Chapter 358: Your Majesty Was Struck by Lightning?

Shangshan Jian City is located within Jiangzhou in the northwest of One Da Jiang, a fortress connecting One Da Jiang and Southern Jiang. The city is not large, but its walls are high and thick; pine trees are planted all around, providing a natural barrier for the defending troops.

About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Tu Tu Kesiluo heard the shouts of battle in the distance.

He immediately felt a bit nervous and hurriedly spoke to the troops behind him.

"Faster, even faster..."

But facts proved he was somewhat overly nervous.

After running frantically to the East Gate, he saw Feng Feng Xiwei and Li Goudan leading troops, pursuing a small number of remaining enemies.

Originally, the East Gate had been in dire peril because Jiang Jiang Mingyu had taken all the troops out of the city to fight a decisive battle with Yan Hang.

And with the return of Feng Feng Xiwei and Li Goudan to defend, the Southern Jiang troops, originally only 40,000 strong, quickly fell into a disadvantage.

Seeing the One Da Jiang troops return to aid, the Southern Jiang officers at the East Gate immediately believed that Yan Hang at the South Gate had been completely annihilated.

He, who also did not know how to explain his return to Ke Bin, immediately launched a reckless charge toward the East Gate of Shangshan Jian City.

But their numbers were ultimately too few; in less than half an hour, even the leader was taken down by a single arrow from Feng Feng Xiwei.

The remaining Southern Jiang troops, seeing this, immediately gave up resistance and turned to flee toward Jiangzhou.

Such a good opportunity, Feng Feng Xiwei and Li Goudan naturally would not miss, which is why Tu Tu Kesiluo saw the scene just now.

Seeing this, Tu Tu Kesiluo did not stand on ceremony at all and spoke directly.

"End the battle quickly, attack!"

Soon, the remaining 10,000-plus Southern Jiang troops were surrounded water-tightly by Tu Tu Kesiluo and Feng Feng Xiwei's men.

In less than a quarter of an hour, all the fleeing Southern Jiang troops from the four directions had become corpses scattered on the ground.

The matter was over; standing on the city wall supervising the battle, Jiang Jiang Mingyu spoke loudly to everyone.

"Clean the battlefield, check the casualties, and organize the troops as soon as possible."

To return a favor is proper etiquette; since Ke Bin sent people, if he did not attack Jiangzhou soon, it would seem somewhat impolite.

"My lord, the enemy has been repelled; the city is now safe." Feng Feng Xiwei, carrying a bow on his back, reported the recent battle situation to Jiang Jiang Mingyu with a weary expression. Jiang Jiang Mingyu's gaze swept around; the bodies of Southern Jiang soldiers lay scattered haphazardly on the ground.

"Well done!" he praised, "Quickly patrol the East and West Gates and assess the situation of friend and foe. We will counterattack very soon!"

"Yes!" Feng Feng Xiwei replied. Hearing the order to counterattack, his spirits lifted instantly; he waved his long sword eagerly: "Rest assured, my lord, I will surely capture the enemy leader's head!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu smiled, watching Feng Feng Xiwei leave at speed, then reached out to touch a sapphire brooch pinned to his chest. This was the token Liu Liu Yifei wore when she left; now it was unknown where it had fallen. He took a deep breath and carefully put the brooch away: "When we reach Jiangzhou, I must find Liu Liu Yifei!"

If Liu Liu Yifei was still in Jiangzhou and Ke Bin discovered her true identity, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Wind and sand howled; Jiang Jiang Mingyu stood on the Shangshan Jian City wall gazing at the spreading desert, his mind filled with myriad thoughts. At that moment, the clattering of horse hooves approached from afar, accompanied by a greeting: "Big Brother!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu turned around and saw Tu Tu Kesiluo riding a horse toward him. He hurried forward to welcome him, and the two walked arm-in-arm to the battlements to gaze into the depths of the desert.

"Big Brother, I am here to report the losses from this war." Tu Tu Kesiluo said while shaking the dust from his clothes, "In this battle, our army suffered over 20,000 casualties; the loss is not small."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu nodded understandingly but remained calm: "This victory was hard-won, so the cost was naturally high. But where in the world is there a free lunch? In my opinion, this loss is still within a controllable range."

Tu Tu Kesiluo was somewhat puzzled: "Controllable range? We lost so many brothers; how can this be called a good thing?"

