Who put the yellow robe on me?

The next morning, the sky was still shrouded in the pre-dawn gloom, the streets of Liangzhou City were covered with a thin layer of morning frost, and the air was filled with a chill.

In the bedroom of the royal villa, Jiang Chen was immersed in a light sleep. Suddenly, there was a hurried knock on the door outside, pulling him back from his dream.

"Your Highness, Your Highness!" Dianzhang's voice outside the door sounded particularly urgent.

Jiang Chen turned over in bed, opened his hazy eyes, and his head was still a little dizzy.

He rubbed his eyes, sat up, and said with a hint of sleep in his voice: "Is it the law?"

Dianzhang, who was standing outside the door, heard Jiang Chen's response and quickly said, "Your Highness, it's me! General Mi just sent someone to tell you and General Annan to go to the General's Mansion in Liangzhou City immediately."

"Oh?" Jiang Chen's sleepiness was instantly dispelled, and his brows slightly frowned, "What happened?"

Dianzhang replied in a slightly flustered tone, "The guard who came to report didn't say anything. Judging from his expression, it seemed like the matter was urgent. General Annan is already waiting for you at the door."

Jiang Chen's heart skipped a beat, and an uneasy premonition came over him.

He quickly got up, changed his clothes, and dressed neatly. He was completely awake.

When I walked out of the room, the cold wind mixed with a hint of chill hit my face, which made me feel refreshed.

Zhong Xiaodan was already waiting outside the door. He looked a little serious and obviously realized that something was wrong.

The two men galloped all the way, the sound of horse hooves was particularly clear in the quiet early morning streets. When they arrived at the general's mansion, many generals and soldiers had already gathered in the yard, and the atmosphere was particularly tense.

After Jiang Chen dismounted, he and Zhong Xiaodan walked quickly into the hall.

Mi Chunhong, Chen Lingze and others were already waiting, and the air in the room was filled with a heavy sense of tension.

"Your Highness Prince of Yan, General Annan, please take a seat." Mi Chunhong saw Jiang Chen and Zhong Xiaodan and hurriedly stood up to greet them. Although his face remained calm, the anxiety in his eyes was hard to conceal.

Jiang Chen glanced at the generals present, and everyone's face was filled with solemnity and uneasiness.

After the two sat down, Mi Chunhong cleared his throat and said, "Your Highness Prince Yan, we received intelligence this morning that the Western Regions have assembled an army of 200,000 and are preparing to attack our Liangzhou City."

When he spoke, his voice was filled with a sense of oppression and heaviness: "I wonder when the imperial court's reinforcements will arrive?"

The hall suddenly fell into silence, and everyone's eyes were focused on Jiang Chen and Zhong Xiaodan. There seemed to be an invisible pressure in the air.

Jiang Chen's heart sank suddenly. He quickly looked at Zhong Xiaodan. The two exchanged glances and saw the same shock and doubt in each other's eyes.

The Western Regions had the audacity to so brazenly gather a large army to attack Daliang. This was no improvisation; they were clearly well prepared. Furthermore, to gather forces so quickly, they must have received advance information about the deployment of troops within Liangzhou.

Jiang Chen instantly understood that the defense of Liangzhou City had obviously been leaked to the enemy, and Chen Lingze was undoubtedly the most suspicious.

Zhong Xiaodan took a deep breath and said, "My father and brother are already on their way. Probably..."

However, before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen said slowly: "It will take about a month to arrive."

Zhong Xiaodan was stunned when he heard this, and turned to look at Jiang Chen in confusion, not understanding why he deliberately doubled the time it took for his father to walk.

Jiang Chen's expression remained calm, as if he hadn't noticed Zhong Xiaodan's doubts. He knew that this was a critical moment and he had to act with caution.

The situation in Liangzhou City was far more complicated than he had imagined, and signs of collusion between Chen Lingze and the Western Regions had begun to emerge.

He needs to lie about the general's march time in order to formulate his own grand plan to capture the traitor.

