novelnext Chapter 131 Raid on the Camp! A Slap in the Face!
Chapter 131 Raid on the Camp! A Slap in the Face!
Chapter 131 Raid on the Camp! A Slap in the Face! (Something happened at the company, so it's late. I'll explain in detail after I finish writing.)
The troops set off.
Shen Yan watched Bianjing recede into the distance behind him; this was the first time he had ever left Bianjing.
Behind them was a 10,000-strong Vermilion Bird Army; as the troops marched past, they stirred up clouds of yellow dust.
Looking at the official road ahead, Shen Yan couldn't help but feel a surge of heroic spirit.
Commanding thousands of soldiers, dying on the battlefield, and achieving great deeds is the glory that many men dream of.
He raised the whip and lashed it hard across the horse's back.
The white horse neighed and then galloped forward like the wind.
On the way, Shen Yan recalled what had happened at the training ground and asked with some confusion, "Young Master, why is my name on that appointment letter?"
Shen Ci smiled and said, "The Vermilion Bird Army is arrogant, as you have probably already witnessed."
Shen Yan nodded slightly: "It's normal for a battle-hardened army to be a little arrogant."
"So my father had long anticipated that I would be difficult to command them, but he did not expect them to cause trouble when we set off. Hearing that you were willing to escort me to Jiangnan Prefecture, he wrote this letter of appointment."
Shen Yan thought to himself, "No wonder this appointment letter has neither the approval of the cabinet nor the seal of the Ministry of War. If it weren't for the trace of martial arts intent on it, I would have thought that Shen Ci wrote it himself."
He understood that this subtle martial arts concept was the basis for the soldiers to distinguish the authenticity of the appointment letters.
Shen Yan thought to himself, "It seems that within the Vermilion Bird Army, Shen Moxuan's words carry more weight than an imperial edict."
Perhaps this is the key to why the Shen family has been able to maintain its wealth and status despite the ups and downs of the past thousand years.
However, Shen Yan also had some doubts. With the two elite armies of the Great Zhou in his hands, wasn't Emperor Xuanwu afraid that Shen Moxuan would rebel?
Then he recalled the aura that appeared in the imperial city on New Year's Eve, like a demon god descending upon the world. Even though Shen Yan's strength had greatly improved, he still felt powerless to resist it when he thought about it.
He couldn't help but sigh, "A Grandmaster of the Innate Realm, truly terrifying! One person can suppress an entire nation."
Shen Yan wondered if he could turn the tide and stop the overwhelming tide of chaos when it came.
A few days ago, their journey was going very smoothly; in just three days, they had already completed 30% of the distance.
If all goes well, we will arrive in Jiangnan Prefecture in seven days.
It's much faster than expected.
Along the way, Shen Yan witnessed the suffering of the people.
Everywhere along the roadside, one could see emaciated civilians, their expressions indifferent, watching the passing soldiers without flinching or avoiding them.
Shen Ci frowned after reading it; like Shen Yan, he had never left Bianjing.
I really didn't expect the outside world to be like this.
Upon seeing this, Shen Yan couldn't help but sigh, "The rise and fall of the nation brings suffering to the people."
I wanted to say that half of the suffering of the common people comes from the powerful families, but then I realized that I am also a member of a powerful family and belong to the beneficiaries of the system.
This just dragged in the insults directed at the people around him.
Shen Ci agreed and said, "You're right. The rise and fall of the nation brings suffering to the people. You and I can only protect those around us."
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Remembering that his original purpose for going to Jiangnan Prefecture was to quell a rebellion, Shen Rong couldn't help but ask, "Young Master, have the powerful families of Jiangnan Prefecture really rebelled?"
Shen Ci remained silent, smiling as he looked at Shen Yan.
"Shen Yan, what do you think?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Yan couldn't help but recall how, in his previous life, during the changing dynasties, powerful officials were always the first to surrender.
People who are loyal to the emperor, love their country, and possess unyielding integrity are few and far between.
