Chapter 374: The Good Show Is About to Begin

At this time, it was already deep into the golden autumn season; the sky was as blue as washed sapphire, with only a few faint wisps of clouds drifting. The wild grass had turned yellow and withered, rustling in the north wind, the entire plain swaying like ocean waves.

A huge group of cavalry galloped majestically across the wilderness, their formation neat and orderly; from afar, they looked like a long black dragon winding its way across the earth.

Every cavalryman wore heavy black iron armor, held long spears and sharp swords, their expressions serious, eyes fixed forward. The armor and weapons reflected dazzling light under the sun, while the thudding of hooves broke the silence of the plain.

That was the great army personally led by Jiang Jiang Mingyu, still more than ten li from their destination.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu stood tall at the very front of the army, clad in ink-black armor embroidered with golden thread patterns on the front, his shoulder cape fluttering wildly in the wind. His expression was stern, his eyes flashing with fierce battle intent, gazing straight ahead without looking aside, as if he had already seen the victory about to come. This campaign was his wish for many years; now, ambition and expectation swelled in his chest.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu turned to look back at the generals and soldiers behind him; every one of them rode a tall, powerful horse, looking full of spirit. Some had followed him to build an empire, others had forged bonds of brotherhood on the training grounds, risking life and death with him; they could be called his most trusted brothers. Seeing the firm and brave look in their eyes, a surge of hot blood rose in Jiang Jiang Mingyu's heart.

"Your Majesty!" At this moment, an aide ran over to report the enemy's movements ahead. "According to scouts, the Gebao City reinforcements, after the water route was blocked, have changed course northward; they will reach the entire Qusheng region in about seven days." Jiang Jiang Mingyu nodded, a hint of proud smile appearing at the corner of his lips. He raised his voice: "Feng Feng Xiwei!"

Feng Feng Xiwei immediately galloped over on horseback, knelt respectfully on one knee, and looked up, saying: "Your subordinate is here!" He had joined this campaign as specially arranged by Jiang Jiang Mingyu, and his heart had long been ready. Days of travel and toil had left him slightly weary, his cheeks slightly sunken, but his eyes were unusually firm and bright.

"You will immediately take men to Tagang in the east, gather all military intelligence for me, and bring it back word for word without missing a single character!" Jiang Jiang Mingyu's eyes shone brightly. "I want to know the defensive deployments, troop arrangements, and supply routes there."

"I respectfully obey Your Majesty's decree!" Feng Feng Xiwei bowed his head respectfully. "Your subordinate will do his utmost and will never fail in his mission!"

Having said that, he immediately selected ten young scouts who were agile and quick to react, and instructed them on their tasks one by one. These scouts were mostly still very young, appearing weak on the outside, but each one contained astonishing explosive power and endurance within.

Feng Feng Xiwei waved his hand and said: "Set out!" The ten scouts, like arrows leaving the bowstring, quickly disappeared at the edge of the wilderness. These scouts traveled day and night, changing mounts along the way, and soon gathered and reported all military intelligence from Tagang. Jiang Jiang Mingyu looked at the detailed terrain maps and annotations, nodding silently in approval within his heart; the scouts brought back by Feng Feng Xiwei would become his important vanguard in capturing Tagang.

Meanwhile, the reinforcements urgently dispatched by Wei Xiaoyang of Gebao City were also galloping day and night on the six roads.

Wei Wei Shaowu frowned tightly, his expression anxious. He wore heavy armor, held a long sword, and frequently turned to check the condition of his subordinates.

This was already the second day and night of continuous travel; both men and horses showed obvious signs of exhaustion. Every soldier had their hats drooping, faces covered in dust, and walked with stumbling steps. They were drenched in sweat, their faces full of pain and numbness. Even so, they still gritted their teeth, dragging their heavy steps forward. Because they knew deeply that this matter was of great importance, and they could not slacken even a little.

Amidst the sound of hooves, occasionally a soldier would fall from his horse; Wei Wei Shaowu quickly ordered the crowd to lift this fallen soldier. That man had collapsed to the extreme, still muttering to himself at the corner of his mouth: "Serve... serve the country... only wish to die where it matters..." Wei Wei Shaowu's heart felt as if cut by a knife, but he still forced himself to shout: "Give him water! We must continue forward!"

Governor Du Du Jianmu was facing a huge crisis; if the reinforcements arrived even one step late, the front-line defense would collapse completely. At that time, the entire Qusheng region would fall, and Gebao City would also face a huge threat. Thinking of this, Wei Wei Shaowu raised his voice again and shouted: "The enemy main force has already broken through the outer defense lines! Governor Du Du Jianmu can only hold the city; we must hurry to support him!"

