Chapter 164: Du Ling is angry again
"Two traitors!" Wu Zetian's anger was about to blow off the roof of the court hall.

During the previous Khitan rebellion, Wu Zetian was able to maintain her composure, but after receiving the news of the defeat in Xixia Shigu, she could no longer hold back.

The battle report sounded nice, but anyone could see that the Zhou army was indeed defeated, and a crushing defeat.

Since Wu Zetian ascended the throne, her record in foreign wars was indeed not good, but that was against opponents of the same level as the Turks and Tubo.

What the hell was the Khitan? Wu Zetian found it totally unacceptable that she had sent so many generals and tens of thousands of troops, but they were defeated.

Wu Zetian's voice resounded throughout the hall, every word was as cold as ice, every sentence was stinging, and it made people shudder: "Xu Qinji of Longshan Army was also defeated and captured, but he still had some dignity and vowed to never surrender, sacrificed his life for the country, and preserved his loyalty."

"What about Zhang Xuanyu and Ma Renjie, the two traitors? As generals, they betrayed their country for personal gain and sold out the army and the Khitan. They are truly the biggest pests of the country and their crimes should not be punished!"

Coincidentally, the place where Xu Qinji was defeated and captured was Chongzhou. He was tied up by the Khitans and taken to the new city guarded by Pei Xuangui, the Protector General of Andong, hoping that he could persuade the people in the city to surrender.

But Xu Qinji refused to obey and instead encouraged Pei Xuangui to defend the city and cursed Li Jinzhong for being killed. This was in stark contrast to Zhang and Ma.

Wu Zetian immediately announced the punishment for the three men: "Xu Qinji was defeated by a small number of people and exhausted his strength. His situation is pitiful. He can be given the title of Governor of Qizhou, and the officials can choose a good posthumous title and issue an imperial edict to praise him and show his loyalty and bravery."

"As for the two thieves Zhang Xuanyu and Ma Renjie, immediately strip them of all their titles and salaries, confiscate all their property, exile the men in their clan to Lingnan, and send the women to the Jiaofang Bureau to serve as a warning to others!"

All the ministers of His Highness were trembling with fear and kept silent. How could they dare to speak out against it? The Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Justice quickly stepped forward to respond.

After venting her anger, Wu Zetian calmed down and said: "The overall situation in Liaoxi is in tatters, all because of Zhang Xuanyu and Ma Renjie, two traitors, and has nothing to do with the rest of the soldiers."

"Zhang Jiujie has made great contributions in defending the territory, and Zhao Ji came to the rescue in time, defeating the Khitan and gaining a lot of rewards. These two people should be promoted one level each, so as not to discourage the soldiers on the front line."

This is a bit of a cover-up. At this point, Wu Zetian more or less understood that the 28 generals she had come up with to conquer the north were unreliable.

But the mistake had been made, and with Zhang Xuanyu and Ma Renjie taking the blame, Zhou Jun did not gain nothing, and everyone just pretended not to see the matter.

Wu Zetian added: "Li Duozuo wrote to the court to request reinforcements, and also said that the court's army had suffered a temporary setback, and the north could only be defended for the time being, and could not go out to fight."

"But Pei Xuangui, the Protector of Andong, said that the Khitan army was attacking Liaodong very quickly and had already captured several cities. He requested the court to send troops to rescue them as soon as possible. The two are contradictory. What should we do? What do you think?"

Zhang Jianzhi had a close relationship with Li Duozuo, so he could not help but promote him: "Your Majesty, I think what Li Duozuo said is a mature and prudent statement for the country. After the battle of Xixia Shigu, our army is temporarily unable to advance northward."

"It is now the autumn harvest season, and the weather in the north is gradually getting colder. It is not suitable for military operations. Perhaps we can follow his suggestion and order the troops to defend the city and fight again in the spring of next year."

A trace of displeasure flashed across Wu Zetian's face. This was obviously not the answer she wanted to hear.

She said coldly, "What about Liaodong? Are we just going to sit back and watch Liaodong fall? Are we just going to sit back and watch the Khitan bully the people under my rule?"

