The next morning, Chu Feng's messenger, like a carrier pigeon crossing the dawn, rode swiftly to Zhou Xiang's camp.
Upon meeting Zhou Xiang, the scout directly conveyed Chu Feng's request.
"Our lord said that he is about to attack Qingzhou City. If the money and supplies do not arrive within three days, our lord will enter Qingzhou City and join forces with Dong Ning and Zhang Xiao to defend it."
The news struck Zhou Xiang like a bolt from the blue. His face turned ashen instantly, and his eyes flashed with fury, as if he wanted to tear the scout who delivered the message to shreds.
Zhou Xiang clenched his fist, thinking that with over 400,000 troops at his disposal, even without Chu Feng's 50,000 soldiers, taking Qingzhou City would not be difficult.
Hou Jing noticed the change in Zhou Xiang's attitude and quickly stepped forward to block him.
“Your Highness, this is not the time for internal strife. If we act out of anger and give Chu Feng an excuse, it would be unwise.”
Upon hearing this, Zhou Xiang took a deep breath. Chu Feng was clearly threatening him, yet he had to swallow his anger.
After much deliberation, Zhou Xiang swallowed his anger and pointed at the scout.
"Tell Chu Feng that money and supplies are no problem, but the front line must first attack Qingzhou, otherwise this deal is off!"
The scout nodded, immediately got up and left, rode back, and relayed Zhou Xiang's words to Chu Feng verbatim.
Chu Feng hurriedly returned to the main tent and found Chen Zhennan still lying on the bed, looking quite relaxed.
"General, Zhou Xiang wants me to launch the attack first, or else we can't talk. What should we do now?"
Chen Zhennan smiled slightly and said slowly, "Money and provisions are not the key issue, Chu Feng. We cannot be swayed by Zhou Xiang's threats. Send him a message that there is no room for negotiation on this matter. If he dares to kill the scouts, I will immediately turn around and attack his army!"
Chu Feng gave an "oh," turned around and walked out of the tent, repeating Chen Zhennan's words. The scout then mounted his horse again and headed towards Zhou Xiang's camp.
"You're just going to walk me by myself?!"
The scout arrived at Zhou Xiang's camp at lightning speed and, upon meeting him, relayed Chu Feng's words to Zhou Xiang verbatim.
Zhou Xiang was already furious because of Chu Feng's request, and now, upon hearing this, his anger flared even more.
"Damn it, Chu Feng actually dared to threaten me at this time! Mobilize the troops immediately! Li Can, you lead the vanguard, the whole army prepare to take down Chu Feng!"
Upon hearing this, Li Can and Hou Jing stepped forward and shook their heads at Zhou Xiang in opposition.
"Your Highness, if we send troops to attack Chu Feng now, wouldn't that just give Chu Feng an excuse?"
“That’s right. And what will the other lords think when they find out about this? We only have a little over 200,000 troops. If the other lords leave with their troops, how can we possibly take Qingzhou with just over 200,000 troops?”
Zhou Xiang understood what Hou Jing and Li Can were saying. He wanted to attack Qingzhou only to do something before Chen Zhennan returned. But now that he had wasted so much time on Chu Feng, things would be difficult if Chen Zhennan came back.
After thinking for a long time, Zhou Xiang gritted his teeth. He was now the emperor of Da Wu, and he absolutely could not show weakness in his first battle after ascending the throne.
"My mind is made up. Issue the order: the army shall assemble immediately, with Li Can as the vanguard, and we shall immediately attack Chu Feng."
Hou Jing and Li Can exchanged a glance. Now that Zhou Xiang had spoken, what could they do?
As for Chu Feng's scouts, Zhou Xiang didn't kill them, but he also didn't let them go back. Instead, he imprisoned them in a prison cart and set off with the army.
Zhou Xiang stood at the forefront of the army, his eyes blazing, but his heart was churning with turbulent emotions.
He originally thought that with the overwhelming force of 500,000 troops, he could quickly assemble them and strike fear into the hearts of the enemy.
However, reality weighed heavily on his heart like a boulder.
After learning that Chu Feng wanted money and provisions, the feudal lords each harbored their own ulterior motives, ignored Zhou Xiang's orders, and had no intention of cooperating.
"Send the order! Accelerate the assembly!"
With no other option, Zhou Xiang had to mobilize his more than 200,000 troops and personally lead the charge, with Hou Jing and Li Can as the vanguard.
Chen Zhennan remained unusually calm after receiving the news.
He ordered Chu Feng not to rush, but to wait until Zhou Xiang's army was less than five miles away before setting off for Qingzhou, and to pretend that he was afraid to fight.
Chen Zhennan himself went to Qingzhou to find Zhang Xiao and Dong Ning and personally made arrangements for the next step.
Although Chu Feng did not understand Chen Zhennan's intentions, he still did as he was told.
When Zhou Xiang's army was less than five miles away, he led his troops to retreat, seemingly powerless to resist Zhou Xiang's attack.
Just as Zhou Xiang's army approached within ten miles of Qingzhou City, a sense of unease suddenly welled up in his heart.
Zhou Xiang was startled. Chu Feng had been maintaining his speed at a distance that was neither too close nor too far, which was clearly a trap.
"This...this is luring the enemy deep into our territory!" Alarm bells rang in Zhou Xiang's mind, as if countless ants were crawling on his heart.
"Send the order! Cease the pursuit!" Zhou Xiang shouted, though he was secretly anxious.
Sitting on his horse, Zhou Xiang was in a dilemma. If he continued to pursue, he would inevitably be counterattacked by the Qingzhou garrison. His more than 200,000 troops were unstoppable, but he would definitely not be able to take Qingzhou and would suffer heavy losses.
But if they stop the pursuit, how will they explain it when they return? If even the Great Wu Emperor himself doesn't dare to attack, the feudal lords certainly won't risk their lives for him.
On the city walls of Qingzhou, Chen Zhennan smiled as he watched Chu Feng's army slowly approach and ordered the city gates to be opened.
With Chen Zhennan in charge, Dong Ning naturally dared not be negligent and personally went down to welcome Chu Feng's army.
Dong Ning led Chu Feng up the city wall. After meeting Chen Zhennan, the two suggested preparing for battle, as Zhou Xiang's army was not far away.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
