Starting as a centurion, he fought his way through the chaos of the world.

Chapter 148 Promoting War
"My lord, General Wu Han and the others have all broken through to the Purple Mansion Realm." Zhang Meng said with delight.

In these chaotic times, the stronger the Marquis's mansion is, the safer everyone will be.

Therefore, jealousy and the like naturally do not exist.

Lu Ming raised an eyebrow. "That's good news."

Then, looking at Bai Yan, he said, "Write the memorial now, and I'll hand it over when I'm done."

Lu Ming now desperately hopes that his strength can be improved.

"Yes, sir!" Bai Yan replied.

Without further ado, he immediately had someone bring him pen, ink, paper, and inkstone, and began to write.

A short while later, a memorial was completed.

After Lu Ming reviewed it, he nodded in satisfaction and then handed it to Zhang Meng, ordering him to send it to the capital at top speed.

"Yes, Lord Marquis!" Zhang Meng replied and ran out.

Lu Ming then looked at Bai Yan and said, "I'll take my leave now. Next, we need to formulate a battle plan."

"Respectfully seeing off the Marquis," Bai Yan said immediately.

However, he then seemed to have thought of something. "My lord, I plan to set aside a portion of the land and plant spirit rice on it all next year. That way, it will be able to supply the entire army. However, this year's harvest will be used as seeds."

Do you agree?

“That’s a good thing. You can make the decision yourself, but remember to tell Guo Zhun.” Lu Ming nodded.

If your army can eat spirit rice next year.

Lu Ming naturally very much wanted to see this.

"Thank you for your support, Lord Marquis," Bai Yan said with a smile.

Sometimes he couldn't help but think about it.

If Lu Ming were the emperor of the Great Yu Dynasty.

That entire dynasty must have become incredibly powerful.

Just give them enough time.

There's no need to worry about the opinions of those sects anymore.

"Hehe, as long as it can improve the strength of the army, think of any way you can, and we'll find a way to make it happen," Lu Ming said with a smile.

Then he walked out of the government office.

He walked towards his own residence.

Now that we're preparing for war...

Naturally, some plans need to be made.

After entering the Marquis's residence.

Then they saw Wang Yue and the others gather around.

"My lord, is war about to break out?" Lu Shi's deep voice rang out.

"Come to the front hall, everyone!" Lu Ming said calmly.

After everyone was seated.

He opened the map and pointed in a direction, saying, "The three rebel kings, Ganzhou King, Suzhou King, and Wuzhou King, have occupied seven states. They border Chizhou and together they have about 700,000 troops under their command."

The sect behind them wasn't particularly strong; there were probably four or five experts at the Purple Mansion Realm.

This battle is commanded by Zhang Mu. He has ordered each of the four prefectures—Chizhou, Huangzhou, Yuzhou, Huangzhou, Haizhou, and Linzhou—to send 50,000 troops to join you. With a force of 300,000, can you defeat these four rebel kings?

Lu Ming's tone was quite solemn.

Zhang Mu immediately stood up and said, "Yes, sir!"

His magnificent body was now bathed in light.

Whether it's cultivation level, talent, or the ability to lead troops, Zhang Mu is not bad.

Today, he is also one of the generals that Lu Ming is focusing on cultivating.

He longs to see the other person one day be able to stand on their own.

Then, he placed his finger on the map again: "The Yue King and the Jiang King control five states with an army of about 500,000 people, and there should be two or three experts at the Purple Mansion Realm in charge."

He ordered Wu Han to lead the army from the three prefectures, and Wang Xun and Li Sun to each draw half of their own troops to be under his command, to deal with these two rebel kings.

After Lu Ming finished speaking, his gaze fell on Zhang Meng, who had just returned. "Send someone to deliver orders to these governors, instructing them to assemble their armies as soon as possible."

This time I will not take prisoners; all rebels will be killed without exception.

"Bring back all the silver and grain."

"Yes, sir!" Zhang Meng felt a chill run down his spine.

He immediately withdrew, clearly to relay orders.

"Bai Lifei was in charge of escorting the grain and fodder for Wu Han's troops, while Li Xun was in charge of the grain and fodder for Zhang Mu's troops."

Wang Han was in charge of the security of Hongdu Prefecture and the Marquis's residence.

The remaining three battalions of the Marquis's residence will accompany me to the border of Langya Prefecture to intimidate the King of Langya and prevent him from sending troops.

As soon as the words were spoken, the soldiers of the Third Battalion immediately stood up and said, "Yes, sir!"

Lu Ming waved his hand, gesturing for everyone to sit down.

He then solemnly said, "This battle concerns the future of the entire Marquis's Mansion. Whether we can contend with the major sects depends on this battle. I urge everyone to take it seriously."

"We will certainly not dare to betray the Marquis's trust!" All the generals stood up and said at this moment.

Their eyes sparkled.

Lu Ming nodded.

"Then proceed with the approval. Once His Majesty's decree arrives, all generals will deploy their troops!"

"Yes, Lord Marquis!" the generals replied and hurried away.