"Listen to me explain slowly." Jiang Jiang Mingyu smiled slightly, "First, annihilating 100,000 Southern Jiang troops at the cost of 30,000 of our own is a loss ratio Southern Jiang certainly cannot bear; second, the troops we annihilated were reinforcements from Jiangzhou, which is equivalent to weakening Ke Bin's strength; finally, the common people witnessed our strength with their own eyes, and with the benevolent governance I plan to implement in Shangshan Jian City, we can settle matters peacefully from now on. Do you say this is not a good thing?"

Tu Tu Kesiluo nodded heavily after listening: "What Big Brother says makes sense! Since Shangshan Jian City is now stable, it is time for us to march on Jiangzhou!" Speaking thus, his eyes were full of murderous intent; thinking of his fallen comrades, he wished he could fly to Jiangzhou immediately and kill Ke Bin with his own hands.

Just as the two were talking, Feng Feng Xiwei rushed over; before he could speak, he heard Jiang Jiang Mingyu order: "Return to camp immediately to organize; tomorrow we will march to attack Jiangzhou!"

Feng Feng Xiwei's face changed; he hurriedly said, "My lord, we are not yet clear on the situation in Jiangzhou; if we advance rashly, we may make a mistake. This subordinate suggests sending people to scout the enemy and our own strength first, then sending out the troops."

"Good Feng Feng Xiwei, why are you pretending to be cautious at this time!" Jiang Jiang Mingyu's eyebrows twitched as he shouted, "Ke Bin just lost a hundred thousand troops; how many can remain in Jiangzhou? Besides, I have made up my mind; no room for doubt! We set out early tomorrow morning; go prepare quickly and stop talking nonsense!"

Feng Feng Xiwei wanted to persuade him further, but seeing Jiang Jiang Mingyu's firm attitude, he could only shake his head and sigh, turning to leave to prepare for the expedition. He vaguely felt this offensive was quite rash and hoped his premonition was merely groundless worry.

Dark clouds rolled in the sky; a thunderclap exploded in Feng Feng Xiwei's heart. Looking at the black, thick clouds rolling in from the west, he murmured to himself: "The heavens seem to be going mad; this rain is unavoidable..."

No sooner had the words left his lips than the rainstorm poured down like a waterfall; mud and water surged wildly, and tiles flew through the air. Feng Feng Xiwei raised his hand to cover his face and ran in big strides toward Jiang Jiang Mingyu.

"Reporting to my lord, the rain is too sudden and heavy; should we delay the plan to set out tomorrow?" he shouted.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu stood in the rain, holding his sword, his expression firm and calm: "No matter how great the wind and rain, they cannot stop the iron cavalry of One Da Jiang! The departure time remains the same; go quickly and issue the order!"

Feng Feng Xiwei wanted to say something more, but suddenly heard Tu Tu Kesiluo loudly say from the side: "Big Brother is wise! No matter how heavy the rain, it will eventually stop. We will take advantage of the enemy's laxity to launch a surprise attack, catching them off guard!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu nodded slightly and looked at Feng Feng Xiwei: "With such high morale in the army, how can we disappoint their earnest hope? Although the weather is unfavorable now, heaven will not always oppose us!"

Feng Feng Xiwei remained silent, understanding that further persuasion would be futile. At this moment, Li Goudan patted his shoulder and laughed: "Little Feng Xiwei, at critical moments one must have this ruthlessness! A surprise attack in the heavy rain; I bet that old fox Ke Bin will be dumbfounded!"

Feng Feng Xiwei shook his head helplessly: "Since everyone says so, I have nothing to criticize... I only hope we do not suffer a loss."

Although he was still deeply worried, he finally clasped his fists and said, "Your Majesty is wise."

After all, in the end, he was merely a surrendered general from Northern Liao; if he spoke too much, there would be suspicion of ulterior motives.

Fortunately, Jiang Jiang Mingyu did not say much either, only speaking to everyone.

"In that case, go and prepare."

The strategy Jiang Jiang Mingyu set that day was to adopt the fastest speed to conclude the Southern Jiang war quickly.

After all, just as Zhu Ge Yu said that day, the treasury of One Da Jiang could no longer withstand the turmoil of a long war.

After everyone left, Jiang Jiang Mingyu sent someone to call Shi Zhuo over.

