Thirty li west of Shunkang City, an endless sea of Great Jin military tents stretches out, covering at least dozens if not hundreds of li, with an unknown number of tents. Every li, there’s a larger tent with a black flag on top, embroidered with a large gold "Yu" character. Thousands of black and gold flags flutter in the wind, complementing the black and gold-armored soldiers who come and go below, creating an imposing scene. In the center of this vast expanse of tents is a massive tent as grand as a palace, its flag far taller than the others. The tens of thousands of patrolling soldiers around it are clearly more formidable than elsewhere, their expressions solemn, constantly vigilant of their surroundings, and any approach would immediately draw their severe scrutiny. A gust of wind blows, causing the pupils of the soldiers surrounding the main tent to constrict abruptly. They all look up towards the western sky, and one of the lead generals even flies into the air, brandishing a sharp blade, shouting sternly at the approaching figure from the western sky. "This is the Retired Emperor’s tent, no unreported entry allowed." "Xikang King Helian Chang, with urgent matters to report to the Retired Emperor!" Zhu Qian, serving as the main tent’s guard, possessed considerable cultivation, and knew of Helian Chang’s approach long before he arrived. However, this didn’t hinder him from blocking Helian Chang’s attempt to enter the camp. "The Retired Emperor is meeting with the generals. Let me report first, and I ask the Xikang King to wait outside for a moment." Though Helian Chang was burning with urgency, he knew he could not overstep his bounds. Just as he was about to respond to Zhu Qian, a voice suddenly came from inside the tent. Recognizing it as Emperor Yuliang’s voice, he did not dare to delay and darted into the main tent. "Reporting to the Retired Emperor, the Hexi army has crossed the river heading north. The Hou Clan, together with the Gujiang Lu Clan and the Jiangbei Alliance, have turned to the coalition. The Hou Clan’s two million Red Flame Holy Army, along with the three’s eleven million elite troops, have confirmed the clear passage through the northern three roads. It will take at most two months for the army to reach Dongyuan Path. Emperor Emeritus Tuoba commanded me to notify you urgently, hoping the Retired Emperor will prepare early to avoid being caught in a pincer attack by the coalition." There weren’t many people seated inside the tent. Besides Emperor Yuliang at the top, there were over twenty others. However, hearing Helian Chang’s rapid string of words, without exception, they all stood up, and Emperor Yuliang at the head even smashed the table in front of him. "Thirteen million troops, the Hou Clan, Lu Clan, Jiangbei Alliance, do these three actually have such audacity?" "We’ve treated the Chu Kuangren of the Jiangbei Alliance with respect for these seven years, and this scoundrel dares to collude with the coalition against our Great Jin!" "Wasn’t the Gujiang Lu Clan supposed to be neutral?" "Emperor Emeritus Tuoba’s entire army is in Hexi, and the Hou Clan’s five hundred thousand troops crossing the river north, how could this news only reach us now? Impossible!" The voices of doubt and uncertainty among the generals in the tent added to Emperor Yuliang’s irritation. He let out a cold snort and glanced at Helian Chang, who understood immediately and recounted the situation in detail. It was not until the eighteenth of November that Tuoba Yu noticed something was amiss in Hexi. The Youye Emperor received the news from him and speculated that Hou Yuxiao was leading his army northward. It was almost the nineteenth by the time they went to the north for confirmation, and today is only the twenty-fifth, so just six days have passed. During this prior period, Emperor Yuliang’s army was fiercely battling at Dongyuan Path, leaving no time to pay attention to the south. Suddenly learning of all this, the expressions of the generals in the tent changed without exception. Once Helian Chang finished recounting the situation, the entire main tent fell silent, as if deathly still. A new table had already been brought in, but Emperor Yuliang did not sit back down; instead, he stood, frowning, and stared intently at the map behind him. "Worry not, Your Majesty. The coalition’s thirteen million troops may seem formidable, but truly only the Hou Clan’s two million Red Flame army is notable. The rest, whether it’s the Hou Clan’s Zhaoyang Army, the Jiangbei Alliance’s Shuofeng Army, or the Lu Clan’s Hurricane Army, are merely heavenly armies, hardly anything to fear. Even if they reach Dongyuan Path, there is no need for concern!" The one who spoke was the only person in the tent not clad in battle armor. He appeared to be just in his early twenties, younger than anyone else in the tent, yet his seat was the closest to Emperor Yuliang, and his demeanor while speaking was evidently more assertive than the other generals. "Adviser Li, everyone’s concerns are not solely about the coalition. The coalition’s main force in Shunkang City is still present. We have not sustained crippling losses after five days of battle, and neither have they. The coalition is difficult to deal with, and if they learn that reinforcements are coming, it might boost their morale, making our battles even harder." "Exactly, Adviser Li. A mere heavenly army, even if they are ten million strong, what can they do? I only need a million elite to annihilate them. But we still have to deal with the coalition’s main army here. After five days of battle, the combined losses on both sides barely reach a hundred thousand. At this rate, even fifty years wouldn’t be enough to pacify Jizhou. How will we answer to the Great Emperor then?" "Hou Yuxiao, Chu Kuangren, and Lu Kangping are of no great concern, not requiring the Great Emperor to act personally. The Retired Emperor can easily handle them. Our main target remains the million-strong coalition in Shunkang City." Zhuge Yuan had three disciples: the eldest disciple was Sima Yan, the second disciple was Yuan Zhen, and the third disciple was Li Su. The Great Jin is currently fighting on three fronts, and these three disciples have been appointed as military advisers to three of the emperors’ armies. Sima Yan is with Fenling Emperor Helian Ba, currently in Liangzhou; the third disciple Yuan Zhen is with the Youye Emperor Tuoba Zun, handling the Hexi campaign; and the second disciple Li Su, present here, is serving as the chief adviser to Wanyan Cheng, commanding the Yuzhou army.