Chapter 733: Just There!

Had it not been for a sternly worded urgent dispatch that traveled six hundred *li* from the Beiliang Protectorate General's office, Yan Wenluan, the commander of Beiliang's infantry, would currently be in Luanhe City, not standing atop the walls of Xiaguang City. So when news arrived that Wogong City had fallen in a single day to the Northern Mang vanguard army, the Youzhou military and political leaders felt waves of dread. If anything had happened to General Yan, what would there be left to defend at Hulu Pass? It was well known that two or three years prior, Youzhou military circles would openly say, "It makes no difference whether Beiliang has its Crown Prince, but Youzhou without General Yan is a world of difference." Of course, by now, no one would dare utter such absurd words.

Yan Wenluan and Chen Yunshui, the two pillars of Youzhou, walked side-by-side to a ballista nicknamed "Old Brother Nine Oxen." Among Beiliang's large ballistas, the "Nine Oxen" and "Twin Tigers" models were widely deployed in major cities. Yan Wenluan weighed a massive arrow, indistinguishable from a javelin, his expression calm, while the thoughts of those behind him were as heavy as that giant arrow. According to the established strategy, Wogong City was expected to hold even if the Northern Mang army only sent 150,000 troops south to Hulu Pass. Yet, Wogong City fell in a single day, despite Northern Mang doubling its forces on the Youzhou eastern front compared to what was anticipated. This was truly astonishing. He Zhonghu, the old general personally in charge of military affairs for the three Hulu Pass cities, could curse Zhu Mu and Gao Shiqing to vent his anger, but others lacked such courage or simply couldn't bear to, for all six thousand defenders of Wogong City had perished. The dead are to be revered, and besides, how had those men ever disgraced the Youzhou army?

Huangfu Ping said with a complex expression, "Not only does the Northern Mang infantry possess a large quantity of well-crafted bows and crossbows, but they also have six hundred trebuchets. They first attacked in shifts with 20,000 men. Even with heavy casualties, their commander, Zhong Tan, ordered every chiliarch to replenish their full thousand men, fighting until Wogong City was breached."

He Zhonghu scoffed, "These Northern Mang barbarians are using Wogong City to train their troops. Anyone with half a brain knows that after these brutes break Wogong, they'll surely dismantle half the city. When they then attack Luanhe, the trebuchets won't just be throwing a couple of rounds."

Yan Wenluan calmly asked, "Have all eight hundred cavalry in Luanhe City been recalled?"

Huangfu Ping nodded. "They are already on their way back to Xiaguang City. No one expected the Northern Mang barbarians' siege to be so intense, giving the Wogong City cavalry no chance to sally out and harass them. If Zhong Tan hadn't been so single-minded, the Northern Mang infantry would have lost at least two or three thousand more men."

He Zhonghu punched the city wall, heartbroken. "They were all brave sons of Youzhou!"

Yan Wenluan gently replaced the arrow. Xie Chengshu, the commander of Xiaguang City, secretly gulped and, plucking up his courage, said, "General, since we moved out the Liuzhou soldiers from Wogong and Luanhe cities, there has been a commotion in Luanhe City..."

As this sensitive topic was raised, everyone, including He Zhonghu and Huangfu Ping, cautiously looked at Yan Wenluan.

Yan Wenluan's expression remained unchanged as he calmly said, "Commotion? Are you speaking lightly of it? What, you, Xie Chengshu, are related by marriage to Yang Piao of Luanhe City, so you're helping him gloss it over? If I'm not mistaken, the Tiger Leap Battalion of Luanhe City, which dared to threaten its commander with mutiny, is one of Youzhou's few veteran battalions. Its last two colonels, Zhong Hongwu and Liu Yuanji, were both trusted lieutenants of those old men. When Zhong Hongwu lost his post, our Colonel then laid down his arms and resigned in solidarity—that's one thing, as most of the officers and men Zhong Hongwu trained were of that ilk. But Xun Shu, who once served as a personal guard to old Liu, should not have been so audacious. Speak up, all you sirs present, how many of you are discontent with my decision to withdraw the Liuzhou soldiers from the front lines?"

