Chapter 104: Time Flows! In the Blink of Three Months!

No matter the era.

Status!

Position!

It means the treatment one receives.

If Lin Fu and Shen Yuer were ordinary commoners, they would never have been lodged in this inn; if they were mere commoners, this assassination attempt would have surely killed them.

But because of Zhu Ying’s presence.

Their status naturally underwent a transformation.

“Your subordinate is guilty for allowing these assassins to infiltrate the inn.”

“Please, Battalion Commander, punish me.”

The soldiers responsible for guard duty pleaded fearfully before the Battalion Commander.

“The inn’s defenses were never tight; this is not your fault.”

“It’s a pity no survivors were left.”

The Battalion Commander looked at the four corpses on the ground, disappointed.

Had any survived to be interrogated, this would have been a great achievement.

“Battalion Commander.”

“These assassins were surely death-seekers, likely tied to the Northern Yuan.”

“This matter must be reported upward.” Xiao Han suggested.

“Mm.” The Battalion Commander nodded.

But beside him,

Lin Fu and Shen Yuer exchanged a glance, both expressions complex.

Clearly,

They both knew who had sent the assassins.

“Xiao Han.”

“Since you’ve been ordered by the Marquis of Champion to escort these two to Fucheng,”

“Find them another room to settle in.”

“After I report to the Battalion Commander, I’ll immediately arrange an escort.” The Battalion Commander said to Xiao Han.

“Your subordinate obeys.” Xiao Han replied at once.

He then turned to Lin Fu: “Master Lin, Miss Shen.”

“Come with me to another room to rest.”

“This time, the assassins won’t get another chance.”

Lin Fu nodded: “Thank you.”

Not long after,

In another room,

Shen Yuer did not immediately return to her own chamber.

Lin Fu and Shen Yuer sat facing each other.

“Master Lin,”

“They truly meant to kill us,” Shen Yuer said, pale-faced.

“The Shen family has already arranged a marriage alliance with another great clan; their engagement to Young Master is now an unmentionable shame—if it leaks, it will damage both the Shen family and that official household.”

“So they intend to silence us completely.”

“Dead people are the best way.”

“I once thought the Shen family still had some regard for you, Yuer, but now I see… sigh…” Lin Fu sighed.

Shen Yuer replied bitterly: “The Shen family…”

“Yuer,”

“It’s all right.”

“A family that commits such evil deeds will meet no good end.”

“They first tried to kill Young Master, and now they’re sending assassins to silence us—this grudge will be repaid.”

“I’ve watched you grow up; you and Young Master were childhood companions. That’s good—soon, Young Master will treat you well.”

“As for the Shen family, Young Master has already risen to prominence, holds an official post from the imperial court, and wields power—he need not fear them anymore.” Lin Fu’s eyes blazed with anger.

First, they targeted Young Master, seeking to kill him.

Today, they sent assassins to eliminate us.

This feud can no longer be resolved.

“Has Brother Zhu Ying really become a General?”

“It feels like a dream.”

Looking at the several imperial edicts inside the box, Shen Yuer still felt as if in a dream.

Zhu Ying, who had grown up beside her, had become a General of the Great Ming.

…

Liaodong!

The battlefield still raged on.

The Ming army advanced in two directions, pushing into Liaodong, capturing cities and seizing military merit.

The Yuan forces resisted fiercely, but after the fall of the two fortress cities of Jincheng, their resistance had become futile—merely delaying Liaodong’s recovery by the Great Ming.

One month passed.

More than two months passed.

The Great Ming’s offensive continued unabated.

In the direction of the former Jincheng,

Fu Youde led his army toward Gaizhou, now close at hand.

This prefecture served as a shield for Liaoyang, Liaodong’s main city.

Once captured, Liaoyang lay within reach.

Naha’chu had deployed heavy troops to defend Gaizhou.

Meanwhile,

Lan Yu led his army in a fierce assault toward Tieliang.

The Ming forces advanced on two fronts, poised for a powerful push.

Though Liaodong was not vast, it was far from small.

Naha’chu had held off the Ming for months—clearly, his ability was formidable; otherwise, he could not have resisted the Ming army, nor earned such favor from the Yuan court.

