The Northern Liang Pass.
Snowflakes fell heavily in the wind, covering the ground in a blanket of white.
The snow in Beiliang is naturally heavier and the weather is much colder than elsewhere. The snow covering the ground is now more than a foot thick.
At the pass, the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry cut down dead trees from the surrounding forest, each carrying a bundle of wood on their horse, and headed towards the military camp.
Yue Fei, dressed in a silver helmet, gazed solemnly at the vast land beyond the pass.
Although the ground was relatively flat, the snow on the plain was not evenly distributed; beneath the snow lay the imperial army horses that had been killed not long ago.
Although the battle was a great victory, defeating the imperial army and killing many of them, Yue Fei felt little joy at that moment.
As a veteran general who had commanded troops for many years, he could tell from the previous battle that although the imperial army was numerous, it consisted of a bunch of miscellaneous soldiers. Their discipline was lax, and they fought without much strategy.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it was a chaotic mess.
This indicates that the imperial army was hastily assembled in a short period of time and was not well integrated; it was a ragtag force.
Even if you win against such a ragtag army, you won't feel much sense of accomplishment.
After that battle, Yue Fei knew that although the enemy army had been defeated, it did not mean that they would give up. On the contrary, after that battle, they had a rough idea of the number of troops they had.
This means that they will gather more troops next, and not only will they have more troops, but they will also be more capable in battle!
Thinking of this, a hint of worry appeared in Yue Fei's eyes.
Before his lord left Beiliang, he entrusted me with guarding the Beiliang pass here, which is why I did not pursue him after defeating the enemy army.
But now, so many days have passed, the imperial court is probably already gathering more troops. When they attack again, will our less than 50,000 troops be able to hold out?
What new strategies will the enemy devise to attack Beiliang?
Furthermore, what stage has the war reached in Xijing, my lord? Has the Tu Yuan army been repelled?
But soon, Yue Fei smiled and shook his head.
He looked up at the snowflakes falling from the sky and couldn't help but sigh:
"This snow is really getting heavier and heavier."
——
Under the setting sun, bathed in the glow of the sunset.
A troop of cavalry galloped along the mountain path.
At this moment, a deep, resonant voice rang out from within the ranks:
"My lord, just now I heard Dian Wei say that you first destroyed the Hu horses and then attacked Tu Yuan. These two deeds have made you an unparalleled achievement, and the people love and respect you."
"The Jin family, who rule the court, are incompetent and tyrannical, oppressing the people. It is so obvious that everyone else in the world should rise up in rebellion like our lord."
The speaker was none other than Zhang Liao, who had been chatting idly with Dian Wei the whole way.
Qin Ze, his face covered by a black cloth, removed the mask after hearing his words, exhaled a breath of stale air, and then said calmly:
"Everyone understands the reasoning, but not everyone will oppose it. Some people dare not oppose it, and some people are unwilling to oppose it."
“Those who are unwilling to rebel are the beneficiaries of the Kim family regime. They enjoy wealth and power, and the suffering of the common people does not extend to them.”
"These people who are unwilling to rebel are the ones who control the majority of the population. As a result, how many people can rebel, or dare to rebel?"
"Now that I am starting an uprising, I fear that among those who are unwilling to rebel, there are still many who would like to suppress me and seize more benefits, whether for fame or for profit."
"Most people have far more ambition than ability, not realizing that they are nothing more than puppets under the Jin family."
"Huang Long has risen to the rank of Grand General of the State. It would be no problem for Jin Fengluan to eliminate him with just a word. But even so, there will still be people rushing to him one after another. Hehe."
As soon as he finished speaking, Dian Wei laughed:
"These rabble are nothing compared to our mighty army!"
Qin Ze smiled slightly, "That's right."
"What we need to do is smash all the mess, completely overturn it, and start from scratch!"
"I have destroyed the Hu horses and killed Tu Yuan. From now on, anyone who stands in my way, hmph, I will show no mercy and kill them."
"Since we've killed a lot of people, this large-scale operation will be able to bring some peace and order for a while."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Liao raised an eyebrow, "A period of time?"
Qin Ze's eyes were deep as he calmly replied, "When I was here."
Just then, a man rode up from the front.
It was Wang Yang, one of the Eighteen Riders of Yanyun.
"My lord, the road ahead is safe and sparsely populated. The road ahead is flat. Zhang Lu and Liu Bao have set up a shelter five miles away. It gets dark early, so you can rest early."
"We're not far from the Beiliang Pass; we should be able to arrive in the next few days."
Qin Ze nodded slightly and said calmly, "Isn't Tongwei City closer than the Beiliang Pass? We can just take Tongwei City directly."
"Let Zhi Xiong and Tao Bao set off first tomorrow. Once they arrive in Tongwei City as soon as possible, they can disguise themselves and go in to see how many troops there are."
"Yes, my lord!"
As Qin Ze's eyes flashed, the points panel appeared before his eyes.
[60.48 million, still growing...]
It has been seven days since Qin Ze left Xijing. The journey has been relatively uneventful, and his points are steadily increasing, which gives him a lot of confidence.
When he left Xijing earlier, he had thought that the journey might not be safe, and that Jin Fengluan might send troops to monitor the key roads outside Xijing.
Unfortunately, although some of the main roads were guarded, most of these people were lazy and negligent, and the defenses were not tight at all, making them practically useless.
On some side streets, there is absolutely no one watching over them.
This is no accident.
Whether it is Xijing or Beiliang, both are border areas of Dagan. The fact that the people here are so lax is just a testament to the numerous problems plaguing Dagan today.
The Jin family consolidated power, handing over all important positions to their own family members in the capital, thus monopolizing all top-level resources. As a result, how could officials of humble origins be expected to fulfill their duties wholeheartedly?
With no way to advance their careers, they can only drift through life, or perhaps seize the benefits of the poor.
The corruption, starting from within, gradually affected the entire country, much like a tree that rots from the inside out; the trunk is broken, and the branches and leaves are already crawling with termites.
Qin Ze knew in his heart that, given time, even if he did not rebel, this tree would either fall on its own or be chopped down by those wielding axes.
Hu Ma, Tu Yuan—these chaotic phenomena are proof of the tree's demise.
Thinking of this, Qin Ze's expression grew even more somber.
But the points panel in his eyes kept changing.
A string of dark blue numbers was growing little by little, becoming more and more numerous.
"This is hope."
Muttering something to himself, Qin Ze led the group forward, running towards the horizon in the afterglow of the setting sun...
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