“Let me tell you, if my Min brother were here, how could Xi Ming City fall?” he exclaimed, his voice booming. “He led the army to support it long ago… It’s precisely because my uncle alone oversees the overall situation at Hu Yang Pass that he cannot rashly dispatch troops… Alas!”

“Yes, yes, yes, the name of Young Master Min is like thunder in my ears, a true pride of our Great Xia people, one of the eight strong among the Yellow River Inner Palace Field contenders! But in my opinion, Young Master Jade Dragon and he are only separated by age. In a few more years, whose name will resonate more widely is truly uncertain!”

“Hmph hmph, the Yellow River Assembly…”

“In those years, my family also wanted to send me to study at the Mo Family, but I preferred the Confucian school, so I ended up at the Mu Gu Book Institute… It’s not me saying it, Brother Zhang, but people should still read more books and make more friends. Just knowing how to fight on the battlefield will ultimately limit one’s future. When you reach higher places, you’ll understand. Bottlenecks are everywhere!”

“Alas, who says it isn’t so? In recent years in the army, it’s become increasingly difficult! But I don’t possess the talent of Young Master Jade Dragon, nor do I know where to seek such knowledge. Does Young Master Jade Dragon have any suggestions?”

The two spoke at length in this manner. To Touch Jade Dragon, it was as if he had found a kindred spirit in life! How could there be such a person in the world who understood him so well? He grasped all his unspoken meanings and comprehended his unfinished intentions. Every sentence struck a chord; how harmonious! Even after all the supplies were unloaded and the temporary camp for avoiding the rain was initially set up, he still spoke with great interest. But after all, he carried a mission and could only reluctantly depart.

Upon leaving, they agreed to meet again in Gui Yi City after the war ended. With his face as Touch Jade Dragon, it would be simple to help Zhang Gu find some connections. None of his current confidants were as clever as this fatty before him. Zhang Gu also expressed that upon returning home, he would send Jade Dragon brother some home-smoked mountain delicacies. The sudden outbreak of the Qi-Xia war had brought together two people whose lives would normally never intersect, causing them to know each other and thus form a friendship. Thinking back, when he achieved fame and fortune, this would also make for a good story! Touch Jade Dragon thought thus, reining in his horse and returning to the Pass City. From beginning to end, he, who had conversed so happily with a seemingly country-bumpkin general from Feng Li City, didn’t even dismount.

Chong Xuan Sheng wiped his dripping wet face, then smiled again, turned, and entered the camp, ducking into the main general’s tent, which was already set up. Jiang Wang was cultivating again. Shi Si silently removed his armor gloves and took a dry towel to help him wipe his wet hair – something a simple Dao technique could solve.

“If none of you know how to use Dao techniques to decompose water elements, I can do it for you,” Jiang Wang suddenly opened his eyes and said.

Chong Xuan Sheng chuckled: “No wonder even Touch Jade Dragon says you have no eye for people!”

Jiang Wang didn’t care what Touch Jade Dragon said about him, nor did he argue, merely stating: “Are you not planning to take Hu Yang Pass?”

“Touch Sai is an overly cautious person. Even if we infiltrated the Pass City now, it would still be a fierce battle. Under the blessing of the Great Xia Protector Array and the Hu Yang Pass Protector Array, our losses would be significant… In the enemy’s rear, with no place to replenish soldiers, the most taboo thing is heavy consumption.” Chong Xuan Sheng rattled off a string of reasons, finally smiling: “To seize Hu Yang Pass, there are better methods. Why fight bitterly?”

Jiang Wang uttered an “oh” and didn’t dwell on the method. Knowing there was no immediate battle, he closed his eyes and continued cultivating. The rain still fell, drop by drop, hitting the tent. Between heaven and earth, only the sound of rain seemed to remain.

After stationing outside Hu Yang Pass for a night, the rain stopped at dawn. The soldiers of the De Sheng battalion dismantled their camp, packed the tents, and re-packed the carts. Under Chong Xuan Sheng’s shouts, they orderly marched into Hu Yang Pass. According to Chong Xuan Sheng and Touch Jade Dragon, this branch of the Feng Li Prefecture army was returning from Xin Jie City to Feng Li. The soldiers, homesick, couldn’t wait any longer.

However, even with Touch Jade Dragon as a “good brother,” the passage of the large De Sheng battalion through the pass was still filled with watchful eyes and large crossbows, and the Pass City soldiers formed arrays to guard them, allowing no opportunity whatsoever. Of course, Chong Xuan Sheng had no intention of doing anything originally. The level of guarding implemented according to Touch Sai’s wishes was itself a test. Anyone with a guilty conscience would certainly not dare to let themselves fall into such a life-and-death situation completely at the mercy of others.

“Follow, follow!”

“Brothers, follow!”

“I’ll lead you home!”

Chong Xuan Sheng, dragging his stout body, ran back and forth, commanding the troops forward. In reality, he was intentionally or unintentionally disrupting the marching rhythm of the De Sheng battalion soldiers, making them appear more like a defeated Xia country auxiliary army – some training had become ingrained instinct, and these elite soldiers from the Qiu Sha army always unconsciously wanted to form battle arrays.

