I Possess a Scroll of Demon-Subduing Records

Wang Wei quickly flew to a high place and looked into the distance. He saw a long line of soldiers about a mile or two away. The style of their armor was not that of the Northern Wei.

Most importantly, the military flag had the character "Xiao" written on it.

Where did this army come from?

Wang Wei was a little confused, but when he looked at the soldiers from a distance, they did not look like Hu people, but more like Han people.

He couldn't help but have a bold idea.

Has the Southern Dynasty sent troops to attack?

With this in mind, Wang Wei made up his mind and decided to take a gamble.

He would rather make mistakes than do nothing.

Making contact with this army might offer a way to save Lin Yi!

This unit, bearing the banner with the character "Xiao," was naturally Xiao Yue's men.

Her presence here is something no one could have expected.

Seeing Chang'an in sight, Xiao Yue was also very excited.

If she can take Chang'an, she will truly be a force to be reckoned with.

However, Xiao Yue was somewhat bewildered when she looked out over Chang'an and discovered that the city was under martial law.

Why is martial law being declared in Chang'an, which was perfectly fine before?

Could it be that Heaven intends to kill her?

Chapter 382 Why is she still in Lushan?

Xiao Yue's life during this period was also quite legendary. With her 30,000 soldiers, she crossed the Taibai Mountains and launched a surprise attack on Pingyang.

The garrison commander of Pingyang was completely unprepared. Even when the enemy had reached the city walls, he was still in a daze and was easily killed.

Xiao Yue easily captured Pingyang County with overwhelming force.

At that moment, she only had a small amount of military supplies that Lin Yi had given her, but she found a message left by Lin Yi in the bag.

"The hearts of the people are the hearts of Heaven, and benevolence and righteousness are the mandate of Heaven."

These simple ten words brought Xiao Yue a sudden realization.

So, after capturing Pingyang County, she immediately ordered her soldiers to plunder the city's wealth, but strictly forbade them from robbing Han Chinese.

Not only that, she also ordered that some of the looted grain be distributed to the Han people in the city, without harming them in any way.

As for the spoils of war, according to past practice, the soldiers received 10% and handed over 90%.

Xiao Yue immediately established military regulations: of all future spoils of war, soldiers would receive 30%, with 30% going to the public treasury for daily expenses, another 30% for the relief of fallen brothers, and the last 10% as a reward for the bravest warriors.

All the harvest, except for the 30% used for public purposes, was handed over to the commanders of each division for joint management.

With this one rule in place, Xiao Yue immediately gained the most sincere support from the soldiers.

Xiao Yue knew this very well. She was able to gain the following 30,000 people by deceiving them into surrendering.

Next came intimidation: these 30,000 people had followed the rebels, and if they didn't follow her, they would also face certain death.

But such intimidation might make the soldiers listen to her for a while, but in the long run, they will inevitably rebel.

At that point, her status as a princess won't save her.

Only their own interests can truly earn the soldiers' support; everything else is meaningless.

Distributing grain to the Han people within the territory of Northern Wei was naturally intended to win their loyalty.

Why did she venture deep into Northern Wei?

Isn't it all for expanding the team?

However, she was fighting alone and could not stay in one place for too long. So, Xiao Yue decisively turned west, took Meiwu, and then swept through Guo County. She continued her westward campaign, burning, killing and looting all the way.

They were soldiers in the Southern Dynasty, but bandits in the Northern Dynasty.

Xiao Yue never intended to take over these territories.

The number of people she has is not enough.

However, she plundered everywhere, killing only the Hu people and not the Han people. She even gave the Han people food, which was a life-saving grace, naturally attracting Han heroes to come and join her.

In addition, her slogan was "Reclaim lost territories and expel the barbarians," which attracted countless people to join her.

These people were a diverse group, including bandits, chivalrous heroes, and ordinary civilians. Xiao Yue accepted them all without hesitation.

She didn't want any of the territories she conquered. Her army swept through like locusts, leaving behind a trail of devastation, but her power only grew stronger. From the initial 30,000, she had grown to 100,000 by the time she reached Wanchuan.

However, having 100,000 troops did not mean that Xiao Yue's strength had increased; on the contrary, her situation had become even more dangerous.

She only had 30,000 confidants, and some were lost. Of the 60,000 who joined later, about 10,000 were truly loyal, and some were of unknown identity. But at least 30,000 to 40,000 joined with the idea of ​​taking advantage of her.

The more diverse the composition of an army and the less united its members are, the more difficult it is to manage. However, the fact that the army is currently basking in a great victory will not be immediately apparent.

So, upon arriving in Wanchuan, Xiao Yue made a decision.

Divide the forces!

The bandits who joined along the way were ruthless and capable fighters. Xiao Yue tricked them into attacking Qinzhou.

While trying to persuade them, Xiao Yue told them stories of Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, giving them a good pep talk. Xiao Yue then appointed one of the most valiant bandit leaders as the General Who Conquers the West.

