Conquering Myriad Worlds from the Mythical Three Kingdoms

"Your Majesty, all six prefectures of Jiangdong have fallen!"

Emperor Wu of Jin, Sima Yan, remained indifferent, showing no emotion whatsoever even upon hearing such outrageous news.

"Have you checked the situation? What exactly happened?" Sima Yan asked.

"Our spy planted in Jiangdong sent back news that a fleet from the sea has arrived bearing the banners of Gan Ning and Taishi Ci, former officials of Eastern Wu. The rebellion in Jiangdong was instigated by them!"

Du Yu cautiously looked up at Sima Yan, then quietly reported to his superior.

"All six prefectures of Jiangdong have fallen? What about Wen Yang?"

"Rumor has it that Wen Yang was trapped in the isolated city. After holding out for several days, his troops were exhausted and he was captured by bandits flying the banner of Gan Ning on the riverbank!"

A flicker of emotion crossed Sima Yan's face. He knew Wen Yang's abilities; Wen Yang had played a crucial role in breaking through the Xianbei tribe and could be considered a famous general of the Jin Dynasty.

It's unbelievable that he's been captured by a group of rebels.

"Tell me your thoughts!" Sima Yan was also puzzled by this fleet that had appeared out of nowhere, so he threw the question to Du Yu and Yang Ku.

“I have already sent people to ask Sun Hao and the surrendered officials of Eastern Wu, and they know almost nothing about this fleet.”

"However, many people confirmed the deaths of Taishi Ci and Gan Ning back then, so it should be that they were just imposters, not the real ones!"

"At present, the most likely scenario is that during Sun Quan's reign, he sent a fleet to explore overseas, established a foothold and bases overseas, and then returned to seek revenge after learning of the fall of Eastern Wu."

Du Yu spoke eloquently, giving a general overview of his understanding of intelligence analysis.

"Eastern Wu is truly a persistent ghost!" Sima Yan snorted coldly, acknowledging Du Yu's analysis.

After all, he was more inclined to believe that these people had returned from overseas than that they had sprung from rocks.

The Jin Dynasty was aware that there were many countries overseas.

They also had plans to build a navy to sail to Southeast Asia, but before the plan could be implemented, Gan Ning and his men had already arrived.

Now, looking at Gan Ning's fleet, they are under immense pressure.

Other circumstances are uncertain, but Gan Ning's fleet, the commander at the front, provided a wealth of images and data.

They can deduce the power and size of the fleet, as well as the shipbuilding plans behind it, from the data.

In terms of design concept, it even surpasses the current online troll army by two or three generations; it's almost not even in the same league anymore.

Their biggest headache right now is what kind of severe test they will face if these fleets leave the Yangtze River and launch attacks along the coastline.

The coastline is incredibly long, and the other side could easily wreak havoc on the coastal areas through plunder.

"What brilliant plan do you have, my dear minister?" Sima Yan asked, looking at Yang Ku, who remained silent.

"The threat posed by the fleet is obvious. Our top priority is to keep this fleet firmly tied down in Jiangdong!"

"If it is a fleet returning from overseas, then resources will inevitably be scarce, so we should launch an attack before the enemy can replenish their supplies."

Yang Ku pointed to the territory of Jiangdong when he said this.

"But I'm afraid the other side isn't a fleet that's returned from overseas at all!"

"Our spies have discovered that they are opening their granaries and distributing grain and supplies on a large scale in an attempt to win over the people!"

"The current imperial court can't even do this, let alone a fleet returning from overseas."

Yang Ku paused for a moment after saying this, refuting the speculation about the overseas fleet, but he couldn't think of a suitable explanation.

Shaking his head, Yang Ku banished these distracting thoughts from his mind.

How the other party got here is no longer important; what matters is their current strategy.

"The enemy has a fleet but has not carried out sabotage along the coastline. Their purpose is nothing more than to build an impregnable fortress and make the Jiangdong coastline as solid as a rock."

"And their response clearly shows that this is their target!"

Yang Ku pointed to the key point on the map—Xiangyang.

"Xiangyang?" Du Yu was surprised.

"That's right, it's Xiangyang. Their goal is to connect Jingzhou with Bashu, hoping to recreate the scene of the Shu-Wu alliance of yesteryear and divide the world in two!"

"Concentrate all forces to attack Xiangyang?"

Du Yu ran his finger across the map and instantly understood the perilous nature of this strategy.

By using the fleet to blockade the Yangtze River, they could ensure that the six counties in Jiangdong, which they had already acquired, would have no worries about their rear.

They massively purchased supplies and food to buy off the basic needs of the people and stabilize the rear area.

"In that case, it's a good thing. I've been training troops in Xiangyang for several years. Xiangyang's military equipment is complete, and its soldiers are excellent. It can be called an impregnable fortress!" Du Yu said with a hint of pride.

