Chapter 173: The sky collapses and the earth collapses, and the King of Kaoshan dies outside Yumen Pass
"Woo~wu~wu~"

The sound of the wind, like the howling of ghosts and wolves, was whistling wildly in the sky.

The rain came in torrents.

From afar, the rain that covered the sky and the sun seemed to completely submerge everything below.

Great Sui, great prosperity.

Today's Daxing City seems extremely quiet.

The originally bustling streets became extremely deserted.

Everyone looked up at the sky unconsciously.

What was falling from the sky at this time no longer looked like rain.

From a distance, it looked as if the originally complete sky was suddenly torn open by a terrible crack.

The endless water of the Milky Way surged down from the cracks, threatening to drown everything in the world.

Daxing is located in the northwest of the Sui Dynasty.

It's not a rainy area.

Besides, it is not the rainy season now.

Therefore, such heavy rain is extremely rare in Daxing, and even seems strange.

In fact, this heavy rain did not start today.

It has been going on for nearly seven days, and is getting worse day by day.

The accumulated rainwater on the streets was almost above the knees.

Anyone who sees such a horrific rainstorm would probably feel panic-stricken.

Especially the thunder and heavy rain in the sky that seemed to be intensifying as if it was the end of the world.

Everyone has an inexplicable feeling of fear.

The most important thing is that this strange and unusual weather always gives people an extremely ominous feeling.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.”

On the streets, soldiers with flags behind them galloped past on their horses.

Because of the accumulated water, the sound of horse hooves hitting the ground could no longer be heard, only the sound of water flowing.

But at this time, no one cares about these.

Those with flags on their bodies are obviously the soldiers.

In fact, ever since the heavy rain began, soldiers have been coming in and out of Daxing City all the time.

It can also be seen that as time goes by, the expressions on the soldiers' faces become more and more anxious.

Combined with the unusual astronomical phenomena in the sky, and looking at the soldiers who were obviously not right.

The feeling of uneasiness in everyone's heart became stronger and stronger uncontrollably.

These days, countless people would unconsciously turn their eyes to the imperial palace and Daxing, which is also the core area of ​​the Sui Dynasty.

However, compared to the panic of the people in the city, the palace seemed extremely quiet from beginning to end.

But at this special moment, this unique silence makes people feel even more heavy.

Although no news has been released.

But many sharp-minded people already had a premonition.

problem occurs.

And it is definitely not a trivial matter, it is likely to be a major event that is earth-shattering.

Just when people in Daxing City were in panic.

The Sui Dynasty Palace was also extremely lively at this time.

Looking around inside the hall.

Now, all the civil and military officials and important officials of the court who are in Daxing City have gathered here.

And on the dragon throne at the top, sat a man wearing a dragon robe.

Next to the dragon throne, there sat a stunning woman in a phoenix robe.

It was Yang Guang and Empress Xiao.

It’s just strange that although the two of them were sitting very close to each other, they deliberately kept a distance between each other and had no interaction with each other, as if they were completely strangers.

However, compared to these, the expressions of the two people at this moment were exactly the same.

As pale as frost, as if he had just recovered from a serious illness.

Especially Yang Guang, his dragon robe and crown were a little crooked, and he looked like a man who had completely lost his soul, leaning tremblingly on the side of the dragon throne.

This situation is definitely quite strange.

Especially at this time, it was in front of civil and military officials.

Queen Xiao bit her lips tremblingly and waved gently to the side. Soon several eunuchs came to Yang Guang.

"Your Majesty has just recovered from a serious illness and is not yet fully recovered. I will preside over the next court meeting."

Queen Xiao spoke softly, and Yang Guang, with the help of several people, quickly left the hall.

The ministers below looked up unconsciously but did not say anything against it.

In fact, this is not the first time this has happened.

When Yang Guang and Empress Xiao attended court together for the first time.

Many officials opposed it, but with the support of several important officials, especially the strong support of the military, it was suppressed.

As time goes by, although there are still occasional rumors, most officials seem to have gradually gotten used to it.

After all, judging from Yang Guang's performance during this period, his health was indeed not very good.

Of course, that was some time ago.

At this moment, none of the ministers in the hall paid attention to these trivial matters.

