The next day.
At approximately 1:00 PM, the vanguard of the Yunhui Army under the command of Wu Qingyun, the Northwest General, had arrived in Longcheng and set up camp in the Jubeichuan area, 30 li outside the city, for a temporary rest.
The vanguard of the Yunhui Army was granted 20,000 soldiers, including 14,000 combat troops and more than 6,000 supply troops. Wu Fengxian, son of Wu Qingyun, the Northwest General, was appointed as the commanding general, and his deputy Chang Chenghu accompanied him.
Wu Fengxian was seven feet tall and extremely ugly. He not only inherited his father Wu Qingyun's appearance, but also perfectly inherited his father's cruel, arrogant, and ruthless personality.
Despite his young age, he was already infamous.
He committed crimes and evil deeds, bullying men and women, and killing countless innocent people. There are at least eight hundred to a thousand innocent people who died at his hands.
Such a heinous person was able to escape justice because he had a father who was deeply favored by the former crown prince and is now the emperor.
Wu Fengxian, clad in armor and carrying a sword, stood at the highest point of Jubeichuan, gazing down at the faint outline of Longcheng, 30 miles away, his eyes revealing a greedy look.
"I had long heard that Longcheng, the fiefdom of the Prince of Jin, was the most prosperous city in the entire Northwest. Seeing it today, Longcheng is indeed magnificent and imposing!"
As he spoke, Wu Fengxian patted the dust off his armor and continued, "General Chang, do you think Prince Chen Polu of Jin has painstakingly managed Longcheng for over twenty years? How much gold and silver must he have accumulated?"
Chang Chenghu laughed and said, "Young General, we don't know how many treasures Chen Polu has accumulated in Longcheng, but there are certainly quite a few beauties in Longcheng!"
"Especially the women in the Prince of Jin's mansion. Princess Xu Ruoyun, though past her prime, still retains her charm, needless to say. Even the maids in the mansion are all beauties, one in a hundred. It's such a good deal for that bastard Chen Huai'an."
Wu Fengxian raised an eyebrow and said, "General Chang, if you put it that way, I'm not sleepy anymore."
"If Chen Huai'an is sensible enough to allow the women of the Prince of Jin's residence to serve me when my army enters the city, I might consider sparing his life and exiling him to Beihai to serve as a soldier on the frontier."
"If this Chen Huai'an doesn't know what's good for him, then this general will chop off his dog's head, and then have the women in his mansion serve me. I just wonder if any of these women in the royal mansion are Chen Huai'an's old flames?"
Hahaha!
Upon hearing this, both Wu Fengxian and Chang Chenghu burst into laughter.
Chang Chenghu didn't forget to give a thumbs-up and praise, "Young General, you're a real man!"
This flattery pleased Wu Fengxian greatly, and he was even eager to enter the city. He immediately waved his hand and ordered, "This general has decided to lead the troops into the city first and take over the military command and city defenses of Longcheng!"
"Issue the order: the vanguard, the central army, and the left and right flank guards (similar to the imperial guards) shall immediately set off and march with me into Longcheng!"
"Yes, Young General!"
At Wu Fengxian's command, the messenger immediately obeyed and left.
Looking at the spirited young general Wu Fengxian, Chang Chenghu became somewhat worried and tentatively said:
"Young General, the vanguard, central army, and left and right flanks only number ten thousand men. Longcheng is guarded by eight thousand Polu Army soldiers. If Chen Huai'an refuses to hand over military power and a conflict breaks out, I am worried that your safety will be threatened!"
snort!
Wu Fengxian snorted coldly, a disdainful expression appearing on his ugly and ferocious face, and said arrogantly:
"If that's how you put it, I'd be more than happy if Chen Huai'an refused to hand over military power. That way, I could legitimately lead my troops into Longcheng and massacre the Prince of Jin's mansion!"
"How could Chen Huai'an, a mere scholar, with no strength to even kill a chicken, possibly stand on equal footing with this general?"
"Furthermore, there are still 10,000 troops stationed in Beichuan, which can be used for both offense and defense. And Father's 80,000-strong army will be arriving soon!"
With that, Wu Fengxian sneered and mocked, "General Chang, you think too highly of Chen Huai'an and the remnants of the Po Lu Army!"
"A mere eight thousand bandits dare to face the elite troops of the Yunhui Army with swords and spears?"
Chang Chenghu thought about it again and realized that Wu Fengxian seemed to be right.
Young General Wu Fengxian learned martial arts from a young age and was skilled in riding and archery. At the age of 17, he had already followed General Wu Qingyun in battles across the north and south. He had been in the military for more than ten years. Even if he did not achieve outstanding military exploits, he had at least killed countless enemy generals on horseback.
In contrast, in Chang Chenghu's memory, Chen Huai'an had no experience fighting on the battlefield. He had always been placed in the rear by Prince Jin, Chen Polu, to manage things such as food, weapons, and taxes. He probably hadn't even taken a life.
On one side is a ruthless "human butcher," and on the other side is a weak and inflexible Confucian scholar.
On one side was the Yunhui Army, commanding 100,000 elite cavalry, and on the other side were the 8,000 remnants of the Polu Army, fighting like cornered beasts.
This comparison clearly shows the difference in quality!
Chang Chenghu immediately put on a fawning smile and said, "Young General, I was overthinking it. Compared to you, Chen Huai'an isn't even worthy of carrying your shoes. There's a saying, something like that—"
Chang Chenghu paused for a moment, then slapped his forehead and said, "How dare the light of a firefly compete with the sun and moon? This Chen Huai'an is clearly just that firefly!"
