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Chapter 158 Thousands of troops avoid white robes

"grown ups!"

Xia Cong came back on horseback: "They didn't surrender, they said they wanted to see you."

"Why waste time talking to them? It's just a county town. You don't even need to do anything. I can take care of it with more than 30 riders. After killing a few people, they will naturally behave themselves."

Xiao Zheng asked for consent and said, "Sir, give the order!"

"No blood."

Chen Sanshi rejected the suggestion: "They just want to see me, let them see me."

As he spoke, he took off his armor and helmet, handed his weapons to Zhao Kang for safekeeping, then rode his white swan horse out of the army formation and headed straight towards the city gate.

Xiao Zheng asked worriedly, "Are you going alone, sir?"

"Don't worry about that."

Xia Cong thrust his spear into the ground. "The highest level in the city is only the Bone Training Realm. With your martial arts attainments, if you really want to take it down, you can do it alone. It's just a small Meizi County. Even if you surrender, what use can it have? What exactly are you planning? What do you mean by ready to strike?"

He thought the second half of the sentence in his mind but did not say it out loud.

On top of the city wall of Meizi County.

After Xia Cong left, Wang Feng and the others felt uneasy, not knowing what they would face next. They might even think that three thousand iron hooves would rush over and flatten the city.

"Do you think Chen Sanshi will come to see us?"

"Maybe..."

“It’s hard to say.”

"I heard that this person is very good at fighting. After all, we are from the enemy country. It is possible that he will kill us in anger."

"..."

The transmission of any news takes time. Since the news of carrying civilians across the river was spread among the people, the speed was far slower than the Four Crossings of Hongze. It was only about half a year ago that the news reached their Xinghua Prefecture.

The last two months have been the hottest time.

The storyteller tells this story every day, about a white horse with a long spear, a man riding a horse that can break through fifteen thousand armors, and about going in and out seven times just to save the family of a dead brother.

He is simply the most popular and famous drama character in the local area.

Some people even heard this story in a teahouse in the morning, and someone told them in the afternoon that Chen Sanshi was attacking and asked them to surrender quickly!
It is really too ethereal and unreal, like a dream.

"Here it comes, isn't this it!"

"Look, look!"

The people on the city wall pointed down and shouted.

The sun sets and the sky is filled with red clouds.

A white horse and a white robe.

Chen Sanshi rode on Qianxun and came to the front of the formation alone. He had no weapon in his hand, and he didn't even wear armor. Instead, he wore a white robe that Lan Jie'er had sewn for him personally, in order to conceal his edge and show his friendly side as much as possible.

He grabbed the reins and shouted slowly, "Fellow villagers from Meizi County, do you want to see me?"

Everyone asked: "Are you Chen Sanshi?!"

Chen Sanshi replied: "I will never change my name. I am Chen Sanshi!"

On the city wall, there was a chattering of people.

"How about it?"

"Is it real?"

"He's riding a white horse and looks so handsome. It's just like what the storyteller described. It must be true!"

"That's right, they wouldn't pretend to be one of their own!"

"..."

"General Chen!"

Wang Feng changed his words and shouted, "You just said that as long as we open the city and surrender, you will promise not to hurt anyone, is that true?
"Of course it's true."

Chen Sanshi controlled his energy and blood, and although he didn't roar at all, he just spoke calmly while sitting on the horse. However, his words could still be heard clearly by everyone on the city wall.

"Everyone!"

"What my subordinates said just now is all true!"

He looked at the hesitant crowd and continued, "I know what you are worried about, but in fact, you don't have to treat me as an enemy or a foreigner.

“Because Laizhou has been a prosperous land since ancient times!
“In other words, your ancestors were originally the people of our Great Sheng Dynasty!
"Now, it's just a return to Dasheng, why would there be a big fuss?!"

After the conversation, he almost hit the nail on the head, directly dispelling most of the concerns in the minds of the people on the city wall.

Yes!

Laizhou originally belonged to the Great Sheng Dynasty.

According to this theory, even after they surrender, they will not classify the people in the Central Plains as second or third class people as they did when the barbarians first entered the world.

They can continue to live their lives. The only difference is that the emperor above has changed. But who the emperor is, what difference does it make to the soldiers and common people at the bottom?

"How about it?"

Wang Feng swallowed his saliva and asked, "General Du Bai, do you want to surrender?"

"Descend..."

General Du Bai originally wanted to refuse to surrender, but he knew very well that the city wall of Meizi County could be kicked down with one kick. Moreover, the incident happened in a hurry and there was not much time to mobilize the people in the city. There was no equipment for defending the city prepared in advance.

If it really breaks out.

