Chapter 964: Xiao Qian Musters the Troops

The front line at Qinghe Town.

As the commander-in-chief of the entire army, Xiao Qian was quietly looking at the letter in his hand at this moment.

No retreat allowed.

This was the order Liu Zheng had issued to him!

Xiao Qian's complexion was as livid as it could possibly be!

No retreat allowed?

The Wa army's five-hundred-thousand-strong force had just arrived at the battlefield! They were currently resting, and it was estimated that in a few days, they would launch an all-out attack on this small town, whose defensive works, regardless of how many there were, were as good as non-existent!

And on the side of the Li Dynasty, including his own troops.

Plus the troops from other Li Dynasty cities that had been arriving one after another to provide reinforcements these past few days, the total count was only three hundred thousand!

How could three hundred thousand face an army of five hundred thousand?

He wished he could tear the letter in his hand to shreds.

Remember the website address.

But Liu Zheng was now ordering him:

No retreat allowed!

He was not originally a general under Liu Zheng's banner, but a subordinate of the Prince of Wei! Coming here this time was merely a friendly favor, a guest appearance.

Generally speaking, even if a war were to break out in Qingzhou, in a situation of such absolute numerical disadvantage, according to his judgment, he would have to withdraw his troops!

"General, General Xiao."

"General Xiao, we truly cannot retreat this time."

Damn it!

Xiao Qian could not help but curse angrily, his face cold: "Does this Vice Minister Liu not care at all about the lives of the brothers in the army?"

Xiao Qian looked around coldly, but in the end, he forced himself to calm down, sat down slowly, and smiled bitterly: "General Li, thirty thousand against fifty thousand—can this battle be fought?"

Can it be fought?

"Great General, if we retreat this time, the Li Dynasty will truly be finished!"

The Li Dynasty generals on Li Zhenzhu's side were already kneeling on the ground, begging bitterly.

Li Zhenzhu's face was once again streaked with tears: "Although the enemy has an absolute advantage in numbers, considering the Geography of Qinghe Town, both sides can deploy no more than one hundred thousand at a time."

He paused, looking at Xiao Qian with tear-filled eyes, his gaze full of pleading: "General, my Li Dynasty's two hundred thousand soldiers will certainly fight to the death! Once my Li Dynasty's soldiers are exhausted, you may withdraw your troops if you wish, but at this moment, we cannot retreat! If your Longyan Army retreats, morale will inevitably collapse."

At this moment, Li Zhenzhu also felt nothing but despair in his heart. The absolute disadvantage in numbers made it seem as if there was no hope, but they could not retreat! Absolutely not! These people from the Wa nation were complete madmen; once the breach at Chungcheong Province was opened, they would definitely fight with increasing ferocity, and the entire Li Dynasty would be finished by then!

"General, this Li is willing to fight to the death!"

The Li Dynasty soldiers shall die first!

He knew that for Li Zhenzhu to say such words as the lead general, he must have already prepared himself to die and sacrifice his life for his country!

The other generals also pleaded one after another.

Regardless of how much of an opinion he had held of Li Zhenzhu before, or how much of a good-for-nothing he had thought him to be, Xiao Qian was quite moved by what he heard at this moment.

This time, news of the formation of the Cabinet and the constitutional monarchy had already reached the army. Everyone was rejoicing, looking forward to the future of the Li Dynasty. At this moment, the morale of the Li Dynasty army was high!

Under such circumstances, how could they be willing to watch the Li Dynasty fall?

Were these Li Dynasty generals not the same?

Patriotism.

It was just that...

He was a professional soldier; when this great battle truly began, could he still watch the Li Dynasty soldiers sacrifice their lives while he stood by and watched from the sidelines?

Xiao Qian remained silent, finally letting out a deep sigh.

He knew that at this moment, he was truly convinced by this Vice Minister Liu. Because in the letter, Vice Minister Liu had already anticipated that such a situation would occur and had permitted him to wait and act according to the circumstances.

He also knew how dangerous the Li Dynasty was right now; this time, the Wa nation was burning their bridges and staking everything on one throw, and their combat power was equally chilling.

"Fine!"

No.

He could not do it.

The three-hundred-thousand-strong army gathered in a mighty force, almost endless to the eye. These three hundred thousand people had actually almost filled the entire small town. As for the current Qinghe Town, those buildings had long since been destroyed in the fighting, so what they were defending was almost a flat expanse of land. Looking at it, it was all tents.

It was no exaggeration to describe it as a camp stretching for a thousand miles.

Under the pleas of so many people, Xiao Qian finally shouted fiercely: "Summon the entire army! Muster the troops!"

The generals were overjoyed.

Until they watched Xiao Qian standing alone on the General Platform.

"Great General!"

At this moment.

These three hundred thousand soldiers were all looking at these generals with anticipation.

"The General is mighty!"

After Xiao Qian was confirmed as Great General by Li Zhenzhu, there was not a single Li Dynasty soldier who was unconvinced. They really had to be convinced; these Longyan people were simply formidable when it came to fighting. Ever since the Wa army invaded, their Li Dynasty had been defeated time and again, and the only victory had been the one won by Xiao Qian—how could they not be convinced?

"Great General!"

"The General is mighty!"

Xiao Qian's gaze shifted as well.

Although he was only here for a guest appearance, these Li Dynasty soldiers, with their black eyes and yellow skin, those faces that looked just like the Longyan people—which one of them did not have a wife, children, or elderly parents at home who needed protection?

Therefore.

