novelhk Chapter 816: All fronts blossomed, and the results were remarkable!
Chapter 816: All fronts blossomed, and the results were remarkable!
In the back garden of the Ba County Magistrate's residence, lush flowers and trees flourished, and a gentle breeze blew gently. An exquisite sandalwood chessboard sat within the pavilion, with black and white chess pieces scattered across it. The black chess piece was none other than Gao Yao, now a man of immense power, a mere step away from the throne.
He was dressed in casual clothes, his demeanor composed. He picked up a black piece and gently dropped it, making a crisp sound. Across from him, Prime Minister Xiao He also had a calm demeanor, his eyes shifting between the chessboard and the messengers hurriedly coming and going outside the pavilion.
"Report!" A dusty messenger hurried into the pavilion, knelt on one knee, and spoke in a loud voice filled with uncontrollable excitement. "Urgent report from the General of the Second Legion! We have conquered Qiyan County, annihilating over ten thousand enemies. The defending general, Chen Xi, has led the remaining troops in a rout towards Nanjun! Hengshan County has been opened to our army!"
Gao Yao barely raised his eyelids upon hearing this, as if he'd just heard something insignificant. His slender fingers plucked another chess piece from the basket, his gaze still fixed on the board. Only a subtle, almost imperceptible curve curved the corners of his mouth. He didn't make a move immediately, seemingly savoring the good news.
Xiao He stroked his beard and smiled, praising him: "General Cao Shen commands the troops with divine prowess, living up to the king's expectations. Guanzhong is in a state of shock, and now Nanjun is within his grasp."
Gao Yao then slowly put down the black piece, his voice calm and composed, "Yes, I understand. Tell Cao Shen to rest for three days and then march straight to Nanjun. Don't give the remaining enemy a chance to breathe."
"Yes!" The messenger accepted the order and bowed and retreated.
The game continued. Black and white intertwined, a murderous intent lurked within. Less than half a cup of tea had passed when another messenger scurried in:
"Report! Victory report from the Fourth Legion! The defenders of Guishu County have been terrified and have surrendered the city! General Gao has taken control of the entire Yingchuan region without a single bloodshed!"
"Oh?" Gao Yao finally raised his eyes this time and looked at Xiao He, "Erniu really makes things easier." There was no emotion in his tone, but his confidence in controlling the overall situation was evident.
Xiao He laughed and said, "When the king's divine power prevails, the scoundrels will naturally submit. Once we get to Nanzhong, Wu Can will have no chance of struggling, let alone retreating. He will either surrender or fight to the death!"
Gao Yao nodded, his gaze returning to the chessboard, his fingers tapping lightly on the edge of the chess basket, as if he was thinking about his next move, or as if he was waiting for some more important news.
Just as Xiao He was about to make his move, the third messenger almost ran into the pavilion, his face filled with ecstasy, his voice trembling with excitement:
"Report! Report to the king! Urgent news from Nanyang! 'The phoenix has fallen, the owl cries in anger, the fate of Nanyang is sealed!' The Qingyi Society has succeeded, and the scene has been arranged according to plan. Wu Can is furious and is mobilizing all his forces to defend the county city. He has also issued a manifesto blaming the Chu army for Prince Gao's death and declaring his irreconcilable vengeance against the Chu bandits!"
Gao Yao's fingers, tapping the chess basket, suddenly stopped. He slowly raised his head, and his bottomless eyes instantly shone with an indescribable, sharp light—a mixture of ecstasy, coldness, and relief! It was like a long-dormant beast finally seeing its prey fall completely into a trap. The usual mask of calm on his face shattered in an instant, replaced by a sense of control, an almost ferocious satisfaction.
"Good! Good! Good!" Gao Yao uttered the word "good" three times in a row. His voice was quiet, but it carried the penetrating force of metal and stone, each word like a hammer hitting the air. He stood up suddenly, and his wide robe sleeves whipped up a gust of wind, sweeping several chess pieces from the board to the ground with a tinkling sound.