The city gate will be opened directly after one round of charge.

Does it make any difference whether they lower it or not?

"You can't surrender, you can't surrender—"

An official in a green robe hurriedly climbed up the city wall. It was the magistrate of Meizi County. He said breathlessly, "Inspector Wang, we cannot surrender!"

"Sir, do we want to surrender?!"

Wang Feng pointed outside: "Three thousand black armor soldiers, we can't stop them even if we try to stop them!"

"You are not allowed to surrender!"

Magistrate Li drew out a soldier's sword, pointed it at them and shouted, "Anyone who dares to open the gate and surrender is a traitor. I have the power to chop off his head! Listen to my orders, everyone, fight to the death!"

"Sir Li, you are simply afraid that after the Dasheng soldiers enter the city, they will take away your official hat and you will lose your position as county magistrate!"

Wang Feng said, "Why should we work for you? Come on, tie him up!"

"You dare, you..."

Their lives were at stake, so no one cared whether he was the county magistrate or not. They rushed forward and tied him up.

"General Chen!"

Wang Feng stretched his neck, his voice trembling: "Don't lie to us, we don't want the food. As long as you promise not to massacre the people after entering the city, we will open the city gates!"

Even after the other party enters the city.

They accepted small-scale burning, killing and looting, which was better than a city massacre.

"Don't worry! To put it bluntly, there is a huge gap in strength between you and me. If I really wanted to massacre the city, I would just charge in directly. Is there any need to waste my breath here?"

Chen Sanshi, dressed in white, maintained a calm expression on his face, but his tone gradually gave rise to a sense of pressure:
"As long as we raise the flag of our Great Sheng on the city wall, we will not harm a single blade of grass or a single soldier. All captives who are willing to surrender are our own people. If they are unwilling, we will not make things difficult for them.

"but--

"There are also restrictions on our march. If we miss the deadline, we will be forced to use some methods that will hurt the relationship. So please don't waste too much time. You only have a cup of tea to think about it!"

"No, no, no!"

Wang Feng no longer had any thoughts of resistance: "General Chen, we surrender, we surrender!!"

"Open the city gate!"

"Surrender—"

"Om-"

In less than a minute, the city gate opened.

More than a hundred garrison troops and dozens of officials of all ranks in the city all left the city and knelt on both sides of the official road.

Among them, County Magistrate Li was escorted out with his hands tied behind his back. Wang Feng and others also presented him with his official seal and hat. As for the common people, they hid back in the city and watched the movements outside the city from afar.

Meizi County was plunged into deathly silence inside and outside.

Especially Wang Feng and others, who prostrated themselves on the ground, trembling with fear in their hearts. They were like fish on the chopping board, to be slaughtered at will, and they had no other choice.

Resistance is a dead end, so they can only gamble.

I bet that this world-famous young general can do what he says.

"Master Chen, spare my life!"

"..."

At Chen Sanshi's signal, the Black Armor Army quickly stepped forward, took away all the weapons and armor, controlled the only two generals, and then the army went straight into the city.

Just when Wang Feng and the others had just breathed a sigh of relief, they saw the Black Armor Army suddenly galloping on horseback on the empty streets of the city, beating drums and gongs and shouting loudly.

"All the people!"

"Gather at the city gate!"

"I'll give you one hour!"

"..."

Another group of people began to drive out the people from house to house, forcibly forcing all the people out of their homes.

"Master Chen!"

Wang Feng was anxious. His eyes were red as he shouted, "We agreed not to massacre the city. What are you doing?!"

"Mr. Chen, you are untrustworthy!"

General Du Bai cursed: "You deceived us, you will die!"

Chen Sanshi sat high on the horse, glanced at him indifferently and ignored him.

"I will fight with you!"

Wang Feng watched with his own eyes as his entire family appeared on the street, roaring and trying to grab the weapons, but was kicked to the ground and surrounded by gleaming blades.

"Be honest with me!"

Xiao Zheng said impatiently.

"did you see that!"

Magistrate Li knelt on the ground and scolded them: "I have said it before, the Sheng people are the most despicable. It is you who killed the people of the whole city. Even in hell, no one will let you go!"

Wang Feng and Du Bai were extremely ashamed and embarrassed.

When it was almost dark, about 60% to 70% of the people in the city finally gathered in front of the city gate. They were all wearing tattered clothes with patches all over them. Their pupils were sunken due to long-term malnutrition. There was hatred, trouble, fear, and awe in their eyes...

Under the spotlight.

Chen Sanshi raised his arms high.

However, when his arm fell, what the people were greeted with was not a cold blade, but...

food!

One cart after another was pushed in front of the people.

