Of the more than 19,000 East Vietnamese soldiers, only a little over 100 remained and were punished for refusing to surrender.
Whether this can be considered cold-blooded is hard to say.
Whether in today's society or in this era, war between two countries inevitably results in casualties. If Mu Jin and his sister were captured by the enemy army today, they would certainly not escape death either.
After all, being merciful to the enemy is being cruel to oneself.
Mu Jin and Su Yi were standing on the training platform, watching the Dongyue soldiers line up and wait for the Mu family army to register them one by one.
"When did you arrive?" Mu Jin asked Su Yi beside her in a low voice, her words tinged with surprise. "As the ruler of a country, it is really inappropriate for you to be here."
Su Yi's lips curled up slightly, and he replied with a half-smile, "Not long after you left the camp last night."
"What?" Mu Jin asked in astonishment, "My father didn't stop you?"
"This is the advantage of being the ruler of a country," Su Yi said with a smug smile. "No one can dissuade me; I am the greatest here!"
"Hehe~" Mu Jin glanced at Su Yi, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
"I'm just worried about General Mu. What if something happens to General Mu? I can play the hero and save the day. Maybe our General Mu will be so moved that she'll agree to marry me first?" Su Yi teased shamelessly.
"Your Majesty need not worry about that!" Mu Jin said nonchalantly, "With my good looks, there are plenty of handsome young men who would love to play the hero and save me! There's no need for Your Majesty to go through all this trouble!"
"Then I'll definitely come. If such a good female general is really tricked by some lowly soldiers, I'll be slapping my thigh until it's swollen, but it won't help."
As Su Yi spoke, his eyes were filled with a deep smile: "Thank goodness! Thank goodness I didn't listen to my future father-in-law's advice and stay at Dongmen Pass, otherwise, this almost cooked duck would have flown away!"
Mu Jin realized that Su Yi's comparison of her to a cooked duck made her brows furrow coldly: "You're the duck!"
The beauty was angry, and Su Yi quickly apologized: "Yes, yes, yes, I am a gigolo!"
Mu Jin glared at Su Yi, but didn't say anything more. Instead, she turned her head and continued to stare at the densely packed soldiers in front of her.
Ling Feng and Ling Yu, who had been standing beside them, clearly saw that although Mu Jin's face was serious, there was a faint smile on her lips.
According to the intelligence we have, Su Yuntian and the Beiqi army will arrive at Dongyue Liangcheng, which is 50 miles away from here, in two days.
Liangcheng, a border city between the Eastern Yue Kingdom and the Southern Shu Kingdom, was strategically located and therefore guarded by the Southern Imperial Guards of Eastern Yue.
Because Liangcheng was adjacent to the wealthy southern Shu region, local residents often traded goods between the two countries privately.
This cross-regional trade activity has greatly benefited the people of Liangcheng. They have made substantial profits by taking advantage of regional price differences and poor information flow, leading to a prosperous life.
Therefore, Liangcheng became a prosperous and thriving city. It was precisely because of this prosperity that the people of Liangcheng were probably the least willing to see war break out between the two countries.
After all, war often brings destruction, disaster and suffering, while peace and stability are what ordinary people who depend on commercial prosperity for survival cherish most.
"From last night until now, I have watched Ah Jin fight a brilliant battle. What are her plans now? Can you tell me?"
Mu Jin suppressed her smile and said, "Our top priority is to quickly capture Liangcheng before Su Yuntian's army arrives. Only in this way can we seize the strategic initiative."
"Oh?" A smile crept onto Su Yi's lips, his peach blossom eyes sparkling like stars. He looked at Mu Jin and said, "I have a feeling that our General Mu already has some plans."
Mu Jin met his captivating eyes, a smile playing on her lips, and said, "Guess?"
Liangmen Pass was a crucial gateway to Liangcheng. At this moment, a deputy commander of the Southern Imperial Guard, stationed there, stood atop the city wall, his gaze fixed intently on the group of soldiers dressed in Dongyue Kingdom uniforms outside the city. He shouted, "Who are you people? How dare you trespass into my Liangmen Pass!"
Among the soldiers, one man, dressed in the uniform of a deputy general, stood at the front on horseback, holding a tall badge in his hand. He responded loudly.
"I am Yan Gao, the deputy general under General Huang Xin! Today, I have come to Liangcheng to collect provisions and supplies on the orders of the General. I hope you will open the gates and let me through immediately!" His voice was loud and clear, his aura imposing, and he carried an unquestionable authority.
The deputy commander of the Southern Imperial Guards guarding the city scrutinized the newcomer; he recognized Yan Gao. He had seen Yan Gao riding alongside Huang Xin when Huang Xin's army passed through Liangcheng that day, and only later, after inquiring, did he learn that this man was Huang Xin's deputy commander.
But he clearly remembered that Huang Xin's army had just entered Liangcheng to replenish their ranks two days ago. Why were they here again today, and why was a deputy general sent to make purchases in person? This seemed like a waste of talent.
He had some doubts in his mind, so he asked, "Who is it? It's General Yan. Didn't the army just send people into the city to replenish their food supplies a couple of days ago? Why are they replenishing supplies again so soon?"
Yan Gao said with a cold expression, "What! You dare question my intentions in entering the city?"
The deputy commander guarding the city quickly smiled and said, "I wouldn't dare, I was just asking as usual, please don't take offense, General."
"Don't ask questions you shouldn't! Open the city gates immediately. If you delay my important business, it's one thing to anger me, but if you delay the task assigned by the Grand General, not only will you, a mere gatekeeper, be held responsible, but even your superiors will be unable to bear the consequences!"
The deputy commander guarding the city was startled by Yan Gao's cold and stern rebuke. His heart trembled involuntarily, and he instinctively said that he dared not. Although he had doubts, Yan Gao's aura was too intimidating, and the people in the army were extremely violent. They were indeed not people like him who could be offended.
The deputy commander guarding the city was startled and said, his body trembling slightly, "How dare I disobey the general's orders? I will immediately order my men to open the city gates. Please wait a moment, General."
Before he could finish speaking, he hurriedly turned around and, shouting at the top of his lungs, gave the order to the group of soldiers standing guard behind him: "Quickly! Open the city gates immediately! There must be no mistakes!"
A heavy, piercing sound rang out—the tightly closed city gate finally opened slowly.
The soldiers guarding the city were already terrified when they heard Yan Gao's aggressive words to his deputy. Now that they heard the order, they dared not delay, fearing that if they were too late, Yan Gao's anger would affect them.
As the city gates of Liangmen Pass slowly opened, Mu Jin and Su Yi, dressed in Dongyue military uniforms, exchanged a glance and simultaneously revealed a subtle smile.
"Giddy up!" Seeing Yan Gao had already mounted his horse and stepped forward, Mu Jin and Su Yi couldn't wait any longer. They led their elite force of over a hundred soldiers disguised as Dongyue soldiers out like a whirlwind and sped towards Liangmen Pass.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
