Chapter 1590: New Glory

"Bao Bobzhao is quite easy to talk to."

Within the arsenal of Dai City, Jiang Wang, while clearing out various daoist arts and secret techniques, one by one copying them onto the Dao Platform, spoke to Chongxuan Sheng who was doing the same on the other side of the bookshelf.

"North of Dai City, if they don't come, there are plenty who will. South of Dai City, if we don't come, no one can," Chongxuan Sheng said casually. "When arguing, anyone can spout a few reasons. But what the truth is, clear-eyed people know."

He smiled. "And I've been very generous, giving them a portion of the strategic credit."

"Isn't it because we need to rely on Xie Baoshu's connection to control the main thrust of the Fuli western offensive?" Jiang Wang suddenly asked.

Chongxuan Sheng paused his hand sifting through the daoist arts, looking at him with some surprise.

Jiang Wang added, "And we were already weary and exhausted, unable to take on too much. If they really decided to bypass us and do it themselves, could we actually fight them? It's better to do it this way, where each gets what they need."

"Impressive, Duke Jiang!"

Chongxuan Sheng praised, then said, "People who don't know how to fight can go to war. People who only know how to fight must never go to war. This is... what my grandfather said."

He smiled in a way that was hard to interpret.

Then he said, "The fact that you can think of this means you can be a qualified general. But you haven't mentioned the more important part.

War is never just war itself.

Yes, we painstakingly maneuvered behind enemy lines, fought tooth and nail, and achieved great merit.

But what was the foundation of this series of merits?

It was Marshal Xie suppressing the Xia army on the front lines.

It was our army of three hundred thousand pressing down on the enemy city. Pressing the Xia army so hard they didn't dare show their heads, only able to defend. Striking their main force, making them retreat step by step, giving them no time for other matters. Only then could our mere three thousand come and go as we pleased.

In a major battle, from top to bottom, hundreds of thousands of people, everyone is fighting for their lives.

If in the end, only our battalion is wantonly seizing credit... we won't go far.

As the fighting continues, you'll find your forces growing fewer, your supplies becoming more difficult, your strategic space becoming narrower, difficulties everywhere, nothing goes smoothly... as the saying goes, 'When fortune turns, heroes are not free'! Where does so much fortune come from? What's mostly lost is the hearts of the people."

Jiang Wang was thoughtful. "So we have to tie in both Bao Bobzhao and Xie Baoshu?"

"Bao Bobzhao, the legitimate eldest son of the Lord of Shuofang, a guaranteed future Lord of Shuofang. Xie Baoshu, the dear nephew of the齐軍 Eastern Front Commander, doted upon as his own child. When we had a conflict with him back then, Marshal Xie even personally came to mediate...

Chongxuan Sheng laughed heartily. "Two good people indeed!"

"Not bad at all," Jiang Wang echoed, smiling.

At this time, Fourteen stood quietly at the doorway, her faceplate facing outwards. Hearing them chat, she neither seemed to be cultivating nor lost in thought.

No matter where she was, she had her peace.

Jiang Wang sorted through for a while, then asked, "Right, what about Chongxuan Zun? Didn't you say he would come to Dai City?"

"Yes, originally I was going to give him more responsibilities. I even thought about it seriously for a long time, considering him," Chongxuan Sheng sighed, saying with some worry, "Since he didn't come to Dai City, he must be holding back, preparing to do something earth-shattering. To put it simply—he's gone mad."

"What kind of earth-shattering event could it be?" Jiang Wang's curiosity was piqued.

"Who knows? Attacking Guiyi? Harassing Pinglin? Challenging Yu Liyang? Trying to outflank and create a breach in the Tongyang city defenses?" Chongxuan Sheng lowered his head and continued sifting through the daoist arts.

He sighed casually as he did so. "Ah, it's all my fault for being too outstanding, giving him too much pressure! Of course, you, Duke Jiang, also contributed."

Flipping through, he suddenly stopped.

With a *pah* sound, he closed the book in his hand.

"Daye!"

He said with great certainty.

"Daye? This... Impossible, right? Even if he went, what could he do?"

No matter how ignorant of military matters Jiang Wang was, having participated in the war against Xia, he had a general understanding of the State of Xia. He knew what the prefecture of Daye was.

When people curse someone, the most vicious words are usually "I'll dig up your ancestral grave."

Daye Prefecture can basically be considered the location of the Great Xia imperial family's ancestral grave...

Its importance goes without saying.

The official configuration of Daye Prefecture is of a higher level than other prefectures. In addition to its own prefectural army, there are the Tomb Guard legions that are generally not mobilized even during imperial succession. When Emperor Xia Xiang died in battle, after the war, he was buried there, and who knows how many soldiers spontaneously guarded his tomb. The quality of the soldiers who survived that Great Qi-Xia war can be imagined...

