Fang Qingyue nodded slightly, walked to the bed and sat down, gently stroking her abdomen, feeling a little emotional.
On the other side, the army led by Shen Yuhan fought with Li Chengfeng's bandit forces in the mountains for dozens of days, and the war progressed with twists and turns.
Whenever Shen Yuhan's troops launched a large-scale attack, they would always encounter stubborn resistance from the bandits.
The terrain of the mountain stronghold is steep, and Li Chengfeng is very familiar with the terrain, so he can defend it with ease.
This made it impossible for Shen Yuhan to completely break into the stronghold for a while.
Shen Yuhan stood in front of the tent, looking at the mountain stronghold not far away, frowning slightly.
Although the bandits' resistance was tenacious, if it continued, their strength would eventually be exhausted.
He thought calmly, his eyes flashing with a cold light.
In the mountain village, Li Chengfeng sat by the bed with a gloomy expression.
Although he had recovered from the snake bite, he was still a little weak.
All the brothers in the village were injured, but he ordered that all the injured men should recuperate and not go to the battlefield again.
Li Chengfeng has always been protective of his subordinates and is extremely caring towards them, unwilling to let anyone die on the battlefield.
He would rather reduce his combat power than let his injured brothers recover in peace.
However, this also made the military strength in his stronghold increasingly weak, making it difficult to compete with Shen Yuhan's elite troops.
Although he was proficient in the art of war, he was short of manpower. Several counterattacks were easily resolved by Shen Yuhan, and the battle line was constantly forced back.
The morale of the brothers in the village gradually declined. Although they were loyal to Li Chengfeng, they couldn't help feeling uneasy when facing a powerful enemy.
It was another night after a bloody battle. The mountain wind was so fierce that it made the campfire in the village crackle.
Li Chengfeng sat in the tent, holding a cup of cold tea in his hand, his brows furrowed.
The guard outside the tent walked in cautiously and reported in a low voice: "Boss, the brothers have tried their best, but the enemy's forces are too strong. If this continues, I'm afraid..."
Before he could finish his words, Li Chengfeng suddenly waved his hand and interrupted him.
"I know." Li Chengfeng's voice was low, but it revealed a sense of defiance. "These officers and soldiers think they can defeat me just by relying on their numbers? They are just relying on my small number of men. If we have the same number of troops, Shen Yuhan will never be able to defeat me!"
There was a strong sense of unwillingness in his tone, and his eyes were as sharp as a knife.
Growing up in this mountain, Li Chengfeng is well aware of the dangerous terrain of the forest. He has never lost to anyone in tactics, especially someone like Shen Yuhan.
He believed that if the forces of both sides were equal, he would never be defeated easily.
But the reality is that the casualties of his brothers are gradually increasing, while the enemy is closing in step by step.
No matter how talented Li Chengfeng is, he can never defeat the majority with a small number of people.
With the last line of defense being broken through, Shen Yuhan's troops finally rushed into the mountain stronghold.
Shen Yuhan's troops took the mountain stronghold in one fell swoop, and Li Chengfeng's remaining subordinates were quickly captured.
At this time, although Li Chengfeng was unwilling to accept the defeat, he was unable to fight again.
He was escorted to Shen Yuhan. Although he was captured, his eyes were still bright and he had no intention of giving up.
Shen Yuhan stood aside, his hands behind his back, his expression grim.
His eyes swept over the bandit leader who had given him a headache for many days. He was somewhat surprised by Li Chengfeng's rebelliousness.
Li Chengfeng was brought before Shen Yuhan. He sneered and looked directly into Shen Yuhan's eyes. "Shen Yuhan, I admit that your troops are elite, but if I had the same strength as you, you would never win against me!"
When Shen Yuhan heard this, his eyes moved slightly, but there was no ripple on his face.
He smiled faintly, his tone calm, "If you and I had swapped forces, perhaps the outcome would indeed be different, but there are no 'ifs' in this world. You lost, that's a fact."
Li Chengfeng clenched his teeth, his heart filled with resentment.
Li Chengfeng had never lost in the use of troops, but this time, he had to admit that he lost due to insufficient manpower, not tactics.
Shen Yuhan didn't say anything more to him. He turned around and waved his hand, signaling his men to continue searching the mountain stronghold.
He glanced around and saw that the village was littered with valuables left behind by the bandits in their hasty retreat.
Shen Yuhan ordered the soldiers to confiscate all the food and treasures, not only to replenish military supplies, but also to cut off the bandits' escape route to make a comeback.
Deep in the mountain stronghold, the soldiers found boxes of gold, silver and countless precious items.
Shen Yuhan looked at these riches coldly, without the slightest emotion in his heart.
These properties were just the dirty things looted by bandits over the years, and he was not greedy for them.
Although Li Chengfeng was captured, Shen Yuhan had no intention of killing him.
Shen Yuhan has never been a cruel person. Although he hates the atrocities of the bandits, he can also see that Li Chengfeng is not a purely evil person.
Compared with other gangsters, Li Chengfeng is more like a gangster with his own bottom line.
"Shen Yuhan, if you want to kill me, then kill me! Even though I, Li Chengfeng, am defeated, I am not afraid of death."
Li Chengfeng held his head high, his tone still stubborn.
Shen Yuhan smiled coldly, with a flash of contempt in his eyes: "I won't kill you. Although you are a bandit, I, Shen Yuhan, will not kill you all."
Li Chengfeng was slightly stunned, obviously not expecting Shen Yuhan to let him go.
A complex emotion flashed in his eyes, and then he whispered, "You won't kill me? Why?"
Shen Yuhan looked at him and said calmly, "Because I admire talented people. You are indeed a smart opponent and have some ability."
"If you are willing to mend your ways in the future, I will leave this life to you."
Li Chengfeng was silent for a moment, and the resentment in his heart gradually dissipated.
"If you don't kill me, do you want me to surrender?"
Li Chengfeng sneered, his eyes full of sarcasm, "Shen Yuhan, you don't have to be so wishful thinking."
"Although I, Li Chengfeng, have been defeated, I will never submit to the imperial court, nor will I become part of your corrupt practices."
When Shen Yuhan heard this, there was still no anger on his face, but his eyes were slightly focused, and a hint of deep thought flashed in his eyes.
He looked at Li Chengfeng and suddenly spoke with a hint of sincerity in his tone: "I know you are unwilling to accept this. These people under you are loyal to you."
"It's not because you are their leader, but because you stand up for them and protect them."
Li Chengfeng's eyes moved slightly. Although he didn't say anything, he had already acknowledged Shen Yuhan's statement in his heart.
Shen Yuhan continued, "You claim to rob the rich to help the poor, and you despise the corruption and greed of court officials. You may not be taking this path entirely for yourself."
"You have ambitions and ideals in your heart, but the path you've taken has destined you to become a bandit and an enemy of the government."
Li Chengfeng was silent for a moment, then raised his head and said coldly, "Shen Yuhan, I never seek wealth and glory. I only robbed corrupt officials. Robbing the rich to help the poor is my principle."
"I never hurt innocent people. The brothers in the mountain stronghold are just poor people with nowhere else to go."
"I haven't done anything evil. If you want to force me to submit to the imperial court, I advise you to give up on this idea."
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