Chapter 1 The Fall of Yangshan Stronghold

That wolf smoke belonging to the Yan army rose, indicating that Yangshan Stronghold had been breached.

The Yan army's scouts quickly informed all units of this news. Now that Yangshan had fallen, those who should disengage would disengage, and those who should retreat would retreat.

The main force retreated, but the small units used as outer perimeter warning during wartime were not withdrawn. Instead, they were all sent out according to pre-war arrangements, to reinforce the already dominant scouting forces south of Zhennan Pass.

The purpose of removing Yangshan Stronghold was twofold: first, to sever the connection between the Chu people's various forts and strongholds, and second, to completely bring the area before Zhennan Pass under the control of the Yan army's war rhythm, turning the Chu people's painstakingly constructed forts and strongholds into isolated islands.

If you send out a large army, the Yan army will immediately move upon hearing the news and confront you. If you send out a small force, you might get out, but you won't be able to return.

The root cause of this phenomenon was not just the loss of Yangshan Stronghold, but the original pattern of Yan attacking and Chu defending. Since the Chu were on the defensive, they would inevitably lose control of the situation, either actively or passively.

Of course, the battle report would inevitably sing praises:

Earl Pingye led the Xuehai Iron Cavalry to crush Yangshan Stronghold in one fell swoop, completely setting the tone for the campaign against Chu, laying a solid foundation for breaking through the Chu people's iron defense and accelerating the process of using troops against Chu, and so on.

In fact, it was somewhat targeted.

In the next two days, apart from the scouts being more active than usual, the troops mostly returned to their camps and prepared as needed.

King Jingnan did not convene another military conference because of this battle. The arrangements for this battle had been decided during the last military conference, and there was no need to deliberately summon everyone at this time just to celebrate Earl Pingye's victory.

This great war had only just begun.

Yes,

It had indeed just begun.

Back in his camp, Zheng Boye first took a comfortable hot bath.

The bathtub was placed behind the command tent, with a door between the two tents. The front was the office area, and the back was the living area.

This was the advantage of the battlefield being close to home. Zheng Boye had never had such treatment when he went to war in the past.

After taking a bath, he slept soundly.

He fully rested and regained his energy. When he came out of the command tent, he saw a lively scene.

After attacking Yangshan Stronghold, the various troops were divided into several army groups and began siege operations. Naturally, not all troops could participate in the siege; some had to be kept as mobile forces, but those were Tian Wujing's arrangements.

What Zheng Boye needed to conquer was the Chu people's Dongshan Fort.

A rather large stronghold.

A few days ago, to weave this pocket, a Chu army had garrisoned it, but in order to provide support, this force was pulled out again and clashed with Gong Wang's forces several times, with both sides suffering losses.

But after Gong Wang received the news that Yangshan Stronghold had been breached, he stopped intercepting and instead consolidated his troops, blocking the possibility of that Chu army retreating back to Dongshan Fort.

He was indeed a veteran of the battlefield, appreciated by Situ Lei, and still able to take charge even after the change of dynasty under the Yan people's rule. His own ability was beyond doubt.

Moreover, his style of doing things was also very much to Zheng Boye's liking.

That imperial guards army, you can go anywhere, but don't even think about returning to Dongshan Fort, because they are the ones who will attack Dongshan Fort in the next battle.

In fact, this was a very sinister move, because unless you eat up this Chu army, this Great Chu imperial guards army, even if it can't go to Dongshan Fort, will go to other forts and strongholds. In the end, the Yan army assigned to attack that fort will suffer great resistance.

But, this spirit of sacrificing the greater good for the lesser,

Was deeply appreciated by the Earl.

And now, in this lively scene, assembled catapults, battering rams, arrow towers, siege crossbows, and other military equipment were being transported to the front;

Zheng Boye's eyes,

Became a little wet.

The Xuehai Navy, which had always been known in the Yan army for its manufacturing of siege equipment, finally had the opportunity to steadily use siege equipment to attack the city.

They had waited for a long time, hoped for a long time, and finally waited for this day.

As for the siege in the snowfield before, could that be called a siege?

There was only one thing that made Zheng Boye still strange: logically speaking, San'er should have returned.