That general also happened to be surnamed Wei, and his name was Wei Da; neither of them had a proper given name.

Xiao Yue then bestowed upon him the name Wei Xuezu in the name of a princess, and even tricked him into believing that he was a Han Chinese, brave and skilled in battle, and perhaps even a descendant of General Wei.

Regardless of whether it is true or not, General Wei is an ancestor, so calling him an ancestor is perfectly acceptable. Xiao Yue bestowed upon him the name Xuezu, which carries profound significance.

The name and the story alone were enough to make Wei Xuezu kneel down on the spot, eagerly offering to lead his army to serve the princess with his life.

Xiao Yue then gave him 30,000 troops and sent him to Qin Prefecture to fight against the barbarians and save the Han people from their suffering.

Then, Wei Xuezu went there with the ambition of becoming a marquis and prime minister. This rabble of bandits was surprisingly showing signs of coalescing into a cohesive force.

Xiao Yue herself didn't expect it.

This further proves that her decision was correct.

Gathering together doesn't necessarily make us stronger; going apart, on the contrary, gives us the opportunity to make a name for ourselves.

Subsequently, Xiao Yue used the same method to trick another person into splitting up, namely Sun Yu, who had always followed her.

These were friends who had gone through thick and thin together and were being auctioned off; they were also descendants of veteran officials from the previous dynasty, so their loyalty was beyond question.

Previously in Hanzhong Commandery, Sun Yu also carried out Xiao Yue's orders without hesitation.

This is a capable and loyal subordinate, so Xiao Yue naturally had to entrust him with important responsibilities.

Even though they're our own people, we still have to make promises, and we have to make promises even bigger.

Xiao Yue not only promised him fame and fortune, but also hinted to Sun Yu that he was her most trusted right-hand man and a pillar of her empire. Therefore, she gave him the most difficult task: to go north and find a base of operations.

Constantly running around isn't a solution.

However, if they defended the city, they would only invite the Northern Wei army to encircle and annihilate them.

Therefore, Xiao Yue chose to split her forces into three groups and make different choices.

She also gave Sun Yu 30,000 troops, who were new recruits whose abilities had not been tested and whose morale had not been consolidated.

With this portion cut off, the majority of the 40,000 in Xiao Yue's hands would be truly loyal subordinates.

With morale high, Xiao Yue continued to make empty promises, leading her 40,000 troops back from Wanchuan. The people of Wudu County never expected Xiao Yue to return and launch a surprise attack.

Xiao Yue was also exceptionally brave, killing the Wudu County governor with a single arrow amidst a vast army, thus achieving another great victory.

But it was after the battle that Xiao Yue obtained an important piece of information.

Their activities within the territory of Northern Wei have already attracted the attention of the imperial court.

Both Qin Prefecture and Jing Prefecture dispatched large forces to annihilate them.

Fighting them would only lead to certain death, and Xiao Yue couldn't turn back; turning back would also mean certain death.

In the end, she was left with only one path: to march eastward.

This route is practically suicide. To the east lies the heartland of Northern Wei, heavily guarded, so they have no fear of Xiao Yue moving in that direction.

Xiao Yue recognized this point, which is why she made a bold decision.

She's going to attack Chang'an!

Chang'an City was indefensible and easy to capture, that's one reason.

Secondly, it is because Chang'an holds a very important place in the hearts of the Han people.

If she can capture Chang'an and defend it for a few more days, the Han people in the Northern Wei territory will surely come to surrender, and her plan will be completely successful.

In order to launch a surprise attack on Chang'an, she led her troops over mountains and valleys, avoiding official roads, all in an attempt to launch a surprise attack on Chang'an. However, before the attack could even begin, the gates of Chang'an were already tightly closed.

If they fail to capture Chang'an, this isolated army without supplies will likely perish here.

Even Xiao Yue, who was known for her ingenious schemes, was somewhat at a loss in this situation.

But at that moment, a Taoist priest suddenly flew over.

The people around Xiao Yue immediately went on alert and formed a battle formation.

Upon seeing this, Wang Wei quickly said, "Don't misunderstand, I am a Han Chinese. You don't look like the Northern Wei army. Could it be that you are the royal army?"

Earlier, when he and Lin Yi were crossing the border, they overheard that a force claiming the title of Xiao Qi was operating within the territory. Now it seems that this is the force in front of them.

Upon hearing him identify himself as a Han Chinese and respectfully address them as the royal army, Xiao Yue immediately understood that he was one of their own.

Unfortunately, he was just a Taoist priest and not very useful.

However, Xiao Yue did not slack off. Whether it was useful or not, she still had to show friendliness to her compatriots.

She said gently, "We are indeed not soldiers of the Northern Wei. Does this Taoist priest have something to ask us?"

When asked this question, Wang Wei didn't know how to answer.

He did have something to do; the city gates were closed, and he needed to find out what was happening inside.

But what does this have to do with the Southern Dynasty's army?