The male supporting character was actually myself.

"Send more scouts!" Qin Laoxi ordered after a moment's thought. "Drag people out of the death row and have them probe the enemy's firepower. At this wasteful pace, Santu City's ammunition reserves will soon be depleted..."

Sure enough, when they sent more men, the other side immediately started bombarding them with cannons without saying a word!

At the same time, Li Tianxing slapped his thigh until it was swollen with heartache. If it weren't for the fact that he had to save face for his youngest son in front of the army, he would have jumped up and started cursing. How can you fight a war like this?

The Li family army did not have its own military factories at all; all its guns and ammunition were confiscated, so they were reluctant to waste them and were very frugal.

Saving a penny now and using it in the final battle might just be the last straw that breaks the enemy's back!

"That's enough. Look at those scattered foes, they're obviously not a regular army. It's not worth bombarding them with cannons." Li Tianxing gritted his teeth and whispered in his youngest son's ear, "He's just deliberately trying to annoy us, trying to make you waste your firepower! When you've almost run out of shells, Qin Laoxi will be preparing to really attack the city!"

Jiang Chen waved to stop the cannon fire, glanced through his binoculars, and smiled, "I know, he'll keep sending small groups to harass us. If it stops by evening, he'll launch an attack tonight."

I used the cannon to bombard him, partly to have some fun, and partly to send him the wrong signal, making him think he could make a big move.

Don't worry! Just follow my instructions and go down to a teahouse to sit down, have some tea, and listen to some music.

"Let's make another bet. I'll drive Qin Laoxi to the other side of the Damin River within three days. If I can do that, you'll have to listen to me from now on; if I can't, I'll just hand over military power, and from then on, whatever you say goes."

Li Tianxing was so angry that he blew his beard and glared, but then he remembered that his youngest son had mentioned betting that he could take over Santu City. In addition, he vaguely heard many people spreading increasingly bizarre rumors about the Martial Star descending to earth to help him. After pondering for a moment, he turned around and left without saying a word.

"You've tacitly agreed? Well, you'll just have to wait and see!" Jiang Chen was overjoyed to see that the old man wasn't so stubborn anymore.

Why get entangled in the petty romance between the male and female protagonists when you can obviously use your cheat code to unify the country, quell the war, and benefit the people at the fastest speed?

With his career as his priority and control of the finances, I'd like to see where Li Dongchen gets all that money to spend on chasing girls!

Sure enough, Qin Laoxi's tactics were quite cliché: he kept sending small groups of troops to their deaths.

The cannons and machine guns on the walls of Sanzu Castle fired in a flurry, and while the extent of enemy casualties was unclear, they certainly demonstrated an overwhelming defensive force.

Just as Li Tianxing was leisurely sipping tea on the second floor of a teahouse, he suddenly overheard some whispered rumors circulating among the common people.

"Isn't the second young master of the Li family the infamous Li Yexiao? I've heard he's ruthless and has blood on his hands!"

"Come on, which warlord these days hasn't got blood on his hands? You think you can build up an army and become a commander without fighting or killing? That's just wishful thinking!"

"He's ruthless, but as long as he doesn't target us, it's fine. Didn't he reduce taxes as soon as he took office? I think he's pretty good. He's ruthless and tough on other warlords and their troops, but he's good to the people—that's a good leader!"

"Hey~ Haven't you heard? That Li Yexiao is something else, he has some strange abilities! Last night, one of my distant aunts had diarrhea and went to the outhouse in the middle of the night. She lives right by the city gate, and guess what? My aunt saw the west gate open by itself and let him and his men rush in!"

"Holy crap? This can't be real! The city gate has been renovated and reinforced so many times that it takes several people to push it!"

"Yes, yes, I've heard that too. Some people say that the second young master of the Li family is a war god descended from the Martial Star, and that he was helped by ghosts and gods to open the city gate! Otherwise, how could he have captured four bandit leaders so quietly? In the past, let alone being able to break into the city, even now you see how difficult it is for Qin Laoxi to get close, let alone quiet down the four bandit leaders in one night. That's not something an ordinary person can do!"

"That's true. They say the second master of the Li family brought a total of about a hundred men, and the soldiers from San Tu City immediately followed him. It sounds incredible!"

"And there's something even stranger. Did you hear the cannons firing from the city walls? I just heard the garrison whispering among themselves that the cannonballs in the warehouses are endless. They've been moving layer after layer of them, and there are actually more cannons than previously registered!"

"The older generation often says that blessed people are different. When other people dry their wheat in the sun, it loses moisture and they weigh less, but when wealthy people dry their wheat, it weighs more and they can fill several more bags! The second master of the Li family must be a reincarnation of the God of War, carrying guns and ammunition himself, that's how much wealth he has..."

