Chapter 545: Take Everything You Can Carry Away!

February 23rd.

The lingering chill of late winter has not fully faded, yet the wilderness within Yinzhou is already swirling with dust and sand.

After noon, the warm sun hangs obliquely in the sky.

The scattered light is shattered by the galloping hooves, turning into a flowing golden sheen.

Over two thousand cavalry clad in dark battle robes sweep by like a black torrent.

The thudding of hooves on the ground is as muffled as thunder, making the earth tremble slightly.

Each rider commands three horses, mounting in order; the warhorses beneath them whinny in succession, exhaling white mist from their nostrils, and their four hooves kick up towering clouds of dust.

The dark battle robes glint with a cold, hard sheen under the sun.

The hilt of the sword at the waist occasionally flashes a cold gleam.

The whole formation exudes a chilling murderous aura, like a drawn Blade cutting the wilderness's silence.

At the vanguard, Chen Yan wears dark battle robes, his waist bound with a jade sash.

His gaze is as sharp as a hawk's, fixed rigidly on the horizon; though the wind ruffles the hair at his temples, his stance remains as steady as Mount Tai.

Suddenly, Feng Muye reins his horse to a slower pace, carefully observing the surrounding terrain for a moment.

Immediately, he spurs his horse forward to Chen Yan's side and loudly reports, "Grand General, this place is less than twenty li from Steed City!"

His voice remains clear and forceful amid the hoofbeats, carrying a hint of respect.

Steed City, the Yinzhou seat.

Chen Yan hears this, nods slowly, a faint curve lifting his mouth, and says gravely, "Very well."

Before the words finish, he raises his hand abruptly, his voice suddenly rising, "Full speed ahead; we must reach Steed City before sunset!"

"Understood!" Feng Muye thunderously replies, instantly turning his horse's head and loudly passing the order on.

The military command spreads like a tide, quickly reaching the whole formation; the Iron Cavalry's speed surges again, the hoofbeats grow ever more rapid, and the dust swirls even thicker.

Yuwen Ze gazes at the smoky horizon ahead, the light in his eyes burning hotter, murmuring to himself, "Steed City is just ahead..."

That anticipation burns like a flame in his heart, causing him to grip the Horse Rein tighter.

Having grown so tall, he has never set foot in the Qi Territory!

Peng Chong stares intently at the road ahead, thoughts swirling, "Beyond Steed City we enter the Qi Territory; Shuo Prefecture is not far..."

"To serve as the vanguard for the Grand General this time is a once‑in‑a‑thousand‑years chance; we must seize it firmly and carve glorious battle merits!"

He says this, inhales deeply, a flash of resolve crossing his eyes.

What a chance that many cannot even beg for!

Yu Jian sits upright on his horse, the dark battle robes outlining his upright figure.

His gaze is as deep as an ancient pool, his sight passing the surging dust to rest on Chen Yan's upright silhouette, silently pondering, "How will Chen Zhuguo deploy against the Qi army this time?"

As thoughts swirl, his fingers unconsciously rub the sword at his waist, his eyes full of inquiry.

Yu Jian's participation this time was secured by personally visiting the Weiguo Gongfu at the behest of the old Chen Zhuguo, seeking Chen himself.

The purpose is to temper his own legitimate eldest grandson with the blood and fire of the battlefield!

And to accumulate more battle merits, while strengthening his bond with Chen Yan...

On the other side, Lu Ming, nearly two meters tall, sits steadily on his horse like an iron tower; his towering frame makes the warhorse beneath him appear especially agile.

He watches the rushing formation ahead, and in his ears the sister's parting admonition seems to echo again, her tone unconditionally caring: "Ah Ming, on this campaign with Chen Zhuguo, remember that protecting your brother‑in‑law's safety comes first; achieving glory is secondary!"

He nods heavily, silently thinking, "Sister, rest assured, with me there, I will not let brother‑in‑law face any danger."

The tightly gripped Horse Rein whitens his knuckles, and his aura of fierce bravery gains a touch of steadfastness.