Hearing this, the soldiers, though covered in disarray, still gritted their teeth, straightened their chests, and quickened their pace. Amidst the flying dust, their expressions were vaguely visible; it was a kind of unyielding firmness; even if they had to march to death, they would not hesitate.

However, everyone in their hearts knew that they might not make it in time... The enemy was much closer to them and had a faster marching speed. Whether they could arrive in time was truly an unknown. Wei Wei Shaowu's hand, tightly gripping his long sword, trembled slightly; he knew better than anyone that the failure of this reinforcement meant a variable in the entire war situation.

At this time, a young general rode up beside Wei Wei Shaowu, and after removing his helmet, revealed a face still showing traces of youth. That was Wei Wei Shaowu's legitimate son, Wei Qing; his eyes were bloodshot, and he seemed to be struggling to endure the exhaustion. "Father, I request to go scout the enemy's movements. Perhaps we can find a way to delay their march." Wei Qing's voice trembled slightly due to excitement.

Wei Wei Shaowu looked at his son's resolute face, and a surge of pride and emotion rose in his heart. He heavily patted Wei Qing's shoulder: "Good! I will do my utmost to rush to the front line here; you go execute the scouting mission; we must go all out!"

Wei Qing saluted his father with a military salute, then led several elite soldiers to leave the formation silently. Wei Wei Shaowu watched his departing back, secretly clenching his fist. This operation concerned not only national military strategy but also the future prospects of him and his son Wei Qing. Until the very last moment, he would never give up!

Meanwhile, the ten scouts were also rushing rapidly across the wasteland. They spurred their horses to run wildly, whipping their mounts desperately, as if racing against time. Every face was filled with determination, the confidence and resolve to complete their mission.

The leading scout, Feng Jin, frowned deeply, his eyes sharp as lightning, staring fixedly at the road ahead. This small path was not smooth; everywhere were potholes, with hidden sand and gravel; a slight carelessness could seriously injure the mount. However, Feng Jin dared not slow down even a bit; he had to arrive before the enemy; this was the heavy task entrusted to him by Feng Feng Xiwei.

The several scouts behind him also had solemn faces, each with determined eyes; the leaping hooves kicked up dust, casting their resolute profiles. They had to do their utmost to complete the mission; this concerned not only their own honor but the greater situation!

In the blink of an eye, two days passed in a rush. That night, a bright full moon hung in the dark night sky, like a huge mirror, illuminating the main camp as bright as day.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu stood alone inside the military tent; his tall figure was outlined by the moonlight as a clear silhouette. His long black hair was scattered over his broad shoulders, shimmering with a cold luster under the moonlight. His eyes were sharp and stern like a hawk's; now they were slightly narrowed, as if pondering something.

At this moment, the tent flap was lifted, and Tu Tu Kesiluo strode in. He was burly, with knotted muscles, and also had a head of long black hair. This gave the two brothers a similar sense of majesty when standing together.

Tu Tu Kesiluo hesitated for a moment, then asked: "Big Brother, our army will arrive in the entire Qusheng region tomorrow; how do you plan to attack the city and defeat the enemy?" His tone subtly revealed anxiety and unease—he had originally scoffed at Governor Du Du Jianmu's so-called "elite" troops, but as the battle approached, a trace of apprehension still rose in his heart. As soon as he finished speaking, the corner of his mouth drooped slightly, his eyebrows furrowed gently, revealing an anxiety that could not be hidden.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu raised his head, his gaze calm as an ancient well, without the slightest ripple. He did not answer Tu Tu Kesiluo immediately, but silently shifted his gaze to Ebu and Li Goudan beside him. Ebu was tall and thin, with a serious expression, while Li Goudan was short and round, with a face full of confusion and bewilderment. Jiang Jiang Mingyu's voice was low and powerful: "Previous marching routes were all planned by me personally; you only needed to obey orders. This time, I want to change the method..." The tail of his words rose slightly, his tone subtly revealing a hint of testing and expectation. "For this battle, how do you think we should fight?"

Having said that, he leisurely lifted the blue-and-white porcelain teacup from the tea table beside him, took a small sip of tea, and waited calmly for the generals' responses; only his long, powerful fingers unconsciously tapped lightly on the teacup, as if hiding a trace of nervousness within his heart.

"Your Majesty, are you testing us?" After a long while, Ebu finally found his voice. His expression was somewhat confused and at a loss—for Ebu, who was used to Jiang Jiang Mingyu, the army commander, wielding power like an extension of his own arm and having a strong style, suddenly handing over decision-making power to them, clearly had no psychological preparation. His voice trembled slightly, and his eyes also revealed obvious panic and helplessness.

