The Fallen Nation System, Turning the Tide - Chapter 60: Ambush

Chapter 60: Ambush

Wasn’t he at Jade Gate Pass?

While the ministers were pondering, Xu Ying silently flipped through historical records, searching for usable military talents.

“System, help me search for commanders and generals from the Pingkang to Zhiping periods.”

The system spun its wheels, and soon displayed a list of names. “Search completed.”

Xu Ying scanned them one by one. Most generals from the Pingkang era had already passed away, and Zhiping was Xu Long’s reign periodhis people were developed later and hadn’t emerged yet.

After staring for a long time, Xu Ying settled on one name and looked up to ask the assembly, “What do you all think of Yang Tong?”

The name exploded like thunder among the crowd, prompting hushed, buzzing discussions like mosquitoes.

Liu Xu’s expression shifted slightly as he reevaluated the female emperor before him. He stepped out of the ranks and said, “Your Majesty, although Yang Tong has talent and strategy, he is after all the nephew of Prince Qi. Since Prince Qi committed treason and great insubordination, and Yang Tong was involved, Your Majesty cannot use such a convicted official.”

“The Western Rong are at the gates of Jade Gate Pass, yet our court cannot select anyone to respond to the battle. At a time like this, to still care about who rebelled or nothow ridiculous.” Xu Ying turned to He Chongguang and asked, “If Yang Tong assists, can you hold off Aguhun?”

He Chongguang was taken aback, stiffly moving his neck as he wiped sweat from his forehead. “…This… perhaps it’s possible.”

It had to be said that Yang Tong was an excellent scapegoat. If they failed to hold the pass, they could shift all responsibility onto him without offending those who shouldn’t be offended.

Having resolved He Chongguang’s issue, it was Prince Qing’s turn. After pondering for a long while, Prince Qing finally nodded.

Late into the night, after summoning everyone to urgently finalize the general candidates, Xu Ying dismissed them.

Once everyone had left, Xu Ying wrote out the specific arrangements, adding Niu Pengnan among them. Then she paused at the position of army supervisor to think. Typically, this role was filled by civil officials. After some consideration, Xu Ying settled on Zhang Keqian.

Zhang Keqian was someone she had selected herself. If there were any unusual movements in the army, he could quickly report the news back.

This battle needed to be resolved quickly. If it dragged into late autumn, the Western Rong’s cattle and horses would grow stronger, making them even harder to deal with. Xu Ying allocated a portion of the Imperial Guards for Prince Qing’s use and transferred troops from other regions.

Additionally, Xu Ying retrieved the identity information of famous generals from the Zhiping era, copied them one by one, and selected them for this conscription. After finishing, Xu Ying could no longer hold on and fell into a deep sleep.

The news that the court was going to war quickly spread among the people through word of mouth. Everyone worried whether conscription was imminent. Unexpectedly, when the conscription quotas were announced with the sound of hooves trampling mud, a closer look revealed that only a few villages and counties in each region were selected for conscription. Further inquiries showed that some areas weren’t conscripted at all, with no discernible pattern.

“Why doesn’t the neighboring county need to serve in the army?”

The official announcing the quotas, though somewhat puzzled himself, explained, “The Western Rong are eyeing us covetously, attacking Jade Gate Pass. His Majesty, in his compassion, has adopted a rotational selection system. They weren’t selected this time, but they will be in the next conscription. When they are deployed, nearby prefectures and counties must do their utmost to assist the conscripted areas.”

With mutual assistance between regions, when young men from one area joined the army, surrounding areas could form mutual aid groups with them. Officials and residents had the responsibility to care for their families, help with plowing and harvesting, and families in the conscription and mutual aid groups could be exempt from part of their taxes.

The people felt reassured, but upon hearing that the Western Rong were attacking Jade Gate Pass, they grew indignant. Baring their arms, they shouted, “We must drive the Western Rong back and ensure they never dare to invade again!”

To bolster the troops, Xu Ying enlisted those from Taiping Lane into the army. With all the additions combined, the numbers finally reached a respectable figure.

