Chapter 500 Duke Ji

The Duke of Ji, clad in full armor, rode his horse at breakneck speed toward the city gates with the army. The emperor had ordered him and the Vice Minister of War to go to Weihui yesterday to stop the King of Chu's army.

They only remembered to send him to war when they were almost at the door. He was already over 60 years old, his hair was all white, and he still had to take up arms and fight for the emperor. Duke Ji originally wanted to recommend him.

Unfortunately, his nephews and nieces are not very capable these days, and he really needs a strong successor. For the sake of the family's development, he has no choice but to take up arms again.

Although his own son was not very promising, there were several young men around him who were quite good.

So after this impression, he led his men to Weihui to set out on the expedition.

Chang Xing rode beside the Duke, a smile on his face, and said, "I have long heard of your divine military prowess, Duke. I hope you will take good care of us in this battle of Weihui."

Duke Ji waved to Chang Xing, the Vice Minister of War: "No problem, no problem. Let's hurry on our way. We don't know what the situation is like in Weihui right now."

Chang Xing, the Vice Minister of War, also sighed: "If it weren't for the heavy rains around the capital this year that destroyed the grain routes, the Prince of Chu and his men probably wouldn't have arrived so quickly."

Duke Ji sighed softly: "It's not that easy. Don't underestimate the Prince of Chu. He was sent to the frontier to guard the border city at a young age. He is a fierce general. Even I would not underestimate him in terms of leading troops."

After saying that, he turned to look at Chang Xing: "Of the people who are going into battle now, Commander Qian and Commander Zhao are a given, but Commander Qin alone is troublesome enough."

The Duke of Ji did not say the rest. Moreover, there were more than just these three men leading the troops this time. His old friends had told him that in addition to a few senior generals, Commander Yan had also defected to the King of Chu, and the King of Chu's new son-in-law was a man with superhuman strength.

On the battlefield, such a person is almost invincible. He is difficult to deal with if he knows a little about military strategy. Duke Ji continued to ride forward on his horse. This time, guarding Hui, regardless of whether the Vice Minister of War was under great pressure, was indeed under great pressure.

Firstly, he was getting old and his physical strength was not what it used to be. Secondly, several of the generals he thought were suitable for this campaign could not be brought over in time.

Fortunately, the supplies have already been dispatched. Once the supplies arrive, it will be easier to mobilize troops from the surrounding areas. So, as long as we can hold out for this period, the battles will gradually become easier.

He understood this principle, and the King of Chu naturally understood it as well. Therefore, when he went to Weihui this time, the other side would probably try every means to quickly take the city.

Time is running out for them.

Lin Changning and Qi Rong have been recuperating in their tents for the past few days. Li Mingde and Li Mingxiu have been coming over in shifts. They were doing well these past few days, having just rested, and they came over every day to check on them.

Two days later, they arrived with official business, coordinating military equipment, the number of wounded, damaged weapons, and the amount of food. Another day passed, and the group seemed to have tasted success, almost bringing over all their official business.

While recovering from their injuries, Lin Changning and Qi Rong helped the three of them with official duties and had dinner with the King of Chu in the evenings. They lived a rather comfortable life.

Thinking of the aunt who had saved them from dire straits that day, Lin Changning immediately had Wan Jin take a hundred taels of silver and deliver it to their home that very night.

The two are now out of danger. Their aunt and uncle risked their lives to save them, so they should naturally repay the favor. King Chu also knows about this. After hearing this, Lin Changning sent someone to deliver silver and smiled as he spoke.

"Changning is honest; a hundred taels of silver is enough for his family to live comfortably for the rest of their lives."

After saying that, he gestured to his personal guards to accompany Wan Jin on a trip to deliver two cartloads of grain to the fishing village.

After resting for only two or three days, the King of Chu and his men were about to set off again. In the past few days, in Weihui, Commander Qian and Commander Zhao divided the army into three routes, one to cut off the supply lines and the other to cut off the waterways.

More than a thousand men harassed the enemy troops under the city wall every day. Every time they thought a battle was about to break out, Commander Qian would order his men to withdraw quickly. The enemy troops on the city gate tower were extremely annoyed by the harassment.

Meanwhile, the front command had one team during the day and another at night, dividing into columns to harass the enemy in batches, which infuriated the enemy. They were hesitant to engage, but pursuing them was too risky. The people on the city gate tower hadn't had a good night's sleep for many days.

Even with shift work, I'm still exhausted.

Lin Changning's body seemed to recover more than twice as fast as before. Only three days after returning to the camp, the wound had formed a thin scab and was no longer very painful.

Qi Rong, on the other hand, seems to be in a more serious condition and has been ordered by the military doctor to rest in bed.

The King of Chu was about to set off for Weihui today. He originally wanted to leave the two of them at the ferry, but Lin Changning wanted to go to Weihui with him. After thinking it over, the King of Chu decided that since he could recuperate anywhere, he might as well take Lin Changning, whose injuries were less severe, with him.

As for Qi Rong, the army doctor said that the injury to his waist and abdomen would take some time to heal, so he should not travel too much and was left at the ferry by the King of Chu.

"Second brother, I'll go to Weihui with Father first. Once you've recovered from your injuries, we can fight side by side again."

Lin Changning chuckled and patted his armor as he sat in Qi Rong's tent, his eyes gleaming with undisguised smugness. Originally, the King of Chu had intended to leave the two of them together at the ferry.

He claimed that he was in good health and could go to war, and he kept pestering the King of Chu for a whole day before he finally agreed to take her with him when he went to attack Weihui.

Lin Changning understood very well that although he had made many contributions along the way, he was still a long way from being enfeoffed as a marquis. After conquering Weihui, only Mengjin and Luoyang remained.

It would be much harder to seize battle merits later, so Lin Changning didn't want to miss any battles, as these were the foundation for his future career.

How can a military general be promoted if he doesn't fight?

He's been stuck in the position of assistant commander for almost a year now. If he misses a few more battles, when will he be able to become a third-rank commander like Brother Qi?

The eldest brother is the King of Chu's own son and will be the crown prince in the future, so there is no need to worry. The second brother has been guarding the frontier for many years and is already a commander. As for the eighth brother, he is also a member of the royal family. He glanced around.

She was the only one with a weak foundation. If it weren't for the princess's help in the fake marriage with the two, she would have had an even harder time getting ahead. Therefore, he was determined to gain more merit in this battle of Weihui.

This way, when he is granted a title or a high-ranking position in the future, he will be able to do so more legitimately, and will not be subject to gossip from petty people who say that he was granted the title by nepotism and the princess.

Qi Rong looked at Lin Changning happily showing off his armor and shook his head helplessly: "Uncle didn't force you to go. You're still injured. Why are you so impatient? Why don't you stay and rest with your second brother for a couple more days?"