knife

Chapter 681 Who else is still not convinced?

Facing an enemy force that was almost twice as strong, to still be able to boldly declare that he would wipe out the enemy in one fell swoop is something that probably few people in the world could do, but without a doubt, Xiao Changche was one of them.

Her formidable reputation was earned over more than a decade by fighting against the Northern Yuan.

The name Xiao Changche, in the Northern Yuan Dynasty, is more than just an adjective; it can stop a child from crying.

Before she met Li Dachui, she often did the practice of slaughtering all enemies in every battle and then piling their heads into a mound.

Not only were the enemies afraid of Xiao Changche, but even the border troops themselves were afraid of her.

Even when facing Linghu Ye, Xiao Changche was arrogant and domineering, and Linghu Ye could only pretend to be deaf and blind in other aspects, except when it came to money and food.

Even under such difficult conditions, Xiao Changche still won every battle.

You have to admit that some things are truly innate. For example, Xiao Changche's sensitivity to the battlefield is something even seasoned veterans would envy. She can always see the most crucial point at critical moments and then make the most critical decisions. Sometimes such decisions are without reason, but in the end, the facts still prove that Xiao Changche is right.

Over time, his subordinates developed absolute trust in him, and the soldiers revered him as a god.

Prestige is built up day by day in this way.

In the Beiting Protectorate, everyone agrees that Protector Li Dachui is unparalleled in strategic planning and deployment, Deputy Protector Xiao Changche is invincible in command during battles, Chief Secretary Mao Daxian governs and governs the people in a methodical and calm manner, and other officials such as Inspector Zhang Ruo are known for their hatred of evil and their fair and just dealings...

A newly established regime always attracts a large number of talented people from all over the world.

Previously, the concern was that the enemy would remain holed up and not engage, forcibly attacking the defensive lines that Linghu Zhishu had built up over several years. It wasn't that they would definitely lose, but the losses would inevitably be heavy. This was naturally unacceptable to the Beiting Protectorate, which relied on elite troops.

But now that the enemy is going to take the initiative, everyone is overjoyed.

“Protector, since these powerful families are so unwilling to admit their mistake, we certainly cannot let them down!” Ma Dacheng said, “Protector, I suggest that Yangguan should focus on defense, wait for them to attack, and be ready to wait for them to come to us.”

Xiao Dongwei glanced at Xiao Changche. He knew Xiao Changche's temperament well and knew that simply holding the line was not Xiao Changche's style. So he said, "General Ma, just defending is too passive. I think we should hide a mobile force outside and wait for an opportunity to launch an attack on the enemy. Having both offense and defense will make things more balanced!"

Gu Xiaoman, nicknamed Wild Wolf, was also a representative of the offensive faction. He always believed that offense was the best defense. He immediately spoke up to support Xiao Dongwei: "We have the strongest cavalry in the world. With Yangguan as our base, if we send out a cavalry force of about three thousand men, we can at least tie down ten or twenty thousand enemy troops. Protector, this humble general requests permission!"

An Xuan, who had been silent, stood up and said loudly, "Protector, I am not good at defending the city, but I am an expert in long-distance raids and infiltration attacks. I request to lead this team!"

Ma Liang glanced at the two men who had stood up, and then, considering his own martial arts skills and experience, wisely remained silent. In Yangguan, he and his son had been appointed to be in charge of logistics because Yangguan was a place they had lived in for decades and were very familiar with both inside and outside the pass.

"What Dongwei said is absolutely right!" Xiao Changdao said, "Although the enemy is numerous, their hearts are not united. The Linghu Group and the powerful families each have their own agendas. Even among the powerful families, they are not a monolithic entity. Therefore, this battle is not as difficult as imagined. It would be best if we could win this battle using our existing strength. As you know, we are not having an easy time right now. In order to support the eight towns of Jiangnan, we had to launch such a large-scale war without any plan. Many people are starving because of this war. All the officials under the Protectorate have been owed wages for three months, and it is expected that they will not receive wages for the next three months. So, the longer the war goes on, the more resources are spent, and the greater the losses will be!"

