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

Chapter 425 Invitation from Both Countries, Northern Fierce Tiger Army
"How about you two have a fight?"

"Whoever wins, I'll go to their place."

A cold wind howled outside the tent, while the charcoal fire inside glowed red.

The handsome young man leaned back in his tiger-skin chair, teasing the little bird in his hand, and looked at the two groups of people in front of him with a smile.

As one of the top leaders of the Qian Yuan Army, he appeared carefree and unserious, lacking any sense of composure.

This guy looks like he's here for a picnic, not for a war.

"Forehead……"

The two groups of envoys looked at each other, both speechless.

What a coincidence.

Either none of them come, or they all come together.

On one side are the people of the Jinglan Alliance, and on the other side are the people of Beilie.

Their goal was the same: the Northern Emperor (Alliance Leader) wanted to meet Mingchen.

This thing is a hot commodity, a king's trap, everyone wants it.

Being the leader of the alliance is one thing, since Mingchen didn't do anything to harm the Jinglan Alliance.

But Bei Lie is a different story. The loss of the three passes in the north was largely due to the cunning and treacherous schemer Ming Chen.

Otherwise, the Bei Lie cavalry would have already broken through the northern border of Qian Yuan, and it's hard to say who would be in Yueyang City now!

This is the kind of person who abused the Northern Emperor countless times, yet the Northern Emperor still regarded him as his first love.

I wonder what kind of mind-altering potion this guy gave the Northern Emperor.

The messenger did not understand.

But this was, after all, a requirement from the top leader, and he had to complete the task.

The envoy from the Northern Lie side spoke first: "Lord Ming, our Emperor sincerely invites you to share wine and discuss the affairs of the world. You are surely aware of His Majesty's affection for you..."

The envoy from the alliance scoffed, saying, "You're at war with Qian Yuan right now! Who knows if you're trying to set a trap for Lord Ming!"

"Hmph! Our Emperor is upright and honest, and we Beilie people are not the kind of people who cheat and slack off. We win fair and square, never resorting to such underhanded tactics! On the contrary, it is your alliance leader who takes advantage of the chaos, abandoning righteousness for personal gain, and who knows what he is plotting..."

"you!"

The argument between these two envoys was quite amusing. Mingchen watched with a smile, "Should I help you two deliver your challenge?"

The messenger's words were nothing but nonsense.

Even if these two groups spit all their saliva here, it won't cause a war between the two countries.

"Humph!"

The two exchanged a glance, then snorted coldly.

"His Majesty the Northern Emperor and the Alliance Leader have extended such a warm invitation, and I, Ming, find it difficult to refuse."

What I said earlier was just for fun.

Both Qin Lou and Hong Ling Shuang were chosen as heroes with the talent to be rulers.

Mingchen has a good relationship with them. Although they are on opposing sides, they still have personal friendships. He is even thinking about coaxing the mermaid to come to his house to sing for him!

Work is work and life is life.

He takes this in stride.

He wasn't afraid of any sabotage, nor did he care about meeting with a friend.

"Let's stop arguing and not ruin our harmony. Let's discuss a time. As long as it's not on the same day, I'll keep my appointment. What do you say?"

……

"It's getting a bit cold today."

"This awful place, Beilie, is freezing cold."

A city in the southeast of Beiliexin Prefecture, where the cold wind howls.

A robust general, around thirty years old, stood on the city wall, shivering as he looked into the distance, muttering curses and complaints.

His name was He Minghao. He was a brave and valiant general who followed General Xiao Ling in the southern campaign to suppress the rebels. He made many contributions due to his bravery in battle and his quick thinking.

With the pacification of the Great Qi, troops from all over the country gathered and marched north, and he also led his troops to support the northern border.

After Qian Yuan left the three passes, the battle lines were fully deployed, and he was transferred to this somewhat remote city to garrison.

"The Northern Lie people robbed us of so many things and killed so many people."

"What's wrong with us being stricter in our vetting process?"

"General Ling has really gone to unnecessary lengths."

He stood on the city wall, looking at the desolate city and roads, constantly cursing and complaining.

The city is called Yongqi, which is not a good name.

Located in the northeastern corner of Beiliexin Prefecture, the area is underdeveloped and has poor transportation. The Liehe River flows directly through Qingshui, separating the city from the important southwestern region.

Bei Lie seemed to take this place very lightly, with few garrison troops. Ling Yu launched a naval attack with 2,000 men and captured the place.

Although Bei Lie doesn't value this place, Ling Yu does.

Because the Northern Lie could travel down the river from the north by waterway, passing through this city, and reach directly into the heart of the Qian Yuan Army in the southwest.

This city is an important sniper city.

