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

Chapter 357 Flooding of Chengjin City

"Soldiers, we are all people of Qian Yuan. Our Emperor is a wise ruler who is rare in all of history. With the assistance of our Minister Ming, General Ling and the many capable ministers of the court, the new dynasty is thriving."

"Gentlemen, surrender! There's no point in resisting!"

"Those who surrender will not be killed!"

In the south, Qian Yuan's army marched in in a mighty procession.

The commander stood in front of the city and shouted.

"Those who surrender will not be killed!"

The soldiers behind him also shouted, their roars shaking the heavens.

Mingchen and Lingyu blocked two entrances, but neither of them brought the most elite troops from Qian Yuan.

The largest number of soldiers were sent to the south.

Before fighting the outside, make peace with the inside first.

"We surrender, we surrender."

Seeing the fierce general leading a terrifying army in a mighty march, the people defending the city were terrified.

The court, which was essentially a makeshift organization, actually had very little loyalty.

Seeing that the other side was unstoppable, they turned around and surrendered.

The same thing is happening in various cities in the south.

During wartime, few people pay attention.

On the hillside, there were two adults and one child, all dressed in straw raincoats, looking like wandering swordsmen, quietly watching the battle unfold.

After a long while, Wang Huai let out a soft breath and said, "Brother Buchen, let's go!"

When Wang Huai faked his death to escape, he had already foreseen the current situation.

He knew that many in the Blood-Clad Army were corrupted by power and ambitious, unwilling to give up their current positions, and would continue to resist and struggle, hindering the course of history.

Human nature is uncontrollable, and he is powerless to change it.

However, he hadn't expected that someone of Du Yun'an's magnanimity could orchestrate such a large-scale scheme.

Wang Huai never expected that his name would be so useful.

Du Yun'an simply picked a child at random and made him the new emperor of Qi, which attracted so many people.

Bu Chen raised an eyebrow and asked, "Go? Where to?"

Wang Huai lowered his eyes and said, "Go to Xinhe City! I want to see my 'son'."

Now, Du Yun'an and the Blood-Clad Army have become the group of people he used to hate the most.

The Blood-Clad Army has completely forgotten its original beliefs and has become a band of roving bandits.

He needs to do something to reverse the historical image of the Blood-Clad Army.

……

"Qian Yuan's army has already crossed Xiaoyao City and captured four of our cities."

"Unjust, you're finally back!"

"How's the situation in Beilie?"

Xinhe City, the magnificent Marshal's Mansion.

Du Yun'an asked the person who came in somewhat anxiously.

"Marshal, I am fortunate to have fulfilled my mission."

The monk stood in front of the main hall, clasped his hands together, and bowed.

A letter moved on its own without any wind and landed in front of Du Yun'an, the Grand Marshal of the Great Qi.

Compared to Tian Hong's calm refusal to look at the letter, Du Yun'an had a completely different attitude, as if he had grasped a lifeline and hurriedly opened the letter to check it.

"Good good!"

He watched and clapped his hands in approval.

He looked up at the monk and exclaimed with emotion, "It's unfair! I owe you so much!"

At the beginning, he followed Wang Huai in the uprising. He fought bravely and was also quite resourceful in leading troops, which earned him some status.

However, as they remained in high positions for a long time and enjoyed wealth and luxury for too long, they became complacent.

He has long forgotten the courage and wisdom he displayed in those life-or-death struggles. Now, all he can think about is how to maintain his power, status, and immense wealth.

After injustice came to his aid, all his problems were solved, and he was naturally happy to be able to relax.

But what he didn't know was that all his opportunism and laziness would eventually come back to haunt him.

On the surface, he seemed to hold the reins of power in the entire Great Qi, and the emperor, whom he had installed, had to defer to his wishes. But in reality, he lacked the talent and magnanimity to support his current position.

Wang Huai was a hero with great ambition, yet he still made many mistakes when governing the country.

Not to mention Du Yun'an, that good-for-nothing who only knows how to enjoy himself.

He only knows some scheming and intrigue; he eliminates those who are truly capable and ambitious.

Whenever he encounters something, he always questions whether it's unfair.

On the surface, it appears that he controls the entire Great Qi, but in reality, this bloated and chaotic Great Qi is secretly directed by the unseen Injustice.

Injustice is like the helmsman controlling the sails of a large ship; with a slight, unintentional turn, it can change the entire situation of a makeshift operation.

