The people praised Chen Qingwan as a goddess sent by heaven to save them, and were deeply grateful to her.
Princess Mingyue admired Chen Qingwan even more after hearing about her heroic deeds.
"I never expected Sister Chen to be such a heroine, truly a woman who is just as capable as any man!"
She wished she could fly to Chen Qingwan's side immediately to express her admiration.
He made a silent vow in his heart.
I must become a brave and strong woman like Chen Qingwan.
To contribute one's strength to the country and the people.
In just a few days, the Imperial Guards swept through the enemy lines, capturing three counties in succession.
Good news kept pouring in; half of Jingzhou was already in their grasp.
These consecutive victories brought Chen Qingwan both joy and a touch of unease.
The team quickly expanded from the initial three thousand people to ten thousand.
Most of the newly recruited soldiers were farmers from the surrounding area.
They were eager to break free from oppression and defend their homeland; their enthusiasm was high and their fighting spirit was strong.
Looking at those young yet determined faces, Chen Qingwan felt a surge of warmth in her heart.
I also felt the weight of responsibility on my shoulders was even heavier.
However, the rapid expansion of the force also brought new problems—a severe shortage of weapons and equipment.
Many new recruits carried only farm tools such as wooden sticks and hoes.
Some people even carried sharpened bamboo poles.
How can such equipment compete with a regular army?
She couldn't help but recall the previous battle with the Yellow Turbans.
If the opponent hadn't been so easily defeated, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
To take over the entire Jingzhou, we must first conquer the city of Jingzhou.
The city of Jingzhou was high and its walls thick, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack, thus blocking the path of the Imperial Guards' advance.
A moat surrounds the city.
Although the water level has dropped considerably due to years of drought, exposing large areas of the riverbed.
But it remains a formidable obstacle.
What's even more troublesome is that three thousand well-trained regular troops are stationed in Jingzhou Prefecture.
They are well-equipped and experienced, making them a tough nut to crack.
Once war breaks out, they can also conscript able-bodied men from the city to defend it, bringing their military strength to as many as 10,000.
With the current equipment and manpower of the Imperial Guards, it would be nothing short of a pipe dream to try and capture Jingzhou Prefecture.
...
On the other side.
Upon returning to Beixiang, Liu Wen immediately requested an audience with the king.
He tearfully denounced the "tyranny and unreasonableness" of the Datong Dynasty.
He said that Liu An had humiliated him in many ways, and that the Da Tong Dynasty was arrogant and domineering, as if he had suffered a great injustice.
"Your Majesty! I argued my case forcefully at the negotiating table."
"But that old scoundrel Liu An actually spoke ill of me."
"They don't take our Northern Xiang Kingdom seriously at all!"
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty truly cannot swallow this insult!"
Liu Wen cried his eyes out, as if his parents had died.
The King of Beixiang was furious. He slammed his hand on the armrest of his dragon throne and roared:
"Outrageous! The Great Tong Dynasty has gone too far!"
"Do they really think our Northern Xiang Kingdom is easy to bully?"
Liu Wen was secretly delighted and continued to add fuel to the fire:
"Your Majesty, I believe that the Great Tong Dynasty is deliberately provoking us!"
"They clearly want war! We absolutely cannot show weakness; we must teach them a lesson!"
"Start a war? Hmph!"
Although the King of Beixiang was furious, he had not lost his mind.
"Our war with Shannan Prefecture has just ended, with heavy losses and an empty treasury."
"Where do we find the troops to fight the Great Tong Dynasty now?"
Liu Wen was prepared and immediately said:
"Your Majesty, I have a plan! We can unite with Java and jointly attack Datong!"
"The King of Java has always coveted Da Tong's wealth. If we offer him a great reward, he will surely agree!"
The King of Beixiang pondered for a moment and thought it was a good idea.
The Kingdom of Java and the Datong Dynasty have always been at odds.
If we can win over Java to send troops, our chances of winning will indeed be much greater.
"Okay! We'll do it your way!"
"Immediately send an envoy to Java to discuss a joint military attack on Datong!"
The King of Beixiang immediately made the decision.
Liu Wen accepted the order and left, feeling extremely pleased with himself.
He could already picture himself performing heroic feats on the battlefield.
The city of the Datong Dynasty collapsed under the offensive of him and the allied forces of Java.
The enemy troops scattered and fled, while he stood high above, looking down on everything.
All the glory in the world was focused on him, and a smug smile was on his face.
The soldiers around him saluted him, what a magnificent sight!
Upon hearing that the Northern Xiang Kingdom intended to join forces to attack Da Tong, the King of Java was shocked.
His eyes lit up instantly, as if his fighting spirit had been ignited.
He had long coveted Da Tong's wealth.
Now that there's an opportunity to get a piece of the pie, I'm naturally more than happy to accept it.
At this moment, he was no longer the king who sat idly in the palace.
He was not a commander full of ambition, but a commander who longed for the victory and wealth that war would bring.
"Hahaha! Good! I agree to join forces with you!"
"After this is done, we will divide Datong's land and wealth equally!"
He rubbed his hands together excitedly, his tone revealing undisguised elation.
Therefore, the Northern Xiang Kingdom and the Java Kingdom quickly signed an alliance.
Each side began to mobilize its troops and assemble its army.
The army of Beixiang set out from the northern border, with banners obscuring the sun and war drums thundering, and marched south.
The Javanese army marched out in a grand procession from the southwestern border.
Clad in rattan armor and wielding sharp blades, the soldiers surged toward the Datong Dynasty like a black tide.
The combined forces of the two countries numbered 500,000, a formidable force.
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