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

Chapter 352 Mingchen vs. Tian Hong

The sky was clear and the ice and snow were melting.

Like a clear sky, the Northern Lie army withdrew, and everything returned to peace.

The wounds of war will slowly heal, and the people of Yueyang City will once again live a peaceful life.

However, only Yueyang City was peaceful.

They won the Battle of Yueyang with great difficulty, but there are still many problems within Qianyuan territory.

The forced recall of reinforcements to support Yueyang disrupted Xiao Xinyue's original military strategic deployment.

Those bandits and rebels who were originally supposed to be wiped out got a chance to catch their breath. After witnessing the power of Qian Yuan, they will surely start to band together for warmth.

Although Tian Hong's Northern Fierce Army retreated, its momentum remained undiminished. It took root in the eastern coastal area, like a time bomb that could explode at any moment.

Although Mingchen managed to steal two passes from the Northern Territory through a scheme, it still faces the invasion of the Northern Fierce Army. After the ice and snow melt, it will inevitably bear enormous pressure from the north.

The victory in the Battle of Yueyang is worth celebrating, but we should not become complacent about it.

The domestic situation remains tense.

What should I do next?

"Gentlemen, the southern bandits are rampant, Tian Hong is holding Chengjin City in the east, and General Ling Yu needs to be stationed in the north."

"What are your thoughts on how our army should deploy next?"

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and they finally had the chance to be intimate.

Although His Majesty's body was a little sore and numb after fighting all night, his spirits were high and he was full of energy.

The next day, he summoned his trusted confidants and held a council meeting.

Important matters are handled in small meetings.

With reinforcements returning and resources back in their grasp, Xiao Xinyue now has to decide on future resource allocation: where to attack with superior forces, and where to defend...

She needs to discuss and summarize a set of rules.

This concerns the future of Qian Yuan.

At this meeting, the Duke of Anguo, who was lazy and disliked attending court, also appeared.

The libertine who once spent the night on the emperor's bed, indulging in sweet nothings with His Majesty, now sits upright like a virtuous minister, gathered with his courtiers.

Xiao Xinyue glanced at him unconsciously, her face flushed and her eyes glistening with tears.

The relationship between the Duke of Anguo and His Majesty is very close.

As Xiao Xinyue released more and more signals, rumors spread, and the officials basically all understood the situation.

However, we are in a chaotic world now, the crisis has not yet been resolved, and we are surrounded by enemies. The main issue is survival, and matters of etiquette and law can be discussed later.

Yun Zheng was always focused and indifferent to other matters. When Xiao Xinyue asked, he was the first to speak: "Your Majesty, I believe that the rebel bandits in the south are not worth mentioning. The enemy soldiers in the north are the real threat. I think we should immediately gather our forces to encircle and annihilate them."

"No, no, Your Majesty. Cheng Jincheng is fortified, and Tian Hong is also a cautious and meticulous man. He intends to tie down most of our forces. If we send a large army to wipe them out, we will likely fall right into his trap. The southern bandits and the remnants of the Great Qi army may seem like a disorganized mess, but in reality, they have already established a considerable force and have been operating in the south for several years, making them difficult to deal with. Our army did not kill them this time, but instead gave them a chance to breathe. They will surely be afraid and united. Intelligence has come that the remnants of the Qi Emperor have appointed General Du Yun'an as their commander and have found one of the Qi Emperor's illegitimate sons as king, intending to restore the country. If we do not deal with this in time, it will surely become a major threat in the future."

Upon hearing this, an old man stepped forward again, bowed to Xiao Xinyue, and said, "I believe that we should send a portion of our troops to confront Tian Hong's Northern Fierce Army. We only need to keep him trapped in Chengjin City and prevent him from causing trouble. The main force should be used to wipe out the remaining separatist forces within our dynasty."

Another middle-aged minister glanced at Mingchen and said, “Your Majesty, the northern border also needs troops. After winter, the Northern Lie will surely send a large number of troops south. Our dynasty also needs to be prepared to support the General.”

Ultimately, there are only a few options for allocating the troops at hand.

First and foremost, it is essential to leave some troops to protect Yueyang City.

Although the defense of Yueyang City was won, such a dangerous event must not be allowed to happen a second time.

With limited military strength, there are always real and unrealistic situations; trying to serve both sides will result in losing both.

If a large army is used to attack one side, it cannot attack the other.

Qian Yuan now has three places where troops are needed.

One is the main battlefield where Lingyu in the Northern Territory resists Beilie.

The second was the Northern Fierce Army that Tian Hong broke into.

The third is the remaining separatist forces in the eastern half of Qian Yuan today.

For now, we can ignore the formidable pass in the north and hold our ground. However, if the Northern Lie launches a large-scale southward invasion in the future, Ling Yu will need military support. Even the best cook needs a knife and vegetables, and the current troops in the north are definitely insufficient.

