Once the marching plan was finalized, it was immediately put into action, with Song Xia personally serving as the commander-in-chief of the First Army, aiming for the capital.
At this time, the capital was in chaos. After hearing that the enemy had firearms and the support of martial arts figures, the young emperor was terrified. However, the treacherous officials wanted him to lead the army in person to boost his morale. The young emperor refused and wanted to abandon the capital and flee north.
The treacherous officials, of course, did not consider the safety of the country. Seeing that the young emperor was afraid of death, they began to contact foreign countries, wanting to cede territory and bring in foreign countries to resist the Song and Xia dynasties. The heretical sect actively carried out the negotiation work in the middle.
The cult's headquarters are located in the border area between the two regions. The foreign lands are impoverished, so in recent years they have been active in the Central Plains. Moreover, most of the cult's disciples come from foreign lands, so they have a deeper sense of belonging to foreign lands. In the Central Plains, they are called a cult, while in foreign lands they are revered as a holy religion.
When Song and Xia learned of this news, they were all furious. What mercy did foreign powers have for the Central Plains? Ceding territory was tantamount to abandoning the lives of all the local people. The Central Plains had been invaded by foreign powers before, and they had always massacred cities to demonstrate their authority, leaving less than one in ten survivors.
The worst off were the women, whose families were killed, who were imprisoned, forced to give birth to their children, and suffered a lifetime of pain.
"How dare they do this!" Everyone was filled with grief and indignation. What difference was there between this move by the imperial court and inviting wolves into the house? These foreigners treated the people of the Central Plains even more cruelly than wild wolves.
Song Xia's expression turned cold: "Accelerate the attack. If you encounter any cult members, kill them on the spot and punish them severely."
"Yes, sir!"
Almost all the soldiers were enraged. They fought fiercely, conquering cities and territories along the way, and continued northward. More and more refugees and江湖人士 (jianghu figures) joined the rebel army.
The imperial court's cession of territory and payment of indemnities to foreign states provoked widespread anger, and many cities surrendered without a fight because they knew that there was no longer any point in maintaining such a court.
Their speed made the cult feel threatened. As cult members were slowly killed and their strongholds were destroyed one by one, the cult leader finally could not bear it any longer and decided to take action personally.
Chen Xuanling anxiously advised, "Uncle Master, that Song Xia is very powerful. I don't want anything to happen to you."
The cult leader's face was cold: "She is no match for me. Only by leaving the rebel army leaderless can we have a chance of winning. In the future, the entire Central Plains will be ours."
“But Uncle, their army is very powerful. I saw it with my own eyes. I don’t think we can definitely win. Besides, they also have firearms.”
"Xuanling, don't you believe in your uncle's abilities?"
"I just feel that the people of the Central Plains are not so easy to deal with. Uncle Master, isn't the land beyond the Great Wall nice? Shall we go back to the land beyond the Great Wall?"
"The borderlands are bitterly cold; how can they compare to the prosperity of the Central Plains?" The sect leader stared coldly at her. "Xuanling, have you been brainwashed by the people of the Central Plains? Have you forgotten how your father died?"
Chen Xuanling clenched her fist tightly and asked in a low voice, "But all these years, we still haven't found the real culprit who killed my father. Uncle Master, was my father really killed by the martial arts world of the Central Plains back then?"
The cult leader looked at her with sharp eyes: "What, are you questioning your uncle?"
"I wouldn't dare, but there are probably only a few experts in this world who could kill my father, and I still can't figure out who it could be."
"Xuanling, you are still too young. There are so many hidden masters in the Central Plains martial arts world. Only by gaining control of the entire Central Plains can we force those people to show themselves. This time you came back, you were much more indecisive. Did those people from the Central Plains brainwash you?"
Chen Xuanling's heart tightened: "Of course not, I just don't want you to get hurt, Uncle Master. I've already lost my father, and I don't want to lose you too, Uncle Master."
After hearing this, the cult leader laughed heartily: "Since you don't want anything to happen to your uncle, then go back to the rebel army and provide your uncle with some help."
Under his unquestionable gaze, Chen Xuanling had no choice but to agree. But if she went back, would Ouyang Feng still trust her?
And the more this happened, the more she suspected there was something wrong with her father's death back then.
On the other side, Ouyang Feng, as Song Xia's vanguard, was extremely brave. Although he was slightly lacking in strategy, he was very strong in execution. Moreover, due to his unique personal charm, both soldiers and martial arts practitioners trusted him greatly.
The rebel army conquered cities and territories at an extremely rapid pace, demonstrating the extent to which the current imperial court has lost the support of the people.
However, during the march, they also encountered people who had been brainwashed by cults and obstructed their progress. These people were ignorant and, because they were ordinary people, Song Xia could not simply kill them as he would cult members, so it took a lot of effort.
"If you ask me, we should make an example of them," Shangguan Jin said with annoyance. "These fools can't be reasoned with. Only by showing them real power will they know how to obey."
Since ancient times, education has always been a difficult task. Even in some of the more advanced worlds that Song and Xia had visited, there were still many stubborn people.
In fact, following Shangguan Jin's suggestion was the best approach. Only forceful suppression would be the most convenient and effective method. However, people like Ouyang Feng were reluctant to do so. What wrong had the common people done? They were simply too ignorant.
"I know they are innocent too, but where do we find the people to lecture them?"
“Then let’s send them to reclaim wasteland and farm,” Song Xia decided. “Once people get busy and exhausted, they won’t have time to think about those other things, and we can at least make sure they have enough to eat.”
"That's a good idea, but how do we regulate it?"
"Let them starve for two days, will they still have the energy to cause trouble? Separate the ones who are causing the most trouble and put them under supervision. Wei Qi, this matter is your responsibility."
Wei Qi is an outstanding member of the Wei clan of Hexi. The clan has been passed down for hundreds of years and controls countless treasures. Their ability to manage people is beyond question. Song Xia is very relieved to entrust this matter to him.
As expected, Wei Qi did not refuse; instead, he loudly agreed.
"Next up is Guizhou City." Song Xia pointed to the location on the sand table. "Guizhou City has always been a strategic stronghold in all directions. This battle will inevitably be much more arduous and difficult than any of the previous battles, but we must take it. Does everyone have confidence?"
"have!"
“Very good, now let’s discuss how to march and how to deal with the cult’s insidious and evil methods.”
Yes, Song Xia wasn't worried about attacking the city. She had full confidence in the soldiers she had trained. The only thing she hadn't anticipated was the possibility of poison from a cult or a sneak attack.
"Shangguan Jin, the task of protecting the firearms is entrusted to you. If the firearms are destroyed, I will hold you responsible."
"Yes, sir!"
"Chen Zhijue, the transportation of grain supplies must not have the slightest mistake. Can you guarantee that?"
"This humble general swears to protect you with his life."
"Dr. Fan, if anyone experiences any unusual symptoms, please be sure to take good care of them and your disciples."
"I will investigate carefully."
...
Seeing Song Xia issuing orders in an orderly manner, everyone felt much more at ease and awaited the next battle.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
