Chapter 387: Watching the Fire from Across the River

Jiang Mingyu strode into Yan Hao’s governor’s mansion, glancing around, his face faintly tinged with anger. The lavish governor’s mansion exuded an air of luxury and corruption everywhere—expensive paintings and calligraphy hung on the walls, delicate vases stood by the windows, silk velvet carpets covered the floors, and plush cushions adorned the sofas and beds.

Jiang Mingyu sneered, silently cursing Yan Hao as a greedy beast. Such extravagance and display could only have been amassed by exploiting the people. This conduct was worse than that of a beast.

At that moment, He Jing rushed over, his expression grave: “Your Majesty, we found a group of women in the back courtyard—they appear to be Yan Hao’s concubines. What should be done with them?”

“What? Concubines?” Jiang Mingyu’s face darkened. “Take me to see them.”

The two arrived at the back courtyard, where over a dozen women, dressed in tattered clothes and trembling with fear, huddled in a corner. Upon seeing Jiang Mingyu, they knelt tremblingly, begging for mercy.

Jiang Mingyu’s face hardened. He ordered the women brought to the main hall for questioning. One by one, they wept uncontrollably, recounting how Yan Hao, abusing his power, seized them to serve as concubines to satisfy his lust. Some families resisted, and all the men were killed.

After hearing their testimonies, Jiang Mingyu clenched his fists so tightly his veins bulged. He flew into a rage, smashing his fist into the wall—bricks shattered, plaster fell away.

“Beast! Monster! Abusing power to enslave living people—you deserve to die ten thousand deaths!” His face flushed crimson, his body shaking. “At noon tomorrow, I will have him torn apart by five horses—to avenge the people!”

He Jing nodded silently, his eyes burning with deep fury. Such a depraved, evil man was truly beyond description.

At that moment, Feng Xi rushed over, his expression agitated: “Your Majesty, my scouts report that Wei Yangyao is furious with Yan Hao—he may have already killed him!”

Jiang Mingyu spoke in a low tone: “It seems this beast’s end will be even more miserable than I imagined.”

He turned to He Jing. “Announce to the people: at noon tomorrow, Yan Hao will be publicly executed on the marketplace—to let the people vent their rage!”

He Jing hurried off to deliver the order. Jiang Mingyu coldly surveyed the opulent, decaying governor’s mansion, a faint sneer curling on his lips—the beast was doomed to a wretched end, and rightly so.

At noon the next day, as the executioner’s axe fell and Yan Hao’s head rolled onto the street with a thud, the crowd erupted in cheers. Some raised wine jugs, others set off firecrackers, and elderly men nodded with satisfied smiles. The tyrannical official had finally met his due.

Tuxesiluo stood beside Jiang Mingyu, watching the jubilant crowd. He spat in disgust. “Big brother, these people clearly side with you—it’s infuriating!”

Jiang Mingyu ignored Tuxesiluo’s complaint, calmly watching the celebrating crowd. Faces beamed with joy as the people loudly praised Jiang Mingyu’s boundless virtue and wise benevolence. In just one day since arriving in Lingtaicheng, his popularity soared.

Feng Xi hurried over, solemnly reporting: “Your Majesty, scouts have confirmed: Wei Yangyao has slaughtered Yan Hao’s entire family—he intends to take personal command of Lingtaicheng!”

Jiang Mingyu paused, then turned to Tuxesiluo. “Half our grand plan is complete. It’s time to march and seize Lingtaicheng, then strike straight at Jingxiang and Gebao. With this, unification is within reach.”

Tuxesiluo's eyes sparkled. He clenched his fists and roared with bold spirit: "Exactly what I was thinking! Our mighty army is invincible—how could these few cities possibly stand against our iron hooves?"

With that, Tuxesiluo let out a thunderous roar. Jiang Mingyu lifted his face to the sun, squinting slightly, a faint smile of anticipation playing on his lips.

Jiang Mingyu sat in his tent, eyes fixed on the scout before him. This was the scout he had sent to gather intelligence in Lingtaicheng—he had been gone nearly ten days and had finally returned safely.

Seeing the scout’s dark, exhausted face, Jiang Mingyu couldn’t help but press: “How is Lingtaicheng? Speak quickly!”

