Chapter 1008

Chapter 1008: Coercion

Crack!

A white jade ruler struck the girl’s head.

"Ah!"

Princess Qingyun winced in pain, her head shrinking back as she revealed a pitiful expression: "Master…"

During today’s morning session in the study, she had already endured five strikes.

Her forehead was now red from the blows.

Yet, Wang Chen, clutching a scroll of books, showed no mercy and coldly stated, "The essence of cultivation lies in refining the heart. If your mind is restless, then all cultivation is in vain; you are merely wasting both your time and mine!"

Princess Qingyun lowered her head in shame: "Disciple understands her mistake."

Yet, it wasn’t entirely her fault, as today marked Prince Jing’s ascension to the throne in Daye.

It was also the final deadline set by Shangguan Wuji for the marriage alliance team!

Wang Chen was about to deliver another strike to reinforce the lesson when suddenly he felt a stir within and strode to the windowsill.

He gazed towards the direction of the imperial capital and declared in a deep voice, "The Emperor has passed away!"

A mysterious connection allowed Wang Chen to perceive the significant upheaval occurring thousands of miles away!

Princess Qingyun was momentarily stunned, then large, glistening tears began to stream down her face.

Although she had anticipated the outcome after Emperor Shaowu was deposed, considering Prince Jing’s rise to power, it was clear that if he did not completely address Emperor Shaowu, his own authority would never be secure.

After all, he had usurped the throne.

Yet upon hearing Wang Chen’s words, Princess Qingyun could not suppress her overwhelming sorrow.

Although Emperor Shaowu was not a competent ruler, as a brother, his affection for Princess Qingyun was deeper than anyone else’s.

Even though Princess Qingyun was to be married off to Dayan, it was entirely out of necessity.

For deep in her heart, her love for Emperor Shaowu could not be erased.

"Master…"

She couldn’t help but leap forward and hug Wang Chen, sobbing deeply.

Wang Chen sighed quietly and gently stroked the girl’s hair to offer his comfort.

"Taibao Wang, Your Highness!"

At that moment, Sun Zhengheng burst into the study.

Upon seeing the scene inside, the Yulin Guards leader was momentarily taken aback, stuck in an awkward position, unsure whether to advance or retreat.

Princess Qingyun quickly released Wang Chen, wiped her tears, and stepped back.

Wang Chen remained composed and asked, "What happened?"

Sun Zhengheng’s expression was extremely serious: "The beacon fires at Hanhai Pass have been lit!"

Wang Chen’s eyes flashed: "Let’s go take a look."

He turned to Princess Qingyun and said, "Your Highness, stay here and don’t wander; I’ll be back soon."

Princess Qingyun nodded, "Mm."

Though young, she had matured significantly after experiencing the upheaval, shedding her previous innocence and stubbornness.

Wang Chen and Sun Zhengheng arrived at the palace wall together.

Mingyu Palace, serving as the Emperor’s residence, was built to the standards of a fortress, offering both comfortable living conditions and top-notch defenses.

Standing on the tall palace wall and looking west, they immediately saw the smoke signaling danger rising from the distant, rolling snow-capped mountains!

Hanhai Pass was one of the most important parts of Hanhai City, located at the exit of a canyon, controlling the vital transportation route between Dayan and Daliang.

To ensure the strength of this grand pass, Daliang had invested tremendous manpower and resources to construct a magnificent Great Wall on the high snow mountains, greatly enhancing its defensive capabilities.

Thanks to the existence of Hanhai Pass, for Dayan to invade Daqi, they would either need to capture Hanhai City or take a long detour of several thousand miles, an incredibly difficult task!

Moreover, Daliang stationed fifty thousand elite border troops at Hanhai City, along with Shangguan Wuji, a sixth-level martial honor, overseeing the defenses.

However, Wang Chen had previously told Sun Zhengheng that Dayan would definitely attack Hanhai City!

Prince Jing’s scheme to usurp the throne and change the order of the world was not something Dayan wanted to witness. If Daliang formed an alliance with Daqi, Dayan would undoubtedly face a catastrophic disaster.

Given such a significant event in Daliang, it was impossible for Dayan to remain unaware.

Once they realized the urgency of the situation, they would surely take action, and they would never just sit and wait for death.

Attacking Hanhai Pass was Dayan’s only option.

With Hanhai Pass in place, Daliang could both attack and defend, maintaining the strategic initiative and constantly threatening Dayan’s hinterland.

If Daliang and Daqi launched a simultaneous attack from the east and west, Dayan could very well face destruction.

Wang Chen’s judgment came from this realization.

However, he did not expect the Dayan army to arrive so quickly, and judging by the color and density of the smoke signals, the enemy force was far larger than anticipated!

As he looked at the distant smoke signals, Sun Zhengheng’s expression turned peculiar: "I wonder what General Shangguan is feeling right now!"

For the past three days, the Hanhai army had been besieging Mingyu Palace. Although Shangguan Wuji had not reappeared, his stance was undoubtedly firm.

Today was supposed to be the day the commander of the Hanhai army issued the ultimatum to the marriage alliance team.

But now, he definitely had no mind to worry about that.

Logically, with Dayan on the attack, Sun Zhengheng should have felt united against a common enemy, yet he felt an odd sense of satisfaction.

And just as Sun Zhengheng thought, at this moment, Shangguan Wuji’s mood had reached an all-time low.

Even the seemingly impregnable Hanhai Pass could not provide the sixth-level martial honor with any sense of security!

Before them, on the plain appeared thousands of cavalry, surging toward Hanhai Pass like a tide, banners fluttering and horns sounding, creating an earth-shaking momentum.

Behind the cavalry formation came an even larger number of infantry.

These soldiers, clad in armor and wielding long spears, marched forward in neat formation, their footsteps causing the ground to tremble.

In the midst of the infantry were siege engines and catapults pulled by dozens of oxen.

These massive machines had never been seen before at Hanhai Pass, but their presence signified an unprecedented battle was about to unfold.

If it were only such a scene, it would not be enough to intimidate Shangguan Wuji.

He had great confidence in Hanhai Pass’s defensive capabilities.

The problem was that Shangguan Wuji sensed three powerful auras from the Dayan army.

Three auras that matched his own!

Dayan had gone mad!

This was the first thought that flashed through Shangguan Wuji’s mind.

It’s worth noting that Dayan only had three sixth-level martial honors publicly known, which was one less than Daqi.

But now, all three Dayan martial honors had gathered at Hanhai Pass; how could Shangguan Wuji not feel pressured?

What troubled him even more was Dayan’s swift and fierce reaction, clearly willing to pay any price to capture Hanhai Pass. Could he and the fifty thousand Hanhai army defend this grand pass by themselves?

"Someone come!"

The commander of the Hanhai army took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Relay my orders: immediately withdraw all troops surrounding Mingyu Palace and summon Taibao Wang to meet me!"