Chapter 9:20 The Time Is Ripe

Nine twenty AM, Jiang's military headquarters command post.

Jiang Yuanzhen put down the phone, his mind racing. In his memory, An Zecheng was a very low-key and slick individual.

This old An had always been unwilling to express his opinion in any public setting. He was very cautious in his actions, just a pure, spineless politician and civil official, with no ability to command military battles, let alone any courage.

So, An Zecheng's sudden move caught Jiang Yuanzhen somewhat by surprise, but the situation was still under his control.

He didn't think that An Zecheng's single army could play any absolutely reversing role. At most, it would just disrupt the rhythm of the war.

After thinking for a moment, Jiang Yuanzhen picked up the phone again and dialed a number.

…

At the same time, An's military headquarters.

An Zecheng stood with his hands behind his back in front of a large map, continuing to analyze the battlefield situation.

Just then, the chief of staff walked over and whispered in his ear, "Commander, Jiang Yuanzhen is on the line."

"Got it." An Zecheng thought for a moment, walked to the desk, and picked up the microphone. "Hello?"

"Old An, what do you mean by this?" Jiang Yuanzhen's questioning voice came from the phone. "We're both part of the garrison system. Are you stabbing me in the back at this time?"

An Zecheng paused for a moment and said in a steady voice, "Old Jiang, calm down. You can't fight now. I'm sending troops for the sake of Dragon City's safety. We can sit down and talk now. I've talked to Su Tianyu and Old Li. We can resolve your son's matter peacefully."

Jiang Yuanzhen said impatiently, "Stop talking nonsense! I gave them a chance, but they didn't take it! I'll just ask you one question: are you on their side?"

An Zecheng pondered for a long time and replied calmly, "Old Jiang, it's not like anyone with a general's star on their shoulders can change the situation and the times. I think you should calm down. District One might not be reliable."

Jiang Yuanzhen cursed directly, "My son's legs are broken! What the hell am I going to talk to you about! If you have to interfere, then let's meet on the battlefield! But let me tell you, An Zecheng, after today, Dragon City will no longer have your army's designation, and District One won't tolerate you either! That's it!"

"If your confidence matched your ability, your son wouldn't have been lost."

"Go to hell!" Jiang Yuanzhen cursed and hung up the phone fiercely.

An Zecheng put down the microphone expressionlessly and waved to the chief of staff beside him, "Come with me."

The two entered a small conference room next door, closed the door, and began to discuss in secret.

…

Jiang's military headquarters command post.

Jiang Yuanzhen calmed his anger, muttering, "Damn it, even this kind of pushover dares to jump out and cause trouble. Does he really think he's… what was that thing called? Sima Yi? I'll break his tiger teeth!"

Jiang Yuan, who was standing next to him, heard their conversation. After thinking for a long time, he couldn't help but step forward and remind him, "Dad, could it be like this? Commander Tan didn't make a move on the surface, so he let An Zecheng do this. The ultimate goal is still to prevent these two divisions from entering… You know, once these two divisions come in, they won't leave. This affects Commander Tan's interests."

When Jiang Yuanzhen heard this, he felt a little uneasy, but he quickly calmed down and turned to his son, "Don't panic, the general trend is irreversible, Old Tan can't stop it! This is a critical moment! As long as these two divisions come in, we'll be sure to win!"

Jiang Yuan nodded, but there was still some doubt on his face.

Jiang Yuanzhen patted him on the shoulder, "You stay put, I'll call Old Yang first."

With that, Jiang Yuanzhen picked up the microphone and called the Seventh Division's headquarters.

The phone was quickly connected, and Yang Biao asked urgently, "Old Jiang, how is it? Did you find out?"

Jiang Yuanzhen's voice was low, "I had a falling out with An Zecheng. He's determined to get involved. I understand that he's doing this for Su Tianyu, maybe he's been colluding with the Hua Tong Society for a long time. But don't panic. You let the Seventh Division and other allied troops continue to snipe them on the periphery. As long as you give me three hours, I can wipe out Su Tianyu's First Army in the Haiyan Pit! Once the main force comes in, we'll win!"

Yang Biao shouted, "I can risk my life with you, but the other brothers don't want to do that! You have to come over and explain things clearly. An Zecheng's involvement has made everyone panic! So far, no one knows how you talked to District One! It's very chaotic here, and the other garrison units supporting you are also unsure! How about this, we'll come to you, let's talk!"

Jiang Yuanzhen thought for a moment, "Okay, then bring them all here."

The two ended the call. Jiang Yuan, who was next to him, was still a little worried and asked, "Dad, what does Uncle Yang mean?"

Jiang Yuanzhen waved his hand, "They're unsure and want to see what District One has given them, whether it's worth it! You take the troops and keep moving forward. I'm going to meet them first."

"Okay." Jiang Yuan nodded. Jiang Yuanzhen straightened his clothes and left the garrison with his guards, heading to the defense area along the Long River.

…

More than an hour later, a column of military vehicles that seemed to have no end parked in the defense area along the Long River, guarded by Jiang's forces.

At this time, the main force had already left, leaving only two guard regiments to defend and protect the logistics headquarters here.

The battlefield was too scattered, and there were warlord forces everywhere. Although Jiang Yuanzhen had the strength of an army, the three lines were stretched, and there was a large buffer distance between the troops.

Soon, Yang Biao led a group of people out of the vehicles. In addition to him, there was also a brigade commander and several regimental commanders.

These people each represented multiple forces of the garrison, and they had all secretly reached some agreements with Old Jiang. Moreover, these people had always been inclined to District One.

Without this backing, Jiang Yuanzhen wouldn't dare to jump up.

…

Led by Yang Biao, the group quickly entered the command post. Most of the guards they brought stayed outside, adding up to about two hundred people.

After entering the conference room, Jiang Yuanzhen hadn't arrived yet, and everyone sat down on their chairs, arguing in a hubbub.

A brigade commander pulled Yang Biao and asked with a worried face, "Commander Yang, Old An suddenly intervened, I don't understand!"

"Yeah, there's no accurate news from the headquarters either. Are we fighting or not?"

"Commander Jiang, what exactly did you say to District One? You have to let us know…"

Yang Biao couldn't help but wave his hand, "Okay, okay, stop arguing! Let's wait for Old Jiang to come over and talk!"

While everyone was talking, the door of the conference room was pushed open, and Jiang Yuanzhen walked in. Everyone immediately fell silent and looked at him in unison.

Jiang Yuanzhen glanced at everyone present and clasped his fists at them, "Thank you all for supporting me, Old Jiang, in this matter. Without everyone's help, I definitely wouldn't have been able to get started!"

Yang Biao looked at him and said, "We've known each other for so many years, there's no need for formalities. Let's talk about what to do now. An Zecheng has intervened, what exactly does District One mean? If we really fight, these two divisions are not enough! To put it bluntly, what if An Zecheng's actions are authorized by the commander? We'll become rebels!"

…

While these people were arguing, outside the command post, a group of soldiers from someone's guard regiment quietly gathered together.

At the same time, on the outer highway, a long column of military vehicles was speeding along. It encountered three checkpoints along the way, but was eventually allowed to pass.

And the top military officers of these three checkpoints were currently in a meeting with Jiang Yuanzhen…