After being exiled, I led my whole family to rebel.

Chapter 319 Pre-War Remarks
Soon, the curtain was lifted, and Jiang Yongkang and his men walked in to report the general situation on the battlefield ahead.

After they set up camp here, they have been resting on the spot for a day and a night.

Seeing victory in sight, the soldiers became impatient and came to ask when the war would begin.

Xu Zhenying said, "Luo Qingzhou is still adjusting the firearms. Let's wait a little longer. Xingyuan Prefecture is right behind us, so our food supply is not a problem. Tell everyone, don't think about launching a surprise attack. Keep your mentality in the last few battles."

Jiang Yongkang nodded. Although he had been a general in the East Territory for several years, he was already accustomed to giving orders.

But once he returned to Xu Zhenying, he naturally became the one who obeyed orders.

After all, at least half of his skills came from Xu Zhenying's teaching.

Xu Zhenying is his master, his partner, and also his teacher.

"When will Liu Dazhuang and his men arrive? I remember he still has 50,000 troops there."

"Many places in the west have no concrete roads yet, so the marching speed is naturally slower. I just received a letter saying that they will definitely arrive today."

"And what about the rest of the firearms?"

Their vanguard troops marched quickly, but their firearms could not withstand the bumps and had to be transported slowly.

Therefore, only the first five firearms were split up and delivered in advance, and the remaining firearms were still to come.

As a technical consultant, Luo Qingzhou naturally had to accompany the army.

At the moment, restoring these firearms would keep him busy for several days.

But Xu Zhenying said, "Wutai is enough. I will leave the rest in the East. There are still three states over there that have been resisting stubbornly. If we don't have firearms to suppress them, I'm afraid it will be difficult to advance."

"Wutai?" Jiang Yongkang frowned, not quite understanding how Wutai could be enough.
Against the city of Bianjing, how could Wutai be enough?
Xu Zhenying smiled and said, "The power of this firearm has been unleashed. The people in Fengxiang Prefecture are already frightened. We only need one to shock them. If we fire the first shot beautifully, they will fall without a fight."

Chang Zizai immediately volunteered before everyone else: "Your Highness, I've heard that firearms are very powerful and can penetrate city walls! When I was training in the West Mountain Camp in Jinzhou Prefecture, I always heard noises from the back mountain. The people in the north have already been familiar with them, but our soldiers in the west have never touched firearms!"

Xu Zhenying knew that Chang Zizai had made many outstanding achievements on the western battlefield, and Liu Dazhuang also reported that he was smart and agile in combat, so Xu Zhenying transferred him to Xingyuan Prefecture early.

Seeing Chang Zi's eager expression, and seeing that he was only seventeen or eighteen years old, full of youthful vigor, Xu Zhenying smiled and agreed, "Okay, the first shot will be yours. You have to learn from Dean Luo in the next few days, so as not to miss the target with the first shot!"

Chang Zizai smiled so hard that his eyes narrowed into a line, and he quickly promised: "Your Highness, I will definitely study hard!"

In the evening, Liu Dazhuang led an army of 50,000 over mountains and rivers and finally succeeded in joining forces.

At the same time, Xu Huijia and others also came.

For this Northern Expedition, Jinzhou Prefecture went out in full force. Except for Xu Yinxi, Fang Xun, Fang Ningmo, Mo Jinchun, and the Xu family who stayed behind in the base camp, almost all the others went out.

The eastern front was commanded by two strong ladies, Liu Pan and Wang Sanniang.

On the west side, Lu Fei led new generals such as Zhu Kui and Ren Chuang.

If you really think about it, these two people are not newcomers. Zhu Kui has fought for more than ten years and can be considered a veteran.

Ren Chuang is the first batch of male soldiers in Jinzhou Prefecture. Although he may lack experience, his fighting strength and brainpower are outstanding.

The war in the west was basically just to wipe out the remaining forces of King Zhoushan, so Xu Zhenying withdrew 50,000 troops, expecting that there would be no unexpected situations in the war in the west.

Right now, in the camp, the old members of the Xu family team, Ming Xiaoshuang, Zhao Qiaonian, Liu Dazhuang, Xu Huijia, Qian Zhenniang, as well as the later members Lin Lao, An Peilin, Zhang Wanjun, Zhang Qiuchan, and members of the secretariat, are all in place!
The war is about to break out——

In the evening, Xu Zhenying's tent was extremely lively.

