Chapter 217: Spy War

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."

Xie Xuan said angrily: "My Ghost Army has actually been defeated. You trash, how do you still have the face to return!"

Jiao Zhe wept bitterly: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, that Yinzhou Army is truly terrifying!"

He wept as he told the whole story of what had happened.

Hearing this, Xie Xuan's expression turned extremely gloomy.

The Ghost Army!

That was his own highly mysterious weapon; how could it just be gone like that?

"Who led the army?"

He asked angrily.

"Yinzhou Prefect, Liu Zheng!"

Liu Zheng?

Xie Xuan frowned deeply. How had he never heard of such a person in the Longyan Dynasty? He knew every famous general in Longyan, so who could this be?

"Yo... Your Majesty, I heard that Prefect Liu is only twenty-one years old this year!"

Jiao Zhe was covered in wounds and said in agony.

"What did you say? Twenty-one?"

Xie Xuan was furious and kicked him: "You, a dignified Cheshi Governor, can't even defeat a twenty-one-year-old brat; what use are you!"

Liu Zheng?

Twenty-one years old!

Xie Xuan clenched his fists tightly, his eyes turning cold. It seemed that his isolationist policy over these years had left him not very well-informed about the situation in the Longyan Dynasty. Since when did the Longyan Dynasty produce such a talent, one who could easily see through his Mirage Ghost City?

This.

Had completely disrupted his plans.

He had been thinking of plotting against Longyan... but in the end, he had been attacked right at his own doorstep? Once Cheshi was lost, the entire gateway to the Western Regions was thrown wide open, and his North Western Region Dynasty was completely exposed to the Longyan Dynasty.

Could he, Xie Xuan, still hide?

"Attack!"

"Fight back for me!"

"Are you afraid of a mere 150,000 Longyan soldiers?"

Xie Xuan immediately decided that he must recapture Cheshi. He immediately ordered 50,000 from the Qiuci Army, 50,000 from the Yanqi Army, 50,000 from the Jingjue Kingdom, and 50,000 from the Dayuan Kingdom, for a total of 200,000 troops to rendezvous at Yanqi, commanded by the North Western Region's top general, Jiulong, to plot against Cheshi.

"Faster, everyone work faster!"

"The fortifications here need to be reinforced too!"

"Over here, over here, carry it to this spot!"

As for Cheshi, from the very first day of occupying it, Liu Zheng had already given orders to build defensive fortifications. Although Cheshi had no dangerous terrain to defend, these fortifications were better than nothing.

Taking Cheshi was one thing, but he had to be able to hold it.

This was currently Liu Zheng's greatest goal.

Attack Yanqi?

He did not dare to consider it for the time being. Currently, he had to figure out the military disposition of this North Western Region as quickly as possible. How many troops did this Xie Xuan have in total, and how many kingdoms were there?

"An army of 200,000!"

Qingyang Shuo chuckled: "The military strength of this Dayuan Kingdom cannot be underestimated."

Liu Zheng nodded.

The Scouts had already been sent out. The information gathered back was fairly accurate. At this moment, the 200,000-strong army of the North Western Region was gathering at Yanqi one after another.

It seemed that this Dayuan Kingdom and Xie Xuan's North Western Region had at least 400,000 troops, which was why they could send 200,000 at once. It was even very likely that there were more than 400,000.

"200,000..."

Liu Zheng chuckled.

Only by holding Cheshi could he truly establish a foothold in these Western Regions, and only then could his Construction Corps plan be implemented; otherwise, everything was just empty talk.

He also knew.

Xie Xuan did not yet know much about the Yinzhou Army. This time was also a probing attack. He also knew that the Longyan Dynasty was watching him at this moment... and the various kingdoms of the Western Regions were also watching him.

This battle was of great importance.

If he lost, not only would he have to slink back home, but it was very likely that what awaited him and his father in the Longyan Dynasty would be a total reckoning!

This battle.

Must not be lost!

This was also the reason why he had to drive away the commoners in Cheshi City. Leaving them behind meant leaving behind a bunch of ticking time bombs. If they were to coordinate from the inside when the time came, who could handle that?

The Yinzhou Army, which had just relaxed, became tense again.

Liu Zheng turned his head to look at Jiang Xuan and chuckled: "Is everything arranged? Looking at the posturing of Yanqi, they will attack within five days at most."

Jiang Xuan said excitedly: "Don't worry, Young Master, it's all arranged. That brat still thinks we don't know who he is!"

"Our people have also been sent over..."

The two looked at each other and smiled.

At night.

The construction of the defensive fortifications in Cheshi City still had not stopped.

"Faster, everyone, don't be lazy!"

"If this Cheshi City falls, you won't survive either, understand?"

A general of the Yinzhou army coldly shouted at the group of slaves.

Among the group of slaves was a young man with brown hair, his face covered in grime; upon hearing this, he hurriedly took the lead in working. This eager attitude made people somewhat unable to understand.

"Hmm, good performance, you may rest for a while later!"

The general looked at the young man and chuckled.

The young man gestured wildly and stammered, speaking in the incomprehensible Yanqi language, and after carrying a few logs, he went to the side to rest. Taking advantage of others not paying attention, this young man suddenly slipped into the darkness.

This person deliberately smeared some mud on his face, so people could not see his appearance clearly. In reality, this person was named Jiao Ming, the younger brother of the Cheshi Governor, Jiao Zhe! That day, he could have fled all the way with his brother, yet he suddenly wanted to stay behind.

This Jiao Ming was far more capable than his brother.

He was determined that the Western Regions army would recapture Cheshi!

His Majesty would certainly do so!

Thus, he volunteered to stay behind with his underlings, specifically responsible for figuring out the Yinzhou army's deployment, equipment, provisions, and defensive fortifications, as well as their subsequent combat situation. Then he would find ways to send this intelligence out!

Outside the city!

There would be someone to receive it!

However, he did not know that while he was collecting this intelligence, he had already been watched. A little brother sent by Jiang Xuan had been watching him in the shadows the whole time.

After a while, he started working again.

He was still the same, working actively, once again earning himself time to rest. Repeating this, by the time it was Ling Chen, he finally found an opportunity and sneaked to the vicinity of the West Gate. At this moment, a stray dog actually crawled out from the darkness and came to his feet.

Very quickly, he tied a piece of sheepskin he had spat out from his mouth onto the leg of this stray dog, then patted it.

The stray dog neither barked nor made a fuss; taking advantage of the night, it followed a dog hole and sprinted toward the direction of the smoke rings outside the city.

Cheshi.

It was two hundred li away from Yanqi.

"Awoo..."

A sound.

While passing a sand dune, the stray dog let out a pained cry, and then, the sound of its running footsteps was lost.