Hahaha!
The two exchanged a smile, then descended from the high place one after the other, leading 10,000 troops from the temporary camp in Jubeichuan, heading straight for Longcheng with murderous intent.
Meanwhile, at the Longcheng Polu Army camp.
Chen Huai'an, clad in golden armor and wielding the King-Slaying Golden Whip (Golden Mace), stood before the reviewing stand on the training ground, with dozens of scarlet four-clawed yellow dragon flags fluttering in the wind behind him.
On the drill ground, all the soldiers of the 8,000-strong Longcheng Polu Army, except for the soldiers defending the city, were lined up and fully armed, wearing armor and carrying swords.
An hour ago, news that the vanguard of the Yunhui Army had arrived at Jubeichuan, 30 miles outside Longcheng, had already reached the city. The 8,000 Polu Army soldiers stationed in Longcheng also knew what they were going to do next and what they would face.
That was to be ordered to quell the rebellion, raise troops to punish the traitors, and purge the court of corrupt officials!
These eight thousand soldiers of the Polu Army were all veterans who had fought for more than ten years. They were the elite and the last bloodline of the Polu Army. Their wives, children and elderly parents also lived in Longcheng and received the favor of the Prince of Jin's mansion.
Their fates were already inextricably linked to the Prince of Jin's mansion, inseparable even in life and death.
Now, at this critical moment, whether it is to defend the supreme honor of being a member of the Polu Army, or to protect the wives, children, and elderly in the city from displacement and the suffering of losing their homes, the members of the Polu Army must stand up bravely like men and risk their lives to fight for a chance of survival.
Looking at the high-spirited soldiers of the Po Lu Army on the training ground, Chen Huai'an delivered his final proclamation to his generals, announcing their uprising against the rebels: "Soldiers of the Po Lu Army—"
"I, Chen Huai'an, am the eldest son of Prince Chen Polu of Jin, and the heir apparent to the Prince of Jin personally appointed by Emperor Gaozu. Since receiving this title, I have abided by the law, fulfilled my duties, and remained loyal to the emperor and patriotic."
"The new emperor ascended the throne, favoring treacherous officials and allowing villains like Wu Qingyun and Chang Chenghu to mislead the court and the public, acting perversely. If these treacherous officials are not eliminated, the empire will not be secure."
"Now, I, the King, have received the late Emperor's edict and wield the imperial Golden Whip to quell the rebellion, raise an army to punish the traitors, eliminate the treacherous officials, cleanse the court of corrupt ministers, secure the nation, strengthen the foundation of the country, and restore a bright and clear world to the Great Xin Dynasty!"
Chen Huai'an first issued a proclamation denouncing the rebellion, citing the imperial gift of the Golden Whip bestowed upon him by the late emperor, in order to silence public opinion and prove that this military campaign was not a rebellion, but rather a righteous act to quell the rebellion. This gave the 8,000 soldiers of the Po Lu Army a psychological boost, allowing them to shed their psychological burden.
Then, Chen Huai'an raised his golden mace high and shouted, "Soldiers of the Breaking Army—"
"Today, guided by these dozens of banners of the Vanquishing Army behind us, and illuminated by the sun, moon, mountains, and rivers, we will rise up in Longcheng to march south and punish the rebels;"
"Now that you, my esteemed soldiers of the Po Lu Army, stand with me on this training ground, I care not for your fear or cowardice, for we have no other choice."
“If we retreat, the spirits of all the soldiers of the Polu Army who have fought on the battlefield since its establishment will weep bitterly in the afterlife.”
The late King Chen Polu, who was loyal to the emperor and loved his country throughout his life and had an unyielding spirit, will also die with his eyes wide open in disgrace.
More than 300,000 innocent people in Longcheng will also be slaughtered, causing a great disaster.
Our wives, children, and elderly parents will also suffer the pain of bullying for the rest of their lives!
At this moment, I, Chen Huai'an, in the name of the Prince of Jin, issue you this general's order: to launch a southern expedition to quell the rebellion—”
"If you see me fall beneath the swords of the rebel army on the road to the south to quell the rebellion,
Generals, there is no need for grief, nor should you halt your charge, and certainly do not come to my rescue.
Gripping their swords tightly, they followed the banners of the Vanquishing Army and continued their southern campaign. They would not retreat until the treacherous officials were eliminated!
"The sun, moon, mountains, and rivers will live on forever; the spirit of the vanquishing enemy will live on forever!"
"The army that breaks through the enemy lines is mighty!"
"General, you are mighty!"
"The army that breaks through the enemy lines is mighty!"
"Long live the Prince of Jin!"
In an instant, the shouts of battle filled the Dragon City Polu Army camp, and the more than 8,000 Polu Army soldiers were filled with fervor, while Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin was filled with heroic spirit!
"Report—"
Suddenly, a messenger rushed in on horseback to report!
Before the galloping warhorse had even stopped its rearing hooves, the messenger soldier had already dismounted, knelt before Chen Huai'an, and bowed, saying:
"Reporting to the Prince of Jin, the vanguard of the Yunhui Army, numbering approximately ten thousand men, has already reached the city walls. The enemy general Wu Fengxian, who is leading the troops, is challenging them to battle at the city gate!"
"oh?"
Chen Huai'an smirked and said, "Perfect timing! Let's use Wu Fengxian's dog head as a sacrifice for the army's southern expedition!"
"All generals, heed my command!"
"Your subordinate is here!"
"Follow me out of the city to meet the enemy!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
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