On the city wall, no one dared to breathe loudly. Especially Xie Chengshu, the commander of Xiaguang, and his two deputies, who had already fallen to their knees with a thud, not daring to utter a single word of apology.

He Zhonghu quickly tried to smooth things over, saying with a helpless expression, "Look at what you're saying, putting on such an intimidating demeanor. Who would dare speak frankly and sincerely with you now?"

Yan Wenluan remained silent.

He Zhonghu sighed, then smiled at the three Xiaguang City generals and said amiably, "All of you, rise. The Grand General has said it countless times: a man's knees are not for kneeling to others. Two of you have even been to Qingliang Mountain and met the Grand General face to face. When has he ever asked you to do more than cup your fists in salute?"

Yan Wenluan suddenly said, "Strip the Tiger Leap Battalion of its name."

At these words, even He Zhonghu's face changed drastically, let alone the three still kneeling Xie Chengshu and his men.

For a Beiliang veteran battalion, suffering a defeat, or even winning a battle but achieving less than another veteran battalion, was as painful as being stabbed. As for being stripped of their name? That was worse than death! In Beiliang, a veteran battalion, even if every man had fallen in battle, could still retain its name. In fact, all veteran battalions loved to compete with each other. Over years of accumulated warfare, they first vied to see who killed the most enemies, then who had superior combat strength. In the end, they even compared the number of times their entire battalion had been wiped out, and those who triumphed in this last category truly earned heartfelt respect. For instance, the Vanguard Battalion, one of the oldest units alongside the Lotus Seed, Partridge, and Great Horse Battalions, won the top spot by this measure and has for many years proudly called itself the foremost veteran battalion. Even a common soldier from that battalion would look down their nose at a captain or even a colonel from another unit. This led to a peculiar phenomenon in the Beiliang border army that outsiders couldn't comprehend: often, there would be "a colonel in this life, a general in the next," meaning that the commanders of those veteran battalions preferred to remain colonels for life rather than take on higher-ranking general positions; they would leave being a general for their next life.

To strip the Tiger Leap Battalion of its name meant that the Tiger Leap Battalion would cease to exist. It meant that all the efforts of their fallen comrades and veterans who had retired due to injury would be wasted.

Especially those veteran battalion martyrs who had died in foreign lands, in the eyes of the Beiliang border army, they would become restless, lonely spirits forever.

Yan Wenluan tilted his head and lightly spat on the ground, his tone still calm and unhurried. "What a piece of crap. They're ten blocks behind those veteran cavalry battalions in Liangzhou."

The old general then left Xiaguang City directly.

Huangfu Ping's expression was strange, but he couldn't leave Xiaguang City for now. He silently saw the infantry commander off outside the city, then hurried back to the city wall. Indeed, no one had left; they stood perfectly still. Xie Chengshu and his two men were still kneeling with bowed heads, and He Zhonghu, usually good-tempered and easy to talk to, had a terrifyingly grim expression. Lu Zhonghui, a deputy general of Xiaguang City and commander of another veteran battalion, a middle-aged martial artist with more scars on his body than his son's age, was there choking and sobbing like a wronged child. Lu Zhonghui's Shielding Cavalry Battalion was a veteran battalion personally forged by Yan Wenluan. Back then, the roads in West Shu were rugged and unsuitable for the Xu family's iron cavalry to gallop freely. The Shielding Cavalry Battalion had already distinguished itself in the Battle of Xileibi, earning great military honors. It was said that one step taken was worth one cavalryman. Even Chu Lushan, the vanguard general who led a thousand cavalry to open up Shu, praised them without reservation, saying, "It's more than one step for one cavalryman; a thousand steps can still block a thousand cavalrymen." Hence, the name Shielding Cavalry Battalion!

When Yan Wenluan called them "a piece of crap," it wasn't just idle talk; it was a harsh slap in his own face as the commander of Beiliang's infantry.

