[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber":3,"chapter-my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-chapter-888":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","My Life as a Rising Force in the Red Chamber",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2311686,4515,"Chapter 888","my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-chapter-888",888,"\u003Cp>Two hundred miles south of Tongzhou, the encampment of the Six Thousand Divine Mechanism Camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Jia Cong finished speaking, the expressions of the officers and commanders in the tent varied, each harboring doubts and concerns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Six Thousand Divine Mechanism Camp had been on campaign for barely two days when they encountered such a thorny matter, yet they did not regard Jia Cong’s judgment as alarmist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though this commanding general was remarkably young, he was a rising star in the Zhou army, long known as a born general.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before reaching the age of twenty, he rose to prominence in Liaodong, strategizing from behind the scenes, winning numerous battles, subduing the Three Jurchen Garrisons, and expanding Zhou territory by a thousand li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For this, he was granted a hereditary marquisate, making him the most dazzling figure in the military over the past several years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though military ranks traditionally prioritize seniority, glorious battlefield achievements can overshadow all else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The officers and commanders of the Shenjing Camp were not foolish enough to harbor even a hint of contempt for Jia Cong due to his youth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention that Jia Cong’s role as a military commander was merely a matter of circumstance—he was entrusted with command only because His Majesty placed extraordinary trust in him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He still holds his official path in the civil service; he is none other than the former second-place scholar of the spring palace examination and the youngest Hanlin Academician since the founding of the Zhou dynasty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Zhou dynasty inherited the customs of the preceding Song, and after nearly a century of consolidation, a culture of civil supremacy over military had taken root.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Civil officials often looked down on military officers as crude and uncouth, yet military officers dared not despise civil officials, at least not openly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Cong was not only a young general of renown but also shone brilliantly in the civil path; to these rough soldiers, he was nothing less than the Celestial Star of Literature incarnate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Civil officials, at critical moments, could determine a military officer’s future with just a few words—such occurrences were far from rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For men of the military to rise above others, they must win glory through battle; whether this campaign against the Mongols yields success hinges entirely on the young commander’s word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the overall commander of this campaign, Liang Chengzong, was Jia Cong’s former superior, who had once promoted and guided him, and rumors say their personal bond runs deep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Power and interest are so delicate that a hair’s breadth of difference can lead to catastrophic error; no matter how valiant you are or how great your battlefield achievements, they cannot match a few kind words from your superior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone who has climbed the ranks in the military is no fool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These officers, regardless of their motives, would never engage in ridiculous behavior—such as mocking Jia Cong’s youth or showing defiance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if they did not grovel to flatter him, adhering strictly to military discipline and showing proper respect to their commander, winning Jia Cong’s favor, was absolutely vital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, Jia Cong was not only a prestigious Hanlin scholar but also the legitimate heir of a noble military house, sharing the same roots as these military officers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a distinguished young commander—any officer who failed to cultivate a good relationship with him would be mocked by his peers and left without support if misfortune struck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deputy Commander Lin Zhen had only heard of Jia Cong’s reputation; when Jia Cong returned triumphantly from Liaodong, it was Lin Zhen who led the Five Armies’ ceremonial cavalry to welcome him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But only after joining this campaign did he gain firsthand insight into Jia Cong’s command abilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yesterday’s orders for camp layout, layered defenses, and readiness for action were utterly unlike conventional military doctrine, with no precedent in any ancient military treatise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Cong was not only skilled in developing firearms and divine weapons but also excelled in deploying troops armed with them—this was clear to Lin Zhen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Campaigning under such a deeply strategic commander would greatly reduce the probability of defeat or death, and greatly increase the chance of earning merit and promotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Lin Zhen took Jia Cong’s words with the utmost seriousness and asked: “Sir, do you believe the remaining Mongol leader Andahan has some hidden scheme?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Cong said: “The principles of commanding troops are constant; the commander’s every move affects the whole. Andahan’s southern advance aims to seize Zhou territory and restore the glory of the former Yuan dynasty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I were Andahan, and wished to win a decisive victory that shakes the world, the only strategic course would be to strike directly at Shenjing—everything else is merely a means.