He stood with his hands behind his back, looking towards the north towards Nanyang, as if he could penetrate thousands of mountains and rivers, seeing Wu Can's furious face and the quagmire that the Chu army was about to fall into.
"Young Master Gao... this annoying chess piece has finally been completely eliminated." Gao Yao's voice was cold and clear, without a trace of regret for the "royal family," only the satisfaction of having the obstacle removed. "Wu Can, just as I expected, leaped at Xiang Yu with a barking rage. What a 'raging owl'! Angry as hell! Let them bite, the more fierce the better!"
He turned abruptly and looked at Xiao He with a blazing gaze, his eyes burning with ambition. "Xiao He! The last obstacle has been removed! Send a message to the three armies!"
Gao Yao's voice suddenly rose, filled with unquestionable imperial majesty, resounding throughout the pavilion:
"Order Ying Bu, no more scruples! While Wu Can's main force is being held captive by Ying Bu in Nanyang County, leaving the rear empty, strike with thunderous force straight into the heart of Nanjun! Within ten days, I want to see the flag of the Nanjun County Governor's Office replaced with my Gao Yao royal flag!"
"Order Cao Shen to speed up the advance. After clearing out the remaining enemies at Yaoguan, there's no need to wait and immediately march to the gates of Nanyang! It's time for Guanzhong to change its master!"
"Order Erniu, after stabilizing Nanzhong, immediately divide the troops and march south to support Ying Bu. Make sure to capture Nanjun as soon as possible."
A series of orders came down like a torrential downpour, each word imbued with the power to alter the world. Having deployed all of this, Gao Yao took a deep breath, as if to take the entire world within his heart. He sat back down at the chessboard, his sleeves ruffling the messy surface, his lips curled into a smile of supreme confidence, a gaze that looked down upon the world.
"Once Nanjun is destroyed, the rear will be completely pacified. The army can then march north and completely occupy Xianyang..." Gao Yao picked up a black piece representing Xianyang and pressed it heavily and steadily on the position on the chessboard that symbolized the heart of the empire, making a crisp sound.
"Xianyang!"
Xiao He looked at the black piece that landed on the "Xianyang" position, then saw the undisguised, fervent desire for the throne in Gao Yao's eyes, and understood. He bowed deeply, his voice filled with great solemnity and foresight:
"Your Majesty, I will obey your command! Nanjun will be taken soon, and the gates of Xianyang will be wide open. When Your Majesty arrives at Xianyang Palace, it will be the day when the new dynasty will be established and the world will be renewed! Your Majesty, I respectfully ask you to take the throne as soon as possible to reassure the people of the world!" Xiao He also complimented with some excitement at this time.
Inside the study, a massive map filled nearly the entire wall, densely marked with marching routes and enemy and friendly positions. The blue flag representing the Gaoyao forces surged like a surging wave, completely engulfing the areas representing the Wu, Shen, and Sanjun regions, and its sharp edge pointed directly at Xianyang, the symbol of the heart of the Qin Empire! Beneath the map, Xiao He couldn't conceal his excitement, his fingers trembling slightly with excitement as he tapped the location of Xianyang. His voice carried the excitement of a man about to accomplish a great deed:
"Your Majesty! Look! Xianyang is in our hands! After this battle, south of the Yellow River, no powerful enemy will be able to stop our advance! By then, we will have the natural barrier of the Yellow River to the north, the land of the Baiyue to the south, the vast sea to the east, and Longyou to the west! If we add the three prefectures of Nanhai, Guilin, and Xiangjun that have already surrendered to us, as well as the new territory we have opened up in the Maurya Kingdom..." Xiao He's eyes flashed with a fiery light, as if he had already seen an unprecedentedly vast territory. "Tonight, the vastness of the territory you control has already surpassed that of the Qin Empire during the heyday of the First Emperor!"