He Zhonghu leaned his hands on the city wall, his back to the others, and spoke softly, "Wogong City is gone. How could he not be sad? In all of Beiliang, if Old Yan doesn't care about Hulu Pass, who else could care more? Not just Hulu Pass, but all the Youzhou infantry, they were all personally trained by him. Would he truly be willing to sacrifice our Youzhou army after the Liuzhou troops have fallen? It's impossible. Now, the more than ten thousand Liuzhou soldiers on the Youzhou border, along with those from Liangzhou, and especially the locals from Liuzhou, and those settled in Lingzhou—they're all watching our Hulu Pass."

He Zhonghu took a deep breath and said sternly, "Issue an order to Luanhe City: strip the Tiger Leap Battalion of its name! Colonel Xun Shu and all the chiliarchs, centurions, and corporals are permitted to participate in the city's defense while awaiting punishment! If they feel this camp riot and mutiny isn't enough to vent their anger, fine, if they have the guts, go kill Yang Piao, Luanhe's commander! At worst, I, He Zhonghu, will personally lead troops to suppress the rebellion!"

Xie Chengshu gritted his teeth and said, "I, your humble general, implore the Grand General to allow the Tiger Leap Battalion to atone for their crimes by meritorious service, to give them a chance to reclaim their veteran battalion name!"

He Zhonghu suddenly spun around and kicked the Xiaguang City commander, sending him flying backward. "At such a critical moment, Luanhe City is causing such a huge disturbance. Do you think only Yan Wenluan is furious? Do you think that urgent dispatch only told our General Yan not to expose himself to danger? Chu Lushan of the Protectorate General, our Protector General, has already clearly stated, 'If the Youzhou officers and soldiers are disobedient, though the war in Liangzhou is pressing, we can still spare a few capable generals to defend the city in their stead.' Listen to that! Chu Lushan wants your in-law to get out of Luanhe City! What good would it do if I, He Zhonghu, agreed?!"

The infantry commander had already left. Deputy Commander He Zhonghu, though not immediately leaving Xiaguang City, was also ashen-faced with anger as he quickly walked down from the city wall.

Huangfu Ping, following behind He Zhonghu, asked, "Won't this be overdoing it?"

He Zhonghu waved his hand dismissively and bluntly declared, "Our Youzhou army isn't that delicate!"

Huangfu Ping continued, "Then how should we deal with the more than two hundred ordinary soldiers who joined the Tiger Leap Battalion's commotion in Luanhe City, taking the opportunity to try and leave the city?"

He Zhonghu said coldly, "What's there to ask? Of course, they'll be dealt with according to military law, executed on the spot!"

Huangfu Ping watched his retreating back and still pressed the question, "General He, I'm asking about their Youzhou families. How should they be dealt with?"

He Zhonghu paused his steps.

A long silence.

Huangfu Ping spoke softly, "For these more than two hundred men, this general will declare them all as having died in battle. If Qingliang Mountain and the Protectorate General's office inquire in the future, I will take responsibility."

He Zhonghu turned around. "Huangfu Ping, what's your angle?"

Huangfu Ping smiled without speaking.

He Zhonghu narrowed his eyes and slowly said, "Huangfu Ping, to be honest, I truly dislike you, General of Youzhou. Even if you've done me this favor, I still dislike you greatly. I've seen too many clever people like you."

Huangfu Ping smiled calmly. "If I were truly clever, shouldn't I just act and not speak?"

He Zhonghu smiled, turned, and walked away, sighing softly, "If the Grand General were still alive, even if he didn't come to Xiaguang City, he should have appeared at the Protectorate General's office. Not like now, where we can't even see the shadow of our King of Beiliang, let alone the man himself."

Huangfu Ping wanted to speak but hesitated, finally remaining silent.

Half a day later, within Luanhe City, on a drill ground, the large gates were tightly shut.

Only a single, uniform battalion of soldiers remained.

Two thousand seven hundred twenty-six men.

