Chapter 1163: The General in the Field Has Discretion
The Prince of Xiang had not fled into the Snow Old City.
Even if he had wanted to, no subordinate would have followed him.
So to be precise, he hadn't betrayed—he had rebelled.
Leading the twenty thousand troops prepared for battle at Yongxue Pass, he had marched on the capital, demanding that the Emperor abdicate the throne.
Because of this news, the military camp had fallen into chaos. Many steeds galloped across the grasslands, and countless gazes fell upon a certain tent in the Western Route Army.
Wasn't the Prince of Xiang severely wounded and recuperating? How could he suddenly appear tens of thousands of miles away at the capital?
Aside from the cavalry commander monitoring the Snow Old City, by evening all the human army's generals, the great figures of the State Church, and the representatives of the cultivation sects had gathered in the central army tent.
General He Ming stood before the sand table, his face illuminated by lamplight, shifting between light and shadow, uncertain.
Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong sat in the rear, saying nothing.
The tent was eerily silent, the atmosphere growing increasingly oppressive, until a sound came from outside.
A middle-aged man in disheveled clothing was escorted in—it was the Prince of Xiang.
The crowd was astonished. After a careful look, they realized this man bore an extremely close resemblance to the Prince of Xiang in appearance, build, and demeanor, but he was merely a body double.
The Prince of Xiang was a Saint Realm powerhouse. Beneath his seemingly comical, obese exterior lay an unspoken, restrained aura of strength—something this double utterly lacked.
"Liar!"
A bitter curse rang out from somewhere.
The moment they confirmed the Prince of Xiang was a body double, everyone knew the news of the southern rebellion was true.
Only then did many recall that a few days earlier, in a battle north of Star Gorge, the Prince of Zhongshan had fought valiantly, been grievously wounded, and also sent back south.
The people in the tent exchanged glances, trying to determine who else besides the Prince of Xiang and the Prince of Zhongshan had left, and who had stayed behind.
Three princes of the Chen family were in the tent, their faces somewhat pale—not from fear of suspicion, but from the certainty that they were the ones the Prince of Xiang had abandoned.
Peng Shihai and the others looked especially grim. They had close ties with the Prince of Xiang, even a degree of intimacy. Who could have imagined that the Prince of Xiang would deceive even them?
While they led their soldiers in bloody combat on the front lines, the Prince of Xiang and his faction were preparing to attack the capital with rebel troops. How could such a contrast not provoke fury?
"What do they think they're doing? Do they believe changing dynasties is so easy?"
Siyuan Daoist's gaze was as deep and eerie as a ghost's as he stared at Peng Shihai.
Peng Shihai snorted coldly, as if to say something, but in the end, said nothing.
"Why hasn't there been any message from Xunyang City?"
Someone suddenly raised a question.
Xunyang City was the main base for this northern campaign against the demons. From weapons and provisions to troop replenishment, everything started there. Its position was crucial. Before the war, after much deliberation, it was decided that the Saint Realm powerhouse Cao Yunping—trusted by all sides—would personally oversee it.
For the Prince of Xiang to feign injury, secretly return to Yongxue Pass, and organize a rebel army was not too difficult for him. But for the rebel army to reach the capital, they would inevitably have to pass through Xunyang City. With Cao Yunping's strength and the garrison of Xunyang City, even if they couldn't destroy the rebels, they could at least hold them off for a considerable time—there was no way they wouldn't even have time to send a warning.
The rebellion must have been underway for some time. Xunyang City's silence could only signify a very grim possibility.
"Someone saw Cao Yunping with the Prince of Xiang with their own eyes."
General He Ming still looked down at the sand table, speaking as if casually: "Right outside the capital."
Hearing this, the tent fell into silence again.
All the Great Zhou Dynasty's armies were before the Snow Old City, and all its powerhouses were here. With Cao Yunping also defecting to the Prince of Xiang, no one remained to stop the rebel army.
The capital had no city walls.
If they wanted to quell the rebellion and rescue the Emperor, withdrawing the army became the only option. Yet the Snow Old City was right before them, its gates already breached. The demons were on the verge of annihilation. If the human army retreated, giving the demons a chance to catch their breath, who knew how history would unfold?
Who dared to bear such responsibility?
It had to be said that the timing of the Prince of Xiang's rebellion was either perfect or disastrous.
"Does he want to be an eternal sinner?"
The sound of wheels grinding over gravel came from beyond the curtain, along with an aged voice.
Old Master Tang entered the tent, looking at the Prince of Xiang's body double with an utterly indifferent gaze, as if looking at a dead man.
Everyone knew that no matter how this affair ended, this man would not survive.