Zhao Kang and others continued, shouting loudly: "Queue up, queue up, don't push, don't rush, everyone has a share!"

"boom--"

Just a few words caused a huge uproar among the crowd!
Distribute food?
After the enemy's army invaded, not only did they not massacre the city for fun, they also... distributed food?!

Arabian Nights, Arabian Nights!!!

They had heard this sentence when the Black Armor Army first arrived, but this kind of rhetoric was basically perfunctory and no one would really believe it.

But General Chen...

Really release food!

Basically everyone got a bucket of rice!
For ten thousand people, that would be one thousand dan of grain!

Everyone gets a little, but it is enough to save lives at critical moments!

"Everyone!"

It was only at this time that Chen Sanshi spoke again. He dismounted and stood on a high place: "We have been on a fast march and we don't have much food with us. It is impossible for everyone to have enough food and drink. I hope the villagers will forgive us!"

"grown ups!"

"Master Qingtian!"

"This is General Chen who led the people across the river. Who else could it be besides him?!"

"Kneel down and thank you!"

"..."

Tens of thousands of people knelt down almost at the same time.

"Chen knows that Laizhou has been hit by disasters since last year, and is only trying to do his bit to help."

Chen Sanshi continued, "If you have friends or relatives in the surrounding counties and prefectures, you can also spread the word that as long as the places submit to our Great Sheng Dynasty, all the people will be able to get food!

"Xiao Zheng!"

"exist!"

Chen Sanshi ordered: "Go find the gentry and martial arts schools in Meizi County and ask them to take out half of the grain in the granary and divide it up."

"Sir, what if they don't want to?"

"They would be willing to do it."

"Yes!"

Xiao Zheng gradually came to his senses: "My Lord, you are using Qing's own grain to buy their hearts and minds. What a brilliant plan!"

"General Chen!"

"The general is truly a righteous general!"

Wang Feng knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly: "Sir, I, I am willing to surrender to Dasheng and become a vanguard under your command!"

"Get up."

Chen Sanshi looked at the general wearing exquisite armor next to him and asked, "Are you from Xinghua Prefecture?"

"Exactly."

General Du Bai said tremblingly: "I am willing to submit to General Chen's command."

“Don’t worry.”

Chen Sanshi said calmly: "You and your brothers can return to Xinghua Prefecture along the same route."

what?
Mr. Du thought he had heard wrongly and said in disbelief, "Sir, you, you want to let me go?"

Is this, looking down on him, thinking he is useless, or testing him?

Chen Sanshi did not deny it, but just asked his men to remove the restrictions on him.

"Sir! I am useful!"

General Du Bai hurriedly said: "I can go back to Xinghua Prefecture and persuade General Ma to surrender. General Ma is my distant relative!"

Chen Sanshi neither agreed nor refused, but just repeated calmly: "You can go now."

"This... I want to thank General Chen for not killing me!"

General Du Bai slowly stood up, and after making sure he was safe, he led his brothers on horseback and quickly left the city. The only difference from when they came was that their armor and weapons were gone, but other than that, they were not hurt at all.

"County Magistrate Li!"

Wang Feng accused: "What else do you have to say? Fortunately, we didn't work for you, otherwise, wouldn't it be the same as forcing General Chen to commit murder!"

Magistrate Li's head banged loudly, leaving a deep red blood on the stone road: "Master Chen, please spare my life, spare my life! I am also willing to be a citizen of Dasheng!"

"Subjects?"

Chen Sanshi retorted: "Why can't I continue to be the county magistrate?"

"Ok?"

Magistrate Li froze in his kowtow and slowly raised his head: "General Chen, what does this mean?"

"Sir Li should know the magistrates of several surrounding counties, right?"

Chen Sanshi said in a deep voice: "As long as you can successfully persuade a county magistrate to surrender, you will still be the county magistrate after the Laizhou war is over. If you persuade enough people, it is not impossible to be promoted to a higher position."

"Really?!"

Magistrate Li's eyes lit up. "Great, great, great. The magistrates of the neighboring Qimen and Zhangde counties were all my schoolmates and friends. General Chen is here in person, and he has the Black Armored Lion under his command. Plus, if I go and lobby, there will be no problem!"

"Okay, then I'll have to trouble County Magistrate Li. You should also tell your friends that all those who surrender will be treated the same. We are the benevolent and righteous army of the Great Sheng Dynasty. We are only here to recover the lost land, not to massacre the people."

Chen Sanshi helped him up and said, "Come here, prepare a fast horse for Magistrate Li, and send two more people to escort him along the way!"

"Yes!"

Soon, everything was arranged.