Lu Ming sat in the hall with his eyes closed.

If the southern border can be returned to the hands of the Great Yu.

My military achievements should be enough to qualify me for a promotion, at least a second-rank marquis title, that wouldn't be too much to ask.

Then you can unlock the system again.

After opening the system store and browsing for a while, Lu Ming's eyes revealed a look of longing.

There are quite a few good things there.

[Great Spirit Gathering Array, 8 million points (After deployment, it can cover an entire city, increasing spiritual energy to 20 to 30 times that of the outside world)]

[The First Volume of Xuanhuang, Volume 2, 30 Million Points]

[Nine Heavens Thunder Dragon Formation, 1000 million points (Superior-grade formation, deployed by nine Purple Mansion experts, capable of fighting against Nascent Soul cultivators; below the Divine Power level, it allows for battles beyond one's level)]

Lu Ming raised an eyebrow.

This formation is quite good. As long as one's cultivation level has not reached the Divine Power Realm, one can receive a boost after setting up the formation, allowing one to fight against opponents of higher levels.

For the time being, it will definitely be useful.

There were many other things that Lu Ming didn't go through one by one, but these alone were enough to give him sufficient reason to push for a major battle.

Then, he stood up and walked towards the backyard.

This free time is a good opportunity to spend some time with my wife.

Therefore, in the following days, Lu Ming stayed by Li Xirou's side almost all the time. Apart from cultivation, they would sometimes go out for walks together and even go to Li's house for meals.

In the blink of an eye, more than ten days have passed.

The current queen is in a state of utter chaos.

Although the Northern Region dispatched experts at the Purple Mansion and Nascent Soul stages, and even the Four Ancestors personally went to oversee the situation, they still paid a considerable price to barely hold off the enemy within the territory of the Great Yu.

However, one state was also captured by the other side.

Moreover, the people of Daxia were insane and slaughtered half of their population.

The central government is now in grave danger, with six rebel kings launching attacks in turn.

What's even more infuriating is that Xu Yan has now also supported a rebel force and seized a province.

The bad news that came every day made her feel exhausted.

If things continue like this, she really doesn't know how much longer she can hold on.

Inside the Chaotian Hall, the Empress sat behind a curtain.

His gaze swept over the assembled officials below, and after a moment's contemplation, he said, "Marquis Zhige has submitted a memorial requesting permission to quell the rebellion in the southern border. Do you think this is feasible?"

When the sound is heard.

The hall fell silent.

A moment later, a figure stepped forward. "Your Majesty, Marquis Zhige has fought countless battles in the southern borderlands. If he requests to fight, I believe he must have a certain degree of confidence. Why not give it a try?" The Minister of War stepped forward and said.

As he spoke, a solemn expression appeared on his face.

“I think it’s inappropriate. There’s the King of Langya in the southern border region, as well as several rebel kings. They all have immortal sects backing them up. In particular, the King of Langya has been protected by a master of the Refining Spirit sect sent by the Kaiyang Sect. Although the elite forces suffered heavy losses in the battle of Jiangzhou.”

But who can rival that master of spiritual refinement?

Now, the powerful members of the royal family not only have to protect the central government, but also have to defend the northern battlefield, so they simply cannot mobilize more experts to help.

If we win this battle, all will be well, but if we lose, the entire southern border region will likely fall into the hands of the rebels.

"At that time, my Great Yu territory will truly consist only of the central region!"

This time, the one who stepped forward to speak was an elder from the royal family, a powerful figure who had returned from the ancestral land. His cultivation was at the Nascent Soul stage, and his name was Yu Feng.

Now, he is a prince of the Great Yu.

He held a prominent position within the royal family.

They did not have a high opinion of the local officials in Dayu.

After all, in their view, the opponent's strength was indeed somewhat weak.

Take this Marquis Zhige for example. In the Battle of Jiangzhou, if it weren't for the intervention of the Seven Ancestors, he might not have been able to escape unscathed.

As his voice rang out.

The other members of the Dayu royal family also nodded in agreement.

Clearly, they didn't believe in Lu Ming's abilities.

After all, a master of spirit refinement is considered an extremely powerful expert even within the clan.

Other ministers also stepped forward and voiced their opinions.

However, the general meanings are all similar.

That means they don't want to take risks.

After all, with Lu Ming holding them back, the rebel kings in the Southern Frontier are currently unable to march north. But what if this Marquis of Ceasefire is defeated?

Apart from the fourteen states that would be occupied.

Furthermore, the rebel kings in the southern border regions will inevitably organize large armies to attack the central government.

At that point, the situation will likely be even more difficult to reverse.

At this moment, the Empress of Great Yu was lost in thought.

To be honest, if we were to say who in this world trusts Lu Ming the most right now, besides his wife and his generals, it would probably be this Empress.

Therefore, although the ministers in the hall disagreed.

But after a moment of contemplation, she said, "But this is the only force in our Great Yu territory that can fight back. We have always been in a passive position. This time, I want to support Marquis Zhige."