These past days, his mood had been unbearable. The situation in Lingtaicheng was critical, yet he knew nothing—his heart was heavy with unease.

The scout was a young man in his early twenties. He panted heavily as he struggled to organize his words: “Your Majesty, Wang Yi rebelled several days ago!”

“What?!” Jiang Mingyu leapt to his feet, his face a mix of shock and delight. “So the grain supplies in Lingtaicheng have run dry—Wang Yi was forced to rebel just to keep the city running?”

The scout’s smile vanished. He nodded solemnly. “Correct. When the imperial envoy arrived to arrest Wang Yi’s entire family, Wang Yi killed him on the spot and now controls all of Lingtaicheng.”

Jiang Mingyu fell silent for a moment, then burst into laughter—his laughter carried unmistakable excitement. “Ha! Excellent! Lingtaicheng’s grain is exhausted—our army can seize it soon. Once we do, Gebao will have no reinforcements—our hold on the western frontier is secured!”

He grabbed the scout’s hand, tears welling in his eyes. “Good lad! Well done! Go rest—take a few days off.”

The scout bowed repeatedly, a smile spreading across his face.

After hearing the scout’s report of Wang Yi’s rebellion, Jiang Mingyu’s lips slowly curved into a warm smile. This was undoubtedly good news for him and the Da Jiang army. As long as Wang Yi didn’t side with Wei Yangyao, one major problem was gone.

“Big brother, Wang Yi has rebelled, and Lingtaicheng is now implementing benevolent rule—the situation favors us. Should we immediately march south and force Wang Yi to surrender?” Tuxesiluo frowned slightly, bowing slightly as he sought Jiang Mingyu’s opinion.

“Yes! We should strike immediately and seize Lingtaicheng!” E Bu and He Jing also grew eager, their eyes gleaming with battle lust. Even Che Gang chimed in bitterly: “We must end this swiftly—to avenge my dead family!”

But Jiang Mingyu slowly shook his head. “No. It’s not yet time to march. What we must do is watch the fire from across the river.”

“Watch the fire from across the river?” Feng Xi frowned, then after a few seconds, understood. “So you mean we let Wei Yangyao and Wang Yi fight each other, wait until the waters grow muddy, then strike for our advantage?”

“Precisely.” Jiang Mingyu raised his eyebrows slightly and nodded approvingly.

“The external threats we’ve created in the southern frontier have already left Wei Yangyao overwhelmed. Now Wang Yi has rebelled—internal and external crises have converged. The southern frontier is in chaos.”

“To crush Wang Yi’s rebellion quickly, Wei Yangyao will mobilize every available soldier. No matter who wins, the southern frontier’s military strength will be crippled. That will be our best moment to strike.” Jiang Mingyu spoke slowly, but each word rang with authority.

All present nodded in agreement. This “damage-limiting” strategy was indeed the safer path.

Seeing everyone agreed, Jiang Mingyu’s brow relaxed, his expression calm yet firm. He ordered Feng Xi to dispatch more scouts to monitor movements between Lingtaicheng and Gebao. Any slightest change must be reported immediately by mounted courier.

Feng Xi immediately reorganized the scouts and sent them to the front. Jiang Mingyu and his officers began daily training, awaiting the right moment to march. The constant drills and waiting grew tedious, yet they trusted Jiang Mingyu’s strategy completely. With no other choice, they sought distractions during breaks.

Meanwhile, far away in Gebao, Wei Yangyao’s expression was as dark as water.

“What?! Wang Yi has truly rebelled?!” He slammed his fist on the table, shattering the teacup.

“My lord,” reported the eunuch, pale-faced, “according to letters from Lingtaicheng, Wang Yi now controls the entire city—the imperial envoy has been killed.”

“Damn it! Even Wang Yi dares to rebel? He’s insane!” Wei Yangyao gritted his teeth. “I gave him ample grain supplies—how dare he betray me?”

The eunuch lowered his head, speaking cautiously: “My lord, reports from Lingtaicheng say the grain supplies have been exhausted...”

“Shut up!” Wei Yangyao roared. The eunuch flinched and fell silent.

Wei Yangyao paced back and forth in his tent, anxiety and rage etched on his face. After a long while, he calmed himself—he had made his decision.