"Don't think I don't understand military affairs. It's only the beginning of September, and it's the right time to use troops. If we don't fight now, when the spring comes next year, the Khitan will capture Liaodong and recruit soldiers from all over the country. Their strength will grow, and wouldn't that be nurturing a tiger to cause trouble?"

Wu Zetian's intentions were obvious. She still wanted to send a large army to fight a quick battle and put down the Khitan rebellion as soon as possible. In fact, excluding the time required for marching, the time suitable for fighting was only more than a month. If the war really continued, it would most likely last until winter.

As long as the Zhou army in Liaodong retreats properly and defends the city, it would not be so easy for Sun Wanrong to capture the city.

Di Renjie took a deep breath, stepped out and said, "Your Majesty, what you said is not without reason. Liaodong should not be abandoned lightly. The reason why the previous military campaign failed was mainly due to the faults of Zhang and Ma. The other reason for the failure was that the generals did not follow each other, were jealous of each other, and delayed and hindered each other."

"If the imperial court really wants to fight again, it should appoint a wise and capable commander to unite the people and unify their orders. Only in this way can we achieve something."

Wu Zetian's expression eased a little when she heard this. Although Di Renjie secretly pointed out that her previous choice of generals was inappropriate, he at least agreed to send troops.

"What Huaiying said is very much in line with my opinion. Isn't Wang Xiaojie still unemployed at home? I intend to use him as the commander and add another 50,000 troops to pacify the Khitan. What do you think?" Although Wu Zetian was asking a question, her tone was actually unquestionable.

"Your Majesty is wise, but I don't know how to arrange the generals we sent earlier?" Di Renjie asked.

Di Renjie's questions were mainly directed at Li Duozuo. This person's official position and qualifications are there. If he is still placed on the front line, it will definitely have an impact on Wang Xiaojie.

Wu Zetian obviously understood what Di Renjie meant, and said without hesitation: "Li Duozuo's efforts were in vain, so he will be transferred back to the capital and continue to be in charge of the Yulin Guard. The rest of the generals will be under the control of Wang Xiaojie."

Li Duozuo failed to understand the emperor's intention this time and was too conservative and steady, which also disappointed her a little.

"I have made up my mind. I will promote Wang Xiaojie to the position of General of the Right Guard and the Chief of the Qingbian Road Army. He will command the armies of You, Tan, Ji, Ping, Ying, Songmo, Raole, and Andong Protectorates to fight against the Khitan."

When Wu Zetian issued the decree, everyone in the court looked at her with awe.

Wu Zetian never gave such trust and respect to a general in her life. It seems that she really wanted to win.
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Wang Xiaojie was defeated at Suluohan Mountain before, and was demoted to his home to take care of his children. Now that he is reused, he is inevitably extra cautious.

After the defeat at Xixia Shigu, Wu Zetian paid even more attention to the Khitan and summoned Wang Xiaojie into the palace before he went on the expedition.

In Shangyang Palace, Wu Zetian was having a conversation with Wang Xiaojie and she also called Di Renjie to sit in, which shows how much she trusted him.

Wu Zetian said with a sigh: "I originally intended to let Jian'an Prince Wu Youyi serve as the chief governor of Qingbian Road, and you serve as the deputy chief governor to take charge of the affairs. But Huaiying mentioned that the previous defeat was caused by the disharmony among the generals, so I gave up this idea."

"In that case, Xiaojie, you will be the commander-in-chief of the Qingbian Road Army to fight against the Khitan. I have entrusted the entire northeast of the Great Zhou to you. You have a heavy responsibility on your shoulders."

Wang Xiaojie also knew that Wu Zetian had made up her mind this time and would not allow any mistakes, so he knelt down immediately and said: "I am a guilty person, but fortunately Your Majesty has not abandoned me and entrusted me with an important task. I will do my best to repay Your Majesty's kindness."

Wu Zetian smiled and said, "That's not necessary. I made this arrangement because I hope to put down the Khitan rebellion as soon as possible. If you have any concerns or requests, you can speak freely now, and I will grant them all."

Upon hearing this, Wang Xiaojie took out a carefully prepared memorial from his sleeve and said, "Your Majesty, I have some strategies for defeating the Khitan. They are all in this memorial. Please read it."

(End of this chapter)