All were present.

Veteran battalions placed the highest importance on their "old" rules: the number of men established when the battalion was founded was generally the number it should always maintain. Except for a very few veteran battalions that started with too few men, most maintained this unchangeable number.

In the Beiliang army, apart from Grand General Xu Xiao's "Xu" banner, only one type of troop could raise a banner other than the "Xu" banner. Chen Zhibao, who once served as Beiliang's Protector General, could not raise a "Chen" banner, nor can Yuan Zuozong, the current commander of cavalry, raise a "Yuan" banner. However, the Lotus Seed Battalion could, the Great Horse Battalion could, the Partridge Battalion could, and this morning, the veteran battalion whose "Tiger Leap" banner still fluttered in the wind could too. But from now on, like ordinary Beiliang border troops, they could not.

Lu Zhonghui, the deputy general of Xiaguang City and colonel of the Shielding Cavalry Battalion, personally delivered a military order and a message to Luanhe City and the Tiger Leap Battalion.

As a deputy general, he delivered the order to Yang Piao, the commander of Luanhe City: the Tiger Leap Battalion was to be stripped of its name.

Then, as the colonel of the Shielding Cavalry Battalion, he went to the Tiger Leap Battalion's camp. Without entering, he stood at the gate and said to the tear-streaked Xun Shu, "First, I ask your entire battalion to fight to the death. Only after you meet your fallen comrades below, then you may kneel."

On the drill ground.

Xun Shu stood expressionless at the front. Beside him were twenty-three captains and forty-seven lieutenants of the former Tiger Leap Battalion. Many of them still had their arms raised, covering their faces.

Xun Shu said in a deep voice, "I, Xun Shu, have let you down! I have let down all the veterans who died fighting in the Tiger Leap Battalion!"

Xun Shu beat his chest with his fist. "I don't understand Grand General Yan's order. The first part I don't understand, and the second part I resent even more! I resent it from the bottom of my heart!"

Xun Shu roughly rubbed his face, then gave a miserable laugh. "But resentment is useless. Are we, the Tiger Leap Battalion, truly going to mutiny? Are we truly going to rebel in Luanhe City, as Grand General He said?"

Xun Shu looked at their faces and said in a deep voice, "Whether you have such thoughts, I don't care. But whoever truly dares to do so, I will be the first to cut them down! Anyone who dares, come out and fight me one-on-one? Become a colonel first before you talk!"

Xun Shu suddenly burst into laughter. "You bunch of bastards, I can knock down a group of you with one hand!"

Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted, "Colonel, if I kill a few more Northern Mang barbarians tomorrow, can General Yan give us back the Tiger Leap Battalion's name?"

Xun Shu did not deceive his brothers and shook his head.

Xun Shu suddenly roared towards outside the drill ground, "Yang Piao, take your men and scram! I'm an old soldier of Youzhou's Tiger Leap Battalion, not a rebel! If by tomorrow, my brothers and I haven't killed more men than your seven thousand, I, Xun Shu, will be reincarnated as your son in my next life!"

Hearing the overwhelming curses from within the drill ground, Yang Piao, the commander of Luanhe City, rubbed his ear and said to his two deputies with a wry smile, "We can rest assured. Let's go."

However, before leaving, Yang Piao yelled back, "Hey, Xun! Remember this! If you don't kill more men than us in the next few days, remember to be an obedient son to Yang Piao!"

Damn it, the drill ground was already echoing with the uniform sound of swords being drawn. Yang Piao quickly led his men away in a flash.

At this time, Hong Jingyan's Rouran Iron Cavalry, as before, was about to arrive outside Youzhou City but was destined not to participate in the siege.

This naturally also meant that Luanhe City, better equipped than Wogong City, was about to face a desperate battle.

In the grand tent of the Northern Mang central front, where five hundred thousand troops were deployed, a胖 man walked round and round a sandbox map of Beiliang.

No one knew what the Southern Court Grand King was muttering to himself.

