Chapter 94: Leave Not One Alive; Slaughter Them All!

Not wanting to dampen his heroic spirit, Jiang Jiang Mingyu had not yet left the city when he was called from behind by Zhu Ge Yu: "Wait."

At this moment, Zhu Ge Yu had long since swapped his usual wide-sleeved long robe for a narrow-sleeved brocade gown.

In the biting wind, draped in a dark red fox fur, his figure seated atop a chestnut horse carried a distinctly heroic and extraordinary air.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu, whose blood was already boiling with excitement, turned his head and said, "Time is of the essence; what are we still waiting for?"

On horseback, Zhu Ge Yu frowned slightly, gripping the reins with both hands as he spoke deliberately: "Master, regarding this expedition, have the bandits caught wind of it?" His tone was calm yet cautious.

Tu Tu Kesiluo, standing nearby, remarked, "This matter is too critical to let them know in advance!" As he spoke, his brows were tightly knitted, and his voice urgent.

"Mr. Zhu Ge, it is getting late; what exactly do you wish to say?" Jiang Jiang Mingyu asked with a hint of impatience, urging him on.

Zhu Ge Yu chuckled lightly, a trace of cunning appearing in his eyes: "Since the bandits are completely unaware, why not change our frontal assault into a surprise attack?"

"With such a grand display, we will surely be discovered by the bandits soon; once they flee, won't all our efforts be in vain?" As he uttered these words, Zhu Ge Yu revealed a wisdom entirely different from his usual demeanor, with a faint hint of confidence shining in his eyes.

Regarding warfare, Jiang Jiang Mingyu, having lived two lives, was undoubtedly an amateur; hearing Zhu Ge Yu's suggestion, he frowned deeply, a look of difficulty floating across his face: "Then what do you mean?" His words betrayed obvious hesitation.

Zhu Ge Yu cast his gaze into the distance, a hint of cunning confidence subtly emerging in his eyes: "Lower the flags and muffle the drums; march at double speed." His tone was extremely decisive.

"While the bandits remain unaware, we shall march straight to their lair and annihilate them by surprise; Master, what do you think?" Zhu Ge Yu stared fixedly at Jiang Jiang Mingyu, awaiting his decision.

Before Jiang Jiang Mingyu could speak, Tu Tu Kesiluo first let out a cold snort, obvious disdain flashing in his narrow eyes: "We have two thousand troops; why should we fear those bandits?" His tone reeked of arrogance and self-importance.

Leaning forward with both hands braced on the saddle, Zhu Ge Yu spoke with even greater urgency: "Though we outnumber them, the bandits hold the advantage of terrain; with the cold wind blowing fiercely, a frontal assault will inevitably result in heavy casualties." A hint of worry subtly showed in his eyes.

"These soldiers are our main force for dealing with the foreign Xi Xia people in the future; how can we casually sacrifice them?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu pondered for a moment before slowly nodding: "Transmit my order: follow Zhu Ge Yu's proposal, stop hanging the military flags, conceal our tracks, and change course for a surprise advance." His tone finally displayed resolve.

Hearing this, Tu Tu Kesiluo frowned slightly and, with evident reluctance, cupped his hands: "As you command."

Soon, the two thousand soldiers under Jiang Jiang Mingyu's command discarded their military flags and vanished into the sky-filling wind and snow at maximum speed.

More than half a day passed in the blink of an eye.

Under the bleak setting sun, the scout leading the column squinted, pointed toward a mountain peak ahead, his face first showing shock then breaking into joy: "My lord, that is Mount Sanqing."

"This humble one has investigated carefully; there are over a hundred bandits on the mountain who commit every kind of evil daily and possess extremely cruel and vicious temperaments," the scout said in a low voice, his words filled with concern.

Upon hearing the word 'cruel,' Tu Tu Kesiluo sneered disdainfully, excitement and eagerness flashing in his narrow eyes: "The crueller, the better; battle will be more thrilling and vigorous."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu, on horseback, immediately raised his hand to signal: "All troops halt advancement; immediately hide and set up an ambush; we will launch the surprise attack only after nightfall." His tone was calm yet filled with the firm authority of command.

Winter days are short; soon the lingering glow of the sun disappeared from the horizon, and atop distant Mount Sanqing, a few faint points of firelight ignited.

Having just eaten a dry steamed bun to stave off hunger, Jiang Jiang Mingyu gave a low shout: "Order all troops to prepare; upon my command, immediately charge Mount Sanqing and capture the villains alive!" His voice brimmed with intense killing intent.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Ge Yu hurriedly intervened: "Master, do you intend to charge straight up the mountain like this?" His tone betrayed strong hesitation.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu, not quite understanding, showed confusion on his face: "What else then?"

Pointing at Mount Sanqing, Zhu Ge Yu spoke word by word with earnest gravity: "There may be other exits on the mountain; never forget that a cunning hare has three burrows."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu suddenly realized: "You mean there might be other escape routes on the mountain?"

Stroking the small mustache by his mouth, Zhu Ge Yu revealed a hint of cunning confidence in his eyes: "We must guard against the unexpected; I suggest dividing our main army into four columns to surround Mount Sanqing from all sides."

"Once Master gives the order, we attack simultaneously from all four directions; only thus can we ensure a tight blockade with absolutely no risk," he said, brimming with confidence.

After listening, Jiang Jiang Mingyu pondered briefly before finally nodding slowly: "Proceed according to your deployment."