The soldiers could vaguely see those familiar faces through the fluttering green curtains.

If someone is attentive, he will definitely recognize that the person sitting in this tent can be said to be the high-level power of the entire Jinzhou Prefecture, and the core of the entire Jinzhou Prefecture.

There were layers of guards outside the tent, the atmosphere was heavy, and there was a tense feeling as if one was facing a powerful enemy.

But inside the tent, everyone was having fun.

It is natural to be very happy to meet old friends.

The two sisters, Zhang Wanjun and Zhang Qiuchan, were in the north and the east respectively. Now that they finally met each other, they naturally hugged each other and talked endlessly.

Zhao Qiaonian was the last one to join and had stayed in Jinzhou Prefecture ever since then. He had never met these old people, so as soon as Zhao Qiaonian entered the tent, he immediately became friends with Liu Dazhuang and the others.

Somehow, Xu Huijia's position was right opposite Qian Zhenniang.

Their eyes naturally met, and then Qian Zhenniang smiled slightly, then looked him up and down, and said in a polite yet distant tone, "Are you back?"

Xu Huijia was originally just leaning back in the chair, with her legs spread out, sitting with her arms and legs spread wide.

At this moment, Qian Zhenniang was looking at him with a smile. For some reason, as soon as he saw her eyes, he felt something was wrong all over.

He calmly closed his legs and then sat up straight, as well-behaved as a child in a primary literacy class. Even in the face of Qian Zhenniang's politeness, he would only lower his head, stare at the surface of his shoes and say "hmm".

Chang Zizai, however, laughed quietly beside him and fell backwards.

Interesting, really interesting.

I didn't expect that General Xu Huijia, who was so brave and daring on the battlefield and who could fight with a sword, would have such a shameful side.

Qian Zhenniang frowned slightly and looked at Chang Zizai.

That was a very young guy.

He doesn't even look like a soldier.

He has very white skin and a thin body, like a little monkey. Although he has a childish face, his eyes are extremely sharp, and it is obvious that he is not someone you want to mess with.

Chang Zizai greeted him openly: "Minister Qian, I am Chang Zizai."

Qian Zhenniang also smiled, "I've heard of you. I've read all your reports of success. You have flexible ideas and a sharp mind. General Liu Dazhuang praised you a lot."

Well, now Qian Zhenniang has made Chang Zizai feel embarrassed.

Among them, only Mr. Lin and Zhou Houfang seemed a little out of place.

After all, they joined the Xu family late, and they did not have the friendship of selling soap together with the old members of the Xu family's political team. The two of them sat separately and said a few words from time to time, which did not seem abrupt.

Xu Zhenying seemed to be in a good mood tonight. Seeing that the tent was packed with people, she was in a trance and returned to the days in Lan County six years ago.

Then she smiled and said, "Now that I think about it, it seems like we haven't been together like this for a long time."

Liu Dazhuang laughed, "That's right. Ever since His Highness occupied Jinzhou Prefecture, our group of old members have been traveling all over the country to conquer the world. It has been several years since we have gathered together in such a complete group like now."

Zhao Qiaonian said: "The most fortunate thing is that no one is missing a piece of meat, and no one is lost. Especially those of you who are fighting on the front line--"

Qian Zhenniang said in a daze: "Yes. Now we just need Master Xu and Feng'er."

When mentioning Feng'er, whose life or death was uncertain, everyone fell silent.

As if she realized that what she said had somewhat ruined the current atmosphere, Qian Zhenniang quickly smiled and said, "But Feng'er has always had good luck. With the protection of His Highness, she will surely be able to turn danger into safety."

"That's right. No news right now is the best news. We have people in the harem too. Who knows where that girl is hiding now."

This is Mr. Lin’s voice.

Xu Zhenying sighed. She was naturally extremely anxious, but Xu Huiming was in Bian Jing. His letter was urgent and he was obviously anxious. Their people must be looking for Feng'er all over the capital.

The situation in Bianjing City is now unclear, and their secret agent has been discovered by Zhou Mian. They can hardly protect themselves now, but they still insist on looking for Feng'er.

She was hundreds of miles away, and all she could do was worry and do her own thing.

"Let's talk about the siege first." Xu Zhenying restrained her expression, and everyone in the room immediately looked at her intently.