After the people of Meizi County received their food, General Du returned to Xinghua Prefecture, and Magistrate Li went to various places to lobby...

But on the surface, nothing seems to have changed.

It seemed as if they had really just gone to great lengths to capture a useless and barren little town, but in fact, the situation had already taken shape, and all they had to do next was to wait. This was called gathering momentum!

"Pass on my orders!"

Chen Sanshi said loudly: "The entire army will rest in Meizi County for ten days. During this period, the people must not be disturbed. Anyone who disobeys the order will be killed without mercy! In addition, send a message to the troops in other cities to stick to the original deployment. Anyone who takes the initiative will also be killed without mercy!"

"Ten days?!"

Xia Cong was confused. He advised, "We have to stay in this place for ten days. Isn't that a waste of time? Sir, the people of Meizi County are grateful to us now, and the county magistrate of Qing Kingdom is helping us to surrender. Isn't that the momentum of surrender you want? Why don't we strike while the iron is hot and take down the city in one fell swoop?"

"Xia Cong, you are too impatient. Give me the bow and arrow."

Chen Sanshi stretched out his hand and Zhao Kang, who was responsible for carrying the bow, immediately took it.

He drew his bow and aimed his arrow at a sparrow on a treetop three hundred steps away, or nearly a mile away: "Do you see this sparrow?"

"Om-"

The bowstring sounded.

A willow leaf arrow shot out from the air.

"grown ups."

Xia Cong became more and more confused: "What does this have to do with sparrows?!"

The words fell.

The willow-leaf arrow pierced the sparrow accurately.

"Let the arrow fly for a while."

……

Outside Yongle Palace.

Dasheng military camp.

"Report——"

"Marshal Meng, the spies in Qing have sent news that 70,000 troops have already set out, and it is expected that they will be able to reach the Green Ridge Mountain area in about 50 days at most!"

"So fast?"

Meng Quji was slightly surprised.

"What should I do?"

Deputy General Zhan Taiming frowned, "We must organize troops to resist in the Green Ridge Mountain area before the reinforcements from Qing Kingdom arrive. Unfortunately, all the troops are still in a stalemate. If we give up everything, it means giving up most of Laizhou!"

"Where's Chen Sanshi?"

Meng Quji asked, "Didn't he receive a military order saying that Zhaotong Prefecture should surrender within two months? Half a month has passed, where are they?"

"Yes."

Fan Tianfa pointed at the map and said, "Don't worry about other places for now. As long as we take down Zhaotong Prefecture first, we can also find a way to squeeze out some troops to face the reinforcements."

"Report!"

A subordinate reported: "I received news a while ago that Lieutenant General Chen and the 3,000 Black Armored Army went all the way north and are now in Meizi County under the jurisdiction of Xinghua Prefecture."

"Where is Meizi County?"

Meng Quji squinted his eyes and searched on the map, but after half a day he still couldn't find such a place.

"At this!"

In the end, it was Zhan Taiming who placed his finger on a city that looked like a speck of dust.

"What the hell is this? I don't even want this kind of shitty place!"

Fan Tianfa tapped the map heavily. "And Xinghua Prefecture and Zhaotong Prefecture are in the southernmost and northernmost, respectively. Could it be that he is planning to conquer them all from the northernmost part? There are thirty-six prefectures alone, plus the county towns, hundreds of cities. Is he planning to fight until five years later?"

"What is Admiral Chen planning?"

Meng Quji was also a little confused and ordered, "Quick! Send a message to Lieutenant General Chen as soon as possible. No matter what his strategy is, I hope he will rush back to the south immediately and take over Zhaotong Prefecture first!"

……

Meizi County.

After eating the spiritual herbs and precious medicines, Chen San practiced on the city wall. The Five Tigers Soul-Breaking Spear seemed to be transformed from a dragon python, dancing wildly in the cold wind with tremendous power, and gradually set off a tornado of power invisible to the naked eye. Only the constantly exploding bricks and tiles of the city wall could prove its existence.

When the Tongmai Gong method is practiced to the point of proficiency, it is called Kaimai!
Just as opening the acupoints in the human body means opening up the acupoints, opening up the meridians means naturally opening up the twelve main meridians in the human body to store strength. The amount of stored strength depends on past accumulation.

As the saying goes, one step wrong, all steps wrong.

This time we broke through the bottleneck.

It was the easiest thing Chen Sanshi had ever done. Basically, every time he practiced the National Dragon Spear, he would open up a major meridian. After only half an hour, all twelve main meridians were opened.

But he didn't stop.

"It's not over yet!"