"Tu Tu Kesiluo, you take your men to the east; Dog Egg, you take five hundred men to the west," Jiang Jiang Mingyu stated expressionlessly, his tone decisive as he arranged the troop dispositions.

"Zhu Ge Yu goes to the north; this official will personally lead the main force to charge through the front gate; at the third watch, ignite a fire as the attack signal; move to your positions immediately," and as he spoke up to this point, his brows tightened, his face grave and deadly serious.

Then, with a cold face, he issued a stern instruction: "This is our first battle; do not act rashly; anyone who disobeys orders shall be executed!" Jiang Jiang Mingyu's tone was so icy it sent chills down the spine.

If military orders as unyielding as a mountain are not ingrained in the soldiers' minds from the very beginning, future campaigns will be difficult to win.

Unexpectedly, Li Dog Egg hesitated somewhat and nervously asked, "My lord, can I really handle this?" As this was his first time on the battlefield and he had been assigned a heavy responsibility, he felt somewhat at a loss.

With a darkened face, Jiang Jiang Mingyu said without mercy: "If you wish to remain an insignificant spear-carrier forever, this official will immediately replace you," his tone brooking no argument and full of intimidation.

Dealing with the Prince of Qi in the future will inevitably involve armed conflict; he must cultivate several trusted subordinates as soon as possible.

As for Li Dog Egg and the others, they had followed him constantly since his arrival in Shangmu; for Jiang Jiang Mingyu, they were undoubtedly the best candidates.

Li Dog Egg was slightly stunned, clearly unwilling to remain a mere foot soldier forever, so he gritted his teeth fiercely and declared, "My lord, I will certainly live up to your trust!" His tone conveyed immense determination.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu nodded satisfactorily and forcefully patted his shoulder: "Good, go; I await your triumphant return!" A gratified smile finally appeared on his face.

Seeing the three men each lead a detachment away swiftly, Jiang Jiang Mingyu waved his large hand and, taking advantage of the pitch-black night as cover, quietly moved his position toward the main gate of the shanzhai.

At the first watch, piercing through the howling mountain night wind, he could faintly hear the bandits on the mountain shouting loudly, holding a raucous banquet in celebration.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu sneered coldly: "Partying and drinking heavily at such a time is simply seeking death; enjoy your last moments of pleasure well," his tone revealing ruthless coldness.

No sooner had his voice fallen than the third watch arrived in quick succession.

Observing the noisy shanzhai gradually quiet down, Jiang Jiang Mingyu, with a grave face, gave a low order: "Light the fire as the signal; full-scale attack!"

The suddenly rising flames acted like military flare signals, and the four pre-positioned detachments immediately surged forth from all directions, brimming with killing intent.

The drowsy sentries had no time to react before one was struck squarely by an arrow and fell dead on the spot.

Shouting 'kill' at the front, Jiang Jiang Mingyu took the lead and was the first to breach the shanzhai.

Simultaneously, under the reflection of the firelight, the other three columns surged into the shanzhai like towering, turbulent waves.

The bandits inside the shanzhai were all dead drunk and dreaming, completely unable to fight back; not a single one escaped, and they were all captured alive.

Even several minor leaders staggered about, unable to stand steadily.

The only one considered somewhat awake was the big boss, but that was only relative, as his mouth still exhaled a strong stench of alcohol.

With blades and swords held against his neck, the big boss felt his tongue go stiff: "Who... who are you people?"

He stared wide-eyed at Jiang Jiang Mingyu and the others, his gaze a mixture of shock and terror, as if he could not believe the scene before him.

Having been lawless for so many years, he never expected Jiang Jiang Mingyu's army to arrive so suddenly.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu casually found a chair to sit on, cold light radiating from his eyes, and said in a cold voice: "This official is Jiang Jiang Mingyu; you villains have committed countless evils, harmed the common people, and stirred up widespread public outrage!" As he spoke, his brows were tightly knitted, his face grave and severe.

"Today, this official personally leads a great army here to utterly exterminate you pests and restore peace to Shangmu!" His tone was icy cold, filled with overwhelming intimidation.

"Very well, since matters have come to this, what else do you have to say?" Jiang Jiang Mingyu sat with his arms crossed, his gaze sharp as lightning, radiating extreme coldness.

Hearing that the person before him was none other than Jiang Jiang Mingyu, who already held heavy power, the eldest brother was utterly cowed.

Trembling, he kowtowed to Jiang Jiang Mingyu, begging for mercy: "My lord, spare our lives! We surrender, we all surrender..." He looked as if he were ready to be carved up at will.

Looking at the hundred-plus captives before him, Tu Tu Kesiluo raised an eyebrow and asked, "My lord, how should these people be dealt with?" His tone carried a hint of playful mockery.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu retorted, "How do you think they ought to be handled?" His expression gave no hint of joy or anger, impossible to read.

Li Goudan spoke up immediately: "There are so many of them; why not incorporate them into the main army?" His words betrayed a certain naivety.

In response, Jiang Jiang Mingyu let out a cold snort, his tone brimming with disdain: "Do you remember the lesson of Du Du Gaocen?"

Li Goudan awkwardly stroked his beard: "Then what is your lordship's wish?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's expression never changed: "These bandits who harm the common people are useless to keep. Not one shall remain; take them all out and behead them!" His tone was harsh and resolute, showing no mercy.