The two armies fought a drawn-out battle, with wins and losses, leaving both sides exhausted.
Military campaigns are fraught with problems, and a slight misstep could lead to utter defeat.
The weather was strange; even though it was April, Tongluo Town was still covered in snow and frozen for miles around.
"Your Majesty, the weather is freezing cold, the vegetation is withered, and our army is short of food and supplies, urgently needing replenishment," a general said loudly, kneeling on the ground with his hands clasped in front of him.
The general was tall and imposing, with a booming voice. Ji Xiaoxiao, who was deep in thought, shivered.
"What?" Ji Xiaoxiao's eyes were filled with confusion, like a baby who had just woken up.
The general paused for a moment, then solemnly reiterated to Ji Xiaoxiao the serious matter of insufficient supplies. Since ancient times, in warfare, provisions must precede the troops, demonstrating how crucial it is for soldiers to be well-fed and watered for victory in a war.
Ji Xiaoxiao walked around the sand table in the tent, stopping and starting. The heavy armor groaned and rattled, making people feel uneasy and their chests felt tight.
"How much grain is left? How many days' worth can it feed the entire army? Report this in detail." Ji Xiaoxiao stared intently at the general who had spoken earlier.
The general pondered for a moment and said, "The provisions will only last the general for half a month at most."
You don't know the cost of firewood and rice until you're in charge of the household. Only after Ji Xiaoxiao took control of the Divine Dynasty did she truly realize that the country she inherited from Zheng Run was already riddled with problems and overburdened.
The former emperor, Zheng Run, was dissolute and licentious, indulging in lust and drinking. Today, to please a beautiful woman, magnificent palaces were built in an instant. Tomorrow, he would idolize King Zhou of Shang and waste money and resources building a wine pool and meat forest, causing the people to live in fear and anxiety, unable to sleep at night.
Zheng Run relentlessly exploited the common people. As the saying goes, if the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be crooked too. The officials appointed by Zheng Run followed his example and did everything they could to amass wealth and force the people to leave their homes and travel thousands of miles to find a paradise.
The people fled, the land was abandoned, and there was no food production, which led to the current situation.
Ji Xiaoxiao aspired to be a good emperor, so that after her death, she could pass on a prosperous and powerful country to the next generation, so as not to disappoint the original owner's wishes and Hu Shao's expectations.
However, there are gains and losses in everything; being a good emperor comes at a price.
Ji Xiaoxiao wanted to be a good emperor praised by everyone. When everyone was struggling to survive and was about to resort to cannibalism, she must not increase taxes or take advantage of the people's misfortune.
Ji Xiaoxiao had no choice but to gather food. The only option now was to act quickly and eliminate the rebels as soon as possible so everyone could return home.
"The army's food supplies can last for another half month," Ji Xiaoxiao murmured to herself.
He was oblivious to everything else, his mind solely focused on Luo Qingshuang.
After a while, Ji Xiaoxiao said, "General Li, give the order to prepare a sumptuous dinner for the soldiers tonight. Tomorrow morning we will fight the rebels to the death."
"Yes, Your subordinate obeys."
General Li had no doubts. As one of the top managers, the longer the situation dragged on, the more disadvantageous it would be for his side. He had to burn his bridges and fight with his back to the wall; there was still a glimmer of hope for victory.
Meanwhile, inside Luo Qing's camp.
"The casualties were heavy, and the food and supplies were severely insufficient. They worked day and night, and over time, the morale of the army began to crumble."
Luo Qing looked distressed, his rough face covered with thick, black beard, and his dark eye sockets were sunken and bulging, making him look very disheveled and pessimistic.
"How many more days can the supplies last?" Luo Qingshuang asked lazily.
She didn't care whether those insignificant soldiers lived or died; all she cared about was whether they could win the battle for her.
"At most three days." Luo Qing licked his chapped lips.
Luo Qingshuang exclaimed in surprise, "Oh! So it's still the same amount!"
Startled and losing interest, Luo Qingshuang's boneless body lay back in Zi'er's arms.
Luo Qing looked at the decadent scene before him, which he had long since become accustomed to. On the huge, soft carpet, seven handsome men were disheveled, while a stunningly beautiful woman frolicked and played around with them. They seemed to be either happy or angry, and the life and death outside the tents were of no concern to them.
"Luo Qingshuang, can't you be serious for once? Those people outside are fighting for you, dying for you, are you really unmoved?" Luo Qing roared, unable to contain himself any longer.
Those were his soldiers, his brothers who had risked their lives with him; he couldn't bear to do it!
Luo Qingshuang shrugged indifferently and casually pulled on a piece of clothing.
"General Luo, you're useless yourself, yet you blame me for treating human lives like dirt. Isn't that a bit unreasonable? I saved your life back then, and you promised me you'd conquer this vast land and give it to me as a token of your gratitude. I appreciated your sincerity and invested enormous manpower, resources, and money to help you. But look at yourself! You call yourself the invincible General Weiyuan? You've been trapped in Tongluo Town for a month without making an inch of progress. You've truly disappointed me."
Luo Qingshuang shook her head in anguish, a mocking smile playing on her lips.
Luo Qing felt a sharp pain in his heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys from being blocked by Luo Qingshuang, and suddenly raised his arms high. Luo Qingshuang was neither surprised nor afraid, but instead calmly stepped forward and stretched her neck.
"Hit me, hit me! If you dare touch me, I'll have your 100,000 soldiers accompany you to your grave!" Luo Qingshuang covered Luo Qing's head with her small hand, and the next moment, she slammed Luo Qing hard onto the plush carpet.
"Even if you had a hundred lives, you wouldn't dare lay a hand on me."
Luo Qingshuang kicked Luo Qing, who looked up blankly. His rough face and nose were purplish-red, and blood was gushing out. He looked pitiful.
Luo Qingshuang gave a haughty snort and said, "Go and make the arrangements for the decisive battle tomorrow!"
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