Chapter 378 Red and white attire, both in the same month, not bad at all (4000 words)
After the fall of Jinzhou, the Jin army had already advanced to Huaizhou.
If Huaizhou were to fall, it would mean that the gates of Guanzhong for Qin would be wide open, and even the Qin capital would be in danger of falling.
At that time, Xiao Mo had to withdraw his troops and return to the Qin state.
But the real trouble came after the withdrawal.
After all, if Xiao Mo withdraws his troops, the State of Chu will breathe a sigh of relief, as the territory it had previously swallowed may very well have to be returned.
Even after the State of Chu regroups, it may launch a counterattack.
When the battle lines shrink and the armies of the three kingdoms converge on Guanzhong in Qin, Qin will be in great trouble.
Yan Liuyun, the commander of the Jin state, naturally knew this.
Therefore, Yan Liuyun wanted to take Huaishan Pass as soon as possible, then march into Huaizhou and head straight for the Qin capital!
However, when Yan Liuyun arrived at Huaishan Pass, the eldest prince Qin Jingsu had already arrived as well.
The eldest prince has already assembled the remaining 550,000 troops of the Qin state.
This is all the troops that Qin can mobilize at the moment. Even the Iron Tiger Army and the Imperial Guards that protect the Qin capital have been mobilized, with 70% of them being drawn away!
Qin Jingsu was very clear about his goal: to defend Huaishan Pass to the best of his ability, and to believe that Frost King Xiao Mo and Zhenxi King would create enough advantages before coming to his aid.
Moreover, although some people in the former territory of Wei wanted to take advantage of the situation, the Prince of Zhenbei was already dealing with it as quickly as possible, and after that, the Prince of Zhenbei could come to provide support immediately.
Qin Jingsu climbed to the top of the city wall and looked down at the million-strong army of the Jin Kingdom. In particular, when he saw his second brother in front of the army formation, Qin Jingsu frowned deeply.
"Second brother, how did things come to this between us?"
Qin Jingsu amplified his voice using his spiritual power.
"Do you know that after Mother learned of your rebellion, she lost her appetite and grew thinner day by day? Do you know how my third sister, upon learning of your rebellion, clutched my sleeve and wept bitterly?"
After Qin Jingsu finished speaking, all the generals of Jin looked at Qin Jingyuan, wanting to see how he would react.
"How did it come to this? In terms of political talent, knowledge, and cultivation ability, how could I lose to you, elder brother! This position of crown prince should have been mine, but now it has fallen into your hands. Why?"
"Is it just because you were born a few years earlier than me, brother?"
Qin Jingyuan gripped the reins tightly, glaring angrily at his elder brother.
Hearing his younger brother's question, Qin Jingsu sighed, his eyes filled with sorrow: "Is the throne really that important to you, my second brother? If I had known you would end up like this, I would have preferred not to have the Qin throne!"
"Hahaha," Qin Jingyuan laughed loudly, "You're speaking so generously just because the overall situation is already decided? I have no way back?"
"Jingyuan! We are brothers!" Qin Jingsu said angrily.
"Among the royal family, the most disgusting people are the brothers!" Qin Jingyuan looked calmly at his elder brother and shook his head. "Qin Jingsu, there's no point in saying more. Let's fight!"
After speaking, Qin Jingyuan bowed to Tiger Marquis Yan Liuyun and said, "I beg the general to help me conquer the city. If I become the ruler of Qin, I will surely maintain the alliance between Qin and Jin for generations to come, and I am willing to offer the three provinces of Qin to the general!"
"Good!" Yan Liuyun waved his hand, his voice echoing throughout the army, "All troops, listen to my command! Attack the city!"
As soon as Yan Liuyun finished speaking, the Jin army charged forward to attack.
However, Huaishan Pass was the most important line of defense for the Qin state, and it was easy to defend but difficult to attack. How could it be so easily breached?
Not to mention that the eldest prince, Qin Jingsu, is no ordinary person either; he has led troops into battle before.
Moreover, with the eldest prince personally leading the troops, the morale of the Qin soldiers was even higher!
In the blink of an eye, four months have passed.
The State of Jin tried every means possible, but made no progress whatsoever.
In contrast, on the Chu side, Xiao Mo and Xiahou Nan launched a two-pronged attack on Chu, making the situation in Chu increasingly tense.
In those four months, countless cities of the Chu Kingdom were captured.
The situation on the battlefield in Yan State is also not good.
The Prince of Zhenxi heavily relied on a young general named Bai Qi. It was rumored that this general had the style of the former Frost King, and was very resourceful in military campaigns, often launching surprise attacks.
The original advantage of the Yan army was gradually erased, and the Qin army even gradually gained the upper hand.