“Send out a large army immediately to punish Wang Yi!”

“Yes!” The eunuch bowed and hurried out to relay the orders.

That night, Wei Yangyao personally inspected the 80,000 troops set to march. This was the maximum force Gebao could mobilize.

Watching the dense ranks of soldiers march out with lethal intent, Wei Yangyao sneered coldly—he was certain Wang Yi was dead.

Meanwhile, in Lingtaicheng, Wang Yi sat in his command tent, staring intently at the map.

“My lord, Gebao has dispatched a large army to attack us—what should we do?” His deputy, Ouyang Jingde, watched him nervously.

“Hmph!” Wang Yi sneered. “That old fool in Gebao has only 80,000 men—dare he invade Lingtaicheng?!”

He slammed his fist on the table, his eyes blazing with resolve. “Since we’ve chosen rebellion, even if we burn everything to ashes, we won’t retreat! Ouyang Jingde, take 50,000 elite troops and crush the Gebao army!”

“Yes, my lord!” Ouyang Jingde bowed and immediately mobilized the troops. Wang Yi’s lips curled into a cold smile—he already had his plan.

These past days, Jiang Mingyu had been unusually idle—more comfortable than ever before. But the peace didn’t last. After fifty-six days, he grew restless, his bones itching, as if his skin would burst.

Only then did Jiang Mingyu realize: even an emperor with three thousand concubines could grow unbearably bored. No doubt, those languid palace women felt the same.

Just as Jiang Mingyu sat on pins and needles, Zhuge Yu once again brought 70,000 reinforcements from Da Jiang and Xi Xia. The messenger reported Xi Xia’s harvest was bountiful—people offered grain as tribute, no longer fearing hunger, and all praised Jiang Mingyu’s virtue and wisdom.

With this situation, Xi Xia retained only essential garrison troops; the rest were transferred to Jiang Mingyu’s command. Now Jiang Mingyu commanded 170,000 troops—even after leaving 20,000 to guard Lingtaicheng, he still had 150,000 to sweep the southern frontier!

Jiang Mingyu was silently calculating his grand plan when Feng Xi’s scout galloped back. Hearing the scout had returned, Jiang Mingyu rushed forward three steps at a time, urgently asking about the battle progress between Lingtaicheng and Gebao.

“Your Majesty,” the scout paused briefly, then spoke rapidly, “I returned late because Wei Yangyao is mobilizing southward. Now, the southern frontier’s governor, Leng Yang, has led 80,000 troops toward Lingtaicheng—facing Wang Yi’s 60,000 loyalists!”

“Excellent, excellent!” E Bu burst into laughter, nodding vigorously. “Eighty thousand against sixty thousand—both sides are strong and well-led. This battle will surely end in mutual destruction!”

“Correct,” Che Gang stared at the map, sneering. “Leng Yang took 80,000 troops—Gebao now has only 60,000 defenders. Even if Wei Yangyao recruits more, it won’t help. The city will be defenseless—ripe for the taking!”

The generals exchanged knowing glances. Jiang Mingyu smiled broadly, already plotting his imperial future.

Meanwhile, in Lingtaicheng, Wang Yi stared grimly at the map before him.

“Leng Yang’s 80,000 troops are coming—where are our reinforcements?!” He slammed his fist on the table, face turning ashen.

His commanders looked uneasy. Their troops had suffered heavy losses—they couldn’t endure another bloody battle.

“My lord,” suggested his aide Ouyang Jingde cautiously, “perhaps we should avoid their strength and hold Lingtaicheng’s defenses.”

“Avoid their strength?!” Wang Yi exploded. “When did I, Wang Yi, become so cowardly?! Better to die on the battlefield than wait to be killed!”

He drew his sword, charged out of the tent with murderous intent. The generals followed helplessly, uncertain of their chances.

Jiang Mingyu heard the scout’s report. A hint of delight flickered in his brow, his lips curling slightly—as if he were secretly pleased. He paused, then looked up at the scout, eyes gleaming. “When you went to Gebao, did you hear anything about Jingxiang?”

“Jingxiang?” Tuxesiluo blinked, following Jiang Mingyu’s gaze, puzzled—what did Jingxiang have to do with Lingtaicheng? The scout stiffened, stood at attention, and replied respectfully: “I heard rumors—the Jingxiang garrison commander is Feng Cheng, with only 60,000 troops.”

