Chapter 352: The Spread of War

The next day, Jiang Mingyu summoned five southern frontier prisoners and ordered them to kneel in neat formation.

“I have one question, and you have only one chance to answer. Answer well, and you may save your lives; lie to me, and you’ve seen the consequences.” Jiang Mingyu spoke coldly, his hand lightly brushing the hilt of his sword.

The prisoners all bore weathered faces, yet at these words, they involuntarily shuddered. Especially one man, with white whiskers and a panicked expression—he was clearly old but still strong, yet obviously lacking in wit.

True enough, before Jiang Mingyu had even finished speaking, he blurted out: “Your Majesty, ask anything—I swear I won’t hide a thing!”

Jiang Mingyu gave a slight nod, then posed his question:

“What is the current military deployment of the southern frontier? Report fully and truthfully on the defenses and troop stations of every state.”

The southern frontier veteran instantly turned ashen, sweat pouring from his brow. Seeing his fate sealed, he decided to risk everything—reveal the military secrets to buy his life. But then he thought: if discovered later, he and his family would surely die.

As he hesitated, a sharp *crack* rang out—Tukesiluo had already crushed his throat!

“Useless waste, can’t even answer a simple question.” Tukesiluo sneered, wiping his bloodied hand. “Brother, I say we just kill all these prisoners.”

The remaining southern soldiers froze, drenched in cold sweat. Jiang Mingyu calmly glanced at the corpse on the ground, then turned to the second man:

“It seems I underestimated you. If so, we’ll try someone else.”

This time, a gaunt, seemingly youngest soldier stepped forward. He was clearly terrified, trembling as he stared at his fallen comrade, muttering under his breath:

“Spare my life, my lord! I’ll tell you everything!”

Jiang Mingyu finally allowed a faint smile—clearly satisfied with his attitude...

“Spare... spare me! I’ll tell you everything!” He had abandoned all dignity, babbling wildly.

Jiang Mingyu was now satisfied; he smiled faintly and signaled for him to begin. The young soldier then revealed everything about the southern frontier’s military situation...

Watching Jiang Mingyu’s gentle smile, the yellow-faced, thin man shuddered again, then hurried to speak:

“Your Majesty, our southern frontier has seven states, plus the capital city of Gaobao—so eight states in total.”

“They are Jiangzhou, Jiancheng, Xiongzhou, Qusheng, Tagang, Lingtaicheng, and Jingxiang.”

“Combined, the garrison troops across all regions number roughly six hundred thousand!”

The final piece of information nearly stunned Jiang Mingyu—the seemingly frail southern frontier nation possessed a staggering six-hundred-thousand-strong army!

Jiang Mingyu said gravely: “What? Six hundred thousand troops? The southern frontier’s strength far exceeds my expectations!”

Li Goudan and Tukesiluo were equally shocked. Li Goudan pressed the southern soldier: “Tell us—when did the southern frontier build such a massive army?!”

The southern soldier stammered: “This began under the current southern frontier king, Wei Yangyao... He championed military preparedness. Over these years, he stockpiled supplies, recruited across all regions—hence the army’s growth to this scale!”

Jiang Mingyu mused: “So that’s it... I underestimated Wei Yangyao. Since the southern frontier is so strong, I must reassess my strategy.”

He turned to Tukesiluo: “Given the southern frontier’s strength, should we halt or press on? What do you advise?”

Tukesiluo hesitated: “We’ve already penetrated deep into enemy territory. Retreating safely now is unlikely. Let’s grit our teeth and press forward—strike with full force to crush the southern frontier!”

Jiang Mingyu nodded: “Precisely. I too intend to gamble everything—annihilate the southern frontier’s main force, then establish a stronghold threatening their heartland, advancing step by step, waiting for the chance to counterattack!”

“But clearly, my previous strategy and deployments must be reevaluated to counter their six-hundred-thousand-strong army.”

Tukesiluo quickly replied: “Your Majesty, give your orders—we will fully comply!”

Jiang Mingyu then looked at the remaining kneeling southern soldiers: “Keep them imprisoned in the camp—they may still be useful later.”

Tukesiluo immediately objected: “Your Majesty, housing so many surrendered troops wastes precious grain. Why not just execute them outright?”

Jiang Mingyu snapped: “My decisions are not to be questioned! Since the southern frontier is powerful, these surrendered soldiers may be even more valuable to us. They will serve a purpose later—do not dispose of them rashly!”

Tukesiluo reluctantly acquiesced: “As you command, Your Majesty.”

Jiang Mingyu nodded in satisfaction, then addressed the southern soldiers: “Rest for now. I will summon you again later.”

The southern soldiers finally exhaled in relief, grateful they had temporarily saved their lives.

At this moment, Li Goudan spoke up: “Your Majesty, I fear this southern campaign will not easily end in total victory. Should we not retreat temporarily to the capital, gather strength, and return later?”

Jiang Mingyu waved him off: “Absolutely not! If our great Jiang army retreats now, the southern frontier will grow bolder and more arrogant, posing an even greater threat to our borders. Unthinkable!”

Li Goudan sighed: “Then I shall say no more. Your Majesty has decided—our duty is to fully support you.”