Fatty Dong walked to the area near the Western Regions on the sandbox, paused, then circled to Jizhou, pausing again.

He also paused when he saw the area between Beiliang and West Shu.

Finally, he walked to the center of the table, leaned his hands on the surface, and said softly, "With Wogong City at Hulu Pass breached in a single day, the entire Central Plains must now be cursing Beiliang as a piece of crap, calling your Xu family's iron cavalry overrated..."

Dong Zhuo habitually clicked his teeth together. "I know you definitely haven't hidden away in Qingliang Mountain. You have three choices: break through west of Liuzhou and deal with those monks on Lantuo Mountain in the Western Regions; or go to the West Shu border, humbly seek a face-to-face deal with Chen Zhibao, and make a costly transaction for Beiliang; or go to Hengshui and Yinyao in Jibei to help Youzhou clean up the mess the new Liyang Emperor has given you."

The fat man continued muttering to himself in a low voice, "If you go to West Shu, I can't control that. If you go to Jizhou, those 20,000 low-tier cavalry, who gained no advantage from Wei Jingtang, certainly won't be enough... But if you go to the Western Regions, that would really be a headache. Am I supposed to specially assign an imperial envoy or a grand general for you, leading tens of thousands of troops to wait idly there? I might be willing, but others wouldn't be..."

Dong Zhuo began circling the table again.

"Or should I toss a coin and guess heads or tails?"

"How can that be? Affairs of state and military are not a game!"

"Exactly, exactly, Dong Zhuo, you are the Southern Court Grand King today. You must be cautious in your actions."

"Hmm! Good point! Huh? Why are you all still standing there dumbfounded? Hurry up, bring me a coin!"

As Hutou City, the foremost strategic town in the northwest of the Liyang Dynasty, underwent intense bombardment from over a thousand trebuchets, the Beiliang Protectorate General's office, not far from Hutou City, continued to operate swiftly and orderly. The Protector General even had the "leisure and elegance" to take time to inquire about the battle situation soon to fully unfold in Luanhe City, in front of a sandbox map encompassing the terrain of You, He, and Ji provinces. While the Youzhou army might not have taken the slightest disturbance in Luanhe City seriously, merely dismissing it as local generals acting on impulse without considering the overall situation, those qualified to stand in the Protectorate General's main hall knew that Protector General Chu harbored a strong intent to kill. If Xu Weixiong, who had not yet left the area, hadn't spoken, Chu Lushan would indeed have been too lazy to care if Yan Wenluan lost face; he had already sent men to Luanhe City to take over border defenses. For this, Gu Dazo, the Deputy Commander of infantry on the Liangzhou front, had already had a heated argument with Chu Lushan, and many generals, including Zhou Kang, had been forced to play the mediator.

Chu Lushan stood before the sandbox, his fingers interlaced in front of his abdomen, gently tapping the back of his hand.

It wasn't just a matter of differing military talents; different positions also influenced how battlefield commanders thought.

The talent of a general versus the talent of a commander—a single character difference, seemingly close at hand, but in reality, worlds apart.

Xu Weixiong sat in a chair, a heavy blanket over her knees. Yuan Zuozong was present, and Qi Dangguo was also there.

It was very interesting; though they had different surnames, they were all "one family."

Xu Weixiong looked at the sandbox and said softly, "Based on the casualty figures from Wogong City for both sides, even if Yang Yuanzan's siege tactics were very 'Central Plains,' Hulu Pass could still, with just over forty thousand men, wear down 150,000 or even more Northern Mang troops. After all, Hulu Pass becomes harder to fight the longer it goes on. However, both top martial generals understood that Xiaguang City would be a turning point. After taking Xiaguang, once Youzhou's gates are wide open, Northern Mang will have more tactical options: whether to engage in cavalry or infantry battles, to besiege a point to strike at reinforcements, or to specifically target Youzhou's limited cavalry, or even to simply abandon Youzhou cities and single-mindedly support their central main army—all would be possible."

