Munitions Empire-Chapter 1105: Crown Prince arrived in Hezhe in 1027

At Hezhe Train Station, Zhao Chen stood amidst a group of generals, his gaze fixed irritably on the westward extending railway tracks.

A train slowly pulled into the station, filled with soldiers and munitions, and it also brought an important person.

As the train gradually came to a stop at the platform and the waiting guards immediately stood on both sides of the carriage, Zhao Chen advanced to greet the arrival of Crown Prince Zhao Ji, together with a group of generals.

"Attention!" All generals at Hezhe snapped to attention and saluted as Zhao Ji, with a displeased expression, disembarked the train, casually waved his hand to signify the end of the ceremony, and then headed straight for his car.

His mood was really foul, as he had almost been expelled from the Imperial Capital by his father, the Emperor. Such an event had never occurred before, and it was simply a disgrace for a Crown Prince.

Indeed, he also knew that his action of returning to the Imperial Capital from the front lines without regard for anything else was improper, yet he still resented Zhao Kai for not giving him a chance to stay in the capital to secure his position as Crown Prince.

What kind of logic was it that when the Emperor was injured, the Crown Prince still had to remain outside? In fact, Zhao Ji had always wondered if his father was actually no longer planning to pass on that position to him.

"Your Highness!" Zhao Chen actually hoped that Zhao Ji would come to Hezhe to take command. Then he could hurry back to Fengjiang to reorganize the attack on that region.

As long as Fengjiang was not conquered, the situation in the Dahua Empire would continue to deteriorate. Zhao Chen wasn’t concerned about who would inherit the throne; what he cared about was how much longer the Dahua Empire could survive!

In his view, if the Dahua Empire fell, the Zhao Family would be finished! By then, they wouldn’t need to consider who would take that position at all; everyone would just need to think about what style of tomb to choose.

"General." Zhao Ji still had to give some face to the royal prince, Zhao Chen. He stopped walking and turned towards Zhao Chen, who had called out to him.

"How is His Majesty’s health?" Zhao Chen approached Zhao Ji and inquired with concern.

"Nothing serious, at least he was very healthy when he told me to get lost." Zhao Ji sarcastically answered Zhao Chen’s question.

This response nearly choked Zhao Chen, but he continued, "The situation in Fengjiang is not looking good, we must resume the attack as soon as possible..."

"General... Isn’t it a bit late to talk about this now?" Zhao Ji, whose mind was clearly no longer on the battle situation, mockingly retorted and then stood there looking at the embarrassed Zhao Chen.

If previously he truly wanted Zhao Yu to die, and was the person most eager to capture Fengjiang, now he actually no longer cared whether Zhao Yu was dead or alive.

What he cared about more now was Zhao Kai’s condition and the position that was increasingly within reach—regarding the front line’s victories and defeats, he did not seem to value them as much.

It wasn’t a big deal; he even felt that Zhao Chen should withdraw all the troops to Hezhe, earnestly turn Hezhe into a fortress, giving up the territories occupied by Zhao Yu, and help him secure the position of Emperor of Dahua first.

But he did not dare to express his true thoughts, because Zhao Ji knew Zhao Chen well. He was aware that if he talked about dividing and splitting the territory, Zhao Chen would definitely not support him.

So, he could only use sarcasm, using facts to provoke Zhao Chen, who still insisted on prolonging the life of the Dahua Empire, rendering him speechless.

Because indeed, it was too late; the Dahua Empire had already lost its opportunity.

Just two days ago, the Great Tang Empire inaugurated a large bridge over Hidden Sword Gorge at Sword Pavilion, underneath for trains and on top for cars, turning a natural moat into a thoroughfare in an instant.

Now from the southwest of the Great Tang Empire, one can reach Sword Pavilion directly via this Hidden Sword Bridge, and Fengjiang is no longer the only route for the Great Tang Empire to support the Fengjiang rebels. Supplies supporting Fengjiang could steadily flow through Hidden Sword Bridge to the rebel stronghold in Sword Pavilion, with the daily throughput exceeding that of Fengjiang.

The Dahua Empire had in fact already lost its best opportunity to capture Fengjiang and encircle the Fengjiang rebels. Zhao Jie’s strategy had completely failed two days ago.

Now taking Fengjiang has almost lost its significance; Fengjiang, which is fast becoming a ruin, is just a city after all.

But Zhao Chen didn’t think so; he believed that as long as he captured Fengjiang, he could move south from Fengjiang to seize Shanping, replicate the rebel’s southern strategy, attack along Hidden Sword Gorge, recapture Sword Pavilion and surround the rebels once again.

Even if it was just capturing Fengjiang, Zhao Chen felt it would be a significant strategic victory! It would at least stabilize the northern defense line of the Dahua Empire, supporting the battles toward the Guiguang direction.

Anyway, in the eyes of General Zhao Chen, you can’t just give up because you can’t win, right? For the sake of the Dahua Empire, even if it’s just a faint hope, you must try, right?

If they give up on Fengjiang, it would be equivalent to giving up the entire southeastern region of the Dahua Empire. If they just end the war like this, is the Dahua Empire still the Dahua Empire?

To the west lies the strong neighboring Qin Country, to the east, the invincible Great Tang Empire... When that time comes, the Dahua Empire will truly be finished!