…………

Li Tianxing listened and pondered while holding his teacup. The matter of incorporation was easy to explain. After all, San Tu City had been in constant war and had never been stable. The original four bandits were not good people either. Soldiers were just trying to make a living and receive some military pay. Their loyalty was basically nonexistent. They would follow whoever paid them.

After his youngest son was incorporated into the army, his treatment improved significantly. More than a dozen troublemakers were killed on the spot, and the other opportunists naturally obeyed orders. With the Li family army arriving in droves and diluting the original garrison, no one would be foolish enough to cause trouble.

But the fact that the city gates were wide open was really quite strange!

But obviously the youngest son himself didn't know what was going on. His scouts reported that there was infighting in Santu City and that they wanted to sneak over and get a share of the spoils. Who knew that everything would go so smoothly?

It's also strange that there are more guns and ammunition. The most important military supplies were inventoried on the day the city was captured, so it's impossible that such a basic mistake would happen. How could the ammunition keep increasing as they are used?

Completely baffled, he threw down a few copper coins, got up, and left for the military affairs office.

As soon as Li Tianxing entered the gate, he saw many soldiers carrying and stacking boxes of supplies. He went up and took a look. They were all guns needed for charging into battle. He couldn't help but wonder and asked Zhang Mingyuan, who was counting them, "Why are you bringing all these out?"

"Reporting to the Commander: Second Master instructed us to prepare in advance. Tomorrow at dawn, we will send a suicide squad to attack Qin Laoxi's territory, aiming to capture a city tomorrow and drive Qin Laoxi to the other side of the Damin River the day after tomorrow!" Zhang Mingyuan saluted and replied loudly.

Li Tianxing: (?o灬o?)

Damn it! I've fought battles for most of my life and I've never seen anyone this arrogant. This brat got cocky after taking Santu City by sheer luck! We have to teach him a lesson, or he'll never know his place!

"Uncle Zhang, we've got extra military supplies!" Just as the old man was fuming, a soldier ran over with an excited smile and pointed to the warehouse, explaining, "We thought everything was moved, but then we casually lifted the cellar cover and found the whole cellar was full of shells!"

“Master Zhang, this is really strange! We clearly saw yesterday that the cellar was empty.”

"I heard my mother say that if a wealthy family's fortune can't hold onto their wealth, their gold and silver treasures will turn into water and run away. They will only turn back into gold and silver treasures when they meet a lucky person. That's why there's an old saying that water is wealth! I think the four bandits' fortune has run out. They even hid their military supplies. But our Second Master is like a Martial Star descended to earth. He took over the guns and ammunition that had run away and they came back on their own!"

"Who cares if it's weird or not, the more guns and ammunition the better! Second Master said before, when we're poor, we use tactical flanking maneuvers, when we're rich, we just bombard them. The stronger our firepower, the faster we can take down Qin Laoxi..."

.........

Ignoring the soldiers' enthusiastic discussion, Li Tianxing led Zhang Mingyuan around the warehouse. Sure enough, the cellar with the wooden door open was stuffed full of ammunition, which made him think that this was too damn strange.

Could the rumors be true, that he has a son who is the reincarnation of the God of War? He wants to fight a war, and even ghosts and gods are helping him, with the Five Ghosts Transporting Wealth rushing to deliver weapons to him?

"Even the old man is skeptical, this hype is sure to solidify his persona!" On the city wall, Jiang Chen watched this scene through his soul weapon and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

The general level of education among ordinary people in that era was not high. Even many warlords and generals were superstitious, let alone the people of a small town.

Santu City is a transportation hub and fortress. As long as Qin Laoxi is driven away and business can resume normally, those merchants can quickly spread the mysterious news throughout the country. After all, in those days, without the internet, information was relatively scarce, and the poor people who had suffered from the ravages of war were keen on these kinds of rumors with a mysterious aura.

Once the persona is established, one can freely use the massive stockpile of guns and ammunition, and no longer need to bother concealing the truth. Every time a city is attacked, one can swagger in through the automatically opening city gates and win the battle with minimal cost and in the shortest time.

"How about it? I lost the bet with my son, so I have to admit it, right?" In less than two days, Jiang Chen successfully pushed the battle line to a position that was easy to defend and difficult to attack on the banks of the Damin River. Then he looked at Li Tianxing, whose face was dark with pride.

The old man had no choice but to admit defeat; this kid was completely unpredictable!

They were throwing bullets and shells like they were free. The key was that the continuous firepower had never stopped since the start of the attack. Qin Laoxi's troops weren't made of iron, so how could they withstand a barrage of bombardment?

Ironically, their ammunition reserves haven't decreased much, making it easy to defend the captured city!