Jiang Mingyu fell into thought, reevaluating his strategy—this battle demanded a complete overhaul if he were to win!

Jiang Mingyu stared at the map for a long while, then finally asked: “Which southern frontier city should our army strike first? And where is Yi Fei now?”

Tukesiluo instantly understood: “Are you worried the intelligence from these prisoners is outdated?”

Jiang Mingyu nodded heavily, his expression grim: “Precisely. Our knowledge of the southern frontier is six months old. That’s enough time to completely reverse the situation. If we launch an attack based solely on these prisoners’ words, the consequences will be catastrophic!”

Tukesiluo hurried to agree: “Your wisdom is unmatched! Chu Yifei’s knowledge of southern frontier military and political affairs must be far more accurate and detailed than these prisoners’. We must first locate her before planning any operation.”

Jiang Mingyu agreed: “Exactly. Yifei’s current whereabouts are too uncertain—we must send scouts to investigate before acting blindly. Dispatch messengers south immediately—find her trail at all costs.”

Tukesiluo bowed deeply: “As you command, Brother! I’ll issue orders at once—send men to scour every corner of the southern frontier for Yifei’s whereabouts. Until the scouts return, the army will remain ready—Yifei’s safety comes first!”

Jiang Mingyu nodded, then added: “Also, send word to Li Goudan and Feng Xi—have all our armies stand ready. As soon as new intelligence arrives, move immediately and await the moment!”

After Tukesiluo departed, the entire city of Guizhou was shrouded in tense, eerie silence—like the stillness before a storm...

Jiang Mingyu had expected the messenger to take at least ten days to return—but only three days later, he saw that familiar face.

Jiang Mingyu, looking weary, gazed at the kneeling scout and frowned: “You returned so soon—what news of Yifei?”

The scout looked up with a bitter smile: “Your Majesty, I waited three days at the border, but Wei Yangyao’s tight defenses forced me back. They know Mu Fei has been defeated—they’ve ordered total lockdown and manhunts. I couldn’t penetrate further.”

“You’ve traveled far and hard—it’s not your fault,” Jiang Mingyu said softly.

Jiang Mingyu sighed, offered no blame, and dismissed the scout to rest. The tent fell silent once more.

Long moments passed before Jiang Mingyu slowly raised his head to Tukesiluo, his expression grave: “Time is running out. Yifei has gone deep into southern frontier territory, and we have no intelligence. The border is sealed—tracking her is nearly impossible. We must gamble everything—attack Jiancheng immediately.”

Jiang Mingyu’s eyes flashed with resolve as he declared: “You will lead two hundred thousand troops. At dawn tomorrow, march on Jiancheng.”

Jiang Mingyu ordered his attendants: “Issue immediate orders—tonight, the Wan Army will prepare for departure. Fortify the camp with siege equipment. When the hour comes, I will lead the army in the assault myself!”

At these words, the tent and its surroundings erupted into chaos—messengers rushed back and forth, relaying commands; the entire army went on full alert.

At the third watch, under a moonless, wind-swept night, the camp lay utterly silent. In a dilapidated tent at the rear, several gloomy men gathered. One middle-aged man with a mustache lowered his voice: “What’s the situation outside?”

A scarred man whispered back: “The army has slept, preparing for tomorrow’s southern campaign. Now is the perfect moment to act.”

The mustached man’s eyes flashed with malice. “That bastard Jiang Mingyu killed our brothers—we must eradicate him completely!”

The others’ eyes gleamed. A thin man clenched his fists: “Brother’s right! That demon Jiang Mingyu must pay with blood!”

The mustached man nodded, whispering: “First, kill the guards at the entrance. Then steal their armor and slip into camp. Under this moonless, silent night, strike—cut off Jiang Mingyu’s head!”

“Then we flee with his head back to the southern frontier—guaranteed rewards, titles, noble rank! Hahaha!”

All of them stared with hungry eyes, eager to move. One burly man growled: “Brother’s plan is brilliant! For our fallen brothers, tonight we fight—even if we die, we’ll carve a path through blood!”

The mustached man’s eyes glinted coldly as he stroked the icy dagger at his waist, murmuring: “Jiang Mingyu, you’ve taken too many of my brothers—tonight, you’ll pay with your life...”

He rose abruptly, hissing: “No time to waste—follow me! Death Squad, advance!”

The band of desperate men followed eagerly, creeping through the dark, slowly advancing toward the camp’s center.

Suddenly, footsteps and voices came from outside the rear tents: “Hey, did you hear whispers coming from that tent over there?”

“Suspicious. Let’s investigate.”

The mustached man and his men froze, clamping hands over each other’s mouths, holding their breath.

“Looks like the patrol noticed something... Damn it!” the mustached man cursed inwardly.

The footsteps drew closer; all drew weapons, preparing for their final stand.

Then a young guard’s voice rang out: “Senior, don’t worry—it’s just surrendered troops and low-ranking soldiers mumbling in their sleep. Let’s check other camps—don’t delay tomorrow’s campaign.”

After a brief pause, the patrolman grunted in agreement, and the footsteps faded into the distance.

The men exhaled in relief. The mustached man wiped cold sweat from his brow: “Enough talk—move fast! Go now!”

Once again, the band of desperate men crept silently toward the center of the camp...