Although there were people from the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion in his army doing things, who could replace Xue San's role, the sound of attacking Chu had been publicized for so long, and San'er couldn't possibly not know about it in Liang.

However, before Zheng Boye could spend any more time "missing" San'er, who was nowhere to be found, the Blind Man came over and reported:

"Master, Gong Wang and Gongsun Zhi have arrived."

It was not surprising at all that these two came to him, because the Eastern Army Group only had these three troops. Tian Wujing had already appointed him as the leader of this army group, so it was only natural for them to come and pay their respects.

"Tell He Chunlai to make some good food to entertain them." After Zheng Boye finished speaking, he smiled bitterly and said, "I have always wanted to have a good relationship with everyone, so that we can all get along harmoniously, but Lao Tian always likes to put me on the fire to bake, tsk, uncomfortable."

During the last military conference, Tian Wujing had stirred up a lot of hatred among his colleagues for him. Moreover, he had previously bowed to everyone outside the King's tent, which made the contrast between his previous arrogance and subsequent humility all the more clear.

The Blind Man smiled and said, "Perhaps, in King Jingnan's view, you don't need to take that path of building relationships. For example, King Jingnan and King Zhenbei, do they need to build relationships with anyone?

If your own strength is strong enough and your status is high enough, then everything below is just relationships."

"What you said is correct, but I'm still not used to doing it that way. Pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger is more to my liking, haha."

"Haha."

"Alright, bring them in. I'll wait for them in the command tent."

Zheng Boye turned around and went back.

The Blind Man found a guard to ask He Chunlai to cook,

And then he strolled to a tent while peeling an orange. At this time, A Ming was leaning against the tent, drinking wine.

"Tell me, why is our master's luck so good?"

A Ming was a little surprised and said, "Is that what you call good luck? You didn't know that day, when the master was riding a horse, the catapult stones were specially aimed at him."

"But he wasn't killed by them, was he?"

"Heh."

"What I mean is, the master might really have a kind of personal charm. You say, it's normal for a woman to have several godfathers; it's a matter of mutual consent, one for money or power, the other for her body.

But our master is a man, and it's too difficult for a man to find a godfather who is sincerely good to you."

"Did the news from the old home say that Sha Tuo Qieshi has woken up?"

The Blind Man shook his head and said, "Not that godfather."

A Ming understood and said, "This one is a godbrother."

The Blind Man smiled while eating the orange,

And said:

"Isn't it the same thing?"

Then,

The Blind Man added, "You're making King Jingnan one generation younger than Zuo Guli King for no reason. If King Jingnan finds out, you'll really become a dead bat."

"I say, what kind of feelings are you here to express?"

"The feeling is that I didn't expect it before, but I thought of it now. The two neighbors next door, one Gong Wang and one Gongsun Zhi, both came to see our master.

I didn't bother to think about it earlier, but after thinking about it just now, I discovered four words."

A Ming looked up and drank his wine.

Silence,

Silence;

The Blind Man couldn't help but cough lightly.

A Ming put down his wine bag and looked at the Blind Man with a curious and eager expression:

"Quick, what are the four words?"

The Blind Man smiled,

And said:

"Fatherly love is like a mountain."

………

Gong Wang and Gongsun Zhi walked into Zheng Boye's command tent together.

Zheng Boye was sitting there, and just as he stood up,

The two generals immediately knelt down:

"This humble general congratulates the Earl on his triumphant victory!"

"This humble general congratulates the Earl on his triumphant victory!"

The two generals were actually both commanders-in-chief, on the same level as Zheng Boye. Although Zheng Boye held the title of nobility, imperial consort, and Great General of Cheng, these things were not really valued in the military.

Moreover, soldiers, especially generals, were often the key to the morale of an army, so their tempers were generally very straightforward, and they were unwilling to kneel easily.

The fact that they were kneeling so readily now was actually because they had already thought about how to deal with the relationship between the three of them when they came. This was directly putting themselves in a lower position. In name, Zheng Boye was in charge of coordinating their two troops to fight together, and Zheng Boye was only half a step higher than them, but in reality, they had completely placed Zheng Boye in the position of their superior.