Just as the formation gallops at full speed, a figure darts in like an arrow released, none other than the Scout in embroidered robes, Mei Aoshan.

He wears dark light armor, dust on his face, spurs his horse to Chen Yan's side, leans forward and respectfully reports, "Chen Zhuguo, a squad of riders is coming from Steed City, charging toward us!"

"It is our Great Zhou armor standard!"

Chen Yan hears this, his brows slightly lift, and he raises his hand to signal the formation to ease its speed.

Everyone follows his gaze and sees, amid the distant swirling dust, a cavalry unit rapidly approaching, numbering roughly a hundred.

Lu Ming volunteers, spurs his horse forward, his towering figure standing out in the wilderness, rides toward that unit, loudly demanding, "Who are you, commander!"

The opposing unit responds by easing its pace; the leading female general pulls her rein, letting out a crisp, sharp "huh".

She wears shining silver armor, its surface gleaming coldly in the sun; at a height of 1.72 meters, she rides her warhorse with imposing majesty.

The bulging muscle lines on her arms exude explosive power, and her brows and eyes radiate heroic spirit.

She is Yinzhou Governor Ye Zhuxi.

She lifts her gaze to Lu Ming, replying loudly, "Yinzhou Governor Ye Zhuxi!"

"I, the General, have been ordered to come and pay respects to Grand General Chen Yan!"

Yuwen Ze, Feng Muye, Yu Jian and the other generals' gazes sweep over Ye Zhuxi; seeing her in full battle attire, her aura like a rainbow, every movement displaying a true warlord's bearing, showing no trace of feminine delicacy, but rather the fierce vigor of a mother leopard poised to strike, they cannot help but think, "What a dashing, heroic woman!"

Peng Chong reins his horse and stands at the front, his gaze fixed on Ye Zhuxi, his eyes containing no contempt, only pure admiration.

Seeing her clad in bright silver armor, her posture upright as a pine, every gesture exudes a chilling heroism, the bulging muscle lines on her arms indicating formidable combat power.

He cannot help but internally praise, "Governor Ye's physique and aura, on the battlefield she'll surely cut down foes..."

"No wonder she became Great Zhou's only female commander of troops; indeed her reputation is well deserved!"

Just by looking, her combat strength is clearly high.

No wonder she earned Taizu's favor, guarding a region as a woman!

Seeing this, Feng Muye immediately spurs his horse forward, respectfully clasping his fists to Ye Zhuxi, his voice booming, "Governor Ye, I am General of Left Martial Guard Feng Muye!"

Having said so, he steps aside, leads Ye Zhuxi to Chen Yan, and raises his hand to introduce, "This is Grand General Chen!"

Ye Zhuxi hears this and instantly dismounts with a crisp motion, clasping both fists to her chest in a respectful salute, "Subordinate General pays respects to the Grand General!"

Chen Yan sees this, also dismounts, steps forward, raises his hand in a mock support, and says gravely, "Governor Ye, no need for formalities!"

When the words fell, Yuwen Ze, Yu Yan, Lu Ming and the other generals also spurred their horses down, standing beside Chen Yan, their gazes all fixed on Ye Zhuxi, each showing respect.

Ye Zhuxi rose as instructed, and when she lifted her head, her eyes happened to meet Chen Yan's face.

He had sword‑like eyebrows and star‑bright eyes, a high nose bridge, and a handsome face bearing a few touches of battlefield‑forged heroism; he looked several years younger than the portrait circulating in the Capital, and his vigor shone even more.

She couldn't help but think silently, "Chen Zhuguo is even more heroic than the portrait!"

The thought vanished in an instant; Ye Zhuxi quickly gathered her spirit, resumed her usual composure, clasped her fists again, and reported in a resonant, powerful voice: "Grand General, pursuant to your Secret Order, Subordinate General has already gathered troops from Yin, Sui, Yan three provinces, totaling twenty thousand soldiers, all stationed outside Congma City!"

"The troops are high‑spirited, fully equipped, ready to break camp and march at any moment, awaiting your orders!"