For example, even if they were to unite with the Northern Lie, there would be no need to express such a respectful attitude, let alone take the initiative to send troops to establish a link between the two.

It would be better to focus our precious military strength on fighting against Qian Yuan.

However, Du Yun'an couldn't see these things, nor was he bothered to think about them.

Injustice helped him achieve his current status, and he still believes in the other party.

"In your opinion, what should we do now?"

Bu Gong lowered his eyes and said, "Contract the defense line, give all the land to Qian Yuan, defend the eastern coast, and connect with Bei Lie."

Without even thinking it over or asking why, Du Yun'an simply nodded and said, "Okay!"

……

"Lord Ming, are we going to destroy the Qishui River embankment?"

Heavy rains continued for several days.

On the banks of the Qi River in the northern part of Chengjin City, several figures stood furtively, watching the river flow by.

One of them, with a serious expression, asked Mingchen.

"Clap clap clap!"

Raindrops pattered against the umbrella, making a series of crackling sounds.

Mingchen, dressed in a blue brocade robe and holding an umbrella, looked nothing like a general, but rather like a young master enjoying the rain. He smiled as he looked at the scene before him and nodded gently: "Yes!"

"Dig a ditch, divert the water simply, and pour the Qishui River into Chengjin City, so that those Beilie people can drink their fill!"

Tian Hong has a good eye.

Chengjin City is a very good city, with strong fortifications, close to a river, and abundant water resources.

Easy to defend but difficult to attack.

If a large army were to come here, they would surely be held back and entangled with him for a long time.

However... water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it.

Chengjin City is located in a low-lying area and is close to the Qi River.

Normally, it might not matter.

However, after several days of torrential rain, the water level rose rapidly, creating an opportunity for a water attack.

The raging floodwaters can breach earthen city walls, rot soldiers' armor, and cause grain to mold...

Water attacks and fire attacks are both methods of siege that can cause enormous damage to a city, making it difficult to defend once captured.

However, Mingchen's goal was simply to drive out the enemy. With the Northern Lie invasion, the city had few inhabitants left, so Mingchen had no further concerns.

"Who are you?!"

"Not allowed to move!"

As the group peered over the riverbank, several voices of rebuke suddenly rang out.

A patrol of Northern Lie soldiers came running up, carrying spears and patrolling in the rain, their faces full of vigilance. They shouted at the group of men.

Clearly, Tian Hong also understood the strategic importance of this place. He strictly deployed soldiers to patrol and inspect the area, prohibiting anyone from approaching to ensure safety. Ming Chen only brought three people, a small number. The heavy rain obstructed visibility, and the soldiers could only see a few blurry figures, mistaking them for civilians who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

It's still within their control.

only……

Mingchen didn't even glance at them, casually waving his hand.

The little white dog, frolicking in the rain and getting itself all dirty, suddenly let out a low growl.

"This……"

"This……"

"monster……"

Then, to the horrified gazes of several soldiers...

The unassuming little white dog suddenly grew larger, revealing sharp fangs and claws, looking ferocious and terrifying. It carried a large knife in its mouth and charged straight at the soldiers.

A strong wind blew in, and a menacing aura swept over us.

Such a terrifying beast made the group's legs go weak, and some could not stand up.

And those ferocious wolf heads formed the last scene they ever saw in their lives.

The blood dissolved in the rainwater and gradually dissipated.

A pile of corpses was left behind.

Mingchen didn't even glance at them, but simply said to them, "Gentlemen, let's get started."

The cultivators of varying builds around Mingchen exchanged glances.

One person took the initiative, making hand seals, and threw a steel fork into the rain-soaked soil.

Then, with a sudden leap, like a fish entering water, its body disappeared into the muddy soil.

"Boom boom boom."

The earth rumbled and trembled, the soil churned, and a rough, simple ditch quickly spread toward Chengjin City.

At the same time, the other two also used their magic to release magical artifacts, destroy the riverbank, and divert the water flow.

"Boom boom boom!"

The next instant, the earth shook violently, and a massive flood breached the dam.

In most cases, water attacks are a strategy that can only be used when the attacking side has the upper hand and the defending side is forced to stay in the city.

Diverting river water to breach a city would require a vast amount of manpower, resources, and time. However, this world clearly has many things that defy common sense, and many extraordinary abilities are not bound by worldly norms.

Mingchen only needs to bring rain and find a suitable opportunity to launch a surprise attack.

It was completed in just a few moments by a few people.

