The Eastern Sea domain, the King of Taiji Kingdom dispatched Li Shunchen, who was forced to lead dozens of warships, employing imitation longbows from Da Qian to rain down arrows and inflict heavy damage on the hundreds of warships of the Izumo Kingdom, killing thousands and achieving the first great victory.
The citizens of the capital finally regained their confidence, everyone was invigorated, cheering Li Shunchen's name, determined to reclaim all their land and drive out the invaders.
"They are pirates! Da Qian calls them pirates!!"
"Right! Isn't our suzerain Da Qian?"
"Sovereign? Da Qian severed ties with us long ago. They won't help us, they might even take advantage of our distress!"
The people and military of Taiji Kingdom finally remembered their former neighbor and suzerain, sighing regretfully.
The populace was still in the dark, believing that Da Qian had abandoned them out of insatiable greed.
Within the imperial palace, the King of Taiji Kingdom and Crown Prince Li Yuchun wore extremely grim expressions.
"Father, we achieved a great naval victory, yet the people only remember Li Shunchen. This is not good! Even if we drive away the Izumo Kingdom's invaders, Li Shunchen's prestige will overshadow the royal family in the future. A coup will be a certainty, won't it?"
The King of Taiji Kingdom pondered.
The Grand Eunuch by his side also chimed in, "His Highness the Crown Prince's thoughts are thorough. Taiji Kingdom's victory is due to the unity of the military and populace, not the personal valor of the old general Li Shunchen. Da Qian and our relations have been deteriorating for years. Li Shunchen has repeatedly urged Your Majesty to grovel before Da Qian. Now, even if troops are sent for support, can Your Majesty guarantee they are not here to plunder and seize our country?"
The King of Taiji Kingdom broke into a cold sweat, "That makes sense... Could Li Shunchen have been bought by Da Qian? I heard that he lectures on strategy in the military camps, using Marquis Anguo Liang Xiao of Da Qian as an example, and wants to reform the military system like Liang Xiao. His intentions are sinister! What should we do?"
"Killing him is not an option, but his prestige cannot be solely his," Li Yuchun reminded.
The King of Taiji Kingdom understood and immediately appointed Crown Prince Li Yuchun as the Grand Marshal of Taiji Kingdom, to command the front-line troops, strictly ordering Li Shunchen and others to obey Li Yuchun.
Li Yuchun, carrying the imperial decree and military seal, rushed to the army to seize Li Shunchen's command. He relegated Li Shunchen to the status of a subordinate general, refusing to grant him the position of Vice Marshal, and led the fleet to pursue the Izumo Kingdom's forces.
Li Shunchen suppressed his disappointment and anger, and spoke passionately, "Your Highness the Crown Prince! Although our army has achieved a great naval victory, we have also suffered heavy losses. We should not launch rash attacks again. We should focus on defending the capital and the northern territories!!"
Li Yuchun narrowed his eyes, observing Li Shunchen, "If I didn't come, you would have gone on campaign to earn merits? Now that I'm here, you want me to hunker down? Are you waiting for Father to be disappointed in me and dismiss me, so you can continue to hold power?"
Li Shunchen knelt and pleaded, "This subject can disregard military power, but our country is outnumbered. The enemy sustains themselves through looting and plunder. It is sufficient for our army to repel the enemy's naval forces. We must absolutely not lose any more northern territory, otherwise, with the enemy strengthening and us weakening, national ruin and extermination will not be far off!"
"Nonsense! The Izumo Kingdom can be defeated by our numerically inferior force at sea, proving they are not to be feared. Our army must expand its victory at sea to deter the enemy in the north, and simultaneously increase enemy casualties, causing their disarray! Depart for the campaign at once!" Li Yuchun was both shocked and enraged, ordering Li Shunchen to be beaten and driven out.
With the great enemy at the gates, Li Shunchen ultimately endured the beating, gritted his teeth, and joined the battle.
The twenty-eight Taiji Kingdom warships, under Li Shunchen's command, fought with ease but no longer actively attacked. Instead, they primarily used archery for defense and expulsion, barely managing to hold their own.
Li Yuchun, who was supervising the battle on the front lines, finally grew impatient, "The supervisory detachments will immediately step forward and order Li Shunchen to attack for me! Isn't he trying to emulate Liang Xiao? Tell him how Liang Xiao managed his troops: any further hesitation or retreat will result in the rear guard beheading the front guard!"
