As an official, what's wrong with raising a few monsters?

Chapter 330 Taking Another Level

"Liu Xifeng, you scoundrel!"

"You'll die a horrible death!"

"Liu Xifeng, you traitor! You deserve to die!"

"Why did you surrender?! Liu Xifeng!!"

"You treacherous villain, if you have the guts, kill me! I'll be a hero again in twenty years!"

"Liu Xifeng, His Majesty will avenge us!"

……

Several generals, bound and kneeling on the ground, stared intently at the men before them, some furious, some sorrowful, cursing and questioning incredulously.

His gaze was so intense it seemed almost tangible, as if he wanted to skin and tear apart the people in front of him and devour them whole.

It's so frustrating, so incredibly frustrating.

They offered no resistance at all.

The enemy troops entered the city under cover of night, and the defending general Liu Xifeng opened the city gates and surrendered to the enemy.

Qian Yuan entered the pass with minimal losses and quickly took control of the entire army.

Libu Pass surrendered without a fight.

This is simply a shame.

These people will all be nailed to the pillar of historical shame; they have failed the country and betrayed the trust of the monarch.

Not everyone is as thoughtful as Liu Xifeng, nor as pragmatic as him.

If it were these garrison commanders, even if they were set up by Mingchen, they would probably want to confess to the court and their leaders rather than surrender to the enemy.

You must understand that their families, their parents, relatives, wives and children are all in Beilie, in Qingcang City. If they surrender, their families will be finished.

Liu Xifeng can give up everything, but they may not necessarily want to.

Therefore, Liu Xifeng didn't consult anyone else; he simply ordered his trusted subordinates to kill all the men sent by Zhenling Pass. He then immediately sent a messenger to Xingtai Pass, thus completing the operation of letting the enemy troops into the city at night.

He lacked the courage and boldness, and Zicun also lacked the strength to deal with Lingyu, so he did not deceive Mingchen into entering the pass and set up an ambush to annihilate him.

Overnight, the garrison at Libu Pass became Qian Yuan's prisoners in their sleep.

The strategic pass has changed hands.

Everything happened too fast, too unbelievably, and no one had time to react.

The lower-ranking soldiers had no idea why their commander had surrendered.

Xingtai Pass was lost, and Bai Junxin at least died a heroic death, a tragic defeat.

However, now, although not many people have died at Libu Pass, it has been lost in a muddled and utterly humiliating way.

Several fierce individuals either bit off their tongues or banged their heads against stone walls in an attempt to commit suicide.

"General Liu, don't listen to their discouraging words."

Ling Yu was very busy. She needed to command the soldiers, control the overall situation as much as possible, and suppress the rebellion of the Northern Lie soldiers who refused to surrender.

However, Mingchen was quite at ease.

He felt he was the biggest contributor to winning this battle, so what was wrong with taking a break?
He patted the dazed Liu Xifeng on the shoulder and said with a smile, "A wise man submits to circumstances; you've made the right decision."

The last time we met, this general had a righteous and awe-inspiring expression, saying he would never betray us.

The result is regrettable.

As one's position rises higher, one enjoys more, and gains more power, one's backbone tends to soften more easily.

Those upright and courageous individuals throughout history are ultimately only a minority.

The tough-minded people of Beilie have been given a spineless leader.

Mingchen didn't say anything sarcastic to provoke the contrasting Liu Xifeng.

Instead, it was a rare moment of comfort for him.

Liu Xifeng knew he had embarked on a path of no return.

He was surrounded by curses and insults from all sides. The gazes of his former colleagues and subordinates were no longer filled with respect and affection, but with anger and resentment.

He sold himself and Libuguan at the highest price, and got a good price.

He betrayed everyone, except himself.

"Yes... Lord Ming, I was right!"

"I was right!"

Liu Xifeng shook his head, unsure whether he was responding to Mingchen or trying to convince himself.

What's done is done; he can only grope his way forward in the dark, with no turning back.

"General Liu, I never lie."

"You have rendered a great service, and I will petition His Majesty on your behalf. In the future, you will enjoy endless wealth and honor."

“Bei Lie is suspicious of you and cannot tolerate you, but I, Qian Yuan, can.”

