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Upon hearing the noise that echoed from outside the grand hall, the ministers within instantly became excited.

A rush report from Youping County?

Youping County borders Yongan County. Does this battle report coming from Youping County not mean that Great Wu's army has already taken Yongan County?

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But then again, is the North Country's army really that useless?

At this moment, Chai Jiliang's brow furrowed, and his expression turned sour, a shade of worry crossing his face.

He did not believe that Great Wu's three hundred thousand troops could have taken Yongan County so soon after the battle began. Yongan County was defended by fifty thousand heavy cavalry, and the North Country had stationed several hundreds of thousands of soldiers there.

Moreover, if Great Wu's army had indeed taken Yongan County so quickly, it would indicate that the North Country's forces there must have been insufficient. Consequently, it's highly likely that the North Country's troops had moved to other locations.

The easier Yongan County was to capture, the greater the resistance the North Country's main troops would encounter elsewhere.

No matter how one looks at it, the battle report from Youping County can't be good news.

As Chai Jiliang was thinking this, the Messenger Soldier now entered the grand hall; he quickly knelt on the ground and in the midst of the ministers' expectant gazes, he loudly reported, "Pigeon Letter from Youping County: General Ying's three hundred thousand-strong army has been defeated by the North Country's army.

General Ying has retreated to Lingyun City, and the current situation is unknown!"

Upon hearing these words, the grand hall erupted into an uproar.

They all thought that the North Country had been defeated, but it turned out to be Great Wu's defeat instead.

How could this be?

After all, Ying Feiyu was a battle-hardened military general, and their Great Wu soldiers were all elite—how could they have been defeated in such a short time? It's been only a few days. What exactly happened in Yongan County?

Now it's a Pigeon Letter; Pigeon Letters are generally used for urgent messages and don't tend to be very detailed. They will only know the full situation once the official war report reaches the Capital City.

However, regardless of the details, a defeat is a defeat.

The outcome is now almost certain.

Ying Feiyu's defeat means that Lingyun City is likely in jeopardy. If Lingyun City falls, then the occupation of Youping County by the North Country is not far off.

Youping County is the vital route for the logistics of the main armed forces. If Youping County is taken, Great Wu's main forces will be completely cut off logistically. But if the main forces fail to take down the North Country promptly and their logistics are disrupted, their morale will inevitably suffer.

At this moment, the court was hushed, the atmosphere oppressively somber, not a single person spoke, and cold sweat involuntarily appeared on many foreheads.

The war had just begun a few days ago, and already Great Wu's three hundred thousand-strong force was defeated. Although they had not expected this army to achieve significant victories, at the very least they were supposed to tie down the North Country's forces stationed in Yongan County. Yet, the defeat came so swiftly—wouldn't the North Country's army soon be able to send reinforcements?

Once the North Country's troops from Yongan County started to reinforce, it was very likely that Great Wu's main forces would fail to breach Yan County. In such a case, Great Wu's plans would fail.

At this time, the ministers dared not speak, fearful of provoking the Martial Emperor. After who knows how long, the Martial Emperor finally exclaimed furiously, "Useless, all of you are useless!"

"Ying Feiyu, that waste, couldn't even hold out for half a month before his defeat! What use is he to me! And to think he is a veteran general who has experienced numerous battles!"

Seeing the Martial Emperor's temper flare, the ministers within the hall dared even less to breathe a word.

After venting his anger, Chai Jiliang stood up and said directly, "Your Majesty, now is not the time for anger. General Ying's army has been defeated. We do not know how many soldiers he has left. We must send someone to Youping County promptly to clarify the situation and dispatch reinforcements."

"If the North Country occupies the whole of Youping County, Great Wu's main forces will be cut off from their logistics, and the frontline soldiers' morale will surely be affected."

Seeing Chai Jiliang daring to speak up at such a time, the ministers within the grand hall couldn't help but admire him.

It was just like Chai Jiliang to dare to provoke the ire of the Martial Emperor at such a moment.

After listening to Chai Jiliang, the Martial Emperor also quickly calmed down. Although he was still very upset, the situation took precedence. They must hold Youping County at all costs; they absolutely could not allow the North Country's soldiers to mount a counterattack.

Youping County, no matter what, must not be lost. If Youping County were lost, it would be a complete collapse across the board.

With that thought, the Martial Emperor immediately commanded, "Have Tang Ming lead two hundred thousand troops to reinforce Youping County at once; they must hold it at all costs. Also, issue an order to Ying Feiyu to return to the Capital City immediately. I want to know exactly how he was defeated!"

Although the Martial Emperor internally still couldn't accept the fact of Ying Feiyu's defeat, he was no fool; Ying Feiyu was after all a battle-hardened veteran. He had participated in many foreign wars, routing many enemy armies. When he attacked Great Sum, it was under his command as well.

How could he have been defeated this time so suddenly? There must have been problems they hadn't anticipated. The Martial Emperor knew that the war report would reach the Capital City in a few days, but he was more intent on hearing the description from Ying Feiyu himself.

At this juncture, the Martial Emperor stood up, threw his sleeve, and without declaring the court adjourned, walked off to the side.

Seeing the Martial Emperor leave, the ministers quickly said, "We respectfully bid farewell to Your Majesty!"

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