Less than twenty li from Tieliang,

A recently captured small city.

The Ming banners flew atop its city wall, fluttering in the wind.

The once-red banners now bore fresh crimson bloodstains.

Beneath the banners,

Corpses lay everywhere.

“Report, General.”

“This city is now less than twenty li from Tieliang.”

“Tomorrow, our army can strike directly at Tieliang City.”

“We’ll claim this great merit.”

Chen Heng spoke, trembling with excitement.

Zhu Ying stood atop the city wall facing Tieliang, his expression grim.

“Something’s wrong.”

Zhu Ying said slowly.

Hearing this,

Chen Heng and Zhang Wu both looked puzzled.

“General, what’s wrong?”

“In less than three months, our army has seized seventeen cities from the Yuan—three more than Lan Yu’s forces.”

“What army could match this pace?”

“In Liaodong’s thousands of li, we’ve reclaimed two-tenths of its territory.”

“Under your command, our Ningbian troops have earned unquestionable merit,” Chen Heng smiled.

“Since capturing Qingcheng,”

“Didn’t you notice anything odd about the Yuan garrisons defending the other cities?” Zhu Ying asked.

Hearing this,

Chen Heng and Zhang Wu paused to think.

Then,

“General,”

After capturing Qingcheng, the Yuan forces’ resistance in the following cities seemed weaker. Most of their soldiers were recruits; once our troops breached the walls, they fled or surrendered at the first sight.

“This doesn’t resemble the Yuan’s true main force,” said Chen Heng.

“Indeed.”

“But General, this isn’t surprising either.”

“Our Great Ming army is now launching a full-scale offensive. Even though the Yuan have long held Liaodong, they are clearly unable to withstand us anymore. After so much fighting, they must have few troops left to oppose us—this is merely desperate last resistance,” said Zhang Wu with a smile, finding nothing odd about it.

But Zhu Ying’s expression was grim.

“That’s precisely what’s strange.”

“If they’re fighting desperately—”

“then Naha Chu wouldn’t so easily abandon these fortified cities.”

“Every city our army passes through appears to be fiercely defended, yet there are no elite troops—only recruits, with incomplete armor and weapons.”

“Tieling isn’t a naturally defensible city—it’s merely a strategic hub.”

“With Naha Chu’s ability, he knows full well that once the surrounding cities fall, Tieling cannot hold,” Zhu Ying said slowly, his mind unraveling the threads, as if he had already grasped the truth.

“General.”

“Could the Yuan have some other objective?” Chen Heng asked.

With that said—

Chen Heng too sensed something odd, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

“The battlefield situation is now clear.”

“The Yuan forces in Liaodong are clearly collapsing.”

“Naha Chu is a clever man—otherwise he wouldn’t have earned the Yuan court’s trust and turned Liaodong into an impregnable fortress, with strong troops and ample horses.”

“He sees the collapse, and he knows that merely defending will lead only to defeat.”

“He’s not the type to surrender. If defense won’t work, then he must win—destroy our invading army, and only then can he repel our Great Ming forces and preserve Liaodong.”

Zhu Ying spoke slowly.

The more he spoke, the clearer the core issue became—uncovered.

“General.”

“You mean the Yuan are gathering their elite troops to launch a counterattack against us?” Chen Heng suddenly understood.

“That does seem possible.”

“For over two months, our army has pressed forward relentlessly, yet the Yuan’s garrison forces have steadily dwindled—nearly ninety percent are recruits, their numbers severely depleted, and their grain and supplies barely enough for a few days.”

“It seems the Yuan have indeed withdrawn all their elite troops,” Zhang Wu said gravely.

Chen Heng pondered a moment, then fixed his gaze on Zhu Ying: “General! The situation is clear—our offensive is fierce. If Naha Chu gathers his forces to fight us in a decisive battle, wouldn’t Grand General Blue Jade welcome it? He’d crush them in one stroke. So what’s the point of gathering elite troops?”

Zhang Wu looked up at Zhu Ying.

Or rather, the eyes of all the surrounding generals turned to Zhu Ying.

They had followed Zhu Ying into battle for so long—they knew their general was not only fierce in combat, but also skilled in troop command and strategy.