Mingchen said to him with a smile.

Mingchen was not lying.

Liu Xifeng is a petty person, but he has no intention of concealing Liu Xifeng's achievements, as that would sound bad to outsiders.

The state can afford to support a petty person, and it can also afford to give him a position of wealth and honor without real power.

How to deal with this person is a matter for His Majesty to ponder.

He was only responsible for securing land and passes.

"Lord Ming, I would like to know, what was the purpose of your meeting with me that day?"

Liu Xifeng paused for a moment, then asked Mingchen.

He wanted to die knowing the truth; he wanted to know what Mingchen had done.

Another reason why Liu Xifeng surrendered to Qian Yuan was because of Ming Chen.

He had heard many rumors about this person.

He was incredibly intelligent, almost supernatural, and dared to act recklessly, creating many miracles that ordinary people could not achieve. It would be terrifying to be an opponent of such a person.

At first, Liu Xifeng didn't take it seriously, but when he actually fell into the trap and found himself surrounded by dead ends, he realized how terrifying this person was.

Is Bei Lie truly destined to win?
If Mingchen doesn't die, this matter will likely be difficult to resolve.

Mingchen simply smiled at him: "General Liu, why did I see you earlier? You've come this far, don't you still not know why?"

Liu Xifeng asked Mingchen, "You just wanted to see me so that Deng Yingcheng would know and then become suspicious of me?"

"How did you gain Deng Yingcheng's trust?"

Mingchen shrugged: "General Deng figured it out on his own; I didn't make him believe me."

Liu Xifeng: ...

The best possible outcome!

Now that Liu Xifeng has surrendered, Zheng Jun's chances of survival have increased by another 20%.

This trip north was really lucky; all our objectives have been achieved.

Bei Lie paid a considerable price to obtain three passes, but Ming Chen managed to snatch two of them away through a combination of coaxing and deception. Ming Chen was very satisfied with this.

With the current resources and strength of Qian Yuan, there is no way they can overcome the last remaining hurdle.

It is enough.

At this point, he was no longer insatiable and did not plot anything further.

……

"General, Liu Xifeng has betrayed the country and allowed the Qian Yuan army to enter the pass at night."

"Libu Pass has fallen."

As the sun set, the soldiers returned to the city.

The leader, with a sorrowful expression, reported the worst news to Deng Yingcheng.

They were not the soldiers Deng Yingcheng had sent out two days ago to trick Liu Xifeng into returning to Zhenling Pass.

Instead, they were scouts sent out later to investigate the situation.

"what?!"

The worst news.

Deng Yingcheng trembled as if struck by lightning.

I swayed and felt dizzy, almost unable to stand.

"General, general!"

The guards on either side rushed forward to help him up.

"How can this be……"

"How can this be?"

"How could he betray his country?!"

"How could Qian Yuan be so fast..."

His eyes were somewhat vacant, and he kept muttering to himself as if he had lost his soul.

He had already foreseen the worst-case scenario, given his suspicious nature.

But when reality hit him like a hammer blow, he still couldn't quite adapt.

This is the important Qian Yuan Three Passes!

His Majesty and his elder brother placed high hopes on him and appointed him as the commander-in-chief to guard the area.

How confident and high-spirited we were back then!

He reinforced Zhenling Pass once again, turning it into a formidable fortress that was virtually impossible to conquer.

He believed he could defend against any enemy troops and that he could make a contribution to help his elder brother and the emperor conquer the world.

But what happened? One bad news after another followed.

Bai Junxin was killed in battle, and Xingtai Pass was lost.

Liu Xifeng betrayed the country, and Libu Pass was lost.

Two checkpoints!
There are three passes in the North, and he has lost two of them in just a few days.

Is he really that useless?

Mingchen, Lingyu.

Mingchen, Lingyu.

How terrifying...

What should he do against such an opponent? How can he possibly win?

He felt as if everything he owned had been smashed to pieces.

Pride, confidence, and the talent they were so proud of were all crushed.

"Waaaaah... Big brother..."

"Waaaaah... Your Majesty..."

His faith was shattered, and he was utterly despondent.

Looking up at the fallen western borderlands of the past, she raised her hand to grasp it, then closed her eyes and couldn't help but sob.