Qi Dangguo said in a low voice, "If Northern Mang had taken the bait from the start and attacked Liuzhou with full force, their food and supply lines would have had many vulnerabilities."

Xu Weixiong shook her head. "If they were truly to attack Liuzhou, it wouldn't be a matter of supply lines. Dong Zhuo and the Grand Peace Order are capable enough to turn their supply lines into bait, luring us in instead."

Yuan Zuozong nodded. "With a million troops pressing on all fronts, it can be said that half of Northern Mang's Southern Court is sacrificing greatly to ensure smooth frontline supplies. In fact, not only are the two border provinces of Nanchao Gucai and Longyao bleeding heavily, mobilizing no less than a million cattle and sheep, but Ju and Hexi provinces had also already begun to move. As Northern Court Grand King Tuoba Pusa resolved internal disputes and began leading troops south to Liuzhou, Northern Mang has essentially committed its entire nation's strength to fight this bitter battle. Even if we intend to launch a surprise attack, it can no longer be called an 'attack'."

Chu Lushan, whose gaze had been idly wandering over the sandbox, suddenly stared fixedly at a certain spot in Hulu Pass and muttered to himself, "What if we..."

Qi Dangguo couldn't understand at all. Yuan Zuozong was deep in thought, quickly weighing the pros and cons.

Only Xu Weixiong directly rejected it, saying, "No, it's too risky. This severely contradicts our original strategy for Beiliang!"

Completely confused, Qi Dangguo turned to look at Yuan Zuozong, also an adopted son of the Grand General. The latter chuckled softly, "The true significance of Hulu Pass's existence, besides its superficial purpose of depleting Northern Mang's forces, holds a deeper special meaning. Hulu Pass's unique strategic depth benefits not only Youzhou but all of Beiliang. Back then, Adopted Father and Mr. Li made the worst-case scenario plan: if Liangzhou were breached, there would be three retreat routes. One was to lead the army into West Shu, establish a base there, and rely on Nanzhao—this was the best strategy, but now... The second was to enter the Western Regions via the current Liuzhou, but this was the worst strategy, as we ultimately have no stable base in the Western Regions. The third, middle strategy, was to desperately defend Hulu Pass, to the west and north of Youzhou. If necessary, we would hold Hezhou and Jizhou in our hands. Regardless of the Liyang court's feelings, we in Beiliang would forcibly extend the horizontal front line once more! The most crucial point of this strategy was to treat Hulu Pass as the Xiangfan City of the Central Plains."

Yuan Zuozong pointed at Hulu Pass and slowly said, "The Protector General wants to launch an unexpected large battle at Hulu Pass, for me or General Zhou to lead elite cavalry on a risky journey to Hulu Pass and swallow up Yang Yuanzan's western army in one go. If this happens, Liangzhou and Liuzhou, already short on troops, would become even more precarious. But if we can luckily succeed, the risk is great, but the benefits are naturally also great..."

Xu Weixiong said in a deep voice, "There's no such thing as 'luckily succeeding' in this world! We cannot afford to gamble, and Beiliang has not reached the point where it must gamble!"

Qi Dangguo secretly made an expression of "you're on your own," while Yuan Zuozong smiled calmly.

Chu Lushan thought for a moment and said, "Our worst-case scenario for Beiliang, in the end, is that even if we fight until we use up all our reserves, we must force Northern Mang to commit over six hundred thousand troops. This is not difficult."

Perhaps if anyone else had said such a thing, even Zhou Kang, the Deputy Commander of Beiliang's cavalry, people would secretly criticize them for such an outrageous boast. But coming from Chu Lushan, it genuinely made people willing to believe him.

