The rain hasn't stopped.
The Southern Zhou army had been cursing for five days straight below the pass.
As Zhao Cheng had predicted, the insults had indeed changed, each one more offensive than the last, infuriating the generals.
"Vice Commander-in-Chief, let me go into battle!"
Standing at the end of the line, Tu Wei said angrily, "Those bastards only number two or three hundred. I'll lead my thousand men out and slaughter them all in no time!"
Park, who was also standing at the end of the line, said angrily, "I know they have an ambush outside, but the terrain outside the pass is open, and even if there is an ambush, there aren't many people. We'll take more people out and we're not afraid of them!"
"I'm going too!"
"Go ahead and attack, Deputy Commander! We've been on the expedition for over a month, and most of Yun Jing County is still in the hands of Southern Zhou. The Jing people have completely lost face!"
"Damn it, I've never been so humiliated before!"
The other generals echoed this sentiment, but Tuo Tiewu Hua remained silent with his eyes closed.
Seeing that the generals had nothing to say, Zhao Yan finally spoke up: "Have you all finished speaking? Now it's my turn to say a few words."
Zhao Yan walked forward, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the generals, and said, "The Southern Zhou army has been cursing for five days, all of them my father, my brother, and me. My elder brother and I aren't angry, so why are you all so upset?"
Park Ke said, "Deputy Commander, it's not mainly because of the insults, but because I'm worried that if we keep holding out like this, when will it end? Why don't you go and ask the General whether we still want Yunjing County?"
"How dare you!"
Zhao Yan said sternly, "Pu Ke, there must be rules in the army. Don't think that just because you're my second sister-in-law's cousin, even I wouldn't dare to be so disrespectful in front of the General. You've been in the army for quite some time now, do you know why you've been promoted so slowly? It's not because you're a relative of the Zhao family that I have higher expectations for you, but because you have neither discipline nor common sense!"
Seeing Zhao Yan's anger, Park Ke immediately lowered his head and dared not say another word.
Zhao Yan swept his stern gaze across the generals and said, "Do not question the General's arrangements. We will do whatever he says. Obeying orders is the most basic requirement for ourselves!"
"promise!!!"
Zhao Yandao said, "Compared to you all, I am the youngest, but I am the General Who Pacifies the South, appointed by the imperial court, and your deputy commander! I, the commander, hereby declare that whoever dares to disobey military orders will be executed without mercy!"
...
Nantong City.
He Biao drank the wine in large gulps, but judging from his expression, he didn't seem to be drinking heartily; rather, he was drinking in silence.
The deputy general beside him drank with him, carefully avoiding making a sound.
As they drank, He Biao slammed the wine jar down on the table and shouted, "We've been fighting for half a month and still haven't taken that crappy Jiangxia Pass! What on earth is Li Yunqing good for?!"
"If you want me to go, I can chop the door open with this axe!"
The lieutenant chimed in, "General Li is the adopted son of the Grand Commander. It's a bit of a favor that the Junior Commander gave him the opportunity to earn merit. It's just a pity that the general has such bravery..."
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
He Biao's eyes widened like copper bells as he rebuked, "The young commander is known for his strict military discipline and fair treatment of people. He is not that kind of person! It was the strategist's arrangement to leave me with 50,000 men to guard Nantong City."
The lieutenant said, "When we fought Feng Jing, General Li was the vanguard. When we fought Xiao Luofeng, General Li was also the vanguard. Now, when we fight Zhao Cheng, General Li is still the vanguard. What is the strategist thinking? It's your turn, General!"
He Biao grew angrier the more he thought about it. He picked up the wine jar and started drinking, angrily saying, "When we took Nantong City without bloodshed, I, Old He, admired the strategist to the point of prostration. But he actually held a grudge and promoted Li Yunqing, who flattered him, while refusing to use me, who had once looked down on him! He's petty and narrow-minded!"
The lieutenant said, "General, please calm down. Half a month has already passed. If we still can't take Jiangxia Pass after a while, they'll probably ask you to take action. At that time, you just need to quickly take Jiangxia Pass and compare yourself with General Li. The soldiers will then know that you are the most powerful general in the Yang family army!"
"right!"
He Biao slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "Back then, I didn't even care about the title of the Seven Generals of Yangmen, because I disdained to be ranked with those mediocre talents. But Li Yunqing, shamelessly, recognized the Grand Commander as his godfather. I, Old He, despise people like that! This time, I must outdo him, so that outsiders won't continue to say that he and I are the Grand Commander's right-hand men, and that I feel uncomfortable being ranked with him!"
The lieutenant quickly seized the opportunity to raise his glass and say, "General, I toast you!"
He Biao glanced at his deputy and said, "Look at you, such a coward, drinking from a jar!"
Before he finished speaking, a group of soldiers walked in, each carrying something in their hands.
There were armor, broadswords, arrows and other military equipment.
The leader glanced at He Biao, then looked at the deputy general and said, "General, come and take a look."
The lieutenant put down the wine jar and walked over, carefully examining the weapons. He asked in confusion, "How did it get like this?"
"What's going on?" He Biao also came over.
The soldier explained, "It's been raining heavily for half a month, and the city is flooded. Most of the armor has been soaked and rotted, and some weapons have rusted."
He Biao frowned and asked suspiciously, "Why is there flooding in the city?"
"We've investigated, and it's because of the terrain of Nantong City."
"Where are the weapons in the armory?"
"That's the same. We didn't know this would happen beforehand, and we didn't move it to higher ground in time before it rained."
"How much is still usable now? Is it enough for 50,000 people?"
"It's barely enough for half."
He Biao grew anxious and paced back and forth in the hall a few times before saying, "Immediately move everything that's still usable to higher ground, and pick out some that can still be used from the broken ones. We must gather enough for 50,000 people!"
"promise!"
The lieutenant walked up to He Biao and asked, "Should we report this matter to the Junior Commander?"
He Biao thought for a moment and said, "The front line hasn't asked us for food and weapons yet, so let's not tell the young commander for now. I'm worried it will affect the morale of the troops."
The lieutenant cautioned, "What if the junior commander blames us later..."
He Biao waved his hand and said, "The strategist did go to the armory. He didn't make any arrangements beforehand, so he should be held responsible if something goes wrong!"
...
Baili Meilin.
It's the season for flowers to bloom, a riot of colors.
An elderly man in his sixties, exuding an air of authority, was playing chess in the woods, holding a white piece in his left hand and a black piece in his right.
There were clearly two people standing next to him, but judging from their attire, they were not servants. Yet he still played the game of chess alone.
A crow landed on a branch not far away, its sharp beak about to peck at the plum blossoms at its feet.
The old man didn't look up, but simply threw a punch at the crow.
The crow instantly exploded into a cloud of blood mist.
Blood splattered on the plum blossoms, making them even redder.
"Old Nie, you still cherish your plum blossoms so much." A strong voice came from afar.
The old man then looked up and looked away from the chessboard.
This old man was none other than the renowned Conqueror of Merlin in the Southern Zhou Dynasty.
Nie Zheng!
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