Seeing this, Zheng Boye didn't rush forward to help them up, but sat back down and said with a smile:

"Generals, please rise."

"Thank you, Earl!"

"Thank you, Earl!"

Gong Wang and Gongsun Zhi stood up.

Zheng Boye looked at them and said, "We are military men. Military men don't like the ways of the civil officials. If you kneel, I rush to help you up, and you have to kneel again, and I have to help you up again. In the end, we might have to kneel down together, and the three of us kowtow to each other.

That's too troublesome, so I'll just sit here. We'll skip this step.

I am an honest person, with a straightforward personality. I don't like to beat around the bush, whether I'm speaking or doing things.

So, let's do this:

You two generals follow me, and in the future, we'll share the credit, share the official positions, and share the noble titles. From now on, we're all brothers."

"Thank you for the Earl's promotion!"

Gong Wang knelt down on one knee again and saluted.

He was, after all, from Jin, and although he was shrewd and measured in his actions, he was inevitably unable to let go.

On the other hand, Gongsun Zhi laughed loudly upon hearing this and sat directly in the seat below Zheng Boye's right, saying:

"Hahaha, Earl, then I won't be polite. Years ago, the Earl sent wine to my father-in-law, and my father-in-law treasured it like something precious, and wouldn't easily let me drink two sips. Actually, I've been thinking about the Earl's wine for a long time.

That day at the military conference, the King assigned me to the Earl's command, and I was overjoyed. My inner wine craving was hooked out, hahaha."

"Hahaha."

Zheng Boye smiled and pointed at Gongsun Zhi.

This guy didn't actually look that rough and burly, but his words and actions carried the shadow of Li Bao. Moreover, the biggest difference between him and Gong Wang was that he was from Yan.

"That wine wasn't because Brother Li was stingy and unwilling to let you drink it, but because it was used to treat wounds for the wounded and prevent them from festering. It was something that could save lives.

So, I've already prepared two large carts here. When you leave later, each of you can take one cart back. The King governs the army strictly, and drinking is not allowed in the army, so today, when I heard that you two were coming, I didn't prepare any wine. Everyone can just use tea as a substitute.

Also, after you take the wine back, you have to manage the gluttons in the barracks well;

How about this? I'll send two more medical teams to each of you. In terms of treating the wounded, I'm not bragging, but my team does it the best in the entire army. Let them train your doctors a bit.

In addition, take some cattle and sheep back as well, so that the brothers in your camps can also have a good meal."

This was directly giving benefits.

If people regard you as their big brother,

Then you, as the big brother, have to show some appreciation, otherwise, are people born with cheap bones and just like kowtowing to you?

Of course, these could only be regarded as small favors. In the future, leading them to win battles and make meritorious contributions on the battlefield would be the right path.

The reason why King Jingnan was still able to gain the support of various military leaders even after annihilating the entire clan was here.

"Thank you, Earl!"

"Thank you, Earl!"

Gong Wang also stood up and took a seat.

In fact, Zheng Boye valued him more.

Gongsun Zhi felt that he was familiar with Zheng Boye, so it was easier for him to get into the mood, because he was from Yan.

But Zheng Boye here felt that Gong Wang, as a person from Jin, was better to develop, because he was from Jin.

It wasn't that Zheng Boye dreamed of rebelling,

But if there really was such a day,

Tell me,

Would it be easier to encourage Gong Wang to work with you, or would it be easier to encourage Gongsun Zhi to work with you?

"Brother Gong."

"Earl."

"Let's also say some bright words. Perhaps, in other places, there is a distinction between Yan and Jin, but in this Earl's place, there has never been such a thing. Yan people and Jin people have always been treated equally in this Earl's place."

"Haha, Earl, don't say that. Just because the Earl treats the Jin soldiers under his command so well, many soldiers under my command have been discussing it, wanting to go to the Earl's place to get paid."

Zheng Boye also smiled and said:

"Don't worry, that day will come."

As soon as these words were spoken, the eyes of Gong Wang and Gongsun Zhi flickered immediately.

When they came, they knelt down together by tacit agreement, which was actually to make their attitude clear.