Under the various different gazes of the Hu Yang Pass guard army, Chong Xuan Sheng led his troops out of Hu Yang Pass without incident. In the end, he didn’t even see Touch Sai’s face again.

“Are we really just leaving like this?” Outside the Pass City, Jiang Wang asked in surprise. The city gate behind them slowly closed, cutting off the beacon fire from the direction of Lin Wu Prefecture for this pitiful defeated army. Just as Touch Jade Dragon had said upon parting: “Brother Zhang, there’s no need to worry about the war for now. Go back and rest well for a couple of days. The more difficult times are still ahead… But eventually, dawn will come. Just like this rain has now ended.”

Of course, for the De Sheng battalion itself, from this moment on, they truly entered an environment surrounded by enemies. Until Hu Yang Pass was broken, it would be impossible to receive any support. It was impossible for them to really swagger “back” to Feng Li; with no familiar faces there, not being exposed would be strange. An army of three thousand people was also very difficult to hide in the interior of the Great Xia. Even wanting to find a mountain gully to hide in was unrealistic. Hu Yang Pass could soon probe the intelligence from Xi Ming City. Now was the true moment of crisis.

But Chong Xuan Sheng remained composed. “There’s no opportunity here. What else can we do but leave?” He even had leisure to evaluate Touch Sai: “Great Xia still hides dragons and crouching tigers. Before, I didn’t know of Touch Sai. Looking at his defensive skills today, and the various details inside Hu Yang Pass… I already see the makings of a famous general.”

Jiang Wang said speechlessly: “You don’t still want to recruit him, do you?” For prominent families like the Touch clan and the Tai clan, the possibility of surrender was almost negligible. The generous treatment by their current dynasty, none was more generous than that from the Great Xia. Even if the Qi country treated them well, could it help them re-establish their family foundations?

“No, I just want to remind myself that when I kill Touch Jade Dragon, I shouldn’t miss this dangerous figure, Touch Sai.”

“Touch Jade Dragon?” Jiang Wang raised an eyebrow: “Didn’t you two chat very happily? How did he offend you?”

“He offended me greatly!” Chong Xuan Sheng said viciously.

Jiang Wang was silent for a moment, then said: “You haven’t even seen Touch Sai’s face, and you’re talking about not letting him go. Let’s first consider our situation now.”

“Having reached this point, what more is there to consider?” Chong Xuan Sheng smiled, tapping his stout finger on his temple: “It’s all in here.”

Today, the core battlefield of the Qi-Xia war undoubtedly remained at Tong Yang City. Before the majestic city walls, another round of attack by the Chun Si army finally halted, and the army retreated like a tide. During this period, the Chun Si, Qiu Sha, and Zhu Feng, three branches of the Nine Troops elite, took turns bombarding Tong Yang City. They always kept the pressure at a critical point, giving the Tong Yang City defenders no chance to breathe. By firmly pinning down Great Xia’s Prime Minister Liu Xi Yi, National Preceptor Xi Meng Fu, and others in Tong Yang City, and leveraging their advantage in field combat strength, the Qi army held absolute initiative in the Jiang Yin Plain, advancing and retreating freely.

This was reflected in their siege attacks, which were completely arbitrary. Sometimes they would strike on time at noon, or suddenly attack at midnight, preventing the Xia side’s defenders from having a moment of relaxation – because as long as a slight flaw was exposed, whether it was Chong Xuan Chu Liang, Li Zheng Yan, or Chen Ze Qing, they would certainly not give the Xia army a chance to remedy it.

“Stone Gate Battle Strategy” says: “Defending the city is like defending a dike, daring not to let an ant collapse it.” The Qi army’s attack primarily relied on the fully combat-ready Chun Si army, often “adding meals” for the enemy. Two or even three attacks a day were the norm. The Qiu Sha army and Zhu Feng army then engaged in more leisurely sieges, attacking for a while when it was their turn. They attacked at most once every two days, spending most of their time recuperating. Spirit Blood Pills were consumed, and Dao Origin Stones were used. Their diet was also very particular, with spirit grains mixed with ordinary grains, spirit vegetables mixed with ordinary vegetables, and beasts with monster beast bloodlines slaughtered one after another – in normal times, this would be a luxury only enjoyed during the New Year festival, but during the war, it was uninterrupted. The abundant supplies from the Great Qi Empire, continuously sent to the front line through the “Zheng Tu” established by the Zi Ji Zhi Zheng. Of course, since the Xia country considered Tong Yang City as its fortress against the Qi, the city’s internal supply reserves were naturally sufficient and could probably last for ten or eight years. But could the soldiers guarding the city withstand this tense state of daring not to relax for twelve hours a day for that long? Even with two True Monarchs stationed there, and even with famous generals like clouds in Tong Yang City at this time, and the guard army divided into shifts to guard meticulously… Tong Yang City itself was being bombarded moment by moment and could face a major decisive battle at any time. Even if they truly took turns to rest, could they truly relax completely?