The gray sky was gloomy, as if a downpour could fall at any moment. Jiang Jiang Mingyu stood alone on the Shangshan Jian City wall, gazing at the floating dark clouds on the horizon, burdened with worries.

The figure of Liu Liu Yifei kept appearing in his mind. Liu Liu Yifei wore a red long dress; her peach-blossom eyes, curved in a smile, were full of stubbornness; the expression on her face when she waved goodbye to him remained vivid. Now he did not know if she was safe; Jiang Jiang Mingyu was extremely worried.

"Your Majesty, what orders do you have for this humble minister?" At this moment, Shi Zhuo's voice came from behind. Jiang Jiang Mingyu turned around and saw Shi Zhuo bowing in greeting.

"Tomorrow I will set out for Jiangzhou; I leave Shangshan Jian City entirely in your hands to manage. Advance the benevolent governance steadily according to plan and win the people's hearts." Jiang Jiang Mingyu said in a deep voice, "I am not in the city; everything depends on you to hold the seat of internal affairs."

"This humble minister accepts the order! I will certainly do my utmost to complete the task!" Shi Zhuo replied with clasped hands, his tone full of confidence.

The two discussed many administrative arrangements in detail until the last wisp of sunset's residual light disappeared below the horizon. After Shi Zhuo took his leave, Jiang Jiang Mingyu remained alone on the empty city wall, his figure standing out distinctly against the pitch-black sky.

He silently chanted Liu Liu Yifei's name in his heart, his eyes bright, determined to rescue Liu Liu Yifei. This desolate city wall seemed to radiate power because of his firm expression.

That night, Jiang Jiang Mingyu tossed and turned, completely unable to sleep. His mind was full of the scene of Liu Liu Yifei leaving home; his worry had no relief.

In his dream, a thunderclap that shook heaven and earth exploded; Jiang Jiang Mingyu suddenly sat up in bed. He looked up and was instantly stunned—the roof beams above had been surrounded by fire at some unknown time; leaping flames made crackling and popping sounds, illuminating the night sky. This blazing fire formed a sharp contrast with the pouring rain outside the window, yet showed no sign of extinguishing, as if having nothing to do with the humid weather.

"Put out the fire! It's burning!" The sentry's cry and the panicked footsteps of the servants approached from afar, all reminding everyone of this sudden fire. Jiang Jiang Mingyu guessed that lightning might have struck the building, causing the flames to spread. Although he came from the modern era, he could not help feeling somewhat at a loss.

Just then, Tu Tu Kesiluo rushed in holding a long spear; he roared once, kicked the door open with a single foot, and the doorframe immediately collapsed with a boom. Tu Tu Kesiluo anxiously searched for Jiang Jiang Mingyu's figure, fearing Jiang Jiang Mingyu had met with an accident. Seeing Jiang Jiang Mingyu standing unharmed in place, Tu Tu Kesiluo finally breathed a sigh of relief, directing everyone to fight the fire on one hand while cursing crudely and threatening to flay the servants who were ineffective at extinguishing the blaze on the other.

Soon, the great fire was extinguished through everyone's concerted efforts. Jiang Jiang Mingyu was safe and sound, merely smiling bitterly. He changed to a side hall to continue sleeping, not taking this fire disaster to heart at all. However, what he did not know was that this strange tale of "His Majesty Struck by Lightning" had already spread rapidly through the city, becoming clamorous and seemingly gradually losing its truthfulness, embellished into something absurd and preposterous.

Inside the tent, fifty-six soldiers sat around the fire pit discussing the recent strange event of "His Majesty Struck by Lightning." Li Li Changgong, who was in charge, roasted meat while sighing, "If this isn't a heavenly warning, then what is?"

Xiao Ma immediately chimed in from the side, "Exactly, our His Majesty has accumulated too much awe-inspiring power and has angered Heaven itself."

Li Li Changgong snorted, "I think he is seeking his own death, insisting on campaigning against the Southern Barbarians in such ghostly weather. Heaven never blocks all paths; he is simply looking to die!"

Xiao Ma jumped in fright, glancing left and right before whispering, "Captain Third Squad, you cannot speak so recklessly; beware, the walls have ears."