Everyone could hear the deep dissatisfaction in Xiao Duhu's voice, but no one dared to speak up.

Let the two Protectorates resolve their personal matters behind closed doors.
In any case, in the long run, the matter of the eight towns in Jiangnan is a very good thing.

Although they will have to pay a price now.

As for officials not being paid for six months and not starving, if they can't even handle this much hardship while starting a business, they should just quit.

"Gu Xiaoman and Zhou Yi will team up and lead 5,000 men to attack Huxiaoyuan. Gu Xiaoman will be in full charge of military matters, while Zhou Yi will be responsible for intelligence, logistics, and other affairs!" Xiao Changchedao said.

The room quieted down; it was time to assign tasks.

Gu Xiaoman and Zhou Yi both stood up and bowed to accept the order.

"Ma Dacheng and his son are working with An Xuan. Ma Dacheng is in charge of the defense of Yangguan Pass, and An Xuan is his deputy. An Xuan, in the Protectorate General's office, your position and martial arts cultivation are higher than Ma Dacheng's. However, commanding battles requires more than just seniority and martial arts cultivation. Ma Dacheng is the person here who knows Yangguan Pass best, and I have specially kept you here to serve as the gatekeeper of Yangguan Pass. You are at the peak of the ninth rank of Xuan Yuan, only one step away from the Xiantian realm. Even if there are Xiantian experts in the enemy's ranks, with you here, and in conjunction with the defense within the pass, we will have a fighting chance. Do you understand?"

An Xuan stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "Understood. Defending the city has never been my forte. I will listen to General Ma and just wield my sword to cut down the enemy!"

"General An is a man of great wisdom and righteousness!" Xiao Changche nodded with a smile.

"Protector Xiao, are you going to lead the troops yourself?" An Xuan looked at Xiao Changdao: "Fine, I won't be happy if someone else leads the team!"

"No!" Gu Xiaoman and Zhou Yi jumped up. "Protector, you are the highest-ranking officer here. How can you leave the central command to conduct guerrilla warfare? I believe that it is the right thing to have An Xuan fight outside the pass while you remain in Yangguan!"

“We should think so too!” Ma Dacheng and his son echoed in agreement.

An Xuan gave a simple, honest smile and nodded repeatedly.

This guy appears honest and kind, but he's actually quite cunning. Of course, as the leader of the barbarians, he couldn't have done it without some skill. He clearly wants to lead his troops out for guerrilla warfare and doesn't want to stay in the city, but he keeps agreeing on the surface while secretly instigating others to oppose him.

Even Tu Jiaojiao, who had been standing silently to the side, whispered, "Protector, I also think that it is right for you to stay and oversee things inside the pass!"

Looking at everyone, Xiao Changche laughed.

The next moment, an indescribable pressure slowly spread throughout the room, and the group of generals who had stood up were all pressed back into their chairs.

"Innate!" Gu Xiaoman shouted.

An Xuan and his son Ma Dacheng were utterly shocked.

Xiao Hongwei, however, had a look of joy on his face.

Tu Jiaojiao, who knew nothing about martial arts, didn't sense anything.

"This time, all the powerful clans have come out in full force, and there must be some old monsters hidden among them. I think that in future large-scale battles, it will gradually become the norm to use innate martial arts masters to clear the way. I don't want you to encounter innate masters outside and not be able to escape. But it's a different story when you fight within the pass, relying on the city walls. Someone like An Xuan, with several martial arts masters, will at least not be helpless against innate masters. Now, is there anyone more suitable than me?"

The group looked at each other, and finally fell silent.

"Protector, when did you break through to the Innate Realm?" Finally, Xiao Hongwei asked the question that everyone wanted to ask.

(End of this chapter)