At this moment, they were shouting willingly, shouting until they were hoarse.

Who among them is not a person just like him?

The entire field roared, the sound shaking the heavens.

Who among them is not a true soldier?

Who among them is not filled with feelings for their home and country?

The entire field suddenly fell silent.

Xiao Qian's sharp gaze swept across his surroundings, his resonant and powerful voice reaching almost everyone present.

Xiao Qian first closed his eyes, using his heart to feel this sound and atmosphere that made one's blood surge; he let his own blood grow hot along with it, and only then did he slowly open his eyes.

"Soldiers."

Just as Li Zhenzhu had said, if Xiao Qian truly withdrew his troops, it would be a devastating blow to the morale of these Li Dynasty soldiers! But if he remained, their morale would remain!

Seeing that Xiao Qian had decided to stay, all the Li Dynasty soldiers were moved to tears of gratitude.

"Brothers."

Everyone looked at him with expectant eyes.

They still had a chance to reclaim this old landscape of the Li Dynasty!

Hearing these two words from Xiao Qian, everyone could not help but grip their weapons tightly.

There was still a chance!

There was still hope!

Xiao Qian's voice grew louder and louder, and he said coldly: "The great decisive battle is about to begin. I have been dispatched by Vice Minister Liu of Longyan and have been in the Li Dynasty for over several months. However, I have had no time to appreciate the local customs of the Li Dynasty, nor the heart to feel the close bond with the brothers of the Li Dynasty. I have only seen the arrogance of the Wa, seen the cruelty of the Wa, seen the ambition of the Wa, and seen the viciousness of the Wa! I have seen the downfall of the Li Dynasty and the hopelessness of the women and children! I believe this is a disgrace to us soldiers!"

Everyone's eyes turned red as they listened.

Roar, roar, roar!

They responded with roars.

They had no Method to protect their own country, no Method to protect their own territory, and no Method to protect their own wives, children, and elders!

They did not even have a Method to protect their own dignity!

Yes.

This was a soldier's disgrace!

"Today we shall hold a roll call to face the strong enemy."

Xiao Qian continued to roar: "I shall now convey the words Vice Minister Liu brought to all you brothers!"

Humiliation!

Knowing shame leads to courage! At this moment, the Li Dynasty soldiers, their chests filled with humiliation and resentment, once again gripped their weapons tightly.

Three hundred thousand people all looked at one another.

They had heard of this Vice Minister Liu's reputation, but none of them had ever seen him in person.

What?

Vice Minister Liu's words?

Li Zhenzhu was also stunned.

Back when he was in Jingcheng, he had met Vice Minister Liu once.

The deterrent power he exerted on these people was not as direct as Xiao Qian's. Of course, they also knew that ever since this Vice Minister Liu entered the Li Dynasty, he had turned the tide and single-handedly orchestrated many things, including this constitutional monarchy of the Li Dynasty. In the hearts of many, he had already become a god.

He has something to say to us?

Why must one be loyal to a certain party?

Their Li Dynasty army exists to protect this country, to protect the ancestral temples and the state, and to protect this society!

That young man who always wore a humble smile on his face had left a good impression on him, but at the time, he had not realized he was a person of such grand strategy and talent. He had single-handedly pacified the entire Li Dynasty. Not only that, but even now, Li Zhenzhu did not know which party he belonged to. Yet, precisely because of this, he suddenly felt much more relaxed.

That is right.

Xiao Qian smiled faintly and took out a piece of paper.

The entire field was deathly silent; no one wanted to miss this scene that might become a classic.

What would he say?

Everyone looked at Xiao Qian with curiosity and anticipation.

Boom!

In just four short lines, everyone in the field felt as if they had been struck by lightning.

"The land has been sinking for hundreds of autumns, the beacon smoke rolls and blood flows horizontally!"

"Heartbroken, I count the events of that time; among our own kind, who will wash away the shame and hatred!"

The land has been sinking for hundreds of autumns—had their Li Dynasty not been bullied by this Wa nation for hundreds of years? It had even been more than hundreds of years! They had almost no resistance against the Wa nation!

The beacon smoke rolls and blood flows horizontally!

Yes.

Just these simple four lines immediately resonated with the entire field.

Among our own kind, who will wash away the shame and hatred!

This family feud and national hatred—who could avenge it? When could it be avenged?

Those slaughtered soldiers and brothers, those massacred commoners, women, and children! The fresh smell of blood still lingered in their noses, and the stench of the corpses being burned had not yet faded!

Heartbroken, I count the events of that time.

Xiao Qian continued to roar.

Everyone clenched their fists and gripped their weapons.

In their minds, the flames of war and beacon smoke of Gyeongsang Province began to emerge, along with the corpses strewn across the fields; everyone began to hold their breath! Everyone began to have tears in their eyes, and everyone's tears had already flowed down their cheeks to their lips! And then, they swallowed these tears back into their stomachs!

"Take a stool, sit on the long street, sing out loud, pay respects to all my compatriots, and listen closely to the details!"

"My Li Dynasty was originally a nation of renown, not like those tiny lands tucked away in remote corners!"

"In terms of area, over twenty thousand square li, with five provinces to compare; in terms of population, thirty million, who would dare to challenge us?"

"In terms of resources, it was originally inexhaustible; in terms of talent and wisdom, we do not yield to the Eastern or Western oceans!"

"Why is it that today, we are on the verge of extinction? Ceding land, paying indemnities, are we to perish?"

The entire venue was once again buzzing with noise.