Chapter 19

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for intercepting the Southern Blade King Meng Jiehai, Commander-in-Chief 86, Martial Power 101, Intelligence 70, Politics 68!"

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for intercepting Jin Wuchu, Commander-in-Chief 97, Martial Power 101, Intelligence 86, Politics 93!"

Yue Fei's lifelong rival, Jin Wuchu!

Jin Wuchu's true name is Wanyan Zongbi, the fourth son of Jin Taizu Wanyan Aguda; he is the incarnation of the heavenly Crimson Beard Dragon, sent down by the Jade Emperor's decree to disturb the Song realm.

Upon his first appearance, Jin Wuchu lifted a thousand-jin iron dragon in the Jin state and was appointed Grand Marshal of the Southern Expedition by the Old Wolf Lord.

Even though he repeatedly lost to Yue Fei, the Jin people still could not but rely on him, showing how strong Wanyan Zongbi—that is, Jin Wuchu—truly is.

He even created a famous scene: Jin Taizong issued an edict to pursue the Southern Song's Emperor Gaozong Zhao Gou, with Jin Wuchu as the vanguard.

"He flees, he pursues, he cannot fly away with wings", Zhao Gou ran all the way, Zongbi chased all the way, until he drove Zhao Gou out to sea before temporarily ending the matter.

But after this mountain‑sea search, his invincible golden body was cruelly shattered, even reduced to the Southern Song's "famous general manufacturing machine"!

Any famous general of the Southern Song has gained experience on him.

Therefore, unable to escape the shadow of repeated defeats, he shifted from a belligerent war‑hawk to an envoy for Song‑Jin peace.

From being unstoppable to suffering repeated defeats, Wanyan Zongbi not only avoided execution, but even surpassed all the imperial clansmen to become the top person under the Jin emperor.

Jin Wuchu relied not only on military exploits but also on equally outstanding political insight; although a Jurchen noble, through Sinicization he became a powerful chancellor.

Although he could not defeat the famous Southern Song generals, he could still take Yue Fei's life even when losing on the battlefield.

His repeated defeats at Yue Fei's hands were not due to his own weakness; it was simply that his opponent was too strong.

Therefore, Jin Wuchu's martial power reached the level of Divine General, and even his Commander-in-Chief ability reached the divine level!

However, this time he was intercepted by himself.

This Crimson Beard Dragon, the Jin state's Grand Marshal of the Southern Expedition, seems about to become Su Ye's General of the Northern Expedition!

"Ding! Balance ended, please check your rewards, host!"

The system's notification tone sounded in his ear.

Su Ye felt a numbness in his head, and suddenly some memories appeared out of nowhere in his mind.

Meng Jiehai was implanted as one of the original 30,000 reserve troops; during training he was dug out by Meng Zhang and became a colonel of the Heavenly Spirit Army.

Jin Wuchu was implanted as the foreign refugee that Yuwen Chengdu picked up on the Cangzhou battlefield; moved by the scene and reminded of his own origins, he accepted him as his sworn brother.

Also, from memory, a new Meng‑surname War God—Meng Hu Wang—has appeared in the Taiping Sect!

Sure!

Although it's unknown which old silver‑coin faction sent this Meng Hu Wang as a pawn, the intelligence shows no relation to Zhang Jiao.

But since he is a Yellow Turban, he is now one of our own!

Afterward came the two implanted foreign imperial stars from the north: Wanyan Aguda and Yelu Abaoji.

However, feeling the newly added memories and recalling them carefully, Su Ye suddenly felt that his lineup for the upcoming expedition was simply extravagant to an absurd degree!

The Commander-in-Chief roster includes a Saint Rank Commander-in-Chief with base Commander-in-Chief 103, Li Jing; a Divine Commander with base Commander-in-Chief 98, Qin Qiong; and a Divine Commander plus Divine General with base Commander-in-Chief 97 and base Martial 101, Jin Wuchu.

Martial power is off the charts, there are four War Gods: Base Martial 110 Heavenly Divine General White Tiger, Base Martial 107 Heavenly Treasure Great General Yuwen Chengdu, Base Martial 108 Archer General Vermilion Bird, Base Martial 109 Guard Great General Wu Xuan.