So, the remaining two choices—whether to prioritize external defense or internal stability—become open to debate.

Several civil and military officials expressed their opinions and discussed their views.

Xiao Xinyue frowned and asked, "How many troops does Yueyang have now? How many troops can be mobilized from the west?"

"Your Majesty, there are currently 30,000 troops in Yueyang City. The troops of Generals Zhang, Liu, and Niu are still on their way back to reinforce the city and are expected to return in seven days."

"Ji Qudong's main camp still has 70,000 troops stationed at Shenjiang, and there are also 50,000 border troops on the southwestern grasslands."

Xiao Ling stood up, bowed, and reported.

Xiao Ling has been following and protecting Xiao Xinyue ever since she betrayed Yueyang. He is loyal and talented.

It was a precious legacy left by Xiao Zhengyang to his sister, and naturally, she was entrusted with an important task.

In military matters, his status is second only to Mingchen and Lingyu.

Mingchen and Lingyu are in charge of the northern border and dealing with the Northern Fierce.

Xiao Ling was the Grand Marshal, the commander-in-chief sent by Xiao Xinyue to quell the rebellion in the south.

In this battle to defend Yueyang, he was in the second wave of troops to return and reinforce the city.

"Your Majesty, I believe that what Lord Cao said makes sense. We should focus on suppressing bandits and quelling rebellions, and send a strategist to keep Tian Hong in check."

Xiao Ling had always thought highly of Yun Zheng, believing that this exceptionally talented young man would become the fifth Duke of Qian Yuan.

However, this time he did not support the other party's view.

"Your Majesty, the south has been deeply infiltrated by rebels, who have even installed a new emperor. If we do not eliminate them as soon as possible, I fear the consequences will be dire!"

In his view, of the two bottles of poison, Tian Hong's solo expedition, though nearly resulting in disaster, was less toxic.

During this suppression of the rebellion, he realized that the imperial court seemed to have underestimated the mess left behind by the death of Emperor Qi, as well as the rise of these unruly heroes in the chaotic world.

They originally thought that with the death of Emperor Qi, all troubles would be easily resolved, but they did not expect that their combined forces would be a force to be reckoned with.

The attack was originally intended to catch them off guard, but now that their military deployment is in disarray, it has given them a chance to catch their breath and allowed them to witness the power of Qian Yuan. They will likely be even more apprehensive and try their best to strengthen themselves.

With one step back and the other forward, the situation is already difficult to handle.

More importantly, they are a regime; they have declared themselves kings, succeeding the Qi Emperor, and are vying with Xiao Xinyue for legitimacy in this land of Qian Yuan. A country cannot have two rulers; this is very dangerous and must be eliminated as soon as possible.

Xiao Xinyue frowned upon hearing this.

Without realizing it, she turned to look at Mingchen: "What do you think, my dear minister?"

Instantly, everyone's attention was focused on Mingchen.

Although it was a discussion, everyone knew that Mingchen's opinion was basically enough to make the decision.

Under everyone's gaze, Mingchen smiled nonchalantly: "I believe General Xiao's words are reasonable."

"Let's do it this way." "As for Tian Hong, I am not very capable, but I would like to meet with him."

"Your Majesty can spare as many troops as you need for me."

A country cannot have two rulers, and Mingchen does not want a second regime to cause trouble.

To be honest, it was beyond Mingchen's expectations that these remaining forces in the east could still cause trouble.

To be honest, this so-called illegitimate son of Wang Huai, who was brought out to be, is probably something that even Wang Huai himself doesn't know about.

But this title is enough to gather these remaining forces together and form a considerable power.

The eldest brother has given up, and the Blood-Clad Army should also exit the stage of history.

Mingchen didn't want the remaining people to eat the scraps left by Wang Huai. He wanted the Blood-Clad Army, which he had created, to end with some dignity.

What kind of nonsense is it to establish another small country in the south?

We should concentrate our main forces to eliminate these remnants.

That old monster Tian Hong came across the sea to trick him and didn't even give him any face. Now he's stuck to the east like chewing gum, and it's his turn to fight him.

Mingchen knew his own capabilities; he was not yet capable of leading a large army of tens of thousands.

Taking a small force to target Tian Hong is exactly what he's comfortable with.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Xinyue couldn't help but glance at him again.

While indulging in pleasure, she didn't ask him about his next plans. She originally thought Mingchen wanted to go north to be with Lingyu, but unexpectedly, he wanted to confront Tian Hong.

"Are you confident, my dear minister?"

She had already sensed Tian Hong's skill level when her first night raid failed.

Mingchen led a small number of troops to confront such people.

She was worried.