At this moment, Captain Second Squad, Zhang Dashan, interjected, "Li Li Changgong, it seems you are tired of living! All day long you know only how to belittle our His Majesty." Li Li Changgong replied solemnly, "Dashan, I only speak the truth. In recent years, while His Majesty campaigned east and west under the banner of protecting the king, he has been greedy and arrogant; you know this in your heart."

Their words had already created a tense standoff. Just then, Captain Fifth Squad, Bai Pangzi, walked into the tent and smiled as he mediated, "Everyone, stop arguing. In my view, this lightning strike was merely to frighten His Majesty a bit, lest he continue in his confusion. War must be fought, but we must also consider the bigger picture, correct?"

Xiao Ma hurriedly asked, "What does Captain Fifth Squad mean by this? Is there still a turning point?" Bai Pangzi mysteriously leaned close to them, "If you ask me, what Our Great Jiang lacks is a wise assistant—"

"Nonsense!" Zhang Dashan shouted angrily, "His Majesty is brilliant and martial, unmatched in this age; why would he need an assistant? Your words are unclear in their praise or criticism!"

The two immediately began arguing again. Li Li Changgong patted Xiao Ma on the shoulder, "Look at these old fellows; all day long they know only how to protect the throne. We younger ones must remain clear-headed." Xiao Ma wiped his sweat and rubbed his eyes bright. At this moment, more soldiers joined the conversation; arguments rose and fell, making this simple temporary tent extraordinarily lively...

Early the next morning, just as Jiang Jiang Mingyu was preparing to brave the rain to go to the main camp, Shi Zhuo, looking hurried, entered with several soldiers.

"Your Majesty, this humble official heard that the Inspector's residence was struck by lightning last night; I wonder if Your Majesty is safe and unharmed?" Shi Zhuo stepped forward and asked with concern. Since Jiang Jiang Mingyu was staying within the Inspector's residence, Shi Zhuo, the current Inspector, could only rest elsewhere temporarily. Furthermore, since Jiang Jiang Mingyu had not widely publicized the matter, it was already broad daylight when Shi Zhuo learned of it.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu simply waved his hand, indicating he was not seriously harmed. Yet the worry in Shi Zhuo's eyes did not diminish in the slightest. "Your Majesty, please forgive this subject for speaking plainly; yesterday's heavenly thunder brought divine fire, and for an army about to embark on an expedition, this is likely not an auspicious sign." Most people in this era still superstitiously believed in strange celestial phenomena, firmly convinced this was a warning and punishment from Heaven.

Seeing Jiang Jiang Mingyu did not reply, Shi Zhuo continued, "Your Majesty, it is said that this matter of heavenly thunder as punishment has already spread clamorously throughout the city. Especially among the officers and soldiers in the main camp, there is much discussion with differing accounts..." Speaking to this point, he briefly recounted to Jiang Jiang Mingyu several different versions he had heard on the way.

The most exaggerated version claimed this was Heaven punishing Jiang Jiang Mingyu, implying his expedition was destined to fail. Another version speculated this might be the work of Southern Barbarian witchcraft and gu poison. Regardless of which version, all made one shudder with fear. After finishing this account, Shi Zhuo's expression grew increasingly worried:

"Your Majesty, do you not think it would be wise to first stabilize the hearts of the people and the army before dispatching troops? Otherwise, even if we march out today, I fear the fighting spirit of the great army will be significantly diminished."

Hearing that the most discussion actually came from the officers and soldiers in the main camp, Jiang Jiang Mingyu's face immediately darkened. If the common people in the city spoke such nonsense, he could understand it, given the complex psychology of the recently subdued populace. But the soldiers in the camp were all old subordinates who had followed him from Northern Liao to the Southern Barbarians; for these people to also fall ill with such reckless slander was simply too much.

Thus, Jiang Jiang Mingyu no longer cared about Shi Zhuo's dissuasion; with a sweep of his wide sleeve, he ordered preparations to depart for the main camp. Seeing he could not persuade him, Shi Zhuo had no choice but to follow closely, jogging along the way and urging Jiang Jiang Mingyu not to rush into anger, giving the soldiers a chance to explain. However, Jiang Jiang Mingyu's face was clouded like a storm, showing no intention of heeding his advice.