Under the gaze of the officers—

Zhu Ying wore a thoughtful expression, deep in thought.

After a brief pause—

Zhu Ying’s eyes sharpened—he suddenly realized.

“Where is Lan Yu’s army?”

Zhu Ying asked urgently.

“General.”

“Lan Yu commands nearly a hundred thousand troops. Even as we press forward, their speed is faster—they’ve marched day and night without pause.”

“They’re now less than ten li from Tieling,” Chen Heng said helplessly.

“We won’t win the glory of Tieling this time,” Zhang Wu also sighed.

“Tieling.”

“Naha Chu’s goal is to annihilate us at Tieling.”

“Our Great Ming army is split into two columns. Naha Chu lacks the strength to defend both. To change the Liaodong situation, he must destroy one of our columns—then half the crisis for his Yuan court will be resolved.”

“If he succeeds—”

“the Yuan can counterattack, reclaim lost territory, and even strike at our Danning,” Zhu Ying said with grave seriousness.

“But General—”

“Lan Yu commands nearly a hundred thousand troops. Even if Naha Chu gathers more forces, how can he annihilate them?”

“Though those Huaixi generals are arrogant, their command abilities are not weak,” Chen Heng said.

Zhu Ying’s expression turned solemn as he slowly spoke: “Use Tieling as bait to lure Lan Yu’s army inside. If the city is filled with flammable materials—alcohol, oil—and the Yuan set it ablaze, even a hundred thousand troops would be wiped out!”

Hearing this—

Chen Heng, Zhang Wu, and the surrounding generals all drew a sharp breath.

As seasoned soldiers, they instantly understood whether this strategy could work.

If Tieling truly became a trap, filled with fire-starting materials, and the army marched in—fire would consume them.

Then, if the Yuan attacked from behind—

The army would collapse.

Lan Yu’s entire column would be burned to ashes.

“General.”

“What should we do?”

“Should we send a messenger to warn Lan Yu?” Zhang Wu ventured.

The other generals all looked to Zhu Ying.

Clearly—

They harbored distrust toward those Huaixi generals.

“Those Huaixi generals may be arrogant, but they fight for the country. Their soldiers are our Great Ming troops—our brothers-in-arms.”

“If we know this and say nothing, letting countless soldiers die needlessly, that would be my fault.”

Zhu Ying said gravely.

Though he disliked the Huaixi, Zhu Ying held to his own principles.

He could not stand by and watch his brothers-in-arms walk into an ambush without warning them.

Zhu Ying could not do such a thing.

Even if the glory of Tieling went to Lan Yu, if weighed against the lives of countless soldiers, Zhu Ying would never choose otherwise.

Because he was a man.

A Han man.

A Huaxia man.

He could use any treachery against foreign enemies—but toward his own kin, Zhu Ying would always remain true to his heart.

Though he could kill enemies to gain attributes, he would never become a demon who knew only slaughter.

“Liu Lei.”

“Paper and ink,” Zhu Ying called.

“Yes.”

Liu Lei immediately took out paper and ink from the box he carried.

Zhu Ying immediately picked up the brush and wrote on the city wall.

Soon—

He set down the brush.

“Send a personal guard to Lan Yu’s camp to warn him of the danger at Tieling.”

“Do not seek glory by rushing forward.”

“Proceed with utmost caution.”

Zhu Ying handed the letter to Liu Lei.

“Yes.”

Liu Lei immediately sealed the letter in a bamboo tube.

Then he turned—

And selected fifty personal guards.

“Ride swiftly to Lan Yu’s camp and deliver the General’s letter to Earl Yongchang Lan Yu,” Liu Lei shouted.

“Your orders are received!”

The guards chorused.

Then they mounted their horses and galloped toward the direction of Lan Yu’s encampment.

“General.”

“Though you’ve reported the possibility of an ambush at Tieling—”

“but…”

Chen Heng frowned: “Will those Huaixi generals believe it?”

“Will they think we’re deliberately slowing their advance to steal the glory for ourselves?”

"Given the arrogance of these Huaixi officers, they might truly think so."

Zhang Wu nodded: "Indeed. After all, the Yuan ambush at Tieling is merely the General’s speculation—there’s no concrete intelligence. With Lan Yu and Chang Mao’s temperaments, they won’t believe it; they’ll think we’re trying to steal their glory."