"I just went out for a tour and found that the soldiers under me were eager to try and could not wait to march north. Now I also tell you that it will take a long time to conquer the north, and don't even think about launching a surprise attack. You don't have to worry about weapons, military supplies, and food. Now we are fighting at our doorstep. Xingyuan Prefecture is rich, so food is not a problem."

Qian Zhenniang also said: "That's right, not only Xingyuan Prefecture, but also Jinzhou Prefecture and Qianzhou Prefecture. These prefectures were the first to come to us, developed early, and the people lived a good life. Before I left, I heard that many people spontaneously organized to collect autumn crops and handed over part of them to the government, saying that they were supporting our war on the front line. We haven't decided on this matter yet, but it shows that the people are very supportive of the Northern Expedition!"

Elder Lin said, "Your Highness, even if our Jinzhou Prefecture is wealthy, it is always better to end the war as soon as possible. We can't keep using our own people to support the army."

If he were still an official in the Great Zhou Dynasty, Mr. Lin would never dare to say this.

Who dares to say that the emperor leading the army in person is a waste of money and manpower?

Mr. Lin was targeting the fact that Xu Zhenying would never be convicted for the words spoken by his subordinates.

When we talk about things, we must just discuss the facts.

It is said that partial listening leads to blindness, and Xu Zhenying also likes to have different voices in the court.

Xu Zhenying's face was not angry, but he frowned slightly. "I know that many of you do not agree with the slow and steady approach. You just want to win the war quickly. I admit that for us, this will minimize consumption and financial pressure. However, I think you have overlooked one point. A quick victory will inevitably mean a large number of casualties--"

Chang Zizai stood up immediately and said, "Your Highness, a soldier must die on the battlefield. The people have raised us for so long, and it is our duty to fight in the battlefield. None of the soldiers in Jinzhou Prefecture are afraid of death!"

The remaining military representatives, such as Zhang Wanjun, Xu Huijia, Liu Dazhuang and others, also stood up and expressed their views, "Your Highness, we are not afraid of death!"

Xu Zhenying stared at them. "Of course I know that none of the soldiers in Jinzhou Prefecture are cowards. But if there is a way to minimize casualties, why not use it? I always say that when it comes to siege tactics, attacking the city is inferior, and attacking the heart is superior. And when I say reducing casualties, it includes not only the casualties of our soldiers, but also the casualties of the other side. That is, the enemy."

Chang Zizai and the others frowned slightly, seeming a little dissatisfied, "Your Highness, we cannot be soft-hearted in battle. We must kill our enemies completely, so why should we avoid casualties? If that's the case, then why fight?"

Elder Lin stroked his beard and glanced at Xu Zhenying, then explained with a smile: "So, His Highness is His Highness, and you are you. You bunch of fools are far inferior to His Highness."

Chang Zizai looked at Mr. Lin in dissatisfaction.

"Don't you think about it? The victory or defeat of this Northern Expedition is obvious. Soon, Fengxiang Prefecture across the way will become our territory, and the people across the way will become your subjects. Is it wrong for your Highness to care about his subjects in advance?"

The others were stunned at first, and then they were still a little confused. To put it this way... it's not without problems, but it's just a little weird.

Xu Zhenying smiled and said, "That's the truth, but the winner is obvious, there is no need to commit more murders. The people in this city are just like you in the past. It's not easy for them to live in troubled times. They also have the right to pursue happiness. They haven't killed anyone, so they deserve to live well. Being able to attack the city without killing anyone is a test of our governance methods."

Elder Lin also added: "That's right. How do you know that the people over there are on the same side as us, waiting for us to save them from the water and fire? Don't regard the people of Bianjing as enemies, you should regard them as our allies and our people. This is like Yu thinking of the drowning people in the world, and he would drown himself; Ji thinking of the starving people in the world, and he would starve himself, so he was so anxious."

There was silence in the room for a while.

This coincides with Xu Zhenying's philosophy of "attacking the city with minimal casualties".

Yes, Your Highness has always emphasized the word "benevolence", which is why they encountered little resistance when they were conquering cities.

There are even precedents where ordinary people secretly helped them capture cities.

Xu Huijia asked, "May I ask if Your Highness has any good ideas for attacking the city?"