Upon receiving the imperial decree, Yang Tong was stunned. After Qi Wang’s death, although Xu Ying had not purged him, he had been placed under house arrest, believing he would spend the rest of his life confined to a narrow, dark room. Who would have thought he would one day be ordered to lead an expedition?

Yang Tong and his wife embraced and wept. His wife advised him, “Qi Wang is dead, and Her Majesty is merciful. Since she has given us this chance to atone for our crimes through merit, do not do anything foolish.”

Yang Tong choked back sobs and nodded fiercely. He understood that the Yang family’s chance for redemption lay in this battle and dared not entertain any other thoughts. He was simply astonished that Xu Ying dared to use himher ascent to the throne was clearly no accident.

Uncertain how long Lu Ang could hold Jade Gate Pass, all arrangements were finalized after just one round of discussions. As the departure neared, a palace attendant announced that Governor Zhou Jin was requesting an audience.

Xu Ying had been swamped with work these past few days and, without a second thought, granted the audience. In what felt like the blink of an eye, Zhou Jin arrived with a young woman.

After the two paid their respects, Xu Ying noticed the woman behind Zhou Jin. Guards carried a large chest and placed it in the center, separating her from the woman. Zhou Jin introduced, “Your Majesty, this is Tong Niangzi, the creator of the Automaton Wooden Cart that you praised last time. Given the fierce onslaught of the Western Rong and our army’s imminent departure, Tong Niangzi wishes to present something to ease Your Majesty’s worries.”

Xu Ying grew intrigued. “What is it?”

Tong Wan, standing beside Zhou Jin, stepped forward and bowed gracefully. The guard bent down to open the chest, revealing a crossbow, which he lifted with one hand, facing Xu Ying.

Tong Wan explained, “Your Majesty, this is a crossbow I have modified. It is lightweight and easy to fire, with an extended range. During the Spring Festival, I saw children injured by firecrackers and thought of incorporating the gunpowder from firecrackers into this crossbow. However, after numerous experiments, I have not yet succeeded. I could only attach a small amount of gunpowder to the tail of the bolt to serve as a deterrent. Please take a look, Your Majesty.”

Xu Ying was astounded. Was this the application of gunpowder in warfare, marking the end of the cold weapon era?

“Can it be mass-produced?” Xu Ying stood up and walked down, reaching out to touch the crossbow with great delight.

Tong Wan shook her head and replied, “Your Majesty, I have installed a mechanism on this crossbow. After the bolt is fired, the firecracker at its tail will explode, altering the bolt’s trajectory. This mechanism is quite intricate, and I only perfected it a few days ago. Moreover, without knowing the exact results, it is not advisable to mass-produce it now.”

Xu Ying’s eyes widened.

It could change directionthis was high technology!

Although mass production was not yet feasible, it was already quite impressive. Xu Ying rewarded her generously.

“Your ideas are excellent. Continue your research. However, gunpowder is too dangerous; you must ensure proper usage and be careful to avoid explosions. The eastern area is sparsely populated. I will send people to build an Academy of Sciences there dedicated to developing this. If you need anything, you can send urgent memorials to Sun Wanyun.”

Tong Wan, overjoyed by the recognition, beamed and bowed in gratitude. “Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty. I will live up to your high expectations and devote myself to researching crossbows to aid our army!”

Xu Ying sent the crossbow presented by Tong Wan to He Chongguang. Since his troops were going to face Aguhun head-on, this crossbow could at least serve to intimidate the enemy.

With personnel assembled and provisions dispatched, Xu Ying also considered medical support. The army lacked sufficient medics, so female physicians were called upon to fill the gap. Female officials from the Imperial Pharmacy Bureau volunteered, and she instructed Gao Yun to inquire at the Female Medical Academy if any were willing to serve in the military camps. With female soldiers providing protectionformer assassins who had once targeted her but later defected and enlistedthis arrangement proved timely.

Hearing about the presence of female soldiers, many set aside their concerns and resolutely signed up. The female physicians who joined this mission would receive military merits, which appealed to a great number of them.

