A lowly soldier becomes king, I slaughter my way through the late Tang Dynasty!

"What?! Li Rui has captured the entire city?"

Fu Yanqing suddenly stood up, staring in astonishment at Huangfu Yu and Li Yin who had barged in.

He was just pondering how to deploy the campaign to conquer Mancheng once the main force of the army arrived.

After all, he didn't believe that a mere three hundred men in the Trapped Camp could capture the city, which was defended by two thousand soldiers.

But now.

Good news has indeed arrived!

Huangfu Yu laughed heartily, speaking in a very generous manner.

"It's absolutely true! Commander Li has confirmed it; the victory report is real. The Righteous Army's elite troops have indeed captured Mancheng, killed the enemy commander Mo La, and captured over 1,700 people!"

Fu Yanqing stared in astonishment once again!

Three hundred men, and more than seventeen hundred were captured?

This number just doesn't make any sense!

"Li Jieshuai, is it true?"

Seeing that he was still doubtful, Li Yin stroked his beard and laughed.

"Of course it's true. Such matters of national importance—how could I dare lie?"

Fu Yanqing turned to look at the map, clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"Excellent, excellent! When the nation is in peril, it longs for capable generals. Who would have thought that Commander Li's Righteous Army would be full of hidden talents, including a worthy commander like Niu Ben Li Rui!"

Upon hearing this, Li Yin felt as if he were floating on air.

"Hehe, you flatter me. Niu Ben has been with me for many years and is known for his bravery and invincibility."

Although Li Rui is young, I knew from the first glance that he was no ordinary person, so I personally appointed him as the first vanguard in the battle.

Now it seems they haven't disappointed me!

Li Yin's words were a desperate attempt to pat himself on the back.

He seemed to have completely forgotten that just a few days ago he was cursing Li Rui and his companion for disobeying military orders.

Fu Yanqing and Huangfu Yu naturally wouldn't offend Li Yin, and both praised him.

Only then did Li Yin remember something, and he took out a list from his sleeve and handed it to Fu Yanqing.

"General, this is the list of fallen soldiers compiled by Niu Ben and Li Rui after they captured Mancheng. They all need to be compensated."

Although they won the battle, they had deployed troops without authorization, which would be difficult to explain to the commander-in-chief.

I am but a lowly person with little influence, and I hope General Fu can put in a good word for me with the Commander-in-Chief, so that I may receive compensation in the name of the Imperial Court.

Fu Yanqing stood solemnly and accepted the list.

"Marshal Li, rest assured. It is only right that the court should provide posthumous compensation to soldiers who have served on the front lines. I will do my utmost to do so."

After saying that, Fu Yanqing sighed.

"Their three hundred men must have faced an extremely difficult siege, suffering heavy casualties! This list is as heavy as Mount Tai!"

Upon hearing this, Huangfu Yu's expression also turned serious.

"Indeed, the siege was fierce. Three hundred brave men who managed to capture the entire city are truly valiant heroes!"

Seeing the two of them talking back and forth, Li Yin felt as if more than half of Niu Ben and Li Rui's three hundred men were already dead!

Li Yin quickly replied.

"Generals, please hold your grief. There are actually only six names on the list."

"Um?"

"what?"

The two renowned generals were both stunned and turned to look at Li Yin.

Fu Yanqing snapped out of his daze and quickly opened the list of soldiers to receive compensation. Sure enough, there were only six names on it!

"This... Commander Li, you must have made a mistake?"

"No mistake, there are definitely six people."

"A siege battle! Only six dead? And the enemy commander was killed, and over 1,700 were captured!?"

"That's right."

"What?! Is this correct?"

Fu Yanqing was stunned and began to doubt the authenticity of the good news!

Huangfu Yu was even more astonished!

He was known for his bravery and had experienced many siege battles, but he still couldn't imagine it.

How did they manage to achieve such a great victory with only six deaths?

Faced with the questioning looks from the two men, Li Yin felt wronged and pointed to the report.

"Why don't you two generals take a look at the contents of the victory report?"

Fu Yanqing and Huangfu Yu suddenly realized that they hadn't paid attention to the specific details of the battle at all; they had only focused on the outcome.

It was called a good news report, but it was actually a detailed work report.

How detailed?

From the start of the march to the arrival in Manzhouli, to the planning and deployment, the execution process, and the final results.