The method of diverting water to attack a city only seeks temporary water benefits. It only requires destroying the river embankment and simply guiding the water to flood the city. Unlike the canal construction in Beilie, which requires thousands of years of careful consideration and perfecting every detail.

……

"General, this rain is so strange. Why is it still raining?"

"If this continues, our food supplies will go moldy."

“I heard from some of the local people we captured that Chengjin City rarely gets rain, and there hasn’t been such heavy rain in decades.”

Chengjincheng, the main general's camp.

Cheng Xinqing frowned, pacing back and forth, looking anxiously at the torrential rain outside the tent.

In the previous battle with Xiao Xinyue, his hand was severed. Now, the torrential rain and damp environment caused his wound to fester, causing unbearable pain and blood to soak the bandage.

However, he had no time to care about his own injuries; he was just looking out of the tent with a face full of anxiety.

His own injuries were not important; what mattered was that there was a group of Qian Yuan people outside, eyeing them covetously. If the rain continued, their situation would become extremely passive.

He turned to look at Tian Hong, somewhat worried, and said, "General, could it be that Ming Chen, that sorcerer, has used some kind of sorcery?"

There must be a demon in the abnormal situation.

It's hard not to suspect that this heavy rain is unrelated to Mingchen, given how shortly he arrived.

Despite Cheng Xinqing's worried gaze, Tian Hong remained calm.

No matter what the situation, no matter how bad it is.

He needs to remain calm.

He was the commander-in-chief of the army, the backbone on which everyone relied.

If he gets into chaos, everyone will get into chaos.

He raised an eyebrow: "So what if it is, and so what if it isn't?"

He had already anticipated this.

In a place like Chengjin City, which rarely gets rain, it hasn't rained so heavily in decades, and it's been raining for so many days without stopping.

Either they're just unlucky, or fate is protecting Qian Yuan and sending down a torrential rain that hasn't been seen in decades to annoy Bei Lie.

Either someone is using underhanded tactics.

The latter is clearly more likely.

Mingchen has some extraordinary cultivators under his command, whose strength is unpredictable. This heavy rain is most likely the work of them.

But so what?
Tian Hong is not a cultivator; he only knows how to lead troops into battle and does not possess supernatural powers or magic.

Whether it is true or not, getting caught up in these reasons is pointless.

Whatever the reason, the current situation has already been created, and he has no means of countermeasures, so he can only deal with it cautiously.

"If it rains too much, Mingchen will also be flooded."

He could only try his best not to make mistakes: "Send more men to dredge the floodwaters in the city, keep watch on the Qi River, and guard it strictly."

Chengjin City is the best location in the area; there is no other place more suitable for him to station his troops. If he were to withdraw, they would be equally passive.

Fortunately, in terms of troop strength alone, Bei Lie still holds the advantage.

"Yes!"

Cheng Xinqing had just agreed.

But at this moment,
"Boom boom boom."

A series of booming sounds came from the north.

Not long after, the general, covered in mud, rushed in, his face filled with terror, and cried out urgently, "Something terrible has happened! General, something terrible has happened!"

"The Qishui River has breached its banks, and the floodwaters are rushing towards us!"

"General! We're going to be flooded soon!"

"what?"

Tian Hong was startled, his eyes widened, and he ran out quickly.

Outside the city walls, a torrent surged forth, originating from the breach of the Qi River, carrying massive amounts of mud and dust, and surged towards the fortified city of Chengjin.

Tian Hong swayed, gritted his teeth, and kept a tense expression on his face.

Amid Cheng Xinqing's terrified screams.

"puff!"

The old general suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.

Blood stained the muddy ground.

Tian Hong had always been on edge.

They ventured deep into enemy territory alone, gritting their teeth to face all sorts of dangers, working tirelessly day and night.

He outwitted and outmaneuvered the shrewd people of the Qian Yuan era, remaining calm and composed no matter how perilous the situation.

Standing firm and resilient.

However, this time, upon hearing that the floodwaters had breached the dam, a strong sense of powerlessness overwhelmed him. He felt the biting rain was exceptionally cold, and his whole body ached.

At some point, people will feel old, their ambition will fade, their strength will wane, and they will no longer be able to find that omnipotent self again.

And now, Tian Hong finally felt that the string he had been holding tightly in his heart all along... had snapped!
"Is it really... that Heaven is going to kill me..."

The old general raised his head, the torrential rain washing over his body, filled with sorrow. He looked up at the gloomy sky obscured by dark clouds, muttering to himself.

(End of this chapter)