"Indeed, I am testing you." Jiang Jiang Mingyu responded indifferently, his words subtly revealing a trace of expectation, as if he truly hoped to hear active combat strategies from his subordinates. However, the calm expression on his face did not change at all; only his eyes became sharper and deeper.

After this brief exchange, the military tent fell into an awkward silence for a moment. Everyone looked at each other, all somewhat at a loss. Li Goudan stared blankly with wide eyes, his mouth slightly open as if about to speak, yet not knowing what to say. Tu Tu Kesiluo frowned, looking down in deep thought; Ebu rubbed his chin gently with his fingers, looking extremely uncomfortable. The other several also showed difficulty on their faces—it seemed no one could think of any brilliant tactical suggestions.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu sat solemnly in the main seat, staring unblinkingly at the generals under his command; only a trace of disappointment flashed in the depths of his eyes. He sighed lightly, put down the teacup in his hand, and crossed his arms over his chest: "It seems my subordinates are without talent. If they cannot even think of a simple city-attacking strategy, how can they win this hard battle?"

Just then, Li Goudan suddenly stammered and spoke up: "Your Majesty, I... I have thought of an idea..."

He took three steps as two, walking to the front of Jiang Jiang Mingyu; his tall and mighty figure cast a huge shadow under the lamp light, enveloping Jiang Jiang Mingyu. "Your Majesty, this subordinate believes the best method is to attack directly!" he said in a loud, booming voice, "Governor Du Du Jianmu has only 70,000 men, while we have 110,000 great troops, fully 40,000 more than him! If our entire army attacks, even if one person kicks once, we can kick down the city walls of the entire Qusheng region!"

Speaking to this point, he waved his hands exaggeratedly in the air, a sneer appearing on his face, his eyes staring straight ahead, as if he had already seen the magnificent scene of the city walls collapsing under the trampling of ten thousand soldiers. But Jiang Jiang Mingyu merely sipped his tea leisurely, his expression calm, not immediately giving an evaluation, as if quietly waiting for Li Goudan to finish his thoughts.

Seeing Jiang Jiang Mingyu remain silent, Li Goudan continued: "This subordinate believes there is another benefit! Surrounding the city on four sides and attacking simultaneously, even if Governor Du Du Jianmu had wings, he could not fly out of the entire Qusheng region! If we do not annihilate him here this time, he will only become a major threat in the future!" As he spoke, he slapped his chest again vigorously, full of confidence.

At this moment, Jiang Jiang Mingyu finally raised an eyebrow slightly and asked: "What benefit? Speak and let me hear." His long fingers tapped lightly on the teacup; the clear knocking sound echoed in the vast military tent. His eyes were sharp like a hawk's, staring meaningfully at Li Goudan.

"Haha, this benefit is huge!" Li Goudan laughed proudly, revealing a mouthful of white teeth. "Surrounding the city on four sides, Governor Du Du Jianmu has nowhere to escape; he will surely die this time! This way, our great army can legitimately take over Other Xi Xia!"

As soon as he said this, He Jing immediately opposed: "Your Majesty, absolutely not!" He Jing frowned tightly, his gaze serious as he swept across the generals' faces, anxiety clearly visible on his face, and finally spoke again: "I will speak plainly; according to Governor Li's idea, our army will surely suffer heavy casualties..."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu listened quietly, his face showing no joy or anger; only a hint of approval seemed to appear in his eyes. At this time, Che Gang, who had been silent beside him, fell into deep thought; he never expected that the seemingly powerful One Da Jiang country was actually turbulent internally, weak as a reed. His own dream was to avenge his mother; he would never stand on the opposite side of Jiang Jiang Mingyu, nor would he cause trouble at this critical moment...

"You each hold different views; who is right?" Jiang Jiang Mingyu's voice interrupted Che Gang's thoughts. He was seen sitting solemnly in the hall, his long fingers gently tapping his chin, his gaze sweeping from He Jing's face to Li Goudan's, his eyes sharp as knives.

"This... Your Majesty, I think General He speaks reasonably." Li Goudan hesitated for a moment, rubbing his hands somewhat uncomfortably. "This subordinate did not consider thoroughly enough; I truly do not deserve such praise."

"Hmph, I thought you had some brilliant insight." Jiang Jiang Mingyu snorted coldly, his tone subtly revealing disappointment. He raised his hand, his long fingers sweeping through the air, and his fierce gaze shot toward Ebu, who had been silent all along: "Ebo, what do you think? How should we fight?"

