Xie Lanzhi nodded: "Who fired that shot just now?"
Xie Ming hesitated for a moment, then pointed to Shi Yang next to him.
Shi Yang, still holding the torch, said with a look of horror, "Marshal, I didn't blow you up, did I?"
"When I heard the first gunshot, I judged that the person would be in that direction. Then, I thought the cannon fire indicated the location of the attack. Based on the direction the shells landed, I deduced the approximate location. I was just about to fire again when you returned."
Xie Lanzhi couldn't help but facepalm. How could it be this guy?!
But this guy is a natural-born gunner!
Xie Lanzhi looked him over and finally decided to keep the new king in the artillery battalion.
The following day, Xie Lanzhi sent men to the scene and found seven corpses, all of them Huns, whose firearms were missing. It seemed they had been stolen by their accomplices.
Xie Ming circled around and found footprints nearby. He roughly judged that there were more than twenty people around the marshal last night. Fortunately, the marshal was agile, and with Shi Yang's cannon shot, it would have been much more dangerous.
"Marshal, you can no longer go out. I will arrange for people to stay by your side from now on."
Xie Lanzhi did not object.
But she gleaned information that the Xiongnu already possessed similar firearms. It seemed that Aqina had revealed his true intentions in order to kill her.
Unfortunately, he failed.
King Zheng Fu of Yue learned that the assassination attempt by the miscellaneous mercenaries had failed.
Xie Lanzhi was unharmed. He angrily cursed, "That woman is too lucky."
"They can't kill it even with all that bombing!"
Aba's head was covered in bandages, indicating he had also been attacked the previous night and had miraculously survived, though he had been injured by flying debris from a shell blast, resulting in a cut on his forehead that required stitches.
Aba slapped the bench, realizing he couldn't afford to waste any more time. He had no choice but to compromise and get His Highness of Jin to agree to an alliance.
As for the King of Yue, Aba looked at Zheng Fu, and other thoughts were already brewing in his mind.
Aba sent someone to Tianjing to contact Si Xitong, indicating that he was willing to compromise and withdraw from Zhuqingdao, asking her to hand it over to Xie Lanzhi, only asking her to order Xie to stop the attack.
Zhuqing Island is considered a nearby island in Southeast Asia. Since Zhuqing Island was occupied, the four Southeast Asian countries have been in a state of panic. Some have secretly sent envoys to make peace and even presented a batch of local specialties as tribute.
Aba looked down on these weak states. What he wanted was to ensure that his army had a main base in Yue, and also to use Xie Zhu's power to balance Aqina. After that, he would let Xie Zhu fight Aqina, while he secretly developed his forces in the background.
Having made up its mind, Aba Na sent a signal of submission: it would voluntarily become a vassal state.
Once Si Xitong agrees, the only loser will be the Yue Kingdom.
When Si Xitong learned that Xie Lanzhi was unwilling to return, she considered forcibly bringing Xie Lanzhi back, but because of Xie Lanzhi's situation, she ultimately succumbed to her influence.
Si Xitong was in immense turmoil. Foreign officials were all bowing down to her and congratulating her, but she felt no joy whatsoever. Everyone outside thought she had gained all the advantages, yet she could command the Lord Xie to conquer the empire for her.
Yet no one could understand how passive she was. Passive to Lanzhi. Passive to her own husband.
Zhang Changle believed that Her Highness's plans were already extensive, and she controlled the world, allowing her to manipulate events and sweep across the land. Now was the best opportunity for the Hun to tear down the facade she had maintained for the past twenty years and restore the Jin Dynasty.
If Your Highness were to harden your heart even slightly, there would be no fear of the country not being unified, and no fear of the four directions not submitting to the Emperor's throne.
Soldiers who die for their country on the battlefield deserve the most glorious praise!
“Your Highness, please think of the late Emperor,” Zhang Changle said earnestly, “all the paths he paved for you.”
There wasn't a single person named Xie Lanzhi on any of the roads.
Si Xitong stared coldly at Zhang Changle. Zhang Changle could only lower her head and remain silent.
"Chang Le, an emperor should take the previous dynasty as a mirror in order to understand the rise and fall of dynasties."
"Yes!" Zhang Changle was puzzled. Why did His Highness say that? What did it have to do with Marshal Xie?
Si Xitong said, "Women and wives are of the same body."
