Chapter 1116

Time flew by in the lively atmosphere, and in the blink of an eye, the sky gradually darkened.

Tonight, it is destined to be a night of raging war.

……

Since Huo Sanniang and the others arrived, Chen Wuji has lived a carefree, indulgent life—either wandering around or eating and drinking, then taking a nap.

Besides occasionally handling memorials from various regions, he has delegated all military affairs to his subordinates, not even bothering to inquire.

Such days lasted a full half month until the eve of the year's end, when Xu Zengyi, Guo Shuhan, and Lv Ji suddenly arrived together.

Seeing the three of them appear together, Chen Wuji knew his leisurely days were over.

"My lord, all preparations before the campaign are complete; the grain and fodder have reached sixty percent delivery, with the final batch already en route, expected to arrive at Zhangye City in about half a month," Xu Zengyi said.

Chen Wuji gave a slight nod, "For this northern campaign, we must advance steadily; the vanguard must lead the way, clearing mountains and building bridges to ensure the smooth passage of supplies and baggage."

"Who is fit to be the vanguard? Have you discussed it?"

Xu Zengyi smiled, "Recently, over this matter, the generals have had many sparring matches; currently, General Chen Baojia has won more bouts, and everyone has willingly yielded the vanguard position to him."

"That is indeed a good method, avoiding endless verbal clashes among a group and sparing me headaches," Chen Wuji said. "Since they are military commanders, let them settle it on the drill field or training field—saves time and effort, and everyone will accept it."

Xu Zengyi suddenly wore a troubled expression and shook his head, "My lord, this matter is settled, but it also brings considerable trouble. With the army about to mobilize, due to the drills, many soldiers across the armies have been injured—dozens at least, hundreds at most."

"The lightly wounded stay with the army; the severely wounded are all to remain behind!" Chen Wuji said.

"Injuries during drills are inevitable; our purpose is precisely to let them sustain more injuries in training so fewer die on the battlefield!"

"We must not abstain from eating because of choking; reducing training intensity due to injuries is not the way. Later, as the military medical corps expands, training content should become even more rigorous—we can try drills under extreme weather and harsh conditions."

Xu Zengyi nodded, giving a wry smile, "My lord, it is not that I find the training too intense; I am troubled by these injured soldiers. My opinion aligns with yours—I have arranged it this way—but these soldiers insist on going to the battlefield, dead or alive."

Chen Wuji was somewhat surprised, "Even the severely wounded want to go?"

"Yes!"

"We fight eleven months out of the year; these fellows' eagerness for battle is still this intense?" Chen Wuji found it hard to believe.

He has recently felt somewhat fatigued; have these fellows' energies truly reached such a level?

"They indeed have this intention, but more importantly, they do not want to hinder their unit's progress, nor do they wish to be cowards, letting their comrades fight ahead while they rest in camp." Xu Zengyi said.

Chen Wuji smiled, "With such subordinates, what great undertaking could I fail to achieve? Issue my order: the severely wounded must all stay behind; the lightly wounded may go forward. To still obsess over the battlefield when already severely wounded—that is truly dragging down one's unit. What can they accomplish by going? Preparing to carry corpses to fill the city wall foundations?"

At this moment, Chen Wuji truly felt a surge of emotion he could barely suppress.

Three years!

His troops have long been called a strong army, but are they truly strong?

No!

Victory depends on the soldiers' courage, but other factors must not be overlooked.

In the first two years, to win a battle, he truly racked his brains, utilizing every possible resource.

Initially, the soldiers' courage was entirely sustained by Chen Wuji through military provisions and military merit; through countless instances of overcoming odds and desperate counterattacks, their fearlessness and unyielding spirit in any situation were forged.

A unit possessing the courage to dare battle, fear no battle, and excel in battle has the foundation of a strong army; now, several of his units have attained minor accomplishment in martial arts and bear the posture of a strong army.

But frankly, the achievements of Chen Wuji's troops today are not obtained from nothing—they are built upon countless sweat and tears of blood.

"Any other matters?" Chen Wuji asked.

Xu Zengyi glanced at Lv Ji, who quickly stepped forward, clasped his hands, and said, "My lord, the main structure of Zhangye City is nearing completion; the offices, general's mansion, and other buildings in the city have also been completed."

"So fast?" Chen Wuji asked.

Although he resides near Zhangye City, during this period he has truly not paid much attention to its progress; with family arrived, this kind of non-interference and non-delay was the first thing he delegated.

"My lord, it is not fast—tens of thousands of prisoners and thousands of artisans have worked in two shifts for nearly four months. Were it not for the city's immense scale and the exceptional solidity of materials, under normal speed it would have been completed in three months." Lv Ji said.

Three months may seem short, but considering the scale of tens of thousands of prisoners and thousands of artisans working in two shifts, it indeed seems appropriate.

"Any other urgent matters? If not, let us enter the city to inspect!" Chen Wuji asked the three.

"Temporarily, there are no other matters," Xu Zengyi said.

Chen Wuji waved his hand, "Then let us go; we will enter the city to see. To witness Zhangye City's completion as the army prepares to depart is a good omen. Xie Fengxian, stationed among the Uyghurs, has sent news of initial victory via the spy camp—this is double joy arriving together."

A few days prior, leading troops across Buzhou Shan, Xie Fengxian secretly infiltrated Uyghur territory and, through the spy camp's channels, sent a sealed letter: he used elite forces to seize one of the three Uyghur military forts west of Buzhou Shan, establishing a foothold in Uyghur lands, and the initial grain and fodder issue has been resolved.

"My lord, which place did General Xie attack?" Xu Zengyi suddenly asked.

Lv Ji and Guo Shuhan also simultaneously revealed curious and astonished expressions.

Chen Wuji stared blankly for a moment or two, "I haven't told you this?"

Xu Zengyi's mouth twitched slightly, "My lord, over this past half month, aside from instructing us to attend to our duties and not disturb unless urgent, you seem to have told us nothing."

Chen Wuji felt a bit embarrassed, "This—these past few days, I have indeed been busy; how could I forget such an important matter so carelessly? I reflect, I reflect."

Xu Zengyi laughed, "My lord, being busy these days is understandable; we can fully comprehend."

These past few days, the most discussed topic among everyone has been Chen Wuji's heir issue.

This matter concerns everyone; precisely because of this, everyone has mutually understood not to disturb, to discuss solutions if problems arise, and absolutely refrain from bringing it up before Chen Wuji.