From front to back, from left to right.

Everyone's face was as gloomy as water.

"Any news?"

After Yang Guang left, Empress Xiao spoke first.

"Your Majesty, there is no news."

Someone responded immediately below.

"During this period, we have sent more than a dozen batches of soldiers and scouts to the front line, and the guards in the capital have also been mobilized at full strength."

"But so far, there has been no news."

"It's as if, it's as if those armies have completely disappeared."

The official spoke with a little hesitation.

"Asshole."

Upon hearing this, Empress Xiao, who had always been gentle and kind, suddenly shouted angrily for the first time in her life.

"I am sorry for my words, Your Majesty, please forgive me." The official immediately prostrated himself on the ground.

At this moment, everyone in Daxing City, from the court to the common people, is basically in a panic.

Although his remarks were just ordinary narration, they did sound a bit like a curse, and it was inevitable that people would think too much after hearing them.

"The Queen doesn't need to be too anxious."

A deep voice sounded.

"Yumen Pass already has 30,000 brave soldiers, and this time we are advancing westwards and bringing 40,000 more from the capital. A total of 70,000 brave soldiers, plus other elite soldiers, with this kind of force, it will not be easy for anything to go wrong."

"What's more, this time it's King Kaoshan who is leading the troops himself. He has been fighting all his life, so it's unlikely that there will be any problems."

"There is no news now. It may be that there is a fierce battle on the front line, so it is inconvenient to send messages."

"Yep."

"King of Backers, we will definitely return victorious. How could anything go wrong?"

Queen Xiao nodded repeatedly and whispered to herself.

However, despite saying this, the expression on his face did not ease at all.

Nowadays, people in Daxing City are already in panic.

The terrible heavy rain brought an extreme feeling of depression to everyone.

There are even various rumors circulating in the city.

Queen Xiao had no energy or energy to stop all this.

Because compared to those ignorant common people, Queen Xiao undoubtedly knew more.

First, a bloody rain suddenly appeared in Hongnong, the ancestral home of the Yang family, and then strange phenomena occurred in Daxing, and the imperial palace was frequently shaken.

Moreover, all kinds of strange phenomena are not a good sign.

Most importantly, the fortunes of the Sui Dynasty experienced drastic shocks.

Such a terrifying fluctuation is obviously not a good sign.

In today's Sui Dynasty, there are only two or three major events.

The North and South fronts are undoubtedly the first places that come to mind.

Gao Changsheng in the south has been making moves all the time.

But he had already penetrated into the enemy's territory, and he took away only the original Zuowuwei and part of the garrison in Lingnan.

Although there are a large number of troops, even if all of them were killed, it would not have such a drastic impact on the Sui Dynasty.

Especially the ancestral land of Hongnong, which has nothing to do with Gao Changsheng.

Looking at the current Sui Dynasty, there are probably only two people who can have such an impact.

Emperor Yang Guang, but this is obviously impossible.

The other one is undoubtedly the Backer King Yang Lin.

The other party is not only a member of the royal family, but also the pillar of the Sui Dynasty and the leader of the military.

The most important thing is that the troops in Yang Lin’s hands are also the essence of the Great Sui Dynasty, especially the 70,000 brave soldiers, which can almost be regarded as the foundation of the Great Sui Dynasty.

The imperial court, thinking of this, immediately sent people to contact the front line.

But soon, they discovered something extremely terrifying.

King Kaoshan lost contact with the court.

This is absolutely shocking news.

No one can imagine, or dares to imagine, what will become of the Sui Dynasty if something happens to King Kaoshan.

"No, no."

Empress Xiao's delicate body trembled, as if she were hypnotized, and she kept whispering to herself, as if this could change anything.

"Report..."

But sometimes, that's just the way it is, the more you fear something, the higher the probability of it happening.

"Report, report, report..."

A few urgent roars came down.

"Queen, news has come back from the front."

"Hurry, pass it on." Queen Xiao stood up tremblingly.

Soon, a soldier covered in blood staggered into the hall.

Seeing this scene, everyone in the hall felt a thick shadow over their hearts.

"Tell me quickly, how is the war on the front line? Also, where is King Kaoshan now?" Queen Xiao shouted urgently.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."