Chen Yan heard this, his eyes showing even greater approval; he nodded slowly and said in a deep voice, "Very good!"

Ye Zhuxi clasped her fists, bowed, and continued reporting: "Grand General, the Inspector has also followed your instructions and has laid out several camps and garrisons around Congma City…"

"At this stage it can accommodate a few hundred thousand people; later we will expand, and after some time it can hold even more!"

When the words fell, Yuwen Ze beside them murmured low, "Accommodate so many people?"

His brows furrowed as if pondering a knot, and in an instant, as if a fog cleared, his eyes widened in shock, and he asked, "A Xiong, are you planning to relocate the people of Shuo Zhou?!"

Chen Yan turned his head toward him, nodded slowly, and said, "Indeed."

Then, looking toward the distant horizon, the sunset's afterglow gilded his handsome face, a slight smile curling his lips as he said, "Shuo Zhou borders Jinyang and lies east of the Yellow River; its defenses are certainly untenable…"

"Then we can only take everything we can, and take it all!"

Since it is destined to be indefensible, Chen can only maximize the benefit!

Use the people of Shuo Zhou to reinforce the Dazhou North Region.

Feng Muyi heard this, his eyes brightened instantly, a gleam flashing, and he clapped his hands in praise: "Grand General, brilliant!"

He paused, his voice unintentionally rising a few degrees: "When the time comes, we will leave Qi State with an empty city, so even if they retake Shuo Zhou, they will only get a barren land, greatly reducing its strategic value!"

"It will also force the ruler of Qi to spend great effort to repopulate Shuo Zhou and rebuild its defenses!"

Ye Zhuxi also showed admiration, clasped her fists and said, "Grand General, your foresight is profound; Subordinate General admires you!"

Wind swirled sand across the Wilderness as the generals praised the relocation plan, and Yu Yan's brows twitched, as if catching a key detail in the earlier deployment.

He looked up at Chen Yan, his gaze inquisitive, stepped forward and asked, "Grand General, the large amount of bran prepared earlier—could it be for the Qi State civilians who will be relocated?"

Chen Yan heard this, a half‑smile on his face, turned to Yu Yan and retorted, "How could that be?"

He then suppressed his smile, his expression solemn, and said firmly, "Once these people move into Great Zhou's territory, they will no longer be citizens of Qi State, but subjects of Great Zhou!"

"How could we have our subjects eat bran?"

Damaging his own reputation and hurting the people's hearts—how could Chen possibly do such a thing?

Moreover, it would take great effort to bring so much bran…

As soon as the words fell, Peng Chong immediately echoed loudly, his face full of admiration, flattering, "Grand General, you are absolutely right!"

"This move will surely make the people of Shuo Zhou grateful and turn their hearts toward Great Zhou!"

Feng Muyi also nodded repeatedly, his eyes full of respect, praising, "Grand General, your benevolent heart—Shuyi deeply respects it!"

Yuwen Ze stood aside, blinked, his gaze fixed on Chen Yan, thought briefly, and muttered to himself, "A Xiong has always been far‑sighted, never acting without purpose…"

"Emphasizing kindness to the people cannot be merely superficial; what other trick is being plotted against Qi State?"

Ye Zhuxi listened to Chen Yan's words, her heart filled with emotion, and sincerely nodded in admiration, "I have long heard Chen Zhuguo praised as a modern upright figure; seeing him today, the reputation is truly deserved!"

"Such empathy for the people, loving them as one's own children, no wonder you earn the soldiers' and populace's support!"

Chen Yan gave a slight nod, then flipped onto his horse, tightened the horse rein, and loudly ordered, "Set off immediately!"

When the words fell, he raised his hand and pointed toward the dust‑shrouded Congma City ahead, his voice growing louder: "We will rest one night at Congma City, recuperate, and tomorrow march straight into Qi territory!"

"As you command!" the generals answered in unison, their voices echoing to the heavens.

Peng Chong spurred the warhorse, leading the vanguard to forge ahead.

The dark‑colored cavalry formation moved again, like a black torrent, racing toward Congma City.