"Fine, fine, you decide what to do from now on!" Li Tianxing replied sullenly.

Jiang Chen handed over a stack of new policies and regulations that he had prepared in advance and said with a smile: "Then you can take a look at them first. Let's broaden our horizons and stop focusing on the meager profits of ordinary people. Look at the wealth obtained from confiscating Qin Laoxi's palace, it's equivalent to how many years of hard work ordinary people can make."

Let's just focus on the big, fat sheep, kill them, and let the people under our rule rest and recuperate in peace and prosperity.

Only when their lives improve will they have more children, allowing more people to cultivate the land and work, thus propelling our Marshal's Mansion forward faster amidst the surging waves. Otherwise, if we plunder the people until they are destitute and have no one to farm or work, what can we do with all this gold and silver?

In my opinion, in addition to quickly implementing new policies under the rule of the Li family army, we should also vigorously renovate public facilities to make their living environment clean and tidy so that the epidemic will not spread easily, right?

And another thing, I'm not saying you're biased, but look, all these years of money being poured into the boss haven't been wasted, have they?

What has he been doing? He's been taking all that hard-earned money, enough to arm an army, and giving it all to the foreigners! From now on, I'll have to keep a close eye on our finances. There will be rewards and punishments; money that needs to be spent must be spent, and money that needs to be saved must be saved. You can't let the eldest son do nothing all day, just collect his salary and chase girls.

"With that money, we could buy guns and ammunition and capture another city!"

Li Tianxing was speechless after being rebuked. If it were before, he would have glared at his youngest son and whipped him with a horsewhip long ago. But things are different now. This son has the strength and courage, and what he said makes sense. He can't be too biased.

After all, Dongchen is still too young to understand the bigger picture, making a scene in the courtyard and refusing to get married. He can't even grasp the basics of going through the motions, so he probably can't be relied on in the future. It would be better to listen to the youngest son. Young people are quick-witted and can keep up with the times. Entrusting the Li family army to him might be a good choice.

"Alright, I'll listen to you!" He sighed and suddenly said with emotion, "I guess I'm getting senile. I don't know if this decision is right or wrong. My dear son, you're doing quite well now, but I don't know what will happen in the future. Life is just about stumbling around. If you stumble right, you'll rise to great heights; if you stumble wrong, you'll just die. If you like it and have the ability, then do what you think is best and don't regret it later."

Taking advantage of the distance between them and Li Dongchen, ensuring the old man wouldn't be affected by the protagonist's halo and obtain the pardon, Jiang Chen immediately beamed with joy, "Look at what you're saying, only forty-five and you're already old? A man is in his prime at forty!"

I've sent someone to find a good doctor. Once you have time and get a good prescription, you can put in some effort to sow the seeds. Our Marshal's thirteen concubines will definitely be able to give birth to a whole football team.

While I'm out there fighting and building our empire, you stay home and work hard to make the Li family a large and prosperous clan. In ten or twenty years, we'll be a renowned and distinguished family!

Li Tianxing glared at him, "You have no sense of propriety when it comes to your words, even daring to tease me! As for you, you should find a well-bred young lady you like to help you with the housework and have a few chubby boys so I can hold my grandchildren. I'll let it go, I'm old and can't argue with that... In two days your older brother's wedding, I have to go back to take charge, if you don't want to..."

Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Chen immediately chimed in, "This is a joyous occasion at our Marshal's Mansion, of course I have to go back. Not only will I attend the wedding, but I also want to give my elder brother a big gift!"

I've won several brilliant victories in the past few days. As my father, shouldn't you come back home and throw me a celebration banquet?

Moreover, with the new policies about to be implemented, the credit must go to me. This will help the people correct their misunderstandings about me, and at the very least, let them know that I, Li Yexiao, am a good person who punishes evil, promotes good, and protects ordinary people!

Chapter Twenty-Three: What a fine example of selling art but not one's body!

Of course, I have to reply!

If you do good deeds but don't promote them, given the script team's track record, they'll find a way to pin all the credit on the male lead.

This time, not only will he return to Yucheng to attend the wedding, but he will also return in glory. By the way, he will have Long Er spread the news again to establish the image of a war god descended from the Martial Star. It is not enough to rely on public opinion to solidify the popular title of Young Marshal on his head. In this way, Li Dongchen will not be able to think about fighting for power.

If the male protagonist can behave himself as a playboy, marry a few beautiful concubines, stay at home to have children and enjoy a life of leisure without harming others, then that's fine, and I won't be stingy with the money to support him; but if he still doesn't behave, then I have to keep attacking him from all sides to make sure he stops completely!

"Ah! Ahh!"

Li Dongchen sneezed several times in a row, looking listless. He blew his nose and leaned back in the recliner, pretending to be dead.