"Zhi!"

"General!"

"General, you mustn't!"

Suddenly, he opened his eyes.

A flash of light, and the sword was drawn.

Several subordinates' eyes narrowed, and they quickly exclaimed in surprise.

As the sun set, the general drew his sword and placed it on his shoulder, ready to commit suicide as an act of atonement.

A subordinate quickly grabbed Deng Yingcheng's shoulder to prevent a tragedy from occurring.

"General, what are you doing?!"

"We still have Zhenling Pass!"

"Zhenling Pass still needs the general to take charge of the overall situation!"

"If something were to go wrong with you, wouldn't that be exactly what the enemy wanted?"

A subordinate general kept shouting, hoping that his general could cheer up.

"I……"

"Waaaaah, Your Majesty, my elder brother..."

"Yingcheng deserves death... Yingcheng deserves death..."

"Dangdang!"

The sword fell to the ground, and Deng Yingcheng knelt down and wept bitterly.

He genuinely wanted to defend the pass, but why? Despite his painstaking efforts and extreme caution, he still let the strategic location slip through his fingers.

The general's despair and grief, coupled with the bad news, caused a moment of silence among those present.

As the sun set, it seemed to extinguish all hope in their hearts.

"General, I believe the best course of action now is to send troops!"

"Either attack Xingtai Pass or attack Libu Pass."

Suddenly, someone spoke up.

He grabbed Deng Yingcheng's shoulder and gritted his teeth, saying, "At this moment, Mingchen and Lingyu must be in charge of the overall situation at Libu Pass. Even if Liu Xifeng betrayed the country, it would still take a lot of troops to suppress him after taking Libu Pass. They just took Xingtai Pass not long ago, and their troops will inevitably be depleted. If we seize the opportunity to launch a strong attack, we might still have a chance to win."

"Attack on Libu Pass is also an option. Although Liu Xifeng has surrendered, there should be a large number of our Beilie soldiers in the city. If we forcefully attack the city and shout into it, we will surely be able to awaken the morale of our Beilie army. At that time, the soldiers in Libu Pass will cooperate with our army from the inside and outside, and we may be able to win and take back our pass!"

"So what if Mingchen and Lingyu? Do they have supernatural powers?!"

Upon hearing the voice, Deng Yingcheng shuddered and abruptly raised his head to look into the other person's eyes.

"Liu Xifeng..."

Deng Yingcheng tilted his head back slightly, gritted his teeth, and muttered a name with a ferocious expression.

……

At night, the Guanzhong Plain in Libu is brightly lit and bustling with noise.

Tonight is destined to be busy; neither Ling Yu nor Ming Chen will get any rest.

Mingchen's strategy succeeded, and he captured an important pass without bloodshed, which was destined to amaze the world and write a glorious chapter in history.

This seems unbelievable to ordinary people.

However, having accompanied Mingchen all the way, Lingyu had witnessed many amazing things her husband had done.

We've gotten used to it by now.

What she needed to do was to digest the results brought by Mingchen as quickly as possible and take control of the entire pass.

Although Mingchen has completed the most important step, the rest is not easy either.

Deploying garrison troops at the passes, suppressing the riots caused by some of the Northern Lie garrison troops... these things all require a lot of effort.

"Not good! Not good!"

"General, news from the northern scouts indicates that the Northern Lie army has left Zhenling Pass and is heading straight for Libu Pass. It is estimated that there are at least seven thousand men."

At that very moment, a messenger rushed over with some bad news.

Upon hearing this, Ling Yu frowned, then composed himself and said to the other party, "Notify General Wang to immediately dispatch his seven hundred soldiers to reinforce and garrison the city walls, in accordance with my previous city defense deployment, and be on high alert."

"Order General Qi to lead five hundred men to ambush at Nanfeng Ridge north of the city..."

The battle to the north was not solely due to Mingchen's brilliance.

Ling Yu is the best general in Qian Yuan. In some aspects, Ming Chen is no match for her.

On the main battlefield, Ling Yu excels in troop deployment and command, troop allocation, city defense and attack... these are all solid basic skills.

Bei Lie's counterattack was unexpected, but she was able to handle it calmly.