He opposed the idea that military equipment should be abolished when the world is at peace, so he trained the army diligently.

The focus of defense at the time was the local Yue barbarians, which is now perfectly suited to be used against the rebels.

Du Yu couldn't guarantee the safety of other places, but Jingzhou was absolutely impregnable, and the people lived in peace and contentment.

"Not good! The Shanyue!" Du Yu's finger traced across Jingzhou, and he was suddenly startled.

He suddenly realized a problem: because the military preparations were originally intended to defend against the Yue people, the Jin Dynasty did not have a very good control over the Yue people, and the relationship between the two sides was very strained.

Under normal circumstances, the rebellion of the Shanyue tribes would be limited to a few isolated tribes. However, in this case, the entire Shanyue tribe might be turned against the rebels.

"It's not just the Yue people in the mountains; the southern barbarian lands may also be in turmoil!"

Yang Ku sighed. The opponent's strategic direction was steady and solid, and their tactical advancement was fast and accurate.

Wen Yang was captured, which shows that the enemy was coming with great force.

"Your Majesty, I propose that we send men to Jiangdong to ransom the captured soldiers. At the very least, this will convince the people of the world!"

Yang Ku took a deep breath. Since the enemy was coming with great force, they couldn't afford to be careless.

Since the fact that we've gained the upper hand is unchangeable, we might as well fight back head-on.

Sima Yan nodded, agreeing with Yang Ku's suggestion.

"I will arrange for someone to handle this matter!"

Yang Ku's eyes revealed a fierce fighting spirit; he never expected that someone his age would have the opportunity to compete with others on the battlefield.

"Your Majesty, in addition to sending envoys, we also need to mobilize the troops in the prefectures to strengthen the defenses of Hefei and Xiangyang!"

"Xiangyang cannot be defended to the death. A great general should be dispatched to coordinate a simultaneous advance by water and land to proactively disrupt the enemy's military posture!"

Yang Ku got more and more excited as he talked, and one plan after another popped out of his mouth, with Du Yu occasionally chiming in with a few words.

Sima Yan was no fool; he naturally understood Yang Ku's intention to lead the expedition and Du Yu's understanding and confidence in the defense of Xiangyang.

"With unrest in the south, how should the situation in the north be handled?" Sima Yan posed another question.

"The Xianbei leader Tufa Shujineng has been executed. The northern tribes at most plunder the border, but the border soldiers are capable of dealing with them and there is nothing to fear. The most important thing right now is the south."

Du Yu and Yang Ku didn't take the northern nomads seriously. After all, the last Xianbei leader who caused trouble was already three meters old.

No matter what the Hu people do, they will not cross the line; at most, they will continue to plunder.

This is unavoidable; unless nomadic peoples are eradicated, they are destined to continue to plague agricultural civilizations because their ability to withstand risks is too weak.

A natural disaster might force them to plunder.

"Report from Xiangyang! The city of Xiangyang is under attack!"

"Their movements were so fast?" Du Yu was taken aback, completely not expecting Sima Yi and his men to act so quickly.

In fact, it wasn't that Sima Yi acted quickly.

It was Pang Tong who acted quickly; after all, he was the "Young Phoenix" who was once discussed alongside Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi.

With the Houtu Legion as a powerful weapon, they took control of the counties and prefectures east and west of the Yangtze River in no time, and then set their sights on Xiangyang.

Pang Tong was well aware of the importance of Xiangyang; it was the core of Sima Yi's plan.

Therefore, after pacifying the counties and making contact with the Yue people, the army's advance was directly directed towards Xiangyang.

Pang Tong commanded Xu Huang and Wei Yan to defeat the Jin army that was blocking their advance, thirty miles outside Xiangyang.

Ma Long, the garrison commander of Xiangyang, originally intended to establish a camp to support the city and form a defensive alliance. However, before he could establish it, Pang Tong encountered him and decisively defeated him. Instead, Ma Long used the ruins as a base to set up camp on the spot.

Although he defeated the Jin army that was trying to ambush him, Pang Tong also realized how troublesome the Jin army was.

Therefore, they chose to temporarily rest and restrain Sima Yi, waiting for him to arrive with his troops so that they could join forces and attack Xiangyang together.

"Shiyuan, can't we make our move now?" Xu Huang was getting restless; he couldn't wait to lead his troops to attack Xiangyang.

"Now is not the time!"

Unfortunately, Pang Tong remained inactive, and Xu Huang, trusting in intelligent people, chose to obey Pang Tong's orders.

"Don't be impatient. Our reinforcements, allies, and siege equipment are not yet fully in place. A hasty attack would likely result in failure."

Xu Huang knew that haste makes waste, but he was still impatient and eager to seize the fruits of victory.

