I was kicked out of the house, and I was reborn and became the emperor

As soon as the emperor opened his mouth, the court fell silent instantly, and the previous noise contrasted with the solemnity of the moment.

Minister of Personnel Zhao Zhigang stepped forward and made a clear suggestion.

"Your Majesty, there is no time to lose. We should send reinforcements as soon as possible and select a wise and brave general to rush to Jiayu Pass. We should also deploy defenses in the northern border to prevent the Jurchen cavalry from advancing straight into the capital and threatening it. It will be too late to regret then!"

After he finished speaking, everyone knew that his younger brother Zhao Zhixun was trapped in Jiayuguan, so he was extremely anxious.

"You are right, but how many troops will be needed and who will lead them?"

When Emperor Taining asked, the court was silent, and everyone looked at each other without saying a word. Most people thought to themselves: 200,000 strong troops were defeated, 140,000 loyal soldiers were buried in the earth, and the brave generals of Beijiang and Youzhou were not spared, not to mention that Shangguan Yu, who came from a martial arts family for generations, also suffered this disaster.

Who would dare to shoulder this heavy responsibility at this time? The Jurchens were extremely ferocious and no one was willing to take the risk.

Emperor Taining sat on the dragon throne, smiled bitterly, and sighed, "We raise soldiers for a thousand days, but use them in one moment. When the country is in crisis, there is no warrior to lead the army to fight. How sad!"

In fact, Shangguan Ba, who was standing below, was in turmoil and wanted to say something but hesitated. However, his beloved son returned in defeat and he lost all face. He no longer had the face to mention the issue of military power.

Emperor Taining glanced at Xuanyuan Hongru, the first civil official standing beside him. As if he sensed the emperor's hidden gaze, Xuanyuan Hongru slowly opened his mouth.

"In my humble opinion, when it comes to the bravery of generals, who can compare to the brave generals on the northern border and Youzhou? The court only needs to mobilize a large army and send a powerful civil official to Youzhou. As for the war, let the generals on the front line discuss countermeasures together."

"Who is capable of taking on such an important task?"

Emperor Taining asked again.

Xuanyuan Hongru slightly turned sideways and glanced at Xuanyuan Chenghua beside him. The latter seemed to understand what he meant and resolutely left the team and announced loudly.

"I am Xuanyuan Chenghua, the commander of the Ministry of War. It is my duty to protect the territory and resist foreign aggression. I am grateful for your grace over the years. At this time of national crisis, I will risk my life and I beg Your Majesty to allow me to go to the front line in person."

Xuanyuan Chenghua had been in a high position in the government for a long time. Without any warning, he was able to accurately guess his father's intention based on just a glance and improvise an impromptu speech. His ability to respond is truly admirable.

Whispers gradually arose among the court officials, and those who were attached to the Xuanyuan family were even louder. They loudly echoed the voices, praising Lord Xuanyuan for standing up at the critical moment of the country and being called the pillar of the country.

The Chu Party took this matter lightly. They thought it was a surprise that the Zhao family unexpectedly won the position of Deputy General of Anbei, and they were not concerned about the other candidates.

In contrast, the Qi party looked quite unhappy. They had always held the military power in their hands, but now they were unable to intervene because the head of the Shangguan family had been defeated. In addition, the old man of the Chang family, the Duke of Anguo, had long retired to the forest and no longer cared about worldly affairs. His two sons were also stationed far away on the border to guard against South Vietnam.

As a result, Xuanyuan Chenghua, as the Minister of War, naturally became the best candidate to preside over the overall situation.

Emperor Taining looked at the majestic Xuanyuan Chenghua and sneered in his heart. The power struggle was endless, but he still said: "In this case, the Minister will lead the army in person, and order the Ministry of War to immediately prepare a specific and feasible troop deployment plan and set out as soon as possible!"

"As ordered!"

Xuanyuan Chenghua bowed his head and accepted the order, a smug smile on his face.

In the capital, inside Xuanyuan Mansion.

Xuanyuan Chenghua said to his father with full admiration: "Father, you really see through everything. Shangguan Yu was indeed defeated. We didn't even make a move, but Zhao Zhixun took the initiative. Haha, the Shangguan family has lost face today."

