Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors

He actually admitted to it?

As the Prefect of the Capital District, Yang Zhizhi could be seen as the chief supervisor of the entire capital. And with the severe locust plague occurring in the Capital District, he was directly responsible.

Not only that, Yang Zhizhi was also the trusted confidant of the powerful eunuch Tian Lingzi. It was through Yang Zhizhi, the Prefect of the Capital District, that Tian Lingzi dared to brazenly plunder all the treasures and goods from the merchants in the eastern and western markets.

And now, the two of them were being impeached together, yet Prefect of the Capital District Yang Zhizhi actually admitted to it?

Amidst everyone's bewilderment, the kneeling Yang Zhizhi continued, "Your Majesty, the locust plague is indeed true.

"But under the current reign, Your Majesty governs with relaxed authority and boundless grace. Even though locusts have flown into the capital, they are so moved by Your beneficence that they do not consume the crops, instead choosing to cling to thorny bushes and die.

"I was just about to suggest that we should proclaim this throughout the land, to demonstrate Your Majesty's sagacity!"

All the ministers in the court were frozen.

Zhao Haiping, with his god's-eye view, was also frozen.

Clearly, no one could imagine that the almighty Prefect of the Capital District could spout such nonsensical flattery.

However, at this moment, Tian Lingzi suddenly exclaimed loudly, "Such is the divine virtue of His Majesty, why aren't you offering congratulations quickly?"

After a brief pause, an official immediately knelt down: "Your Majesty's blessings reach the four seas, and Your imperial grace is boundless. Congratulations to Your Majesty, cheers to Your Majesty!"

Soon, all the officials kneeled down in succession.

Finally, the two Prime Ministers at the front also silently knelt down: "Congratulations to Your Majesty!"

The Emperor, seated high on the throne, beamed with joy: "Good, good, very good! My father, this is all thanks to your efforts, you may all receive your rewards. Court is dismissed!"

The assembled ministers shouted: "Our Emperor is wise!"

The Emperor turned and left, as if he couldn't wait to spend another second in this oppressive court.

And the powerful eunuch Tian Lingzi gave a meaningful glance to Prefect of the Capital District Yang Zhizhi.

Yang Zhizhi immediately understood and sent someone to drag down the minister who dared to impeach them, beating him to death with sticks.

The facial muscles of the two Prime Ministers in the court twitched, but neither spoke up.

Then, the scene shifted.

The overwhelming rebel army had already advanced westward, pressing close to Tong Pass. And once Tong Pass fell, the Liang Dynasty's capital of Chang'an would be in grave danger.

In the very center of the great army was a palanquin adorned with gold. Around the palanquin, a group of warriors clad in splendid clothes, hair in disarray, and red scarves tied around their heads, stood guard on both sides.

In the distance, spread out as far as the eye could see, was an enormous army with cavalry, infantry, and various types of supply wagons.

Claiming to number six hundred thousand, they advanced as if entering unclaimed territory.

The grand army paused, and the person within the golden palanquin stepped out and gazed toward Tong Pass.

And everyone knew that what he actually had his eyes set upon was the Liang Dynasty's capital, Chang'an.

Then, he softly recited,

"Fragrance pierces through Chang'an from the sky...

"The whole city is clad in golden armor!"

...

Seeing this, Zhao Haiping had pretty much figured out the background of this historical slice.

It was the reign of Emperor Xizong of Liang, and from his temple name alone, it was clear that this Emperor had serious issues.

His ascension was orchestrated by many eunuchs who chose him for his youth and easy manipulability, thus helping him ascend to the throne.

And indeed, Emperor Xizong of Liang did not disappoint the expectations of the eunuchs. From the age of twelve when he ascended to the throne, he spent most of his time indulging in horseback riding, archery, swordsmanship, playing ball games, cockfighting, mathematics, music, and gambling.

Until at the age of nineteen, a failed exam candidate and private salt dealer named Huang Xianzhi led his army into Chang'an, causing the Emperor to flee in panic like a dog losing its home.

By this time, the court was essentially dominated by eunuchs. Tian Lingzi was greatly favored by the Emperor and was referred to as "Father," essentially doing whatever he pleased.

Many people thought the eunuchs of the Great Sheng Dynasty were formidable, but compared to the eunuchs of the middle and late Liang Dynasty, they were but children.

Even the most formidable eunuchs of the Great Sheng Dynasty were merely the Emperor's dogs, to be killed at his whim. In contrast, the eunuchs of the Liang Dynasty truly had the power to depose Emperors.