Ebu was caught off guard by the question; his face turned red then white, and he stammered: "Correct... Vice General He's words are extremely right; this subordinate also sees it this way." He nervously rubbed his hands back and forth, his eyes shifting uneasily. "Our army currently cannot produce enough grain and pay; even if we recruit more new soldiers, it requires a large amount of time for training. Currently, our army is advancing like a storm, in a period of vigorous growth; if we interrupt the southern expedition campaign, it will be extremely difficult to restart in the future."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu did not reply immediately, but swept his gaze across the several people, finally landing on the faces of Feng Feng Xiwei, Che Gang, and Tu Tu Kesiluo, who had been silent all along: "You three, what is your view on this matter?" He supported his chin with one hand, a hint of approval appearing in his eyes.

Hearing this, Feng Feng Xiwei narrowed his eyes slightly, as if falling into deep thought. After a long while, he slowly opened his mouth, his voice somewhat hesitant: "Since a direct assault is not feasible, why not try a night raid? This is our specialty."

Before he finished speaking, Tu Tu Kesiluo immediately opposed. He was seen crossing his arms over his chest, staring straight ahead, his gaze resolute: "No, Big Sister sent a message a few days ago saying that Governor Du Du Jianmu has already increased guards in the city, especially at night; the defense is even stronger; we have absolutely no opportunity." His tightly furrowed eyebrows and stern face revealed anxiety that could not be hidden.

After hearing this, Jiang Jiang Mingyu lightly "Hmm"ed once, his gaze turning to the silent Che Gang, as if waiting for his opinion. Che Gang smiled helplessly and spread his hands: "Your Majesty, this subordinate also has no brilliant strategy; dealing with a hard bone like Governor Du Du Jianmu, I truly cannot think of any good countermeasure at this moment." As he spoke, his eyes stared straight ahead, his gaze clear and gentle, yet also revealing difficulty that could not be hidden.

The tent was silent. All the generals looked at each other; for a moment, no one spoke.

Hearing that none of the generals offered any plans, Jiang Jiang Mingyu then leisurely played with the teacup in his hand: "Actually, I also have an idea myself."

Hearing this, Tu Tu Kesiluo couldn't help but complain grumpily: "If you have an idea, why didn't you say it earlier? Why make us so anxious?" As soon as he said this, everyone was stunned; no one dared to question Jiang Jiang Mingyu so directly.

However, what no one expected was that Jiang Jiang Mingyu showed no anger at all; instead, his demeanor remained calm.

At this moment, Jiang Jiang Mingyu slowly stood up, smoothing the wrinkles on his long robe. He walked slowly to the front of everyone, his eyes deep as a profound pool: "It seems none of you can think of any brilliant countermeasure. These days I have repeatedly simulated the situation, and only vaguely have a general idea. However, this plan is quite risky; once it fails, the future of One Da Jiang's Jiangshan is in jeopardy. Do you indeed have the courage to gamble with me on the success or failure of this southern expedition?"

Hearing this, everyone responded loudly, each with a determined expression, eager to try. Jiang Jiang Mingyu nodded slowly and beckoned: "Then, you step forward one step..."

The generals all moved closer one by one; after hearing Jiang Jiang Mingyu's plan, they all showed agreement and joy, nodding enthusiastically one after another to express approval. Among them, Tu Tu Kesiluo was the most excited; his eyes shone with light, his thick eyebrows raised high, and a smile of wild joy hung on his lips. After hearing the plan, he suddenly stood up, strode out of the tent with long strides, seemingly unable to wait to execute Jiang Jiang Mingyu's orders; his figure quickly disappeared into the night.

A trace of approval flashed in Jiang Jiang Mingyu's eyes. He put down the blue-and-white porcelain teacup in his hand; his tall figure cast a high silhouette under the lamp light. "Go, do as I have said." He instructed calmly. Hearing this, the generals immediately stood up in unison, performed a standard military salute, each looking spirited and high-spirited, then filed out one by one, rushing to their respective posts.

At this time, Jiang Jiang Mingyu remained alone in the tent; silence fell on all sides. He turned around, looking through the open tent door at the bustling camp; the night wind blew, the lights were bright, like day. Jiang Jiang Mingyu's long silver hair was scattered, his figure tall and straight, his hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the ten thousand soldiers under his command. Under his thick eyelashes, his gaze was deep as water, subtly revealing pride and lofty ambitions. The faint smile on his lips added a few more degrees of majesty and arrogance.

The good show is about to begin!