The Qingshui River is gentle and the boats travel slowly. By blocking this city, the route for Beilie to move south can be cut off.

Ling Yu has deployed a full 20,000 troops to guard this place.

While something is indeed important, it doesn't necessarily mean it's likable.

With the momentum of Qian Yuan's victory and Bei Lie's successive defeats, the entire Qian Yuan army was in a wave of enthusiasm for going into battle, killing the enemy, and gaining merit.

Although the Northern Emperor led hundreds of thousands of troops in a personal campaign, he unexpectedly failed and was blocked by their god-like General Ling. The two sides were locked in a stalemate, and Qian Yuan even seemed to have the upper hand.

Once the reinforcements continue to arrive, won't their Qian Yuan army be able to flatten Bei Lie?

For generals today, the best place is the battlefield, where fierce clashes and friction occur.

Only through constant battles, constant victories, and constant killing of enemies can one achieve merit.

Now, this place is just sitting idle in the middle of nowhere. As long as the Northern Army doesn't bother with it and no one comes, it's just a ghost town that everyone hates.

Anyway, He Ming didn't like this place at all.

His achievements and status were earned through valiant fighting on the battlefield.

With no enemy at the moment, he just sat there day after day, shivering in the cold wind, listening to the constant reports of victory from the front lines, which only made him itchy to get ahead.

The Qian Yuan dynasty currently has only four dukes.

He knew very well that after the war, there would be another round of lavish rewards, and the opportunity to be ennobled and promoted to high office and achieve a huge leap in social class would be right here. This would determine the power and privilege system of the new dynasty for the next few hundred years.

War is equivalent to merit.

Waiting passively is a waste of opportunity.

Once this war is over, the nation will stabilize and will never again have such an opportunity to make great strides forward.

He knew it, and many generals knew it too.

Therefore, everyone would rather fight and make merit on the front lines than guard this desolate corner, a place that the enemy might not even care about.

He Minghao climbed over the wall every day to look into the distance, and the more anxious he became, the more he complained.

He was originally stationed in the main army.

He Minghao felt that the soldiers who bullied the people of Beilie during Ling Yu's recent military discipline crackdown were somewhat involved with him, so he reprimanded him and left him here.

He said he felt wronged.

He has been diligent and conscientious, and has done everything he could.

That's just how the military is; he felt he had managed things well.

He Minghao was very young, thirty-two years old, and felt that he was exceptionally talented and had already climbed to the position of commanding thousands of troops.

Defending this city is a piece of cake.

His talents should be realized in a wider arena. He had witnessed Ling Yu and Ming Chen's actions and understood their underlying motives. He felt that if it were him, he could also accomplish the same legendary feats. It was just that these people were lucky enough to gain His Majesty's favor.

Given time and the opportunity to fully utilize his abilities, he felt no less capable than Ling Yuming and his group of talented individuals who supported the nation.

Ling Yu is wasting his talents and his time and opportunities by leaving him here.

It's a pity that Ling Yu didn't recognize his talent; it's a shame he was never given the opportunity to shine!

"Ugh……"

A higher rank can have absolute power. The entire Qian Yuan Army is essentially a one-man show run by the Ming Chen family.

Despite the biting cold wind, which chilled him to the bone, it paled in comparison to the sorrow in He Minghao's heart at that moment.

He kept sighing.

"Drive~"

Days passed, and this godforsaken place remained eerily quiet.

But on this day, things seemed different.

Amidst He Minghao's long sighs, a small group of people galloped in from the north.

His eyes lit up immediately, and he gripped his weapon tightly.

The situation seems to be about to change!
……

"Oh?"

"The Jinglan Alliance has also invited Mingchen?"

Inside the main tent of the Northern Fierce Army, upon hearing the report from the returning messenger, Qin Lou's subordinates paused for a moment, then looked up with great interest.

This prodigy is truly a hot commodity; everyone wants him.

"Yes."

"The leader of the Jinglan Alliance also sent an envoy to request an audience with Mingchen."

There are some rumors about the Jinglan Alliance, and it is rumored that Mingchen has a close relationship with their leader.

Mingchen is a romantic and unrestrained man, while the alliance leader is a beauty blessed by the sea, a rare find in the Jinglan Alliance.

Their relationship certainly sparks much speculation.

The envoy looked nervous and kept saying to Qin Lou, "Your Majesty, I fear that the Jinglan Alliance and Qianyuan will join forces to attack us from both sides. We must be on guard!"

Qin Lou narrowed his eyes upon hearing this, but simply shook his head and said, "It's alright."

If Mingchen really has the ability to persuade that difficult alliance leader to join forces, then he'll certainly be considered capable.