On the first day of his imprisonment, a tailor came to take his measurements. Over the past two days, he tried on the clothes and made several alterations. The red robe was then hung in the hall, adorned with large red flowers and decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations throughout the courtyard, exuding a strong sense of mockery.

"Damn it, why did I marry that slut? Why should I!" He felt a splitting headache. The injury on his back wasn't as bad, but he seemed to have caught a cold. He felt dizzy and couldn't muster any energy.

The courtyard gate remained tightly closed, and he could only vaguely hear that it was still very lively outside, probably because they were starting to set up the hall for the wedding ceremony and preparing for tomorrow's wedding banquet.

I wonder how Xiangqin is doing now. She has lost her father and has younger brothers and sisters to take care of. Is she having a hard time?

The more he thought about it, the more heartbroken he became. Li Dongchen hated himself for not being able to help her back then. After returning, he was confined to the courtyard and had no choice but to stay. How could he possibly escape the wedding tomorrow?

Father is getting senile. The Marshal's Mansion rose to power through warfare, so why should we be afraid of what outsiders say? Whoever has the stronger fist is right. Anyone who disagrees can be killed without a second thought, and no one will dare to complain. Why force yourself to do something you don't want to do?

It's true... the older they get, the more confused they become, and the more annoying they get!

While Li Dongchen was filled with resentment and had nowhere to vent his anger, unwilling to be manipulated by others and resorting to underhanded tactics, Ruan Xiangqin and her three sisters were enjoying a delicious dinner.

Since entering the Paramount and becoming an instant sensation, their treatment has skyrocketed. Now they can eat whatever they want, and even the most upscale Western food is delivered to their room by a dedicated person.

"Sister, I heard that Second Master Li won a battle outside and is returning to Yucheng today!" Ruan Xiangyun chatted happily while eating, sharing the gossip she had just learned. Ever since the day she planned to have her eldest sister give up on Li Dongchen and focus on Second Master Li, she had been paying special attention to all news related to Second Master Li.

This morning, the news spread throughout the streets and alleys of Yucheng: Master Li is the reincarnation of the Martial Star and a war god in the world. He is always victorious in battle with the help of gods and ghosts. Now, he has not only captured the most crucial Santu City, but also driven Qin Laoxi to the other side of the Damin River in one fell swoop and seized three of the enemy's cities!

More importantly, now that Master Li has taken control of the military and issued new policies, the people under his rule are living better lives!

"People outside say that Second Master is the one who deserves the title of Young Marshal, because he can lead troops into battle and manage the people's livelihood. More importantly, do you know what they're saying now?"

They say that Second Master's nickname, Night Owl, is truly fitting; the "owl" here signifies a brave and powerful figure! They say Second Master excels at night battles, and the capture of Santu City was achieved through a swift, midnight raid. Therefore, "Li Night Owl" is a compliment to Second Master! Some even call him "Li War God," which sounds incredibly valiant and perfectly matches his imposing and handsome image.

Hearing her sister say this, Ruan Xiangqin smiled faintly and said, "Those little people are really good at changing their tune with the wind. Just because they won a battle outside doesn't mean they're good people. Don't forget how they used to curse Second Master, saying that he was bloodthirsty and wicked, which made us all misunderstand him as a good person."

Ruan Xiaomei, her mouth full of oil, licked her fingers and mumbled, "Who cares if he's a good person or a bad person, as long as he's good to our eldest sister, that's all that matters. I heard that Santu City is quite wealthy now. Will Second Master come back from his great victory to see our performance? I bet he'll pretend to be annoyed but still give us a reward!"

"Hmm, if only Second Master Li could come and listen to the sisters sing, he would be completely mesmerized!" Ruan Yunfei said with a delighted expression as he ate, "Anyway, lately whenever someone wants to cause trouble, just mentioning Second Master Li's name immediately puts the situation in check."

If he comes to listen to the music and then gives us a tip, we'll be even more unruly at the Paramount!

Listening to her younger siblings' lively discussion, and recalling in detail the handsome face and upright figure of Master Li Er under the blazing fire, and how dashing his military uniform was, Ruan Xiangqin couldn't help but blush.

With such a powerful backer, isn't he more reliable than an indecisive man like Li Dongchen?

When he was playing and laughing with his father by the river, cuddling and embracing, Li Dongchen was full of sweet words. But just a few days later, he brought people to ransack the house, set fire to it and burned his father to death. Then he left without saying a word of comfort and has been missing ever since.

On the contrary, it was the kind and righteous Second Master who provided help both openly and secretly, enabling a desperate woman like herself and her younger siblings to have a place to stay, live in such nice rooms, and eat such delicious food...