"Spread the word. A king of the Southern Frontier Holy Clan has been captured alive. Unable to withstand the torture, he has informed me of the troop deployment in the Southern Frontier." Situ Jingyan curled a ruthless smile, beckoned Qingsong and Hongmei, and coldly issued the order.
Shen Qianmo raised an eyebrow, a sly smile playing on her lips. Her dark eyes fixed on Situ Jingyan, brimming with amusement. Since the king's capture, he hadn't uttered a single word.
Situ Jingyan said this as a gamble. He was betting on whether the Holy Son and the rulers of Southern Xinjiang trusted a single king. Of course, this was a gamble he was determined to win. Because the Holy Son and the King of Southern Xinjiang would never stake the fate of a nation on the trust of one person.
The Holy Son of Southern Xinjiang might choose to trust a king, but the King of Southern Xinjiang would absolutely not. As a ruler, he understands what military deployment represents, and he knows that some things are too risky to gamble on, because if he loses, he will lose everything.
The royal palace in Southern Xinjiang. King Yelü Hong of Southern Xinjiang stared at the messenger with a livid expression.
“The First King would not do such a thing.” Standing beside Yelü Hong was a man dressed in blue, with handsome and stern features, whose tone was extremely certain.
“I want to believe him too. But I can’t afford to gamble.” Yelü Hong looked up at the man in blue, his face ashen. The relationship between the Southern Frontier Holy Clan and the Southern Frontier Royal Clan was not shallow. He knew the First King and was aware of his character, but being aware of him did not mean he would gamble with the survival of his country.
He didn't know what kind of changes the First Prince had undergone under the control of Situ Jingyan and Shen Qianmo. Perhaps Shen Qianmo and Situ Jingyan had used some unimaginable methods to force the First Prince?! He couldn't gamble with the territory of Southern Xinjiang, so he had to change the deployment of his troops as soon as possible.
The man in blue robes, who was also the Holy Son of the Southern Frontier Holy Clan, heard Yelü Hong's words. His brown eyes flickered slightly, and his brows furrowed gently, as if he were sighing with a sense of helplessness.
It must be said that Situ Jingyan made a very good move. Even though he knew it was a trap, he couldn't persuade Yelü Hong. After all, Yelü Hong really couldn't afford to gamble. The only way was to change the deployment of troops, and changing the deployment might allow Situ Jingyan to discover exactly how the troops were deployed.
It's true, you know it might be a trap, but you can't help but fall into it.
"The troop movements in the Southern Frontier are frequent. Our scouts have roughly figured out the troop deployment," Qingsong reported to Situ Jingyan with a stern expression. Their master was indeed extraordinary; with just this one move, he effortlessly made the Southern Frontier reveal its troop deployment.
"Give me the troop deployment map as soon as possible." Situ Jingyan's eyes remained unchanged as he calmly gave the order, seemingly having anticipated all the actions in the Southern Frontier.
"Are you really that confident?" Shen Qianmo raised an eyebrow. Seeing Situ Jingyan's expression remained completely unchanged, others might not have noticed, but Shen Qianmo could understand. She could tell from Situ Jingyan's eyes that he was very confident.
Situ Jingyan's lips curled into a wicked yet domineering smile as he tapped the table with his hand and said calmly, "The terrain of the Southern Frontier is complex and fraught with natural barriers, which is what they rely on. But what if I said that I already knew the terrain of the Southern Frontier, and that I already had strategies for dealing with those natural barriers and methods of attack?"
Upon hearing Situ Jingyan's words, a glint flashed in Shen Qianmo's dark eyes. She raised an eyebrow and a bloodthirsty smile appeared on her face.
Situ Jingyan had actually made preparations long ago. Knowing all the terrain and how to deal with it was definitely not something that could be done overnight. Presumably, long before arriving in Nancheng, or rather, long before confronting Nanjiang, Situ Jingyan had already conducted a thorough study of Nanjiang.