They are all rare high‑ranking War Gods outside!

Among mid‑to‑high ranking Divine Generals there are Base Martial 105 Peak Flower Spear General Tian Zengbiao, Base Martial 101 Meng Jiehai, Base Martial 102 Xu Chu, and the door‑god duo of Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong!

In strategy and politics there's Yao Guangxiao, an all‑round talent, who can be directly ordered around like an ox or horse!

What a lineup, after taking stock.

With this lineup we can directly rise up and start contending for supremacy ahead of time.

In the main camp of the new army, the Heavenly Spirit Army.

When a huge war drum was heavily beaten by the soldiers, it signaled that this important expedition was about to begin.

Each general and colonel, clad in heavy armor, holding long spears, stood at the front of the troops, with resolute and decisive eyes.

On the commander's platform, Su Ye, accompanied by Li Jing and others, looked at his soldiers, who either carried long spears, held swords, or drew bows, their postures upright.

Their eyes filled with determination and courage, like a band of fearless warriors ready to conquer all enemies in the world.

Su Ye's teacher, namely Yao Guangxiao, holding a map and wearing a strategist's robe, walked up to Su Ye's side.

"The Xiongnu began moving south a few days ago; they are now blocked by the Mu father and son at the Tai Ping Gate north of Cangzhou!"

Su Ye listened to Yao Guangxiao's casually brought intelligence and nodded.

Then Su Ye walked to his warhorse, a black steed with bright, spirited eyes, obviously a top‑notch battlefield horse.

Su Ye vaulted onto the horse, gripped the reins tightly, and behind him, the White Tiger and others also mounted their own warhorses.

"Depart!"

With Su Ye's command, the soldiers' shouts, warhorses' neighs, clashing of metal, drumbeats, and bugle calls blended together, forming a magnificent march of departure.

In the distance, Su Kai and his wife stood in a corner, silently watching the youthful vigor and flamboyant armored figure of that teenager, speechless.

At this moment, Meng Wei was no longer the noble daughter of the Meng clan of Confucian scholars, but merely an ordinary mother worried about her child.

Her feelings were complex and heavy.

She felt proud of her child's spirit and strength, yet at the same time worried about his safety and future.

When Su Ye rode his horse, leading the Heavenly Spirit Army slowly out of the Jiuxiao City Gate, Meng Wei stood at the gate watching her child go far away.

Her eyes were full of reluctance and longing, yet also of determination and pride.

She knew that the child who once babbled on her lap had grown up and was about to become the family's pride.

Meanwhile, at the Tai Ping Gate, the thick smoke from the raging war flames rolled and spread throughout the city.

On the vast, desolate land inside and outside the battlefield, desolate smoke permeated, turning the former iron‑blooded fervor into endless sorrow.

The ruined city walls seemed to recount that fierce battle, and in the wind the warhorses' neighs still echoed.

The Mu family's great banner, fluttering in the wind, was already tattered and torn, seeming as if it would fall at any moment.

The defending archers aimed at the charging Xiongnu siege units; arrows pierced the air, accurately slipping through the gaps in armor, and soldiers fell one after another.

The tight defense made the siege troops' advance difficult.

On the city tower, the Mu family junior general stared fixedly at the Xiongnu army outside.

After discarding thousands of corpses, the Xiongnu outside finally retreated.

It's been more than half a month, and under the leadership of the Mu family father and son, Tai'ping Pass has held out for over half a month.

Over these twenty days, the Xiongnu's numbers kept increasing, and the Xiongnu tribes on the great grassland kept coming from all over the grassland.

To crack this hard nut and run rampant in Cangzhou.

From the initial ten thousand of a single tribe, when five or six tribes arrived later, the number suddenly jumped to seventy or eighty thousand.

Until ten days ago, over ten Xiongnu tribes had already gathered beneath Tai'ping Pass.

Of course, the Xiongnu no longer have that many; now there are fewer than 130,000.

As for those tens of thousands missing, they naturally lie buried beneath Tai'ping Pass.

Ancient siege warfare was often brutal and cruel.

Countless soldiers fell on the battlefield, their blood staining the land red.

Their bodies and helmets were trampled flat in the dirt, becoming nutrients for the soil of the coming year.

(End of chapter)