Chapter 1026: 1027The prince arrived at Hezhe
Chapter 1026 1027 The Prince Arrives at Hezhe
At Hezhe Railway Station, Zhao Chen stood among a group of generals, staring impatiently at the end of the railway track extending to the west.
A train slowly drove into the station, loaded with soldiers and ammunition, and it also brought an important person.
When the train came to a stop on the platform, the guards who had been waiting for a long time immediately stood on both sides of the carriage. Zhao Chen walked up and welcomed the arrival of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Zhao Ji with a group of generals.
“Stand at attention!” All the generals in Hezhe stood at attention and saluted. Zhao Ji stepped off the train with an ugly face, casually waved his hand to signal the end of the salute, and then walked straight towards his car.
He was in a really bad mood, because he was almost expelled from the imperial capital by his father. Such a thing had never happened before, and it was simply a shame for a prince.
In fact, he also knew that his desperate approach of returning to the imperial capital from the front line was inappropriate, but he still hated Zhao Kai for not giving him a chance to stay in the imperial capital and stabilize his status as prince.
How can there be any reason for the prince to stay out when the emperor is injured? In fact, Zhao Ji has always wondered whether his father is no longer ready to pass that position to him.
“Your Highness!” Zhao Chen actually hoped that Zhao Ji would come to Hezhe to take charge. In this way, he could rush back to Fengjiang and reorganize the attack there.
If Fengjiang is not taken down for one day, the situation of the Dahua Empire will continue to collapse. Zhao Chen is not thinking about such shabby things as who will inherit the throne. What he is thinking about is how long the Dahua Empire can last!
In his opinion, if the Great China Empire disappears, the old Zhao family will also be finished! At that time, there is no need to consider who can sit in that position. Everyone has been thinking about what style to choose for their own tomb for a long time.
"General." Zhao Ji still wanted to give Prince Zhao Chen some face. He stopped and looked at Zhao Chen who called him.
"How is your majesty's health?" Zhao Chen walked to Zhao Ji and asked with concern.
"It's nothing serious. At least I was still healthy when I was told to get out." Zhao Ji answered Zhao Chen's question in a weird way.
His words almost choked Zhao Chen to death, but Zhao Chen continued: "The situation over Fengjiang is not very good. We must resume the attack as soon as possible..."
"General...is it a little late to say this now?" Zhao Ji's mind was no longer on the battle situation at all. After asking a question with a sneer, he stood there and looked at the embarrassed Zhao Chen.
If he was the one who really wanted Zhao Yu to die before and was the one who most hoped to capture Fengjiang, now he actually no longer cares whether Zhao Yu is dead or alive.
He is more concerned about Zhao Kai's status now, and he is more concerned about the position that is becoming more and more easily available. As for the victory or defeat on the front line, he seems to not value it so much anymore.
It's not a big deal, even now he thinks that Zhao Chen should retreat to Hezhe with all his troops, honestly turn Hezhe into a fortress, give up all the places occupied by Zhao Yu, and first help him secure the position of Emperor of Dahua. .
But he did not dare to speak out his true thoughts, because Zhao Ji was familiar with Zhao Chen, and he knew that if he said anything about dividing the territory, Zhao Chen would definitely not support him.
So, he could only sneer and use the facts to stun Zhao Chen, who still insisted on extending his life for the Great China Empire, into speechlessness.
Because it is indeed too late, and the opportunity of the Great China Empire has been lost.
Just two days ago, the bridge across the Zangjian Gorge built by the Tang Dynasty in Jiange was opened to traffic. With trains underneath and cars running on top, the natural chasm suddenly turned into a thoroughfare.
Now you can directly reach Jiange from the southwest of the Tang Dynasty through the Hidden Sword Bridge. Fengjiang is no longer the only channel for the Tang Empire to support the Fengjiang rebels. Goods supporting Fengjiang can be continuously transported to Jiange, the rebel rear area, through the Cangjian Bridge. The daily throughput is only a lot more than Fengjiang.
The Dahua Empire has actually lost the best opportunity to seize Fengjiang and contain the Fengjiang rebels. Zhao Jie's plan completely failed two days ago.
Capturing Fengjiang has almost lost its meaning now. Fengjiang, which is almost in ruins, is just a city.
But Zhao Chen didn't think so. He felt that as long as he captured Fengjiang, he could seize Shanping from Fengjiang south, copy the Fengjiang rebels' southward strategy, attack along the Zangjian Gorge, recapture Jiange and encircle the rebels again.
Even if he just recaptured Fengjiang, Zhao Chen felt that it was a big strategic victory! It can at least stabilize the defense line in the northern part of the Dahua Empire and support the battle in the direction of Guiguang.
In short, in the eyes of general Zhao Chen, you can't give up just because you can't win, right? For the sake of the Great China Empire, even if there is only a vague hope, we must give it a try, right? If Fengjiang is abandoned, it is equivalent to abandoning the entire southeastern region of the Great China Empire. If the war ends like this, will the Great China Empire still be the Great China Empire?
There is the powerful neighbor Qin in the west, and the invincible Tang Empire in the east... By that time, the Great China Empire will really be over!