Chen Sanshi could sense that after he used his strength to penetrate the acupoints and open up the meridians, the changes were still continuing!
Every time he used his spear skills to control the power and circulate it throughout his body, the meridians that had already been opened would continue to widen. This time it was a real opening of the meridians!
Most warriors would finish at the previous step, but for talented warriors, this moment is the real beginning. They need to use up all the strength in their bodies to impact the meridians. The more strength they have, the greater the degree of meridian expansion, and the more strength they can store in the future. The competition is about who can last longer in the state of opening meridians.

And persistence has always been his strong point!
"boom--"

Chen Sanshi's body entered an overloaded state. The blood of the dragon and elephant flowed endlessly, gradually turning into a violent blood state, generating strength at a speed that ordinary people could not achieve, constantly impacting his own meridians. Finally, he used his Vajra body to endure the pain brought by everything. All his advantages were fully highlighted at this time. After more than a hundred cycles, he did not feel tired at all. His meridians were strengthened and widened again and again. After three hundred cycles, he gradually began to feel tired, and then he gritted his teeth and continued to persevere.

During this period, Hai Dongqing brought back intelligence, but no one had time to read it, and Xia Cong received it all.

Until six hundred weeks later.

Chen Sanshi's entire body was already soaked with sweat, as if he had just been caught in a heavy rain. His face was pale and extremely weak, with veins bulging all over his body. There was clearly nothing in front of him, but he seemed to be fighting for his life with a terrifying opponent.

This opponent is himself!

Eight hundred revolutions!

Chen Sanshi's eyes were bloodshot, and he had become like a poisonous beast. His heart had turned into a war drum, and the sound could be heard even by his subordinates not far away. His lungs were numb, and his throat and mouth were filled with a disgusting smell of blood. Hot white smoke continued to emanate from the surface of his body. From a distance, he looked like a god or demon, except that he was a god or demon on the verge of death!

Nine hundred cycles!

His arms lost feeling and his lower body was no longer as stable as a mountain. His vision went dark and he felt dizzy. He had no idea what year or month it was or where he was. His remaining consciousness was entirely focused on his spear. He relied on muscle memory to advance his spear skills until he had completely drained away his last bit of blood and energy, and finally collapsed with a bang.

one thousand!
A full thousand cycles!

There are no more than one hundred ordinary warriors, and there are usually no more than three hundred geniuses!

[Kung Fu: Dragon Spear of the Nation. Open Meridians (Mastery)]

【Progress: 0/1000】

[Effect: ..., as powerful as the vast ocean]

As powerful as the vast ocean!

If the amount of energy stored in the body of an ordinary Tongmai warrior is a small stream, then his is a vast and boundless ocean!

"General!"

Two subordinates wanted to come up and help.

Chen Sanshi raised his hand to signal them that it was not necessary. He leaned against the city wall to catch his breath. After taking two pills to replenish his energy and blood, he quickly recovered.

"General!"

Xia Cong dared to speak: "The letter said that the Emperor of Qing is leading the army in person and will arrive at Green Ridge Mountain in about fifty days. Marshal Meng asked us what we are doing and hoped that we can turn back quickly and go straight to Zhaotong Prefecture without causing any trouble to avoid missing the opportunity to fight."

After listening to this, Chen Sanshi asked calmly, "What day is it today?"

"It's only the second day."

"That means there are still seven days left."

"But……"

Xia Cong held the letter and said, "Marshal Meng hopes..."

"So it's a suggestion, not an order. We can follow it or not."

Chen Sanshi said: "Tell the Marshal our true intentions, but the plan remains unchanged. We will still stay here for another seven days."

"Yes!"

……

Laizhou.

Since November last year, a national war has been going on with a total force of 300,000 on both sides.

The sixth day of the twelfth lunar month.

Li Gong, the king of Qing State, was defeated in Wutian Mountain, resulting in the loss of five prefectures including Leishan and Guihai. The 150,000 troops of Sheng State led by Meng Quji, Marquis of Andong, invaded into Qing State in one fell swoop, split the Laizhou battlefield with lightning speed, cut off Qing State's food supply, and intended to divide and defeat them, annihilate them one by one, and then concentrate their superior forces to attack Yongle Prefecture and determine the outcome of this battle.

Therefore, fierce offensive and defensive battles were going on almost day and night in Laizhou.

It was not until the end of December that a general named Chen, who was transferred from the northwest border of Sheng State, issued an order for the entire army to remain silent and to surround three sides and leave one side open. As a result, the thousand-mile-long battle line fell into deathly silence overnight, like a thunderstorm that stopped abruptly at its most violent moment. However, the dark clouds in the sky did not disperse, and still covered the entire sky and earth, shrouding more than 200 cities of all sizes in Laizhou, plunging it into an extremely strange deathly silence.