No wonder Situ Jingyan didn't seem flustered even knowing he was going to face the Southern Frontier; in fact, a hint of interest even flashed in his eyes. Originally, it was thought that Situ Jingyan and Yan Xiuling were only vying for control of the Central Plains, but little did they know that in Situ Jingyan's heart, the Southern Frontier was also something he would eventually conquer.
The complex terrain of the Southern Frontier is its strength, and it will inevitably lead to a relaxation of defenses against natural barriers. If Situ Jingyan can make good use of this and quietly occupy these cities that the Southern Frontier considers impossible to conquer, it will definitely have unexpected results.
Firstly, the capture of the city would catch the Southern Frontier off guard. Morale is crucial in warfare; if a city is unexpectedly captured and forces fall into disarray, even a large army will be useless. Secondly, the captured city relies on natural defenses. This will put immense pressure on the Southern Frontier army. If their most prized natural strongholds have been captured, what chance do they have of conquering flat, open terrain?
Therefore, Tianmo has a high chance of winning the war against Nanjiang. Now, Situ Jingyan has also grasped the location and deployment of Nanjiang's troops. All of Nanjiang's defenses, whether natural barriers or man-made armies, are practically non-existent to Situ Jingyan. So what if Nanjiang has a powerful army? How can it possibly withstand Tianmo's million-strong army?!
No wonder Situ Jingyan was so confident. No wonder he dared to mobilize all his forces to attack the Southern Frontier first. Because he was absolutely certain he could conquer it. You have to give up something to gain something; sacrificing a few cities near Linwei in Tianmo to exchange for the entire Southern Frontier was a worthwhile trade, a very worthwhile trade!
"The first city in the Southern Frontier. Surrounded by mountains, it's a place that's easy to defend and difficult to attack." Shen Qianmo raised an eyebrow at Situ Jingyan. Although she didn't understand terrain and military strategy, she still knew this simple principle. Since Situ Jingyan said he had a way, then he must have a way. She just wanted to know it in advance.
Situ Jingyan's lips curled into a wicked smile, his dark eyes gleaming with intelligence as he looked at Shen Qianmo and said, "Mo'er, do you know there's a river near this mountain?"
“Continue,” Shen Qianmo said readily. Of course she didn’t know; she had never been to Southern Xinjiang, so how would she know there was a river in the mountains? Besides, what difference would it make if there was a river near the mountains? Not understanding Situ Jingyan’s meaning, she didn’t pretend to understand, but instead readily let Situ Jingyan continue.
She's not a god, so it's normal for her to be unaware of things. Besides, she really doesn't know anything about military strategy, so there's nothing shameful about it.
“Surrounded by mountains on all sides, if water slides down the mountainside, can this city still be defended?” Situ Jingyan was not angry when he heard Shen Qianmo’s words. He just raised his eyebrows and his dark eyes revealed a hint of ruthlessness.
Shen Qianmo's eyes lit up as she looked at Situ Jingyan. She understood what Situ Jingyan meant; he intended to flood the city. However, given the surrounding terrain and the extremely low-lying location of the city, if the water were released, probably none of the city's inhabitants would survive.
Such methods, though swift, are far too cruel and will inevitably lose the hearts of the people. While war is about conquering through force, the hearts of the people are also crucial. Without the people's support, even conquering a city is useless. Even she understands this; how could Situ Jingyan not?!
"To conquer a city is the least desirable strategy; to conquer a heart is the best." Situ Jingyan smiled enigmatically, his dark eyes brimming with absolute wisdom and strategy, a hint of cunning in his smile. "What if the people in this city knew that the river upstream might flood their homes, and that it was the soldiers of Tianmo who were risking their lives to save them?!"
“If the people are unwilling to resist, the army’s resistance will be useless. Besides, most of the soldiers here grew up here.” Shen Qianmo smiled and continued, picking up where Situ Jingyan left off.