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yaoshan Relay, with only three thousand defenders, is utterly insignificant to nearly a hundred thousand Mongol troops; why waste strength on it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I were Andahan, I would bypass Yaoshan Relay entirely and march straight for Yuanzhou and Tongzhou; only by opening the gates of Beisan Pass could victory be secured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet three thousand defenders at Yaoshan Relay are insufficient to threaten the Mongols’ rear; if he sends a large force to attack Yuanzhou and severs Yaoshan Relay’s link to Beisan Pass,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yaoshan Relay becomes a lone city, doomed to fall without a siege—this is the classic strategy of gaining advantage without fighting, striking straight for the heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Andahan is an unparalleled warlord of the steppe, who subdued all northern tribes under his power; the court has repeatedly launched large-scale campaigns against him, winning battles but never eradicating the threat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before I departed, I reviewed the Ministry of War’s documents; in past invasions, Andahan’s strategies were brilliant, cunning, and unpredictable, hard to counter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I can foresee this, how could he not? Concentrating heavy forces on a single point is not sound military strategy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If no Mongol cavalry had appeared in the interior, this might still be concealed—but now the signs are unmistakable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Andahan has assembled tens of thousands of elite troops, locking in stalemate with the Beisan Pass garrison—this is likely a ruse; he must have another plan!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Zhen asked: “Sir, are you saying Andahan’s siege of Yaoshan Relay is merely a feint to tie down our forces?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Cong nodded and said: “The Mongols have breached Xuanfu Garrison and seized Donggang’s military supply depot, advancing south like a flood. The court now treats them as a grave threat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That Yaoshan Relay has held against the Mongol army means Beisan Pass’s eighty thousand troops will spare no effort to reinforce and resist them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Andahan thus maximally ties down our forces; under such conditions, laxity and vulnerability within the passes are inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, if he sends another force along the eastern mountain forests, marching by night and hiding by day, taking hidden paths to evade our scouts, he could reach Shenjing in just a few days!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing Jia Cong’s words, the officers in the tent grew pale; the war had barely begun, yet they were already struck at the core—the very brink of military disaster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Zhen said: “Sir, Shenjing is the capital of the Zhou dynasty, with high walls and deep moats, garrisoned by heavy forces; even if the Mongols sneak in tens of thousands of elite troops, they cannot easily breach it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Cong said: “You are correct, Lin General. Shenjing has been the capital since the Yuan dynasty, a city developed over centuries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the command of Marquis Zhongjing, sixty thousand elite troops of the Five Armies garrison the city, alongside tens of thousands of imperial guards and soldiers from various government offices—totaling nearly one hundred thousand troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It cannot be easily captured by tens of thousands of invaders—but if the Mongols infiltrate the passes, they need not directly assault Shenjing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All they need do is raid surrounding towns, cut off Shenjing’s grain supply routes, and plunge the interior into chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shenjing has over one hundred thirty Battalion Commander, nearly six hundred thousand people; even with ample grain stores, they cannot sustain prolonged siege.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the infiltrating Mongol forces sever Shenjing’s grain lines or burn the grain en route, panic will erupt within the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of the troops from the four surrounding prefectures have already been drawn to Beisan Pass; they are stretched thin and cannot quickly reinforce Shenjing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once such raids spread, they become impossible to contain; Shenjing falls into crisis, and the Beisan Pass garrison loses its ability to respond to both fronts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Disrupted morale is the greatest danger in warfare; the campaign against the Mongols has barely begun, yet the three-pass armies are already faltering, with endless future consequences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how many elite troops or capable generals follow, they will be reduced to scrambling in vain—this is the gravest taboo in interstate warfare; the situation could spiral beyond imagination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Andahan is truly not to be underestimated; this scheme is ruthless and cunning…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Zhen’s expression was stunned. “Sir, given this situation, how should our army respond?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Cong said gravely: “If scouts sent one hundred fifty miles southeast confirm the presence of a large Mongol force, the Six Thousand Divine Mechanism Camp will not stand idle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I have been appointed by His Majesty’s decree to command the Divine Mechanism Camp, under the overall authority of Duke Pingyuan—but when commanding troops in the field, orders may be disregarded if necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once scouts confirm enemy movements, I intend to turn the army around and crush the Mongol scheme before it can jeopardize the entire campaign.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All officers and commanders, you must unite as one and assist me in quelling this threat!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Zhen declared solemnly: “Sir, whatever you command, we will face fire and water, life or death, without hesitation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other officers in the tent echoed their assent. Jia Cong ordered each unit to inspect their gear and prepare for immediate departure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He opened his leather satchel, took out brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and prepared to write.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ai Li stepped forward to grind the ink and asked: “Yuzhang, why are you writing now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Cong smiled: “I’m not writing an essay. The third batch of scouts hasn’t returned yet, but the Mongol elite’s infiltration into the passes is already certain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m drafting a memorial to His Majesty outlining the stakes, and a letter to Marquis Zhongjing—so that if events unfold, Shenjing can respond appropriately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire army will march urgently soon; I must write this in advance so the scouts can deliver it immediately once enemy intelligence is confirmed.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1751,"2026-06-20T12:19:58.587Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","f1c790431dba216e80a70e7bf571d9c670e83029e7db9a050b6a3a5bb370beb2","my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-chapter-889","my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-chapter-887",920,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmy-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-cover.jpg"]