Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors
Chapter 434 - 251: Lifting the Siege of Taiyuan_5

Chapter 434: Chapter 251: Lifting the Siege of Taiyuan_5

In this environment, which felt increasingly safe, the struggle between Emperor Yingzong of Qi and Emperor Qihui of Qi became even more intense than what was recorded in history. Consequently, the necessity of exhausting the people’s resources to fortify the Yellow River defense line, originally advocated by Li Boxi and Zhong Pingyuan, became redundant.

Of course, all this was based on some wishful thinking: since the Siege of Taiyuan had concluded and the Jin soldiers had retreated, they wouldn’t likely return any time soon, right?

For a general, to pin major matters on such luck was an incredibly foolish act, but Emperor Yingzong of Qi was already an extremely foolish emperor.

Knowing the true history, Fan Cun had long been mentally prepared for this foolishness.

Thus, next, Fan Cun would patiently wait for that perfect opportunity.

...

Indeed, several months later, the Jin soldiers headed south again, advancing from both the east and the west.

In the original history, after the fall of Taiyuan City, the Jin soldiers from both routes besieged Bianliang, using Taiyuan as a pivot to cut off the Western Army’s route to rescue the capital, leaving the capital virtually defenseless—an important factor that led to the Jingping Coup.

In this slice of history, Prince Yun played by Fan Cun saved Taiyuan City, preventing that situation from happening.

However, the Jin were not deterred by Taiyuan City remaining under Qi control; they had not suffered any significant losses when they previously retreated from Taiyuan and still did not regard the Qi army as a match for them.

As such, the Eastern Army continued its victorious momentum, reaching the gates of the capital city.

It was then that Emperor Yingzong of Qi hastily issued a series of imperative imperial edicts, requesting Prince Yun to lead the Western Army to support the king.

However, these imperial edicts and orders were essentially intercepted by Fan Cun, as if nothing had happened.

He dared to do this because he had calculated everything beforehand.

When Prince Nine became the Grand Marshal of Hebei, the court repeatedly urged him to deploy troops to support the king, but he remained indifferent. In the end, what could the court do about him? They were helpless.

Although Fan Cun’s motives for not deploying troops differed fundamentally from those of Prince Nine, the outcomes would not be too different.

Moreover, Fan Cun knew that soon he would receive another decree from Emperor Yingzong to disband the supporting troops and prevent them from going to the capital, as the naïve emperor believed that a peace agreement had been reached and no further military presence was needed.

Finally, under Fan Cun’s patient waiting, the Jingping Coup occurred just as it had before.

On November 25, in the First Year of Jingping, the divine troops marched out of the city, and the Jin soldiers successfully scaled the walls and burned the gates but did not dare to descend.

On November 28, Emperor Yingzong requested the citizens of the capital to donate wealth to reward the Jin soldiers in hopes of their withdrawal.

On November 30, Emperor Yingzong went to the Jin Camp to negotiate peace, and the Jin treated him with respect; he did not return until the second day of the following month.

From December 4 to December 23, the Jin soldiers gradually extorted war horses, military equipment, gold and silk, fine wine, books, and other items, while Emperor Yingzong issued decrees requesting donations from within the city.

On January 10, in the Second Year of Jingping, Emperor Yingzong again left the city to negotiate peace, staying away for several days while continuously relaying messages demanding that the city quickly prepare more gold and fabric.

At this point, most people still could not guess that this time Emperor Yingzong would never be able to return to the capital city.

But Emperor Qihui in the city was also incompetent; under such circumstances, he also failed to regain power and merely allowed Emperor Yingzong to remotely command the looting of the city’s wealth from within the Jin Camp. Even on February 7, Emperor Qihui went to the Jin Camp as well.

From this point, the two inept emperors began assisting the Jin in suppressing disturbances within the city, continuously channeling the city’s wealth to the Jin using the state machinery of Qi.

This was like a noose tightening continuously, and the innocent citizens of the capital could only be brutally exploited by the ruthless Jin and the incompetent emperors.

But now, the moment Fan Cun had been waiting for had arrived.

On January 9, in the Second Year of Jingping, the day before Emperor Yingzong left the city to negotiate in the Jin Camp and was detained.

When the forces besieging Taiyuan City had become complacent, thinking this Western Army would behave as before, remaining timid and retreating.

His Highness Prince Yun, along with Liu Fa and Zhong Pingyuan, led the elite Western Army in a raid out of the city.

In one battle, the Jin forces besieging Taiyuan again were immediately routed, fleeing dozens of miles.

Then, the Western Army pressed their advantage and completely lifted the siege of Taiyuan.

Subsequently, Prince Yun, played by Fan Cun, returned from Taiyuan to aid the capital.