Soon, Jiang Jiang Mingyu's carriage arrived at the main camp stationed outside the city. Inside the camp, banners fluttered in the wind, yet they lacked their usual sharp spirit, and a strange atmosphere permeated everywhere. Officers and soldiers stood or sat, gathering in small groups to whisper secretly. Only upon hearing the sound of horse hooves did they hastily form ranks to welcome Jiang Jiang Mingyu's arrival.

At the Jiancheng Main Camp, torrential rain poured down.

When Jiang Jiang Mingyu arrived at the main camp, the 150,000-strong army, having just experienced fierce battles, was already lined up awaiting orders amidst the wind and rain. The expressions of Tu Tu Kesiluo, Li Goudan, and He Jing were all quite unpleasant; clearly, they had also heard the so-called "Heavenly Punishment" rumors. As for Feng Feng Xiwei, his face showed no particular expression; he merely stood silently wearing a straw raincoat.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu refused the straw raincoat offered by the guards and strode into the rain, his gaze sweeping over the assembled soldiers. At this moment, silence reigned all around; only the pattering sound of raindrops hitting oil-paper umbrellas could be heard.

"Regarding last night's events, you should all have heard. The house where I lodged was indeed struck by lightning," Jiang Jiang Mingyu stated in a deep voice, immediately drawing a chorus of sharp intakes of breath. Although everyone had already heard rumors, hearing Jiang Jiang Mingyu confirm it personally still stirred their emotions. However, seeing his extremely grim expression, everyone swallowed the words that had risen to their lips.

"You already know these things, and I have also heard of your private rumors," Jiang Jiang Mingyu said with a cold laugh. "Since you say my excessive killing and slaughter have provoked Heaven's anger, now that I stand here, why has Heaven not sent down divine thunder to strike me dead?"

Under his piercing gaze, none of the soldiers dared to lift their heads, keeping their eyelids lowered.

Seeing no one answered, Jiang Jiang Mingyu continued on his own, "What is Heaven? I am Heaven! What is the Will of Heaven? My settling of Great Feng in half a year and swallowing Other Xi Xia with a snap of my fingers—that is the Will of Heaven! What is Heavenly Punishment? My fury is Heavenly Punishment! When the Son of Heaven is angry, corpses litter the fields; this is Heavenly Punishment!"

Speaking to this point, his eyes were full of disdain. "Think back to when I raised my army from Shang Mu; I have been invincible wherever I went, and wherever my great army passed, enemies crumbled like ice melting. If I had not risked arrows and stones to overthrow Fei Hou's tyrannical rule, it is uncertain whether you could still be standing here alive!"

The heavy rain had long since soaked his hair, and streams of water flowed down from his temples, yet he remained completely unaware. Jiang Jiang Mingyu pointed directly at the hundreds of thousands of troops and declared sternly, "Without me braving the wind and snow, you 80,000 soldiers of Other Xi Xia should have starved to death in the snow long ago! Now that you have food and clothing without worry, you turn around and claim I kill and slaughter excessively; you are ungrateful wretches!"

"Think again, who gave you your military pay and ensured your families had food and clothing without worry? Among you, whoever still wishes to serve under me, take off your armor and leave! From this day forth, you shall have not the slightest relation to me or One Da Jiang; whether you surrender to the Southern Barbarians or perish on your own has nothing to do with me!"

"When I raised my army, only Tu Tu Kesiluo followed me, yet in the end, did I not pacify Great Feng and the Xia Kingdom? Even without you, I can conquer the Southern Barbarians! Decide quickly to stay or go; give me an answer immediately!"

The ferocity in Jiang Jiang Mingyu's tone swept over everyone like a violent storm, causing all the soldiers to tremble with fear. At this moment, a clangorous dragon-like roar was heard from behind; it turned out the Mongol Imperial Guard, fully armed, had killed their way over, holding sickles, spears, and halberds, surrounding them on all sides with strict vigilance. They had also heard Jiang Jiang Mingyu's furious rebuke, and now their eyes were filled entirely with killing intent, as if they wanted to swallow everyone alive and tear them apart.

Facing such imposing momentum, the veteran generals in the army all looked embarrassed, lowering their heads in silence. At this moment, Li Goudan suddenly raised his head and proclaimed loudly, "Long live Your Majesty! We subjects are willing to follow Your Majesty to conquer the world!" The remaining generals also shouted in succession, "Long live! Long live! Long live!" The thunderous shouts immediately drowned out the sound of wind and rain, spreading in all directions.