Mi Chunhong frowned slightly, obviously a little uneasy about the time.

But he also knew that the war was urgent, and although the imperial army was huge in number, distant water could not quench immediate thirst.

Mi Chunhong's face was solemn as he slowly expressed his doubts, "A month? It usually only takes half a month to get from the capital to Liangzhou City. Why is it taking so long?"

His words were filled with anxiety and uneasiness, and he was obviously worried about the delay in the arrival of reinforcements. Seeing this, Jiang Chen thought to himself, knowing that he couldn't reveal any flaws at this time.

He smiled slightly and explained calmly, "General Mi, the situation is this. In order to reach Liangzhou City as quickly as possible, our vanguard troops carried a large number of horses and food, so the march of the main force was slowed down a lot.

In addition, the roads along the way are rugged, the supply lines are long, and the horses and food supplies are insufficient, which means that the general and the main force can only move forward slowly, so it is estimated that it will take about a month."

Zhong Xiaodan, who was sitting next to him, glanced at Jiang Chen secretly and couldn't help but admire his ability to respond.

Being able to come up with a reasonable excuse and stabilize everyone's emotions in such a tense situation may be an indispensable basic means in the court.

Although Zhong Xiaodan was somewhat confused, he knew that Jiang Chen's actions must have a deeper meaning, so he chose to remain silent and not expose him.

Mi Chunhong had no choice but to accept these words. After all, in this tense situation, any inappropriate suspicion could lead to greater chaos.

He sighed and said, "In this case, we must prepare for the worst. Until reinforcements arrive, we can only rely on ourselves to defend Liangzhou City."

Jiang Chen nodded, his eyes calm and determined: "Yes, General Mi is right. Now the Western Region has gathered a large army and is coming. We can't rely solely on reinforcements to save us. We must rely on our own strength to defend this city."

Chen Lingze had been sitting nearby, silently observing Jiang Chen's every move. He had a faint smile on his face, as if he wasn't worried about the current situation.

Jiang Chen was keenly aware of his abnormality and became even more alert. He knew that Chen Lingze was no ordinary person, a man with deep scheming and would never reveal his true intentions easily.

Jiang Chen's heart was also filled with worry, but he had to remain calm and not let anyone see his true emotions. He slowly asked, "General Mi, may I ask how many troops are left in Liangzhou City who can fight?"

Mi Chunhong glanced at the general sitting next to him, and his gaze turned to a thin man standing behind Chen Lingze.

Upon hearing this, the man stood up, clasped his fists, and said to Jiang Chen, "Your Highness, there are still about 50,000 soldiers and horses in Liangzhou City, but many of them are old, weak, sick, and disabled. The real elite troops are less than 30,000."

The general was thin and pale, but his eyes were bright and sharp, revealing a calm and resolute spirit. His voice was deep, powerful, and a little hoarse, as if he had experienced countless hardships.

Although he does not look majestic, but standing there, he exudes an upright temperament, making people feel his inner determination and loyalty.

Jiang Chen nodded slightly, and he felt a bit of favor towards this general. He knew that people like him who could speak frankly without being boastful were often the backbone of the army.

Just as he was about to ask more questions, Mi Chunhong introduced him at the right moment: "Your Highness, this is Zuo Yongyu, the Lieutenant General of Liangzhou City. He ranks below Chen Lingze and has been guarding Liangzhou for many years. He is very experienced."

Jiang Chen stood in the meeting room of the general's mansion, his heart filled with heavy pressure.

"Liangzhou City has 50,000 people, and we currently have less than 8,000. A total of 58,000 people are resisting the enemy's 200,000-strong army," he muttered to himself, his voice low but full of helplessness. "This battle is indeed a bit tricky."

Chen Lingze stood aside, gazing coldly at Jiang Chen, a flicker of calculation in his eyes that was difficult to conceal. He suddenly spoke, breaking the silence in the room: "Yes, Your Highness, Prince of Yan. Moreover, a letter arrived this morning from the Western Regions, expressing their willingness to negotiate peace..."