Chu Lushan, whose fingers remained interlaced, slightly bent one finger and pointed towards Jibei. "Wei Jingtang finally had a change of heart and didn't abandon Hengshui City. Precisely because Hengshui City remains, Yu Luandao was not reduced to using those ten thousand Youzhou cavalry to attack Yinyao City, which Jizhou almost handed over to Northern Mang's twenty thousand men on a silver platter. The situation is actually still good. At least Gu Jiantang didn't openly yell at Northern Mang's westernmost border army, 'Buddies, hurry up and attack Youzhou! Stop staring at each other lovingly all day! Once you're gone, I, Gu Jiantang, guarantee I saw nothing.' Also, the Zhao family emperor in Liyang hasn't yet ordered the Ministry of Revenue to permit Beiliang citizens to change their household registrations, nor has he allowed Hezhou and other places to open their doors like courtesans, not only refusing our Beiliang's money but even paying us..."

Yuan Zuozong cleared his throat lightly.

Realizing that this was inappropriate to say in front of Xu Weixiong, Chu Lushan chuckled. The fearless Protector General quickly changed the subject. "I'm not very good at chess. Hmm, but if I played a hundred games with Adopted Father, I could still win a hundred games."

Qi Dangguo rubbed his chin and smiled knowingly.

After the joke, Chu Lushan continued, "Wei Jingtang and Hengqiu City are variables. Both we and Northern Mang have been caught off guard; it just depends on who can seize the opportunity. Moreover, the King has also gone there..."

Xu Weixiong, for once, flew into a rage on the spot, angrily rebuking him by name, "Chu Lushan! Have you eaten a bear's heart and leopard's guts?!"

Qi Dangguo was startled and became even more confused.

Yuan Zuozong said softly, "It's too risky. Even if the King takes Yu Luandao's cavalry and decisively defeats those 20,000 long-marching and unsupported Northern Mang light cavalry, perhaps the original plan would have stopped there, at most moving west to fight a few small battles. But once we send additional troops, it's tantamount to forcing the King and those ten thousand Youzhou cavalry to fight a major battle outside Hulu Pass. And at this time, Hong Jingyan's Rouran Iron Cavalry has remained still. Our Youzhou army is separated by the jagged, interconnected terrain of half of Hulu Pass. Even if our cavalry converges with the King, it's still too risky. This risk is even more reckless than me leading troops to Hulu Pass to swallow Yang Yuanzan's forces. No!"

Chu Lushan released his interlaced fingers, raised his arm, and rubbed his temples with two index fingers, staring intently at Hulu Pass. "Do you think I'm forcing the King? No, the King is forcing us!"

Chu Lushan picked up a bamboo stick and jabbed it hard at a spot outside Hulu Pass on the sandbox, his face grim. "The King wants to tell Youzhou, to tell all of Beiliang, that in this great war, he, the King of Beiliang, Xu Fengnian, is right here!"

Xu Weixiong seemed to want to stand up, struggled for a moment, then settled back quietly, closing her eyes and biting her lip in silence.

Yuan Zuozong smiled happily, narrowing his phoenix-like eyes. An unusual aura emanated from him. This was the first time since becoming the commander of Beiliang's cavalry that he so openly displayed his long-dormant sharpness. "Then let it be so!"

After opening her eyes, Xu Weixiong's expression was calm, her gaze extremely sharp as she looked at the Beiliang Protector General. "Can Hutou City hold for forty days?"

Xu Weixiong looked at the three of them and said in a deep voice, "If it cannot, not a single soldier will be allowed to leave the Liangzhou border!"

Chu Lushan snorted coldly. "At least!"

Before Xu Weixiong could look at him, "White Bear" Yuan Zuozong left her only a receding back.

After crossing the threshold, Yuan Zuozong, who had always been meticulously concerned with his appearance, for the first time ever stretched widely and rolled his neck.

Having done all this, Yuan Zuozong quickly walked out of the Beiliang Protectorate General's office.

That same day, a ten-thousand-man cavalry force quietly left its garrison.

Beiliang's three hundred thousand iron cavalry, peerless under heaven.

And this cavalry unit was peerless among the Beiliang army.

The Great Snow Dragon Riders!

A six-thousand-strong cavalry force on a long-distance raid brazenly appeared outside Hulu Pass.

The lead rider was armored, spear in hand, and a Beiliang saber at his waist.