, Qin Huizhi still deemed the north secure.

Since Yan Yun had been detached from the Central Plains’ rule for too long, restoring local loyalty there would take generations. The Jin people were unlikely to give up Yan Yun easily and would surely gather large forces to contest it again.

Therefore, the Zhao Yi Army’s main force still needed to guard Yan Yun and was unlikely to move southward.

Geographically, positioned between the Qi Dynasty and the Jin, the Zhao Yi Army was at a considerable disadvantage. If war broke out on two fronts, unable to attend to both, their situation was perilous.

Thus, Qin Huizhi believed that General Han Fuyue’s request for the vast area from the Huai River to the Yangtze River was both a ploy for profit and a move to secure his rear, signaling to the Qi Dynasty an implicit agreement not to advance southward willingly, letting each focus on their own agendas.

You, Qin Huizhi, plot your coup, while I, Han Fuyue, campaign in the north; our goals need not conflict.

However, while peace negotiations hadn’t truly solidified and Yan Yun was not yet secure, at a time when most believed the Zhao Yi Army absolutely could not move south, General Han Fuyue did exactly that!

He left the main army in Yan Yun, bringing only 30,000 cavalry secretly to the northern bank of the Huai River.

Then he crossed the Huai River and the Yangtze River, pushing forward directly!

The Qi Army, completely unprepared, collapsed at the first encounter.

By the time Qin Huizhi received the news, General Han Fuyue’s troops were already pointing directly at the capital of the Qi Dynasty.

Thus, Qin Huizhi was furiously impotent.

On one hand, he resented General Han Fuyue’s "betrayal and abandonment," and on the other, he felt contempt for his generals—for how could such a small force of merely 30,000 go unchallenged and let Han Fuyue march through as if entering an uninhabited land!