In Zhao Chen's view, the Tang Empire rose too fast. The hero Tang Mo was only in his thirties now. He had a lot of time to plot against the Great China. How could the Great China Empire, with only half of the country left, stop the Tang Dynasty? The iron heel of the empire?
Only by quelling the civil war now, regaining the lost southeastern territory, and guarding the natural dangers of Fengjiang Zangjian Gorge, can we have a chance of survival!
But no one in the Great China Empire could understand Zhao Chen's good intentions: neither Zhao Kai, Zhao Jie nor Zhao Ji seemed to be able to see the crisis that was so close at hand.
"Your Highness! Even if it's too late... we must do our best to preserve the beautiful mountains and rivers of Zhao Family Dahua, right?" Zhao Chen persuaded.
"General... you and I still have an army of one million in our hands. It looks like a lot, but in the end there are only so many." Zhao Ji looked around and waited until everyone else had walked away, then he spoke to Zhao Chen said.
What he said had nothing to do with the war situation, but was closely related to the struggle for the throne: "My younger brothers and sisters in the imperial capital are coveting that position. When the time comes, general, will you support me or those rebellious officials and traitors?"
Hearing this question, Zhao Chen was stunned. He really hadn't thought about such a problem, because he had never considered that Zhao Kai would die.
"You and me are in Hezhe, and it may not be too late to return to the army if the emperor has something to do. You lead the army to attack Fengjiang, and even go south to Shanping... The emperor has changed. What should I do? What should you do?" Zhao Ji continued to ask.
The question he raised was quite sharp, and he finally made it clear to Zhao Chen: If the emperor dies, he, Zhao Ji, will bring He Zhe's troops back to the imperial capital to fight for that position. If He Zhe is lost by then, he will be in Fengjiang. Zhao Chen was also surrounded.
By then no one will come to rescue Zhao Chen, and he and his troops will almost have to wait for death in Fengjiang - this is a sharp question, and it is an unsolvable question.
The premise is that…
Zhao Chen asked a pointed question unhappily: "Your Highness! Your Majesty is in good health. Isn't it inappropriate for you to consider this now?"
Originally, if the emperor does not die, what is the point of fighting? Who is qualified to fight?
"Then do you dare to bet? Take the million-strong army in your hand as a bet. If you stick to Hezhe, Dahua may be able to sustain it for a while, but if your troops are lost in Fengjiang, the Dahua Empire will collapse in an instant. Fall apart!" Zhao Ji smiled a little wildly.
He has been suppressing himself, always being cautious, and always trying to please his father in order to keep his position as prince.
But this time, he didn't plan to pretend it anymore, because he already felt the crisis, felt Zhao Kai's dissatisfaction with him, and felt the world's full malice towards him.
In fact, Zhao Chen wanted to say "no need to gamble", because as long as Zhao Ji firmly defends Hezhe, he will be safe in Fengjiang, and he can even go south from Fengjiang to attack Shanping.
But he knew that his method was impossible for Zhao Ji to accept, because it would require Zhao Ji to give up the opportunity to return to the imperial capital to seize the throne at a critical moment. Zhao Ji could not give up such an opportunity.
Even though Zhao Chen is unwilling to admit it, returning to the army and Zhecai now is indeed the best way: to hold on here and retain the last hope for Dahua: there are still a million troops on the northern front with some fighting capacity!
At that time, Zhao Ji can return to the imperial capital to seize the throne by holding on to Hezhe. When everything settles and the situation is stabilized, the Great China Empire may still be able to survive for a few more years.
Anyway, as long as I persevere until death, I will no longer be ashamed of my ancestors when I close my eyes. As for the fate of the Dahua Empire after Zhao Chen's death, he has no control over it.
So Zhao Chen sighed and begged Zhao Ji: "It is not easy for a million-strong army to retreat. If you rush it, it will easily lead to a collapse. I will go to Fengjiang in person and organize the troops to retreat to Hezhe. You are supporting my retreat in Hezhe... This is Dahua’s last hope is that your highness must promise me... I will definitely wait until I return to Hezhe!”
He has no choice. If things develop in the best direction and Zhao Ji succeeds in seizing the throne, then Zhao Chen will have some merit in supporting him. At least he will gain Zhao Ji's trust and be able to gain more discretionary power in the future. The power can be regarded as gaining some convenient conditions for himself.
So he finally compromised and prepared to give up the attack on Fengjiang and let the army retreat to Hezhe before making plans. At this point, in fact, the Dahua Empire's efforts to recapture Fengjiang have almost been in vain.
Zhao Ji's face softened when he heard that Zhao Chen agreed with him to go back and seize the heir, and he promised swornly: "Don't worry, general! I will definitely wait for you to come back in Hezhe!"
Knowing that it was not too late, Zhao Chen nodded: "Since His Highness has promised, I will leave for Fengjiang immediately! 20 days! Within 20 days, I will definitely lead the army back to Hezhe!"
After saying that, he left the platform without looking back, and did not even attend the banquet for Zhao Ji to receive him.
(End of this chapter)