Chapter 552: Willpower

Latest website: "Gule, Wuyan, remember the oaths you have sworn. Yanzhou has already been destroyed by the plague. As long as we take Yanguan, the Great Northern Di ambition to unify the world will be achieved."

"And your names will be sung by everyone on the Grassland, immortal forever." Mule Hongzhen's voice was dark and low, as if it came from the edge of the horizon.

"Great Khan, even if our blood runs dry, we will take Yanguan for you." Gule and Wuyan looked at each other and said in unison.

Mule Hongzhen nodded, then said to Gule and Wuyan: "The time to prove your loyalty has arrived. As long as you take Yanguan, we will bestow upon you Northern Di names, and from then on, you will be members of the Northern Di."

Gule and Wuyan knelt down at the same time.

In the Northern Di, the Northern Di people are the first class of nobility, people from vassal states belong to the second class, tribes like theirs that have been conquered belong to the third class, and the fourth class are the Song People.

The status of people in each class differs greatly in Great Song.

Even though they respectively command the First King Tent and Second King Tent of Xiliang.

Upon seeing ordinary Northern Di people, they must still yield and pay their respects to them.

And by receiving the Khan's gift of a name, they can change from the third class to the first class and enjoy the highest glory.

"Khan, we will trade our own lives for the glory you bestow." Gule and Wuyan said in unison, their eyes filled with longing.

Mule Hongzhen revealed a satisfied expression, "Once the siege equipment is finished, you shall march your troops to Yanguan."

"Yes, Khan." The four of them shouted in response at the same time.

After giving these instructions, Mule Hongzhen descended the city wall.

He prepared to head to Jincheng.

Ning City is located on the front line, and the soldiers attacking Yanguan will surely travel frequently between Ning City and Yanguan.

If the plague were accidentally brought back, it would be extremely dangerous.

Therefore, Tiemuta and Wulanbadu strongly urged him to stay in Jincheng to be safe.

Furthermore, to them, Yanguan is now within easy reach.

They only need to wait for good news.

Three days later, the siege equipment for attacking Yanguan was completed.

Gudan, who was temporarily appointed as the Great Administrator, led an army of four hundred thousand in a grand march toward Yanguan.

The Yanguan scouts responsible for reconnaissance immediately sent the news back.

Upon receiving the news, Mo Yu arranged defenses while sending the information back to Yancheng.

"The war has begun. You sons of bitches of the Northern Di, this time I will definitely give you a good thrashing."

Military Academy, command room.

Chang Wei was leading the generals in a simulation of the Ningjin Dusi campaign.

When Mo Yu's news arrived, he slammed his palm onto the table, shaking several teacups off it.

Hearing this, the generals were all eager for a fight.

"Hehe, this time let the Northern Di taste the power of the Rifled Musket," Qin Shan roared.

"Although there are four hundred thousand Northern Di attacking Yanguan, the true main force among them is only the two Northern Di King Tents; the two Xiliang King Tents cobbled together temporarily are nothing but a rabble," Lv Chang said.

"..."

In the Jinzhuzhizhan, the elite of Xiliang had already been wiped out by them.

The temporarily raised Xiliang soldiers would be no better than the miscellaneous troops of the Rich Clans.

The generals spoke one after another, showing not a hint of fear regarding this war.

Yang Zhen watched this scene, feeling a wave of emotion in his heart.

If the generals of the Ningjin Dusi at the time had all been as fearless in the face of war as they were.

How could he have lost the Ningjin Dusi?

At the same time, he gradually understood one thing.

The rise of Yan Wang was no accident.

This young Yan Wang himself was a staunch member of the War Faction.

Facing the Rich Clans on his fief, facing the Yuan Family, and facing the Northern Di, he never chose to submit.

Instead, he carved out a bloody path and sat firmly in Yanzhou.

Furthermore, he was diligent in governance and loved the people, and he also knew how to research and build various types of high-powered firearms.

Even the generals under his command, he was able to cultivate them to be so excellent.

Sometimes, he even thought that this Yan Wang truly had the bearing of a sovereign.

However, such thoughts were somewhat disrespectful to the Emperor of Great Song, Zhao Heng, so he stopped after thinking it and dared not mention it aloud.

"General Yang, you shall now return to Chrysanthemum Island and wait for orders at any time. From the reconnaissance, Mule Hongzhen is commanding two King Tents to sit in Jincheng; this time we must use a chain trap," Chang Wei said.

Yang Zhen nodded, "Yes, General."

Hesitating for a moment, he said: "General Chang, please give the most dangerous mission to us, the Ningjin Army. What was lost, we want to take back with our own hands."

Chang Wei laughed heartily, "Rest assured, you will have plenty of fighting in this war."

Yang Zhen cast a look of gratitude at Chang Wei and turned to leave.

Walking out of the Military Academy, he headed straight for the north of the city, preparing to go to Leting County before returning to Chrysanthemum Island.

Halfway there, he suddenly pulled on the reins and stood still in place.

After a while, he turned his horse's head and headed west.

In this great battle of Ningjin, he had already steeled himself for death; he would never retreat on the battlefield and would live or die with the Ningjin Army.

Yet, as he made this vow in his heart, he suddenly thought of his father and daughter.

Going this time, the outcome was unpredictable.

Although the generals were all optimistic, he knew that behind their optimism, they, like him, were prepared to die.

After all, in this great battle of Ningjin, they would face the Northern Di alone, the most vicious enemy of Great Song.

Heading west, he bypassed several small alleys and stopped in front of a residence with two willow trees by the gate.

In fact, after Yang Feng arrived in Yancheng, Bai Shang had already told him the location of his residence.

It was just that he had never had the face to come and see his father and daughter.

Even now, he only wanted to take a look from afar.

Every time he wanted to take a step forward, it seemed as if a huge resistance pulled him back.

After gazing for a while, he finally reined in his horse and headed north.

In the eyes of his father and daughter, he was already dead.

With this great battle ahead, life and death were uncertain; even if they met again, he feared it would only be a brief reunion, followed by an eternal parting.

"Grandfather, what is it?"

As the figure of Yang Zhen gradually moved away, Yang Feng and Yang Susu came out of the courtyard.

Catching a glimpse of the figure on horseback in the distance, Yang Feng suddenly shuddered all over.

"Nothing... nothing at all. Let's go to Dong Shi; if we are any later, the tofu won't sell." Yang Feng shook his head, thinking to himself that he was truly getting older.

To think he would have the illusion that his sixth son, Yang Zhen, was still alive.

Although Yang Susu found it strange, she nodded obediently and pushed the wheelbarrow with her grandfather toward Dong Shi.

Because they were exiled to Yanzhou, the Yang Family mansion had been confiscated.

They had only brought a small amount of travel money to Yanzhou.

After renting a residence here, the Silver they had left was meager, and they still had to pay Silver every month from now on.

To make a living, she remembered the tofu she had learned to make from the nannies in the mansion back then.

So, she made tofu every day and went with her grandfather to sell it at Dong Shi.

"Is there really nothing?" Yang Susu looked at Yang Feng with concern.

She had never seen Yang Feng lose his composure like this, and she subconsciously glanced into the distance.

Finding nothing unusual, she shook her head, her figure gradually fading into the distance accompanied by the rolling sound of the wheelbarrow's wheel.