Zhang Changle remained silent.
Everyone knows that there can only be one emperor; there has never been two emperors, and there never will be.
If Your Highness were to ascend the throne one day, then Xie Zhu would be the only stain on Your Highness's record in history. Only by erasing it yourself can Your Highness prove your innocence.
That's what they all thought.
At the same time, it is an inevitable choice in history.
"Send Moce," Si Xitong said, "to bring someone back."
Zhang Changle thought to himself that he still couldn't let go of Xie Zhu, and he was about to accept the order.
A cold, emotionless voice came from her master: "Bring my former fiancé to Tianjing."
Zhang Changle quickly looked up, his face filled with astonishment.
"His name is Wu Shang. He had previously arranged a marriage between us before we were even born, in private."
Moreover, the betrothal was to the son of the Empress Dowager's sister in the Northern Region. It was never mentioned again because the Emperor disapproved of the marriage, so it was called off, but the two had not yet returned their marriage invitations.
The reason they were not returned was because the three kings had fought against the late emperor, and the late emperor was busy with external threats and put the matter aside.
We still have to face what we have to face now.
Zhang Changle was still in shock and unable to recover. He never expected His Highness to have such a past. If Lord Xie knew about this, he could already imagine the chaos that would ensue.
Meanwhile, outside the border of Yue, the Yue army suffered repeated defeats and retreated again and again, on the verge of retreating to the capital. Zheng Fu was so anxious that he couldn't sleep for three days and three nights. Aba was also starting to get impatient.
What exactly happened in New Tianjing? Why didn't they seize such a good opportunity? Did that woman really think she could handle Aqina on her own?
Aba was so anxious he was jumping up and down. The Yue army was weak and on the verge of collapse. He couldn't very well send his own troops to support Zheng Fu.
Meanwhile, on Jiguang Island, the Seven Wise Kings found a haven from the war, and the people of Yue began to flock there in droves to escape. One hundred thousand people arrived at once, filling the entire island.
Xie Bing felt a chill run down his spine just looking at the overwhelming crowd of people fleeing from the outside. Could they hold out against so many people?
Xie Lanzhi, along with Xie Ming and Shi Yang, is scurrying around the front lines, creating unprecedented pressure on the Yue Kingdom's border defenses. Coupled with insufficient logistics, external and internal troubles, and the collapse of morale, the Yue Kingdom's army has begun to cease resistance and retreat into the capital.
Some generals even burned, killed, looted, and seized grain within the capital city!
At this time, a special person arrived in the new Tianjing: Zhang Ju, the chief clerk of the Censorate.
Zhang Ju rushed to the front lines, frantically searching for Xie Lanzhi. He needed to inform the Marshal that Princess Feng Ning had suddenly acquired a fiancé who appeared out of nowhere!
And her fiancé is about to arrive in Tianjing!
Chapter 171 All Three Parties Are Watching Her
Zhang Ju finally made his way to the border of Yue in the dark, only to find the Imperial Guards and Xie soldiers chasing after stragglers. The scene was chaotic, with some surrendering, some putting up a stubborn resistance, and others feigning surrender.
Xie's soldiers had been fooled so many times that they would immediately draw their swords and kill any prisoner who moved even slightly while squatting on the ground.
Under Xie Bing's subtle influence, the Imperial Guard began to adopt a zero-tolerance policy, killing any prisoners capable of attacking them without hesitation until they dared not resist. Otherwise, their lives would be threatened.
With Xie Bing's guidance, the Jingwei Army, like students, went from being inexperienced to skilled, becoming top-notch in the army in just one month.
At dawn, a troop of Xie soldiers and the capital's guards received news that the marshal had displayed great prowess at the front, capturing another city and driving the Yue army towards the Yue capital like chickens. Now, the Yue capital is overcrowded and inflicting bloodshed on its inhabitants.
At this moment, the marshal suddenly ordered them to retreat three miles to rest.
Only then did Xie Bing and the Imperial Guard have time to rest in the rear, allowing their colleagues who had replenished their strength to go up and stand guard.
A short while later, the cooks came over pushing two buckets of rice and one bucket of vegetables.
The Imperial Guards and Xie's soldiers were filthy and starving. They swarmed around the cart, ready to rob it. Immediately, more than a dozen cooks tackled them to the ground, and the worst off was a junior officer who was trampled underfoot by the cooks.