What a brilliant strategy! It wins the hearts of the people and allows them to capture the city effortlessly. While it doesn't pose a threat, it certainly serves to appease them. A little more intimidation during future attacks, a combination of kindness and force, will surely gain the acceptance of the people of southern Xinjiang.
Three days later. Tianmo's army swaggered into the first city in the southern border. Everything was exactly as Situ Jingyan had predicted. When the people learned that Tianmo's army had disregarded the danger of attacking the city for their safety, they were all moved. The army inside the city, fearing that Tianmo's army might suddenly abandon blocking the river upstream and flood the entire city, dared not resist.
Thus, through this combination of carrot and stick, the first naturally fortified city in the southern border fell into the hands of Tianmo. The people offered no resistance, instead becoming as close as family to Tianmo's army. The army wanted to resist, but was powerless against his overwhelming force.
Under Situ Jingyan's leadership, which combined kindness and severity, the Southern Frontier army, which had initially been reluctant to join him, was completely won over.
"Jingyan, I really admire you. How did you do it?" Shen Qianmo raised an eyebrow, looked at Situ Jingyan, and asked.
Situ Jingyan raised his alluring peach blossom eyes, a wicked and captivating smile curving his lips, and said with a hint of smugness and teasing, "My charm is irresistible. Mo'er, you'd better cherish me."
"Tsk tsk, quite charming, huh?!" Shen Qianmo looked at Situ Jingyan with ill intent and said indifferently, "You'd better not get involved with any flowers or plants, or I'll beat you so badly that everyone will be afraid of you."
Situ Jingyan shrugged, his eyes full of laughter, but he said jokingly, "Having a shrewish wife at home is truly a curse."
Shen Qianmo naturally knew that Situ Jingyan was joking. Her eyes were full of laughter, but she still said without giving in, "Jingyan, are you disgusted with me?"
"Of course not." Situ Jingyan's dark eyes revealed his doting affection as he reached out and hugged Shen Qianmo, his eyes and brows full of smiles.
Upon hearing Situ Jingyan's words, Shen Qianmo smiled beautifully. Her eyes crinkled with joy and happiness as she held Situ Jingyan's hand tightly.
Meeting and staying together in this life is their greatest happiness.
Chapter Six: Annihilation of Southern Xinjiang
The Southern Frontier Imperial Palace. Yelü Hong sat there, his brow furrowed, his face grim. Three days. In just three days, Situ Jingyan had breached dozens of cities and directly attacked Fancheng. Fancheng was the last line of defense for the Southern Frontier. Beyond Fancheng lay almost flat plains. Although they possessed a large army, what did they amount to against the Tianmo army, whose advance was unstoppable even by natural barriers?!
Compared to Yelü Hong's sinister aura and anxiety, the Holy Son of Southern Xinjiang appeared much calmer. His quiet and composed demeanor made him seem like the one who should be the king of Southern Xinjiang.
"Holy Son! What should we do?!" Yelü Hong glanced at the Holy Son of Southern Xinjiang sitting to the side and said anxiously.
The Holy Son of Southern Xinjiang, dressed in a blue robe, appeared quite refined. His cold, handsome features remained unchanged; he seemed too lazy to even raise his eyes, and his tone was very calm: "We lost."
"We lost?! What do you mean?! Are you asking me to hand over Southern Xinjiang to others?! We still have 800,000 troops! How can we surrender without a fight?!" Upon hearing the words of the Holy Son of Southern Xinjiang, Yelü Hong immediately jumped up, his beard bristling and eyes wide with resentment.
The Southern Frontier has stretched for hundreds of years. It has never had any contact with the Central Plains and is unaware of the situation there. The Southern Frontier has always been arrogant, thinking that the Central Plains is nothing special, which is why it has never dared to attack them. However, it never expected that the Central Plains would be so powerful.
Tianmo. In just three days, they captured dozens of strategically important cities in the southern border region. They had originally thought that relying on the natural defenses would be no problem in stopping Tianmo's army, but unexpectedly, these natural defenses proved to be utterly ineffective against Tianmo's forces.