Who put the yellow robe on me?

Zhong Wenbin shook his head, his eyes flashing with endless sorrow, as if the tragic scenes of the battlefield in the past were still replaying in his mind.

He slowly lowered his head, his knees buckling as he immediately knelt on the cold bluestone floor. He spoke earnestly to the Liang Emperor, who sat before the throne, "Your Majesty, I led the troops poorly and nearly cost the Sixteenth Prince his life. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

As soon as he finished speaking, his voice was low and sad. That battle almost cost the Sixteenth Prince his life, and he still couldn't forget it.

After hearing this, Emperor Liang frowned, but soon his eyes softened.

He revealed his concern for the situation and his desire for victory: "General, please stand up! Now that you have defeated the Western Regions, and the Sixteenth Prince has returned safely to the capital, I would like to hear about the situation later."

At that moment, the entire hall seemed to freeze in silence at these words. The golden nanmu dragon table was silent, with only the low echo of Zhong Wenbin's voice.

Zhong Wenbin took a deep breath, as if trying to dispel the heavy burden on his heart. He nodded, his voice gradually regaining its strength as he spoke, "Yes! Later, the Sixteenth Prince and my son Zhong Xiaoshan were defeated and retreated to the north of Liangzhou. The enemy was overwhelming, and our army hastily took away most of the Tiger Guards, allowing Liangzhou City to catch its breath and temporarily stabilize the situation. However, the situation suddenly changed, and the situation did not subside."

He paused, as if recalling that tense moment, his eyes growing more determined. "Later, the Northern Qiang's third princess, Yelu Mengmeng, unexpectedly led an exceptionally ferocious Black Wolf troop to the front lines. Their wild roars and the clatter of iron hooves seemed to foreshadow the coming of an even greater storm, causing the atmosphere around Liangzhou City to suddenly become tense and the situation to become even more critical!"

Before he finished speaking, Zhong Wenbin glanced around, his eyes gleaming with a sharp light. He raised the last unanswered question in a deep voice, his voice echoing through the hall like a hammer: "May I ask the two Sixteenth Princes, we are now facing the Northern Qiang in the north and the Western Regions in the west. How did we turn defeat into victory?"

Every word was filled with expectation and testing, causing all the ministers present to hold their breath. Even the air seemed to freeze, and the only sounds in their ears were their own rapid heartbeats and the faint echo of war drums in the distance.

Upon hearing this, the dark-skinned Sixteenth Prince's face lit up with joy, his eyes filled with confidence and arrogance. He raised the corners of his mouth slightly and whispered to the pale Sixteenth Prince next to him, who was often called "dissolute and wanton": "It's your turn!"

Although his voice was soft, it was full of challenge and sarcasm, as if he was waiting for the other party to give an answer, or a premeditated rebuttal.

However, facing the expectant gazes of the crowd, the dissolute Sixteenth Prince evaded the crowd's gaze. He stammered, "General Zhong, back then, we also put in a lot of effort and went through a lot of hardships to repel the enemy forces from the Northern Qiang and the Western Regions..."

There was reluctance and helplessness in his words, as well as a bit of panic. His voice was sometimes trembling and sometimes rapid, making people seem to hear the panic and struggle deep in his heart.

All the ministers turned their eyes to the dark-skinned Sixteenth Prince. He raised his eyebrows and spoke in a steady and resonant voice, "Ally with the Northern Qiang in the north and resist the Western Regions in the west."

These eight short words, like a sharp sword, pierced the hearts of everyone present, showing not only his unshakable belief, but also his extraordinary courage in war strategy.

Upon hearing this, General Zhong Wenbin turned to Emperor Liang and solemnly stated, "Indeed, Your Majesty! Thanks to the Sixteenth Prince's wise advice, our army secretly reached an agreement with the Northern Qiang. The Northern Qiang seized the opportunity to attack Gaochang, while our army engaged in a desperate battle with Xianyu Linyuan's Tiger Guards in front of Liangzhou City. Only by exerting all our might did we turn the tide of the battle."

At this moment, there seemed to be a subtle change in the air, causing a trace of embarrassment and fear to flash across the face of the pale-faced Sixteenth Prince, who was known to be extremely licentious. His old face flushed slightly, and he thought to himself: It seems that General Zhong has seen through my little trick. The desperate rescue story between Zhong Xiaodan and I must not be known to Emperor Liang.

However, both sides fell silent tacitly and did not ask any further questions.

After all, both of them knew very well that in the heart of Emperor Liang, the reason why General Zhong Wenbin was time-tested and deeply trusted was precisely because he never took sides easily and could always remain neutral in complicated situations. This was a cornerstone that was difficult for anyone to shake.

Seeing the atmosphere ease slightly, Zhong Wenbin continued in a steady tone, "This old minister adopted the Sixteenth Prince's strategy and adopted a tactic of encircling Xianyu Linyuan and attacking his reinforcements, gradually capturing him and some of Xuanyuan Feiyan's generals.

Even more amazingly, the Sixteenth Prince secretly imprisoned the families of Xianyu Linyuan and Xuanyuan Feiyan in a secret room next to the General's Mansion in Liangzhou City. This forced Xianyu Linyuan and Xuanyuan Feiyan to bow their heads and admit defeat, completely obeying the orders of Daliang.

There was a hint of ease in Zhong Wenbin's words, as if all these arrangements were under his control, but the ministers present knew very well that this was exactly the strategy carefully designed by the sixteenth prince Jiang Chen, a contest of power and wisdom.

They all understood that if the families of Xianyu Linyuan and Xuanyuan Feiyan had surrendered, it would mean that the conspiracy of the Old Nine faction in the court, which had been instigating their imprisonment, had succeeded, and they were secretly plotting to subvert the foundation of Daliang.

Suddenly, Emperor Liang's eyes fixed, and a trace of alert flashed through his mind: "If Xianyu Linyuan and Xuanyuan Feiyan have already surrendered to our Daliang, then does Old Nine, who has been encouraging me to imprison their families, have other intentions?" This question was like a bomb, causing ripples in the hall, making the ministers look at each other in confusion and talk in their hearts.

Seeing the change in Emperor Liang's expression, Zhong Wenbin hurriedly continued, "And then, the Sixteenth Prince actually made the Western Regions cede three cities without even a single soldier! May I ask, Prime Minister, what exactly happened?"

His resounding voice seemed to sink heavily into everyone's heart, silencing them all. The ministers in the hall lowered their heads in thought. Everyone knew that Daliang had conquered three cities in the Western Regions, but how they had forced the enemy to cede without a single blow, and what secrets lay hidden within, remained a mystery.

Upon seeing this, Prime Minister He showed a meaningful smile on his face and said softly, "General, I have heard of this matter, but I don't know the specific circumstances." Although his voice was light, it seemed to hide more mysteries, making everyone present feel expectant and suspenseful.

Seeing that everyone was still confused, General Zhong Wenbin showed a wry smile on his face and said slowly: "Speaking of this matter, this old minister also finds it strange. Your Highness the Sixteenth Prince, could you please clear up our doubts?" He cast his gaze at the dark-skinned Sixteenth Prince, his voice full of expectation and questioning.