In Zhao Chen’s view, the rise of the Great Tang Empire was too rapid. The imperial ruler Tang Mo is just over thirty years old; he has plenty of time to plot against Dahua. How could the Dahua Empire, reduced to half its former territory, possibly withstand the iron hoof of the Great Tang?

Only by quelling the civil strife now, reclaiming the lost southeast territories, and defending the natural barrier of Hidden Sword Gorge on the Fengjiang River, could there be a slim chance of survival!

But alas! Within the Dahua Empire, no one could appreciate Zhao Chen’s painstaking intentions: Be it Zhao Kai, or Zhao Jie and Zhao Ji, they all seemed blind to the imminent crisis at hand.

"Your Highness! Even if it’s too late... we must exert our utmost effort to preserve the splendid rivers and mountains of the Dahua Zhao Family, mustn’t we?" Zhao Chen pleaded earnestly.

"General... In our hands, we still have an army of a million men, which seems considerable, but in the end, that is all we have," Zhao Ji remarked, glancing around to ensure others had discretely walked away before speaking to Zhao Chen.

What he said was unrelated to the combat situation, but closely connected to the struggle for succession: "In the Imperial Capital, those younger siblings of mine covet the position, when the time comes, General, will you support me, or those treacherous officials?"

At this question, Zhao Chen was taken aback. He truly had not thought about this issue, always having dismissed the possibility of Zhao Kai’s death.

"You and I are at Hezhe, with affairs in the Imperial Capital, a military return might not even be timely. You lead the army into Fengjiang, even marching south to Shanping... What do I do if the Imperial Capital faces upheaval? What do you do?" Zhao Ji continued probing.

The question he posed was indeed sharp, effectively laying his cards on the table: If the Emperor were to pass away, he, Zhao Ji, would need to take the Hezhe Troops back to the Imperial Capital to vie for power. If Hezhe were to fall, then Zhao Chen in Fengjiang would be encircled.

At that point, there would be nobody to rescue Zhao Chen, and both he and his Troops would likely be left to await death on the Fengjiang—facing a sharp dilemma and an insoluble issue.

But the premise is...

With discontent, Zhao Chen posed a pointed question: "Your Highness! With the Emperor in good health, isn’t it inappropriate for you to contemplate such matters now?"

After all, if the Emperor does not die, what is there to contend for? Who is eligible to contend for it?

"Do you dare to bet? With your million-strong army as the stake, if you firmly defend Hezhe, Dahua might endure for a while. But if your Troops are annihilated in Fengjiang, the Dahua Empire would collapse instantaneously!" Zhao Ji laughed, an insolent smile on his face.

He had been repressing himself all along, always cautious, always unctuously ingratiating himself with his father, hoping to retain his position as Crown Prince.

But this time, he was not going to keep up the pretense, as he had sensed the crisis, felt Zhao Kai’s dissatisfaction with him, perceived the world’s malice overflowing towards him.

Actually, Zhao Chen wanted to say "no need to bet," because if Zhao Ji resolutely defended Hezhe, he would be safe in Fengjiang, maybe even able to launch a fierce attack from Fengjiang to capture Shanping.

But he knew that his plan would not be accepted by Zhao Ji, as it would require Zhao Ji to give up the chance to return to the Imperial Capital to vie for succession at a critical moment—the chance Zhao Ji would never abandon.

Despite his reluctance to admit it, now, retreating military forces to Hezhe was indeed the best course of action: To hold this position and to keep the last glimmer of hope for Dahua: the northern frontline’s barely capable million-strong army!

Then, with himself resolutely guarding Hezhe, Zhao Ji would be able to go back to the Imperial Capital to contend for succession. Once all is settled, and the situation stabilized, the Dahua Empire might still linger on for a few years.

Anyway, as long as he persists until death, he would close his eyes without guilt towards his ancestors. As for how many more years the Dahua Empire could last after his death, that would be beyond his control.

Therefore, Zhao Chen sighed and entreated Zhao Ji: "It is not easy for the million-strong army to retreat, panicking may easily trigger a rout. I will personally go to Fengjiang to organize the Troops’ withdrawal to Hezhe. You must hold Hezhe and prepare for my retreat... This, is Dahua’s last hope, I implore you, Your Highness, to promise me...You must! You must hold until I return to Hezhe!"

He had no other choice. If things went as best as they could, with Zhao Ji successfully claiming the title, Zhao Chen would at least have contributed to his elevation and would gain Zhao Ji’s trust, obtaining more authority for independent judgement in the future, which would be a certain convenience for himself.

Thus, he finally compromised, ready to give up the attack on Fengjiang and have the army retreat back to Hezhe to regroup. With this, the Dahua Empire’s efforts to retake Fengjiang were virtually down the drain.

Upon hearing Zhao Chen’s apparent agreement with his plan to contend for succession, Zhao Ji’s expression eased, and he solemnly promised: "Rest assured, General! I will definitely wait for your return at Hezhe!" freēwēbnovel.com

Knowing there was no time to lose, Zhao Chen nodded: "Since Your Highness has given your word, I will set off for Fengjiang immediately! Within 20 days! Within 20 days, I will lead the army back to Hezhe!"

Having said that, he left the platform without looking back, and he even skipped the welcoming feast prepared for Zhao Ji.