Although Chongxuan Zun was a peerless prodigy, he was after all only in his twenties. Leading a vanguard of three thousand men, what could he do in Daye Prefecture?

"Yes, it's impossible," Chongxuan Sheng murmured. "But among all the impossible choices, this is the most probable one."

"You're starting to worry?" Seeing this fatty make a miscalculation for once, Jiang Wang couldn't help but tease.

"What is there to worry about!" Chongxuan Sheng scoffed. "Would I not have noticed the place Daye? Not choosing there was naturally because it was impossible to succeed! Even with the two of us, full of wisdom and courage, the chance of success is slim. How could Chongxuan Zun be an exception?"

Jiang Wang thought to himself, I am indeed full of wisdom and courage, but your courage is probably lacking.

But Chongxuan Sheng then murmured, "Perhaps the only thing that exceeds my calculations is his personal strength...

I am stronger than him in every way, but in fighting, I am indeed not as barbaric as he is.

He said, looking at Jiang Wang, "Wang'er, tell me, after achieving Divine Realm, how strong is he?"

This was the second time Chongxuan Sheng had asked Jiang Wang about Chongxuan Zun's strength.

This was almost inconceivable for someone with Chongxuan Sheng's intellect.

One can only say that competing with Chongxuan Zun is indeed a deep obsession for him.

Human wisdom can only ever enlighten others, and it is difficult to break the "self-grasping."

This is why Buddhist practitioners regard "non-attachment" as the state of perfect enlightenment.

This time, Jiang Wang said very seriously, "Facing him in the Outer Tower realm, if we were on a martial stage, I'm afraid I would still have a hard time winning, maybe a three-seven split. In a fight to the death, either could die. Facing him in the Divine Realm, I have no chance at all. At that time, he will have dispersed all his divine abilities, and my sword momentum will be unable to capture him. But as to how strong he is in the Divine Realm, I also have no way to measure."

Chongxuan Sheng understood Jiang Wang well and knew that his evaluation was very reliable. This person would not belittle his opponents, nor would he ever belittle himself.

But the words "no way to measure"... truly made it difficult for him to make an accurate judgment. And this precisely concerned the possibility of Chongxuan Zun's trip to Daye Prefecture.

After thinking for a moment, he asked, "If you reach the Divine Realm, how strong will you be?"

He naturally wanted to judge Chongxuan Zun's strength based on Jiang Wang's.

But Jiang Wang shook his head. "Until I truly reach that step, I also cannot truly understand."

He held the daoist art book in his hand. "I can only say, I have a premonition that 'I'..."

His eyes flowed with immortal crimson gold, and he softly uttered the last two words: "will be very strong!"

The old arsenal in Dai City was temporarily swallowed by silence.

Jiang Wang hadn't actually said anything substantial.

But deep within Chongxuan Sheng's heart, a great sense of security indeed arose. Suddenly, he wasn't too concerned about whether Chongxuan Zun would succeed.

The person beside him couldn't always do the "correct" things.

Sometimes his choices even ran counter to their common interests.

He often did things that Chongxuan Sheng considered "stupid."

But among all the "smart people" Chongxuan Sheng knew, those who could always make choices that aligned with his interests, not a single one could earn his trust as completely and without suspicion as this person.

The person beside him couldn't always win.

Back then, at the intersection of East Street in Linzi, when he stood out to face Wang Yiwu, he wasn't confident. But he still stood out.

Earlier, at the General Review Platform in the Western Suburbs, when he stood out to challenge Chongxuan Zun, he also wasn't confident. But he also stood out.

Without any hesitation, the person stood and the sword hummed.

Just as the essence of all tactics on the battlefield is to create a situation of overwhelming the few with the many and striking the weak with the strong.

No one would willingly accept a challenge they weren't confident in.

But there are always some choices that are above personal safety, honor, and disgrace.

People call it... "bondage."

It is an emotion that cannot be cut off, that cannot be discarded.

For Jiang Wang and Chongxuan Sheng, the friendship between them had experienced too much, far too much.

In the face of interests, they could share without distinction.

In the face of crisis, they could entrust their lives to each other.

Therefore, at this moment, Chongxuan Sheng did not speak.

He just thought

"I greatly look forward to that moment."

Chongxuan Sheng reorganized the city defenses of Dai City in the shortest possible time. Those who surrendered were directly organized into units for use, while those who refused to surrender were temporarily detained.

Compared to Ximing City, the surrender work in Dai City was much easier.

This was because the city lord, Xue Rushu, helped to persuade them, and also because Dai City had indeed chosen to surrender only when the city was surrounded by a large army, with no reinforcements from behind, and with the enemy attacking from the rear.

More importantly, at that time in Ximing City, the Qi army was isolated, and Chongxuan Sheng's eloquent words were just empty promises. At this time in Dai City, a continuous stream of Qi troops would pour in, and not a single Xia army would come again.

The final outcome of the war might still be unknown, but for a long time to come, Dai City would certainly be in the hands of the Qi army.