As for that!

Zhu Ying’s expression was calm.

"Let them believe or not."

"I’ve done my duty."

"But."

"What you say has merit. Our army must prepare for their disbelief—at least we must save those innocent comrades."

"If we let countless soldiers die needlessly because they refuse to believe us, I cannot stand idly by," Zhu Ying said grimly.

"Please give your orders, General."

Chen Heng and Zhang Wu immediately bowed deeply to Zhu Ying.

Both were now Commandant under Zhu Ying’s command, directly serving him.

"Prepare the entire army for battle."

"If Lan Yu truly attacks Tieling regardless of consequences, I shall lead the cavalry to strike the Yuan forces and break their ambush," Zhu Ying said grimly.

"Your orders are received."

Chen Heng and Zhang Wu replied in unison.

"Enough."

"The great battle has just ended. Follow the usual rule—let the men rest well."

"When the time comes to move, I will issue the orders," Zhu Ying said grimly.

…

The encampment where Chang Mao’s army was stationed.

Outside the camp, Ming soldiers patrolled vigilantly—defenses were tight.

As the saying went, though the Huaixi commanders were arrogant and had offended many, their troop command skills were unquestionable.

Camp setup, barracks placement, and patrol rotations—all were flawless.

And now.

A clatter of hooves approached.

Dozens of personal guards rode toward the camp gate.

"Halt."

The officer on gate duty raised his hand.

Soldiers around him raised bows and spears, alert and wary.

"I am Platoon Leader of the personal guard under General Zhu Ying, Commandant of the Daning Border Army, sent by the General with urgent military intelligence to deliver to General Lan Yu."

"Please relay this to him."

Zhu Ying’s Platoon Leader held up the bamboo tube and shouted loudly.

"Zhu Ying? Daning Border Army?"

Hearing this,

the gate officer and soldiers wore hostile expressions.

In the current race for glory,

and given how Lan Yu and Chang Mao had spread rumors that the Daning Border Army was stealing credit, tensions had grown between Huaixi troops and Daning soldiers.

But.

Before military matters,

the company commander dared not neglect this.

"Wait."

"I’ll report to the General immediately."

The company commander shouted, then turned and marched deep into the camp.

At this moment,

inside the main tent,

Chang Mao sat in the central seat, with his subordinate generals on either side.

"Brothers,"

"you’ve done well."

"Our army reached the Tieling region first."

"Tomorrow, General Lan Yu will arrive with his forces—we’ll unite and take Tieling."

"Tomorrow,"

"Nahashu’s central hub in Liaodong will be no more."

"This great achievement belongs to us alone," Chang Mao laughed triumphantly.

To seize Tieling, Chang Mao had pushed his troops hard, leaving no room for slack.

"In this battle, we shall surely capture Tieling and claim great glory."

"We swear to follow General Chang Mao to our deaths."

"To our deaths..."

The officers shouted in unison, fired with enthusiasm.

"Daning Border Army. Zhu Ying."

"Hmph."

"They advanced quickly, but still arrived too late."

"They’ve entered Tieling’s territory by now, haven’t they?" Chang Mao said with mockery.

"Report, General."

"General Zhu Ying has led the Daning Border Army to Lingxi City, less than twenty li from Tieling."

"Though they lagged behind us, their advance remains swift—do not underestimate them," Zhang Yu reported.

As Commandant of the Beiping Garrison, Zhang Yu now served as Chang Mao’s deputy.

As the Regional Military Commissioner of Beiping Prefecture, Zhang Yu now serves as deputy under Chang Mao.

"Zhu Ying and the Daning Border Army have no chance now of seizing the glory of breaking Tieling."

"Once we take Tieling,"

"we can march straight toward Liaoyang."

"At that moment, we’ll capture Nahashu."

"The greatest victory in Liaodong will be ours."

"At that moment, General Zhang and your Beiping troops will all have earned great merit," Chang Mao laughed.

“General Zhang and his Beiping troops have accomplished a great deed,” Chang Mao laughed.

…

PS: Update complete. Thank you for your support.

PS: Updated, thank you for your support.

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