But who knew that this Earl Pingye not only accepted it happily, but also led them to start skipping steps like crazy.

They thought they were fast-paced, but who would have thought that Earl Pingye was the real speedster.

Listen to this,

Don't worry, that day will come.

The implication was that their subordinates would sooner or later eat from the same pot as his, Earl Pingye's, subordinates.

Logically speaking, as the commander of an army, one would often be very disgusted or even repulsed by this kind of loss of independence.

But,

It could only be said that King Jingnan had most likely already buried hidden lines when he first allocated troops to garrison.

Gong Wang was a person from Jin, and he himself had no room for promotion. At most, he could have some thoughts about his title, but wanting the imperial court to let a person from Jin become a high-ranking official guarding a region now, even Gong Wang himself felt that it was very unrealistic.

But his subordinates, not only his own son, but also the sons and nephews of many comrades in arms from back then, were all here with him. It could be said that half the future of Situ's various family generals back then was riding on him. He had to consider a way out not only for himself but also for them.

The simplest way out was to raise the flag and rebel to restore Jin...

But even Zheng Boye didn't dare to think about rebelling now, let alone him.

As for Gongsun Zhi, as Li Bao's son-in-law, he separated from Li Bao's son after Li Bao's death. Although the imperial court deliberately instigated the disintegration of Li Bao's troops, it would not have been possible to really separate if he himself had been very loyal and unwilling.

Therefore, his position was very awkward. Generals from the Zhenbei Army, such as Li Fusheng, simply didn't like him, and the other generals didn't treat him as one of their own.

It was comfortable to be cleanly divided and stand alone, but he couldn't enter other circles.

Therefore, these two now had a need to cling to a powerful figure.

Zheng Boye, this newly promoted powerful figure, was not only dazzlingly bright, but also had no external attachments other than his own troops, making him naturally the best choice now and the most promising choice for future development.

At a gathering,

Everyone had a great time.

Officially speaking, the three major military leaders of the Eastern Army of the Great Yan's campaign against Chu reached a close cooperation and a consensus to continue fighting for the great achievements of the Great Yan and His Majesty the Yan Emperor;

On a private level, a military faction with Zheng Boye as its core was officially established today.

Even Zheng Boye himself,

Amidst the toasting and clinking of cups with tea instead of wine,

Couldn't help but feel a little dazed,

The way things were progressing,

Seemed too natural, too right, and too smooth.

………

Upstream of the Wang River, it had been raining heavily for many days in a row.

In addition, it was now the flood season of the Wang River. For a time, the dikes everywhere seemed to be filled with a sense of panic.

Transporting grain and various supplies to the front line had already drained a large layer of manpower near Yingdu. Now, they had to continue to squeeze out manpower and resources to manage the river projects.

The Grand Tutor of Cheng Guo, Sun Youdao, who had just returned to office not long ago, could be described as haggard from being so busy.

Fortunately, because Zheng Boye's leading troops into the city last time had resulted in a cleansing of the officialdom in Yingdu, although the task was difficult, there were not many restraints when doing things.

"Here, here, here, and here, hurry up, hurry up!"

Fifth Prince Ji Chengwen had blisters on the corners of his mouth, which was enough to show his anxiety during this period.

Originally, he thought that coming to Yingdu this time was just a formality, but he didn't expect that there was a war in the front, and he had to continue to repair river projects here.

Manpower and resources were obviously not enough. Now, all the servants and retainers of the wealthy families in Yingdu City had also been mobilized and were busy on the river embankment.

The Fifth Prince had just taken a breath and was about to take a sip of water when he saw a dwarf standing on the river embankment over there.

There was also a horse next to the dwarf. Sitting on the horse was a woman with a large face and even larger hips. The woman sitting on the horse actually made the horse's buttocks look a little delicate.

Xue San stabbed the river embankment with a dagger,

And cursed:

"Damn it, did the materials for repairing this river embankment come from Pinduoduo?"

"May I ask, Young Master Xue, what kind of sect is Pinduoduo?"

"Uh, this, you don't need to know."

Xue San turned around, facing the river on the other side, and muttered to himself while biting his fingernails:

"Hiss, this doesn't look like they're repairing a river project."