"OK OK."

Xuanyuan Hongru waved his hand to interrupt his son's laughter.

"What you need to worry about most right now is whether you can keep the enemy out. Don't let that happen and you will end up in a mess. It's not wise to laugh at others at this time. I don't want to be the object of others' ridicule! Humph!"

Faced with his father's teachings, Xuanyuan Chenghua immediately restrained his attitude.

"Father, what you said makes sense, but the Jurchen barbarians don't seem to be easy to deal with. Father, do you have any good ideas?"

"The generals of Beijiang and Youzhou are all people with great military achievements. You just need to remember - 'Troops are given to troops, money is given to money, achievements must be rewarded, mistakes must be punished'.

With this as the core, consult with them more often when encountering problems, and do not act arbitrarily, and victory will naturally come naturally. "

Xuanyuan Hongru taught him his secrets of commanding an army.

Give soldiers and horses, give money and treasures, reward those who accomplish their mission, and punish those who commit their mistakes.

"If we act like this, wouldn't it make us appear to be too submissive and have no opinion of our own? How can we have dignity if we follow other people's opinions on everything?" Xuanyuan Chenghua asked worriedly.

At this moment, Xuanyuan Hongru was once again immersed in the ritual of making tea, his fingers flying, the aroma of tea wafting in the air, and he continued with sharp words.

"Independent opinion? What kind of independent opinion do you want? Ask yourself, do you have the ability to lead troops in battle?

If he were the true dragon emperor, why would he bother with all this?

I tell you, when the song of victory sounds, all doubts and contempt will vanish into thin air, and only villains will sneer at the weak!

The reason why our Xuanyuan clan can be so glorious today is not based on false appearances, do you understand?"

"I will remember my father's teachings!"

“Furthermore, it is advisable to secretly make friends with outstanding generals during this trip. Most of the generals on the frontier have been tempered in actual combat, and none of them are mediocre.

The captain of Yunzhou who helped our family escape from trouble last time should not be ignored. He must have extraordinary qualities to survive the brutal battle and deserves promotion.

That’s all I have to say. Please leave first!”

Xuanyuan Hongru gave a few final words of advice, and the room returned to peace.

Xuanyuan Chenghua nodded, quietly left, and closed the door lightly without disturbing a speck of dust.

Compared to the Ningguo Mansion which was bustling with guests in the past, the Shangguan Mansion is now deserted with few carriages and horses.

There was even an elder from a noble family who loved his son dearly and came to visit Shangguan Ba ​​and asked him to go to Jiayuguan to lend a helping hand.

Rumor has it that Shangguan Ba ​​smashed the room in anger that night, leaving it in a mess.

Inside the Ministry of War, the lights were bright, and officials were discussing the strategy of sending troops day and night.

The garrison around Kyoto must be stable to prevent the fall of Youzhou in the northern border, leaving only Tongzhou to hold on.

After several discussions, the Ministry of War finally issued a document, deciding to transfer 30,000 elite soldiers from the Right Guard in the capital and to recruit 100,000 garrison troops from the ten states in the south of the Yangtze River, with the Minister of War Xuanyuan Chenghua in charge, to rush to the aid of Youzhou.

The first-class soldiers of the Great Zhou were the border garrisons stationed in the northern border and Youzhou, and they had rich experience in facing the Jurchens directly. The garrisons of Jizhou and Hanzhou, who were resisting the Northern Jin, were controlled by the Chang family. The soldiers from all four directions were experienced in hundreds of battles and were unparalleled in bravery.

Next in line were the defenders around Kyoto, half of whom were veterans from the border, and the other half were new recruits who had never been baptized by war but had superb skills.

As for the third-tier military forces, the garrison troops and drill troops in each state are inadequately trained and have weak combat effectiveness. They live deep in the Central Plains and have never experienced the storms of the battlefield, and are often despised by the border troops.

This troop deployment was just a temporary measure, and Xuanyuan Chenghua understood it tacitly and accepted it silently.

However, it would take some time to gather troops from all directions, and he prayed in his heart that the generals in Jiayuguan could hold on until he arrived in Youzhou and turn the tide.