In the cities of Qing, the defenders could see their brothers lined up in neat rows and heading deep into Daqing every day in a wide view outside the city.

They are back home!

This is the exact same information obtained by the Qing scouts.

The Dasheng government released the surrendered soldiers. Not only did they not kill or torture the captured prisoners, but they also distributed dry food and sent people to escort them all the way eastward back home.

In other words, even if they lost the battle, as long as they surrendered obediently, there would be no cost and they could return to their wives and children within a month.

In addition, the soldiers of Sheng State outside every city tried to persuade the enemy to surrender day and night, causing all the defenders in Qing State's cities to be in a panic.

only……

The defenders of every Qing Kingdom city were telling their subordinates.

"Brothers, hold on for a few more days!"

"Our reinforcements are coming soon!"

"The last forty days!"

"No, thirty days!"

"..."

To give everyone enough confidence to persevere.

The city lords all used the psychological tactic of "looking at the plum to quench thirst" and said the time for the arrival of reinforcements was shorter to boost the morale of the brothers.

In fact.

The reinforcements from Qing Kingdom were indeed about to arrive.

Spies in the country would send back new intelligence almost every day, and each time the distance of the Qing Kingdom's reinforcements would be greatly advanced.

Therefore, not only the soldiers of Qing State were uneasy, but the soldiers of Sheng State were also very anxious. They didn't understand why they had to stop in the middle of the fight when they were clearly in the upper hand.

No one knew how long it would take to capture the city if they continued to attack, but they knew that if they kept wasting time like this, they would only receive reinforcements from the Qing Kingdom, and they would end up in a major defeat.

Outside Yongle Palace.

Dasheng military camp.

"crazy!!!"

"boom--"

Fan Tianfa had just finished reading the intelligence sent back from Meizi County and almost overturned the entire sand table: "Marshal Meng, Chen Sanshi is crazy! Do you know what he said? Not only did he refuse to go to Zhaotong Prefecture, he also wanted to stay in Meizi County for ten days! Ten days! After these ten days, the reinforcements from Qing will arrive!"

"What should I do?"

Zhan Taiming paced back and forth, looking worried: "Marshal Meng, my suggestion is to take back the command you gave to Chen Sanshi and give him a death order to go to Zhaotong Prefecture!"

"Um……"

Meng Quji pondered and fell into thought.

Given the current situation, if we continue to delay indefinitely without taking Zhaotong Prefecture, it will become really precarious.

He sighed and said, "I trusted Chen Sanshi too much. The responsibility lies with me. I will take back his command right now and give him a death order to go to Zhaotong Prefecture. No matter if he persuades him to surrender or attacks by force, as long as he can take Zhaotong, he will pass the test."

"Everyone, please be patient!"

Just now.

An attendant pushed Fang Qingyun into the central army tent. He said leisurely, "Have you forgotten one thing? At the beginning, Lieutenant General Chen told us to take over all 36 prefectures in Laizhou, not just one prefecture."

"Can't we see what he's thinking? Heading to the northeast, isn't it just to push forward from north to south? But how is this possible? How much time will it take!"

Fan Tianfa said anxiously: "We didn't ask for so much. Even the military order only says Zhaotong Prefecture. It would be good enough if we can take Zhaotong Prefecture!"

"Yes, General Fang, Lieutenant General Chen has used too many strange strategies, which is a bit too greedy and not suitable for the current situation."

Meng Quji said in a deep voice: "The most urgent task is to capture Zhaotong Prefecture and then send troops to Luling Mountain to deal with the reinforcements from Qing Kingdom. The rest can only be done according to the situation."

"Not enough. One Zhaotong Prefecture is not enough."

Fang Qingyun held up a piece of letter paper and said, "I just received intelligence that Prince Jing of Nanxu has gathered 100,000 troops and is now on standby at the border. In all likelihood, they will arrive with the reinforcements from Qing outside the Green Ridge Mountains."

"How many?"

Meng Quji looked solemn: "There are more than 100,000 soldiers. Isn't Xu State still in a stalemate with the Prince of Zhennan? They have mobilized so many troops. Are they planning to mobilize the whole country to help Qing State?"

It is true that one small move affects the entire body!

All these things were caused by the Mingzhou Rebellion, and the enemy countries had already started preparing for it.

Fortunately, the rebellion in Mingzhou was quelled in time, otherwise, I can’t imagine what the consequences would be.

"Ah."

Fang Qingyun continued, "By then, the coalition forces of Qing and Xu will reach 200,000. If we cannot capture all the cities and gather all the troops before then, it will be impossible to deal with so many people.