Almost completely, everything was recorded!

The last paragraph even summarized the shortcomings of this operation and expressed hope for improvement next time!

Just reading this work report makes you feel like you're actually there.

Looking at the densely packed tiny characters on the paper, Fu Yanqing felt a chill run down his spine, as if an electric current had surged through him, giving him goosebumps all over his body.

"What a fantastic battle report!"

Fu Yanqing sincerely praised it!

In this era where martial arts reign supreme, if you can write, you can be considered both a scholar and a warrior!

This is not an exaggeration.

Zhu Wen, the founder of the Five Dynasties and the Taizu Emperor of the Later Liang who destroyed the Tang Dynasty, was a typical illiterate monarch.

After him came Zhu Yougui, Li Congke, Shi Jingtang, and Liu Zhiyuan and Liu Chengyou, who were not yet emperors at this time...

These emperors were either illiterate or only knew how to read but didn't study.

If even the emperor is this pathetic, how can you expect the soldiers under him to have any high level of cultural attainment?

Being able to read is a sign of being both literate and skilled in martial arts!

In this context, heaven knows just how impressive Li Rui's detailed and exquisite battle report was!

Fu Yanqing was one of the few cultured people. Upon seeing this battle report, he felt as if he had drunk fine wine, and his whole body felt refreshed.

"Was this written by Li Rui?"

Li Yin nodded.

"It should be. Although Niu Ben can read, it's still difficult for him to write so many characters."

Fu Yanqing was overjoyed at the sight of the man and was even ready to ask for him directly.

Who wouldn't like someone with that kind of talent?

"Let's look at the battle report first!"

Huangfu Yu couldn't wait any longer; he was eager to know how they had managed such a great victory with only six casualties.

Fu Yanqing nodded and slowly read out the battle report.

As he spoke more deeply, word by word, the expressions of the three people inside the tent grew increasingly horrified!

Finally, upon hearing a certain passage, Huangfu Yu interrupted.

"This Li Rui, he dares to raid the city with only ten men?"

Fu Yanqing nodded.

"That's what the battle report said."

He continued reading, but soon Huangfu Yu interrupted him again.

"Li Rui was below the city wall, shooting upwards from below, killing the sentry in the corner tower with a single arrow, and then he was unerringly accurate afterward?"

Fu Yanqing nodded again and continued reading.

Huangfu Yu interrupted again.

"Are you sure it was Li Rui alone who infiltrated the city and killed the defending general, Mo La?"

Finally, Fu Yanqing lost his temper.

"You read it! You read it!"

Huangfu Yu scratched his head awkwardly and kept postponing the meeting.

"General, please calm down. I am illiterate."

Fu Yanqing rolled her eyes and continued reading.

Little did he know that Li Rui's various actions had already stirred up a storm in his heart!

Finally, after a battle report was read aloud, the military tent fell into a deathly silence.

Huangfu Yu clicked his tongue in disbelief, as if he had just heard a storyteller's tale rather than a battle report.

This plot is absolutely shocking!

If he hadn't repeatedly confirmed that the good news was real, he would have suspected that it was a storyteller who had fabricated the story.

Li Yin hadn't read the battle report beforehand and was too excited to speak, so he was speechless with shock.

suddenly!

Fu Yanqing grasped Li Yin's hand tightly, her eyes full of anticipation.

"Li Jieshuai, would you be willing to part with this Li Rui? I'm willing to exchange him for a hundred taels of gold!"

Li Yin's beard trembled, and he quickly straightened up and said.

"General Fu, what are you saying? Li Rui is a valuable asset to our Righteous Martial Army; how can he be bought and sold like merchandise?"

Fu Yanqing immediately raised the price.

"A thousand taels of gold, plus a hundred bolts of silk!"

Li Yin's heart pounded, and after hesitating for a long time, he finally said "reluctantly".

"This matter needs to be asked of him personally."

Fu Yanqing immediately beamed with joy.

"Good, good, good! Commander Li, please sit down. I will go and inform the Commander-in-Chief that we need to provide compensation for the fallen soldiers."

however.

Not long after, Fu Yanqing returned with a livid face.

Li Yin hurriedly replied.

"how?"

Fu Yanqing said angrily.

"Hmph! The commander-in-chief forbids it, and even says that the entire Trapped Camp has disobeyed orders and will be beheaded!"