As the Qiu Sha army and Zhu Feng army slowly recovered, the pressure on Tong Yang City increased daily. Some confined guard generals, after drinking and speaking their minds, both hoped the war would drag on longer, dragging down the Qi army, and yet found it truly difficult to endure! Bias Qi army commander Cao Ji seemed to have not the slightest sign of anxiety, completely unlike the early days of entering the Xia – at that time, it seemed he would extinguish the Xia in three months. Now, however, he was steady and orderly, with the three branches of the Nine Troops elite attacking the city daily as if in drill. It was like practicing soldiers! The other east and north line battlefields were truly being allowed to run freely. It seemed they were fully prepared for a prolonged war!

Wang Yi Wu came down from the battlefield, his ears filled with the creaking sound – that was the sound of the army’s craftsmen relaxing the strings of the She Yue crossbows. After the battle ended, they had to add secret methods in a timely manner and carefully warm them with lion scorpion oil to maximize the service life of this expensive military equipment. Besides that, there were the neat footsteps of soldiers, the clinking of armor plates, the sound of the wind blowing flags… Everything on the battlefield made him feel a sense of familiarity. The army camp was also the place that made him feel most comfortable. The scent of the soldiers seemed to be mixed in the wind. It was a kind of indescribable… slightly pungent, slightly rough, but it could make one’s blood boil. He had grown up in this environment. Here he gained glory, here he grasped fate… In the respectful gazes of the soldiers, he strode into the military tent.

Chen Ze Qing’s wooden wheelchair was stopped before a large sand table. He quietly looked at the sand table, lost in thought. In such a large military tent, there was only one person. Now there were two.

“How do you feel?” Chen Ze Qing asked without lifting his head.

“The Xia army is very tenacious, not showing signs of fatigue,” said Wang Yi Wu, who had personally been on the front line, leading by example and feeling the enemy’s edge with his fist.

“That’s too normal. After all, the ones standing on the city wall now are not easy to deal with,” Chen Ze Qing said lightly.

“It’s already December,” Wang Yi Wu said gloomily.

“Are you anxious?” Chen Ze Qing asked casually.

“Commander Cao led the army to the Xia border, from Jian Feng Mountain to Tong Yang City, breaking through the Xia country’s protector array, it only took five days. Then the three armies scattered, striking at various places, opening another east line battlefield and a north line battlefield… It’s been a full ten days since then! Lin Wu Prefecture and You Ping Prefecture still haven’t achieved a breakthrough,” Wang Yi Wu’s brows were somewhat shadowed: “We in Tong Yang City have already contained their main force and pinned down their core figures, haven’t we?”

Chen Ze Qing gently tugged at the old blanket on his knees and slowly said: “Great Xia is not a country that can be extinguished with a snap of the fingers. At this stage, we cannot rush.”

Wang Yi Wu furrowed his brow: “I have no doubts about Commander Cao. But the great war of Jing and Mu has fully erupted, and it has already been a full forty-two days, nearly one and a half months! Mu Sheng had even fought for a year before! The situation can change at any time. But I feel that our victory or defeat should not be influenced by their victory or defeat.” His implied meaning was that the war against Xia should be rushed to end before the Jing-Mu war concluded. This was also the Qi side’s best assumption about this war.

Chen Ze Qing glanced at him: “You can jump out of the Qi-Xia battlefield and consider the war from the overall world situation. This is very good. But this war cannot be rushed.”

Wang Yi Wu casually found a seat and sat down, saying somewhat helplessly: “Senior brother, you always say that.” Even the habitually arrogant Wang Yi Wu had times when his temper was worn down.

Chen Ze Qing’s voice remained flat: “Your anxiety is exactly what the Xia country people want. Now our opening is already very perfect. The war has entered the mid-game. What should be considered in the mid-game? Wang Yi Wu, maintain patience.”

Wang Yi Wu had no choice but to calm his emotions a bit and then asked: “Senior brother, are you very confident about the Mu country?”

Chen Ze Qing laughed foolishly: “Whether it’s the Jing country or the Mu country, both are world powers. It’s not for me, an outsider, to say whether I’m confident about them.” After laughing, he looked at Wang Yi Wu and said: “I am just confident about our Qi country.” These words were spoken very calmly and very firmly.

Wang Yi Wu was originally preparing to cultivate cross-legged, but before that, he still couldn’t help but say one sentence: “It would be good if Senior brother went to the east line battlefield.” In his heart, in terms of military strategy, his senior brother was definitely stronger than Privy Councilor Xie Huai An. If Chen Ze Qing went to the east line, defeating a group of Xia country auxiliary armies would not have led to this kind of stalemate.

Chen Ze Qing, however, shook his head very seriously: “Even if I went to the east line, I might not be as effective as Commander Xie. His current method is simply the most steady method. How the east line plays out, to a large extent, is not decided by us Qi country people, but by the Xia country people.”

Wang Yi Wu opened his mouth: “Ah, I was just saying casually, Senior brother, don’t preach again—”

Chen Ze Qing had already continued: “Furthermore, the northern part of Lin Wu has already achieved a breakthrough. Just got news that the front line is steadily advancing towards the central part of Lin Wu. Fully occupying Lin Wu is already a matter of time.”

Wang Yi Wu closed his mouth. After a while, he smiled again: “Not bad.”