“So, Zhaotong alone is not enough.

"General Chen's strategy is correct. Only by taking over all thirty-six prefectures can we have room for negotiation when facing an army of 200,000, and avoid a crushing defeat."

"Having said that..."

Meng Quji pointed at the vast terrain of the sand table with his scabbard and said, "There are only forty days left. How can we take over the thirty-six prefectures? If they wanted to surrender, they would have surrendered long ago. There is no need to delay in Meizi County until now. It is clear that they cannot be persuaded."

"The possibility is indeed very small, but..."

Fang Qingyun asked back: "Do you have any choice? There are only two options now, either trust Lieutenant General Chen, or withdraw your troops as soon as possible."

"Withdrawal?"

Fan Tianfa said, "Wouldn't that be a great disappointment to His Majesty? Moreover, we have been fighting for such a long time. If we withdraw now, wouldn't all our previous efforts be in vain? What a huge impact it would have on the morale of the army."

"In that case, why not wait and see?"

Fang Qingyun looked at them and patiently persuaded them, "It's only been ten days. It's still a long way to go before two months. Maybe Admiral Chen has really done it?"

"General Fang."

Meng Quji noticed something was wrong: "You trust Lieutenant General Chen so much, could it be that you have guessed his strategy?"

"It's vague."

Fang Qingyun said with emotion: "And if my guess is correct, this strategy would not work for anyone else and would only end in failure. But when Admiral Chen uses it, it might have unexpected results."

"Why?"

Meng Quji asked: "Because he commanded the four crossings of the Hongze River, he is a military genius?"

"Do not."

Fang Qingyun paused and said, "It's just because of the name Chen Sanshi."

"As you wish."

Meng Quji didn't want to continue digging into the matter. He never took risks in his life. "We need to prepare for both situations. On the one hand, let Chen Sanshi continue to do what he wants. On the other hand, we need to prepare for retreat. General Fang, the planning of the retreat route is left to you. You must ensure that there is no chaos. If there is chaos during the retreat, what will be the consequences? I don't need to tell you, right?"

……

Meizi County.

tenth day.

On the city wall, Chen Sanshi, who was resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened his eyes.

"gather!"

"Leave!"

The trumpet sounded.

The Black Armor Army, which had been gathering strength here for ten days, gathered in front of the city gate.

Thousands of people from Meizi County lined the streets to see him off.

It's not that the enemy army is attacking, it's simply sending our own army to fight!
These ten days.

The Black Armor Army not only opened the granaries to release grain, but also killed several corrupt officials and the most notorious local bullies and gentry. They were strongly supported by the local people, and their reputation had already spread hundreds of miles around and was still spreading.

"grown ups!"

Xia Cong asked anxiously: "What should we do next? Time is running out. Even if we go straight south, the time is just right. I'm afraid there is no extra time to stay."

"Step 4. The momentum is already there. It will flow eastward and cannot be stopped!"

Chen Sanshi rode forward: "On our way to the southeast, all the cities we pass by, no matter how big or small, will surrender directly. You should be prepared to receive the official seal and arrange for the surrendered soldiers. Be sure to be orderly and don't make any trouble!"

Qimen County.

"grown ups!"

"Here they come! Really here! Black Armor Army, three thousand Black Armor Army!"

"The leader is Chen Sanshi, wearing a white robe and riding a white horse!"

"What is the situation in Meizi County like? Is it really the same as Magistrate Li said?"

"Exactly the same!"

"Not only did the Black Armor Army not kill a single soldier, they also opened the warehouses to release food!"

"Mr. Li has also been reinstated!"

"Then what are you waiting for?!"

Magistrate Zhao stood on the city wall, looking at the dark mass, and said without any hesitation: "Open the city gate quickly! Welcome General Dasheng!"

The city gate is open.

The county magistrate and the inspector left the city to surrender and handed over their official seals and weapons.

Stayed less than half a day.

The Xuanjia Army continued to move south.

……

Zhangde County.

"The Black Armor Army is coming!"

"White robe and white horse, there's no mistake!"

"Master Qianhu, do you want to surrender or not? We have a thousand people in the city. If we fight, we can hold out for two days!"

"What the hell, won't he still be dead in two days?!"

"Open the gates and surrender!"

……

Cuiye County.

"How is it? Have the two neighboring counties surrendered?"

"Down!"

"Open the city gate quickly and welcome Master Chen!"

"By the way, tie up those stubborn scouts from Xinghua Prefecture and send them to you, my Lord!"

"..."

In just five days!

All twelve counties of Xinghua Prefecture surrendered.