Having finally captured the pass, there was no way we would hand it over.

Meanwhile, on the other side...

Mingchen received roughly the same information.

At this moment, he was having tea and chatting with Liu Xifeng, trying to extract more information from him.

As the garrison commander here, Liu Xifeng has already betrayed Beilie, so there is no turning back.

Since they could only cling to Qian Yuan's coattails, they naturally had no choice but to take whatever they wanted from Ming Chen.

However, upon hearing the message from the messenger, he trembled and looked at Mingchen with some fear: "Lord Ming, what... what should we do?"

Bei Lie showed no mercy to traitors.

The situation at Libu Pass is complicated, and Qian Yuan is unable to fully resist the enemy forces at Zhenling Pass.

If Libu Pass were to fall to Deng Yingcheng, Liu Xifeng knew he would meet a terrible end.

Mingchen frowned upon hearing this.

Based on his assessment of Deng Yingcheng, this cautious and conservative general, even if he received the news, probably wouldn't dare to launch a large-scale attack.

Since Qian Yuan is now on the defensive, the pass is easy to defend but difficult to attack. A hasty attack is not the best strategy. With the main force leaving the pass, Zhenling Pass will be vulnerable to attacks from Qian Yuan.

Unexpectedly, the other side still sent troops.

This was truly beyond Mingchen's expectations.

but……

The problem is not big.

He patted the frightened Liu Xifeng on the shoulder and smiled, "General Liu, it's alright. Just watch our great general's demeanor."

Although Libu Pass is not very aggressive, it can still defend the pass without any problems.

The situation has reversed; now Qian Yuan occupies two passes and can support each other.

……

At the same time, just as dawn was breaking, another junior general, carrying an imperial edict, rushed day and night and had already arrived at Zhenling Pass.

He barely rested along the way, and upon arriving at his destination, he didn't even relax; he immediately inquired about the current situation.

"What?! Libu Pass is lost too?!"

Upon hearing the garrison commander's report, he slapped his thigh and exclaimed with regret and grief, "General Deng! We've fallen for the enemy's treacherous scheme!"

He had only been gone a short time when he received Deng Yingcheng's second intelligence report, and he already had a premonition that something bad was about to happen.

They rushed along, but ultimately arrived a step too late, losing by a hair's breadth.

Mingchen, oh Mingchen!
He is indeed a formidable opponent.

He would seize upon even the slightest flaw and magnify it endlessly.

Where is General Deng?

"General Deng has led a large army to attack Libu Pass, intending to take down Qian Yuan before it can establish a firm foothold."

Upon hearing this, Ji Yuting sighed helplessly, "Sigh...it's too late."

"Now that Mingchen and Lingyu have already entered the pass, they won't give us this opportunity."

"General Deng's trip will likely end in failure."

Upon hearing this, the garrison commander became anxious and asked, "General, what should we do with our General Deng?"

The one on the other side is Ling Yu, that killer star!

Few of the generals who fought against her returned unscathed.

Ji Yuting paused for a moment, then said, "I'll go find him myself."

Deng Yingcheng's departure suggests he is prepared to die, either to recapture the pass or to perish on the battlefield.

Having galloped all the way, Ji Yuting hadn't even caught his breath before he was already on horseback again.

Just as he was about to leave, he seemed to remember something and asked the garrison commander, "By the way, is there another surrendered general from Qian Yuan?"

The garrison commander was taken aback and said, "Are you referring to General Zheng?"

"Correct!"

Ji Yuting's expression turned cold, and he said to the other party, "Lock him up right now, and don't let him escape! I'll interrogate him myself when I get back!"

The guard was taken aback, seemingly not understanding Ji Yuting's meaning.

The information Zheng Jun revealed was true! Liu Xifeng had indeed betrayed his country.

Intelligence from Xingtai Pass indicated that the enemy's handling of him was not problematic.

After the enemy general arrived, he did not do anything outrageous. He lived with his brothers every day and seemed to have accepted his status as a surrendered general.

What is the purpose of this newly appointed young leader?

Didn't you hear me?

"Uh...yes!"

"Keep him in secret, and try not to let others find out."

"Yes!"

(End of this chapter)