Take the initiative to launch an attack.

If this battle succeeds, the southern border will be connected to our central command, and the Great Yu will have a chance to catch its breath.

Even if this battle is lost, with the support of the Imperial Guards, Marquis Zhige should still have no problem preserving the fourteen prefectures.

After she finished speaking, none of the ministers in the hall spoke again.

Although the royal family has now returned, the Empress still holds absolute power.

Then, he continued.

"Issue Marquis Hongshan and Marquis Jiujiang to each lead an army of 200,000 to advance towards the southern border to meet Marquis Zhige's army. All actions shall be subject to Marquis Zhige's orders."

“Yes, sir!” the two marquises immediately stepped forward and replied.

However, the court officials were still not very optimistic about this matter.

When he saw that all the ministers in the hall had fallen silent.

The Empress said again, "Send this message to Marquis Zhige as soon as possible, with urgent delivery. Court is adjourned!"

After saying that, he stood up and walked towards the back of the hall.

The ministers in the hall exchanged glances and then left.

In the blink of an eye, several days have passed.

Lu Ming, who was in the southern border region, finally received the imperial decree to send troops.

Inside the training ground's front hall, Lu Ming looked at Zhang Meng and asked, "Have the armies from each state arrived at their designated assembly points?"

"My lord, General Wu Han and General Zhang Mu have already joined forces with the army, which is assembled at the border and ready to be dispatched at any time!"

"Tell them to send troops immediately!"

Lu Ming said calmly.

He picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and appeared unusually calm.

"Yes, Lord Marquis!" Zhang Meng said as he left the hall, clearly to deliver the order.

Then, Lu Ming glanced at Wang Yue and the others, and said, "The rest of you, depart tomorrow and come with me to the border of Langya Prefecture!"

Although there are only 30,000 people.

However, Lu Ming's trip this time was mainly aimed at the experts of the Kaiyang Sect. As for the army under the command of the Prince of Langya, it had suffered two consecutive defeats and had almost exhausted the enemy's war resources.

It's no longer possible to find enough manpower.

Now, if it weren't for the Kaiyang Sect...

It seems that the Prince of Langya can no longer be included among the six major rebel kings.

"As ordered!"

Generals Wang Yue and others quickly stood up and said.

Then they went back to prepare.

Lu Ming also walked towards the backyard.

After saying goodbye to his wife and having dinner with her, he led his army on his journey the next day.

When they had just settled down on the border of Langya Prefecture.

The two armies of the Marquis's mansion also received orders to attack.

At this time, southern Xinjiang was completely engulfed in war.

Lu Ming sat in his tent, drinking wine and watching his points steadily rise.

After putting a piece of beast meat into his mouth, he asked Wang Yue beside him, "Is there any news from the Prince of Langya?"

"Reporting to the Marquis, they have only amassed a large army at the border and made defensive preparations, but they have not launched an attack," the other party immediately stood up and said.

Lu Ming nodded. "In that case, they should send experts over to tell the brothers to be ready to form ranks at any time. At the very least, one of you should have an army that can be deployed at any time so that you can immediately enter the battlefield if a strong enemy attacks the camp!"

"The orders have already been given. The three armies will work in three shifts, with each army serving four hours a day, and they can be deployed at any time!" Lu Shi stepped forward and said.

Now, his body has become increasingly robust, and his cultivation has reached the late stage of the Golden Core realm.

Standing still, it resembles a small mountain, creating a powerful visual impact.

“Well done. Although the Prince of Langya doesn’t have many elite troops left, as long as the Kaiyang Sect still supports him, he remains the most troublesome force in the Southern Frontier. We cannot afford to be careless in the slightest,” Lu Ming said calmly.

If he attacks other rebel kings, the King of Langya will certainly not stand idly by.

Because he understood in his heart.

If he defeats all these rebel kings, then it will be his turn soon.

The Prince of Langya understood the principle of "if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold."

However, even if you understand, it's too late.

The points I have are increasing rapidly, and soon I will be able to give my generals another chance to be promoted.

Moreover, he has a trump card, which he has reserved specifically for those who have reached the Refinement of Spirit level.

Thinking of this, she looked at her points in the shop and realized that she had unknowingly reached five million points. She then decisively exchanged them for a time compression scroll and threw it into Wang Yue's hand.

"Break through as soon as possible. The people from Langya King shouldn't arrive within ten days."

"Yes, sir!" Wang Yue said excitedly after receiving the scroll.

Lu Ming turned to look at Lu Shi and Zheng Yong, who were both filled with envy. "Don't worry, you will both be able to break through before the end of this war. Just focus on defense these days!"

"Yes, Lord Marquis!" the two replied hastily.

At this very moment, the various rebel armies also learned that Lu Ming was going to wipe out the southern border.

However, they didn't take this news too seriously.

Because everyone believed that the other party could not succeed.

After all, the Kaiyang Sect was in charge, and the imperial family's forces were being held back by them.

They simply didn't believe that a single Marquis Zhige could accomplish great things.

(End of this chapter)