Upon receiving the military order, Li Shunchen wailed to the heavens several times and was forced to lead his troops to fight the enemy with a heavy heart.
In the ensuing melee, a stray arrow pierced Li Shunchen's neck. Unable to speak, Li Shunchen gazed at the sky with unconvinced eyes, reaching out as if to grasp something. Losing his balance, he fell into the water.
By the time the soldiers rescued Li Shunchen from the water, he had already breathed his last.
On this day, the Izumo Kingdom's fleet returned with renewed vigor, launching a full-scale invasion, landing on the shore, and heading directly for the capital.
Taiji Kingdom's fifteen thousand troops were annihilated. Crown Prince Li Yuchun knelt and begged for mercy, yet was still beheaded by the grinning Izumo soldiers, their heads displayed alongside Li Shunchen's.
The Izumo forces bypassed Taiji Kingdom's northern border by sea and marched directly towards the capital. The entire Taiji Kingdom was thrown into terror. The King of Taiji Kingdom was forced to relocate the capital!
In the Yan Prefecture military camp, Liang Xiao also received an urgent dispatch from Liaodong, his brow furrowed.
"The Izumo Kingdom indeed has some capability. Choosing this time to invade Taiji Kingdom suggests they have colluded with the Xianbei and the Kushan Dynasty, and anticipated that we would not provide aid?"
"What should we do then? Is the saying 'lips and teeth' applicable to this situation?" The generals exchanged worried words, unable to reach a consensus.
Liang Xiao rose and said, "It's not a matter of 'lips and teeth'. Mo Hongming was right. Liaodong has no specific intelligence on Taiji Kingdom, and it's hard to be sure this isn't a trap to lure the enemy. Furthermore, since the matter of gold has been leaked, our country must ensure absolute security and guard the vital passages of Liaodong, to prevent either the Izumo Kingdom or Taiji Kingdom from breaking through our defenses."
"Taiji Kingdom should have fifty to sixty thousand troops. Even if the Izumo Kingdom has truly twenty to thirty thousand troops, they cannot easily capture a city, can they? Their logistics wouldn't hold up either?" a general reminded.
Liang Xiao shook his head, "Everything is unpredictable. We cannot underestimate the bottom line of Taiji Kingdom, nor can we underestimate the barbarity of the Izumo people. In summary, before defeating the Xianbei, there can be no mishap in Liaodong. It must be remembered that Taiji Kingdom had previously expelled our envoys and troops, and even forbidden our citizens from approaching their territory. Taiji Kingdom's lack of intelligence in the lands east of Liaodong is their own doing."
Considering the lack of intelligence on their own country and Da Qian's own security, Liang Xiao ultimately decided to inform Xiao Qing and observe the situation.
Xiao Qing had already received news from Liaodong. After receiving Liang Xiao's reply, and after consulting with his civil and military officials for an hour, they could only abandon the idea of supporting Liaodong.
Nearly a million laborers were dispatched to the great desert to handle logistics and transport gold. The western border was in a state of tension with the Kushan Dynasty. Even with Da Qian's vast wealth, it could not withstand the strain of multi-front, long-distance warfare.
Zhuo Wulue sighed, "The Izumo Kingdom, the Xianbei, the Kushan Dynasty, and even the Peacock Dynasty, two thousand li away on the southwestern border, are mobilizing simultaneously. This shows they have reached an agreement. The leak of the gold news is enough to drive them mad; they absolutely will not sit idly by while our country obtains the gold."
Zhuo Zifang shook his head and gave a wry smile, "I truly don't know if this is Taiji Kingdom's own doing, or if the enemy is too cunning. Our influence is limited. Even if we mobilize troops from Liaodong to support them, it would be a long-distance operation. The laborers have already been conscripted for the desert. Taiji Kingdom may not have the military provisions, and logistics will surely not keep up!"
Da Qian's side had not leaked the gold news. Currently, they could only speculate that this matter was related to the Tianri tribe or the barbarians.
Ultimately, Xiao Qing had to abandon supporting Taiji Kingdom, which had repeatedly offended Da Qian.
The Da Liang Kingdom also received news of six princes being poisoned to death, throwing the nation into turmoil!