At this time, the soldier couldn't even open his eyes. He just raised his head with all his strength and murmured.

"Our army fell into a trap and was ambushed. Our entire army was wiped out. Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."

"boom!"

There was silence in the hall.

There is no sound.

But at this moment, everyone felt as if they were struck by lightning.

There were constant explosions in their ears, as if bolts of lightning were striking them directly.

The Sui army was completely wiped out.

the most important is.

Is the King of Backers dead?
Died in battle outside Yumen Pass!
There was no sound in the hall.

Neither the empress above nor the civil and military officials below spoke a word.

It’s not that they don’t want to speak, but they can no longer make any sound.

All the internal organs and the whole body were in a state of numbness.

It was as if everyone's soul left their body at that moment.

"Snapped."

I don't know how long it was before the sound of a heavy object hitting the ground suddenly awoke everyone.

"My lady, my lady."

An urgent shout followed.

Everyone looked up, only to find that Queen Xiao had fallen to the ground at some point.

The hall was instantly thrown into chaos.

The original court meeting turned into a vegetable market in an instant due to the poisoning.

The important officials in the court, who were high and mighty in the eyes of the people, were now like ants on a hot pan.

"King Kaoshan died in battle?"

"How can it be!"

"impossible!"

One after another, panicked and fearful voices rang out.

In the Sui Dynasty, if Emperor Yang Guang was the sky, then King Kaoshan was undoubtedly the Buzhou Pillar that supported the sky.

The pillar of heaven is broken, the backbone of the earth is severed, the sky tilts to the northwest, and the earth sinks to the southeast.

This is the most appropriate description of the Sui Dynasty.

Once the pillar of support, King Kaoshan, falls, the world of the Sui Dynasty will collapse almost instantly.

Those present were all important officials of the Sui Dynasty court. Naturally, they knew more about the situation of the Sui Dynasty than outsiders.

They knew very well how chaotic this land would be without King Kaoshan.

That was something they simply didn't dare to imagine.

"impossible!"

A roar sounded.

As the voice fell, a majestic figure stepped out.

Long live Shi.

In the absence of Yang Lin, Yu Juluo, Gao Changsheng and others, Shi Wansui was undoubtedly the voice of the army.

"What kind of person is King Kaoshan? He has traveled all over the country and fought in battles all his life. How could he fall into a trap so easily?"

"What's more, King Kaoshan is accompanied by 70,000 brave soldiers and more than 200,000 elite troops. How can such a force be easily destroyed? It's ridiculous."

Shi Wansui burst out shouting.

Hearing this voice, the ministers reacted suddenly.

Yes, he is the King of Backers, the pillar of the Sui Dynasty who has fought wars all his life.

With the military soul troops like the Xiaoguo Army around him, how could he be completely wiped out?

"General Shi is right. This news has not been confirmed yet. Everyone must not panic."

A steady voice sounded.

"Our Great Sui has been fighting foreign wars for so many years, when has it ever encountered such a defeat?"

"The strongest and bravest will win when they go out."

"What's more, King Kaoshan has sent a message to summon Lord Gao Tang, so it is very likely that General Yu is also with the prince."

"With the two of them working together and the Xiaoguo Army at their side, there is no chance that they will encounter any accidents."

"That makes sense, that makes sense."

After these words were spoken, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"That Temujin is indeed powerful. The Thirteen Wings under his command plus the Keshig Army are feared by everyone."

"But our Great Sui Dynasty is definitely not inferior to the other side."

"Besides, Temujin is no longer as good as he used to be. His Thirteen Wings are incomplete. He besieged Xiangyang of the Song Dynasty and returned without success. How could he possibly defeat the King of Kaoshan?"

"This must be false news spread by the enemy."

Inside the hall, everyone spoke one after another.

However, Shi Wansui, who spoke first, did not speak again like the others.

In fact, if you look closely, you can see that the general, who had an angry look on his face before, now has sweat all over his forehead, and his arms, which are tightly pressed against his sides, are shaking constantly.

Shi Wansui stared at the messenger in front of him, simply because he knew the person in front of him.

He was a member of the personal guards that followed King Kaoshan.

