Inside the military camp, Prince Xiao Qing of Jin sat imposingly, his legs trembling uncontrollably.
"In the past, the Japanese king found it very difficult to practice swordsmanship in the capital."
"Now, after only one day of marching with the army, and having covered less than a hundred li a day, my legs feel as if they are broken."
"I had heard of the Duke of Zhenguo riding a thousand miles to capture the Xiongnu Khan, but I didn't think he was anything special. Now I realize that the Duke of Zhenguo is indeed an extraordinary person."
At this moment, Mu Zi'an was carefully examining the map of Xiang and Ji provinces with Jia Xu. Upon hearing Xiao Qing's words, Mu Zi'an casually replied.
"When life and death are at stake, there's no time for excessive worry. You'll never know your potential until you push yourself."
Xiao Qing lay down weakly, feeling a wave of despair at the thought of having to endure more.
Just then, the guard outside the door came to report.
"Your Highness Prince Jin, General Luo, the Duke of Zhenguo, has come to visit."
Mu Zian and Jia Xu exchanged a surprised glance.
"Please come in openly."
A moment later, Luo Cheng, clad in armor, walked in from outside the tent.
"This humble general, Luo Cheng, pays his respects to His Highness Prince Jin and the Duke of Zhenguo."
Xiao Qing waved his hand to indicate that it didn't matter, while Mu Zian spoke up.
"Wasn't he supposed to be inspecting the camp's defenses? What did he discover?"
Luo Chengwen spoke up.
"I did encounter some issues that I need to discuss with you, young master."
Luo Cheng then told Mu Zi'an everything that Di Yong had just experienced.
Xiao Qing, who had been lazily sitting to the side, sat up straight after hearing this.
Although this is just a very small matter, the problems it exposes are quite significant.
Upon hearing this, Jia Xu spoke up.
"This small incident is enough to show that the morale of the four-state allied forces is not united."
"If we distrust each other, we will likely suffer greatly on the battlefield."
Upon hearing Jia Xu's words, both Mu Zi'an and Xiao Qing seemed to be deep in thought.
"Is this battle related to my position as crown prince?" Xiao Qing asked with some concern.
"This battle is against the elite forces of the Great Zhou Kingdom. If the people are not united and are jealous of each other, it will be detrimental to this campaign."
"Now half of the army consists of Qingzhou soldiers. Although this matter is small, if it is not handled properly, it may cause resentment among the Qingzhou soldiers."
As he spoke, Xiao Qing turned his gaze to Mu Zi'an.
Upon hearing this, Mu Zian smiled and spoke directly.
"This matter was handled very well in public."
"Although the Qingzhou Army accounts for half of the allied forces, if we are afraid of them because of this, it will only encourage such unhealthy practices."
"As the saying goes, pride comes before a fall, and this kind of bullying the weak and fearing the strong must not be encouraged."
Xiao Qing seemed to be deep in thought upon hearing this, and Mu Zi'an continued speaking.
"A petty person fears power but not virtue; a virtuous person fears virtue but not power."
"If this kind of thing happens again in the future, just fight back. If anything goes wrong, I, the Duke, will cover for you."
Upon hearing this, Luo Cheng breathed a sigh of relief. His young master was still the same fearless person he always was.
"This subordinate understands."
After finishing his report, Luo Cheng turned and left.
Xiao Qing stepped forward and asked.
"What should I do about this?"
Mu Zian remained silent upon hearing this, while Jia Xu spoke with a smile.
"Upholding the law impartially is the best course of action."
Xiao Qing was taken aback at first, but then instantly understood what Jia Xu meant.
That night, Xiao Qing ordered an investigation into the matter.
Faced with the King of Jin's questioning, how could these Qingzhou soldiers dare to lie?
Finally, he honestly explained how he had bullied Di Hu and his group.
Finally, after understanding what had happened...
Xiao Qing made the judgment directly.
Although Di Hu and his group had committed insubordination, they had a valid reason for it and were punished with a half-month's salary deduction.
Liu Baijiang, who instigated the incident, was not so lucky and was demoted from a centurion to a common soldier.
All Qingzhou soldiers who participated in the private fights were fined half a month's salary.
This punishment was carried out entirely in accordance with military orders; Xiao Qing showed no favoritism towards either the Liangzhou Army or the Qingzhou Army.
It truly achieved impartiality.
Someone asked Luo Cheng how to handle the situation. Luo Cheng was a commander-in-chief, and the fact that he didn't kill Liu Baijiang with a single spear thrust was already a great concession to the Qingzhou army.
After all, the secrets of the Liangzhou army were covered by that black cloth, and anyone who tried to pry into them could be treated as a spy.
Not only that, Xiao Qing also directly ordered Suo Xu, the commander of the Qingzhou army, to be strict with his subordinates and to show no leniency if anyone committed a violation again.
Xiao Qing's decisive and efficient actions surprised the commanders of the other three states.
The 200,000-strong army continued its rapid march towards Xiangzhou, leaving the capital region and traversing Yuzhou.
Just as the four-state coalition was speeding up its journey.
Inside the city of Haoliang in Xiangzhou, the garrison commander Yao Fa looked at the endless Zhou army outside the city with a look of despair on his face.
Haoliang City had been besieged for several days. Yao Fa sent out dozens of cavalrymen to ask for help, but without exception, they were all intercepted and killed.
Outside Haoliang City, the Zhou army had already prepared various siege weapons.
"Haven't you received a letter yet?"
Yao Fa's expression was extremely unpleasant.
The captain standing to the side sighed helplessly upon hearing this.
"Those sent out to ask for help were all intercepted and killed."
Yao Fa looked helpless.
"How long can the city's food supplies last?"
"Reporting to the general, we still have half a month."
"Enough! As long as we can hold out for half a month, the imperial reinforcements will arrive! Then we can turn the tide and win!"
"Pass on my military order! All males aged sixteen and above in the city must ascend the city walls to defend against the enemy! There must be no mistake!"
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