Mingchen could tell what Xiao Xinyue was thinking, so he just smiled at her and said, "Your Majesty, just don't let me lead a hundred or so people to their deaths."

"it is good!"

The unspoken understanding between the two is beyond words.

Xiao Xinyue nodded and made the decision: "In that case, let's do as you say."

Then, she raised her eyes and swept them over the assembled officials: "Do any of you have any objections?"

Yun Zheng and several of his ministers who supported prioritizing external defense frowned, but did not express their opinions.

If Mingchen were to take action, that would be a different story.

After Xiao Xinyue made the decision, the others could then offer their opinions.

Xiao Ling and the others smiled and looked at Ming Chen: "Your Majesty is wise! If Lord Ming is willing to defend the East, we will have nothing to worry about!"

"Hahaha, that old scoundrel Tian Hong is definitely no match for Lord Ming."

This is the true value of Mingchen.

The main force of Qian Yuan was to go south to deal with the remaining Blood-Clad Army and separatist forces, but dealing with Tian Hong in the east was equally important and even more crucial.

Because of the small number of troops, if an incompetent commander cannot defend against it, Tian Hong will seize the opportunity to expand his power, break through, and once again advance on Yueyang City, which will lead to a second round of the Yueyang Defense War.

In that case, Qian Yuan would truly be defeated.

But now that Mingchen has taken on this task, it's incredibly reassuring.

Soldiers against soldiers, against generals.

Ordinary people really can't do this, and there's no one in Qian Yuan more suitable than Ming Chen to do such a thing.

Upon hearing this, Mingchen waved his hand and said, "Please don't flatter me."

"There is nothing I can do but try my best."

……

"Your Majesty, the six brothers of Kuxing have fallen."

On the other side, the cold wind howled and the snowflakes flew like knives.

In the Northern Fierce Qingcang City, a strange man dressed in black robes knelt before Qin Lou. He was calculating with his fingers and reported to Qin Lou in a hoarse voice.

Extraordinary people have come to join Qian Yuan.

On the Bei Lie side, Qin Lou has a powerful figure behind him who fabricates so-called heavenly secrets and destiny, and naturally, there are people who follow him.

Qin Lou does not pursue immortality and does not have a morbid adoration for these people, but he does not underestimate the power of these unorthodox methods.

A ruler's talent lies in his ability to employ people.

Qin Lou only cared whether and how these powers could be used by him.

"Did we fail?"

Those six brothers are no ordinary people!
If used properly, it can be as effective as a thousand troops!

Qin Lou frowned upon hearing this: "Didn't you tell me that this battle would be the day these six brothers would achieve great things, and that they would surely accomplish something on this journey?"

Upon hearing this, the strange man raised his head. The lamplight illuminated his face, which was long and made it impossible to tell his age. Beneath his eyebrows were eight eerie eyes, their pupils clearly black and white, as if some special runes flashed by.

He shook his head and said something cryptic to Qin Lou: "The ways of Heaven are unpredictable, and fate is hard to fathom. One is born with destiny, and one is born with fortune. I know this is their opportunity, but I do not know their true fate, and even their life and death are unpredictable."

Qin Lou sighed. The six brothers were quite talented, and Qin Lou also deeply appreciated their sincere friendship.

But unexpectedly, they perished here.

He then asked, "What's the situation at the front? Has Yueyang City fallen?"

The strange man shook his head again and said, "The way of war is treacherous and ever-changing. This humble Taoist cannot fathom it, nor can he know it."

Qin Lou patted his head, as if he had forgotten: "I had forgotten about this. Can you recommend someone suitable to go into battle and help General Tian?"

The strange man's eight eyes gleamed with a sharp light, as if he were calculating something: "Your Majesty was born a king, blessed with boundless fortune, and naturally has noble people to assist you. If wise men don't come to serve you sooner, the time and the people won't arrive. Not too early, not too late, everything is just right. There's no need to send anyone; they will come to your aid on their own."

"Will General Tian return victorious on this journey?"

Tian Hong is very important to Bei Lie, just as Ming Chen is to Qian Yuan.

During the turmoil, he insisted on helping Qin Lou rise to power, and worked diligently for more than 30 years, rarely making any mistakes.

He was loyal and devoted to his country, working tirelessly and diligently.

He is also Qin Lou's elder brother.

This journey to Qian Yuan is extremely dangerous, and the opponent is no easy opponent.

Both publicly and privately, Qin Lou did not want his elder brother to have any problems.

The strange man smiled, bowed to Qin Lou, and said in a flattering tone, "Your Majesty, please rest assured. The general's destiny is Geng Metal, which carries the aura of killing and warfare. He has spent his life on the battlefield, always showing his sharp edge and rarely having any rivals. He will surely achieve something on this trip."

(End of this chapter)