Xu Zhenying smiled and said, "The soldiers of Jinzhou Prefecture are famous for their might. Why don't we try to defeat the enemy without fighting? The firearms should be ready in the next two days. Once these five firearms are placed in front of the formation, do you really think the people of Fengxiang Prefecture will take the initiative to attack?"

Liu Dazhuang said: "They don't have enough defensive strength, and they will only get beaten if a fight breaks out. So if I were Deng Quanan, I would stay indoors and wait for the imperial court's reinforcements to arrive."

"That's right, so we have to capture Fengxiang Prefecture before the imperial army arrives."

Elder Lin smiled and looked at Xu Zhenying, "Looking at the way Your Highness is talking, you must have a solution."

Xu Zhenying said, "Is Dean Luo still in the warehouse checking firearms? Ask him to hurry up and get one out first and push it up there. Oh, by the way, I remember Zhenniang seemed to have brought a group of young cadres from Jinzhou Prefecture, right?"

Qian Zhenniang immediately said, "That's right. Liu Jianlin is the leader. There are about 50 or 60 people who volunteered to come here for training."

"Very good. Let's find something for them tonight. Let them write a few hundred notes, each of which briefly describes the situation in Jinzhou Prefecture. Write about universal education, medical care, smallpox vaccine, etc. When the time comes, we will randomly send them to the city to see if we can encourage the people to cooperate with us."

Someone immediately asked, "Now that the gates of Fengxiang Mansion are closed, how can we get them in?"

Zhang Wanjun immediately understood what he meant and asked with a smile, "Does Your Highness need an archer?"

Xu Zhenying nodded approvingly at her, "Wanjun really knows what I mean. Go pick twenty archers and get ready."

Seeing that everyone was looking at her, Xu Zhenying smiled and said, "Okay, you will know the situation tomorrow."

After dinner, Xu Zhenying walked around the camp.

But she saw that the entire hilltop was filled with their people, with flags flying, at least hundreds of thousands of people, which was almost all her military force.

Xu Zhenying felt a little emotional.

She started her business in Lan County six years ago. During these six years, she conquered thirteen states and even had hundreds of thousands of like-minded partners. Now that she has crossed this mountain range, she may be about to embark on a new journey.

Thinking about it now, it still feels like a dream.

She thought of Li Zhaodi.

I thought of Feng'er, whose life or death was uncertain.

Xu Zhenying walked slowly and steadily, descending from the highest point on the mountain top, with members of the security team following behind him all the time.

Yan Xuesong followed her silently about a hundred or two hundred meters behind her. With her as the leader, they formed a team like a wolf pack. Even though Xu Zhenying was very relaxed, Yan Xuesong had always looked around vigilantly since the last assassination incident at the city gate of Qiongzhou Prefecture.

She noticed someone approaching quietly, and when she turned around, she found it was Jiang Yongkang.

The wariness in Yan Xuesong's eyes faded away, and he saluted Jiang Yongkang with his fists clasped.

In fact, Jiang Yongkang is her superior.

Jiang Yongkang was in the military affairs department in name only. Although Mo Jinchun was usually in charge, Jiang Yongkang's reputation still made people like them who were soldiers feel intimidated.

Jiang Yongkang waved his hand and said to her, "Stay away. She doesn't like you following her closely."

Yan Xuesong said "yes".

Jiang Yongkang strode forward to greet him, and then saw that Xu Zhenying came out wearing thin clothes. Although it was a bit hot in early summer, it was still quite cool at night in the mountains.

After a slight hesitation, Jiang Yongkang took off his cloak and handed it to the man.

Xu Zhenying stood at the top of the mountain where the wind shone. The mountain breeze blew up a strand of hair in front of her forehead, and her eyebrows and eyes were very clear under the moonlight.

She shook her head, "It's not cold."

Jiang Yongkang stared at her and said, "Put it on. I just took a shower this afternoon, so this cape isn't dirty."

Seeing him explaining seriously, Xu Zhenying couldn't help laughing, "I'm not that pretentious."

"I didn't say you were hypocritical." Jiang Yongkang said, and put the cloak on her, "You just like to be clean."

Xu Zhenying had no choice but to let him do whatever he wanted.

I don't know when this young guy became so fussy.

I don't even know when he grew so tall.

Although Xu Zhenying had never treated herself badly in the past few years, it seemed that everyone in the Xu family was not very respectable, including her of course.

According to the standards of her previous life, she was only about 1.63 meters tall, which was already the limit.