When a large country faces a small country, it always exudes a sense of arrogance, which Xu Huang exemplified perfectly at this moment.

Even though Xiangyang was well-equipped with troops, Xu Huang still believed that they could defeat Xiangyang in one fell swoop, and this confidence was a good thing.

However, being overconfident is not a good thing; it can become a weakness.

"how long will it take?"

"The Houtu Legion has already paved the road; they should arrive in three to five days if things go smoothly!" Pang Tong estimated the time.

The Houtu Legion's road-paving skills are incredibly useful. The road from Jiangdong County to Xiangyang has been paved by the Houtu Legion into a smooth thoroughfare, greatly improving both the transportation of supplies and the speed of marching.

According to Pang Tong's estimate, Jiangdong would become an impenetrable wall in less than three months.

Convenient transportation not only facilitated military marches but also greatly promoted commercial development, making self-sufficiency a non-issue after a year.

"Report, General! Troops have left Xiangyang City and are rushing towards our troops!"

"Huh?" Pang Tong was stunned. He wasn't Zhou Yu, and he hadn't given the other side a brainless aura, so why was the other side acting up?

In the next instant, Pang Tong understood.

With Houtu Legion absent, their total strength is only 23,000 men, 7,000 of whom are new recruits.

If the other side sees them as traitors, they will naturally choose to take the initiative to attack, since they are clearly waiting for reinforcements.

The other side definitely didn't want to be surrounded and attacked, which is why they took the initiative to leave the city and challenge for battle.

In fact, just as Pang Tong guessed, Ma Long, as a general with many military achievements, was not afraid of Xu Huang and Wei Yan at all, given that he had the elite troops of Xiangyang by his side.

"Fourteen thousand men? It seems they don't even consider the new recruits human beings!" Xu Huang jumped up and counted the number of Jin soldiers, then shared the information with Wei Yan and Pang Tong.

"They will suffer the consequences!" Pang Tong said calmly, then activated his spiritual talent and the Xuanxiang he had set up.

Pang Tong settled the new recruits in the camp, where they were arrayed in formation amidst rising clouds, while Xu Huang and Wei Yan led their own troops and puppet soldiers to meet the Jin army head-on.

The clouds on both sides were connected by several chains, continuously transmitting the strength of the new recruits in the rear to the front.

The two sides quickly clashed head-on, both maintaining their high morale as they collided.

Malone quickly spotted the cloud chains in the sky.

This cloud chain was also one of Pang Tong's masterpieces, and it was also disassembled based on the navy's adaptive system.

The effect is to combine the strength of the two forces. Even if there are heavy losses, the reinforcement is still a reinforcement, and it can be used flexibly.

Pang Tong's secret technique directly transferred the power of the new recruits to the veterans. While the new recruits were indeed unable to fight in open field battles, this method of power transfer provided power to Xu Huang's and Wei Yan's main forces, greatly increasing the strength of both forces.

"That's awesome! This is what fighting should be like!"

With a swing of his great axe, Xu Huang cleaved several officers in two. This ferocious fighting style was Xu Huang's favorite.

On the other side, Wei Yan and his troops were just going through the motions. Against ordinary legions, they were not as effective as Xu Huang, who was a single and powerful force.

"General, Commander Pang orders you to quickly kill the enemy leader!" a guard rode up on horseback and shouted.

"Alright, let me see where the enemy leader's banner is?" Xu Huang swept across the enemy forces, beheading all the enemies within a 90-degree radius in front of him.

"Gentlemen, obey my command and follow me!" Xu Huang roared, charging ahead towards the commander's flag, followed by only a few dozen personal guards.

However, at this moment, the soldiers on Xinghan's side showed no fear whatsoever.

In their eyes, Xu Huang was the new standard-bearer, as if he could lead the whole world.

"Not good! Stop the enemy general at once!"

Pang Tong noticed the direction of the enemy soldiers' movement; they were heading straight for him.

"Enemy general, prepare to die!" Ma Long laughed loudly and was about to cut Pang Tong down from his horse.

"You're the one who deserves to die!"

Xu Huang unleashed a burst of power, forcing Ma Long back with a single axe strike and cleaving several of Ma Long's personal guards into pieces.

"Take this!" Malone roared in fury, determined to avenge his personal guards.

However, after only thirty-five moves, Malone was already drenched in sweat.

With Xu Huang connected to the cloud energy, his combat power was significantly stronger than before.

Ma Long, who was already no match for Xu Huang, was soon left with only the ability to parry when facing Xu Huang.

"Pfft!" Malone spat out a mouthful of blood.

Xu Huang's battle axe was simply too heavy. Even though he blocked every attack, the immense force attached to the axe was directly injected into his body. (End of Chapter)