The Prince of Xiang's double rose from the ground, straightened his clothes, and smiled at Old Master Tang. "You're wrong about that."
He had long prepared himself for death, but to remain so calm showed a certain grace.
"His Highness certainly does not wish his own affairs to affect the thousand-year legacy of the human race."
The Prince of Xiang's double looked around and said, "He asked me to convey to you all: before you enter the Snow Old City and burn the Demon Palace, his army will not set foot in the capital by even a single step."
Peng Shihai barked harshly, "And if we immediately return south? Would he then commit an act of treason? Is he trying to threaten us with that?"
The Prince of Xiang's double said solemnly, "Wrong again! His Highness said that if you all choose to return south, he will surrender without a fight—but he will look down on you."
A few dry laughs sounded in the tent, then quickly stopped. This was not a time for laughter, and upon careful reflection, there was a chill in those words.
"Does His Highness truly believe he will succeed?"
General He Ming raised his head, staring into the double's eyes. "Do you also believe he will succeed?"
The double smiled and said, "At first, I thought it was the ravings of a madman. But later, His Highness convinced me."
Now, all the Great Zhou Dynasty's strength was concentrated at the Snow Old City. If the Prince of Xiang's goal was merely to break into the capital, occupy the imperial palace, and force the Emperor to abdicate, then success was indeed very easy. The problem was, how much support could he gain afterward?
Chen Changsheng would inevitably lead the State Church in a counterattack, backed by cultivation sects like the Holy Maiden Peak and the Lishan Sword Sect, and aristocratic families like the Tang clan. Even if the Prince of Xiang didn't have to worry for now about his teacher-student relationship with the future Demon Queen, these forces alone would be hard to withstand.
So why did the Prince of Xiang dare to launch this rebellion? Unless he was certain that Chen Changsheng, the Li Palace, and those forces would have no effect on him.
Where did his confidence come from?
No matter how one looked at it, the first condition was for Shang Xingzhou to take a stand on his side.
Many gazes fell upon the small cart outside the tent.
The Prince of Xiang's double smiled and said, "His Highness asks the Daoist to rest assured—he will prioritize the world's welfare and will absolutely not act recklessly."
It seemed the Prince of Xiang truly placed his hopes on Shang Xingzhou.
Indeed, only Shang Xingzhou could intimidate Chen Changsheng afterward, whether by his status as teacher or his seniority in the State Church.
And the entire continent knew that Shang Xingzhou did not like Chen Changsheng.
As long as the human race could unify the continent, as long as the one on the throne was still a descendant of Emperor Taizong, it seemed to matter little who became emperor.
Yu Ren was dead, so the Prince of Xiang was undoubtedly the most suitable candidate for the new sovereign.
But the entire continent also knew that Shang Xingzhou loved Yu Ren.
What made the Prince of Xiang gamble that Shang Xingzhou would support him?
The tent grew very quiet. Everyone looked at the small cart, waiting for Shang Xingzhou to make his decision.
Old Master Tang suddenly left the tent, because he knew what Shang Xingzhou would do. If it were him, he would make the same choice.
The little Daoist lifted the cloth curtain, jumped down from the cart, looked at the generals and powerhouses in the tent, and said in a childish voice with an uncertain tone: "The Old Ancestor said, the city's fall is imminent. Those unimportant matters can be discussed later."
Several sharp intakes of breath sounded in the silent tent.
The people were deeply shocked.
His most beloved student was about to die in a shameless rebellion, yet he remained so unmoved...
In the Daoist's eyes, the destruction of the demons was indeed more important than anything else.
Respect was one thing; obedience was another. Not everyone would follow Shang Xingzhou's opinion. Many generals looked toward General He Ming.
General He Ming was the commander personally promoted by the Emperor. Many had vague guesses about his choice.
"His Majesty himself said, 'The general in the field has discretion; the sovereign's orders may not always be followed.' He would not give blind commands."
General He Ming said, "Besides, no imperial decree has come from the capital."
The tent erupted in uproar. No one had expected him to take such an attitude.
Xue He's temples bulged slightly, clearly furious to the extreme.
Linghai Zhiwang's face was even darker. His hands trembled slightly within his sleeves, already prepared to act.
Someone looked toward a corner. Wang Po stood there silently, along with the Wu family head and the Lishan Sword Sect's Elder of the Sword Hall not far away.
They remained silent throughout, not even glancing at Chen Changsheng. But everyone knew they would stand with Chen Changsheng—or perhaps with Xu Yourong.
Chen Changsheng did not look at Xu Yourong. Instead, he gazed quietly at the little Daoist by the cart, lost in thought, as if thinking of something.
Someone coughed.
He snapped back to reality and said, "Then let it be so."