Later, no matter how much nutrition she supplemented, her weight could not continue to rise.

She had to increase her body fat percentage to make herself stronger.

But Jiang Yongkang was at least 1.8 meters tall, which was considered a tall stature in ancient times when material resources were scarce.

The two men stood at a higher point on the hill, looking at the large area of ​​tents below.

Perhaps because she was about to go to war, Xu Zhenying's mood was a little turbulent. She pointed down and asked, "Old Jiang, how do you feel?"

Every time Jiang Yongkang heard Xu Zhenying call him "Old Jiang", he always had a strange feeling.

After all, he is only twenty years old now, but calling him like this makes him seem very old, as if they have been fighting side by side for decades.

However, it is better than "Minister Jiang".

At least this "Old Jiang" is the only one favored by Jinzhou Prefecture.

Jiang Yongkang coughed softly, "I don't feel anything. I just feel that we are camping in the mountains. The forest is dense and it is a rainy summer. If I were Deng Quanan, I would definitely use fire attack. But I have already taken people to check around this afternoon. There is enough water in the Wanshui River. Even if there is a fire attack, we can deal with it."

Xu Zhenying frowned, "You really don't understand romance."

"I know what you want to say." Jiang Yongkang smiled, "We will soon complete our mission. Your Highness, are you so excited that you can't sleep?"

Xu Zhenying laughed, "I don't have the habit of opening champagne halfway through the journey."

"Open champagne halfway?"

"Well... it's just celebrating halfway through the start-up."

"Why do you always have so many weird ideas?" Jiang Yongkang stared at her blankly, "Actually, I wanted to ask this many years ago--"

Xu Zhenying interrupted him, "Don't ask. If you ask, I'll have to think of how to lie to you."

Jiang Yongkang was speechless, and then said helplessly: "Well, even if you didn't tell me, I would have guessed that you have a special origin. Who knows, maybe you are really a god from heaven."

Xu Zhenying smiled: "Strictly speaking, I am indeed from heaven. As for whether I am a god, I don't know. What is the matter with you coming here?"

Jiang Yongkang said, "Like everyone else, I was a little excited about the Northern Expedition starting tomorrow and couldn't sleep. I wanted to go out for a walk, but I saw you."

Two people stood side by side, the moonlight gently falling on their shoulders.

"You've fought for so many years, and you get nervous before a battle?"

"It's different now than before. After all, these may be the last few battles. Besides, we're going back to Bianjing City soon. When we left Bianjing City, we were in such a mess. We had nothing on us and were escorted by escorts. We were exposed to the wind and rain all the way, like dogs that had lost their homes. But now, we have to fight back... It's always a different feeling to see old friends."

"Old friend?" Xu Zhenying smiled, "But your former lover in Bianjing City?"

"They are just some bad friends. When I was young, I was a playboy with them. It was a ridiculous time. But they must have started families and careers long ago. Thinking about it now, I still think that time was good. Both parents were alive, the family was rich, and there were no worries."

"Why, are things not going well now?"

"It's not bad. It's just... I miss the days when my parents were still alive. If my parents were still alive, I wonder how happy they would be to see me making great achievements now—"

Xu Zhenying was speechless for a moment. She turned her head to look at the man beside her, but saw a look of loneliness on his face.

Only then did Xu Zhenying realize that she was not the only one who felt lonely in this world.

"When we fight back to Bianjing City, you can build a tomb for your parents, open a ancestral hall, and redress the grievances. If your parents are still alive in heaven, they will surely smile in their graves when they see how successful you are now."

"Yes." Jiang Yongkang's voice was a little low. "The dead are gone, and the living must keep moving forward. Besides, we usurped the throne of the Great Zhou Dynasty together, and I have completed my revenge."

Jiang Yongkang looked at her again, his eyes deep, "Speaking of which, I am very grateful to you."

"Thank you for helping me get your revenge?"

Jiang Yongkang nodded, "Without you, there would be no me, and I wouldn't be where I am today."

Xu Zhenying patted his shoulder, her eyes sparkling like sparkling diamonds: "Young man, you paid."

"Money is only a part of one's life. A few hundred thousand taels of silver may sound like a lot, but it is absolutely impossible to run a court. Your Highness, I have always been grateful to you in my heart."

Xu Zhenying smiled, "There's no need to talk about this between you and me."