Chapter 286

Jiang Mingyu stood silently in the Inspector's mansion within Nanjing City, watching the plum blossoms in the courtyard sway gently in the breeze.

He had only taken command here less than an hour ago; the air still carried the lingering scent of war—burn marks on the walls, dust on the ground, all reminders of the blood and fire that had just passed.

Yet Jiang Mingyu's heart was unusually calm. He knew his southern campaign was not merely to unify the realm, but to fulfill a promise—to give the one he loved a world at peace.

At that moment, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door. Fang Hang strode in, his face radiant with joy.

"Your Majesty, the over twenty thousand defenders of Nanjing City have all surrendered to our forces!" he exclaimed, "Now our troops have increased by twenty thousand, bringing our total to over two hundred thousand."

Jiang Mingyu smiled faintly and nodded: "You've done well. See to the proper settlement of the surrendered troops—do not let them cause trouble. Also, send orders to Tukesiluo: in three days, march to attack Li Haoyang's stronghold, Hongzhou Yangqu."

"Yes!" Fang Hang bowed respectfully and withdrew to deliver the orders.

Jiang Mingyu watched him leave, silently thinking: Yangqu—that is the path must be crossed to reach the end.

The fall of Yangqu means full control over Hongzhou's heartland; should Li Haoyang try to reclaim it, he will find it nearly impossible.

At that moment, a young messenger, drenched in sweat, rushed in, clearly having come from the north.

"Your Majesty, Chancellor Zhuge Yu has urgent news!" he gasped.

Jiang Mingyu frowned slightly. Had the news from Xixia arrived so quickly?

"Speak," he said gravely.

The messenger wiped his brow and hurriedly replied: "Your Majesty, Chancellor received a secret report that Xixia has suffered a coup—the old emperor is near death, and the Third Prince, Tuoba Jiqian, has seized power and is assembling a massive army to invade our realm!"

"Tuoba Jiqian is ruthless and has long coveted Da Feng's territory. Now that he holds military command, war is imminent!"

Jiang Mingyu's expression darkened. Xixia's upheaval came too swiftly—it could trap them in a two-front war. After a moment's thought, he ordered: "Rest for now. Return to Chancellor Zhuge Yu and tell him I have taken Nanjing; I will soon conclude the southern campaign and lead the main force north to reinforce you."

The messenger bowed and withdrew. Jiang Mingyu stood still, a flicker of worry in his eyes—Xixia's army was at the gates, the situation dire.

But thinking of Liu Yifei, and that hopeful gaze, Jiang Mingyu suppressed his anxiety and remained composed.

If the situation was this grave, he must end the southern campaign swiftly and lead the main force north to aid them. With Tukesiluo and Zhuge Yu holding the line, the realm's safety would be secured.

Jiang Mingyu turned again to the drifting plum blossoms in the courtyard; in the breeze, he seemed to hear his beloved's gentle call—

"Go forth without worry. I will wait for you, as always, until your triumphant return."

Gazing at the blossoms, Jiang Mingyu's eyes reignited with unwavering resolve.

Yes—he must swiftly pacify the southern frontier, then march north to confront Xixia. To forge a peaceful era for the one he loved—that was his lifelong vow, and the fulfillment of their promise.

Jiang Mingyu steadied his mind and prepared calmly for his next move. Whether storms raged or clouds loomed, he would press forward without fear toward his goal.

For on the road home, the sky always clears.

As his expression grew grim, Tukesiluo strode in. Seeing Jiang Mingyu's unease, Tukesiluo asked with concern: "Big Brother, what's wrong? You look troubled."

Jiang Mingyu sighed and briefly recounted the latest intelligence. At the mention of their mortal enemy, Xixia, Tukesiluo's face darkened too.

"Big Brother, the situation is urgent—we must resolve the southern front swiftly and hasten north to reinforce," Tukesiluo said gravely.

Jiang Mingyu nodded: "I will summon all generals to discuss our next move."

A quarter-hour later, the generals arrived one by one. Jiang Mingyu repeated the news of Xixia's coup, then asked: "Gentlemen, the situation is dire—what do you propose we do next?"

At that moment, a panting scout burst in and fell to his knees: "Your Majesty, Li Haoyang has learned we've taken Nanjing! He has sent his Commander Qin Lihai with ten thousand elite troops to reinforce them—they are now only a hundred li away!"

Jiang Mingyu laughed heartily: "Li Haoyang has only two hundred thousand men total—he's sent half to reinforce! He's gambling everything. If we annihilate Qin Lihai, Jizhou will collapse!"

Tukesiluo immediately asked: "Big Brother, what's your plan against Qin Lihai's reinforcements?"

At that moment, Li Goudan chuckled softly. Jiang Mingyu glanced at him: "Goudan, what clever scheme have you cooked up now?"

Li Goudan bowed: "Your Majesty, Qin Lihai doesn't yet know we've taken Nanjing—he'll rush forward recklessly, seeking a quick victory. That's when he's most vulnerable. We can lay a perfect trap and crush him completely."

Jiang Mingyu listened, then exclaimed: "Exactly! I planned the same—ambush Qin Lihai on the march and annihilate his army in one stroke!"

Zhang Jiaqi added: "Your Majesty is wise. Qin Lihai is marching hastily—he'll be careless. Perfect for an ambush."

Jiang Mingyu immediately issued his battle plan: Zhang Jiani would seize the high ground and set fire to encircle; Fang Hang would block Qin Lihai's retreat; Li Goudan would hold the front, with hidden troops on both flanks—once Qin Lihai entered the trap, strike from all four sides and annihilate his ten thousand men here.

After giving his orders, Jiang Mingyu glanced at the sky and commanded: "Time is short. Command all forces—depart in half an hour. We must set the battlefield before Qin Lihai arrives!"

The generals bowed and departed. Jiang Mingyu smirked: "The show is about to begin—I'll watch."

Half an hour later, Jiang Mingyu led his one hundred fifty thousand troops in a mighty march toward the location chosen by Tukesiluo—a narrow valley flanked by two mountains, a classic "dead end" in military terms—the perfect ambush site.

Jiang Mingyu added: "Deploy scouts immediately. Monitor Qin Lihai's movements constantly—report any anomaly at once."

Dozens of scouts galloped off. Jiang Mingyu watched them vanish into the distance, certain Qin Lihai would be caught unprepared—this battle was all but won.

As the army advanced, units took their positions, hidden throughout the valley. Zhang Jiani held the high ground, her ten thousand archers poised and ready. Fang Hang's thirty thousand troops lay concealed in underground tunnels, prepared to seal the retreat. Li Goudan, Jiang Mingyu, and Tukesiluo's seventy thousand soldiers hid on the slopes, waiting for the signal.