“Sixty thousand?” Jiang Mingyu frowned slightly, a thoughtful expression forming. He walked slowly to the map, gently tracing the land with his fingers, his demeanor calm and cold.

Tuxesiluo was utterly confused, about to speak—when he saw E Bu’s red nose twitch, his eyes suddenly widening as if struck by revelation, eagerly awaiting Jiang Mingyu’s next words.

After a moment, Jiang Mingyu pointed to a spot on the map and spoke slowly: “Leng Yang has moved out—he will reach Lingtaicheng in thirty-five days. Tomorrow, we mobilize. The day after, I will lead 90,000 troops to approach Lingtaicheng and observe...” His voice was calm, low, as if he held all outcomes in his grasp.

“Ninety thousand?” Tuxesiluo rubbed his eyes, confused. “Big brother, even if we leave 20,000 to guard the city, we still have 150,000 troops! You’re only taking 80,000 to Lingtaicheng—what about the rest...?” He stopped mid-sentence, then suddenly realized—he snapped his head up, eyes wide. “You mean... you want to send troops to Jingxiang?”

“Exactly.” Jiang Mingyu nodded calmly, continuing: “At this moment, the southern frontier’s attention is fixed on Lingtaicheng. If I now send troops to aid, Wei Yangyao will assume I’m trying to seize Lingtaicheng. But Jingxiang lies behind Gebao—he’ll never suspect I’ll strike from the east.” His eyes brightened. “Jingxiang’s forces are weak. If we send a fierce general with 70,000 cavalry to launch a surprise attack, we’ll take it easily. Then we can encircle Gebao from east and west—Wei Yangyao will have nowhere to retreat—he’ll be at our mercy!”

Jiang Mingyu’s eyes blazed with triumphant pride. His voice quickened, his passion mounting. At the end, he raised both hands high, forming a sweeping encirclement gesture. The generals’ spirits lifted instantly—their faces lit up with excitement. Only Tuxesiluo struggled to grasp this unexpected strategy, momentarily lost.

Tuxesiluo’s eyes gleamed. He immediately clasped his fists and cried out: “Big brother, I volunteer to lead the attack on Jingxiang—I’ll bring back Feng Cheng’s head!” His thick eyebrows furrowed, his gaze sharp as lightning, voice strong and resolute, brimming with fierce determination. He clenched his teeth, his phoenix-like eyes blazing with unwavering fire, his powerful frame leaning forward, radiating ambition.

Li Goudan and E Bu also grew restless, clamoring for the chance to fight, eager to prove themselves and earn glory. Their faces flushed, eyes blazing, desperate to act. Li Goudan clenched his fists, his massive frame trembling; E Bu’s eyes were bloodshot, his thick beard rising and falling with his breath. All officers feared missing this golden opportunity to achieve great deeds.

Jiang Mingyu calmly surveyed them, his gaze steady and deep as water, radiating authority. He slipped his hands into his wide sleeves, studied the excited officers for a moment, then raised his hand: “Tuxesiluo is the strongest warrior among our generals—this campaign against Jingxiang must be led by you. He Jing will be your deputy. The two of you will lead 80,000 troops and capture Jingxiang within six days!” His tone was firm, his trust absolute.

Tuxesiluo beamed, his brows relaxing, joy overflowing. He nodded eagerly, his excitement palpable. He turned to He Jing, who met his gaze with equal intensity. Their eyes locked—each saw in the other unyielding courage and confidence for the coming battle.

Then Jiang Mingyu frowned slightly, his expression serious. “Remember—this operation must be swift! Once the Lingtaicheng battle ends, striking Jingxiang will no longer be so easy.” His gaze swept over the officers, growing sharper. “I will have Feng Xi’s scouts maintain constant contact with you. When our main force arrives, we will launch a pincer attack on Gebao!”

“Rest assured, big brother!” Tuxesiluo bowed deeply, his voice booming with certainty. “I swear I will not fail—I will capture Jingxiang on schedule!” His eyes blazed, his spirit radiant, utterly confident. He strode toward the tent entrance, He Jing close behind—both men moved with firm, proud steps, their silhouettes tall and commanding.