"Your Highness, your 150,000-strong army has only a few soldiers attacking the city. Are you just going to watch our Jin soldiers die on the city walls? Is that appropriate?"
Inside the tent, a man named Jiang Ganling spoke to Qin Jingyuan, his tone filled with the anger that had been building up over the past few days.
Qin Jingyuan merely glanced at him indifferently and said, "Although I have 150,000 soldiers under my command, they all come from the Qin Kingdom and share the same lineage as the soldiers on the city wall. How much combat power can they exert when they fight on the city wall?"
Furthermore, without me, you wouldn't have even been able to cross the border of my Qin state, let alone reach the gates of Huaishan Pass!
"You!" Deputy General Jiang Ganling was about to step forward, seemingly ready to reason with Qin Jingyuan using his fists and feet.
However, Yan Liuyun stopped Jiang Ganling in time: "Alright, everyone, let's all say less. General Jiang is impatient. It's normal for him to be anxious after four months of siege without any progress. I hope Your Highness will understand."
In fact, Yan Liuyun was also very dissatisfied.
After all, during this period, it was mostly the soldiers of Jin who were charging at the front. If Qin Jingyuan were asked to do more, he would try every means to refuse.
In fact, Yan Liuyun also knew that Qin Jingyuan was doing this simply to preserve his own fighting strength so that he would have a higher bargaining chip when he conquered the Qin capital.
But Yan Liuyun ultimately held back.
There's no benefit in breaking ties now. Once Qin has completely conquered the country and the three families have divided Qin, I'll see what they can do!
"Now that we've stopped moving forward, it's certainly not a solution. I wonder if Your Highness has any brilliant ideas?" Yan Liuyun asked Qin Jingyuan.
He refused to believe that he wouldn't be anxious if his men couldn't conquer the Qin capital!
"I wouldn't call it a brilliant plan, but I do have a way. I just don't know if the general dares to do it," Qin Jingyuan said with a sneer.
"Your Highness, please speak freely," Yan Liuyun asked with a smile.
Qin Jingyuan stepped forward and drew a line on the sand table: "Marching from the Black Beast Forest, we can bypass Huaishan Pass directly and then attack Huaishan City from the rear."
"What are you talking about? Do you think we're fools?"
Deputy General Gai Jing stepped forward and said angrily.
"The Black Beast Forest is filled with extremely dangerous poisonous miasma. Only cultivators at the Dragon Gate Realm can pass through by constantly maintaining their spiritual power. Let me ask you, how many Dragon Gate Realm cultivators are there in our army? If we pass through the Black Beast Forest, how many of our Jin army will be left? Even if we pass through the Black Beast Forest, so what? Are we a match for the Qin Kingdom?"
Qin Jingyuan looked at Gai Jing as if he were a fool, and continued:
"It is true that the Black Beast Forest is severely affected by miasma. However, during my time in the fiefdom, I made many friends. While drinking with a passing physician, he happily told me that a pill made primarily from Dragon's Roar Grass and Phoenix Blood Flower can resist the miasma for five hours!"
He originally intended to give this prescription to my father, but I intercepted it in the end.
As for that physician-turned-cultivator, I killed him to silence him, and he's probably already reincarnated.
We should be able to get through the Black Beast Forest in five hours.
After passing through the Black Beast Forest, we arrived at Huaishan City.
The rear defenses of Huaishan City are extremely weak, with almost no troops holding it, so we can definitely launch a surprise attack.
Otherwise, what makes you think you can easily conquer Huaishan Pass?
If you trust me, then use my method.
If you don't believe me, then attack the city yourself.
Now that I have rebelled and am in the same boat as you, I cannot jeopardize my own future.
“.”
Qin Jingyuan's words aroused doubt among the generals in the camp.
Yan Liuyun and others could not completely trust Qin Jingyuan.
But just as Qin Jingyuan said, now that he has rebelled, there is no turning back.
As for whether it was a feigned rebellion, that's impossible!
It was the State of Jin that approached Qin Jingyuan, not the other way around.
Not to mention, based on the deductions made in the court about Qin Jingyuan's life, it was concluded that the throne was as important to him as his life.
Yan Liuyun didn't believe he was truly willing to become a prince, nor did he believe he had no desire for that position at all.
"Bring us the prescription," Yan Liuyun said after a moment's thought.
Qin Jingyuan did not hesitate and took out the prescription.
Finally, after reviewing the pill formula, Yan Liuyun handed it to his deputy: "Go and give the pill formula to the army's He Xianzhang. Let him check if there are any problems with the formula. If there are no problems, then refine it as quickly as possible."
"Yes!" The lieutenant immediately took the prescription and went out.
The next day, the Jin army refined the elixir formula and had a Qi Refining Realm soldier take it before sending him into the Black Beast Forest.