Only the city of Xinghua was still struggling to hold on, and there were still 4,000 defenders in the city.

On top of the city wall.

"Sir! It's not good!"

"The entire Xinghua area has surrendered! Now we are the only ones left!"

"Not only did they surrender, but Cuiye County also detained our scouts!"

"The city's food and fodder are said to last for twenty days, but in reality, they are only enough for the last ten days!"

"Third Uncle!" General Du Bai advised, "Surrender! The Black Armor Army led by General Chen is a righteous army. Surrendering to them is the best outcome!"

Ma Hu questioned: "They really won't kill us?!"

"do not kill!"

Mr. Du pointed at himself and said, "How else would I have come back?"

"Report——"

"Verified!"

"The surrendered soldiers have indeed returned home through Ghost Gate Canyon!"

"Let's go home too!"

"Yes, let's go home!"

"Kaicheng!"

Ma Hu gritted his teeth. The city was short of food and grass, and they couldn't wait for reinforcements in two months. "Surrender!"

……

Qianjiang Prefecture.

"White robes and white horses, Chen Sanshi is here with the Black Armor Army!"

"We still have 3,000 brothers and three months' worth of food and fodder, which will allow us to hold out until reinforcements arrive."

"There's no reinforcements!"

"Why would Xinghua Prefecture surrender when they have reinforcements? In all likelihood, they are just trying to trick us into holding on!"

"Kaesong surrenders!"

……

Yuanqu Prefecture.

"General, surrender! The neighbors have already surrendered! If you don't surrender now, you will have no chance!"

"Fuck you! I'm a Daqing man in life and a Daqing ghost in death. I will never betray my country!"

"General, no need to commit treason!"

"After surrendering, we can go back to Daqing through Ghost Gate Canyon, and then we can come back to take revenge in a few months!"

"Yes, this is not treason, it's just a temporary solution. It's an empty city anyway, surrender!"

"..."

……

Yizhou Prefecture.

"Sir, the people are rebelling!"

"How dare they rebel! I am working hard to defend the city for them! How dare they rebel?"

"They said that if you open the city gates, there will be food!"

"Bullshit, tell the people that Shengren is lying to them!"

“The people said that the Sheng people would deceive them, but Chen Sanshi, who led the people across the river, would not!”

"Besides, it is common knowledge that the Black Armor Army opens warehouses and distributes grain wherever they go. It cannot be false..."

"My Lord, the people are crazy!"

"It's messed up, it's all messed up!"

"..."

……

All the way south.

Chen Sanshi, wearing a white robe and riding a white horse, led the Black Armor Army, and wherever he went, all the people surrendered.

The Dasheng troops outside each city immediately took control of all the surrendered soldiers, allowing them to march forward unhindered.

Until this moment.

Xia Cong finally came to his senses: "I understand! What you did in Meizi County was called building up momentum. In fact, the defenders of the cities in Laizhou have already reached their limit. As long as they can be convinced that there is no cost in surrendering, they will completely collapse. One person who takes the lead in surrendering can lead the rest. This is called a state of surrender that is unable to recover and surrender at the sight of the enemy!"

……

Twenty days later.

Outside the Yongle Prefecture.

Dasheng military camp.

"Why is there no news about Chen Sanshi for twenty days?!"

Meng Quji put his hands behind his back and paced back and forth in the big tent: "General Fang, we really can't delay this any longer, why don't we retreat early?"

"Report——"

"It's down! It's down!"

"The Black Armor Army's battle report has been delivered. All 23 prefectures have surrendered!"

"Three thousand Black Armored Soldiers are marching south and will soon reach Zhaotong Prefecture!"

"What did you say? Bring it here!"

Meng Quji grabbed it and finished reading it in an instant.

On January 28th, 3,000 defenders of Shiqiao Prefecture left the city and surrendered.

On the first day of February, the deputy general of Chongzuo Prefecture committed treason, killed the main general, and then led two thousand defenders out of the city to surrender.

On the eighth day of the second month, the people of Huangpi Prefecture rebelled, causing chaos in the city, and eventually they left the city and surrendered.

February……

By February 19, 26 prefectures in Laizhou had opened their cities and surrendered, and the total number of enemy prisoners reached over 50,000!

"grown ups!"

"God, what a god!"

"News from the brothers at the front!"

"Wherever General Chen passed by, they either opened the city and surrendered, or the civil strife was broken. They marched all the way south from Xinghua Prefecture, and they didn't even kill a single person!"

"Even if the enemy has thousands of troops, it seems like they are deliberately avoiding General Chen!"

The trend of surrender is rising in the north, and thousands of troops are avoiding the white robes!
(End of this chapter)