Those who start a trend and fire the first shot are always ordinary people.
In the end, it was the powerful and wealthy families who benefited.
He couldn't help but say, "The people rebel because they've been driven to a dead end. They're going to die anyway, so they might as well take a gamble. Why would the powerful families rebel? They're like local emperors in Jiangnan Prefecture. If they raise their flags in rebellion, it won't be as simple as just ten thousand Vermilion Bird soldiers."
Shen Ci sighed and said, "Yes, only a gambler who has nothing would risk his life."
Soon, the sky darkened and night fell.
They came to the shore of a lake, where the aquatic plants were abundant.
It's the perfect place to set up camp.
Meng Lie came to him for permission to set up camp there.
Shen Yan knew he wasn't cut out to command troops, so he entrusted all the marching matters to Meng Lie.
The troops rested and cooked meals on the spot.
The lake is flanked by mountains, and they are situated at a narrow pass, where troops could easily traverse the area from above.
Like catching a turtle in a jar, they are bound to suffer heavy losses.
However, it was clearly impossible for an army attack to occur within the territory of the Great Zhou.
Shen Yan didn't understand these principles either, but Meng Lie had commanded the army for many years, so he shouldn't make any mistakes.
He certainly wouldn't give unqualified advice to experts.
However, not long after, Meng Lie rushed over.
He came to find Shen Yan, his expression somewhat grave.
"The general is in trouble!"
Shen Yan felt helpless upon hearing the title "General." He had mentioned it many times along the way, but Meng Lie still addressed him that way, so he could only let it go.
Hearing his words, Shen Yan was somewhat surprised. With 10,000 troops here, bandits and outlaws should not dare to attack.
"What happened?"
"The water here is polluted and cannot be drunk."
"I didn't expect things to be so unsafe here. I've ordered everyone to be on guard and watch out for a possible raid."
Before they had even reached halfway to Jiangnan, someone had already made a move.
Shen Yan hadn't expected them to be so far-reaching. A person can go seven days without food, but not three days without water.
Cutting off their water supply gave Meng Lie a feeling reminiscent of his battles against the Xiongnu in the northern deserts.
Left with no other choice, they had to leave the lake and go to a more distant river to fetch water.
The river flows on and on; even if you threw several sacks of poison into it, it wouldn't have any effect.
However, this means that the journey is very long.
By the time the soldiers had their dinner, it was already a starry night with the bright moon high in the sky.
Shen Yan arrived at the lakeside. Tonight, there were no clouds, the bright moon hung high, and the night was not so dark.
He watched the bright moon in the lake disappear as it rippled on the water.
He was restless and wanted to practice his skills, but he found that he couldn't calm his mind no matter what he did.
A sudden impulse must have a reason.
Shen Yan immediately realized that something bad was going to happen tonight.
So he went out of the tent and inspected the area.
He couldn't fathom who would dare to storm this army camp of ten thousand men.
suddenly.
He saw a flock of birds startled into flight on the mountain not far ahead.
They immediately realized that a large number of people were lurking on the mountain, and dared not be careless.
He hurriedly went to call Meng Lie, who had obviously also noticed the strange situation.
"General, there's an ambush here."
His face was extremely grim. When setting up camp, he had confidently declared that this place was within the territory of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and there was definitely no way anyone could be lying in ambush here.
I never expected to be proven wrong so quickly.
Meng Lie immediately woke up his troops and put them on alert in preparation for the impending attack on the camp.
The Vermilion Bird Army lived up to its reputation as an elite force; they all slept in their armor and were quickly ready for battle.
But after a long time, no one came.
Meng Lie's expression grew increasingly grim; there was no doubt that there were people on the mountain.
Shen Yan saw this scene and realized what was going on.
The enemy is using a combination of feints and real attacks to wear them down.
This time it might be fake, but next time it might be real.
But they are on the defensive, and they never know which time it's real.
This would greatly deplete their energy, especially since the soldiers were already on a forced march.
Under such harassment, even an elite force would become exhausted.
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