After arriving in Youzhou, meeting Gao Yun, and receiving education, these women discovered that they, too, could accomplish so much and live such brilliant lives. Their previously held assumptions gradually crumbled. They no longer wished to return to their hometowns to cook and wash dishes. Life in Youzhou was exhausting, yet immensely fulfilling.

Xu Ying had considered every aspect and, after confirming the plan with her ministers without any objections, finally issued the decree. After seeing the army off, she collapsed onto her bed, too weary to move, wishing she could sleep for three days and nights straight.

“Your Majesty, it’s terrible! The Western Rong are about to breach Youzhou! Please evacuate at once!”

Xu Ying jolted awake. Darkness enveloped her vision, her heart pounding violently in her chest. The surroundings were silent, the air filled only with the sound of her own panting.

It was just a dream.

“Host, this is clearly a great opportunity. Don’t you want to go home?” The system’s voice suddenly rang out. Though it was a cold electronic tone, it carried a seductive undertone.

Xu Ying swallowed, pressing a hand to her chest to calm herself. In the dream, she had felt only terror, without a trace of joy.

“I remember you said that it was because centralization reached its peak and we missed the great global exchange that the Jin Kingdom must fall. But if Jin perishes, what follows will still be a feudal dynasty. As long as imperial power persists, centralization will inevitably develop to its peak again with historical trends. What’s the point of me destroying the country then?”

“Correct. The historical cycle will not change. The system is merely implementing the simulated optimal solution to accelerate historical progress and secure favorable conditions for the future.”

“Then what if I strive to develop production, strengthen the nation, and proactively engage with the outside world? Would that work?” Xu Ying suddenly thought of this possibility, though she felt it was unlikelyshe probably didn’t have the ability to develop Jin into a powerful nation.

“The probability of success is very low. The lifespan of a feudal dynasty is roughly three hundred years. There is no guarantee that every emperor will possess exceptional governance skills. Once isolation sets in, technology stagnates, and thought becomes constrained, the same mistakes will ultimately repeat.”

Exceptional governance skillssomething even she lacked.

Xu Ying silently added this to herself, despairingly burrowing under the covers. Destroying the country was difficult; strengthening it was equally challenging. Stuck in between, unable to move forward or backward, she wondered if she should just reset and start over.

“You must first die to achieve an ending before resetting is possible,” the system interjected abruptly.

“I know!” Xu Ying rolled over irritably.

He Chongguang led the troops with Yang Tong to reinforce Jade Gate Pass, accompanied by the civil official Fang Rong from the Hall of Gathered Talents. Qing Wang Xu Ge, Niu Pengnan, and Zhang Keqian took a detour to rescue the besieged by attacking the enemy’s base.

Upon reaching Jiayu Pass, Qing Wang Xu Ge summoned his generals and decided to divide the troops into two routes. One unit would attack the Western Rong, capture their soldiers, then locate the direction and charge straight toward the Khan’s Royal Tent. The other unit would ambush Aguhun’s reinforcements along the road, with the primary mission of repelling Aguhun, defending Jade Gate Pass, and preserving their strength as much as possible.

After finalizing the tactics, Xu Ge assigned responsibilities to each unit. They exited the pass and hurried to the separation point, each departing with their orders. But at that moment, chaos eruptedhorses reared and men fell as someone shouted in alarm: “It’s Aguhun!”

Xu Ge’s expression froze, his heart lurching violently.

Why was Aguhun here? Wasn’t he supposed to be at Jade Gate Pass?

They had been deceived!

Author’s Note:

The following part gets a bit absurd, but I found it quite amusing. After some thought, I decided to include it.

Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided nutrient solutions between 2023-05-18 21:53:16 and 2023-05-19 18:47:46~

Special thanks to the angel who cast a landmine: 1J6943hi087;

And to the nutrient solution angels: Qingqing (27 bottles), Laprabbit (5 bottles), Bookwormjuewu, Bingyecream, Bingye, Samoye (1 bottle each).

I am deeply grateful for everyone’s supportI will continue striving!