But the matter was urgent, so he immediately ordered all soldiers in the army who were still alive and able to stand up to assemble and prepare to set off!
This move provoked widespread resentment throughout the army.
They had just survived the harsh winter, and it had only been six months since the war started. They were supposed to go home, farm, and get married, but now, before they even have a chance to get married, the war is about to begin again.
But military orders cannot be disobeyed, so no matter how dissatisfied they were, they had no choice but to bite the bullet and go ahead.
After three days of hard work, the troops were finally assembled, but just as they were about to set off, news came from the front that the supplies that should have arrived were now stuck halfway due to a landslide on the mountain road. At present, they could only move the rocks away little by little to continue their advance.
These events have caused many to lose heart without even fighting, but Huangfu Rong has never been defeated. He is a renowned war god in the world, so how could he possibly abandon his expedition plan because of such a small matter?
Before he left, Liang Qingqing told him that the Qi and Yuan kingdoms would be merged into the Great Zhou sooner or later, which was an inevitable trend, so there was no need to worry about this battle.
This was indeed the case in history. Five years after Huangfu Rong ascended the throne, he annexed the states of Qi and Yuan. After that, he successively defeated other small neighboring states, achieving a golden age of unity and harmony among the nine states.
Historical facts cannot be changed. Huangfu Rong is a born king, and with my help this time, he will only reach the pinnacle of power faster.
Perhaps it was because of her arrival that the events that were supposed to happen five years later occurred earlier. That's fine too, as it will allow the unification of the Qi and Yuan states sooner and accelerate the progress of the entire unification project.
With Liang Qingqing's encouragement, Huangfu Rong shook off the gloom of the previous accident, regrouped his morale, and set off with full confidence.
"How about I go with you?"
The two had been secretly in love for so many years, and after only half a year of being open about their relationship, they had to separate again. Liang Qingqing was reluctant to part with them.
Huangfu Rong couldn't bear to see her pitiful expression, and said helplessly.
"The journey will be extremely arduous, do you really want to come with me?"
"Yes, no matter how hard or difficult it gets, I will always be with you, Huangfu. We got through those tough times together, so what do you think this little bit of hardship is to me?"
The two were deeply in love, and in the end, Huangfu Rong agreed to Liang Qingqing's request. So, Liang Qingqing, disguised as a man, became a young eunuch serving Huangfu Rong and set off for Daqi with the grand procession.
The territory of the Great Qi was located on the northern border. Because of its proximity to the northern border, it was extremely cold in winter. Due to the temperature, even though the Great Qi had a long history and had wise rulers throughout the ages, it could only be a small country that depended on others for its fate.
When the king of Qi received the news that Huangfu Rong had personally led his troops to attack, he was extremely flustered.
It is said that Huangfu Rong is an invincible general who once led three thousand elite soldiers to conquer a city with a population of one hundred thousand. Such a powerful army is now attacking aggressively, which frightens the King of Qi so much that he hastily sought help from his good neighbor, the Yuan Dynasty, to borrow troops.
The Yuan emperor also knew the gravity of the situation. They and Qi were interdependent; if one were to perish, the other would not last long either. Only by uniting as one could they have the strength to fight.
So the armies of the two countries immediately joined forces, and after several days of piecing together their troops, they barely managed to muster 20,000 soldiers.
Keep in mind that the Great Zhou brought 50,000 elite troops to fight. Putting aside the difference in strength, the sheer number of troops was enough to defeat them without a fight.
Just as the rulers of Qi and Zhou were getting together and almost discussing surrendering, the ambassador from the northern frontier, dressed in a fox fur coat, knocked on the city gates of Qi.
Only after asking did they learn that the other party came from an unknown city in the northern frontier, a country that had only recently been established. This time, they came specifically to offer advice on the attack by the Great Zhou.
Looking at the pale-faced scholar before them, the two kings hesitated.
The other party is just an obscure little country. There are dozens of countries of all sizes in the northern border region. Where did he get the audacity to interfere in the affairs between the three great powers of Qi, Yuan, and Zhou?
Zhou Yinghuai, however, remained neither humble nor arrogant.
"When the Great Zhou attacks, it will take two months for all the troops to reach Qi. At that time, our country can lend the two rulers 10,000 elite troops and 100 strong horses to help the two countries of Qi and Yuan overcome the difficulties together."
"Ten thousand elite soldiers? One hundred strong horses? You have quite the nerve!"
Zhou Yinghuai remained neither humble nor arrogant. Before him stood two monarchs, and behind him were guards who could strike him down at any moment. Even so, he still smiled, his face radiating composure and confidence.
"Whether it's true or false, the two rulers will know once they come with me to the city wall."
And so, the rulers of Qi and Yuan, in a desperate attempt to save the day, actually brought Zhou Yinghuai to the city gate. Just as they looked down, their breath caught in their throats!
At this moment, rows of well-armed soldiers stood in neat rows at the foot of the city gate!
At the very front row stood a hundred cavalrymen! The cavalrymen held sharp spears, were clad in armor, and were armed from head to toe. What shocked them even more were the horses beneath them. Compared to the warhorses they had ever seen before, the difference was like heaven and earth!
The hundred warhorses were all clad in armor, with only their eyes showing. Their tall and robust bodies were awe-inspiring even from a distance. Each horse held its head high, and their arrogant and domineering demeanor made the cavalrymen on their backs seem like divine warriors descending from the heavens, their majesty inviolable!
The two rulers of Qi Yuan stared wide-eyed.
No emperor in the world could easily take his eyes off such fine warhorses.
They were stunned for a long time before finally believing that everything Zhou Yinghuai said was true.
"May I ask the name of the country...?"
"gold."
"Jin, I've never heard of him before, but seeing him today, he's truly extraordinary!"
The equipment, the weapons, the warhorses, and the soldiers are all top-notch!
It is important to know that if a country possesses even two of the above, it will be able to dominate any battlefield!
And to my surprise, this unheard-of Jin Kingdom actually had it all!
It's only a matter of time before such a country becomes powerful, so why would they specifically send envoys here to offer assistance?
Zhou Yinghuai could naturally see their concerns and addressed them directly.
“Our Great Jin has its eye on that mine. Since Great Zhou has taken the initiative to fight, we should naturally do our part to take the mine back from them!”
Resources belong to the whole world. Why should the Zhou dynasty monopolize them for centuries, while we have to exhaust the resources of our nation to buy them?!
Zhou Yinghuai spoke with great passion and without any flaws, instantly dispelling all the doubts of the Qi and Yuan states!
King Qi: "That's right! I've disliked them for a long time! They've been using their power to suppress our neighboring countries relentlessly!"
Yuanjun: "This battle was launched by the Great Zhou under the pretense of protecting the mines! That Huangfu Rong is ambitious and has only recently ascended the throne, yet he is already thinking of devouring our territory!"
This battle cannot be avoided!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com