Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors
Chapter 382 - 237 Battle and Peace_2

Chapter 382: Chapter 237 Battle and Peace_2

Li Hongyun, as a man of the jianghu, naturally carried more money than the common folk. Considering he did not plan for the future and only intended to relish the moment in this slice of history, he felt no need to scrimp.

After eating a couple of bites of stir-fried chicken and taking a sip of wine, Li Hongyun was somewhat disappointed.

Compared to some modern roadside restaurants, it was slightly inferior.

Of course, this was mainly due to the ingredients. For a dish to be delicious, besides cooking techniques, seasoning was most important.

Many gourmet videos claim "with this ingredient, even shoe soles can taste good"; this wasn’t an exaggeration.

However, being able to taste ancient cuisine in this historical slice was a beautiful thing indeed.

At that time, there were quite a few other outlaws in the tavern. After drinking, these people opened up and started discussing fervently, allowing Li Hongyun to roughly catch the gist of their conversations.

"I heard that the Jin dogs are moving south, having already crossed the Yellow River. All the defenses along the way crumbled at the slightest contact, perhaps in a few days, they’ll reach Cen Bridge Inn."

"Would our Great Qi’s Imperial Army be so easily defeated?"

"The Jin are not many, but even ten thousand of them are formidable! It was clear two years ago that our Great Qi military was vastly inferior to the Jin..."

"These Jin dogs are treacherous! Our dynasty had just recovered Yan and Yun, and now these dogs have snatched them away again!"

"If the Jin dogs are moving south, won’t they soon be attacking the capital? Then..."

"You’re thinking too much! Throughout history, whenever foreign tribes have invaded, it’s mainly for looting. Moreover, all the loyal armies from around the region should be on their way. When tens of thousands of troops arrive together, they will surely send these Jin dogs back with their tails between their legs!"

"But the matter of His Majesty abdicating is still quite..."

"I fear those treacherous court officials are already making plans to flee south."

"As long as His Majesty is willing to utilize Minister Li effectively, all will be secure!"

"If we truly come to a point where our nation starts to crumble, what do you plan to do?"

"Only death can repay the nation!"

Li Hongyun listened idly, pondering whether this was the ancient equivalent of the idea of "placeholder love."

However, from the reactions of these martial artists, it was clear that views were split.

Some held an inexplicable confidence in the Qi Dynasty, believing that despite repeated defeats in foreign battles, the nation was still in its nascent stage after its foundation with peace prevailing. Even in crisis, they believed they could weather through without the fear of the nation collapsing;

Others who had seen the Qi’s track record in foreign wars believed that this time, the Qi Dynasty could not possibly have the usual good fortune as in previous occasions.

Some outlaws passionately declared their intent to perish with the Jin soldiers, but Li Hongyun, who knew the later history and had witnessed the power of the Jin soldiers at the battle of Niu Zhu Pier, understood better.

Back then, even after General Han Fuyue had severely reduced the Jin soldiers’ fighting capability, they had almost defeated the Qi.

The current Jin soldiers were battle-hardened veterans from a newly established regime.

If it was merely about defending the city, then with the strength of the Qi Dynasty, defending the capital was feasible. But a field battle? At this point, even the best of the Qi, the Western Army, would likely not stand a chance against the Jin.

Thus, a few days later, Cen Bridge Inn would surely witness a scene reminiscent of hell on earth.

Sadly, this was something that those caught in the midst of it all could hardly see, or even if they could, apart from fleeing in panic, there wasn’t much else they could do.

After calling the waiter over to pay the bill, Li Hongyun left the tavern, planning to find a blacksmith in the city to see if he could buy a good bow with the money he had.

As a green forest wanderer, he did carry a simple knife, but he knew that using it against the Jin cavalry would likely be suicidal.

Even though the Jin had not yet developed formidable weapons like the iron pagoda formations at this time, just regular cavalry was enough to grind someone like Li Hongyun, wielding only a simple knife, into the ground.

To make a difference in this chaotic situation, he had to rely on his innate talent in swordsmanship and sheer luck.

...

Meanwhile, Chu Ge was walking into the palace with green tiles and gray walls along with other court officials.

Due to the fame of the Forbidden City, most people imagine royal palaces as having yellow tiles and red walls. However, each dynasty had its own royal preferences and aesthetic values.

The Qi Dynasty’s palace had green tiles and gray walls, which while lacking the splendid opulence, added a touch of poetic imagery.

Although not as grand in scale as the Forbidden City, the overall structure and architectural style of the Qi Dynasty’s palace were somewhat similar.

Chuigong Hall.

This was where the Emperor usually conducted his duties. At this moment, high officials were gathered together, discussing military affairs.

Occupying the throne was Emperor Yingzong of Qi, who had just ascended.

As for Emperor Qihui, Chu Ge hadn’t seen him at all since this historical episode began, as the abdication had already been decided before his arrival.

When Emperor Qihui decided to flee, no one could stop him.

However, in this respect, he was arguably more competent than his son. At least he knew when to flee from an unwinnable battle, whereas Emperor Yingzong would stubbornly fight even in futile conditions.

"Your Majesty, according to the old rules of our dynasty, the guards before the palace should total more than a hundred thousand, but now, less than half remain. Inside the royal city, there are no guards remaining for the night; within the capital, few are left to maintain order.