This alone is enough to prove a lot.

Shi Wansui clenched his fists tightly, using almost all his strength to prevent himself from showing any abnormality.

"By the way, let's ask about the details."

At this time, the people around also reacted and quickly came forward.

"I want to ask you, where did the news you mentioned come from? Which general gave you the news? Or which guard?"

Several officials spoke up one after another.

However, after the voice fell, no response was received.

It was not until one of them came closer to check that they discovered that the soldier, who had maintained the same posture as before, had already lost all breath.

"He...he's dead."

When these words were spoken, everyone was shocked again, and a feeling of uneasiness surged in their hearts again.

Originally they had already determined that the news was false.

But now, looking at this soldier, covered in blood, dead in the temple.

He doesn't look like someone who would deliver a fake letter.

"All right."

Just when everyone was thinking wildly.

Shi Wansui came again.

"Your Majesty and the Queen are not feeling well. Today's court meeting ends here. Everyone may disperse."

"However, I would like to remind you that it is difficult to tell whether what happened today is true or false."

"Everyone please don't gossip outside. If the news leaks out and causes chaos, and we fall into the enemy's trap, there will be no mercy under the law." Shi Wansui warned in a cold voice.

"Wei Chen dare not."

"Okay, everyone, please leave. The ministers of each department and the commanders of each guard in the capital should stay here first."

After saying this, Shi Wansui whispered again.

No one showed any surprise at this.

After all, now that His Majesty and the Queen are in trouble, these important officials in the court certainly can't just walk away.

After saying this, Shi Wansui turned to the other side.

"Suda, come here."

Shi Wansui stretched out his hand to call Zhang Xutuo, who was standing behind, and whispered a few words to him. Upon hearing what he said, the latter hurriedly left the hall.

Time passes slowly.

Three days later, Queen Xiao, who was lying on the phoenix couch, slowly opened her eyes.

"My lady, you finally woke up. You have been in a coma for three days."

The palace maid beside her cried.

Queen Xiao shook her dizzy head, and it took a long time before she could see the surrounding scenery clearly.

"What? Three days? Quick, help me up, and then summon..."

Queen Xiao's face turned pale and she quickly shouted.

"Your Majesty, please slow down and pay attention to your body." The palace maid said in a panic.

"Stop talking nonsense and go..."

"Your Majesty, General Shi has been waiting outside the palace." The palace maid obviously guessed Empress Xiao's purpose and spoke softly.

"Quick, pass quickly."

As the familiar face came into view, Empress Xiao spoke immediately:
"General Shi, the King of Backers, the King of Backers..."

After hearing this, Shi Wansui fell into silence.

Seeing this performance, how could Queen Xiao not understand? She felt dizzy and almost fell to the ground again.

"how is this possible?"

"General Shi, what happened ahead? King Kaoshan has been a soldier all his life, how could he..." Queen Xiao spoke repeatedly.

Although she lived in the deep palace and knew nothing about military affairs, she knew how powerful the forces around Yang Lin were.

If we lose one battle or even several battles, it’s not a big deal.

After all, Temujin was no mediocre person.

But the entire army was wiped out, and even Yang Lin himself did not escape. Let alone her, it would be hard for anyone else to believe this.

Shi Wansui shook his head.

"We haven't received any news so far. It seems that we have been completely cut off from the front line. I suspect that Yumen Pass has probably fallen into the hands of the enemy." Shi Wansui said in a deep voice.

"This this……"

Queen Xiao was completely panicked and stared at Shi Wansui intently.

"What should we do? Now that King Kaoshan and Duke Gaotang are both gone, the only person we can count on in the army is the general."

Shi Wansui's face was equally pale. Faced with this devastating scene, he also felt a strong sense of powerlessness.

"My Lady, the matter of Yumen Pass is just my guess, nothing is confirmed yet."

"Even if it's true, my Great Sui army was annihilated, and it's impossible for Temujin to be unscathed."

"From this point of view, at least we still have some time to deal with it."

"At present, the most important thing is still in the territory of Great Sui, Daxing."

Shi Wansui spoke softly.

"Once the news is confirmed and spread, it will be a huge success!"

(End of this chapter)