Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors
Chapter 430 - 251: Lifting the Siege of Taiyuan

Chapter 430: Chapter 251: Lifting the Siege of Taiyuan

For Zhong Pingyuan, the campaign to protect the capital this time could only be described as a complete mess.

First, Emperor Yingzong of Qi ignored the advice of him and Li Boxi, forcibly ordering the Western Army to attack the camp, causing uproar that everyone in the city knew about. Consequently, the assault troops, over ten thousand strong, were ambushed by the Jin soldiers and immediately collapsed.

Afterward, Emperor Yingzong placed all the blame for this major defeat on Li Boxi, who favored an aggressive strategy, and then even sent an envoy to the Jin Camp with an edict to cede Taiyuan and two other towns as an apology.

Fortunately, the public sentiment was fired up, and Li Boxi was restored to his position.

But the Jin soldiers had already received the edict to cede the three towns, and seeing that the capital was difficult to conquer, they planned to withdraw.

Incredible as it was, the current emperor then thought to retract the edict that ceded Taiyuan among the three towns.

Changing the order by evening after issuing it in the morning was pushing the limits of what any rational person could tolerate.

In the eyes of Zhong Pingyuan, and anyone else with a sensible mind, there was never any need to give this edict to the Jin in the first place. After all, the Jin could not even breach the city; it was only a failed raid by over ten thousand troops of the Western Army, what did it matter?

However, this emperor, severely afflicted by his fear of the Jin, voluntarily offered the edict ceding the three towns, hoping the Jin would withdraw their forces.

Indeed, the Jin withdrew their troops, but this was hardly related to the edict. In other words, receiving the Qi Dynasty emperor’s legally binding edict to cede three towns was an unexpected bonus for the Jin.

So why did Emperor Yingzong of Qi regret it afterward?

One reason was that the rapid withdrawal of the Jin made him feel deceived once he thought it over; more importantly, the Supreme Emperor, Emperor Qi Hui, started making his presence felt.

From the very beginning, after Emperor Qi Hui abdicated and went to the south, he schemed to retain control over the protective forces and his influence, clearly not wanting to bear the responsibilities of an emperor, yet desiring to continue enjoying the privileges.

After the Jin troops retreated, Emperor Qi Hui’s activities increased, and he even considered returning to the capital.

Although no one knew exactly what the Supreme Emperor was thinking, remaining active in the center of power was a possibility, as seeing his son’s disappointing performance might have made him want to take matters into his hands.

In any case, after such actions by the Supreme Emperor, Emperor Yingzong of Qi panicked.

Rumors began to spread that the Supreme Emperor intended to reinstate his rule in Zhenjiang.

Emperor Yingzong realized that his edict ceding the three towns would significantly undermine the legitimacy of his rule, which made him regret it even more.

And this intensified the political struggle between the two emperors.

...

For Zhong Pingyuan, organizing the city’s defenses in the capital with Li Boxi also had its ups and downs.

Appointed, dismissed, then appointed again...

As the Jin soldiers came and went, Zhong Pingyuan, commanding the highest rank of the Western Army in the capital, also bounced around various positions.

But eventually, with the Jin troops withdrawing, Zhong Pingyuan’s next mission became clear.

He had to lift the siege of Taiyuan.

After the Eastern Jin forces withdrew, they linked up with the Western Army to prepare for a joint assault on the strong city of Taiyuan. Taiyuan City had already withstood several months of siege, and without immediate aid, it risked being overrun at any moment.

Before departing, Zhong Pingyuan proposed to the court that they should reinforce the Yellow River defense lines to prevent another Jin advance.

But such a proposal was rejected.

The response from the court was, "With the great enemy just retreated, it is inappropriate to exhaust our forces and display weakness."

Even after many years of commanding troops, Zhong Pingyuan could hardly comprehend such a thought process.

But there was nothing he could do. It was difficult even for Prince Yun, should he personally come, to intervene in court affairs.

Especially now, as Emperor Qi Hui and Emperor Yingzong were fiercely fighting each other, the entire power center of the Qi Dynasty seemed like a giant political vortex, where any sound advice, once entered, would be twisted in an incomprehensible direction.

Thus, Zhong Pingyuan was forced to lead the frantic and busy Western Army in a hasty offensive.

This decision, viewed in retrospect, was equally nonsensical.

When the Jin troops had just retreated, Li Boxi had recommended pursuing them while they crossed the Yellow River, but this was declined.

Now, the Jin’s eastern and western forces had joined forces, encamped below Taiyuan.

The Western Army rashly marching in could encounter ambushes by the Jin at any moment.

The Western Army’s chances of victory were already not high, and under the circumstances of the enemy waiting rested, their chances were even slimmer.

In fact, if the Western Army had been a bit slower in advancing, it wouldn’t have made much difference.

As the weather was gradually heating up, the Jin troops, having besieged Taiyuan for a long time without success, had sagging morale, with even their commanders beginning to seek relief from the heat. Taiyuan City had been encircled for several months; besieging it a few more days might not necessarily lead to its fall.

If Zhong Pingyuan’s Western Army had moved slower, arrived below Taiyuan City, engaged in step-by-step confrontations with the Jin, or achieved advantages in some small-scale battles, perhaps the Jin would have recognized their difficult position and withdrawn, lifting the siege naturally.

However, whether it was the emperor in court or the officials favoring war, all were urgently pressing on.

The emperor’s urgency was understandable since he wanted to retract the edict ceding the three towns to save Taiyuan. Taiyuan was not important to him; what mattered was the political foundation of his rule.

But did the proponents of war really not understand military affairs?