Indeed, just as Qin Jingyuan said.
This elixir really does have the effect of shielding against poison.
Yan Liuyun immediately gathered people to collect medicinal materials and secretly refined the pills behind the army's rear, then transported them to the army in batches.
Meanwhile, Yan Liuyun continued his siege.
Two months later, approximately 700,000 pills were delivered to the army.
Yan Liuyun did not hesitate at all and ordered that dinner be served at 3:00 AM the next day and that they set off after 3:30 AM. As for where they were going, no one except the high-ranking generals knew.
"General, are we really going to cross the Black Beast Forest tomorrow?" The night before their departure, the deputy general named Liu Ying came to Yan Liuyun's tent. "I have a feeling that something is amiss about this matter, a kind of inexplicable mystery."
"Don't overthink it." Yan Liuyun stood up and patted Liu Ying on the shoulder. "Since you've already made the decision, don't ask why. And I'll show you the latest battle report."
Upon receiving the latest battle report from Chu and Yan, Liu Ying was suddenly shocked: "General Xiang of Chu has surrendered? Bai Qi has decisively defeated the Yan army, annihilating 300,000 enemy soldiers?!"
"That's right."
Yan Liuyun sighed.
"Now the Qin state is too powerful, and it seems that the heavens are favoring the Qin state. Two young geniuses, Frost King and Bai Qi, have emerged one after another. Even Xiahou Nan and General Xiang Wen have surrendered to Xiao Mo."
If this drags on, our situation may become even worse.
We can't keep dragging this on any longer.
Otherwise, if something unexpected happens, all previous efforts will be in vain, and the only option will be to retreat back to Jin.
But this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
If we can divide up the Qin state, we will achieve unparalleled feats!
If it were you, what would you do?
Liu Ying kept her head down and didn't say anything.
Because who wouldn't want military merit?
Even he himself was no exception.
"Alright, go and rest. As for that Qin Jingyuan, I'll keep an eye on him. I refuse to believe that this guy is really courting death!"
Yan Liuyun stood with his hands behind his back, looking coldly at the outside of the tent.
As night deepened, Ji Yue was already asleep in her tent, lying flat on the bed and breathing steadily.
Qin Jingyuan got out of bed and, by the moonlight, took out his brush and ink and wrote one character after another on the rice paper.
After finishing writing, Qin Jingyuan blew on the ink to dry the characters and put them in an envelope.
Looking up, Qin Jingyuan glanced at his wife not far away, his expression somewhat complicated.
"You're really unlucky to have met me in this life."
Qin Jingyuan smiled and gently stroked the woman's hair behind her ear.
Then place the envelope next to her pillow.
Finally, Qin Jingyuan took off the jade pendant from his neck.
With a hand gesture, the magic array within the jade pendant manifested, covering the bed where Ji Yue was sleeping.
This jade pendant was a birthday gift given to Qin Jingyuan by the King of Qin when he came of age.
Apart from Qin Jingyuan, even cultivators at the Jade Purity Realm cannot break through it unless the master dies.
However, with Qin Jingyuan's slight modifications, the magic array now also has the effect of inducing sleep.
After finishing everything, Qin Jingyuan moved a chair and sat down next to his wife, whom he had been constantly berating.
Qin Jingyuan stared at her for a very long time.
The next day at the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), the entire Jin army began their meal.
Of these, 700,000 soldiers took the antidote.
At 2:45 AM, the entire army set off for the Black Beast Forest.
"Prince Jing can stay here and cover our retreat; there's no need for him to come with us." Before setting off, Yan Liuyun smiled at Qin Jingyuan. "Furthermore, the remaining 200,000 troops will also be used to assist Prince Jing, in case anything happens that he can't handle."
"Thank you very much, Your Highness. I wish you a safe journey." Qin Jingyuan smiled and bowed.
Qin Jingyuan knew perfectly well that Yan Liuyun's reason for not letting him go was either because he feared that Qin Jingyuan would defect at the last minute, causing chaos in the 150,000-strong army, or because he was worried that Qin Jingyuan would do something underhanded.
The 200,000 troops left behind, ostensibly to assist, were really just there for surveillance.
"I take King Jing's auspicious words as a sign." Yan Liuyun mounted his horse, his spiritual energy spreading throughout the army. "Let's go!"
With Yan Liuyun's command, the mighty army marched towards the Black Beast Forest.
Qin Jingyuan rode on his horse, watching the 700,000-strong army depart into the distance.
A summer breeze blew by, and Qin Jingyuan looked up at the azure sky:
July is almost here again.
Involuntarily, Qin Jingyuan thought of his wedding day.
"Red and white attire, both in the same month, that's not bad."
(End of this chapter)
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