"His Majesty……"

The envoy wanted to offer further advice, but Qin Lou interrupted him: "Did he agree to meet with me for a talk?"

"Yes!"

"The time and place will be decided by His Majesty."

Qin Lou chuckled softly upon hearing this: "Heh!"

"Good lad, you really aren't afraid of me at all!"

He thought for a moment and said, "Then let's set the date for five days from now. I remember there's a pavilion by Yunling Lake with a nice view, let's set it there. Let's send someone to make the arrangements in advance."

With war imminent and soldiers fighting on the battlefield, the highest leaders of both sides agree to meet over plum wine.

The envoy had no idea what Qin Lou was thinking.

He simply bowed and replied, "Yes!"

……

"kill!"

"kill!"

"kill!"

Night, the moonlight was bright, in a rather secluded mountain valley northeast of the Northern Army.

The shouts of battle were deafening and overwhelming.

Night fell, and the horses neighed.

Four figures arrived before the army formation. Moonlight shone down, falling on the soldiers' armor and giving it a shimmering glow.

They were dressed in neat, standardized armor and weapons, their eyes gleaming with intense killing intent in the cold night.

Fierce and mighty, like a tiger.

Sensing someone approaching, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked in the same direction.

"Your Majesty, be careful."

Suddenly, a terrifying pressure, like a tsunami or a landslide, rushed over them. The force of the pressure was so great that two of the soldiers swayed involuntarily, their minds went blank, and they instinctively gripped the hilts of their swords.

The four of them took a few steps forward and stepped out of the shadows of the woods. The moonlight shone down, and their faces were finally made clear.

"These are my warriors, why should I be careful?"

The leader was tall and strong, exuding an air of dominance. He wore a tiger-skin cloak and held a golden Overlord Spear. His imposing presence and domineering aura suppressed the overwhelming force of the fierce army.

It was none other than the Qin Tower of the Northern Emperor.

At this moment, he looked at the thousands of troops in front of him and nodded in satisfaction.

More soldiers are not necessarily better.

Elite soldiers and skilled veterans are the true symbols of a nation's strength and its greatest asset.

They were the most elite troops of the Northern Fierce Army, personally organized by Qin Lou.

Qin Lou did not send out this force until the three passes fell.

Bei Lie's repeated defeats and setbacks were all insignificant failures.

His goal was to lull his opponent into a false sense of security and let them keep winning.

Minor skirmishes can never determine the outcome of a war; victory depends on that crucial moment of hesitation.

He hoped that in this war, at the most critical moment, this army would become a sharp dagger to pierce Qian Yuan's heart.

"Your Majesty, let us go to the battlefield!"

"Those cunning bastards from Qian Yuan have gone too far!"

"The brothers are already itching for it!"

Beside him, the only burly man who wasn't intimidated by the group of fierce soldiers stepped forward and spoke urgently to Qin Lou.

Upon hearing this, Qin Lou merely glanced at the dome.

As winter sets in, the cold nights are biting, and even the full moon's glow carries a chill.

Perhaps because so many people have died, this winter is exceptionally cold.

"Wait a minute."

"not the right time yet."

He didn't mind his subordinates' overstepping their bounds and patted Qin Zhuang on the shoulder with a smile: "When the time comes, I'll let you kill to your heart's content!"

The golden Overlord Spear in his hand gleamed coldly, and his tiger-like eyes surveyed the soldiers: "Winter is coming, are you all willing to fight for me?"

The fierce and domineering monarch stood before a group of fierce and ruthless soldiers, holding a long spear.

They were an exceptionally well-matched pair, as if he were born to be the leader of these people.

He didn't need to say anything passionate or impassioned; his calm tone was enough to maintain his inherent authority.

As soon as the words were spoken, the elite warriors, their eyes bloodshot, raised their weapons and shouted.

"The Tiger Might Army swears to serve His Majesty to the death!"

"I am willing to die for Your Majesty!!!"

"The Northern Fierce Army is mighty! The Northern Fierce Army is mighty!"

"kill!!!"

"kill!!!"

"kill!!!"

An invisible aura gradually spread and rippled outwards.

Two of Qin Lou's trusted confidants were momentarily dazed.

Here, people's spirit and will are intensely tempered and solidified, unleashing boundless power.

In the dim light, they seemed to see the earth-shattering roar condense into an illusion: a white tiger leaped out of the forest, its sharpness unstoppable, deafening, and its momentum overwhelming. With such a powerful aura, demons and monsters dared not approach, and even gods and Buddhas could be slain.

They stared blankly at the domineering monarch before them.

At that moment, they felt as if the king had risen to the heavens, and was extremely distant from them.

(End of this chapter)