As such, the will to resist of the Dai City defenders can be imagined.

Previously in Honggu City and Xinjie City, there was neither time nor conditions, so Chongxuan Sheng directly gave up on the idea of inducing surrender and expelled the defenders.

In Dai City, he naturally employed various means.

He managed Xue Rushu and his subordinates, making them obedient.

Excluding those who died in the attack and defense, and those who surrendered but were resolutely unwilling to "aid the wicked," a total of six thousand people ultimately chose to surrender to the State of Qi.

Of course, they might not be very reliable, and Chongxuan Sheng wouldn't use them for any difficult combat missions.

It was just to fill the void before reinforcements from the Linwu direction arrived, to make the most of the time.

Chongxuan Sheng left a thousand men to garrison Dai City, using one Shadow Guard to oversee all city defense matters and wait for the main Qi army to arrive. He organized the other five thousand men into the 'New Glory Battalion,' still with Xue Rushu as the general.

It took two days to complete the work of reorganizing the city defenses and integrating the surrendered army here.

He didn't wait for reinforcements from Qingzhuan but led the Victorious Battalion and the New Glory Battalion himself, heading straight for Shou'an City, south of Dai City, near Huiluo Prefecture.

Before marching out of Dai City, Chongxuan Sheng had this conversation with Xue Rushu: Chongxuan Sheng asked him to stay and guard Dai City, responsible for the city defense, saying, "I do not wish for you to harm your comrades and chill your enthusiasm. The功 of offering the city will not be forgotten by the State of Qi."

Xue Rushu replied, "This heart has no other thoughts, only calculating for future wealth and honor."

So he brought him along on the campaign.

During the process of leading the army to surrender, he had met with Marquis Xuanping Fan Ao and witnessed Fan Ao's painful return.

From the perspective of the State of Xia, Xue Rushu had no room for maneuver.

Only if the State of Qi ultimately achieved a great victory and destroyed the State of Xia's regime in one fell swoop could he once again raise his head.

So such a person might be more loyal and useful than the generals in the joint army of the Eastern Region states.

With the Victorious Battalion as the cavalry and the New Glory Battalion as the infantry, they marched to Shou'an.

One day later, the Victorious Battalion arrived at Shou'an first.

Chongxuan Sheng did nothing else, only joined hands with Jiang Wang and Fourteen, leading the cavalry to surround and lock down the city, cutting off Shou'an's transportation, preventing anyone from leaving the city. As for the flying beasts flying overhead, they were also shot down with arrows.

They surrounded the city but did not attack, only persuaded them to surrender. All he said was nothing more than the complete fall of Linwu, the imminent collapse of Fuli Prefecture, and that the Shou'an soldiers and civilians should consider their own well-being.

Two days later, the New Glory Battalion indeed arrived.

Xue Rushu's loyalty and dedication, as well as his military leadership, could be seen from this marching speed.

Chongxuan Sheng deliberately did not arrange any constraining measures, leaving everything to Xue Rushu's discretion. This was because in the current environment of Fuli Prefecture, the Qi army truly did not lack these six thousand people.

And Xue Rushu, leading a group of surrendered soldiers with low morale, being able to reach Shou'an within two days, and the entire battalion of six thousand people, with few stragglers, already demonstrated great loyalty. Even when he was a Xia general, he might not have been able to be so timely.

Of course, within the New Glory Battalion, Chongxuan Sheng had also temporarily bought off no fewer than three informants who were unaware of each other, verifying information separately. If Xue Rushu had any intentions, he wouldn't be able to hide them from him.

Thus, with the New Glory Battalion...

They continued to persuade the Shou'an defenders to surrender.

"Fighting is impossible."

Chongxuan Sheng stood on the ground, looking into the distance at the Shou'an city walls, and said to Jiang Wang, who was meditating on horseback, "The brothers are tired, and the New Glory Battalion has just surrendered. If we ask them to attack the city and die, it would be strange if they didn't turn their swords on you. Xue Rushu can't control them either!"

"But persuading them to surrender is good, there's a great chance to persuade them."

"I've blockaded Shou'an with cavalry for two days, cutting off all communication, and the city is already in turmoil."

He was full of confidence. "The New Glory Battalion is also a Xia army, perfect for speaking from experience. Xue Rushu, as the former lord of Dai City, must have some connections with these city lords and defenders—"

"Screw your mother, Xue Rushu, your mother must have eaten Heart Erosion Grass mixed with Blind Eye Powder to give birth to a traitor like you who seeks glory by betraying his country! If you want this old man to surrender like you, *phooey*! I'm afraid I'll give birth to sons without an anus in the future!" On the city walls of Shou'an, the city lord of Shou'an happened to be shouting angrily.

"Hey! This city lord is from Changluo!" Chongxuan Sheng turned his head and said to Jiang Wang, "He has a bit of an accent from that area!"