The lead cook said in a harsh voice, "You've never eaten before, and you dare to steal food right under my nose? What are you stealing? It's not like we haven't given you any food."
"Everyone, wash your hands! Anyone who doesn't, I'll report it to the general immediately!"
The soldiers weren't actually afraid of reporting to Xie Ming; what they were afraid of was Xie Ming reporting trivial matters to the marshal when he had nothing else to say. That would be the real problem for them.
The marshal values order above all else; even during meals, he adheres to strict rules.
Those who joined the army were mostly young men, at the age when they were not afraid of death. Some people couldn't help but mutter, "The marshal won't care about us. Maybe someone is just making a big deal out of nothing."
Upon hearing this, the cook glared at the young man and said, "Kid, don't blame me for not reminding you, the Marshal personally ordered that you wash your hands."
"For no other reason than to prevent the spread of disease. This month we have wiped out so many people, and the bodies have been piled up and buried. But if there is even one disorderly person, there will be excrement everywhere on the ground."
"What if the water source is polluted and our own people die?"
As he spoke, the cook made him wash his hands first: "Now that the marshal is holding the line, we soldiers have a chance to catch our breath. If you can't even do this, you might as well quit the army."
Everyone was rendered speechless by the cook's words, and they all obediently went to the washbasin to wash their hands. After washing for only a few minutes, the water in the basin turned black.
Xie Bing and the Jingwei soldiers began to line up for their meals. Everyone carried a large communal bowl, with two full bowls piled together, some meat broth poured on top, followed by cabbage and a large piece of fatty meat. Another cook then began to distribute two eggs to each person.
Those who got their food squatted down and ate with gusto. Xie Bing took a few bites and discovered that the fatty meat was sweet; in these chaotic times, sweets were as precious as salt. The Imperial Guards also noticed that the fatty meat had sugar in it, so they couldn't resist taking an extra bowl.
The head cook would occasionally remind everyone not to waste food, and he felt quite satisfied watching a group of young people enjoying his meals.
However, it's unclear how long this war will last. At the start of the war, our side also suffered considerable casualties, all from attacks by unarmed refugees.
Now everyone was no longer lenient towards the refugees, and the casualties were much smaller. Later, the marshal sent people to investigate and discovered a shameless plan by the Yue Kingdom: to send troops to infiltrate the ranks of refugees, instruct them to gain sympathy, and then take the opportunity to kill Xie Bingjing's guards.
This heinous plan resulted in the deaths of many innocent refugees.
Having suffered several injuries, Xie's men now feel an urge to slaughter any refugees they see.
However, the number of refugees continued to increase. Fortunately, the marshal came up with a solution: he helped Zheng Xiu up and sent him to Jiguang Island, using his reputation for virtue in Yue to appease the refugees.
This way, the refugees wouldn't wander aimlessly across the battlefield, and it would also help distinguish who were genuine refugees. Those who were genuine refugees would all go to Jiguang Island; those who didn't were basically Vietnamese soldiers who had infiltrated the island.
It must be said that enclosing Jiguang Island and guarding it did indeed reduce the pressure on the army. Otherwise, if the refugees kept rushing over day and night to their deaths, even Xie Bing and the Jingwei Army would eventually run out of strength.
Seeing that everyone had almost finished eating, the head cook ordered his men to bring out mung bean and kelp soup.
The Yue Kingdom was located by the sea, so seaweed was an easily accessible food.
After finishing their meal, Xie Bing and the Jingwei Army drank a bowl of mung bean and kelp soup and couldn't help but exclaim, "To have a big bowl of mung bean soup after a meal is just like celebrating the New Year!"
"Our army has always had ample food supplies, so we are not afraid of not having enough to eat."
"With the marshal here, the battlefield will be much easier, and the food will definitely be better."
One of the Imperial Guards happened to be a refugee who had fled to Jiujin from elsewhere. Holding his rice bowl, he couldn't help but envy these Xie soldiers for having such a good marshal, providing them with the best food and drink. No wonder so many people were willing to follow the marshal in battle; it wasn't just for the fighting and the food, but also for the chance to achieve great deeds.
He heard that many of the brothers who had fought alongside the marshal on the front lines had been promoted. Some had risen at least three ranks, directly taking up the position of commander of a thousand men.
I wish he could also achieve merit.