Even emperors have it tough, so don't be too picky about the entries.

......

An incense burner sat before Li Jinglong, wisps of smoke curling upwards.

His eyes were half-open, half-closed, he was muttering to himself, and his whole body was trembling.

As soon as Wang Yuanji raised his hand, the army immediately stopped.

The soldiers in the front row were dumbfounded.

I've heard that the Great Yan Army is the most adept at playing tricks, but I've never seen it before. Seeing it today, I can confirm that its reputation is well-deserved.

Not only did Chen Shao do this, but even his generals were infected.

Some people couldn't help but giggle.

"What a motley crew!"

Wang Yuanji harbored some dissatisfaction with Liu Siyuan and Hong Qianyi.

To lose to such an army while defending a city is a disgrace to Hedong.

Thinking about it this way, the grief of losing two beloved generals was somewhat alleviated.

Chen Jing's expression, however, was not very pleasant.

He looked at Li Jinglong, who was disheveled, across from him, with a worried expression.

"General, my sixth brother is most skilled in Taoist magic, so it's best to be cautious."

"Your Highness, unorthodox methods may deceive for a time, but in the face of battle, real swords and spears are ultimately necessary."

"Those who attempt to replace armor and weapons with talismans will invariably end up burning themselves to death."

"Surely Your Highness understands this principle?"

"Favorable timing is not as important as advantageous location, and advantageous location is not as important as harmonious relationships."

"Without real strength, summoning a god to descend to earth only makes you a laughing stock."

Chen Jing was going all out for the throne, his mind racing and his intelligence at its peak.

"General, Chen Shao was able to use the Six Ding and Six Jia to repel the Northern Barbarians, and after entering Hedong, he was unstoppable, even taking on the two toughest challenges. It's better to believe in such mystical matters than to dismiss them."

Wang Yuanji looked at him in surprise. Was this still the Chen Jing he knew?

Chen Jing today is quite different from usual.

In the past, he would have already rushed up on horseback.

Is being an emperor so charismatic that you can so easily change a person?

"What Your Highness says is true."

Wang Yuanji gestured to the left and right, and the cavalry on both flanks moved forward half a horse's length without making a sound, protecting the flanks of the central army.

At this moment, Li Jinglong suddenly pointed the peach wood sword into the sky.

He shuddered and muttered some incomprehensible incantation.

Finally, gathering all his strength, he roared towards Wang Yuanji:

"I am Li Jinglong, the eldest disciple of His Majesty the Supreme Great Luo Celestial Immortal, the Purple Extreme Longevity Saintly Wisdom Illuminating Spirit, the Three Primal Proofs, the Jade Void Supreme Master of the Five Thunders, the Mysterious Capital Realm Great Saint Emperor, the Fire Virtue True Lord!"

"You worthless scoundrels, how dare you trespass upon my immortal formation?"

This long list of titles is what Chen Shao refers to when he speaks to others.

Li Jinglong even claimed to be Chen Shao's eldest disciple...

These are a general and a ruler of a nation, yet they put on such a clumsy performance in broad daylight in front of everyone.

Wang Yuanji simply couldn't control his facial expression.

His face was contorted with laughter.

"You mere heretics and unorthodox methods? Today, I, the general, will break through your divine array and see whether your summoned deity arrives faster, or my saber is swift!"

He waved his hand forward, and a troop of cavalry stepped out from the crowd.

The cavalry were well-trained and spread out in an arrowhead formation before the main army.

"Form ranks!"

Li Jinglong shouted.

Xing Daorong and his hundreds of shirtless soldiers turned around in unison.

Bend over, lower your head, bend over backwards.

They actually turned their backs to Wang Yuanji's army.

The veteran standing at the very front slapped his bare buttocks hard, making a crisp "slap slap" sound, and shouted:

"Come on! If you've got the guts, try and chop at me here!"

Even the most elite warriors can only endure this!

Wang Yuanji's army was first deathly silent, then erupted into a burst of maniacal laughter like a landslide and a tsunami.

Seeing the man opposite him laughing so hard he was practically falling over, Li Jinglong was not alarmed but rather pleased.

He winked at Xing Daorong.

The latter understood and led his hundreds of naked brothers forward, making the formation even more imposing.

Li Jinglong stuck the peach wood sword into the incense burner, grabbed wildly with both hands, and stumbled along.

"Heavenly spirits, earthly spirits, Laozi, quickly manifest your power! Six Ding and Six Jia, heed my command, scatter beans to create soldiers and repel the enemy!"

Wang Yuanji was almost laughing until tears streamed down his face when he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

Who do I think I am? Why should I waste my time with this clown?

This is Chen Shao's delaying tactic.

That means Chen Shao must be plotting some kind of scheme.

Thinking of this, he instantly regained his composure.

He pulled an arrow from behind.

The bow is drawn as full as a full moon.

The arrow wasn't aimed at Li Jinglong, but rather at the most despicable member of Xing Daorong's team.

"I'll let you take the picture!"

Whoosh!

The arrow struck with great force, producing a whistling sound as it pierced the air.

Wang Yuanji was a renowned general, and his arrows never missed their mark.

puff!

The arrow hit the center perfectly.

A heart-wrenching scream rang out from the procession of a hundred people.

"Fuck you, where are you shooting?"

Wang Yuanji raised his hand again.

"It's just a bluff. Take care of them."

After speaking, he confidently turned his horse around.

Li Jinglong and his group posed no threat to him.

Apart from that cavalry unit, the main army immediately headed towards Liaocheng.

The outcome of the war within Hangu Pass was also without any suspense.

If Li Jinglong's magic fails to scare the other party away, then he can only wait for others to use magic on him.

Soon, Li Jinglong's panicked voice echoed through the valley:

"Retreat! Forward troops, retreat!"

......

The army set off in a grand procession and finally arrived at the city of Liaocheng half a day later.

The sun had already set.

Dusk painted the city walls a dark red.

But the city walls were completely empty, without even a decent flag.

The city gate was half-closed, and the drawbridge over the moat was not lowered.

The army halted outside the city.

The scouts entered the city first to investigate, and soon reported that all the garrison troops in the city had withdrawn.

It wasn't some kind of empty city ploy.

This left Wang Yuanji extremely puzzled.

You, Chen Shao, went through all that trouble to launch a surprise attack from a thousand miles away, capturing a key town, but then you don't take it back. What's the point of that?

He frowned and led his army into the city.

As they walked to the county government office, they saw that the sand table used by Chen Shao was still on display in the main hall.

Several small flags were stuck up there haphazardly.

The teacups on the table were already covered in dust.

"What is he going to do?"

Wang Yuanji sat in the county government office, staring at the sand table.

Chen Jingdao:

"Chen Shao is a cunning man. Commander, you should check whether there are flammable materials such as white phosphorus hidden in the houses, or whether the well water has been poisoned to create a plague. He is capable of doing these things."

"Your Highness, please calm down. At least there is no possibility of a major fire in the county government office. Let me gather all the information from various sources before making a judgment."

Elite troops are indeed elite troops; within moments, messages began to arrive one after another.

First, as Chen Jing said, the well water does seem to be poisonous, as there is still a lot of medicinal powder remaining at the wellhead.

Secondly, all the granaries in the city have been emptied.

Third, Chen Shao's main force left Liaocheng, and judging from the marching tracks, they headed towards Cangyan Mountain in the southwest.