With the support of the Emperor, Tian Lingzi was wildly tyrannical, completely losing the hearts of the people. He had actually ordered Prefect Yang Zhizhi to pillage all the goods from the eastern and western markets, hoarding them in the state treasury, partly for the Emperor's pleasure, and partly for his own hoard.

As for the ministers of the court, they were more or less powerless at this point.

Although a portion of them still harbored concern for the country, most who submitted memorials impeaching Tian Lingzi and Yang Zhizhi were effectively killed off, leaving the rest either seeking to protect their own careers or finding indirect ways to save the country, unable to contend with the current situation.

As for Huang Xianzhi, by this time he had already been through countless battles. Although the Liang Dynasty had many opportunities to suppress him, they had all been squandered.

At this moment, Huang Xianzhi finally led an army of six hundred thousand and arrived at his long-desired destination: Chang'an.

...

The view zoomed in, and Zhao Haiping found himself possessing the body of a military officer.

He was clad in armor, looking valiant, but amidst the current atmosphere, an undeniable sense of desolation still lingered.

"General Zhang Chengfan.

"The rebels are attacking Tong Pass, and General Qi has already fallen back to defend it. The supply is low, and the troops are suffering from hunger and cold, urgently requesting the court to send reinforcements.

"His Majesty has appointed you as the vanguard and the Grand General of the Left Shence Army, ordering you to lead the Divine Strategy Army to support Tong Pass!"

The man who had come to assign the order to Zhang Chengfan, Zhao Haiping had seen him before; he was one of the Prime Ministers from the earlier court assembly.

Zhang Chengfan accepted the order: "Yes!"

Only now did Zhao Haiping truly gain control over Zhang Chengfan's body.

"...Such dire circumstances?"

The only doubt in Zhao Haiping's mind was what the definition of success was.

Defeat Huang Xianzhi?

Keep dreaming.

With Huang Xianzhi leading an army of six hundred thousand, and then looking at the Liang court's incompetence, the chances of victory were indeed slim to none.

If Tong Pass could be held for three hours, it would already be considered a victory.

The disparity between the two forces was simply too great, and the key issue was that there were hardly any troops or commanders at hand. Even if Generals Han Fuyue and Deng Yuanjing were resurrected, there was nothing they could do at this point.

Perhaps the goal of success was simply to hold Tong Pass for as long as possible?

Zhao Haiping had thought that the many predicaments he had faced in previous instances were desperate, but now, it seemed like those were nothing.

This was a true dead end.

However, he still had the Divine Strategy Army at his disposal now.

The Divine Strategy Army was initially just a regular border defense force, but after demonstrating fierce combat skills and successfully protecting the emperor on numerous occasions, it became the emperor's private guard.

As regional governors became increasingly independent, the Liang Dynasty realized the need to directly control a powerful military force. Thus, the Divine Strategy Army was expanded and entered its prime, officially becoming the emperor's private troops.

In most people's initial impression, the Divine Strategy Army was considered one of the strongest forces.

Of course, Zhao Haiping did not harbor much hope, especially since historically, Huang Xianzhi had successfully seized Chang'an, and Tong Pass did not hold out for long. If the Divine Strategy Army was truly formidable, they would have at least put up a respectable fight.

But then, when Zhao Haiping inspected the Divine Strategy Army, he witnessed a scene he could never have imagined.

There were only about three thousand men, and they looked far from an elite force—nothing but riffraff, hooligans, thugs, and bankrupt peasants.

A rabble.

That was evident at a glance.

Zhao Haiping was instantly dumbstruck; he grabbed one of the soldiers by the collar.

"You are the Divine Strategy Army?! How could you possibly be the Divine Strategy Army!"

As everyone knew, the Divine Strategy Army was almost the highest-paid army in the entire Liang Dynasty.

What merits did these thugs, hooligans, and bankrupt peasants have to join the Divine Strategy Army?

The soldier he grabbed was panicked, and he hurriedly spoke: "General, spare my life! I—I was hired..."

Zhao Haiping's lips twitched as he immediately understood what was happening.

The Divine Strategy Army wasn't short on money; on the contrary, they were too rich.

These wealthy scions from the capital had never seen a battlefield; they had joined the Divine Strategy Army due to its high salary and good treatment. And with the eunuchs' backing, allowing them to do as they pleased, they all bribed the eunuchs to join the ranks.

And when Huang Xianzhi's great forces came marching in, these wealthy scions began weeping, using a considerable sum of money to hire some poor people to replace them on the front lines.

Zhao Haiping's face darkened.

God damned mercenaries!

Looking at these three thousand men, and with no reliable logistical support in sight, wasn't this a guaranteed death sentence?

But now that it had come to this, he had no choice but to lead these mere three thousand men towards Tong Pass.